Mast seeding, the synchronous and highly variable production of seed crops by perennial plants, is a population‐level phenomenon and has cascading effects in ecosystems. Mast seeding studies are typically conducted at the population/species level. Much less is known about synchrony in mast seeding between species because the necessary long‐term data are rarely available. To investigate synchrony between species within communities, we used long‐term data from seven forest communities in the U.S. Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) network, ranging from tropical rainforest to boreal forest. We focus on cross‐species synchrony and (i) quantify synchrony in reproduction overall and within LTER sites, (ii) test for relationships between synchrony with trait and phylogenetic similarity and (iii) investigate how climate conditions at sites are related to levels of synchrony. Overall, reproductive synchrony between woody plant species was greater than expected by chance, but spanned a wide range of values between species. Based on 11 functional and reproductive traits for 103 species (plus phylogenetic relatedness), cross‐species synchrony in reproduction was driven primarily by trait similarity with phylogeny being largely unimportant, and synchrony was higher in sites with greater climatic water deficit. Community‐level synchrony in masting has consequences for understanding forest regeneration dynamics and consumer‐resource interactions.
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ABSTRACT Free, publicly-accessible full text available December 1, 2025 -
Marked individual northern red oak seedlings were individually marked and mapped at 20 valleywide transects starting in summer 2011. This data set includes detailed seedling measures starting in summer 2014. The data were used to examine the impact of previous year seedling condition on whether the seedling survived in the next season.more » « less
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This data set encompasses leaf area and dry weights for collected freshly shot leaves (early August) and fallen leaves (entire leaf fall period) along the elevation gradient of 14 sites used for the nitrogen oligotrophication study at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. This data will be used to calculate nutrient resorption along the elevation gradient for sugar maple (collection years: 2020-2022) and American beech (2021-2022). These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.more » « less
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Marked seedlings. Our dataset includes 1463 marked individual oak seedlings in 535 5m2 plots over the 20 transects. Overall, oak seedlings occurred in a third of the searched plots. Most plots had only one seedling (236 plots) and only 3% (16 plots) of the plots had 10 or more seedlings, with a maximum density of 3.4 seedlings m2. Cohort years 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2022 had a greater influx of seedlings, and our oldest seedling is estimated to be 30 years or older. For seedlings where initial height was measured in their year of germination (i.e., in 2011 or later) mean initial seedling height was 14.8 cm (SD = 6.51 cm) and there was a small but significant decline in initial seedling height with time (-0.23 cm/year, F1,1298 = 19.97, p=<0.0001). The size of first year seedlings as measured by both initial height (F1,760 = 25.2, p<0.001) and leaf number (F1,752 = 11.1, p=0.009) increased on average with distance into the valley. The mean distance of oak seedlings into the valley has not increased over the course of the study and remains centered around 800m from the east entrance. Plot environment. Study transects encompassed a full range of topographic positions in the lower valley. Hemlock dominance ranged from absent (5 transects) to dominant (greater than 50% of trees; 3 transects). Tree basal area around the plots ranged from 18.8 – 43.5 m2 ha-1. Light transmission was universally low (all ≤13% TT). Light transmission (F1,5916 = 139.3; r2: 0.157, p<0.0001), hemlock dominance (F1,5916 = 2024; r2: 0.255, p<0.0001), and oak seedling density (F1,5916 = 73.9; r2: 0.126, p<0.0001) all decreased with distance further west into the valley. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.more » « less
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Fine litterfall (leaves, twigs, fruits, seeds, etc.) is collected in Watershed 1, Watershed 5, the Throughfall plots and the Bear Brook Watershed reference forest, located to the west of Watershed 6, to quantify carbon and nutrient flux associated with this important pathway. These measurements have facilitated quantification of ice storm effects and species declines (paper birch, sugar maple). These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.more » « less
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Coarse litterfall (woody litter greater than 2 cm diameter) was collected from cleared plots in the same sites as fine litterfall to quantify total aboveground litterfall in the reference forest. These collections are for quantifying CWD inputs from live standing trees rather than all CWD inputs. Tree mortality and fall rates are used for dead tree inputs. All together these data are used to calculate aboveground production and forest carbon and nutrient budgets. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station.more » « less
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Upslope shifts in plant distributions are often attributed to warming climate and lengthening of the growing season; however, biotic interactions may also contribute. The impacts of pests and pathogens are often sensitive to climate change and can vary along the climatic gradient associated with elevation. American beech ( Fagus grandifolia) has moved upslope throughout the northeastern United States. Meanwhile, beech growth and longevity have decreased as a result of beech bark disease (BBD), a decline disease caused by the introduced European felted beech scale insect ( Cryptococcus fagisuga) and native fungi from the genus Neonectria. Within a forested landscape spanning 250–1150 m elevation, we examined the relationships between elevation, beech demography and BBD to explore whether release from BBD at higher elevation may contribute to the upslope expansion of beech. Beech has shifted upslope at a rate of 1 m⋅year −1 coincident with lower mortality, higher recruitment, faster growth, lower BBD severity, and higher sapling densities at higher elevations. We suggest that climatic constraints on the beech scale insect at high elevations has led to a lower impact of BBD, which contributed to higher rates of beech growth, survival, and recruitment and in turn facilitated the regional upslope shift of beech.more » « less
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Leaf area index (LAI) of the mature deciduous forest adjacent to WS6 at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is estimated on the basis of leaf litterfall collections; the raw data for litterfall are posted in the EDI data package – Fine Litterfall Data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, 1992 – present (https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-hbr&identifier=49). These plots are designated TF, referring to throughfall chemistry collections performed at these plots many years ago (Lovett et al. 1996). Leaf litterfall is collected in 0.097 m2 litter traps raised 1.5 m above ground level and is sorted by species. The number of leaves of each species is counted. The counts are multiplied by the average area per leaf for each species in each plot to estimate LAI. Litter traps are located randomly within each of three plots that are arranged along the elevation gradient within the deciduous forest zone. These data were gathered as part of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (HBES). The HBES is a collaborative effort at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, which is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. Gary M. Lovett, Scott S. Nolan, Charles T. Driscoll, and Timothy J. Fahey. Factors regulating throughfall flux in a New Hampshire forested landscape. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 26(12): 2134-2144. https://doi.org/10.1139/x26-242more » « less
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Leaf area index (LAI) of the mature deciduous forest on WS1 at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is estimated on the basis of leaf litterfall collections; the raw data for litterfall are posted in the EDI data package – Fine Litterfall Data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, 1992 – present (https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-hbr&identifier=49). This watershed was treated with a calcium silicate mineral (wollastonite) in 1999 to gradually replace Ca lost as a result of acid deposition. Leaf litterfall is collected in 0.097 m2 litter traps raised 1.5 m above ground level and is sorted by species. The number of leaves of each species is counted. The counts are multiplied by the average area per leaf for each species in each plot to estimate LAI. Litter traps are located randomly within each of three plots that are arranged along the elevation gradient within the deciduous forest zone.more » « less