Leaf traits of six pioneer species and eight non-pioneer species were measured in the early succession stage of tropical montane rain forest of Hainan island. For the fourteen species, specific leaf area (SLA) was from 52. 3 to 111.6 cm2/g, leaf nitrogen content was from 2.16 to 8.30 rag/g, leaf phosphorus was from 3.03 to 5.58 mg/g, net light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Amax) was from 2. 95 to 13.27 μ mol/(m2 s) (A per unit leaf area) and from 22.7 to 126.5μ mol/(kg ? s) (A per unit leaf dry mass). The pioneer tree species’ A A and massbased day dark respiration (Rd-mass) were significantly higher than those of non-pioneer species (P<0.05). Their SLA, LN and LP were also higher than non-pioneer species’, but no significant differences existed (P>0.05). LN and LP of pioneer and non-pioneer species were both significantly and positively correlated with SLA. For non-pioneer, a steeper slope of the relationship between LN and SLA or between LP and SLA was observed. The pioneer species’ A-area and A-mass were significantly and positively correlated with SLA. Non-pioneer species’ A was also significantly and positively correlated with SLA, but their A was significantly and negatively correlated with SLA. These results were useful for further study of succession and renew of tropical montane forest.