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

ABSTRACT: 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 8 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 for these non-linear intra-annual and species-specific growth dynamics in tree and forest models to reduce uncertainties in predictions under climate change.

SUBMITTER: Etzold S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9299935 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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

Etzold Sophia S Sterck Frank F Bose Arun K AK Braun Sabine S Buchmann Nina N Eugster Werner W Gessler Arthur A Kahmen Ansgar A Peters Richard L RL Vitasse Yann Y Walthert Lorenz L Ziemińska Kasia K Zweifel Roman R

Ecology letters 20211209 2

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 8 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 probabilit ...[more]

PMID: 34882952

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Project description:IntroductionConsiderable evidence indicates that some trees are more vulnerable than others during bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) expansion, which can affect plant community structure and alter the environment, but there has been insufficient research on the growth status of surviving individuals in colonized forests.MethodsIn this study, we compared the annual growth increment, growth rate, and onset, cessation, and duration of radial growth of Alniphyllum fortunei, Machilus pauhoi, and Castanopsis eyrei in a bamboo-expended broadleaf forest (BEBF) and a bamboo-absent broadleaf forest (BABF) using high-resolution point dendrometers.ResultsWe found that the annual radial growth of A. fortunei, M. pauhoi, and C. eyrei was 22.5%, 172.2%, and 59.3% greater in BEBF than in BABF, respectively. The growth rates of M. pauhoi and C. eyrei in BEBF were significantly higher than in BABF by13.9 μm/d and 19.6 μm/d, whereas A. fortunei decreased significantly by 7.9 μm/d from BABF to BEBF. The onset and cessation of broad-leaf tree growth was later, and the growth duration was longer in BEBF compared to BABF. For example, A. fortunei and M. pauhoi in BEBF had more than one month longer growth duration than in BABF. Additionally, the nighttime growth rates of some surviving broad-leaf trees in BEBF was significantly higher than that in BABF.DiscussionThese results suggest that the surviving trees have plasticity and can adapt to atmospheric changes and competitive relationships after expansion of bamboo in one of two ways: by increasing their growth rates or by modifying onset and cessation of growth to extend the growth duration of trees or avoid the period of intense competition with bamboo, thereby growing better. Our research reveals for the first time how the growth of surviving broad-leaf trees adjusts to bamboo expansion. These results provide insights into how biological expansions impact primary production and have implications for forest management in the Anthropocene.

Dataset Information

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

Publications

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

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