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Foest JJ, Bogdziewicz M, Pesendorfer MB, Ascoli D, Cutini A, Nussbaumer A, Verstraeten A, Beudert B, Chianucci F, Mezzavilla F, Gratzer G, Kunstler G, Meesenburg H, Wagner M, Mund M, Cools N, Vacek S, Schmidt W, Vacek Z, Hacket-Pain A. Widespread breakdown in masting in European beech due to rising summer temperatures. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17307. [PMID: 38709196 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Climate change effects on tree reproduction are poorly understood, even though the resilience of populations relies on sufficient regeneration to balance increasing rates of mortality. Forest-forming tree species often mast, i.e. reproduce through synchronised year-to-year variation in seed production, which improves pollination and reduces seed predation. Recent observations in European beech show, however, that current climate change can dampen interannual variation and synchrony of seed production and that this masting breakdown drastically reduces the viability of seed crops. Importantly, it is unclear under which conditions masting breakdown occurs and how widespread breakdown is in this pan-European species. Here, we analysed 50 long-term datasets of population-level seed production, sampled across the distribution of European beech, and identified increasing summer temperatures as the general driver of masting breakdown. Specifically, increases in site-specific mean maximum temperatures during June and July were observed across most of the species range, while the interannual variability of population-level seed production (CVp) decreased. The declines in CVp were greatest, where temperatures increased most rapidly. Additionally, the occurrence of crop failures and low seed years has decreased during the last four decades, signalling altered starvation effects of masting on seed predators. Notably, CVp did not vary among sites according to site mean summer temperature. Instead, masting breakdown occurs in response to warming local temperatures (i.e. increasing relative temperatures), such that the risk is not restricted to populations growing in warm average conditions. As lowered CVp can reduce viable seed production despite the overall increase in seed count, our results warn that a covert mechanism is underway that may hinder the regeneration potential of European beech under climate change, with great potential to alter forest functioning and community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie J Foest
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Faculty of Biology, Forest Biology Center, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
| | - Mario B Pesendorfer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agriculture, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Cutini
- CREA - Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, Arezzo, Italy
| | - Anita Nussbaumer
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Arne Verstraeten
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Burkhard Beudert
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | | | | | - Georg Gratzer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georges Kunstler
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
| | - Henning Meesenburg
- Department of Environmental Control, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Wagner
- Department of Environmental Control, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martina Mund
- Forestry Research and Competence Centre Gotha, Gotha, Germany
| | - Nathalie Cools
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Geraardsbergen, Belgium
| | - Stanislav Vacek
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Wolfgang Schmidt
- Department of Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zdeněk Vacek
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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2
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Vacchiano G, Pesendorfer MB, Conedera M, Gratzer G, Rossi L, Ascoli D. Natural disturbances and masting: from mechanisms to fitness consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200384. [PMID: 34657468 PMCID: PMC8520777 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The timing of seed production and release is highly relevant for successful plant reproduction. Ecological disturbances, if synchronized with reproductive effort, can increase the chances of seeds and seedlings to germinate and establish. This can be especially true under variable and synchronous seed production (masting). Several observational studies have reported worldwide evidence for co-occurrence of disturbances and seed bumper crops in forests. Here, we review the evidence for interaction between disturbances and masting in global plant communities; we highlight feedbacks between these two ecological processes and posit an evolutionary pathway leading to the selection of traits that allow trees to synchronize seed crops with disturbances. Finally, we highlight relevant questions to be tested on the functional and evolutionary relationship between disturbances and masting. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Vacchiano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario B. Pesendorfer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Conedera
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Cadenazzo, Switzerland
| | - Georg Gratzer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenzo Rossi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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3
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Pesendorfer MB, Bowman R, Gratzer G, Pruett S, Tringali A, Fitzpatrick JW. Fire history and weather interact to determine extent and synchrony of mast-seeding in rhizomatous scrub oaks of Florida. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200381. [PMID: 34657464 PMCID: PMC8520774 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In disturbance-prone ecosystems, fitness consequences of plant reproductive strategies are often determined by the relative timing of seed production and disturbance events, but the role of disturbances as proximate drivers of seed production has been overlooked. We use long-term data on seed production in Quercus chapmanii, Q. geminata and Q. inopina, rhizomatous oaks found in south central Florida's oak scrub, to investigate the role of fire history and its interaction with weather in shaping acorn production and its synchrony. Acorn production increased with the time since last fire, combined with additive or interactive effects of spring precipitation (+) or drought (-). Furthermore, multiple matrix regression models revealed that ramet pairs with shared fire history were more synchronous in seed production than ones that burned in different years. Long-term trends suggest that increasingly drier spring weather, in interaction with fire frequency, may drive a decline of seed production. Such declines could affect the community of acorn-reliant vertebrates in the Florida scrub, including endangered Florida scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens). These results illustrate that fire can function as a proximate driver of seed production in mast-seeding species, highlighting the increasingly recognized importance of interactions among reproductive strategies and disturbance regimes in structuring plant populations and communities. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario B. Pesendorfer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Reed Bowman
- Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960, USA
| | - Georg Gratzer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - John W. Fitzpatrick
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Archbold Biological Station, Venus, FL 33960, USA
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Ascoli D, Hacket-Pain A, Pearse IS, Vacchiano G, Corti S, Davini P. Modes of climate variability bridge proximate and evolutionary mechanisms of masting. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200380. [PMID: 34657463 PMCID: PMC8520781 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that variable and synchronous reproduction in seed plants (masting) correlates to modes of climate variability, e.g. El Niño Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation. In this perspective, we explore the breadth of knowledge on how climate modes control reproduction in major masting species throughout Earth's biomes. We posit that intrinsic properties of climate modes (periodicity, persistence and trends) drive interannual and decadal variability of plant reproduction, as well as the spatial extent of its synchrony, aligning multiple proximate causes of masting through space and time. Moreover, climate modes force lagged but in-phase ecological processes that interact synergistically with multiple stages of plant reproductive cycles. This sets up adaptive benefits by increasing offspring fitness through either economies of scale or environmental prediction. Community-wide links between climate modes and masting across plant taxa suggest an evolutionary role of climate variability. We argue that climate modes may 'bridge' proximate and ultimate causes of masting selecting for variable and synchronous reproduction. The future of such interaction is uncertain: processes that improve reproductive fitness may remain coupled with climate modes even under changing climates, but chances are that abrupt global warming will affect Earth's climate modes so rapidly as to alter ecological and evolutionary links. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Ascoli
- Department DISAFA, University of Torino (IT), Torino TO, Italy
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool (UK), UK
| | - Ian S. Pearse
- Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Susanna Corti
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-ISAC), Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Davini
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-ISAC), Torino, Italy
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5
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Hacket-Pain A, Bogdziewicz M. Climate change and plant reproduction: trends and drivers of mast seeding change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200379. [PMID: 34657461 PMCID: PMC8520772 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping global vegetation through its impacts on plant mortality, but recruitment creates the next generation of plants and will determine the structure and composition of future communities. Recruitment depends on mean seed production, but also on the interannual variability and among-plant synchrony in seed production, the phenomenon known as mast seeding. Thus, predicting the long-term response of global vegetation dynamics to climate change requires understanding the response of masting to changing climate. Recently, data and methods have become available allowing the first assessments of long-term changes in masting. Reviewing the literature, we evaluate evidence for a fingerprint of climate change on mast seeding and discuss the drivers and impacts of these changes. We divide our discussion into the main characteristics of mast seeding: interannual variation, synchrony, temporal autocorrelation and mast frequency. Data indicate that masting patterns are changing but the direction of that change varies, likely reflecting the diversity of proximate factors underlying masting across taxa. Experiments to understand the proximate mechanisms underlying masting, in combination with the analysis of long-term datasets, will enable us to understand this observed variability in the response of masting. This will allow us to predict future shifts in masting patterns, and consequently ecosystem impacts of climate change via its impacts on masting. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZT, UK
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Ulica Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61‐614 Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, Saint‐Martin‐d'Hères, 38400 France
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Rammer W, Braziunas KH, Hansen WD, Ratajczak Z, Westerling AL, Turner MG, Seidl R. Widespread regeneration failure in forests of Greater Yellowstone under scenarios of future climate and fire. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4339-4351. [PMID: 34213047 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Changing climate and disturbance regimes are increasingly challenging the resilience of forest ecosystems around the globe. A powerful indicator for the loss of resilience is regeneration failure, that is, the inability of the prevailing tree species to regenerate after disturbance. Regeneration failure can result from the interplay among disturbance changes (e.g., larger and more frequent fires), altered climate conditions (e.g., increased drought), and functional traits (e.g., method of seed dispersal). This complexity makes projections of regeneration failure challenging. Here we applied a novel simulation approach assimilating data-driven fire projections with vegetation responses from process modeling by means of deep neural networks. We (i) quantified the future probability of regeneration failure; (ii) identified spatial hotspots of regeneration failure; and (iii) assessed how current forest types differ in their ability to regenerate under future climate and fire. We focused on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (2.9 × 106 ha of forest) in the Rocky Mountains of the USA, which has experienced large wildfires in the past and is expected to undergo drastic changes in climate and fire in the future. We simulated four climate scenarios until 2100 at a fine spatial grain (100 m). Both wildfire activity and unstocked forest area increased substantially throughout the 21st century in all simulated scenarios. By 2100, between 28% and 59% of the forested area failed to regenerate, indicating considerable loss of resilience. Areas disproportionally at risk occurred where fires are not constrained by topography and in valleys aligned with predominant winds. High-elevation forest types not adapted to fire (i.e., Picea engelmannii-Abies lasiocarpa as well as non-serotinous Pinus contorta var. latifolia forests) were especially vulnerable to regeneration failure. We conclude that changing climate and fire could exceed the resilience of forests in a substantial portion of Greater Yellowstone, with profound implications for carbon, biodiversity, and recreation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Rammer
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Kristin H Braziunas
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Winslow D Hansen
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - Zak Ratajczak
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - Monica G Turner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Berchtesgaden National Park, Berchtesgaden, Germany
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Scherrer D, Ascoli D, Conedera M, Fischer C, Maringer J, Moser B, Nikolova PS, Rigling A, Wohlgemuth T. Canopy Disturbances Catalyse Tree Species Shifts in Swiss Forests. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00649-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWidely observed inertia of forest communities contrasts with climate change projections that suggest dramatic alterations of forest composition for the coming decades. Disturbances might be a key process to catalyse changes in tree species composition under environmental change by creating opportunities for ‘new’ species to establish. To test this assumption, we compared two assessments (1993–1995, 2009–2017) from the Swiss National Forest Inventory to evaluate which forests were opened by natural canopy disturbance (that is, wind, insect outbreaks, fire and drought) and if these disturbances altered tree species composition both in terms of species-specific basal area and recruitment densities. Natural disturbances affected 14% of the Swiss forests within 25 years, with wind and insect outbreaks being the most frequent (75%) and fire and drought being rare (< 1.5%). Disturbances led to a shift from conifer to broadleaf tree species at low elevation, in particular in dense Picea abies stands, but no change was observed at higher elevations. The composition of undisturbed sites persisted during the same period. Our results demonstrate that undisturbed forests widely resist changes in tree species composition as an effect of direct ingrowth by stand-forming species. Disturbance events seem necessary to create opportunities for climatically ‘better suited and site-adapted’ species to (re-)establish and therefore potentially catalyse tree species turnover under environmental changes. We detected a reduction of tree species that were—centuries ago—cultivated outside their primary natural range, in particular P. abies, or depended on traditional management practices (Pinus sylvestris, Castanea sativa), which may inform us on how the projected increase in disturbance frequency and severity might filter tree species composition and hereby alter forest structure.
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Maringer J, Hacket‐Pain A, Ascoli D, Garbarino M, Conedera M. A new approach for modeling delayed fire‐induced tree mortality. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Maringer
- Insubric Ecosystems Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL A Ramél 18 CadenazzoCH‐6593Switzerland
| | - Andrew Hacket‐Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning School of Environmental Science University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 7ZTUK
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agriculture, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin Largo Paolo Braccini 2 Grugliasco10095Italy
| | - Matteo Garbarino
- Department of Agriculture, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin Largo Paolo Braccini 2 Grugliasco10095Italy
| | - Marco Conedera
- Insubric Ecosystems Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL A Ramél 18 CadenazzoCH‐6593Switzerland
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Industry 4.0 towards Forestry 4.0: Fire Detection Use Case. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21030694. [PMID: 33498450 PMCID: PMC7864211 DOI: 10.3390/s21030694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Forestry 4.0 is inspired by the Industry 4.0 concept, which plays a vital role in the next industrial generation revolution. It is ushering in a new era for efficient and sustainable forest management. Environmental sustainability and climate change are related challenges to promote sustainable forest management of natural resources. Internet of Forest Things (IoFT) is an emerging technology that helps manage forest sustainability and protect forest from hazards via distributing smart devices for gathering data stream during monitoring and detecting fire. Stream processing is a well-known research area, and recently, it has gained a further significance due to the emergence of IoFT devices. Distributed stream processing platforms have emerged, e.g., Apache Flink, Storm, and Spark, etc. Querying windowing is the heart of any stream-processing platform which splits infinite data stream into chunks of finite data to execute a query. Dynamic query window-based processing can reduce the reporting time in case of missing and delayed events caused by data drift.In this paper, we present a novel dynamic mechanism to recommend the optimal window size and type based on the dynamic context of IoFT application. In particular, we designed a dynamic window selector for stream queries considering input stream data characteristics, application workload and resource constraints to recommend the optimal stream query window configuration. A research gap on the likelihood of adopting smart IoFT devices in environmental sustainability indicates a lack of empirical studies to pursue forest sustainability, i.e., sustainable forestry applications. So, we focus on forest fire management and detection as a use case of Forestry 4.0, one of the dynamic environmental management challenges, i.e., climate change, to deliver sustainable forestry goals. According to the dynamic window selector’s experimental results, end-to-end latency time for the reported fire alerts has been reduced by dynamical adaptation of window size with IoFT stream rate changes.
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