High Inter-Specific Diversity and Seasonality of Trunk Radial Growth in Trees Along an Afrotropical Elevational Gradient

Author
Plavcová, Lenka
Altman, Jan
Svoboda, Miroslav
Stegehuis, Annemiek Irene
Pejcha, Vít
Doležal, Jiří
Publication date
2024Published in
Plant, Cell & EnvironmentVolume / Issue
48 (3)ISBN / ISSN
ISSN: 0140-7791ISBN / ISSN
eISSN: 1365-3040Metadata
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This publication has a published version with DOI 10.1111/pce.15295
Abstract
Understanding mechanisms driving tropical tree growth is essential for comprehending carbon sequestration and predicting the future of tropical forests amid rapid deforestation. We conducted a natural experiment in Mount Cameroon to identify climatic factors limiting diurnal and seasonal growth in dominant tree species across a 2200-m elevation gradient, from lowland rainforests to montane mist forests with distinct wet and dry seasons. Using high-precision automatic dendrometers, we recorded radial growth rates of 28 tropical tree species from 2015 to 2018, correlating them with rainfall (11 100-2500 mm) and temperatures (23-14 °C) across elevations. Significant growth limitations were suggested at both extremes of water availability. Tree growth peaked during the dry and prewet seasons at humid lower elevations and during wet seasons at drier higher elevations. Growth rates increased with soil moisture at higher elevations and peaked at medium soil moisture at lower elevations. Trees grew fastest at lower temperatures relative to their elevation-specific means, with growth limited by high daytime temperatures and promoted by nighttime temperatures. Our results revealed significant interspecific diurnal and seasonal growth variations hindered by both water scarcity and excess in West African rainforests, essential for forecasting and modelling carbon sinks.
Keywords
dendrometer, forest, growth dynamics, limitation, soil moisture, temperature, tropics
Permanent link
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14178/2902License
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