Growth Rings, Increment and Age of Trees in Inundation Forests, Savannas and a Mountain Forest in the Neotropics

Abstract

Investigations on growth zones of tropical trees were carried out and published since the beginning of our century.In tropical regions with severe annual dry seasons or inundation phases trees form annual rings. This is demonstrated for trees from Central Amazonian inundation forests and the Gran Sabana in Venezuela using a combination of several dendrochronological methods (wood anatomy, radiocarbon dating, ring width measurements).The occurrence of annual rings allows the determination of age and growth rate of trees. The growth rate depends on the growth strategy of the species and the growth conditions. At a given site growth rate shows a weak negative correlation with the specific gravity of the wood of trees from the upper story. Several reported ring width patterns are explained by the vegetation history of different forest stands.

Physiognomic and chemical characters in wood as palaeoclimate proxies

“…Tree rings are probably the most well know anatomical feature used to make generalisations concerning palaeoclimate since tree rings, length and seasonality of the growing season are intimately related. Tree ring analyses for palaeoclimatological inferences rest upon uniformitarian deductions based on observations of (predominantly) conifers from the present boreal temperate realm (Brison et al 2001) regardless of the incoherent growth rings patterns exhibited by woods growing in warm climates (Jacoby 1989;Worbes 1989Worbes , 1995Borchert 1999). Understanding sequences of growth ring forms the basis of Dendrochronology which includes the discipline Dendroclimatology.…”

“…Within the tropical realm there is no simple correlation between climate and the development of growth rings since the ability to produce rings is primarily determined by the genetic makeup of the individual species (e.g. Chowdhury 1964;Tomlinson and Craighead 1972;Jacoby 1989;Savidge 1996) and exposure to inundation resulting in cessation of growth (Worbes 1985(Worbes , 1989. Studies of inter-tree variability find that within a given tree many anatomical parameters show significant relationship with (i) taxonomic status (see Schweingruber 1993), (ii) ontogenetic age (fast growing young trees have wider, more variable rings compared with older more slow growing trees which can have missing rings), and (iii) organ of origin: branch wood can be affected by unequal gravitational forces producing 'reaction' and 'compression' wood, and root wood and twig material have wider growth rings than trunk wood (Jane 1962;Zobel and van Buijtenen 1989;Chapman 1994;Falcon-Lang 2003, 2005a.…”

“…A high proportion of woods in a fossil assemblage with indistinct growth rings infers a climate that is not highly seasonal (Wheeler and Manchester 2002) and vice versa. However, such extrapolations are drawn from similarities between trees growing at (cool temperate) mid-latitudes today (Vetter and Botosso 1989;Worbes 1989;Lindorf 1994). A combination of factors, such as seasonality in precipitation and (freezing) temperature, alongside other biotic factors (including leaf longevity) and abiotic factors mentioned above can all affect ring markedness (Greguss 1972;Woodcock 1994;Woodcock and Ignas 1994;Falcon-Lang 2000a).…”

Aspects of the population biology of the gregarious tree Cordia elaeagnoides in Mexican tropical deciduous forest

“…Recently, it has become clear that many tropical trees form distinct annual rings (Baas & Vetter 1989) and data have started to accumulate about ages, mostly from moist/wet forests. Worbes (1989) gives estimates based on the diameter of the thickest tree and annual increment data for Piranhea trifoliata (Euphorbiaceae) of 350-400 years and for Tabebuia barbata (Bignoniaceae) of 100-120 years (in this latter case the stand itself might have been in an early stage of succession). Boninsegna et al (1989) report a maximum age for Cedrela fissilis (Meliaceae) of 220 years.…”

Überlebensstrategien und Diversität von Bäumen an einem Extremstandort - Ein Beispiel aus amazonischen Überschwemmungswäldern

“…Typische Eigenschaften der Organismen an Extremstandorten sind in der Regel die Bildung von Dauer-und Ruhestadien zur Überbrückung der ungünstigen Perioden (LARCHER 1994), das Dominieren stenöker Artengruppen (THIENEMANN 1918(THIENEMANN , 1954, die ökologisch hochgradig spezialisiert sind (SCHWABE & KRATOCHWIL 1994) Invertebraten dominieren r-Strategen mit hohen Reproduktionsraten, durch welche die in der jeweils ungünstigen Phase entstandenen hohen Verluste ausgeglichen werden können (JUNK 1980, JUNK & DA SILVA 1997, ADIS 1997 (WORBES 1989(WORBES , 1996, aber es finden gleichzeitig die Höhepunkte der Blüh-und Fruchtphase statt, so dass die Pflanzen sich zu keinem Zeitpunkt in einer vollständigen…”