Elevational Shifts in Tropical Tree Leaf Traits: Interactions Between Soil, Climate, Light, and Phylogeny

Understanding how tropical trees respond to complex environmental gradients is essential for predicting forest resilience under climate change. We examined variation in key leaf traits— specific leaf area (SLA), foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), C:N and N:P ratios, and stable isotope composition (δ ¹³ C, δ ¹ □N)—in 160 tree species along a 3,200-m elevational transect on Mount Cameroon. This gradient spans hyper-humid coastal rainforests to arid Afroalpine savannas, capturing sharp transitions in climate, soils, and forest structure. Leaf traits shifted nonlinearly with elevation, from acquisitive strategies at mid-elevations to conservative syndromes in lowlands and highlands. Mid-elevation forests (∼1,000–1,500□m), characterized by moderate climate and canopy disturbance by elephants, supported nutrient-rich, high-SLA foliage. In contrast, high-elevation forests (>2,000□m) exhibited low SLA, high C:N, and enriched δ ¹³ C, consistent with stress tolerance under cold, dry, and fire-prone conditions. The strongest phosphorus limitation occurred in hyper-humid lowlands, where extreme rainfall (>12,000 mm/year) drives leaching losses. Foliar δ ¹ □N declined markedly with elevation (from +5‰ to −5‰), indicating a shift from mineral N uptake and N-fixation in lowland Fabaceae to ecto- and ericoid mycorrhizal associations in montane Ericaceae. A bimodal δ ¹ □N pattern—enrichment in both lowland and upper montane forests—reflects N-fixation under leaching and fire-driven N scarcity, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses showed that climate, soils, forest structure, and lineage jointly shaped trait–environment relationships. Traits related to δ ¹³ C, C:N, and δ ¹ □N exhibited strong phylogenetic signal, highlighting evolutionary constraints. These findings underscore the value of integrating functional traits, isotopes, and phylogeny to predict tropical forest responses to global change.