Journal
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 376, Issue 1839, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0373
Keywords
conifer; CVp; mast seeding; weather; serotiny; dispersal
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [DEB-1745496, DEB-1926341]
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project [1022908]
- McIntire-Stennis programme
- NSERC
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study synthesized mast-seeding data on North American Pinaceae, revealing higher temporal variability in mast seeding for 2-year genera and serotinous species. Delta T was found to be more strongly associated with reproduction than absolute temperature, indicating potential changes in mast-seeding patterns with future temperature increases.
Our overall objective is to synthesize mast-seeding data on North American Pinaceae to detect characteristic features of reproduction (i.e. development cycle length, serotiny, dispersal agents), and test for patterns in temporal variation based on weather variables. We use a large dataset (n = 286 time series; mean length = 18.9 years) on crop sizes in four conifer genera (Abies, Picea, Pinus, Tsuga) collected between 1960 and 2014. Temporal variability in mast seeding (CVp) for 2 year genera (Abies, Picea, Tsuga) was higher than for Pinus (3 year), and serotinous species had lower CVp than non-serotinous species; there were no relationships of CVp with elevation or latitude. There was no difference in family-wide CVp across four tree regions of North America. Across all genera, July temperature differences between bud initiation and the prior year (Delta T) was more strongly associated with reproduction than absolute temperature. Both CVp and Delta T remained steady over time, while absolute temperature increased by 0.09 degrees C per decade. Our use of the Delta T model included a modification for Pinus, which initiates cone primordia 2 years before seedfall, as opposed to 1 year. These findings have implications for how mast-seeding patterns may change with future increases in temperature, and the adaptive benefits of mast seeding. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available