Growth & Development
A forester’s guide to productivity: predicting the largest trees
Trees have been, are, and will continue to be a valuable renewable resource for myriad products from construction materials to books. To keep up with demand,
Growth & Development
Becoming a better locksmith: a new method speeds up our ability to unlock secrets of past climates
Chemical isotopes in tree rings can help us learn about past environments, but how can you extract them without interfering with measurements?
Growth & Development
Could drought stress in trees affect air quality?
With climate change, trees will experience an increased frequency of stress events (i.e. drought, heat stress) causing both direct effects (e.g. CO2 uptake through
Growth & Development
To cope, or not to cope: tropical rainforest tree leaves show little response to drought
Drought will become more severe in tropical rainforests as climate change continues. This could cause widespread tree mortality in these forests, unless the trees are able
Growth & Development
A scorched leaf policy? A mangrove tree uses oxidative stress against an insect pest
One major pest of mangrove forests in China is a leaf-mining insect, which burrows into the upper layer of the leaf. Insect attack not only
Growth & Development
What sets apart individual trees that died versus trees that survived an extreme drought?
Plant responses to drought involve multiple interacting traits and processes, which complicates predictions about which plants will die and which will survive. Species are often characterized
Growth & Development
Not all sapwood is functionally equal: Improving estimates of whole-tree water use from sap flux measurements
We often use sap flux, or water transported by the xylem to estimate whole-tree water use, an important component of understanding ecosystem water use. However,
Growth & Development
Within-species populations exhibit similar physiology under current climate but may diverge under warmer and drier conditions
Recent repeated episodes of drought and high temperatures have resulted in substantial dieback of silver fir in the Spanish Pyrenees. However, mortality has been much greater
Growth & Development
Carbon stores for spring growth in evergreen vs. deciduous species
Deciduous species must rely on stored reserves in stems and roots for the initiation of new season springtime growth. So perhaps evergreen species that can photosynthesize
Growth & Development
Within-species responses to water deficit vary more with traits than provenance
Plants manage water stress through various mechanisms, including increasing concentrations of compounds such as abscisic acid (ABA) to signal stomatal closure and reduce water loss, changing
Growth & Development
Counting Carbs: Patterns rather than absolute values of non-structural carbohydrates may be compared across labs
The plant ecophysiology field is intrigued and perplexed by products of photosynthesis known as soluble or non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), compounds that are used for growth,
Growth & Development
Some trees might have adapted to cope with embolisms instead of preventing them
Drought is expected to increase in frequency and duration throughout the 21st century. However, it remains unclear how vegetation will respond to drought because the underlying