Journal Article

Is there tree senescence? The fecundity evidence

Foundation for Polish Science : 2019/33/B/NZ8/0134, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Puerto Rico (UPR), Gilbert, Gregory, Clark, James, Rodman, Kyle, Universidad Complutense de Madrid = Complutense University of Madrid [Madrid] (UCM), Boivin, Thomas, Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes (URFM) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Gehring, Catherine, Żywiec, Magdalena, Polska Akademia Nauk = Polish Academy of Sciences = Académie polonaise des sciences (PAN), Motta, Renzo, Swenson, Jennifer, Hille Ris Lambers, Janneke, W. Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Myers, Jonathan, Poulsen, John, Department and Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, (DiSAA) ; Università degli Studi di Milano = University of Milan (UNIMI), Biodiversité, Gènes & Communautés (BioGeCo) ; Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Schmidt van Marle, Harald, Colorado State University

2021

Overview

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.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences,CCSD
• Subject: Biodiversity and Ecology / Biological Sciences / Dynamic models / Ecological models / Ecology / Environmental Sciences / Fecundity / Fertility / Food chains / Food webs / Forests / INAUGURAL ARTICLE / Models, Biological / Regeneration / Regression analysis / Regression models / Senescence / Trees / Trees - growth & development
• ISBN: 0006897280000