Photosynthetic capacity peaks at intermediate size in temperate deciduous trees

Growth rate peaks at intermediate cell size in marine photosynthetic picoeukaryotes

We have performed an in situ test of Raven’s prediction that there is a reversal of the relationship between cell size and maximum achievable growth rate in unicellular algae at the low end of size classes. In a natural population of marine phytoplankton, including the smallest picoeukaryote known to date, and under both nutrient sufficiency and deficiency, we find a maximum in growth rate (4.8...

How strong is intracanopy leaf plasticity in temperate deciduous trees?

Intracanopy plasticity in tree leaf form is a major determinant of whole-plant function and potentially of forest understory ecology. However, there exists little systematic information for the full extent of intracanopy plasticity, whether it is linked with height and exposure, or its variation across species. For arboretum-grown trees of six temperate deciduous species averaging 13-18 m in he...

Cooperation Peaks at Intermediate Disturbance

Explaining cooperation is a challenge for evolutionary biology. Surprisingly, the role of extrinsic ecological parameters remains largely unconsidered. Disturbances are widespread in nature and have evolutionary consequences. We develop a mathematical model predicting that cooperative traits most readily evolve at intermediate disturbance. Under infrequent disturbance, cooperation breaks down t...

Temperate Deciduous Forests

The longevity of broadleaf deciduous trees in Northern Hemisphere temperate forests: insights from tree-ring series

Citation: Di Filippo A, Pederson N, Baliva M, Brunetti M, Dinella A, Kitamura K, Knapp HD, Schirone B and Piovesan G (2015) The longevity of broadleaf deciduous trees in Northern Hemisphere temperate forests: insights from tree-ring series. Front. Ecol. Evol. 3:46. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00046 The longevity of broadleaf deciduous trees in Northern Hemisphere temperate forests: insights from tre...