One of the constraints to the use of a wide variety of native species in reforestation projects is the lack of autoecological information (van Breugel et al., 2011); given the high investment necessary to reforest, land managers are reluctant to risk planting species that may suffer high mortality rates or exhibit exceptionally slow growth rates. Craven et al. (2011) looked at plasticity in physiological traits related to photosynthesis and water use across seasons at a relatively wet and a drought stressed site for eight species to improve our understanding of the mechanisms plants use to overcome drought and recommend drought tolerance as a criterion for species in reforestation projects. Ultimately, species selected for drought tolerance and water use efficiency could potentially impact stand level water availability in the dry season in tropical plantations (Kunert et al., 2010), suggesting the potential to design plantations to maximize this ecosystem service