Table 4 Principal Components Analysis factor loadings. Data sources for each trait are reported in Table 1. Traits in bold were used in the full trait analysis and in the subsequent eight-species analysis.

flame height

−0.96

0.06

flame time

0.95

−0.19

smolder time

−0.34

−0.72

fuel consumed

−0.84

−0.44

drying time

0.72

−0.58

moisture capacity

−0.36

−0.48

litter depth

−0.98

0.14

Variation explained (%)

60.85

19.21

Protective traits (n = 9)

Variable

Factor 1

Factor 2

rhytidome

−0.90

−0.23

phloem coefficient

−0.45

−0.38

sapling rhytidome

0.97

0.25

wound closure

0.76

−0.45

xylem lost

−0.98

<0.01

xylem decay

−0.84

0.35

bark rhytidome thick

0.96

0.16

inner bark rhytidome

−0.18

0.92

mature height

−0.85

−0.04

Variation explained (%)

65.15

16.14

Physiological traits (n = 17)

Variable

Factor 1

Factor 2

Factor 3

leaf lifespan

−0.99

−0.03

−0.03

canopy duration

−0.88

0.20

−0.34

laminar leaf area

0.66

0.10

0.09

SLA

0.90

0.08

0.17

A _max

−0.68

0.37

0.61

A _mass

0.24

0.41

0.85

leaf N (%)

0.86

0.25

0.40

leaf chlorophyll

−0.53

0.26

0.41

seed mass

0.41

−0.53

0.51

max Ks

0.32

0.78

−0.41

transpiration

0.63

0.67

0.17

Huber

−0.87

−0.33

0.32

conductivity loss

−0.20

0.92

0.19

wood density

−0.80

0.08

0.54

radial growth increment

0.25

0.73

−0.30

seedling AGR

0.08

0.88

−0.15

seedling RGR

−0.76

0.39

−0.06

Variation explained (%)

42.18

24.98

15.09