Is There Tree Senescence? The Fecundity Evidence
Qiu T, Aravena M, Andrus R, Ascoli D, Bergeron Y, Berretti R, Bogdziewicz M, Boivin T, Bonal R, Caignard T, Calama R, Camarero JJ, Clark CJ, Courbaud B, Delzon S, Donoso Calderon S, Farfan-Rios W, Gehring CA, Gilbert GS, Greenberg CH, Guo Q, Hille Ris Lambers J, Hoshizaki K, Ibanez I, Journe V, Kilner C, Kobe RK, Koenig WD, Kunstler G, LaMontagne JM, Ledwon M, Lutz JA, Motta R, Myers JA, Nagel TA, Nun˜ez CL, Pearse IS, Piechnik L, Poulsen JR, Poulton-Kamakura R, Redmond MD, Reid CD, Rodman KC, Scher CL, Schmidt Van Marle H, Seget B, Sharma S, Silman M, Swenson JJ, Swift M, Uriarte M, Vacchiano G, Veblen TT, Whipple AV, Whitham TG, Wion AP, Wright SJ, Zhu K, Simmerman JK, Zywiec M, Clark JS. 2021. Is There Tree Senescence? The Fecundity Evidence. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118(34):1-10
ABSTRACT: Despite its importance for forest regeneration, food webs, and human economies, changes in tree fecundity with tree size and age remain largely unknown. The allometric increase with tree diameter assumed in ecological models would substantially overestimate seed contributions from large trees if fecundity eventually declines with size. Current estimates are dominated by overrepresentation of small trees in regression models. We combined global fecundity data, including a substantial representation of large trees. We compared size–fecundity relationships against traditional allometric scaling with diameter and two models based on crown architecture. All allometric models fail to describe the declining rate of increase in fecundity with diameter found for 80% of 597 species in our analysis. The strong evidence of declining fecundity, beyond what can be explained by crown architectural change, is consistent with physiological decline. A downward revision of projected fecundity of large trees can improve the next generation of forest dynamic models.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Qiu, Tong; Aravena, Marie-Claire; Andrus, Robert; Ascoli, Davide; Bergeron, Yves; Berretti, Roberta; Bogdziewicz, Michal; Boivin, Thomas; Bonal, Raul; Caignard, Thomas; Calama, Rafael; Camarero, J; Clark, Connie; Courbaud, Benoit; Delzon, Sylvain; Donoso Calderon, Sergio; Farfan-Rios, William; Gehring, Catherine; Gilbert, Gregory; Greenberg, Cathryn; Guo, Qinfeng; Hille Ris Lambers, Janneke; Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko; Ibanez, Ines; Journe, Valentin; Kilner, Christopher; Kobe, Richard; Koenig, Walter; Kunstler, Georges; LaMontagne, Jalene; Ledwon, Mateusz; Lutz, James; Motta, Renzo; Myers, Jonathan; Nagel, Thomas; Nun˜ez, Chase; Pearse, Ian; Piechnik, Lukasz; Poulsen, John; Poulton-Kamakura, Renata; Redmond, Miranda; Reid, Chantal; Rodman, Kyle; Scher, C; Schmidt Van Marle, Harald; Seget, Barbara; Sharma, Shubhi; Silman, Miles; Swenson, Jennifer; Swift, Margaret; Uriarte, Maria; Vacchiano, Giorgio; Veblen, Thomas; Whipple, Amy; Whitham, Thomas; Wion, Andreas; Wright, S; Zhu, Kai; Simmerman, Jess; Zywiec, Magdalena; Clark, James
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- allometric scaling, crown architecture, GRSM-01202, National Ecological Observatory Network, NEON, tree fecundity, tree life history, tree senescence