Whole-Plant Seedling Functional Traits Suggest Lianas Also Support “Fast-Slow” Plant Economics Spectrum

Lianas are predicted to perform better than trees during seasonal drought among tropical forests, which has substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. Here, we use whole-plant trait comparison test whether lianas allocated on the resource acquisitive end of continuum woody plant strategies. We measured morphological biomass allocation traits seedlings 153 species occurring in a Thailand dry season. first compared differences between directly, then classified all based their similarities. found that liana had significantly higher specific leaf areas stem lengths co-occurring seedlings. Trait similarity classification resulted liana-dominated cluster tree-dominated cluster. Compared cluster, were characterized by consistent pattern lower matter content cheaper more efficient per mass unit investment both above- below-ground organs. The consistency organs operating tandem content, together with optimized them unit, implied can be highly overlapped strategy gradient acquisition continuum.