Intra and interspecific variation in foliage phenology and leaf spectroscopy in nine Baja Californian shrub species

Abstract

Background: Canopy phenology, foliar biochemistry, and leaf lifespan vary according to season within and across species. Intrinsically, this variation should also determine changes in the spectral properties of foliar tissue. However, whether canopy phenology and leaf spectroscopy co-vary across species has seldom been tested in seasonal drylands. Questions and / or Hypotheses: We tested the covariation between growth rate, foliage phenology, and leaf spectral indices, expecting that species with high growth rates should have large variability in relative leaf number and foliar spectroscopy. Studied species / data description / Mathematical model: We partition the intra and interspecific variation in relative leaf number and spectroscopy within nine perennial chaparral shrub species. Study site and dates: Rancho El Mogor, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, during 2017 and 2018. Methods: Foliage phenology was quantified with an index of relative leaf number, foliar spectroscopy with three standard vegetation indices, and resource-use with stem growth and leaf functional traits. Results: Species with higher variability in foliage phenology (more deciduous species) had higher stem growth rates. The three vegetation indices varied significantly across species (ca. 20 % of explained variance), and across seasons within species (ca. 55 % of explained variance). The values of the three vegetation indices were correlated, and only NDVI was correlated with foliage phenology and stem growth. Conclusions: Our results show that variations in relative leaf number and spectroscopy in chaparral species are coupled with functional traits of species involved in resource exploitation strategies in a seasonally arid environment.