Fig. 2.

Multitrait evolution under physiological tradeoffs offers alternative pathways of niche differentiation, leading to a high diversity of late-successional shade-tolerant types. A–C show metacommunities resulting when (A) only leaf mass per unit leaf area evolves, (B) only height at maturation evolves, and (C) both functional traits evolve together. A–C, Left and Center, respectively, show the size distributions and seed rains of each species within a patch in the wake of a disturbance. Seed rains are expressed as fractions of total lifetime seed production. In A–C, Right, each circle represents a single species. Colors indicate trait combinations as in Fig. 1. The intensity of shading in A–C, Left indicates the density of plants at a given height and patch age. A–C, Right shows evolved trait mixtures and corresponding fitness landscapes, with C, Right colored as in Fig. 3.