DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f581
title: A trade-off between leaf carbon economics and plant size among mangrove species in Dongzhaigang, China

description: Plant size is closely linked to its leaf trait characteristics, which are
 essential for determining its form and function. These relationships
 constitute a fundamental component of the global spectrum of plant
 diversity. Despite this, the size-trait relationships in coastal mangroves
 have often been overlooked, with a common assumption that they would
 mirror those found in terrestrial tropical trees. However, recent studies
 have begun to challenge this assumption, revealing unique adaptations and
 trait variations in mangroves that are influenced by their specific
 environmental conditions, such as salinity and nutrient availability. In
 this research, we investigated the leaf structural traits, plant height,
 and diameter at breast height or basal height (DBH) of 10 shrub and tree
 species. This study was carried out along an intertidal gradient within a
 mangrove forest located in Southeast China. We found that leaf traits
 differed significantly between shrubs and trees in their response to
 intertidal gradients, indicating that different species have evolved
 specific adaptations to thrive in their respective intertidal zones. This
 insight can help us decipher the selective pressures that have shaped
 trait evolution. Among all species, leaf carbon (C) economics (leaf dry
 mass content, leaf mass per area, and leaf density) decreased
 significantly with increasing plant height and DBH. For each growth form
 and intertidal zone, the relationships between plant size (height or DBH)
 and leaf C economics traits were consistent with those in the pooled
 dataset. Our study reveals that mangrove plants exhibit size-related
 adjustments in leaf C economic strategies, indicating that plant size
 potentially acts as a proxy for the “slow-fast” continuum of plant
 performance. This discovery is pivotal for advancing our understanding of
 plant functional ecology and for enhancing the precision of global C cycle
 models, which are highly responsive to perturbations in atmospheric CO2
 and climate change.
description: # A trade-off between leaf carbon economics and plant size among mangrove
 species in Dongzhaigang, China
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f581](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f581) ## Description of the data and file structure Our uploaded dataset comprises two files: one contains the R code for analysis, and the other consists of the raw data utilized in the analysis. The raw data is divided into two sheets. Sheet1 encompasses 10 distinct species of mangrove plants, with each species represented by 4 replicates, aggregating to a total of 40 sampling plots. For comprehensive descriptions, one should refer to the methods section detailed in the original text. Sheet2 is designated for plotting the data depicted in Supplementary Figure S1. The significance of each abbreviation in the columns is as delineated below. ### Files and variables #### File: mangroveEE.R **Description:** R code that supports the study #### File: mangroveEE.xlsx **Description:**  originial research data ##### Variables abbreviation * identifier for study plot (id), intertidal gradient (tidal), growth form (type), scientific name (species), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD, LCC), leaf area (cm2, LA), leaf thickness (mm, LT), leaf volume (cm3, LV), leaf fresh mass (g, LFM), leaf saturated mass (g, LSM), leaf dry mass (g, LDM), leaf dry mass content (%, LDMC), leaf density (g cm−3, LD), water saturation deficit (%, WSD), leaf mass per area (g m−2, LMA), plant height (m, Height), diameter at breast height or basal height (cm, DBH). ## Code/software R (version 4.3.0, R Core Team 2023)