Abstract:This paper characterized the variation in leaf functional traits of woody plants in a subtropical evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest, and the response of community functional diversity to altitude gradient, which was located in the altitudes from 1 200 and 1 700 m in Xingdoushan National Nature Reserve in southwest Hubei. The leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf thickness (LT) and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) of woody plants in the forest community, and the variation characteristics of six leaf functional traits in leaf phosphorus content (LPC) were analyzed. The response of leaf functional traits and functional diversity of woody plants to altitude changes was also analyzed. The results showed that: (1) the average leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorus content of woody plants in the Xingdoushan Nature Reserve were 151.49 cm2, 247.98 cm2/g and 34.08%, 0.21 mm, 16.59 mg/g and 0.04 mg/g, respectively, and their variation ranges were 206.96%, 57.00%, 28.15%, 52.38%, 24.83% and 76.92%. (2) Among the four factors of the family, leaf habit, life form and tree height category, the family had the greatest influence on the six leaf functional traits, followed by leaf habit. (3) The altitude had a significant effect on leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf phosphorus content (P<0.001). However, its effect on leaf area, leaf thickness and leaf nitrogen content were not significant (P>0.05). (4) The biological activity, functional richness, functional divergence and functional dispersion of the community were significantly different on different altitude gradients (P<0.05), only the functional evenness was not significantly different in the altitude gradient (P>0.05).