Scientific floras can be reliable sources for some trait data in a system with poor coverage in global trait databases

Aim Trait-based approaches are increasingly important in ecology and biogeography, but progress is often hampered by the availability of high-quality quantitative trait data collected field. Alternative sources information include scientific floras taxonomic monographs. Here we test reliability usefulness acquired from against values measured field, those TRY, most comprehensive global plant database. Location Tenerife La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. Methods We leaf area specific (SLA) field for 451 native vascular species compared them with equivalent digitised recent guide Canarian flora, sourced TRY. regressed field-measured traits their equivalents estimated literature used regression models one island to predict on other island. Results For area, linear showed good agreement between flora (r2 = 0.86). These were spatially transferable across islands. In contrast, SLA found a weak relationship best estimates 0.11). Insufficient available TRY database our study calculate correlations sources. Conclusions Scientific can act as useful some not others, whilst contains many traits, incomplete coverage region, oceanic islands general.