Data from: Megafauna biogeography explains plant functional trait variation in the tropics

Aim Biomes can diverge substantially in plant functional traits and
disturbance regimens among regions. Given that Neotropical and
Afrotropical regions have contrasting histories of the megafauna (because
of the Holocene megafaunal extinction in the Neotropics), we hypothesize
that they should harbour plants with different traits in relationship to
herbivory and fire, especially in savannas. We predicted that herbivory
resistance traits should be more prominent in Afrotropical savanna plants
and fire resistance in Neotropical savanna plants. Location Tropics. Time
period Not applicable. Major taxa studied Angiosperms (woody). Methods We
compiled data for five key plant functional traits (wood density, specific
leaf area, maximum tree height, spinescence and proportion of geoxyles)
for forest and savanna woody species from the two distant regions
(Afrotropics and Neotropics). We related these data to climate, soil and
fire variables and tested predictions for megafauna selection. Results
Spines and high wood density were more common among Afrotropical than
Neotropical savanna species and species from the two forests. Moreover,
the Neotropical savanna region contained more geoxyles than the
Afrotropical savanna region. Finally, Afrotropical species were taller
than Neotropical species. These differences were consistent with our
predictions for trait selection by the megafauna, and these patterns did
not change when considering climate, soil and fire regimens in the models.
Main conclusions Our results highlight the great potential of these traits
for summarizing disturbance strategy axes in tropical woody species and
suggest that global variation in plant traits is unlikely to be understood
fully without consideration of historical factors, especially the direct
and indirect impacts of megafauna.