One foundational assumption of trait-based ecology is that traits can predict species demography. However, the links between traits and demographic rates are, in general, not as strong as expected. These weak associations may be due to the use of traits that are distantly related to performance, and/or the lack of consideration of size-related variations in both traits and demographic rates. Here, we examined how wood traits were related to demographic rates in 19 tree species from a lowland forest in eastern Amazonia. We measured eleven wood traits (i.e., structural, anatomical and chemical traits) in sapling, juvenile and adult wood; and related them to growth and mortality rates at different ontogenetic stages. The links between wood traits and demographic rates changed during tree development. At the sapling stage, relative growth rates (RGR) were negatively related to wood specific gravity (WSG) and total parenchyma fractions, while mortality rates (MR) decreased with radial parenchyma fractions, but increased with vessel lumen area (VA). Juvenile RGR were unrelated to wood traits, whereas juvenile MR were negatively related to WSG and axial parenchyma fractions. At the adult stage, RGR scaled with VA and wood potassium concentrations. Adult MR were not predicted by any trait. Overall, the strength of the trait-demography associations decreased at later ontogenetic stages. Our results indicate that the associations between traits and demographic rates can change as trees age. Also, wood chemical or anatomical traits may be better predictors of growth and mortality rates than WSG. Our findings are important to expand our knowledge on tree life-history variations and community dynamics in tropical forests, by broadening our understanding on the links between wood traits and demography during tree development.

中文翻译：

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低地热带雨林树木发育过程中木材特征与物种人口统计之间的联系发生变化

基于性状的生态学的一个基本假设是性状可以预测物种人口统计。然而，总体而言，特征与人口比率之间的联系并不像预期的那么紧密。这些弱关联可能是由于使用了与表现关系较远的特征，和/或缺乏考虑特征和人口比率中与体型相关的变化。在这里，我们研究了亚马逊流域东部低地森林的 19 种树种的木材特征与人口统计率的关系。我们测量了树苗、幼年木材和成年木材的十一种木材特征（即结构、解剖和化学特征）；并将它们与不同个体发育阶段的生长和死亡率联系起来。在树木发育过程中，木材特征和人口统计率之间的联系发生了变化。在幼树阶段，相对生长率（RGR）与木材比重（WSG）和总薄壁组织分数负相关，而死亡率（MR）随着径向薄壁组织分数的增加而降低，但随着血管腔面积（VA）的增加而增加。幼年RGR与木材性状无关，而幼年MR与WSG和轴向薄壁组织分数负相关。在成虫阶段，RGR 与 VA 和木材钾浓度成比例。任何特征都无法预测成人 MR。总体而言，性状与人口统计学关联的强度在个体发育后期有所下降。我们的结果表明，性状和人口统计率之间的关联会随着树木的年龄而变化。此外，木材化学或解剖特征可能比 WSG 更好地预测生长和死亡率。我们的研究结果对于扩大我们对热带森林树木生活史变化和群落动态的了解非常重要，通过扩大我们对树木发育过程中木材特征和人口统计学之间联系的理解。