1
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Bogdziewicz M, Kelly D, Ascoli D, Caignard T, Chianucci F, Crone EE, Fleurot E, Foest JJ, Gratzer G, Hagiwara T, Han Q, Journé V, Keurinck L, Kondrat K, McClory R, La Montagne JM, Mundo IA, Nussbaumer A, Oberklammer I, Ohno M, Pearse IS, Pesendorfer MB, Resente G, Satake A, Shibata M, Snell RS, Szymkowiak J, Touzot L, Zwolak R, Zywiec M, Hacket-Pain AJ. Evolutionary ecology of masting: mechanisms, models, and climate change. Trends Ecol Evol 2024:S0169-5347(24)00117-4. [PMID: 38862358 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Many perennial plants show mast seeding, characterized by synchronous and highly variable reproduction across years. We propose a general model of masting, integrating proximate factors (environmental variation, weather cues, and resource budgets) with ultimate drivers (predator satiation and pollination efficiency). This general model shows how the relationships between masting and weather shape the diverse responses of species to climate warming, ranging from no change to lower interannual variation or reproductive failure. The role of environmental prediction as a masting driver is being reassessed; future studies need to estimate prediction accuracy and the benefits acquired. Since reproduction is central to plant adaptation to climate change, understanding how masting adapts to shifting environmental conditions is now a central question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Bogdziewicz
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agriculture, Forest, and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, (TO), Italy
| | - Thomas Caignard
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, F-33610 Cestas, France
| | - Francesco Chianucci
- CREA - Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, viale S. Margherita 80, Arezzo, Italy
| | - Elizabeth E Crone
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Emilie Fleurot
- Department of Agriculture, Forest, and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, (TO), Italy; Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jessie J Foest
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Georg Gratzer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, BOKU University, Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tomika Hagiwara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Qingmin Han
- Department of Plant Ecology, Forestry, and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
| | - Valentin Journé
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Léa Keurinck
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Katarzyna Kondrat
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Ryan McClory
- School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | | | - Ignacio A Mundo
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología e Historia Ambiental, IANIGLA-CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Anita Nussbaumer
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Iris Oberklammer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, BOKU University, Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Misuzu Ohno
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ian S Pearse
- US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Mario B Pesendorfer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, BOKU University, Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giulia Resente
- Department of Agriculture, Forest, and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, (TO), Italy
| | - Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Mitsue Shibata
- Department of Forest Vegetation, Forestry, and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan
| | - Rebecca S Snell
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Jakub Szymkowiak
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland; Population Ecology Research Unit, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Laura Touzot
- Institut National de Recherche Pour Agriculture (INRAE), Alimentation et Environnement (IN23-RAE), Laboratoire EcoSystemes et Societes En Montagne (LESSEM), Université Grenoble Alpes, St Martin-d'Hères, 38402, France
| | - Rafal Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zywiec
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrew J 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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Cannon JB, Rutledge BT, Puhlick JJ, Willis JL, Brockway DG. Tropical cyclone winds and precipitation stimulate cone production in the masting species longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:289-301. [PMID: 38009313 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Many trees exhibit masting - where reproduction is temporally variable and synchronous over large areas. Several dominant masting species occur in tropical cyclone (TC)-prone regions, but it is unknown whether TCs correlate with mast seeding. We analyzed long-term data (1958-2022) to test the hypothesis that TCs influence cone production in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). We integrate field observations, weather data, satellite imagery, and hurricane models to test whether TCs influence cone production via: increased precipitation; canopy density reduction; and/or mechanical stress from wind. Cone production was 31% higher 1 yr after hurricanes and 71% higher after 2 yr, before returning to baseline levels. Cyclone-associated precipitation was correlated with increased cone production in wet years and cone production increased after low-intensity winds (≤ 25 m s-1 ) but not with high-intensity winds (> 25 m s-1 ). Tropical cyclones may stimulate cone production via precipitation addition, but high-intensity winds may offset any gains. Our study is the first to support the direct influence of TCs on reproduction, suggesting a previously unknown environmental correlate of masting, which may occur in hurricane-prone forests world-wide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John L Willis
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Dale G Brockway
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
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3
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Araye Q, Yahara T, Satake A. Latitudinal cline of flowering and fruiting phenology in Fagaceae in Asia. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quenta Araye
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
| | | | - Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
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4
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Impacts of climate change on reproductive phenology in tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. Commun Biol 2022; 5:311. [PMID: 35449443 PMCID: PMC9023445 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03245-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In humid forests in Southeast Asia, many species from dozens of plant families flower gregariously and fruit synchronously at irregular multi-year intervals1-4. Little is known about how climate change will impact these community-wide mass reproductive events. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of reproductive phenology and its environmental drivers based on a monthly reproductive phenology record from 210 species in 41 families in Peninsular Malaysia. We find that the proportion of flowering and fruiting species decreased from 1976 to 2010. Using a phenology model, we find that 57% of species in the Dipterocarpaceae family respond to both drought and low-temperature cues for flowering. We show that low-temperature flowering cues will become less available in the future in the RCP2.6 and 8.5 scenarios, leading to decreased flowering opportunities of these species in a wide region from Thailand to the island of Borneo. Our results highlight the vulnerability of and variability in phenological responses across species in tropical ecosystems that differ from temperate and boreal biomes.
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Satake A, Nagahama A, Sasaki E. A cross-scale approach to unravel the molecular basis of plant phenology in temperate and tropical climates. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2340-2353. [PMID: 34862973 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plants have evolved to time their leafing, flowering and fruiting in appropriate seasons for growth, reproduction and resting. As a consequence of their adaptation to geographically different environments, there is a rich diversity in plant phenology from temperate and tropical climates. Recent progress in genetic and molecular studies will provide numerous opportunities to study the genetic basis of phenological traits and the history of adaptation of phenological traits to seasonal and aseasonal environments. Integrating molecular data with long-term phenology and climate data into predictive models will be a powerful tool to forecast future phenological changes in the face of global environmental change. Here, we review the cross-scale approach from genes to plant communities from three aspects: the latitudinal gradient of plant phenology at the community level, the environmental and genetic factors underlying the diversity of plant phenology, and an integrated approach to forecast future plant phenology based on genetically informed knowledge. Synthesizing the latest knowledge about plant phenology from molecular, ecological and mathematical perspectives will help us understand how natural selection can lead to the further evolution of the gene regulatory mechanisms in phenological traits in future forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Ai Nagahama
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Eriko Sasaki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
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6
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Seget B, Bogdziewicz M, Holeksa J, Ledwoń M, Milne-Rostkowska F, Piechnik Ł, Rzepczak A, Żywiec M. Costs and benefits of masting: economies of scale are not reduced by negative density-dependence in seedling survival in Sorbus aucuparia. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1931-1938. [PMID: 34845725 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Masting is a widespread reproductive strategy in plants that helps to reduce seed predation and increase pollination. However, masting can involve costs, notably negative density-dependent (NDD) seedling survival caused by concentrating reproduction in intermittent events. Masting benefits have received widespread attention, but the costs are understudied, which precludes understanding why some plant species have evolved intense masting, while others reproduce regularly. We followed seed production, seed predation (both 13 yr), and seedling recruitment and survival (11 yr) in Sorbus aucuparia. We tested whether NDD in seedling survival after mast years can reduce the benefits of pulsed reproduction that come through predator satiation. Seed predation rates were extreme in our population (mean = 75%), but were reduced by masting. The commonly accepted, but untested, assertion that pulsed recruitment is associated with strong NDD was unsupported. Consequently, the proportion of seedlings that survived their first year increased with fruit production. This provides a rare test of economies of scale beyond the seed stage. Our results provide estimation of the costs of mast seeding, and indicate that these may be lower than expected. Low masting costs, if common, may help explain why masting is such a widespread reproductive strategy throughout the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seget
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, 38400, France
| | - Jan Holeksa
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Mateusz Ledwoń
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, Kraków, 31-016, Poland
| | - Fiona Milne-Rostkowska
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Łukasz Piechnik
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
| | - Alicja Rzepczak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poznań, 61-704, Poland
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
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7
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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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8
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Abstract
Although it has long been recognized that seed production by many forest trees varies greatly from year to year, masting (along with 'mast fruiting', 'mast seeding' and 'masting behaviour') as a concept referring to such variability is a relatively recent development. Here, I provide a brief history of masting research, highlighting some of the early contributions by foresters, zoologists and others that paved the way for the burgeoning number of studies currently being conducted by researchers around the world. Of particular current interest is work attempting to understand the proximate mechanisms, evolutionary drivers and community effects of this important ecological phenomenon as well as the ways that climate change may influence masting behaviour in the future. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter D Koenig
- Hastings Natural History Reservation, University of California Berkeley, Carmel Valley, CA 93924, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Pesendorfer MB, Ascoli D, Bogdziewicz M, Hacket-Pain A, Pearse IS, Vacchiano G. The ecology and evolution of synchronized reproduction in long-lived plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200369. [PMID: 34657462 PMCID: PMC8520778 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations of many long-lived plants exhibit spatially synchronized seed production that varies extensively over time, so that seed production in some years is much higher than on average, while in others, it is much lower or absent. This phenomenon termed masting or mast seeding has important consequences for plant reproductive success, ecosystem dynamics and plant-human interactions. Inspired by recent advances in the field, this special issue presents a series of articles that advance the current understanding of the ecology and evolution of masting. To provide a broad overview, we reflect on the state-of-the-art of masting research in terms of underlying proximate mechanisms, ontogeny, adaptations, phylogeny and applications to conservation. While the mechanistic drivers and fitness consequences of masting have received most attention, the evolutionary history, ontogenetic trajectory and applications to plant-human interactions are poorly understood. With increased availability of long-term datasets across broader geographical and taxonomic scales, as well as advances in molecular approaches, we expect that many mysteries of masting will be solved soon. The increased understanding of this global phenomenon will provide the foundation for predictive modelling of seed crops, which will improve our ability to manage forests and agricultural fruit and nut crops in the Anthropocene. 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
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Ian S. Pearse
- Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Giorgio Vacchiano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
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10
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Satake A, Kelly D. Studying the genetic basis of masting. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210116. [PMID: 34657458 PMCID: PMC8520782 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying mast seeding have traditionally been studied by collecting long-term observational data on seed crops and correlating seedfall with environmental variables. Significant progress in ecological genomics will improve our understanding of the evolution of masting by clarifying the genetic basis of masting traits and the role of natural selection in shaping those traits. Here, we summarize three important aspects in studying the evolution of masting at the genetic level: which traits govern masting, whether those traits are genetically regulated, and which taxa show wide variation in these traits. We then introduce recent studies on the molecular mechanisms of masting. Those studies measure seasonal changes in gene expression in natural conditions to quantify how multiple environmental factors combine to regulate floral initiation, which in many masting plant species is the single largest contributor to among-year variation in seed crops. We show that Fagaceae offers exceptional opportunities for evolutionary investigations because of its diversity at both the phenotypic and genetic levels and existing documented genome sequences. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Dave Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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11
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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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12
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Hacket-Pain A. Masting. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R884-R885. [PMID: 34314708 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Andrew Hacket-Pain introduces the phenomenon known as 'masting', in which perennial plants show extraordinary variation in annual reproductive effort.
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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.
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