The Moran effect and environmental vetoes : phenological synchrony and drought drive seed production in a Mediterranean oak
Bogdziewicz, Michał (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Fernández-Martínez, Marcos (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Bonal, Raul (Instituto de Investigación de la Dehesa)
Belmonte, Jordina (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Espelta Morral, Josep Maria (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)

Date:	2017
Abstract:	Masting is the highly variable production of synchronized seed crops, and is a common reproductive strategy in plants. Weather has long been recognized as centrally involved in driving seed production in masting plants. However, the theory behind mechanisms connecting weather and seeding variation has only recently been developed, and still lacks empirical evaluation. We used 12-year long seed production data for 255 holm oaks (Quercus ilex), as well as airborne pollen and meteorological data, and tested whether masting is driven by environmental constraints: phenological synchrony and associated pollination efficiency, and drought-related acorn abscission. We found that warm springs resulted in short pollen seasons, and length of the pollen seasons was negatively related to acorn production, supporting the phenological synchrony hypothesis. Furthermore, the relationship between phenological synchrony and acorn production was modulated by spring drought, and effects of environmental vetoes on seed production were dependent on last year's environmental constraint, implying passive resource storage. Both vetoes affected among-tree synchrony in seed production. Finally, precipitation preceding acorn maturation was positively related to seed production, mitigating apparent resource depletion following high crop production in the previous year. These results provide new insights into mechanisms beyond widely reported weather and seed production correlations.
Grants:	European Commission 610028 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2015-70558-P Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2012-33398 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-913
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Moran effect ; Environmental constraint ; Mast seeding ; Phenological synchrony hypothesis ; Seed abscission ; Seed production
Published in:	Proceedings, Vol. 284, issue 1866 (Nov. 2017) , art. 1784, ISSN 2504-3900

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1784
PMID: 29093224

Post-print 24 p, 1.4 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals) > Imbalance-P
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
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