Abstract
Plant functional traits represent resource acquisition strategies and, consequently, reflect ecosystem functions. As a critical focus on functional trait research, the study of intraspecific variation and vertical gradients in canopies can better reveal plant adaptation mechanisms to environmental conditions. In this study, we examined five provenances of Cunninghamia lanceolata in the common garden of Dagangshan, Jiangxi. We measured and analyzed nine functional trait indicators: the leaf dry matter content, relative chlorophyll content, specific leaf area, leaf tissue density, water use efficiency, leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and equivalent water thickness. The results revealed that canopy height has a minor effect on the variation in leaf functional traits, with most of the variation attributed to geographic provenances. Notably, 50% of the leaf functional traits presented significant correlations, which were mainly associated with photosynthetic capacity-related traits. The correlations of leaf functional traits between the average canopy values and the middle part of the canopy are similar. The influence of canopy height on leaf functional traits in subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata artificial forests is limited, but the provenances had a certain impact on the leaf functional traits. The consistency of trait relationships between middle part and the entire canopy making it feasible to analyze forest ecosystem functions by collecting leaf samples from the middle canopy. This study provides scientific evidence for research on the functional dynamics of Cunninghamia lanceolata artificial forest ecosystems and the selection of superior provenances.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We are deeply thankful to the reviewers for their invaluable comments on the manuscript.
Funding
This study was supported by the the Central Non-profit Research Institution of CAF, grant number CAFYBB2020ZE003, and Jiangxi Dagangshan National Key Field Observation and Research Station for Forest Ecosystem, grant number 2060204-25-201.
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Tingyu Xu: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing-original draft, Writing-review & editing. Xiang Niu: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing-review & editing. Bing Wang: Investigation, Project administration. Yihui Wang: Data curation.
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Xu, T., Niu, X., Wang, B. et al. Impact of canopy vertical height on leaf functional traits in a Cunninghamia lanceolata common garden experiment in Dagangshan. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-24811-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-24811-0
