The predictive power of wood traits on species mortality change during tree development 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Gonzalez-Melo ◽  
Juan Posada
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Juvenile Mortality ◽  
Demographic Rates ◽  
Wood Trait ◽  
Wood Traits ◽  
Tree Development

<p>One foundational assumption of trait-based ecology is that functional traits can predict species demography. Yet, in general, the links between traits and demographic rates are not as strong as usually assumed. These weak associations may be due to two main reasons: the use of easy-to-measure traits as proxies of tree species performance, and the lack of consideration of size-related variations in both traits and demographic rates.</p><p>Here, we examined the associations between wood functional traits and mortality rates of 19 tree species from Eastern Amazonia. We measured eleven wood traits (i.e., structural, anatomical and chemical) in sapling, juvenile and adult wood, and related them to corresponding mortality rates.</p><p>Both sapling and juvenile mortality rates were best explained by wood specific gravity (WSG) and vessel lumen area (Va), while adult mortality was predicted only by Va. On the other hand, we found that the predictive power of wood trait on mortality rates decreased from saplings to adults.</p><p>These results indicate that the associations between traits and mortality rates can change during tree development, and also that hard-to-measure traits, such as wood chemical or anatomical traits, may be better predictors mortality rates than WSG. Our findings are important to expand our knowledge on tree life-history variations and community dynamics in tropical forests.</p><p> </p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Influence of functional traits on the demographic rates of 47 arboreal species in a tropical forest in northeastern Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hian De Assis Monteiro ◽  
André Luís Alves de Lima ◽  
Ana Carolina Borges Lins-e-Silva ◽  
Maria Amanda Menezes Silva ◽  
Maria Jesus Nogueira Rodal
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Maximum Height ◽  
Seed Shape ◽  
Demographic Rates ◽  
Trade Offs

Influence of functional traits on the demographic rates of 47 arboreal species in a tropical forest in northeastern Brazil. Based on the premise that species use different strategies for acquiring and maintaining resources, it is possible to identify their similarities as determined by particular trade-offs between traits, the present work examined the specific leaf area (SLA), basic wood density (BWD), maximum height (Hmax) and seed shape (SS) of 47 arboreal species in a moist semi-evergreen tropical forest in northeastern Brazil and investigated the influence of those traits on plant mortality rates (MR) and growth (BAG). BWD and Hmax were the best predictors of mortality rates. The factorial analysis explained 70.4% of the total variability, distributed among three factors composed of traits and rates. MR and Hmax were found to be more readily observed when orthogonally rotated by the varimax method, with the first factor explaining 26.9% of the variance. Cluster analyses and principal component analyses, whose matrices contained the variables MR, BAG, SLA, and Hmax for each species, confirmed the discriminant analysis and allowed the identification of four functional groups. The fact that some of the correlations encountered differed from previously published results (such as the negative relationship between maximum height and mortality) may reflect regional climatic seasonality or indicate that this strategy benefits plant species that reach the upper canopy and thus become well-established.

Relationships of wood density and wood chemical traits between stems and coarse roots across 53 Bornean tropical tree species

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiko Nakagawa ◽  
Megumi Hori ◽  
Mitsutoshi Umemura ◽  
Takuya Ishida
Keyword(s):  
Wood Density ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Tropical Tree ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Tropical Tree Species ◽  
Wood Trait ◽  
Wood Traits ◽  
Chemical Traits

Abstract:Wood density and wood chemical traits are strong predictors of tree performance, carbon stock, and wood decomposition, which play important roles in ecosystem processes and carbon and nutrient cycling in forests. However, it remains unknown how root wood traits are related to stem wood traits. We examined the relationships of wood density and wood chemical traits (lignin and nitrogen concentrations, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) between the stems and coarse roots of 90 individuals representing 53 tropical tree species in Malaysian Borneo. We developed regression equations of each wood trait using the standardized major axis method. Each root wood trait was highly correlated with the corresponding stem wood trait, and most regression equations fitted well (R2 > 0.5). The lignin concentration of roots was significantly greater than that of stems. We conclude that root wood traits can be estimated from the corresponding stem wood traits in South-East Asian tropical trees. Further analysis of coarse root decomposability will provide more accurate estimates of carbon and nutrient fluxes in tropical forest ecosystems.

scholarly journals Functional traits shape size-dependent growth and mortality rates of dry forest tree species

2016 ◽  
pp. rtw103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamir A. Prado-Junior ◽  
Ivan Schiavini ◽  
Vagner S. Vale ◽  
Diego Raymundo ◽  
Sergio F. Lopes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Tree Species ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Dependent Growth

Differential impact of liana colonization on the leaf functional traits of co-occurring deciduous and evergreen trees

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
vivek pandi ◽  
Kanda Naveen Babu
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Dry Matter Content ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Deciduous Species ◽  
Evergreen Species ◽  
Leaf Functional Traits ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Host Trees ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract The present study was carried out to analyse the leaf functional traits of co-occurring evergreen and deciduous tree species in a tropical dry scrub forest. This study also intended to check whether the species with contrasting leaf habits differ in their leaf trait plasticity, responding to the canopy-infestation by lianas. A total of 12 leaf functional traits were studied for eight tree species with contrasting leaf habits (evergreen and deciduous) and liana-colonization status (Liana+ and Liana−). In the liana-free environment (L−), evergreen trees had significantly higher specific leaf mass (LMA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) than the deciduous species. Whereas, the deciduous trees had higher specific leaf area (SLA) and mass-based leaf nitrogen concentration (Nmass). The leaf trait-pair relationship in the present study agreed to the well-established global trait-pair relationships (SLA Vs Nmass, Lth Vs SLA, Nmass Vs Lth, Nmass Vs LDMC, LDMC Vs SLA). There was no significant difference between L+ and L− individuals in any leaf functional traits studied in the deciduous species. However, evergreen species showed marked differences in the total chlorophyll content (Chlt), chlorophyll b (Chlb), SLA, and LMA between L+ and L− individuals of the same species. Deciduous species with the acquisitive strategy can have a competitive advantage over evergreen species in the exposed environment (L−) whereas, evergreen species with shade-tolerant properties were better acclimated to the shaded environments (L+). The result revealed the patterns of convergence and divergence in some of the leaf functional traits between evergreen and deciduous species. The results also showed the differential impact of liana colonization on the host trees with contrasting leaf habits. Therefore, liana colonization can significantly impact the C-fixation strategies of the host trees by altering their light environment. Further, the magnitude of such impact may vary among species of different leaf habits. The increased proliferation of lianas in the tropical forest canopies may pose a severe threat to the whole forest carbon assimilation rates.

Why Functional Traits Do Not Predict Tree Demographic Rates

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Yang ◽  
Min Cao ◽  
Nathan G. Swenson
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Demographic Rates

Plant Functional Traits in Tropical Dry Forests

2020 ◽  
pp. 66-88
Author(s):  
Shipra Singh ◽  
Abhishek K. Verma
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
Physiological Adaptations

Plants have certain characteristics which allow them to respond to various environmental conditions, like changes in climate, water scarcity in the soil, lack of minerals; among others. In some of these traits, the responses to climatic phenomena such as drought can be evidenced through morphological adaptations (spines, succulent tissues, trichomes) or physiological adaptations (regulation of water potential at the cellular level, the concentration of nutrients, etc.). A systematic literature review was performed to study plant functional traits (PFTs) in tropical dry forests (TDFs). The chapter suggests the role of functional traits in community dynamics and processes. The authors will also highlight the limitations of PFTs in TDFs and how they can be improved.

scholarly journals An Individual-Tree Mortality Model for Complex Stands of Southeastern British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailemariam Temesgen ◽  
Stephen J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Average Deviation ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots ◽  
Diameter Increment ◽  
Mortality Model

Abstract An individual-tree mortality model was developed for major tree species in complex stands (multi-cohort, multiaged, and mixed species) of southeastern British Columbia (BC), Canada. Data for 29,773 trees were obtained from permanent sample plots established in BC. Average annual diameter increment and mortality rates ranged from 0.08 to 0.17 cm/year and from 0.3 to 2.6%, respectively. Approximately 70% of the trees were used for model development and 30% for model evaluation. After evaluating the model, all 29,773 trees were used to fit the final model. A generalized logistic model was used to relate mortality to tree size, competition, and relative position of trees in a stand. The evaluation test demonstrated that the model appears to be well behaved and robust for the tree species considered in this study. For the eight tree species, the average deviation between observed and predicted annual mortality rates varied from −0.5 to 0.7% in the test data. West. J. Appl. For. 20(2):101–109.

Observations on survival and early growth of natural regeneration in floodplain coolibah Eucalyptus victrix (Myrtaceae) in the Pilbara, Western Australia

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. D. Fox ◽  
S. K. Florentine ◽  
M. E. Westbrooke ◽  
C. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Natural Fire ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Burnt Site ◽  
Hill Station ◽  
Second Year

Observations are presented on the natural regeneration of Eucalyptus victrix L. Johnson and K. Hill (coolibah), the dominant tree species of grassy woodlands on the floodplain of the Fortescue River, north of Newman in the Pilbara district of Western Australia. The main objectives of this study were to examine: (i) survival of newly recruited E. victrix seedlings on flooded and burnt sites, and (ii) growth and survival of established plants in a gilgaied landscape. Populations of newly-recruited seedlings following flooding or fire were monitored opportunistically at 'Marillana' and 'Ethel Creek' stations, for up to two years from tagging. A population of saplings at 'Roy Hill' station was observed over eight years. Seedling densities of E. victrix in flooded sites were 0.32 and 1.03 plants/m2 in 1995 and 1997 respectively. Locally high densities reached from 1.2 to 17.7 plants/m2 on areas of 28 and 6 m2 respectively. At the burnt site at 'Ethel Creek', 1.30 plants/m2 were observed where 58 seedlings were recorded on an area of 445 m2 a year after a natural fire. Many of these persisted well into their second year, whereas seedlings recruited in the flooded sites generally lasted less than a year (250-376 days). In contrast, persistence of a cohort of 100 established saplings < 2 m tall in a gilgaied landscape at 'Roy Hill' was high. During 8 years of observations, only one sapling was lost. Those found at the edges of gilgais had attained greater heights (3.91 � 1.14 m) than saplings located inside (3.16 � 0.95 m) or on top (3.12 � 0.93 m) of the gilgais. This study demonstrates that the seedling stage in E. victrix is critical, in that once newly recruited individuals reach the sapling stage (0.611 m), mortality rates are much reduced. Unfortunately, it was not possible during the course of this study to locate a cohort of young seedlings that did survive and so any consideration of the conditions necessary for their survival is purely speculative.

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