Trade‑offs and timing of leaf defenses during development in two co‑occurring oaks with contrasting leaf habits

The Excel file contains data characterizing leaf development in the evergreen Quercus rotundifolia (= Q. ilex subsp. ballota, = Q. ilex subsp. rotundifolia) and the deciduous Quercus faginea in relation to leaf defense traits. The dataset includes measurements of leaf area (LA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf thickness (LT), leaf density (LD), dry mass, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin + cutin content, work of fracture (WF), and condensed tannin concentration (CT). The dataset also contains measurements of work of fracture and condensed tannins of the evergreens Q. ilex subsp. ilex, Q. suber and Q. coccifera, and the deciduous Q. robur, Q. cerris and Q. pyrenaica. The dataset has been used in a study published in Annals of Forest Science. Reference: Sancho-Knapik, D., Urcola-Lázaro, N., AlonsoForn, D. et al. Tradeoffs and timing ofleaf defenses during development in two cooccurring oaks with contrasting leaf habits. Annals of Forest Science (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-026-01338-6