The pace of life for forest trees
Authors: Bialic-Murphy Lalasia , McElderry Robert M. , Esquivel-Muelbert Adriane , van den Hoogen Johan , Zuidema Pieter A. , Phillips Oliver L. , de Oliveira Edmar Almeida , Loayza Patricia Alvarez , Alvarez-Davila Esteban , Alves Luciana F. , Maia Vinícius Andrade , Vieira Simone Aparecida , Arantes da Silva Lidiany Carolina , Araujo-Murakami Alejandro , Arets Eric , Astigarraga Julen , Baccaro Fabrício , Baker Timothy , Banki Olaf , Barroso Jorcely , Blanc Lilian , Bonal Damien , Bongers Frans , Bordin Kauane Maiara , Brienen Roel , de Medeiros Marcelo Brilhante , Camargo José Luís , Araújo Felipe Carvalho , Castilho Carolina V. , Castro Wendeson , Moscoso Victor Chama , Comiskey James , Costa Flávia , Müller Sandra Cristina , de Almeida Everton Cristo , Lôla da Costa Antonio Carlos , de Andrade Kamimura Vitor , de Oliveira Fernanda , del Aguila Pasquel Jhon , Derroire Géraldine , Dexter Kyle , Di Fiore Anthony , Duchesne Louis , Emílio Thaise , Farrapo Camila Laís , Fauset Sophie , Draper Federick C. , Feldpausch Ted R. , Ramos Rafael Flora , Martins Valeria Forni , Simon Marcelo Fragomeni , Reis Miguel Gama , Manzatto Angelo Gilberto , Herault Bruno , Herrera Rafael , Coronado Eurídice Honorio , Howe Robert , Huamantupa-Chuquimaco Isau , Huasco Walter Huaraca , Zanini Katia Janaina , Joly Carlos , Killeen Timothy , Klipel Joice , Laurance Susan G. , Laurance William F. , Fontes Marco Aurélio Leite , Oviedo Wilmar Lopez , Magnusson William E. , dos Santos Rubens Manoel , Peña Jose Luis Marcelo , de Abreu Karla Maria Pedra , Marimon Beatriz , Junior Ben Hur Marimon , Melgaço Karina , Melo Cruz Omar Aurelio , Mendoza Casimiro , Monteagudo-Mendoza Abel , Morandi Paulo S. , Gianasi Fernanda Moreira , Nascimento Henrique , Nascimento Marcelo , Neill David , Palacios Walter , Camacho Nadir C. Pallqui , Pardo Guido , Pennington R. Toby , Peñuela-Mora Maria Cristina , Pitman Nigel C. A. , Poorter Lourens , Cruz Adriana Prieto , Ramírez-Angulo Hirma , Reis Simone Matias , Correa Zorayda Restrepo , Rodriguez Carlos Reynel , Lleras Agustín Rudas , Santos Flavio A. M. , Bergamin Rodrigo Scarton , Schietti Juliana , Schwartz Gustavo , Serrano Julio , Silva-Sene André Maciel , Silveira Marcos , Stropp Juliana , ter Steege Hans , Terborgh John , Tobler Mathias W. , Gamarra Luis Valenzuela , van de Meer Peter J. , van der Heijden Geertje , Vasquez Rodolfo , Vilanova Emilio , Vos Vincent Antoine , Wolf Amy , Woodall Christopher W. , Wortel Verginia , Zwerts Joeri A. , Pugh Thomas A. M. , Crowther Thomas W. 
Published: October 2024

Tree growth and longevity trade-offs fundamentally shape the terrestrial carbon balance. Yet, we lack a unified understanding of how such trade-offs vary across the world’s forests. By mapping life history traits for a wide range of species across the Americas, we reveal considerable variation in life expectancies from 10 centimeters in diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 3195 years) and show that the pace of life for trees can be accurately classified into four demographic functional types. We found emergent patterns in the strength of trade-offs between growth and longevity across a temperature gradient. Furthermore, we show that the diversity of life history traits varies predictably across forest biomes, giving rise to a positive relationship between trait diversity and productivity. Our pan-latitudinal assessment provides new insights into the demographic mechanisms that govern the carbon turnover rate across forest biomes.