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Zhu M, Ester GDA, Wang Y, Xu Z, Ye J, Yuan Z, Lin F, Fang S, Mao Z, Wang X, Hao Z. El Niño-Southern Oscillation affects the species-level temporal variation in seed and leaf fall in a mixed temperate forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157751. [PMID: 35926612 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the variation between anomalously cold (La Niña) and warm conditions (El Niño), is one of the most prominent large-scale climate patterns with worldwide effects. Elevated seed and leaf fall has been found at the positive phase of ENSO (El Niño) in tropical forests. However, how seed and leaf fall respond to ENSO at species level is understudied, especially in temperate forests. In this study, we monitored seed and leaf fall at the species-level at 150 points across a 25-ha temperate forest in northeastern China over a span of 12 years. Using time series and wavelet analyses, we assessed three hypotheses: 1) temperate tree species' seed and leaf fall are strongly, but differently, correlated with ENSO and, 2) community synchrony in seed and leaf occurred both at seasonal and ENSO scales; finally, 3) local climatic modulated the effects of ENSO on seed and leaf fall. We found that ENSO was significantly correlated with seed and leaf fall of all species, although correlation strength varied across species (r = 0.206-0.658). Specifically, ENSO indices (ENSO12 or ENSO34) accounted for the most variation in seed and leaf fall of Acer pseudo-sieboldianum (40 % and 34 %, respectively) and ranged 4 %-31 % in all other species. Leaf fall was synchronous with ENSO cycles with a period of 2-7 years, but community synchrony of seed fall was only detected at seasonal scales. ENSO influenced seed fall of Fraxinus mandshurica and Tilla amurensis by mediating rainfall and relative humidity, respectively, highlighting the interactive effects of local climate and ENSO. Our findings highlight the potential effects of ENSO on ecosystems outside of tropical regions and improve our ability to predict regeneration dynamics and nutrient cycling of temperate forests under the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihui Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | | | - Yunyun Wang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology and National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Ji Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zuoqiang Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Fei Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Shuai Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zikun Mao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Xugao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zhanqing Hao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
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Goroshkevich SN, Velisevich SN, Zhuk EA, Vasilyeva GV. Cone Production of Stone Pines in the South of Western Siberia: Results of 30 Years of Monitoring. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425522030064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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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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Wright BR. Evidence that predator satiation drives reproductive synchrony in the desert masting grass, soft spinifex (
Triodia pungens
). AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Boyd R. Wright
- Botany, School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Science University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security Alice Springs Herbarium, Northern Territory Government Alice Springs Northern Territory Australia
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Satake A, Leong Yao T, Kosugi Y, Chen Y. Testing the environmental prediction hypothesis for community‐wide mass flowering in South‐East Asia. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
| | | | - Yoshiko Kosugi
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Yu‐Yun Chen
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies National Dong Hwa University Hualien Taiwan
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Ecology and Sustainability National Dong Hwa University Hualien Taiwan
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Wright BR, Fensham RJ. Fire timing in relation to masting: an important determinant of post-fire recruitment success for the obligate-seeding arid zone soft spinifex (Triodia pungens). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 121:119-128. [PMID: 29293879 PMCID: PMC5786211 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcx136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant species with fire-triggered germination are common in many fire-prone ecosystems. For such plants, fire timing in relation to the timing of reproduction may strongly influence post-fire population regeneration if: (a) flowering occurs infrequently (e.g. plants are mast seeders); and (b) seed survival rates are low and input from the current year's flowering therefore contributes a large proportion of the viable dormant seedbank. The role of fire timing in relation to masting as a driver of post-fire recruitment has rarely been examined directly, so this study tested the hypothesis that fires shortly after masting trigger increased recruitment of the obligate-seeding arid zone spinifex, Triodia pungens R. Br., an iteroparous masting grass with smoke-cued germination. METHODS Phenological monitoring of T. pungens was conducted over 5 years, while a longitudinal seedbank study assessed the influence of seeding events on soil-stored seedbank dynamics. Concurrently, a fire experiment with randomized blocking was undertaken to test whether T. pungens hummocks burnt shortly after masting have greater post-fire recruitment than hummocks burnt when there has not been recent input of seeds. KEY RESULTS Triodia pungens flowered in all years, though most flowerings were characterized by high rates of flower abortion. A mast flowering with high seed set in 2012 triggered approx. 200-fold increases in seedbank densities, and seedbank densities remained elevated for 24 months after this event. The fire experiment showed significantly higher recruitment around hummocks burnt 6 months after the 2012 mast event than around hummocks that were burnt but prevented from masting by having inflorescences clipped. CONCLUSIONS Fires shortly after masting trigger mass recruitment in T. pungens because such fires synchronize an appropriate germination cue (smoke) with periods when seedbank densities are elevated. Interactions between natural fire regimes, seedbank dynamics and fire management prescriptions must be considered carefully when managing fire-sensitive masting plants such as T. pungens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyd R Wright
- Alice Springs Herbarium, Department of Land and Resource Management, Northern Territory Government, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Botany, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Roderick J Fensham
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Herbarium, Mount Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Wright BR, Zuur AF, Chan GCK. Proximate causes and possible adaptive functions of mast seeding and barren flower shows in spinifex grasses (Triodia spp.) in arid regions of Australia. RANGELAND JOURNAL 2014. [DOI: 10.1071/rj13104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mast seeding, the intermittent production of large synchronised seed crops among plant populations, is a phenomenon that occurs at exceptionally long intervals in spinifex grasses (Triodia spp.) from arid regions of Australia. This is despite the reliance of these fire-sensitive plants on seeds for post-fire regeneration, and that spinifex grasslands rate among Australia’s most flammable ecosystems. The proximate causes and possible adaptive functions of masting in seven species of spinifex from arid regions within the 350-mm rainfall isohyet were investigated. Specifically, the seed set percentages of 79 specimens collected between 1947 and 2012 were related to the following environmental covariates: antecedent rainfall over 6, 12 and 36 months, relative humidity, and the number of days above 40°C and below 0°C during anthesis. Given the potential importance of seeding events for post-fire regeneration, it was also investigated whether masting in Triodia could represent a fire-related form of environmentally predictive masting, by testing whether high-yield years corresponded to years of increased fire occurrence. Examination of the dataset showed that 43% of specimens contained completely aborted inflorescences (0% seed fill), while seed set ranged from 2 to 69% in the remaining specimens. High levels of insect activity were also found, with 42% of specimens showing evidence of insect occupation. Statistical analyses showed that the main environmental driver of seed set was high precipitation over the previous 12 months, and that high-yield years were strongly related to years of increased fire likelihood. The number of days over 40°C was a weakly significant driver of yield, while the remaining covariates were not significant. It is hypothesised that intermittent reproduction by Triodia is a fire-related form of environmentally predictive masting, which maximises chances of post-fire regeneration by satiating seed predators during flammable periods (i.e. after heavy rain years). Furthermore, it is suggested that non-viable flower crops after initial low rainfalls may have an adaptive function, by diluting pre-dispersal seed predator densities with ‘decoy’ ovules that do not mature and lead to the starvation of developing larvae.
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