Wind Shapes the Growth Strategies of Trees in a Tropical Forest.
Ecol Lett
; 27(9): e14527, 2024 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39354905
ABSTRACT
In tropical forests, trees strategically balance growth patterns to optimise fitness amid multiple environmental stressors. Wind poses the primary risk to a tree's mechanical stability, prompting developments such as thicker trunks to withstand the bending forces. Therefore, a trade-off in resource allocation exists between diameter growth and vertical growth to compete for light. We explore this trade-off by measuring the relative wind mortality risk for 95 trees in a tropical forest in Panama and testing how it varies with tree size, species and wind exposure. Surprisingly, local wind exposure and tree size had minimal impact on wind mortality risk; instead, species wood density emerged as the crucial factor. Low wood density species exhibited a significantly greater wind mortality risk, suggesting a prioritisation of competition for light over biomechanical stability. Our study highlights the pivotal role of wind safety in shaping the life-history strategy of trees and structuring diverse tropical forests.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Trees
/
Tropical Climate
/
Wind
/
Forests
Country/Region as subject:
America central
/
Panama
Language:
En
Journal:
Ecol Lett
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Country of publication:
United kingdom