Intraspecific transitioning of ecological strategies in Pinus massoniana trees across restoration stages

Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits and ecological strategies is typically overlooked in most studies despite its pivotal role at the local scales and along short environmental gradients. While CSR theory has been used to classify ecological strategies (competitive C; stress-tolerant, S; ruderal, R) in different plant species, its ability to explain intraspecific variation in ecological strategies remains uncertain. Here, we sought to investigate intraspecific variation in ecological strategies for Pinus massoniana, a pioneer conifer tree for ecological restoration in Changting County, southeast China. By measuring key leaf traits and canopy height of 252 individuals at different ontogenetic stages from three plots spanning distinctive stages along early ecological restoration and calculating their C, S, and R scores, we constructed an intraspecific CSR system. All individual strategies shifted across three restoration stages, with adults from higher S component to higher C component while juveniles from higher S component to higher R component. Our results suggest that while strategies of all P. massoniana individuals start with tolerance to environmental stress, as restoration proceeds, adult transition towards completion for light, whereas juveniles shift to an acquisitive resource use. The study reveals an intraspecific pattern of strategy variation during forest restoration, contributing to our understanding of how plants adapt to diverse environments.