Eucalypt functional trait dataset of plants grown under common garden conditions
Data files
Jan 23, 2026 version files 38.36 KB
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NPH-MS-2025-52475_DATA_CCA_only.csv
35.51 KB
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README.md
2.84 KB
Abstract
Understanding the role of site climate in driving geographic trait variation and revealing the relative contributions of adaptation and plasticity are key goals in plant sciences. We tested mechanistic hypotheses for trait–climate relationships for mature eucalypt trees grown in common garden and in situ field conditions, quantifying joint and individual effects of mean annual precipitation (MAP) and temperature (MAT) on eight functionally important traits. Trait–MAP relationships were particularly strong, with all but one trait consistently related to precipitation in both growth conditions. Trait–MAT relationships were notably weaker, but where relationships existed, most traits responded to low temperature in the same direction as to low rainfall, as predicted. Comparing cross-species trait–climate relationships in situ with trait–climate-of-origin relationships in the common garden indicated substantial contributions from both adaptation and plasticity, with plasticity contributing more to variation in photosynthetic traits than in leaf structural or wood traits. Two key advances were (1) teasing apart the roles of site temperature and rainfall on trait variation, which are often confounded; and (2) inferring the contributions of adaptation and plasticity to observed trait patterns. The relative importance of these processes may determine the timescales over which plant traits shift with climate change.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tqjq2bwcv
Description of the data and file structure
The dataset contains functional trait data of 211 eucalypt taxa measured in a common garden (the Currency Creek Arboretum, SA, Australia). The eight traits, measured on mature trees, were leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf nitrogen per area (Narea), the ratio of leaf-internal to ambient CO2 concentration (Ci:Ca; here derived from the d13C signature in leaf tissue), leaf thickness, leaf size (one-side surface area), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), wood density, and the ratio of sapwood cross-sectional area to subtended total leaf area (SA:LA; measured on 20 cm terminal branches). Most traits were collected for all species, with NA values denoting that the trait was not collected for a given species.
Files and variables
File: NPH-MS-2025-52475_DATA_CCA_only.csv
Description:
The dataset contains species trait means.
Variables
- Taxon_ALA: Species name, as listed on the Atlas of Living Australia
- Latitude: latitude of where seeds were sourced (common garden) or where traits were measured (in situ), decimal degrees
- Longitude: longitude, as above, decimal degrees
- source: where plants were measured (a common garden (CCA))
- ldmc: Leaf dry matter content; mg g -1 . NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- lma: Leaf mass per unit area; g m -2 . NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- lamina_size: Individual leaf size; mm2 NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- thickness: Leaf thickness; µm NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- sala: Sapwood area : leaf area ratio; cm2 m -2 NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- wood_dens: Wood density; g cm -3 NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- N_percent: Leaf nitrogen per unit mass; % NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- dC13: Raw carbon isotope signature of leaves, δ13C; ‰ NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- delta: δ13C corrected for isotopic signature of source air, ∆13C; ‰ NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- cica: the ratio of leaf-internal to ambient CO2 concentration, here derived from the δ13C signature of leaf tissue; unitless . NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- Narea: leaf N per unit area; g m -2 NA indicates the trait was not measured for that species.
- MAP: Mean annual precipitation of where seeds were sourced. Climate data were sourced from the CHELSA dataset over the long-term average of 1981-2010; mm
- MAT: Mean annual tempeature, as above; ℃