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Aims Exploring the effects of topography on leaf functional traits across plant life forms is helpful to understand species diversity maintenance in forests. The objective of this study is to test how leaf traits among trees, shrubs and woody lianas respond to topographic variability distinctly. Methods Five leaf functional traits (leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry mass, leaf dry matter content and specific leaf area) were measured for 224 woody plant species with contrasting life forms (trees, shrubs and woody lianas) across 50 plots of evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forests in Xingdou Mountain, Hubei Province, China. The variation in leaf functional traits of trees, shrubs and woody lianas were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. We tested the significance of the effect of topographic variability on leaf functional traits of woody plants by Partial Mantel test at community level and species level, respectively. Important findingsThe coefficient of variation of leaf functional traits in different life forms ranged from 23.42% to 110.45%, and there were significant differences in leaf functional traits among different life forms. At the community level, there was a significant positive correlation between altitude and tree leaf dry mass, shrub leaf area and woody liana leaf thickness. Slope only had significant influences on shrub and woody liana leaf area, and slope aspect had significant effects on shrubs leaf thickness. There was a significant positive correlation between leaf dry mass and specific leaf area. At the species level, the effects of slope and slope aspect on plant leaf functional traits were more significant than those of altitude, and the sensitivity in the responses of functional

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