Leaf structural traits and allometry of juvenile trees across temperature treatments in an experimental plantation in the Colombian Andes, 2019-2022

Trees were planted in open areas in 0.32 m3 soil pits using 400 kg of soil per tree from soil extracted from a nearby location to the 14 deg C site to maintain soil physical and chemical conditions. All trees were tagged and their diameter at 2 cm height was labelled to ensure all posterior measurements were taken at the same stem position. All trees have been watered since planting during dry periods to allow successful plant establishment and avoid water-limitation effects. At each field site, trees were planted in four 600 m2 plots with six blocks within each plot, codified '1' to '6'. The sixth block was used as a nutrient fertilisation treatment, with monthly additions of N, P, K and secondary and minor elements. Each block contains one tree of each of the fifteen-study species, for a total of 24 trees of each of the fifteen species per site, with 360 trees planted at each site.

Trees were monitored (allometry and leaf structural traits) since they were 18-24 months old from February 2019 until January 2022. A total of ten measuring campaigns were performed for allometry and five for leaf structural traits. The first allometry census was performed at a mid-elevation nursery where trees were germinating and then growing for 18-24 months.