Supporting Information
Table S1 Overview of studies investigating leaf trait differences between trees and lianas.
Trait(s)
Result
Lianas (L), Trees (T)
References
LMA
L<T
Han et al. 2011, Gallagher and Leishman 2012,
Asner and Martin 2012, Cai et al. 2009
SLA
L>T
Sánchez-Azofeifa et al. 2009, Zhu and Cao 2010
LMF
L>T
Cai et al. 2007
LAR
L>T
Cai et al. 2007
A mass
L>T
Zhu and Cao 2010, Cai et al. 2009
A area
L<T
Cai et al. 2007, Santiago and Wright 2007
Φ mass, Φ area
L>T
Selaya et al. 2008
gs
L<T
Santiago and Wright 2007
Leaf thickness
L<T
Sánchez-Azofeifa et al. 2009
LLS
L<T
Zhu and Cao 2010
L>T
Santiago and Wright 2007
LDMC
L<T
Sánchez-Azofeifa et al. 2009
Water content (%)
L>T
Sánchez-Azofeifa et al. 2009
δ13C
L>T
Cai et al. 2009
LCC
L<T
Zhu and Cao 2010
N
L>T
P
L>T
Kusumoto and Enoki 2008, Cai et al. 2009,
Gallagher and Leishman 2012
Cai and Bongers 2007
PRE
L<T
Cai and Bongers 2007
PPUE, PNUE
L>T
Zhu and Cao 2010
SD-1
L<T
Asner and Martin 2012
L CG-1
L>T
MM-1
L>T
Sánchez-Azofeifa et al. 2009, Asner and Martin
2012
Asner and Martin 2012
Notes: LAR= leaf area ratio (cm2 leaf g plant -1)
LMF = leaf mass fraction (g leaf g plant -1)
SLA = specific leaf area (g cm-2)
LMA = leaf mass area (cm2 g-1)
A area = photosynthetic rate per unit leaf area (mmol CO2 m−2 s−1 )
A mass = photosynthetic rate per unit leaf dry mass -1 (nmol CO2 g−1 s−1)
Φ mass = light interception per unit leaf mass (mol g -1)
Φ area = light interception per unit leaf area (mol cm -2)
gs = stomatal conductance (mol CO2 m−2 s−1 )
PRE = P resorption efficiency (%)
P = leaf P concentration (mg g-1)
N = leaf N concentration (%)
PPUE = photosynthetic P use efficiency (µmol CO2 mol P-1 s-1)
PNUE = photosynthetic N use efficiency (µmol CO2 mol N-1 s-1)
LLS = leaf life span (days)
δ13C ~ estimate of water use efficiency
LCC area = leaf construction cost per unit leaf area (g glucose m-2)
CC A-1 = cost benefit ratio~ leaf construction cost per unit photosynthetic gain (g s µmol-1)
S D-1 = Leaf structure and defense chemicals- C (%), Hemi-cellulose (%), Cellulose (%), Lignin (%),
Phenols (mg g-1), Tannins (mg g-1)
LC G-1 = Leaf light capture and growth chemicals- Chl-a (mg g-1), Chl-b (mg g-1), Carotenoids (mg g-1),
N (%), P (%), Water (%) K (%)
M M-1 = Leaf maintenance and metabolism chemicals- Ca (%), Mg (%), Zn (lg g-1), Mn (µg g-1), B(µg
g-1), Fe (µg g-1)
Table S2 Range of total N and P, and net mineralization potentials for nitrate (NO3—N), ammonium
(NH4+-N ) and phosphate (PO43—P) for the Lake, AVA, and Marron soil types on BCI as determined by
Yavitt and Wieder (1988).
Total (mg/g dry soil)
CaCl2-extractable (μg/g dry soil)
N
P
NO3—N
NH4+-N
PO43—P
4.9-5.1
1.15-1.3
14.4-17.3
0.42-0.7
0.28-0.31
a) Lianas
r = 0.167
p = 0.282
b) Trees
r = 0.479
p = 0.0013*
Figure S1 Bivariate linear regression of branching intensity (forks cm-1) to percent mycorrhizal
colonization in lianas and trees.
References
Asner GP, Martin RE (2012) Contrasting leaf chemical traits in tropical lianas and trees: implications for
future forest composition. Ecol Lett 15:1001–7. doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01821.x
Cai Z, Bongers F (2007) Contrasting nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiencies in trees and lianas
from a tropical montane rain forest in Xishuangbanna, south-west China. J Trop Ecol 23:115. doi:
10.1017/S0266467406003750
Cai Z-Q, Schnitzer S a, Bongers F (2009) Seasonal differences in leaf-level physiology give lianas a
competitive advantage over trees in a tropical seasonal forest. Oecologia 161:25–33. doi:
10.1007/s00442-009-1355-4
Galia Selaya N, Oomen RJ, Netten JJC, et al (2008) Biomass allocation and leaf life span in relation to
light interception by tropical forest plants during the first years of secondary succession. J Ecol
96:1211–1221. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01441.x
Gallagher R V., Leishman MR (2012) A global analysis of trait variation and evolution in climbing
plants. J Biogeogr 39:1757–1771. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02773.x
Han L, Xie L-J, Dai K-J, et al (2011) Contrasting leaf characteristics of trees and lianas in secondary and
mature forests in southwestern China. Photosynthetica 48:559–566. doi: 10.1007/s11099-0100073-9
Sánchez-Azofeifa GA, Castro K, Wright SJ, et al (2009) Differences in leaf traits, leaf internal structure,
and spectral reflectance between two communities of lianas and trees: Implications for remote
sensing in tropical environments. Remote Sens Environ 113:2076–2088. doi:
10.1016/j.rse.2009.05.013
Santiago LS, Wright SJ (2007) Leaf functional traits of tropical forest plants in relation to growth form.
Funct Ecol 21:19–27. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01218.x
Zhu S-D, Cao K-F (2010) Contrasting cost-benefit strategy between lianas and trees in a tropical
seasonal rain forest in southwestern China. Oecologia 163:591–9. doi: 10.1007/s00442-010-1579-3