Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea individuals are more ready to embrace wildfire in more fire-prone areas
Data files
Jun 16, 2026 version files 10.08 KB
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env_data.csv
2.68 KB
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README.md
5.78 KB
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serotiny-related_traits.csv
1.61 KB
Abstract
Plant functional traits play pivotal roles in mediating plant responses to environmental heterogeneity and form the basis for understanding adaptive strategies. Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea, a fire-embracing species endemic to southwestern China, exhibits substantial intraspecific variation in key functional traits, including serotiny. Yet, how these traits co-evolve under heterogeneous fire regimes remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to determine whether and how multiple functional traits co-evolve to shape an adaptive strategy in response to spatial variation in fire regimes. We integrated functional trait measurements with fire history and soil environmental data across multiple populations. We examined coordinated trait variation, quantified relationships between serotiny and environmental factors, and assessed potential trade-offs among traits. Populations with higher serotiny levels exhibited lower leaf nitrogen concentrations, lower leaf mass per area, and higher cone crude fat content, reflecting a more pronounced fire-embracing strategy. These populations tended to occur in areas characterized by larger burned areas and nutrient-poor soils. Our findings reveal clear trade-offs among functional traits of P. yunnanensis var. pygmaea, providing new insights into the coordinated evolution of its fire-embracing strategy and improving our understanding of adaptive mechanisms in fire-prone ecosystems.
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains environmental variables and serotiny-related functional traits used in the associated article. The dataset includes two CSV files:
env_data.csv
Environmental variables associated with each sampling plot, including cone serotiny level, soil properties, topography, fire-related indices, and bioclimatic variables.serotiny-related_traits.csv
Serotiny-related functional traits of Pinus yunanensis var. pygmaea, including tree height, needle traits, cone traits, and cone serotiny level.
The climatic variables were extracted from WorldClim version 2.1 bioclimatic raster layers based on the latitude and longitude of each sampling plot. The original WorldClim raster files, clipped raster layers, and GeoTIFF files are not included in this Dryad dataset. Users who wish to reproduce the extraction of climatic variables can obtain the original WorldClim data from the WorldClim website and cite the WorldClim source as appropriate.
Fire-related variables were derived from NASA FIRMS data and/or associated fire-weather products according to the sampling plot locations. The original external raster or remote-sensing source files are not included in this Dryad dataset. Only the extracted or calculated values used in the analyses are provided.
Files and variables
File: env_data.csv
Description: Environmental variable table for each sampling plot. This file contains soil properties, topography, fire-related indices, bioclimatic variables extracted from WorldClim, and cone serotiny level.
Variables:
Plot: sampling plot identifier.CSL (%): cone serotiny level.BA (km2): burned area around each plot.FA (-): fire activity around each plot.FRP (MW): fire radiative power around each plot.FWI (-): fire weather index around each plot.pH (-): soil pH.SOC (g/kg): soil organic carbon content.STC (g/kg): soil total carbon content.STN (%): soil total nitrogen content.STP (g/kg): soil total phosphorus content.STK (g/kg): soil total potassium content.SGW (g/kg): soil gravimetric water content.SBD (g/cm3): soil bulk density.SP (%): soil total porosity.Bio1 (°C): annual mean temperature.Bio2 (°C): mean diurnal range.Bio3 (-): isothermality, calculated as Bio2/Bio7 × 100.Bio4 (-): temperature seasonality, calculated as the standard deviation × 100.Bio5 (°C): maximum temperature of the warmest month.Bio6 (°C): minimum temperature of the coldest month.Bio7 (°C): temperature annual range, calculated as Bio5 - Bio6.Bio8 (°C): mean temperature of the wettest quarter.Bio9 (°C): mean temperature of the driest quarter.Bio10 (°C): mean temperature of the warmest quarter.Bio11 (°C): mean temperature of the coldest quarter.Bio12 (mm): annual precipitation.Bio13 (mm): precipitation of the wettest month.Bio14 (mm): precipitation of the driest month.Bio15 (-): precipitation seasonality, expressed as the coefficient of variation.Bio16 (mm): precipitation of the wettest quarter.Bio17 (mm): precipitation of the driest quarter.Bio18 (mm): precipitation of the warmest quarter.Bio19 (mm): precipitation of the coldest quarter.ALT (m): altitude of the sampling plot.
File: serotiny-related_traits.csv
Description: Serotiny-related functional trait table for Pinus yunanensis var. pygmaea. This file contains tree height, needle traits, cone nutrient traits, cone size traits, and cone serotiny level.
Variables:
Plot: sampling plot identifier.HT (m): tree height.LL (cm): leaf length.LFD (mm): leaf fascicle diameter.LMC (%): leaf moisture content.LMA (g/cm2): leaf mass per area.LCV (J/kg): leaf calorific value.LT (%): leaf tannin content.LTN (g/kg): leaf total nitrogen content.LTP (g/kg): leaf total phosphorus content.CCF (%): cone crude fat content.CTN (g/kg): cone total nitrogen content.CTP (g/kg): cone total phosphorus content.CL (cm): cone length.CW (cm): cone width.CSL (%): cone serotiny level.
Code/software
The data were analyzed using R version 4.4.1.
Access information and data sources
The dataset was derived from the following sources:
- Original field and laboratory measurements from this study, including cone serotiny level, tree height, needle traits, cone traits, and soil properties.
- WorldClim version 2.1 bioclimatic variables. The bioclimatic variables were extracted from WorldClim raster layers based on the latitude and longitude of each sampling plot. The original WorldClim raster files are not included in this Dryad dataset.
- NASA FIRMS fire data and/or associated fire-related products. Fire-related variables were extracted or calculated for each sampling plot. The original FIRMS source files are not included in this Dryad dataset.
References for external data sources
Fick, S. E., & Hijmans, R. J. 2017. WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution climate surfaces for global land areas. International Journal of Climatology, 37, 4302–4315.
NASA FIRMS. Fire Information for Resource Management System. NASA Earthdata.
License compatibility statement
All files uploaded to this Dryad dataset are compatible with CC0. The uploaded files contain original data generated by this study and extracted or calculated values used in the analyses. The dataset does not include original WorldClim raster files, clipped WorldClim raster layers, WorldClim GeoTIFF files, or other third-party files with licensing terms incompatible with CC0.