Dryad
Published April 23, 2024 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Reproductive data Fagus sylvatica: Widespread masting breakdown in beech

Creators

  • 1. University of Liverpool
  • 2. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
  • 3. University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
  • 4. University of Turin
  • 5. Agricultural Research Council
  • 6. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
  • 7. Research Institute for Nature and Forest
  • 8. Bavarian Forest National Park
  • 9. Independent researcher*
  • 10. Grenoble Alpes University
  • 11. Northwest German Forest Research Institute
  • 12. Forestry Research and Competence Centre Gotha, ThüringenForst*
  • 13. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
  • 14. University of Göttingen

Description

Climate change effects on tree reproduction are poorly understood even though the resilience of populations relies on sufficient regeneration to balance increasing rates of mortality. Forest-forming tree species often mast, i.e. reproduce through synchronised year-to-year variation in seed production, which improves pollination and reduces seed predation. Recent observations in European beech show, however, that current climate change can dampen interannual variation and synchrony of seed production, and that this masting breakdown drastically reduces the viability of seed crops. Importantly, it is unclear under which conditions masting breakdown occurs, and how widespread breakdown is in this pan-European species. Here, we analysed 50 long-term datasets of population-level seed production, sampled across the distribution of European beech, and identified increasing summer temperatures as the general driver of masting breakdown. Specifically, increases in site-specific mean maximum temperatures during June and July were observed across most of the species range, while the interannual variability of population-level seed production (CVp) decreased. The declines in CVp were greatest where temperatures increased most rapidly. Additionally, the occurrence of crop failures and low-seed years has decreased during the last four decades, signalling altered starvation effects of masting on seed predators. Notably, CVp did not vary among sites according to site mean summer temperature. Instead, masting breakdown occurs in response to warming local temperatures (i.e. increasing relative temperatures), such that the risk is not restricted to populations growing in warm average conditions. As lowered CVp can reduce viable seed production despite the overall increase in seed count, our results warn that a covert mechanism is underway that may hinder the regeneration potential of European beech under climate change, with great potential to alter forest functioning and community dynamics.

Notes

Funding provided by: Natural Environment Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/02b5d8509
Award Number: NE/S00713X/1

Funding provided by: Natural Environment Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/02b5d8509
Award Number: NE/S007857/1

Funding provided by: European Research Council
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/0472cxd90
Award Number: 101039066

Funding provided by: FWF Austrian Science Fund
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/013tf3c58
Award Number: P14583; P30381

Funding provided by: Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: the Agritech National Research Center from the European Union Next-Generation EU*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: MISSIONE 4 COMPONENTE 2

Funding provided by: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/04bs5yc70
Award Number:

Funding provided by: city of Lausanne, and cantons of St. Gallen and Solothurn*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: German Federal Environment Agency
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/0329ynx05
Award Number: 117021

Funding provided by: European Union
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/019w4f821
Award Number: 3528/86

Funding provided by: European Union
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/019w4f821
Award Number: 2152/2003

Funding provided by: European Union
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/019w4f821
Award Number: LIFE 07 ENV/D/000218

Funding provided by: Foreste Casentinesi National Park*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: European Commission
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/00k4n6c32
Award Number: GOCECT-2003-505572

Funding provided by: Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/051yxp643
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Georg-August-University Göttingen*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: Forestry Research and Competence Centre Gotha*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:

Funding provided by: ANR DECLIC*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: ANR-20- CE32-0005-01

Funding provided by: the Agritech National Research Center from the European Union Next-Generation EU*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: CN00000022

Funding provided by: the Agritech National Research Center from the European Union Next-Generation EU*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number: INVESTIMENTO 1.4 – D.D. 1032 17/06/2022

Funding provided by: European Union
Crossref Funder Registry ID: https://ror.org/019w4f821
Award Number: LIFE14 ENV/IT/000514

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