New paper about how competition weakens plant trait–growth relationships

Our workgroup members Jing Yang and Carlos Carmona led a new study about how competition alters the relationship between plant traits and growth in tree seedlings. The study was published in Ecology Letters. In a three-year greaanhouse experiment with 5,188 seedlings of seven coexisting subtropical tree species, the authors found that traits predicted seedling growth much better in the absence of competition than under competition. Competition increased individual trait variability while reducing growth rates, which together weakened trait–growth relationships. The study helps to explain why functional traits poorly predict growth in natural forests and highlights the role of trait plasticity in shaping plant performance.  

Yang, J., Shen, G., Wang, X., & Carmona, C. P. 2025. Competition-Induced Trait Variability Obscures Trait–Growth Relationships of Tree Seedlings. Ecology Letters 28: e70259.