How tree growth strategies shift with age and climate: What it means for forest management

Rongxu Shan and Zilong Ma from Sun Yat-sen University, and Han Y.H. Chen from Lakehead University discuss their article: Functional traits and individual tree growth relationship weakens with stand development but strengthens with increasing temperature. Forests are far more than just collections of trees: they are vibrant, dynamic ecosystems where each tree’s growth strategy plays…

Liana diversity and density in Ghana show positive association with precipitation, precisely opposite to pantropical trends

Bismark Ofosu-Bamfo, University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, Ghana, discusses his article: Patterns and drivers of liana community structure across five forest ecosystem types in Ghana In recent years, ecologists in the tropics have dedicated a good amount of research to understand the pattern and drivers of community assemblages of woody climbing plants,…

Longer growing seasons don’t mean more growth: How seasonal climates shape tree wood growth in the southern Altai Mountains

Wenjin Wang, Zhejiang University in China, discusses their article: Seasonal climate variations drive decoupling between the duration and amount of xylem growth along a hydrothermal gradient in the southern Altai Mountains Climate change is transforming forests across the world. A key question many ecologists and forest managers are asking is: will warmer temperatures lead to…

Climate and mycorrhizal type shape global plant nitrogen dynamics

Qiong Chen and Zuoqiang Yuan, Northwestern Polytechnical University in China, discuss their article: Global mycorrhizal status drives leaf δ15N patterns Nitrogen: A Vital Nutrient for Plants Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plants. It plays a vital role in their growth, development, and overall productivity. The availability of nitrogen is a key factor in understanding…

Drought revisited: manipulating humidity changes the whole ball game

Authors Beatriz Aguirre and Alexandra (Sasha) Wright discuss the findings of their new article – The experimental manipulation of atmospheric drought: Teasing out the role of microclimate in biodiversity experiments. This article is also part of our upcoming Special Feature on Facilitative Mechanisms! Drought occurrence is increasing due to anthropogenic climate change. Drought can negatively…

Cover stories: Volume 109 Issue 2

The cover image for our new issue shows an ant standing on the tip of a Lafoensia pacari leaf in the Cerrado, Brazil. Author Kleber Del-Claro shares the story behind this stunning image, which was taken by co-author Denise Lange and relates to their recent research article “Climate seasonality drives ant–plant–herbivore interactions via plant phenology in an extrafloral…

Cover stories: Volume 109 Issue 1

The cover image for our new issue shows Pamir Cinquefoil (Potentilla pamirica) in the Himalayan mountains. Lead author and photographer Jiri Dolezal and author Pierre Liancourt share the story behind this stunning image and their related research article “Climate warming drives Himalayan alpine plant growth and recruitment dynamics” by Dolezal, Jandova, Macek, Mudrak, Altman, Schweingruber & Liancourt.…