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Journé V, Szymkowiak J, Foest J, Hacket-Pain A, Kelly D, Bogdziewicz M. Summer solstice orchestrates the subcontinental-scale synchrony of mast seeding. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:367-373. [PMID: 38459130 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
High interannual variation in seed production in perennial plants can be synchronized at subcontinental scales with wide consequences for ecosystem functioning, but how such synchrony is generated is unclear1-3. We investigated the factors contributing to masting synchrony in European beech (Fagus sylvatica), which extends to a geographic range of 2,000 km. Maximizing masting synchrony via spatial weather coordination, known as the Moran effect, requires a simultaneous response to weather conditions across distant populations. A celestial cue that occurs simultaneously across the entire hemisphere is the longest day (the summer solstice). We show that European beech abruptly opens its temperature-sensing window on the solstice, and hence widely separated populations all start responding to weather signals in the same week. This celestial 'starting gun' generates ecological events with high spatial synchrony across the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Journé
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jakub Szymkowiak
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
- Population Ecology Research Unit, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jessie Foest
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland.
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2
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Bogdziewicz M, Kelly D, Tanentzap AJ, Thomas P, Foest J, Lageard J, Hacket-Pain A. Reproductive collapse in European beech results from declining pollination efficiency in large trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37177909 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming increases tree mortality which will require sufficient reproduction to ensure population viability. However, the response of tree reproduction to climate change remains poorly understood. Warming can reduce synchrony and interannual variability of seed production ("masting breakdown") which can increase seed predation and decrease pollination efficiency in trees. Here, using 40 years of observations of individual seed production in European beech (Fagus sylvatica), we showed that masting breakdown results in declining viable seed production over time, in contrast to the positive trend apparent in raw seed count data. Furthermore, tree size modulates the consequences of masting breakdown on viable seed production. While seed predation increased over time mainly in small trees, pollination efficiency disproportionately decreased in larger individuals. Consequently, fecundity declined over time across all size classes, but the overall effect was greatest in large trees. Our study showed that a fundamental biological relationship-correlation between tree size and viable seed production-has been reversed as the climate has warmed. That reversal has diverse consequences for forest dynamics; including for stand- and biogeographical-level dynamics of forest regeneration. The tree size effects suggest management options to increase forest resilience under changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Forest Biology Center, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Andrew J Tanentzap
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Thomas
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK
| | - Jessie Foest
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jonathan Lageard
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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3
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Fleurot E, Lobry JR, Boulanger V, Debias F, Mermet-Bouvier C, Caignard T, Delzon S, Bel-Venner MC, Venner S. Oak masting drivers vary between populations depending on their climatic environments. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1117-1124.e4. [PMID: 36764300 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Large interannual variation in seed production, called masting, is very common in wind-pollinated tree populations and has profound implications for the dynamics of forest ecosystems and the epidemiology of certain human diseases.1,2,3,4,5 Comparing the reproductive characteristics of populations established in climatically contrasting environments would provide powerful insight into masting mechanisms, but the required data are extremely scarce. We built a database from an unprecedented fine-scale 8-year survey of 150 sessile oak trees (Quercus petraea) from 15 populations distributed over a broad climatic gradient, including individual recordings of annual flowering effort, fruiting rate, and fruit production. Although oak masting was previously considered to depend mainly on fruiting rate variations,6,7 we show that the female flowering effort is highly variable from year to year and explains most of the fruiting dynamics in two-thirds of the populations. What drives masting was found to differ among populations living under various climates. In soft-climate populations, the fruiting rate increases initially strongly with the flowering effort, and the intensity of masting results mainly from the flowering synchrony level between individuals. By contrast, the fruiting rate of harsh-climate populations depends mainly on spring weather, which ensures intense masting regardless of the flowering synchronization level. Our work highlights the need for jointly measuring flowering effort and fruit production to decipher the diversity of masting mechanisms among populations. Accounting for such diversity will be decisive in proposing accurate, and possibly contrasted, scenarios about future reproductive patterns of perennial plants with ongoing climate change and their numerous cascading effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Fleurot
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean R Lobry
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Vincent Boulanger
- Département Recherche, Développement et Innovation, Office National des Forêts, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
| | - François Debias
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Camille Mermet-Bouvier
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Thomas Caignard
- UMR 1202, BIOGECO, Université de Bordeaux, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- UMR 1202, BIOGECO, Université de Bordeaux, 33615 Pessac, France
| | - Marie-Claude Bel-Venner
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Samuel Venner
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
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4
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Abstract
Masting, or synchronous production of large seed crops, is widespread among plants. The predator satiation hypothesis states that masting evolved to overwhelm seed predators with an excess of food. Yet, this popular explanation faced few rigorous tests. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies that related the magnitude of seed production to the intensity of seed predation. Our results validate certain theoretical notions (e.g., that predator satiation is more effective at higher latitudes) but challenge others (e.g., that specialist and generalist consumers differ in the type of functional response to masting). We also found that masting is losing its ability to satiate consumers, probably because global warming affected masting patterns. This shift might considerably impair the reproduction of masting plants. Predator satiation is the most commonly tested hypothesis that explains the evolutionary advantages of masting. It proposes that masting benefits plant reproduction by reducing the proportion of seed crop that is consumed by predators. This hypothesis is widely accepted, but many theoretical notions about predator satiation have not been subjected to a robust evaluation. To address this issue, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies that quantified seed predation in relation to mast seeding. We found evidence of both numerical (starvation between mast years) and functional (satiation during mast years) response of consumers to masting. These two effects reinforced each other. Masting satiated invertebrate but not vertebrate seed predators. Satiation was more pronounced at higher, temperate, and boreal latitudes, perhaps because masting is more effective in reducing seed losses when plant communities are less diverse. The effectiveness of masting in satiating invertebrate consumers declined over time (1972 to 2018), probably reflecting the impact of climate change on the frequency and intensity of masting. If masting ceases to reduce seed losses, a crucial advantage of this reproductive strategy will be lost, and sustainability of many tree populations will decline.
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5
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Seget B, Bogdziewicz M, Holeksa J, Ledwoń M, Milne-Rostkowska F, Piechnik Ł, Rzepczak A, Żywiec M. Costs and benefits of masting: economies of scale are not reduced by negative density-dependence in seedling survival in Sorbus aucuparia. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1931-1938. [PMID: 34845725 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Masting is a widespread reproductive strategy in plants that helps to reduce seed predation and increase pollination. However, masting can involve costs, notably negative density-dependent (NDD) seedling survival caused by concentrating reproduction in intermittent events. Masting benefits have received widespread attention, but the costs are understudied, which precludes understanding why some plant species have evolved intense masting, while others reproduce regularly. We followed seed production, seed predation (both 13 yr), and seedling recruitment and survival (11 yr) in Sorbus aucuparia. We tested whether NDD in seedling survival after mast years can reduce the benefits of pulsed reproduction that come through predator satiation. Seed predation rates were extreme in our population (mean = 75%), but were reduced by masting. The commonly accepted, but untested, assertion that pulsed recruitment is associated with strong NDD was unsupported. Consequently, the proportion of seedlings that survived their first year increased with fruit production. This provides a rare test of economies of scale beyond the seed stage. Our results provide estimation of the costs of mast seeding, and indicate that these may be lower than expected. Low masting costs, if common, may help explain why masting is such a widespread reproductive strategy throughout the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seget
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, 38400, France
| | - Jan Holeksa
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Mateusz Ledwoń
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, Kraków, 31-016, Poland
| | - Fiona Milne-Rostkowska
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
| | - Łukasz Piechnik
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
| | - Alicja Rzepczak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poznań, 61-704, Poland
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, Kraków, 31-512, Poland
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6
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Vacchiano G, Pesendorfer MB, Conedera M, Gratzer G, Rossi L, Ascoli D. Natural disturbances and masting: from mechanisms to fitness consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200384. [PMID: 34657468 PMCID: PMC8520777 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The timing of seed production and release is highly relevant for successful plant reproduction. Ecological disturbances, if synchronized with reproductive effort, can increase the chances of seeds and seedlings to germinate and establish. This can be especially true under variable and synchronous seed production (masting). Several observational studies have reported worldwide evidence for co-occurrence of disturbances and seed bumper crops in forests. Here, we review the evidence for interaction between disturbances and masting in global plant communities; we highlight feedbacks between these two ecological processes and posit an evolutionary pathway leading to the selection of traits that allow trees to synchronize seed crops with disturbances. Finally, we highlight relevant questions to be tested on the functional and evolutionary relationship between disturbances and masting. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Vacchiano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Mario B. Pesendorfer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco Conedera
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Cadenazzo, Switzerland
| | - Georg Gratzer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenzo Rossi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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7
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Abstract
Although it has long been recognized that seed production by many forest trees varies greatly from year to year, masting (along with 'mast fruiting', 'mast seeding' and 'masting behaviour') as a concept referring to such variability is a relatively recent development. Here, I provide a brief history of masting research, highlighting some of the early contributions by foresters, zoologists and others that paved the way for the burgeoning number of studies currently being conducted by researchers around the world. Of particular current interest is work attempting to understand the proximate mechanisms, evolutionary drivers and community effects of this important ecological phenomenon as well as the ways that climate change may influence masting behaviour in the future. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter D Koenig
- Hastings Natural History Reservation, University of California Berkeley, Carmel Valley, CA 93924, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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8
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Pesendorfer MB, Ascoli D, Bogdziewicz M, Hacket-Pain A, Pearse IS, Vacchiano G. The ecology and evolution of synchronized reproduction in long-lived plants. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200369. [PMID: 34657462 PMCID: PMC8520778 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Populations of many long-lived plants exhibit spatially synchronized seed production that varies extensively over time, so that seed production in some years is much higher than on average, while in others, it is much lower or absent. This phenomenon termed masting or mast seeding has important consequences for plant reproductive success, ecosystem dynamics and plant-human interactions. Inspired by recent advances in the field, this special issue presents a series of articles that advance the current understanding of the ecology and evolution of masting. To provide a broad overview, we reflect on the state-of-the-art of masting research in terms of underlying proximate mechanisms, ontogeny, adaptations, phylogeny and applications to conservation. While the mechanistic drivers and fitness consequences of masting have received most attention, the evolutionary history, ontogenetic trajectory and applications to plant-human interactions are poorly understood. With increased availability of long-term datasets across broader geographical and taxonomic scales, as well as advances in molecular approaches, we expect that many mysteries of masting will be solved soon. The increased understanding of this global phenomenon will provide the foundation for predictive modelling of seed crops, which will improve our ability to manage forests and agricultural fruit and nut crops in the Anthropocene. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario B. Pesendorfer
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Torino, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 38400 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Ian S. Pearse
- Fort Collins Science Center, US Geological Survey, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Giorgio Vacchiano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
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9
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Satake A, Kelly D. Studying the genetic basis of masting. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20210116. [PMID: 34657458 PMCID: PMC8520782 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying mast seeding have traditionally been studied by collecting long-term observational data on seed crops and correlating seedfall with environmental variables. Significant progress in ecological genomics will improve our understanding of the evolution of masting by clarifying the genetic basis of masting traits and the role of natural selection in shaping those traits. Here, we summarize three important aspects in studying the evolution of masting at the genetic level: which traits govern masting, whether those traits are genetically regulated, and which taxa show wide variation in these traits. We then introduce recent studies on the molecular mechanisms of masting. Those studies measure seasonal changes in gene expression in natural conditions to quantify how multiple environmental factors combine to regulate floral initiation, which in many masting plant species is the single largest contributor to among-year variation in seed crops. We show that Fagaceae offers exceptional opportunities for evolutionary investigations because of its diversity at both the phenotypic and genetic levels and existing documented genome sequences. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Satake
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Dave Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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10
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LaMontagne JM, Redmond MD, Wion AP, Greene DF. An assessment of temporal variability in mast seeding of North American Pinaceae. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200373. [PMID: 34657469 PMCID: PMC8520784 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Our overall objective is to synthesize mast-seeding data on North American Pinaceae to detect characteristic features of reproduction (i.e. development cycle length, serotiny, dispersal agents), and test for patterns in temporal variation based on weather variables. We use a large dataset (n = 286 time series; mean length = 18.9 years) on crop sizes in four conifer genera (Abies, Picea, Pinus, Tsuga) collected between 1960 and 2014. Temporal variability in mast seeding (CVp) for 2 year genera (Abies, Picea, Tsuga) was higher than for Pinus (3 year), and serotinous species had lower CVp than non-serotinous species; there were no relationships of CVp with elevation or latitude. There was no difference in family-wide CVp across four tree regions of North America. Across all genera, July temperature differences between bud initiation and the prior year (ΔT) was more strongly associated with reproduction than absolute temperature. Both CVp and ΔT remained steady over time, while absolute temperature increased by 0.09°C per decade. Our use of the ΔT model included a modification for Pinus, which initiates cone primordia 2 years before seedfall, as opposed to 1 year. These findings have implications for how mast-seeding patterns may change with future increases in temperature, and the adaptive benefits of mast seeding. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalene M. LaMontagne
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 N. Clifton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Miranda D. Redmond
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Andreas P. Wion
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David F. Greene
- Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
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11
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Garcia G, Re B, Orians C, Crone E. By wind or wing: pollination syndromes and alternate bearing in horticultural systems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200371. [PMID: 34657465 PMCID: PMC8520786 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclical fluctuations in reproductive output are widespread among perennial plants, from multi-year masting cycles in forest trees to alternate bearing in horticultural crops. In natural systems, ecological drivers such as climate and pollen limitation can result in synchrony among plants. Agricultural practices are generally assumed to outweigh ecological drivers that might synchronize alternate-bearing individuals, but this assumption has not been rigorously assessed and little is known about the role of pollen limitation as a driver of synchrony in alternate-bearing crops. We tested whether alternate-bearing perennial crops show signs of alternate bearing at a national scale and whether the magnitude of national-scale alternate bearing differs across pollination syndromes. We analysed the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations time series (1961-2018) of national crop yields across the top-producing countries of 27 alternate-bearing taxa, 6 wind-pollinated and 21 insect-pollinated. Alternate bearing was common in these national data and more pronounced in wind-pollinated taxa, which exhibited a more negative lag-1 autocorrelation and a higher coefficient of variation (CV). We highlight the mutual benefits of integrating ecological theory and agricultural data for (i) advancing our understanding of perennial plant reproduction across time, space and taxa, and (ii) promoting stable farmer livelihoods and global food supply. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Garcia
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Bridget Re
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Colin Orians
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155 USA
| | - Elizabeth Crone
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155 USA
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12
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Dale EE, Foest JJ, Hacket-Pain A, Bogdziewicz M, Tanentzap AJ. Macroevolutionary consequences of mast seeding. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200372. [PMID: 34657467 PMCID: PMC8520783 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Masting characterizes large, intermittent and highly synchronous seeding events among individual plants and is found throughout the plant Tree of Life (ToL). Although masting can increase plant fitness, little is known about whether it results in evolutionary changes across entire clades, such as by promoting speciation or enhanced trait selection. Here, we tested if masting has macroevolutionary consequences by combining the largest existing dataset of population-level reproductive time series and time-calibrated phylogenetic tree of vascular plants. We found that the coefficient of variation (CVp) of reproductive output for 307 species covaried with evolutionary history, and more so within clades than expected by random. Speciation rates estimated at the species level were highest at intermediate values of CVp and regional-scale synchrony (Sr) in seed production, that is, there were unimodal correlations. There was no support for monotonic correlations between either CVp or Sr and rates of speciation or seed size evolution. These results were robust to different sampling decisions, and we found little bias in our dataset compared with the wider plant ToL. While masting is often adaptive and encompasses a rich diversity of reproductive behaviours, we suggest it may have few consequences beyond the species level. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther E. Dale
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Jessie J. Foest
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań 61-614, Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | - Andrew J. Tanentzap
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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13
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Hacket-Pain A, Bogdziewicz M. Climate change and plant reproduction: trends and drivers of mast seeding change. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200379. [PMID: 34657461 PMCID: PMC8520772 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping global vegetation through its impacts on plant mortality, but recruitment creates the next generation of plants and will determine the structure and composition of future communities. Recruitment depends on mean seed production, but also on the interannual variability and among-plant synchrony in seed production, the phenomenon known as mast seeding. Thus, predicting the long-term response of global vegetation dynamics to climate change requires understanding the response of masting to changing climate. Recently, data and methods have become available allowing the first assessments of long-term changes in masting. Reviewing the literature, we evaluate evidence for a fingerprint of climate change on mast seeding and discuss the drivers and impacts of these changes. We divide our discussion into the main characteristics of mast seeding: interannual variation, synchrony, temporal autocorrelation and mast frequency. Data indicate that masting patterns are changing but the direction of that change varies, likely reflecting the diversity of proximate factors underlying masting across taxa. Experiments to understand the proximate mechanisms underlying masting, in combination with the analysis of long-term datasets, will enable us to understand this observed variability in the response of masting. This will allow us to predict future shifts in masting patterns, and consequently ecosystem impacts of climate change via its impacts on masting. This article is part of the theme issue 'The ecology and evolution of synchronized seed production in plants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZT, UK
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Ulica Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, Poznań, 61‐614 Poland
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, Saint‐Martin‐d'Hères, 38400 France
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Bogdziewicz M, Hacket-Pain A, Ascoli D, Szymkowiak J. Environmental variation drives continental-scale synchrony of European beech reproduction. Ecology 2021; 102:e03384. [PMID: 33950521 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Spatial synchrony is the tendency of spatially separated populations to display similar temporal fluctuations. Synchrony affects regional ecosystem functioning, but it remains difficult to disentangle its underlying mechanisms. We leveraged regression on distance matrices and geography of synchrony to understand the processes driving synchrony of European beech masting over the European continent. Masting in beech shows distance-decay, but significant synchrony is maintained at spatial scales of up to 1,500 km. The spatial synchrony of the weather cues that drive interannual variation in reproduction also explains the regional spatial synchrony of masting. Proximity played no apparent role in influencing beech masting synchrony after controlling for synchrony in environmental variation. Synchrony of beech reproduction shows a clear biogeographical pattern, decreasing from the northwest to southeast Europe. Synchrony networks for weather cues resemble networks for beech masting, indicating that the geographical structure of weather synchrony underlies the biogeography of masting synchrony. Our results support the hypothesis that environmental factors, the Moran effect, are key drivers of spatial synchrony in beech seed production at regional scales. The geographical patterns of regional synchronization of masting have implications for regional forest production, gene flow, carbon cycling, disease dynamics, biodiversity, and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Ascoli
- Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Jakub Szymkowiak
- Population Ecology Research Unit, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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Abstract
Mast seeding is a widespread reproductive phenomenon in plants, and testing evolutionary drivers is challenging. New research uses four decades of individual-tree reproduction data and demonstrates selection for hypersensitivity to a weather cue, high temporal variability, and high synchrony with neighbours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalene M LaMontagne
- Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2325 N. Clifton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660, USA.
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16
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Bogdziewicz M, Hacket-Pain A, Kelly D, Thomas PA, Lageard J, Tanentzap AJ. Climate warming causes mast seeding to break down by reducing sensitivity to weather cues. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1952-1961. [PMID: 33604979 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering patterns of seed production worldwide with consequences for population recruitment and migration potential. For the many species that regenerate through synchronized, quasiperiodic reproductive events termed masting, these changes include decreases in the synchrony and interannual variation in seed production. This breakdown in the occurrence of masting features harms reproduction by decreasing the efficiency of pollination and increasing seed predation. Changes in masting are often paralleled by warming temperatures, but the underlying proximate mechanisms are unknown. We used a unique 39-year study of 139 European beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees that experienced masting breakdown to track the seed developmental cycle and pinpoint phases where weather effects on seed production have changed over time. A cold followed by warm summer led to large coordinated flowering efforts among plants. However, trees failed to respond to the weather signal as summers warmed and the frequency of reproductive cues changed fivefold. Less synchronous flowering resulted in less efficient pollination that further decreased the synchrony of seed maturation. As global temperatures are expected to increase this century, perennial plants that fine-tune their reproductive schedules based on temperature cues may suffer regeneration failures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Andrew Hacket-Pain
- Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Dave Kelly
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Peter A Thomas
- School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK
| | - Jonathan Lageard
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew J Tanentzap
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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17
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Bogdziewicz M, Szymkowiak J, Tanentzap AJ, Calama R, Marino S, Steele MA, Seget B, Piechnik Ł, Żywiec M. Seed predation selects for reproductive variability and synchrony in perennial plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:2357-2364. [PMID: 32744333 PMCID: PMC7891628 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Annually variable and synchronous seed production by plant populations, or masting, is a widespread reproductive strategy in long-lived plants. Masting is thought to be selectively beneficial because interannual variability and synchrony increase the fitness of plants through economies of scale that decrease the cost of reproduction per surviving offspring. Predator satiation is believed to be a key economy of scale, but whether it can drive phenotypic evolution for masting in plants has been rarely explored. We used data from seven plant species (Quercus humilis, Quercus ilex, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, Quercus montana, Sorbus aucuparia and Pinus pinea) to determine whether predispersal seed predation selects for plant phenotypes that mast. Predation selected for interannual variability in Mediterranean oaks (Q. humilis and Q. ilex), for synchrony in Q. rubra, and for both interannual variability and reproductive synchrony in S. aucuparia and P. pinea. Predation never selected for negative temporal autocorrelation of seed production. Predation by invertebrates appears to select for only some aspects of masting, most importantly high coefficient of variation, supporting individual-level benefits of the population-level phenomenon of mast seeding. Determining the selective benefits of masting is complex because of interactions with other seed predators, which may impose contradictory selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic ZoologyFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUl. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6Poznań61‐614Poland
| | - Jakub Szymkowiak
- Population Ecology LabFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUl. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6Poznań61‐614Poland
| | - Andrew J. Tanentzap
- Ecosystems and Global Change GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EAUK
| | - Rafael Calama
- Department of Forest Dynamics and ManagementINIA‐CIFORCtra A Coruña km 7.5Madrid28040Spain
| | - Shealyn Marino
- Department of BiologyWilkes UniversityWilkes‐BarrePA18766USA
| | | | - Barbara Seget
- Władysław Szafer Institute of BotanyPolish Academy of SciencesLubicz 46Kraków31‐512Poland
| | - Łukasz Piechnik
- Władysław Szafer Institute of BotanyPolish Academy of SciencesLubicz 46Kraków31‐512Poland
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- Władysław Szafer Institute of BotanyPolish Academy of SciencesLubicz 46Kraków31‐512Poland
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Bogdziewicz M, Pesendorfer M, Crone EE, Pérez-Izquierdo C, Bonal R. Flowering synchrony drives reproductive success in a wind-pollinated tree. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1820-1826. [PMID: 32981190 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Synchronised and quasi-periodic production of seeds by plant populations, known as masting, is implicated in many ecological processes, but how it arises remains poorly understood. Flowering and pollination dynamics are hypothesised to provide the mechanistic link for the observed relationship between weather and population-level seed production. We report the first experimental test of the phenological synchrony hypotheses as a driver of pollen limitation in mast seeding oaks (Quercus ilex). Higher flowering synchrony yielded greater pollination efficiency, which resulted in 2-fold greater seed set in highly synchronised oaks compared to asynchronous individuals. Pollen addition removed the negative effect of asynchronous flowering on seed set. Because phenological synchrony operates through environmental variation, this result suggests that oak masting is synchronised by exogenous rather than endogenous factors. It also points to a mechanism by which changes in flowering phenology can affect plant reproduction of mast-seeding plants, with subsequent implications for community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Mario Pesendorfer
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Raul Bonal
- INDEHESA, Forest Research Group, University of Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
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