Habitat explains intraspecific leaf morphological and physiological variation in the facultative epiphyte Nephrolepis cordifolia

Epiphytic and terrestrial habitats differ markedly in water, nutrient, and light availability and variability, yet few facultative epiphytes successfully grow in both habitats. As a facultative epiphyte, Nephrolepis cordifolia provides a valuable opportunity to investigate how individuals of the same species adjust morphological and physiological traits along contrasting microhabitats. We measured frond structure, physiology, and tissue nutrient concentrations for 20 epiphytic and 20 terrestrial N. cordifolia individuals to evaluate intraspecific variation in resource-use strategies by growth habitat. Our findings show that not all Leaf Economic Spectrum traits covary in this species. Structurally, while specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, and stomatal morphology were conserved across habitats, epiphytic individuals exhibited greater leaf thickness, a trait consistent with conservative leaf economics strategies. Functionally, epiphytes exhibited more enriched δ 13 C, indicating higher intrinsic water-use efficiency and tighter stomatal regulation. Terrestrial individuals displayed significantly higher maximum quantum yield of PSII ( F v / F m ) and greater mass-based chlorophyll concentrations, reflecting higher potential photosynthetic capacity. In terms of leaf tissue chemistry, terrestrial individuals had higher nitrogen and magnesium concentrations, while epiphytes showed higher leaf carbon content and significantly elevated C/N ratios. These findings highlight the physiological plasticity of N. cordifolia , which enables adjustment to contrasting microhabitats through adjustments in water-use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, and leaf chemistry. Our results support the idea that epiphytic plants generally exhibit a more conservative physiological profile, with reduced F v / F m and enriched δ 13 C, showing how they may function under chronically constrained physiological margins. This vulnerability underscores the potential risks epiphytes face under intensifying drought and irradiance associated with climate change, raising important questions about the resilience of facultative epiphytes in increasingly variable environments.