Our latest study, published in PNAS, reveals an indirect impact of climate change on European beech (Fagus sylvatica). Over a 43-year period, rising summer temperatures have increased the frequency of masting, leading to greater reproductive investment at the cost of tree growth. Despite no significant change in summer drought, annual growth rates have declined by 28% due to resource depletion. This shift reduces carbon uptake and disrupts future reproductive success, creating a negative feedback loop. Our findings highlight a previously unrecognized mechanism by which climate change threatens forest sustainability, stressing the need to consider interactions between demographic processes when assessing species vulnerability to climate change.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2423181122
PNAS: masting breakdown leads to growth decline in European beech
