The global distribution of tree seed production
A forest’s ability to regenerate after devastating wildfires, droughts and other disturbances depends largely on seed production. Findings from two new studies led by Duke University and INRAE (France’s l’institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement) researchers could boost recovery efforts by providing foresters with new guidance on which trees species produce more seeds and how their productivity varies from place to place. [more]
a vastly diminished seed supply. a) Seed production is limited to unburned
landscape fragments in the Sierra Nevada mixed conifer zone following
2020 burns. b) Total reproduction includes not only seeds, but also defenses, including
wood, spines, and resin flow in conifer cones; examples from the heavily
burned Sierra Nevada and Coast ranges include Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus
albicaulis, P. contorta, P. coulteri, P. flexilis, P. lambertiana, P. monophylla,
P. monticola, P. ponderosa, P. radiata, P. sabiniana, Pseudotsuga menzesii,
Sequoiadendron giganteum, and Tsuga mertensiana. Photo credits: James S. Clark and Jordan Luongo.
“Limits to Reproduction and Seed Size-Number Trade-offs That Shape Forest Dominance and Future Recovery,” Tong Qiu, James S. Clark et al. Nature Communications, May 2, 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30037-9
“Globally, Tree Fecundity Exceeds Productivity Gradients,” Valentin Journé, James S. Clark, et al. Ecology Letters, April 23, 2022. DOI: 10.1111/ele.14012