Functional traits of second-year water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) seedlings under varying shade environments

This dataset is associated with a submitted manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. It describes an experiment focusing on the morphological and physiological functional traits of water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) seedlings when placed in varying light environments. Beginning on March 9, 2023, second-year potted seedlings of water tupelo were placed under three shade houses with shade ratings of 60%, 70%, and 90%. Two additional groups of seedlings were placed in 0% shade (full-sun), one having been affected by a freeze (FRZ) event, and the other not. There were seven seedlings in each group. We monitored the seedlings on March 9, May 3, August 21, and October 31, 2023, for root collar diameter (RCD), height, and total leaves per seedling. On August 21, 2023, we measured internodal distance, individual leaf area, and individual leaf thickness. On May 11 and August 25, 2023, we obtained one leaf tissue sample from three seedlings in each shade environment using a 10 mm circular biopsy tool. Wet-mass measurements of combined samples from each treatment were attained immediately after sampling. Dry-mass measurements were obtained after placing samples in a drying oven at 60 °C for a minimum of 24 hours. Gas exchange measurements occurred over three consecutive days beginning on May 10, 2023. A LI-COR LI-6800 portable photosynthesis system with a 6800-01A aperture chamber (6 cm2) was used to obtain a range of light response measurements using its default program. Three individual seedlings from each shade treatment were sampled over the three-day period between the daytime hours of 10:00 and 14:00.