Global patterns and determinants of forest canopy height

Tao, Shengli; Guo, Qinghua; Li, Chao; Wang, Zhiheng; Fang, Jingyun

doi:10.1002/ecy.1580

Cited by 104 publications

(122 citation statements)

References 30 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…All trunk and leaf traits strongly acclimate to the MAP gradients, and the findings are consistent with previous studies that trees tend to grow taller and have larger leaves in wetter areas (Tao et al, ; Wright et al, ). No trunk and leaf traits show significant correlations with MAT, indicating that the trunk and leaf growth of Q. mongolica trees in the study sites are more constrained by precipitation instead of temperature.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Large‐Scale Geographical Variations and Climatic Controls on Crown Architecture Traits

Wang

et al. 2020

JGR Biogeosciences

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Crown architecture is a critical component for a tree to interact with the ambient environment and to compete with neighbors. However, little is known regarding how climate variability may shape crown architecture traits across large geographical extents and whether crown architecture traits have coordinated variations with trunk and leaf traits to climate gradients. Here we used Quercus mongolica trees as an example, used the cutting‐edge terrestrial laser scanning technique to accurately characterize their crown architecture traits, and explored their variabilities along with environmental variability across large climate gradients in northern China. Our results showed that there are significant spatial variations in trunk, crown, and leaf traits even for the same genetic group across large environmental gradients. Tree height and leaf size had tight covariations with precipitation (|R|> 0.8, p < 0.01). We also observed coordinated variations among crown architecture traits related to canopy shape (e.g., primary branch insertion angle, chord length ratio), trunk traits (e.g., tree height), leaf traits (e.g., specific leaf area), and climate variability, highlighting there are likely fundamental evolutionary strategies regulating these covariations. With a projected drier and hotter climate scenario in this region, our results further suggest trees are expected to transit from a “tree shape” to a “shrub shape,” with large ecological and ecophysiological impacts on this region.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Large‐Scale Geographical Variations and Climatic Controls on Crown Architecture Traits

Wang

et al. 2020

JGR Biogeosciences

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“…The temperate forest plots with P below 1500 mm are mostly located in coastal areas of Europe with high latitude and mountainous areas of China (Figure ). Forest growth in these areas may be limited by the surplus water due to the limited evaporation [ Tao et al , ]. Thus, our results show that determinants of τ w may be different even for the same PFT depending on the local climate [ Carvalhais et al , ; Malhi et al , ; Thurner et al , ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Global patterns of woody residence time and its influence on model simulation of aboveground biomass

Xue

Xiao

et al. 2017

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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Running Title: forest woody residence time and biomass modeling Key Points:(1) Woody residence time (τ w , years) is related to forest age, annual temperature and precipitation.(2) Influences of meteorological drivers on τ w are different among various plant functional types.(3) The estimated global forest τ w shows large spatial heterogeneity and this strongly AbstractWoody residence time (τ w ) is an important parameter that expresses the balance between mature forest recruitment/growth and mortality. Using field data collected from the literature, this study explored the global forest τ w and investigated its influence on model simulations of aboveground biomass (AGB) at a global scale. Specifically, τ w was found to be related to forest age, annual temperature and precipitation at a global scale, but its determinants were different among various plant function types. The estimated global forest τ w based on the filed data showed large spatial heterogeneity, which plays an important role in model simulation of AGB by a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM). τ w could change the resulting AGB in 10-fold based on a site-level test using the Monte Carlo method. At the global level, different parameterization schemes of the Integrated Biosphere Simulator using the estimated τ w resulted in a two-fold change in the AGB simulation for 2100. Our results highlight the influences of various biotic and abiotic variables on forest τ w . The estimation of τ w in our study may help improve the model simulations and reduce the parameter's uncertainty over the projection of future AGB in the current DGVM or Earth System Models.A clearer understanding of the responses of τ w to climate change and the corresponding sophisticated description of forest growth/mortality in model structure is also needed for the improvement of carbon stock prediction in future studies.

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“…The fact that forest canopies got shorter as climate severity increased may have three different explanations. First, short stature is advantageous because less tension is needed to move water to the canopy leaves, and the probability of cavitation is reduced in scenarios of water deficit ( hydraulic limitation hypothesis ; Ryan & Yoder, ; Tao et al., ). Second, short trees show lower autotrophic wood respiration, thereby decreasing their allocation of photosynthates to wood, and their resistance to water flow ( the respiration hypothesis Sperry, ; Ryan & Yoder, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

et al. 2019

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Tropical dry forests (TDF) are known to be resource‐limited due to a marked seasonality in precipitation. However, TDF are also shaped by factors such as solar radiation, wind speed, soil fertility, and land‐cover transformation. Together, these factors may determine different gradients of environmental harshness that are likely to drive changes in plant community attributes. Here, we evaluated the effects of environmental harshness on plant community diversity and structure of Colombian TDF, based on floristic and environmental data from 15 1‐ha permanent plots. We also analyzed these effects on legumes species only (including both deciduous and non‐deciduous species), deciduous species only (including both legumes and non‐legumes species), and on the whole community excluding either legumes or deciduous separately. Drier conditions and higher land‐cover transformation had the strongest negative effects on species diversity, basal area (BA), and canopy height. Soil fertility, on the contrary, did not have a significant effect on any of the evaluated response variables. Interestingly, legumes maintained their diversity and BA along the climatic gradient, while deciduous species were negatively affected by drier conditions and by an increase in secondary vegetation at the landscape level. Our results suggest that although TDF are limited by water availability, land‐cover transformation strongly increases environmental harshness. Yet, both legumes and deciduous species were differentially impacted by climatic and land transformation variables. Thus, to better understand TDF plant community attributes, it is necessary to consider these gradients and to disentangle their effects on different plant functional groups. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.

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Global patterns and determinants of forest canopy height

Cited by 104 publications

References 30 publications

Large‐Scale Geographical Variations and Climatic Controls on Crown Architecture Traits

Large‐Scale Geographical Variations and Climatic Controls on Crown Architecture Traits

Global patterns of woody residence time and its influence on model simulation of aboveground biomass

Climate severity and land‐cover transformation determine plant community attributes in Colombian dry forests

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