{
  "id": 14976396,
  "title": "Crown-based growth strategies explain the distribution and co-occurrence of tree functional groups along environmental gradients",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/crown-based-growth-strategies-explain-the-distribution-and-co",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.15.758725v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Understanding the distribution and co-occurrence of tree functional groups along environmental gradients relies heavily on deciphering interspecific variation in growth strategies. A comprehensive analysis of 3,814 trees from 107 canopy species in 23 natural forests, utilizing forest census data and unmanned aerial vehicle technology, shed light on this complex relationship. The study unveiled that while relative growth rates remained consistent among functional groups - deciduous broadleaf, evergreen broadleaf, and evergreen conifer - the underlying factors differed significantly.\n\nDeciduous trees displayed a 34-43% higher crown area ratio but a 24-27% lower growing space efficiency compared to their evergreen counterparts. This disparity is predominantly attributed to growing space efficiency, which correlated positively with mean annual temperature, indicative of extended growing seasons. Conversely, crown area ratio exhibited a negative correlation across environments, particularly in deciduous species. Snow loading played a crucial role in restricting crown area ratio in evergreen species, while deciduous trees managed to surpass this constraint by avoiding snow loads altogether.\n\nThe correlation between crown area ratio and specific leaf area suggested a coordinated strategy between crowns and leaves, further underpinning the distinct growth strategies of different functional groups. The findings reveal that these groups achieve comparable growth efficiency either through crown expansion or enhanced biomass production. This elucidates the rationale behind their unique distribution and co-occurrence across a wide range of environmental conditions.",
  "summary": "Elucidating interspecific variation in growth strategies across environments is critical for understanding tree diversity and distribution. However, a systematic analysis across diverse forests remains scarce due to limited large-tree crown measurements. We analysed 3,814 trees from 107 canopy species in 23 natural forests using forest census data and unmanned aerial vehicle. Relative growth rate…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}