Specific leaf area (SLA) reflects a plant’s carbon investment per area and relates to generalized leaf economics spectrum growth strategies (LES). To fill gaps of knowledge about intraspecific SLA variation and why it is often inconsistent with the LES, we studied the response of two riparian tree species along the urban-rural gradient in Northeastern Colorado: an invasive, nitrogen-fixer with broad tolerances and a nitrogen-limited and shade-intolerant native. Despite these differences, the two species responded similarly, apart from the response to the urban-rural gradient, in which lower nitrogen in rural areas was associated with a more conservative strategy in the native species. We found that light, plant size and proximity to water in two dimensions all affected SLA, but interactions between these could even reverse their impact. These results suggest that global LES patterns are complex on a local scale and are subject to interactions not previously explored.
","abstract_html":"<p>Specific leaf area (SLA) reflects a plant’s carbon investment per area and relates to generalized leaf economics spectrum growth strategies (LES). To fill gaps of knowledge about intraspecific SLA variation and why it is often inconsistent with the LES, we studied the response of two riparian tree species along the urban-rural gradient in Northeastern Colorado: an invasive, nitrogen-fixer with broad tolerances and a nitrogen-limited and shade-intolerant native. Despite these differences, the two species responded similarly, apart from the response to the urban-rural gradient, in which lower nitrogen in rural areas was associated with a more conservative strategy in the native species. We found that light, plant size and proximity to water in two dimensions all affected SLA, but interactions between these could even reverse their impact. These results suggest that global LES patterns are complex on a local scale and are subject to interactions not previously explored.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Malone, Amanda"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Anna Sher","Eduardo González-Sargas","Jon Velotta","Patrick Martin","Jing Li"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:12Z","subjects":["Functional trait","Intraspecific variation","Riparian","SLA","Specific leaf area","Urban-rural","Biology","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Plant Biology","Plant Sciences"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2127","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Anna Sher","Eduardo González-Sargas","Jon Velotta","Patrick Martin","Jing Li"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Malone, Amanda"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Functional trait","Intraspecific variation","Riparian","SLA","Specific leaf area","Urban-rural","Biology","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Plant Biology","Plant Sciences"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Environmental Gradients Impact Key Leaf Traits in Riparian Trees"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Anna Sher","Eduardo González-Sargas","Jon Velotta","Patrick Martin","Jing Li"],"dc:creator":["Malone, Amanda"],"dc:description.abstract":["Specific leaf area (SLA) reflects a plant’s carbon investment per area and relates to generalized leaf economics spectrum growth strategies (LES). To fill gaps of knowledge about intraspecific SLA variation and why it is often inconsistent with the LES, we studied the response of two riparian tree species along the urban-rural gradient in Northeastern Colorado: an invasive, nitrogen-fixer with broad tolerances and a nitrogen-limited and shade-intolerant native. Despite these differences, the two species responded similarly, apart from the response to the urban-rural gradient, in which lower nitrogen in rural areas was associated with a more conservative strategy in the native species. We found that light, plant size and proximity to water in two dimensions all affected SLA, but interactions between these could even reverse their impact. These results suggest that global LES patterns are complex on a local scale and are subject to interactions not previously explored.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2127"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"dc:subject":["Functional trait","Intraspecific variation","Riparian","SLA","Specific leaf area","Urban-rural","Biology","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Plant Biology","Plant Sciences"],"dc:title":["Environmental Gradients Impact Key Leaf Traits in Riparian Trees"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:12Z"}