Masting behaviour in beech: linking reproduction and climatic variation

@article{citeulike:563230, abstract = {The question of what triggers masting in beech (Fagus) has been a source of uncertainty and curiosity. Analysing seed production series from Europe (Fagus sylvatica L.), eastern North America (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), and Japan (Fagus crenata Blume), for various periods (lasting between 6 and 34 years) over the last 150 years, we find a close relationship between masting (mast year) and preceding growing season climate events (mast year–1 and mast year–2) in eastern North America and Europe, with tentative indications of this pattern in Japan. A drought in the early summer preceding masting (mast year–1) is a very strong predictor in Europe and eastern North America, but drought events were not found for the Japan series. The predictive power is increased in all three regions if there has been an unusually moist, cool summer the year before the drought (mast year–2). We suggest that, in this initial moist summer (mast year–2), carbohydrate buildup within the trees "primes" them for floral induction the following year (year–1). In the European and eastern North American series, a drought event in the early part of the following summer (mast year–1) acts as a proximal trigger for the release of those reserves into flower initiation and then seed production. Key words: masting, Fagus spp., floral induction, drought, climatic variation, evolutionary ecology.}, author = {Piovesan, Gianluca and Adams, Jonathan M. }, citeulike-article-id = {563230}, doi = {10.1139/cjb-79-9-1039}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Botany}, keywords = {climate, drought, ecology, fagus, floral\_induction, masting}, month = {September}, number = {9}, pages = {1039--1047}, posted-at = {2006-03-25 21:27:05}, priority = {2}, title = {Masting behaviour in beech: linking reproduction and climatic variation}, url = {http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?journal=cjb\&\#38;volume=79\&\#38;year=2001\&\#38;issue=9\&\#38;msno=b01-089\&\#38;calyLang=eng}, volume = {79}, year = {2001} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:563230 L3 - citeulike-article-id:563230 TI - Masting behaviour in beech: linking reproduction and climatic variation JF - Canadian Journal of Botany VL - 79 IS - 9 SP - 1039 EP - 1047 N2 - The question of what triggers masting in beech (Fagus) has been a source of uncertainty and curiosity. Analysing seed production series from Europe (Fagus sylvatica L.), eastern North America (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), and Japan (Fagus crenata Blume), for various periods (lasting between 6 and 34 years) over the last 150 years, we find a close relationship between masting (mast year) and preceding growing season climate events (mast year–1 and mast year–2) in eastern North America and Europe, with tentative indications of this pattern in Japan. A drought in the early summer preceding masting (mast year–1) is a very strong predictor in Europe and eastern North America, but drought events were not found for the Japan series. The predictive power is increased in all three regions if there has been an unusually moist, cool summer the year before the drought (mast year–2). We suggest that, in this initial moist summer (mast year–2), carbohydrate buildup within the trees "primes" them for floral induction the following year (year–1). In the European and eastern North American series, a drought event in the early part of the following summer (mast year–1) acts as a proximal trigger for the release of those reserves into flower initiation and then seed production. Key words: masting, Fagus spp., floral induction, drought, climatic variation, evolutionary ecology. KW - climate KW - drought KW - ecology KW - fagus KW - floral_induction KW - masting AU - Piovesan, Gianluca AU - Adams, Jonathan PY - 2001/09// UR - http://rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca/rparticle/AbstractTemplateServlet?journal=cjb&volume=79&year=2001&issue=9&msno=b01-089&calyLang=eng ER -