Consequences of being tall: height-related trends in tree growth and hydraulic architecture

Frederick Meinzer, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station

September 22, 2008 @ 01:10 pm to 02:10 pm

108 Wartik Laboratory

Event Website

This seminar is co-sponsored by the Plant Biology and Ecology programs Abstract: One of the most predictable features in the development of trees is theirpattern of height growth. During a brief establishment period, height growthrates increase rapidly, reaching a maximum early in the tree's life. Fromthen on height growth gradually tapers over time, declining in nearlyinverse proportion to total height. Despite the ecological and practicalsignificance of the ontogenetic decline in tree growth, the mechanismsresponsible for it are not well understood. However, available evidencesuggests that ontogenetic trends in growth are mainly a function of treesize (height) rather than age. Recent research on Douglas-fir, one of thetallest tree species on earth, has provided insights into some of theconsequences and coping mechanisms associated with being tall.

Contact

David Eissenstat
dme9@psu.edu
863-3371