Wind dispersed tree species have greater maximum height
Authors: Slik Ferry , Pinho Bruno X. , Griffith Daniel M. , Webb Edward , Raghubanshi Akhilesh Singh , Quaresma Adriano C. , Cuni Sanchez Aida , Sultana Aisha , Souza Alexandre F. , Ensslin Andreas , Hemp Andreas , Lowe Andrew , Marshall Andrew R. , Anitha Kamalakumari , Lykke Anne Mette , Armadyanto  , Mansor Asyraf , Honam Atsri K. , Poulsen Axel D. , Sparrow Ben , Buckley Benjamin J. W. , Ripoll Capilla Bernat , Albuquerque Bianca Weiss , Schmitt Christine B. , Mohandass Dharmalingam , Rocha Diogo S. B. , Sheil Douglas , Pérez‐García Eduardo A. , Catharino Eduardo , van den Berg Eduardo , Rutishauser Ervan , Brambach Fabian , Saiter Felipe Zamborlini , Senbeta Feyera , Wittmann Florian , Rovero Francesco , Mora Ardila Francisco , Bongers Frans , Fredriksson Gabriella M. , Rutten Gemma , Imani Gerard , Aymard Corredor Gerardo A. , Durigan Giselda , Shukla Gopal , Williams‐Linera Guadalupe , Culmsee Heike , Segah Hendrik , Granzow‐de la Cerda Iñigo , Singh Jamuna S. , Grogan James , Reitsma Jan , Bastin Jean‐François , Lindsell Jeremy , Millet Jerome , Roberto dos Santos Joao , Schoengart Jochen , Vandermeer John H. , Herbohn John , Lovett Jon , Meave Jorge A. , Roberto Rodrigues Pinto José , Montero Juan Carlos , Ruokolainen Kalle , Mahmud Khairil Bin , Demarchi Layon O. , Poorter Lourens , Bernacci Luis , Satdichanh Manichanh , Seiji Suganuma Marcio , Piedade Maria T. F. , Niun Mariarty A. , Harrison Mark E. , Schulze Mark , Fischer Markus , Kessler Michael , Castillo Miguel , Hussain Mohammad Shah , Libalah Moses B. , Imron Muhammad Ali , Parthasarathy Narayanaswamy , Seuaturien Naret , Targhetta Natalia , Mahayani Ni Putu Diana , Pitman Nigel C. A. , Rangel Orlando , Munishi Pantaleo , Balvanera Patricia , Ashton Peter , Parolin Pia , da Conceição Bispo Polyanna , Davidar Priya , Sukri Rahayu , Zakaria Rahmad , Prasad Rama Chandra , Chaturvedi Ravi K. , Steinmetz Robert , Muñoz Rodrigo , Zakaria Rozainah Mohamad , DeWalt Saara J. , Van Sam Hoang , Rolim Samir , Mukul Sharif Ahmed , Maimunah Siti , Sarker Swapan Kumar , Sunderland Terry , Gillespie Thomas , van Andel Tinde , Van Do Tran , Chutipong Wanlop , Zang Runguo , Yang Xiaobo , Lu Xinghui , Laumonier Yves , Hemati Zhila 
Published: June 2024

Aim

We test the hypothesis that wind dispersal is more common among emergent tree species given that being tall increases the likelihood of effective seed dispersal.

Location

Americas, Africa and the Asia‐Pacific.

Time period

1970–2020.

Major taxa studied

Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.

Methods

We used a dataset consisting of tree inventories from 2821 plots across three biogeographic regions (Americas, Africa and Asia‐Pacific), including dry and wet forests, to determine the maximum height and dispersal strategy of 5314 tree species. A web search was used to determine whether species were wind‐dispersed. We compared differences in tree species maximum height between biogeographic regions and examined the relationship between species maximum height and wind dispersal using logistic regression. We also tested whether emergent tree species, that is species with at least one individual taller than the 95% height percentile in one or more plots, were disproportionally wind‐dispersed in dry and wet forests within each biogeographic region.

Results

Our dataset provides maximum height values for 5314 tree species, of which more than half (2914) had no record of this trait in existing global databases. We found that, on average, tree species in the Americas have lower maximum heights compared to those in Africa and the Asia Pacific. The probability of wind dispersal increased significantly with tree species maximum height and was significantly higher among emergent than non‐emergent tree species in both dry and wet forests in all three biogeographic regions.

Main conclusion

Wind dispersal is more prevalent in tall, emergent tree species than in non‐emergent species and may thus be an important factor in the evolution of tree species maximum height. By providing the most comprehensive dataset so far of tree species maximum height and wind dispersal strategies, this study paves the way for advancing our understanding of the eco‐evolutionary drivers of tree size.