Report: Trees Grow Faster, Store More Carbon as They Age

Jan 16, 2014 by Sci-News.com

According to an international group of scientists led by Dr Nate Stephenson of the US Geological Survey, most of tropical and temperate tree species grow more quickly and sequester more carbon as they grow older.

Eucalyptus bridgesiana tree.

The report, published in the journal Nature, is based on repeated measurements of 673,046 individual trees belonging to 403 species, some going back more than 80 years.
“Rather than slowing down or ceasing growth and carbon uptake, as we previously assumed, most of the oldest trees in forests around the world actually grow faster, taking up more carbon. A large tree may put on weight equivalent to an entire small tree in a year,” said co-author Dr Richard Condit from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
“This report would not have been possible without long-term records of individual tree growth. It was remarkable how we were able to examine this question on a global level, thanks to the sustained efforts of many programs and individuals,” added co-author Dr Mark Harmon of Oregon State University.
“Extraordinary growth of some species, such as Australian mountain ash – also known as eucalyptus – (Eucalyptus regnans), and the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is not limited to a few species,” Dr Stephenson said.
“Rather, rapid growth in giant trees is the global norm and can exceed 600 kg per year in the largest individuals. In human terms, it is as if our growth just keeps accelerating after adolescence, instead of slowing down. By that measure, humans could weigh half a ton by middle age, and well over a ton at retirement.”


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The colder the winter, the earlier native plants begin to grow again. With warmer winters as the climate changes, typical forest trees might start later and later - giving an advantage to shrubs and invasive trees

Warm winters let trees sleep longer

For their experiments, TUM researchers used twigs around 30 centimeters long from 36 different trees and shrubs, which they exposed to different temperature and light conditions in climate chambers. Each climate chamber experiment lasted six weeks. The twigs came from the "Weltwald" or "World Forest" near Freising, Germany, in which Bavarian state foresters have planted stands of trees from different climate regions. Credit: Photo by Julia Laube Copyright TU Muenchen.

by Staff Writers Munich, Germany (SPX) Nov 04, 2013

In the temperate zones, vegetation follows the change of the seasons. After a winter pause, plants put out new growth in spring. Research has now brought a new correlation to light: The colder the winter, the earlier native plants begin to grow again.
Since warmer winters can be expected as the climate changes, the spring development phase for typical forest trees might start later and later - giving an advantage to shrubs and invasive trees that don't depend on the cold.
In a recently published study, researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) investigated 36 tree and shrub species.
Their work delivered a surprising result, as lead author Julia Laube explains: "Contrary to previous assumptions, the increasing length of the day in spring plays no big role in the timing of budding. An ample 'cold sleep' is what plants need in order to wake up on time in the spring."
This applies above all to native tree species such as beech and oak, because they rely on resting in the cold to protect themselves from freezing by late spring frosts.
A different behavior is observed among pioneer species - including shrubs such as hazel bushes and primary settlers such as birch trees - and among species like locust and walnut that have moved in from warmer climate zones.
"These trees take the risk of starting earlier in the spring, because they are less strongly dependent on the cold periods," Laube says, "and in addition they sprout more quickly as temperatures rise."

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