Ankori-Karlinsky Roi, Jackson Tobias D, Yuan Gan, Zimmerman Jess K, Morton Douglas C, Zheng Tian, Uriarte María
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
New Phytol. 2025 Aug;247(4):1643-1654. doi: 10.1111/nph.70294. Epub 2025 Jun 12.
Tree architecture is an important component of forest community dynamics - taller trees with larger crowns often outcompete their neighbors, but they are generally at higher risk of wind-induced damage. Yet, we know little about wind impacts on tree architecture in natural forest settings, especially in complex tropical forests. Here, we use airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and 30 yr of forest inventory data in Puerto Rico to ask whether and how chronic winds alter tree architecture. We randomly sampled 124 canopy individuals of four dominant tree species (n = 22-39). For each individual, we measured slenderness (height/stem diameter) and crown area (m) and evaluated whether exposure to chronic winds impacted architecture after accounting for topography (curvature, elevation, slope, and soil wetness) and neighborhood variables (crowding and previous hurricane damage). We then estimated the mechanical wind vulnerability of trees. Three of four species grew significantly shorter (2-4 m) and had smaller crown areas in sites exposed to chronic winds. A short-lived pioneer species, by contrast, showed no evidence of wind-induced changes. We found that three species' architectural acclimation to chronic winds resulted in reduced vulnerability. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to chronic, nonstorm winds can lead to architectural changes in tropical trees, reducing height and crown areas.
树木结构是森林群落动态的一个重要组成部分——树冠更大的较高树木通常会胜过它们的邻居，但它们通常遭受风致损害的风险更高。然而，我们对自然森林环境中风对树木结构的影响知之甚少，尤其是在复杂的热带森林中。在这里，我们利用波多黎各的机载激光雷达探测和测距（LiDAR）以及30年的森林清查数据，来探究长期风是否以及如何改变树木结构。我们随机抽取了四种优势树种的124个树冠个体（n = 22 - 39）。对于每个个体，我们测量了细长度（高度/树干直径）和树冠面积（平方米），并在考虑地形（曲率、海拔、坡度和土壤湿度）和邻域变量（拥挤程度和先前的飓风损害）后，评估长期风的暴露是否会影响树木结构。然后，我们估计了树木的机械风脆弱性。在长期风暴露的地点，四种树种中的三种长得明显更矮（2 - 4米），树冠面积更小。相比之下，一种短命先锋树种没有显示出风致变化的迹象。我们发现，三种树种对长期风的结构适应导致了脆弱性降低。我们的研究结果表明，长期暴露在非风暴风中会导致热带树木的结构发生变化，降低高度和树冠面积。
