Cocoa agroforestry shade tree traits

Leaf functional traits of shade trees in agroforestry systems underpin key ecosystem functions, but there is limited research on how shade tree functional traits vary across climatic and soil fertility gradients in agroforestry systems, or between farms and forests. In this study, we use shade tree leaf trait data from cocoa agroforestry systems in Ghana and examine how leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area vary across climatic zones and soil quality levels. We also compare the measured trait data to those of tree species found in Ghanaian forests (derived from open-access trait databases) to compare trait expression on cocoa farms vs. forests.