Linking leaf and root trait syndromes among 39 grassland and savannah species

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Abstract
• Here, we tested hypothesized relationships among leaf and fine root traits of grass, forb, legume, and woody plant species of a savannah community. • CO2 exchange rates, structural traits, chemistry, and longevity were measured in tissues of 39 species grown in long‐term monocultures. • Across species, respiration rates of leaves and fine roots exhibited a common regression relationship with tissue nitrogen (N) concentration, although legumes had lower rates at comparable N concentrations. Respiration rates and N concentration declined with increasing longevity of leaves and roots. Species rankings of leaf and fine‐root N and longevity were correlated, but not specific leaf area and specific root length. The C3 and C4 grasses had lower N concentrations than forbs and legumes, but higher photosynthesis rates across a similar range of leaf N. • Despite contrasting photosynthetic pathways and N2‐fixing ability among these species, concordance in above‐ and below‐ground traits was evident in comparable rankings in leaf and root longevity, N and respiration rates, which is evidence of a common leaf and root trait syndrome linking traits to effects on plant and ecosystem processes.