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Fig. 5 in Improved fallow: growth and nitrogen accumulation of five native tree species in Brazil

Fig. 5 Soil organic carbon stocks (g kg-1) of soils at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths in a mixed-culture slash-and-mulch agroforestry system in eastern Amaznonia of Brazil at Year 6 after planting in 2005. No significant differences (p> 0.3) were detected between treatments. Error bars represent ±1SE (N = 4)

Fig. 3 in Improved fallow: growth and nitrogen accumulation of five native tree species in Brazil

Fig. 3 Volume (m -3 ha -1) of five species of native trees planted in a mixed-culture slash-and-mulch agroforestry system in Eastern Amazonia of Brazil at Year 6 after planting in 2005. Letters indicate significant differences within species by treatment (N = 4)

Fig. 2 in Improved fallow: growth and nitrogen accumulation of five native tree species in Brazil

Fig. 2 Height (cm) response at Year 6 after planting in 2005 of a slash-and-mulch, improved fallow, mixed-culture agroforestry system in Igarapé Açu, Pará, Brazil. Error bars represent ±1SE (N = 4)

Fig. 4 in Improved fallow: growth and nitrogen accumulation of five native tree species in Brazil

Fig. 4 Above-ground biomass carbon (kg ha-1) of five (5) species of native trees planted in a mixed-culture slash-andmulch agroforestry system in the Eastern Amazon of Brazil at Year 6 after planting in 2005. Capital letters indicate significant differences among the main-plot treatment with P + K fertilization (PK+) or without (PK-). Lower case letters indicate significant differences between treatments (N = 4)

Fig. 1 in Improved fallow: growth and nitrogen accumulation of five native tree species in Brazil

Fig. 1 Ground line diameter (mm) response through Year 6 after planting in 2005 of a slash-and-mulch, improved fallow, mixedculture agroforestry system in Igarapé Açu, Pará, Brazil. Error bars represent ±1SE (N = 4)

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2023View details →

Data from "Elevation affects both the occurrence of ungulate browsing and its effect on tree seedling growth for four major tree species in European mountain forests"

This repository contains the field data used in the paper from Bernard et al. on the interactive effect of elevation and ungulate browsing on tree regeneration. This dataset is associated with a github repository containing the code to run the analyses of the paper, publicly available at https://github.com/jbarrere3/BaccaraPaper

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Functional traits and size interact to influence growth and carbon sequestration among trees in urban greenspaces

<ol> <li>There is persistent uncertainty about how integrated plant functions, like growth, are mechanistically constrained and practically predicted by functional traits. For trees, these knowledge gaps persist for two reasons: first, studies of 'natural' forests are observational, with highly variable and confounding resource limitation and competition; second, most studies investigate only a few popular traits and ignore context-dependencies in trait-effects on growth (e.g., trait-environment or trait-ontogeny interactions).</li> <li>We assessed 17 traits as predictors of radial growth and aboveground carbon sequestration for 182 trees, including individuals of 42 species common to temperate cities. By focusing exclusively on planted trees growing in isolation, our unique study is a pseudo-experiment that spans a large range of taxonomic and trait variability and minimizes confounding effects of environmental heterogeneity (e.g., shifts in light availability with tree size). Focal traits included not only commonly measured traits related to leaf economics and plant size, but also wood traits and whole-plant phenology.</li> <li>Models with indices of tree ontogeny (size) and traits explained 80% and 72% of variability in relative growth and carbon sequestration, respectively, and traits accounted for ~20% of the variation. Traits related to said tree functions included leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf N content, mature height, wood anatomy, and phenology. LDMC was positively correlated with wood growth and C sequestration across all size classes, while the positive effects of leaf N, mature height, and wood density were only apparent for smaller trees. Ring-porous species had higher rates of growth and C sequestration than diffuse-porous species.</li> <li>Consistent with recent theory, growth rates of isolated, urban trees vary as a function of simple and interactive effects of traits and size. Our findings are useful for optimizing reforestation efforts in temperate cities, where planners and land managers can select species for rapid growth and C sequestration using freely available data for the 'effect' traits we identified, including wood anatomy and density, leaf N, and LDMC. Lastly, the trait-growth relationships we describe here may reflect those of 'naturally' isolated trees growing in savannas and/or woodlands and provide an insightful frame of reference for trees in closed-canopy forests.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Number of growth days and not length of the growth period determines radial stem growth of temperate trees

Radial stem growth dynamics at seasonal resolution are essential to understand how forests respond to climate change. We studied daily radial growth of 160 individuals of seven temperate tree species at 47 sites across Switzerland over eight years. Growth of all species peaked in the early part of the growth season and commenced shortly before the summer solstice, but with species-specific seasonal patterns. Day length set a window of opportunity for radial growth. Within this window, the probability of daily growth was constrained particularly by air and soil moisture, resulting in intermittent growth to occur only on 29 to 77 days (30 to 80 %) within the growth period. The number of days with growth largely determined annual growth, whereas the growth period length contributed less. We call for accounting these non-linear intra-annual and species-specific growth dynamics in tree and forest models to reduce uncertainties in predictions under climate change.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Tropical forest restoration in the Eastern Himalaya: Evaluating early survival and growth of native tree species

Asian tropical forests have among the highest rates of forest loss in the world. Ecological restoration is a vital step for biodiversity maintenance and climate change mitigation. For restoration practice, evaluation of species performance at early stages is crucial to avoid failure of the efforts and for screening species suitable to a region. Though the long-term performance of restoration plantings has been well-documented, few studies have evaluated the performance during the establishment of the planted saplings, especially in South and Southeast Asia. Restoration efforts in Northeast India, a region experiencing high forest loss, is limited by the lack of species-specific data on survival and growth. We compared inter-specific variation in seasonal survival and growth rates (diameter and height) for multiple native rainforest species from this region. We planted 3022 saplings of 50 species at a degraded open forest site. After 18 months, sapling survival varied between 9.1–94.3% for 32 species, and only six species showed "excellent" survival after 18 months. Eight out of 17 species that were tested for seasonal variation in survival showed significant differences in survival between seasons. While the diameter growth rate varied for species between seasons, the height growth rate was different between both species and season, but the interaction term between species and season was not significant. Certain animal-dispersed, medium to large-seeded primary forest species performed well and are vital for future restoration efforts in this region.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Tree_seedling_survival_growth_leaf_traits_in_disturbed_conditions

1. Restoration of tropical montane cloud forest landscapes is urgently required. Assisting the regeneration of endangered and shade tolerant tree species is essential for both the recovery of this vulnerable group and of ecological processes. However, there is limited species-specific information regarding tree performance under different disturbance conditions with which to implement effective interventions. 2. We assessed the performance of shade tolerant tree seedlings in restoration plantings under different disturbance settings and determined whether leaf mass area (LMA) and leaf dry mass content (LDMC) – functional traits typically associated with resource capture or stress tolerance – could serve as predictors of survival and growth among species. Since conservative leaf morphological traits can maximize survival, we expected species with higher LMA and LDMC to present higher survival. For a set of eight native cloud forest species, a total of 2202 seedlings were planted in four pastures, five secondary forests and three forests subjected to traditional selective logging, in tropical montane cloud forest landscapes in Eastern Mexico. 3. Seedling survival was high after three years: 62% in pastures, 80% in secondary forests and 88% in logged forests. Growth rates were lowest in pastures, followed by secondary forests and highest in logged forests. LMA was a strong predictor of seedling survival in all of the environments; tree species with higher LMA presented greater survival. LDMC was related to seedling survival in the three environments, although to a lesser extent than LMA. In the pastures, higher LMA and LDMC were linked to lower growth. <a name="_heading=h.30j0zll"></a>4. Synthesis and applications. This study support the potential of shade tolerant tree species in restoration efforts to assist the recovery of this important functional group and to accelerate succession across altered environments. Our results support the notion that conservative leaf functional traits are linked to a higher probability of survival, not only in the shaded understorey, but also under high solar radiation in transformed habitats. Leaf Mass Area (LMA) in particular is a reliable predictor of seedling survival for shade tolerant species. Species selection based on LMA could thus improve restoration initiative outcomes: tree species with high LMA present higher survival probability and can be introduced into pastures, secondary forests and selectively logged forests.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Tree growth response to drought partially explains regional-scale growth and mortality patterns in Iberian forests

To quantify responses to drought from different data sources we take advantage of an extensive network of cross-dated tree-ring data with increment cores from 16 tree species sampled across the Spanish Iberian Peninsula (hereafter abbreviated as RWI-net), and of the Spanish National Forest Inventory (hereafter abbreviated as NFI) sampling tree and plot level data each km in forested areas. We selected the five most severe droughts that have affected each selected RWI-net population in the period 1981-2005 and calculated drought impacts on growth. For each site, we calculated drought-induced cumulative growth reductions (CDI, cumulative drought impact) as the summed impact of the selected droughts on growth of each population. A total of 334 RWI-net sites with chronologies that covered the period 1981-2005 for the 16 species, were finally used. For 192 of these RWI-net sites, 1883 NFI plots were found at distances < 10 km. The tables provided contain information on the sites and tree species in the RWI-net sites, as well as on drought impacts on growth, cummulative growth reductions and NFI growth, ingrowth and mortality.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Growth and photosynthetic responses of encroaching tree seedlings to CO2 and stress interactions

1. Woody encroachment in southern African savanna has been partly attributed to rising atmospheric CO2 fertilising the growth of C3 trees but less so that of competing C4 grasses. However, growth conditions (resource availability, competition, rooting space, and herbivory) must be suitable for the effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) to be realised. 2. This research investigated the interactions between the positive effect of eCO2 on tree seedling growth and limitations imposed by drought, disturbance, and competition with C4 grasses. Seedlings of the prolific encroacher C3 tree Vachellia karroo were grown at ambient (400 ppm) or eCO2 (800 ppm) in Open-Top Chambers and exposed to a variety of stresses and disturbances typical of savanna systems. Photosynthetic, growth and allocation responses to eCO2 and other treatments were determined. 3. Unsurprisingly, we show strong growth and water-saving responses of V. karroo seedlings to eCO2 when in the absence of competition and herbivory. However, the addition of either competition or simulated herbivory in the first season of growth moderated this, while neither drought nor shading diminished the eCO2 effect relative to similarly treated plants grown at ambient [CO2]. 4. Synthesis. We demonstrate that eCO2-induced C3 stimulation in encroaching savanna species such as V. karroo will be inconsistent across time and space. This research does not detract from the suggestion that increasing atmospheric CO2 is implicated in woody encroachment, but rather that eCO2 benefits to C3 tree seedlings are only realised when growth conditions are suitable. Inconsistencies in eCO2 response will translate into spatial and temporal variation in seedling responses to eCO2 and CO2-driven woody encroachment, explaining some of the variability observed in woody encroachment across geographic regions and disturbance gradients.

opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Dataset for: Interactive effects of tree species composition and water availability on growth and direct and indirect defences in Quercus ilex

Plant diversity has often been reported to decrease insect herbivory in plants. Of the numerous mechanisms that have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, how plant diversity influences plant defences via effects on growth has received little attention. In addition, plant diversity effects may be contingent on abiotic conditions (e.g., resource and water availability). Here, we used a long-term experiment to explore the interactive effects of tree species composition and water availability on growth, direct (i.e. phenolics) and indirect (i.e. Volatile Organic Compounds – VOCs) defences and leaf herbivory in Quercus ilex. We quantified herbivory by chewing insects, phenolic compounds and VOCs in Q. ilex trees growing in stands differing in tree species composition (Q. ilex, Q. ilex + Betula Pendula, Q. ilex + Pinus pinaster and Q. ilex + B. pendula + P. pinaster) and water availability (irrigated vs control). Both direct and indirect defences were affected by tree species composition, but such changes were not mediated by changes in tree stem diameter. Q. ilex trees growing in stands with P. pinaster had the lowest concentration of both direct and indirect defences. Importantly, the effects of tree species composition on VOCs were exacerbated on irrigated blocks. Despite variation in defences, tree species composition did not affect herbivory in Q. ilex. Accordingly, we did not find any association between defences and insect herbivory. Our results suggest that changes in the micro-environment rather than growth-defence associations may mediate tree diversity effects on defences. In addition, reduced defensive investment in more diverse stands could negatively impact tree resistance masking the beneficial effects of species diversity at reducing insect herbivory.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Demographic rates and stature of tree species in 13 sub-tropical forests: annual growth, annual survival, annual recruitment >( 1 cm dbh), stature (max dbh)

Organisms of all species must balance their allocation to growth, survival and recruitment. Among tree species, evolution has resulted in different life-history strategies for partitioning resources to these key demographic processes. Life-history strategies in tropical forests have often been shown to align along a trade-off between fast growth and high survival, i.e. the well-known fast-slow continuum. In addition, an orthogonal trade-off has been proposed between tall stature – resulting from fast growth and high survival – and recruitment success, i.e. a stature−recruitment trade-off. However, it is not clear if these two independent dimensions of life-history variation structure tropical forests worldwide. We used data from 13 large-scale and long-term tropical forest monitoring plots in three continents to explore the principal trade-offs in annual growth, survival and recruitment as well as tree stature. These forests included relatively undisturbed forests as well as typhoon-disturbed forests. Life-history variation in twelve forests was structured by two orthogonal trade-offs, the growth−survival trade-off and the stature−recruitment trade-off. Pairwise Procrustes analysis revealed a high similarity of demographic relationships among forests. The small deviations were related to differences between African and Asian plots. Synthesis. The fast-slow continuum and tree stature are two independent dimensions structuring many, but not all tropical tree communities. Our discovery of the consistency of demographic trade-offs and life-history strategies across different forest types from three continents substantially improves our ability to predict tropical forest dynamics worldwide.

opennotspecifiedJun 2015View details →

Distribution. SE Australia, from the McPherson and Border ranges in SE Queensland, S to Victoria and SE South Australia; it is absent from the coastal drainages of the Great Dividing Range, S at least to the Wallamba River, and W of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales (but it probably occurs to the limit of tree growth on the Southern Tableland), and from the inland draining catchments of the Murray Basin in Victoria. in Acrobatidae

Distribution. SE Australia, from the McPherson and Border ranges in SE Queensland, S to Victoria and SE South Australia; it is absent from the coastal drainages of the Great Dividing Range, S at least to the Wallamba River, and W of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales (but it probably occurs to the limit of tree growth on the Southern Tableland), and from the inland draining catchments of the Murray Basin in Victoria.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2022View details →

Tree growth response to drought in pure and mixed stands of Scots pine and Norway spruce in Europe

This dataset compiles information for an analysis of resilience (resistance, recovery rate and recovery time) at individual-tree level using a network of tree-ring collections from 22 sites along a climatic gradient from central Europe to Scandinavia. We aimed to identify differences in growth following drought between Scots pine and Norway spruce, and between mixed and pure stands of both species. We also considered how environmental variables (climate, topography and site location) and tree characteristics influence them.

opencc-zeroJul 2022View details →

Data from: Harvesting has variable effects on demographic rates and population growth across three dry forest tree species

Understanding how anthropogenic activities, such as harvesting, influence plant populations is important to quantify sustainable practices that conserve species of socioeconomic importance. There is limited knowledge on how harvesting of branches and non-timber forest products affect populations of trees in the dry tropics. We measure demographic vital rates of three dry tropical tree species in the presence and absence of harvesting and apply integral projection models to quantify population growth rates, which represent the mean fitness across the life cycle. Our results show that the three species vary in their demographic rates and life history. Harvesting significantly decreases the growth of two species. Current levels of harvesting only significantly decreased the population growth rate of one species that experienced both branch and main stem harvesting. Life table response experiments reveal that the negative effect of harvesting on the population growth rate of this species is primarily due to individuals being forced to re-sprout from their base. Few individuals were observed recruiting from seed, and this might be due to the presence of other threats, such as fire, soil erosion, and grazing. Our results provide knowledge on the demography and the effects of harvesting on endemic tree species of the Eastern Ghats, a region for which few demographic studies are available. These results are relevant to conserving forest biodiversity for the benefits of people and can contribute to quantitative threat assessment for IUCN red listing.

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

New tree‐level temperature response curves document sensitivity of tree growth to high temperatures across a US‐wide climatic gradient

Temperature is a key climate indicator, whose distribution is expected to shift right in a warming world. However, the high temperature tolerance of trees is less widely understood than their drought tolerance, especially when it comes to sub-lethal impacts of temperature on tree growth. I use a large data set of annual tree ring widths, combined with a flexible degree-day model, to estimate the relationship between temperature and tree radial growth. I find that tree radial growth responds non-linearly to temperature across many ecoregions of the US: across temperate and/or dry ecoregions, spring-summer temperature increases are beneficial or mostly neutral for tree growth up to around 25-30°C in humid climates and 10-15°C in dry climates, beyond which temperature increases suppress growth. Thirty additional degree-days above the optimal temperature breakpoint lead to an average decrease in tree ring width of around 1-5%, depending on ecoregions, seasons, and inclusion or exclusion of temperature-mediated drought impacts. High temperatures have legacy effects across a 5-year horizon in dry ecoregions, but none in the temperate-humid South-East or among temperature-sensitive trees. I find limited evidence that trees acclimatize to high temperatures within their lifetime: local variation in exposure to high temperatures, which stems from local variation in the timing of tree birth, does not significantly impact the response to high temperatures, although temperature-sensitive trees acquire some heightened sensitivity from early exposure. I also find some evidence that trees adapt to high temperatures in the long-run: across humid ecoregions of the US, high temperatures are 40% less harmful to tree growth, where their average incidence is one standard deviation above average. Overall, these results highlight the strength of a new methodology which, applied to representative tree ring data, could contribute to predicting forest carbon uptake potential and composition under global change.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2022View details →

DATA FOR: Contemporary tree growth shows altered climate memory

All data (1-4) is publicly available either through the ITRDB, PRISM, or the WestWideDroughtTracker. 1. ITRDB sites used in the ITRDB network analysis. 2. PRISM (PPT, TEMP) and WWDT (scPDSI) data used in the ITRDB network analysis. 2. ITRDB sites used in the Ecologically sampled network analysis. 4. PRISM (PPT, TEMP) and WWDT (scPDSI) data used in the Ecologically sampled network analysis. 5. An organized data object to run the ITRDB network rjags model; this is an R "list" object readable into R with the "load()" function. 6. Additional code for the analysis presented in Fig. 6 in the main text, including monitoring of the "short" antecedent covariate within the model.