Studies Uncover the Seeds of a Forest's Rebirth Following a Drought

Two new studies will assist enhance the success of efforts to replant and repair forests after disastrous wildfires, droughts, or other disturbances by estimating the seed production of more than 700 tree species globally and how productivity varies by location.

The investigations, which combine data from species ranging from the tropics to the subarctic, are the first to quantify worldwide trends in tree seed production.

Patagonia summer fire

Summer used to be a godsend in Patagonia, the ultimate untamed frontier at the end of the earth. The snow has melted, as per National Geographic.

Lakes brimming with clean, fresh snowmelt. Color sprang forth from the terrain.

Summer, on the other hand, has recently become a source of anxiety.

Last March, a series of fires nearly destroyed La Comarca Andina, Argentina's fairy-tale woodland in the Patagonia Mountains.

The flames blazed over more than 54,000 acres along the 42nd parallel in only a few days. Three persons were killed. Three hundred dwellings were destroyed.

Read more: Study Shows How Wildfire Triggers Major Forest Changes

Regeneration of forests from wildfires

(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

The capacity of a forest to rebound after disastrous wildfires, droughts, or other disturbances is heavily reliant on seed generation.

Findings from two recent studies performed by Duke University researchers might help with recovery and replanting after these catastrophes by giving foresters fresh information on which tree species generate more seeds and how production varies by location.

Recognizing which species generate so many seeds and in which ecosystems helps us better understand and manage seed trees and maximize forest regeneration, especially in places where the seed is scarce, such as much of the western United States, according to James S. Clark, Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science at Duke and corresponding author on both papers.

Clark and his colleagues' peer-reviewed findings were published in Nature Communications on May 2 and Ecology Letters on April 23.

The findings come at a time when many forests are worried about their capacity to recover from potentially frequent and more severe droughts and wildfires caused by climate change, as well as increased harvesting to fulfill rising human demand for lumber as well as other wood products.

The studies combine data on seed production for over 700 species ranging from the tropics to the subarctic, shedding fresh insight on how tree fecundity and seed supply contribute to forest regeneration and biodiversity in various climatic zones, he added.

This information is critical for comprehending the evolution of forest species and how they respond to extinction.

One of the most surprising discoveries from the research is that trees in the moist tropics generate 250 times more seeds than trees in dry boreal forests.

The presence of more large trees in the humid tropics, which generate 100 times more seeds than trees of the same size in boreal areas, may explain why species interactions are so severe.

Another important result is that seed output is not limited by seed size. This disproves a widely held belief that species that produce bigger seeds must produce proportionately fewer of them, making them more vulnerable to lose.

A third surprising discovery is that gymnosperms, or conifers, produce fewer seeds than angiosperms, or blooming trees, presumably because gymnosperms invest so much energy in constructing protective cones for their seeds.

Clark believes that knowing this can assist guide the restoration and maintenance of many of the Western forests destroyed by recent wildfires.

Related article: Wildfire Burn Scars Can Initiate Thunderstorms, Increasing Risk of Flooding