forest_invader_traits: Forest Woody Invader Functional Traits Dataset

In MultiTraits: Analyzing and Visualizing Multidimensional Plant Traits

Forest Woody Invader Functional Traits Dataset

Description

A comprehensive functional trait dataset comparing native and invasive woody species in North American deciduous forests. This dataset includes 76 species (44 native, 32 non-native) with 68 continuous functional traits across leaf, stem, root, and whole-plant characteristics. The data has been processed using probabilistic PCA (PPCA) for missing value imputation and includes log-transformed variables for right-skewed distributions.

Usage

forest_invader_traits

Format

A data frame with 76 rows (species) and 73 columns:

spesies

Species name (character)

family

Taxonomic family (character)

growthform

Growth form classification: shrub, tree, or vine (character)

nativity

Binary coding: 0 = native, 1 = non-native (numeric)

status

Invasion status: "native", "naturalized", or "invasive" (character)

Mass_leaf

Leaf dry mass (standardized, log-transformed)

SLA

Specific leaf area (standardized)

LDMC

Leaf dry matter content (standardized)

Lobe

Leaf shape complexity (standardized, log-transformed)

PA_leaf

Leaf perimeter-area ratio (standardized, log-transformed)

Thick_leaf

Leaf thickness (standardized, log-transformed)

Stomate_size

Stomatal guard cell length (standardized)

Stomate_index

Stomatal density index (standardized, log-transformed)

Rd_area, Rd_mass

Leaf dark respiration per area and mass (standardized, log-transformed)

Asat_area, Asat_mass

Light-saturated photosynthetic rate per area and mass (standardized, log-transformed)

Vc_max

Maximum carboxylation rate (standardized, log-transformed)

J_max

Maximum electron transport rate (standardized, log-transformed)

AQY

Apparent quantum yield (standardized, log-transformed)

LSP

Light saturation point (standardized, log-transformed)

PNUE

Photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (standardized, log-transformed)

WUE

Water use efficiency (standardized, log-transformed)

CC_area, CC_mass

Leaf construction cost per area and mass (standardized, log-transformed)

N_mass, N_area, N_litter

Leaf nitrogen content (standardized, log-transformed)

N_res

Nitrogen resorption efficiency (standardized)

C_mass, C_area, C_litter

Leaf carbon content (standardized, log-transformed)

Solubles, Hemi, Lignin, Cellulose

Leaf chemical composition (standardized, log-transformed)

Ash

Leaf ash content (standardized, log-transformed)

Phenolics

Leaf phenolic content (standardized, log-transformed)

Chl_area, Chl_mass

Chlorophyll content per area and mass (standardized, log-transformed)

Chl_ab

Chlorophyll a:b ratio (standardized, log-transformed)

Decomp_leaf

Leaf decomposition rate (standardized, log-transformed)

DNA

Nuclear DNA content (standardized, log-transformed)

SRL

Specific root length (standardized, log-transformed)

RTD, RDMC

Root tissue density and dry matter content (standardized, log-transformed)

N_root, C_root

Root nitrogen and carbon content (standardized, log-transformed)

Lignin_root

Root lignin content (standardized, log-transformed)

Decomp_root

Root decomposition rate (standardized, log-transformed)

LAgain

Annual leaf area gain (standardized, log-transformed)

LeafRate_max

Maximum leaf production rate (standardized, log-transformed)

NPP_root

Annual root production (standardized, log-transformed)

SS_root, SS_stem

Soluble sugar content in roots and stems (standardized, log-transformed)

Starch_root, Starch_stem

Starch content in roots and stems (standardized, log-transformed)

NSC_root, NSC_stem

Non-structural carbohydrate content (standardized, log-transformed)

Vessel_freq

Xylem vessel frequency (standardized, log-transformed)

Metaxylem_diam, Earlywood_diam, Latewood_diam

Xylem vessel diameters (standardized, log-transformed)

Cond_stem

Stem hydraulic conductance (standardized, log-transformed)

LeafFall50

Median date of 50% leaf senescence (standardized)

Lifespan_leaf

Mean leaf lifespan (standardized, log-transformed)

EmergeDuration

Duration of spring leaf emergence (standardized)

LeafDuration

Annual duration of live leaves (standardized, log-transformed)

LeafTurnover

Annual leaf turnover rate (standardized)

FallDuration

Duration of autumn senescence (standardized)

Chl_sun50, Chl_shade50

Date of 50% chlorophyll loss in sun/shade leaves (standardized)

LeafOut

Date of spring leaf emergence (standardized)

Details

This dataset represents measurements from a common garden experiment conducted at Syracuse University from 2006-2018. All continuous traits have been standardized to zero mean and unit variance, with 37 right-skewed traits log-transformed prior to standardization. Missing values (29% of the original dataset) were imputed using probabilistic PCA with 2 principal components.

The study identified a unique "fast but steady" trait syndrome in invasive species, combining high metabolic rates with extended leaf duration and robust leaf construction. Two traits - annual leaf duration and nuclear DNA content - distinguished native from invasive species with 93% accuracy.

Source

Common garden experiment, Syracuse University, New York (43°39'N, 76°99'W). Species grown under 20% light transmittance shade cloth simulating forest understory conditions.

References

Fridley, J. D., Bauerle, T. L., Craddock, A., Ebert, A. R., Frank, D. A., Heberling, J. M., Hinman, E. D., Jo, I., Martinez, K. A., Smith, M. S., Woolhiser, L. J., & Yin, J. (2022). Fast but steady: An integrated leaf‐stem‐root trait syndrome for woody forest invaders. Ecology Letters, 25(4), 900-912. \Sexpr[results=rd]{tools:::Rd_expr_doi("10.1111/ele.13967")}

Examples

data(forest_invader_traits)
head(forest_invader_traits)

MultiTraits documentation built on March 22, 2026, 9:06 a.m.