Abstract
This study explores the ecological significance of inter- and intraspecific variations of growth and functional traits found in tropical tree species of French Guiana in relation to light regime. We demonstrate that the syndrome of leaf traits associated with light -niche (longer life span, higher leaf mass per area of more shade tolerant species) holds among a set of 14 species comprising no pioneer nor any shade specialist species. Our results further suggest that plasticity of leaf mass per area expressed at the sapling stage may reflect adaptation to the spatial heterogeneity of light conditions encountered both at the sapling stage and across ontogenetic stages. Multivariate analysis provides evidence of a close linkage between leaf lifespan, relative crown depth and light-niche optimum. The plasticity in relative crown depth observed in shade-intolerant species can not be interpreted in terms of self-shading avoidance. Rather, crown depth adjustment was found to be a consequence of changes in growth rates and mortality rates of leaves and branches imposed by current light conditions and occurring at the whole-plant level. At the adult stage, our results point to competition for light making an unexpectedly low contribution to individual tree growth variations, contrasting with a major effect of species identity. We argue that this pattern of variation is likely to result from the vertical niche partitioning of species and the high abundance of small-statured species that are moderately responsive to light competition (consistent with their adaptation to understorey conditions). Light-niche differentiation of juvenile trees and vertical stratification of adult trees provide strong evidence for light niche partitioning in the three-dimensional space of tropical forests.