In our new paper, just published in New Phytologist, we used extensive long-term observations of snow tussocks (Chionochloa pallens) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) to explore how plant resources and weather cues interact to influence mast seeding. Our results highlight a key finding: when plants have abundant internal resources, they respond strongly to even moderate weather cues, triggering substantial reproductive events. Conversely, low resource reserves significantly dampen reproductive responses, even under strong cues. This interaction between resource reserves and weather cues improves our understanding of masting mechanisms, offering valuable insights for forecasting seed production—crucial for managing ecosystems and adapting to climate change. The full paper can be accessed here.
New Phytologist: resources and cues fine-tune masting
