Trait coordination in boreal mosses reveals a bryophyte economics spectrum

1. The study of plant trait spectra and their association with trade-offs in resource use strategy has greatly advanced our understanding of vascular plant function, yet trait spectra remain poorly studied in bryophytes, particularly outside of the Sphagnum genus. Here, we measured 25 traits related to carbon, nutrient, and water conservation in 60 moss canopies (each dominated by one of 15 moss species) across diverse boreal forest habitats, and used bi-variate correlations and multi-variate analyses to assess trait coordination and trait spectra.
2. We found substantial trait coordination along a main principal components axis driven by trade-offs in carbon, nutrient, and water conservation strategies. Along this trait spectrum, traits varied from resource-acquisitive at one end (e.g., high maximum photosynthetic capacity, high tissue nitrogen content, low water holding capacity) to resource-conservative at the other end, in line with resource economics theory.
3. Traits related to ca...