4. Discussion

We examined the impacts of plant form and intertidal gradient on leaf structural traits and analyzed the relationships between leaf structural traits and plant size among 10 dominant mangrove species. Our findings indicate that most leaf traits were significantly affected by growth form, intertidal gradient, and their interactions, consistent with our first alternative hypothesis. We also found a negative relationship between leaf economic traits (LMA, LDMC, and LD) and plant size, consistent with our second alternative hypothesis.