Contrasting pathways to tree longevity in gymnosperms and angiosperms.

ABSTRACT: Tree longevity is thought to increase in growth-limiting, adverse environments, but a quantitative assessment of drivers of global variation in tree longevity is lacking. We assemble a global database of maximum longevity for 739 tree species and analyse associations between longevity and climate, soil, and species' functional traits. Our results show two primary pathways towards long lifespans. The first is slow growth in resource-limited environments, consistent with the "adversity begets longevity" paradigm. The second pathway is through relief from abiotic constraints in productive environments. Despite notable exceptions, long-lived gymnosperms tend to follow the first path through slow growth in cold environments, whereas long-lived angiosperms tend to follow the second ("productivit

SUBMITTER: Brienen RJW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12830884 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature