Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relating tree growth to rainfall in Bolivian rain forests: a test for six species using tree ring analysis

  • Ecophysiology
  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many tropical regions show one distinct dry season. Often, this seasonality induces cambial dormancy of trees, particularly if these belong to deciduous species. This will often lead to the formation of annual rings. The aim of this study was to determine whether tree species in the Bolivian Amazon region form annual rings and to study the influence of the total amount and seasonal distribution of rainfall on diameter growth. Ring widths were measured on stem discs of a total of 154 trees belonging to six rain forest species. By correlating ring width and monthly rainfall data we proved the annual character of the tree rings for four of our study species. For two other species the annual character was proved by counting rings on trees of known age and by radiocarbon dating. The results of the climate–growth analysis show a positive relationship between tree growth and rainfall in certain periods of the year, indicating that rainfall plays a major role in tree growth. Three species showed a strong relationship with rainfall at the beginning of the rainy season, while one species is most sensitive to the rainfall at the end of the previous growing season. These results clearly demonstrate that tree ring analysis can be successfully applied in the tropics and that it is a promising method for various research disciplines.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerly DD, Bazzaz FA (1995) Leaf dynamics, self-shading and carbon gain in seedlings of a tropical pioneer tree. Oecologia 101:289–298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves ES, Angyalossy-Alfonso V (2000) Ecological trends in the wood anatomy of some brazilian species. 1. Growth rings and vessels. IAWA J 21:3–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Baas P, Vetter RE (1989) Growth rings in tropical trees. IAWA Bull (Special Issue) 10:95–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Bojanic HAJ (2001) Balance is beautiful: assessing sustainable forest management in the rainforests of the Bolivian Amazon. PROMAB Scientific series 4. Utrecht, PROMAB

  • Borchert R (1994a) Induction of rehydration and bud break by irrigation or rain in deciduous trees of a tropical dry forest in Costa-Rica. Trees-Struct Funct 8:198–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Borchert R (1994b) Soil and stem water storage determine phenology and distribution of tropical dry forest trees. Ecology 75:1437–1449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borchert R (1994c) Water status and development of tropical trees during seasonal drought. Trees Struct Funct 8:115–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Borchert R (1999) Climatic periodicity, phenology, and cambium activity in tropical dry forest trees. IAWA J 20:239–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Borchert R, Rivera G, Hagnauer W (2002) Modification of vegetative phenology in a tropical semi-deciduous forest by abnormal drought and rain. Biotropica 34:27–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Bormann FH, Berlyn G (1981) Age and growth rate of tropical trees: new directions for research. Yale university: School of Forestry and environmental Studies. Bulletin No. 94, New Haven

  • Breitsprecher A, Bethel JS (1990) Stem-periodicity of trees in a tropical wet forest of Costa Rica. Ecology 7:1156–1164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brienen R, Zuidema PA (2003). Anillos de crecimiento de árboles maderables en Bolivia: su potencial para el manejo de bosques y una guía metodológica. PROMAB. Informes Técnicos No 7, pp 1–40

  • Canham CD, Denslow JS, Platt WJ, Runkle JR, Spies TA, White PS (1990) Light regimes beneath closed canopies and tree-fall gaps in temperate and tropical forests. Can J Forest Res 20:620–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers JQ, Trumore SE (1999) An age-old problem. Trends Plant Sci 4:385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chazdon RL (1988) Sunflecks and their importance to forest understorey plants. Adv Ecol Res 18:1–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark DA, Clark DB (1992) Life-history diversity of canopy and emergent trees in a neotropical rain-forest. Ecol Monogr 62:315–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark DA, Clark DB (1994) Climate-induced annual variation in canopy tree growth in a Costa-Rican tropical rain-forest. J Ecol 82:865–872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark DB, Clark DA, Rich PM, Weiss S, Oberbauer SF (1996) Landscape scale evaluation of understory light and canopy structure: methods and application in a neotropical lowland rain forest. Can J Forest Res 26:747–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER (1985) A time series approach to tree-ring standardization. University of Arizona, Tuscon, pp 1–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook ER, Holmes RL (1985) Users manual for program ARSTAN. Palisades, NY, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, pp 1–28

  • Cook ER, Peters K (1980) The smoothing spline: a new approach to standardizing forest interior tree-ring width series for dendroclimatic studies. Tree-Ring Bull 41:45–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Coster C (1927) Zur Anatomie und Physiologie der Zuwachszonen und Jahresbildung in den Tropen I. Ann Jard Bot Buitenzorg 37:47–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Critchfield WB (1960) Leaf dimophism in Populus trichocarpa. Am J Bot 47:699–711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Detienne P (1989) Appearance and periodicity of growth rings in some tropical woods. IAWA Bull 10:123–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Devall MS, Parresol BR, Wright SJ (1995) Dendroecological analysis of Cordia alliodora, Pseudobombax septenatum and Annona spraguei in central Panama. IAWA J 16:411–424

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunisch O, Bauch J, Gasparotto L (2002) Formation of increment zones and intraannual growth dynamics in the xylem of Swietenia macrophylla, Carapa guianensis, and Cedrela odorata (Meliaceae). IAWA J 23:101–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunisch O, Montoia VR, Bauch J (2003) Dendroecological investigations on Swietenia macrophylla King and Cedrela odorata L. (Meliaceae) in the central Amazon. Trees-Struct Funct 17:244–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckstein D, Sass U, Baas P (1995) Growth periodicity in tropical trees. IAWA J 16:325–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Enquist BJ, Leffler AJ (2001) Long-term tree ring chronologies from sympatric tropical dry-forest trees: individualistic responses to climatic variation. J Trop Ecol 17:41–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enright NJ, Hartshorn GS (1981) The demography of tree species in undisturbed tropical rainforest. In: Bormann FH, Berlyn G (eds) Age and growth rate of tropical trees; new directions for research. School of Forestry and environmental Studies, Yale university, Bulletin No. 94, pp 107–119

  • Fichtler E, Clark DA, Worbes M (2003) Age and long-term growth of trees in an old-growth tropical rain forest, based on analyses of tree rings and C-14. Biotropica 35:306–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Fichtler E, Trouet V, Beeckman H, Coppin P, Worbes M (2004) Climatic signals in tree rings of Burkea africana and Pterocarpus angolensis from semiarid forests in Namibia. Trees 18:442–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritts HC (1976) Tree rings and climate. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Gourlay ID (1995) The definition of seasonal growth zones in some African Acacia species—a review. IAWA J 16:353–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Grissino-Mayer HR (2001) Evaluating crossdating accuracy: a manual and tutorial for the computer program cofecha. Tree-Ring Bull 57:205–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirose T, Werger MJA, van Rheenen JWA (1989) Canopy development and leaf nitrogen distribution in a stand of Carex acutiformis. Ecology 70:1610–1618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes RL (1983) Computer-assisted quality control in tree-ring dating and measurement. Tree-Ring Bull 43:69–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Iwasa Y, Cohen D (1989) Optimal growth schedule of a perennial plant. Am Nat 133:480–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby GC (1989) Overview of tree-ring analysis in tropical regions. IAWA Bull 10:99–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby GC, D’Arrigo RD (1990) Teak (Tectona grandis L.F.), a new species of largescale dendroclimatic potential. Dendrochronologia 8:98

    Google Scholar 

  • Laurance WF, Nascimento HEM, Laurance SG, Condit R, D’Angelo S, Andrade A (2004) Inferred longevity of Amazonian rainforest trees based on a long-term demographic study. Forest Ecol Manag 190:131–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman D, Lieberman M, Hartshorn GS, Peralta R (1985) Growth rates and age-size relationships of tropical wet forest trees in Costa Rica. J Trop Ecol 1:97–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning MR, Melhuish WH (1994) Atmospheric 14C record from Wellington, New Zealand. ftp://cdiac.ornl.gov/pub/trends/co2

  • Martinez-Ramos M, Alvarez-Buylla ER (1998) How old are tropical rain forest trees? Trends Plant Sci 3:400–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyaji K, daSilva WS, Alvim PDT (1997) Productivity of leaves of a tropical tree, Theobroma cacao, grown under shading, in relation to leaf age and light conditions within the canopy. New Phytol 137:463–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooney HA, Field C, Gulmon SL, Bazzaz FA (1981) Photosynthetic capacity in relation to leaf position in desert versus old-field annuals. Oecologia 50:109–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogden J (1981) Dendrochronological studies and the determination of tree ages in the Australian tropics. J Biogeogr 8:405–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priya PB, Bhat KM (1998) False ring formation in teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) and the influence of environmental factors. Forest Ecol Manag 108:215–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priya PB, Bhat KM (1999) Influence of rainfall, irrigation and age on the growth periodicity and wood structure in teak (Tectona grandis). IAWA J 20:181–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Pumijumnong N, Eckstein D, Sass U (1995) Tree-ring research on Tectona grandis on northern Thailand. IAWA J 16:385–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Roig FA (2000) Dendrochronología en los bosques del Neotrópico: revisión y prospección futura. In: Roig FA (ed) Dendrocronología en América Latina. EDIUNC, Mendoza, pp 307–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Sass U, Killmann W, Eckstein D (1995) Wood formation in two species of dipterocarpaceae in Peninsular Malaysia. IAWA J 16:371–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahle DW (1999) Useful strategies for the development of tropical tree-ring chronologies. IAWA J 20:249–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahle DW, Mushove PT, Cleaveland MK, Roig FA, Haynes GA (1999) Management implications of annual growth rings in Pterocarpus angolensis from Zimbabwe. Forest Ecol Manag 124:217–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stokes MA, Smiley TL (1996) An introduction to tree-ring dating. University of Arizona Press, Arizona, pp 1–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Superintendencia Forestal (1999) Potencial de los bosques naturales de Bolivia para produccion forestal permanente. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, pp 1–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomazello Fo M, Botosso PC, Lisi CS (2000) Potencialidade da familia Meliaceae para dendrocronologia em regioes tropicais e subtropicais. In: Roig FA (ed) Dendrocronología en América Latina. EDIUNC, Mendoza, pp 381–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Vetter RE, Botosso PC (1989) Remarks on age and growth rate determination of Amazonian trees. IAWA Bull 10:133–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Vose RS, Peterson TC, Schmoyer RL (1995) A beta version of the global historical climatology network, version 2. ftp://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghnc/v2

  • Walter H, Lieth H (1964) Klimadiagramm Weltatlas. Gustav Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore TC (1998) An introduction to tropical rain forests. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Worbes M (1995) How to measure growth dynamics in tropical trees—a review. IAWA J 16:337–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Worbes M (1999) Annual growth rings, rainfall-dependent growth and long-term growth patterns of tropical trees from the Caparo Forest Reserve in Venezuela. J Ecol 87:391–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worbes M (2002) One hundred years of tree-ring research in the tropics—a brief history and an outlook to future challenges. Dendrochronologia 20:217–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worbes M, Junk WJ (1989) Dating tropical trees by means of C-14 from bomb tests. Ecology 70:503–507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worbes M, Staschel R, Roloff A, Junk WJ (2003) Tree ring analysis reveals age structure, dynamics and wood production of a natural forest stand in Cameroon. Forest Ecol Manag 173:105–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright SJ, Cornejo FH (1990) Seasonal drought and leaf fall in a tropical forest. Ecology 71:1165–1175

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Adhemar Cassanova Arias, Merlijn Janssens, Henri Noordman, Jeanette Pacajes, Anneke Rijpkema, Jan Rodenburg, Vincent Vos and Oliver Yancke for their indispensable assistance with the ring measurements and the staff of PROMAB and the ‘field team of Purisima’ for their help with the fieldwork. We thank Instituto de Geología y Medio Ambiente (IGEMA) from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres (UMSA) in La Paz and Dr. Jaime Argollo for the use of their measurement equipment. Rene Boot, Ute Sass, Marinus Werger and Martin Worbes and two anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for helpful comments on an earlier draft version of this paper. This research was part of the research program of the Programa de Manejo de Bosques de la Amazonía Boliviana (PROMAB). Radiocarbon dating was skilfully done by dr. K. van den Borg, Physics department, Utrecht University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Ecology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB, Utrecht, the Netherlands

    Roel J. W. Brienen & Pieter A. Zuidema

  2. Programa Manejo de Bosques de la Amazonía Boliviana (PROMAB), Casilla 107, Riberalta, Bolivia

    Roel J. W. Brienen & Pieter A. Zuidema

Authors
  1. Roel J. W. Brienen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pieter A. Zuidema
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roel J. W. Brienen.

Additional information

Communicated by Christian Koerner

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brienen, R.J.W., Zuidema, P.A. Relating tree growth to rainfall in Bolivian rain forests: a test for six species using tree ring analysis. Oecologia 146, 1–12 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0160-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0160-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation