Abstract In forested ecosystems, shrubs must succeed in persisting in low-light environments, while simultaneously having the ability to rapidly expand and occupy newly created canopy openings, yet little is known about the traits that make this possible. We hypothesize that shrub species that are abundant in the understory exhibit a specific set of functional traits that define their ability to persist during unfavorable periods and to rapidly exploit newly created habitats. We tested this by comparing field-measured functional traits such as biomass allocation, leaf display, crown morphology, and leaf traits, across individual size classes and two gap-forest environments of five shrub species. We observed significant differences in traits between species, size classes, and gap-forest environments. These differences were primarily related to biomass allocation traits, followed by leaf display, crown morphology, and leaf traits. Abundant shrubs like mountain maple (Acer spicatum) and hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) invested significantly more biomass in roots, had a larger total leaf area, and displayed leaves in a more efficient manner to intercept light. The high investment in root biomass can be interpreted as shrubs exploiting the persistence and colonization strategy through resprouting. Permanent sub-canopy status likely explains the importance of efficient leaf display, wherein abundant shrubs had a large leaf area with minimal support structures.

Intraspecific trait variability (ITV) provides the material for species' adaptation to environmental changes. To advance our understanding of how ITV can contribute to species' adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions, we studied five widespread understorey forest species exposed to both continental-scale climate gradients, and local soil and disturbance gradients. We investigated the environmental drivers of between-site leaf and root trait variation, and tested whether higher between-site ITV was associated with increased trait sensitivity to environmental variation (i.e. environmental fit). We measured morphological (specific leaf area: SLA, specific root length: SRL) and chemical traits (Leaf and Root N, P, K, Mg, Ca) of five forest understorey vascular plant species at 78 sites across Canada. A total of 261 species-by-site combinations spanning ~4300 km were sampled, capturing important abiotic and biotic environmental gradients (neighbourhood composition, canopy structure, soil conditions, climate). We used multivariate and univariate linear mixed models to identify drivers of ITV and test the association of between-site ITV with environmental fit. Between-site ITV of leaf traits was primarily driven by canopy structure and climate. Comparatively, environmental drivers explained only a small proportion of variability in root traits: these relationships were trait specific and included soil conditions (Root P), canopy structure (Root N) and neighbourhood composition (SRL, Root K). Between-site ITV was associated with increased environmental fit only for a minority of traits, primarily in response to climate (SLA, Leaf N, SRL). Synthesis. By studying how ITV is structured along environmental gradients among species adapted to a wide range of conditions, we can begin to understand how individual species might respond to environmental change. Our results show that generalisable trait–environment relationships occur primarily aboveground, and only accounted for a small proportion of variability. For our group of species with broad ecological niches, variability in traits was only rarely associated with higher environmental fit, and primarily along climatic gradients. These results point to promising research avenues on the various ways in which trait variation can affect species' performance along different environmental gradients.

Monitoring of forest response to gradual environmental changes or abrupt disturbances provides insights into how forested ecosystems operate and allows for quantification of forest health. In this chapter, we provide an overview of Smartforests Canada, a national-scale research network consisting of regional investigators who support a wealth of existing and new monitoring sites. The objectives of Smartforests are threefold: (1) establish and coordinate a network of high-precision monitoring plots across a 4400 km gradient of environmental and forest conditions, (2) synthesize the collected multivariate observations to examine the effects of global changes on complex above- and belowground forest dynamics and resilience, and (3) analyze the collected data to guide the development of the next-generation forest growth models and inform policy-makers on best forest management and adaptation strategies. We present the methodological framework implemented in Smartforests to fulfill the aforementioned objectives. We then use an example from a temperate hardwood Smartforests site in Quebec to illustrate our approach for climate-smart forestry. We conclude by discussing how information from the Smartforests network can be integrated with existing data streams, from within Canada and abroad, guiding forest management and the development of climate change adaptation strategies.

1. Considering intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in ecological studies has improved our understanding of species persistence and coexistence. These advances are based on the growing number of leaf ITV studies over local gradients, but logistical constraints have prevented a solid examination of ITV in root traits or at scales reflecting species’ geographic ranges.
2. We compared the magnitude of ITV in above? and below?ground plant organs across three spatial scales (biophysical region, locality and plot). We focused on six understorey species (four herbs and two shrubs) that occur both in disturbed and undisturbed habitats across boreal and temperate Canadian forests. We aimed to document ITV structure over broad ecological and geographical scales by asking: (a) What is the breadth of ITV across species range?scale? (b) What proportion of ITV is captured at different spatial scales, particularly when local scale disturbances are considered? and (c) Is the variance structure consistent between analogous leaf and root traits, and between morphological and chemical traits?
3. Following standardized methods, we sampled 818 populations across 79 forest plots simultaneously, including disturbed and undisturbed stands, spanning four biophysical regions (~5,200 km). Traits measured included specific leaf area (SLA), specific root length (SRL) and leaf and root nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Mg, Ca). We used variance decomposition techniques to characterize ITV structure across scales.
4. Our results show that an important proportion of ITV occurred at the local scale when sampling included contrasting environmental conditions resulting from local disturbance. A certain proportion of the variability in both leaf and root traits remained unaccounted for by the three sampling scales included in the design (36% on average), with the largest amount for SRL (54%). Substantial differences in magnitude of ITV were found among the six species, and between analogous traits, suggesting that trait distribution was influenced by species strategy and reflects the extent of understorey environment heterogeneity.
5. Even for species with broad geographical distributions, a large proportion of within?species trait variability can be captured by sampling locally across ecological gradients. This has practical implications for sampling design and trait selection for both local studies and continental?scale modelling.

Les forêts nord-américaines dominées par l’érable à sucre (ERS, Acer saccharum Marsh.) sont de plus en plus influencées par des modifications des conditions environnementales d’origine anthropique. Pour remédier à cette situation, des traitements sylvicoles adaptés sont nécessaires. Même s’il est généralement accepté que la santé de l’ERS est liée à la fertilité du sol et qu’il y a une littérature abondante sur la dynamique de la régénération des peuplements composés d’ERS et de hêtre à grandes feuilles (HEG, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) en fonction de la disponibilité de lumière, l’interaction entre ces deux facteurs a rarement été étudiée. Notre objectif principal était donc de vérifier le rôle potentiel d’une interaction entre la lumière et le sol sur la dynamique des peuplements composés d’ERS et de HEG. Nous avons utilisé un dispositif factoriel à trois facteurs (intensité de récolte, chaulage et élimination des gaules de hêtre) pour tester cette interaction. Nos résultats montrent que la croissance radiale des arbres et des gaules d’ERS et de HEG était positivement influencée par l’ouverture du couvert, mais pas par le chaulage. Le chaulage n’a pas favorisé les semis de HEG, mais il a favorisé ceux d’ERS dans des situations spécifiques d’ouverture du couvert, ce qui confirme, bien que partiellement, l’hypothèse de l’interaction entre la lumière et le sol. Globalement, le chaulage a eu des effets très limités sur la dynamique des peuplements composés d’ERS et de HEG comparativement aux traitements d’ouverture du couvert et d’élimination des gaules de HEG. Nous ne préconisons pas l’utilisation généralisée du chaulage puisque les autres stratégies sylvicoles testées ont produit des résultats plus prometteurs pour favoriser l’ERS aux dépens du HEG. [Traduit par la Rédaction]