Intraspecific trait variation has been singled out as an important mechanism by which individuals can cope with environmental variations and avoid local extinctions. Here we evaluate variation in metamer traits (i.e., traits associated with internodes, petioles and their corresponding leaves) and parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence within and among populations of a neotropical tree, Copaifera langsdorffii. We also evaluated phenotypic plasticity in natural settings comparing traits between shade and sun-exposed metamers. We selected six populations along a climatic gradient ranging from semi-arid to humid and representing three different biomes (Caatinga, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest). Local climatic conditions significantly affected the morphological and physiological traits of populations. Trait variation among populations was explained mainly by aridity index and evapotranspiration. Individuals from drier regions had lower specific leaf area (SLA), lower investment in leaf area per total dry mass of metamer (LARm), lower specific petiole length (SPL) and lower potential quantum yield (Fv/Fm, only for sun-exposed metamers). Populations from locations with greater environmental heterogeneity (interannual variation) had greater plasticity in response to light for Fv/Fm and electron transport rate (ETR) and morphological traits related to the hydraulic and biomechanical aspects of the leaves (petiole length, internode length and SPL). High intraspecific variation in metamer traits in C. langsdorffii coupled with its ability to modify these traits in response to different climate conditions can explain the success of the species over a range of different habitats and represent important factors for the persistence of this species in the face of climate change.

Premise Fog is a frequent event in Brazilian rupestrian field and plays an important role in the physiology of several plant species. Foliar water uptake (FWU) of fog may be fast or slow depending on the species. However, fog water may negatively affect CO2 assimilation. Thus, the interference in the water and carbon balance as a result of different strategies of FWU was evaluated to verify whether fog may mitigate possible water deficit in leaves. Methods Four plant species with different FWU strategies were studied in a ferruginous rupestrian field with frequent fog. Gas exchange and water potential were measured before dawn and at midday during the dry and rainy seasons, separating foggy from non‐foggy days during the dry season. Results The FWU speed negatively influences CO2 assimilation in the dry season, possibly because of its negative relationship with stomatal conductance, since reduced stomatal aperture impairs carbon entrance. Fog presence increased leaf water potential both in early morning and midday during the dry season. However, during the rainy season, the values of leaf water potential were lower at midday, than during the dry season with fog at midday, which favors leaf gas exchanges. Conclusions FWU interferes negatively, but briefly with CO2 assimilation. Nevertheless, FWU prevents water loss through transpiration and increases the water status of plants in the dry season. That is, FWU results in a compensation between CO2 assimilation and foliar hydration, which, in fact, is beneficial to the plants of this ecosystem.

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Advancing functional ecology depends fundamentally on the availability of data on reproductive traits, including those from tropical plants, which have been historically underrepresented in global trait databases. Although some valuable databases have been created recently, they are mainly restricted to temperate areas and vegetative traits such as leaf and wood traits. Here, we present Rock n' Seeds, a database of seed functional traits and germination experiments from Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation, recognized as outstanding For affiliation refer to page 2

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