Dendroecological Studies in the Neotropics: History, Status and Future Challenges

Schöngart, Jochen; Bräuning, Achim; Barbosa, Ana Carolina Maioli Campos; Lisi, Cláudio Sérgio; Oliveira, J. M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-61669-8_3

Cited by 51 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 172 publications

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“…With the exception of the types of anatomical markers, there have been no significant changes from the criteria established in the past for the identification of rings and those used today, especially in dendrochronology (Schweingruber, ; Worbes & Fichtler, ; Brienen et al ., ; Schöngart et al ., ).…”

Section: Anatomical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The growth ring as conceived by dendrochronologists and anatomists of temperate regions is an imposed model of well‐marked, tangentially continuous and annual rings. This pattern also corresponds to a small percentage of species with growth rings in the tropics, and has predominated in studies in the past and present for historical reasons and because of its applications (Worbes & Fichtler, ; Brienen et al ., ; Schöngart et al ., ; Worbes et al ., ). However, when the tropical origin and diversification of angiosperms is taken into account (Philippe et al ., ; Soltis et al ., ), it is probable that the first species with growth rings did not follow this model nor do the great majority existing today.…”

Section: Periodicitymentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The theme of annual rings still prevails in current literature, marginalizing those rings which do not show such periodicity and impeding discussion of the variation which occurs in the periodicity of this structure (De Micco et al ., ). Multiple rings are treated widely as ‘false rings’ (Pagotto et al ., , ; Schöngart et al ., ), intra‐annual density fluctuations (De Micco et al ., ) or even as anomalies, even though they are regularly formed (Cherubini et al ., , ; De Micco et al ., ). On the other hand, it is often assumed that rings formed in temperate regions are always annual without proper investigation of their seasonal pattern (e.g.…”

Section: Periodicitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The best‐studied type of growth ring, although certainly not the most common, is when the cambium enters dormancy only once a year, producing in consequence a single growth ring for this period. Dendrochronologists are especially interested in this type of periodicity because of its applications (Babst et al ., ; Schöngart et al ., ; Islam et al ., ). The view that annual growth rings do not exist in tropical species was pervasive until the 20th century, when studies supporting the presence of annual rings in these species began to gain influence (Worbes et al ., ).…”

Section: Periodicitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This definition is urgently needed, especially for tropical species in which there is a high level of variation and uncertainty in the identification of growth rings (Wheeler & Baas, , ; Wils et al ., ; Tarelkin et al ., ). Debates on the limitations of the use of the term ‘growth ring’ are directly related to advances in their study in tropical species (Brienen, Schöngart & Zuidema, ; Schöngart et al ., ). The greater variation found in the growth rings, the absence of a theory to explain this fact and the lack of interest from dendrochronologists has marginalized the study of growth rings in tropical species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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The growth ring concept: seeking a broader and unambiguous approach covering tropical species

2019

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The concept of growth rings is little discussed in the literature and their treatment remains somewhat confusing in terms of the diversity of structures described. This situation has a major impact on the study of growth rings in tropical species, in which variations and complexity are greater and accuracy of identification less good. The rigid conceptual delimitations used by dendrochronologists and wood anatomists of temperate regions cannot be applied to the study of growth rings in most tropical species, which has led to neglect of this subject. With the objective of discussing the concept of growth rings, the present study consists of a survey of anatomical, periodicity, causal and evolutionary aspects of the treatment of these structures as evidenced in previous studies, and the evaluation of their application and limitations to the development of this concept. Anatomical aspects arise through radial integrity, or the presence of early and late wood; the degree of distinction of the rings, which may vary from well to poorly defined; and tangential continuity, meaning that rings may form a complete circle in the transverse section of the trunk, or instead be tangentially discontinuous, lens-shaped or in wedges. In addition there are a diversity of anatomical markers which enable us to recognize growth rings. Regarding periodicity, the rings may be annual, infra-annual or supra-annual. Causal aspects include genetic, endogenous and environmental components. Evolutionary aspects continue to be insufficiently investigated, and although most comparative studies treat growth rings recognized by different markers as though they were a single character, it remains questionable whether they can be regarded as homologous or the result of homoplasy. We conclude that the elaboration of a robust but broad definition which can include all the variation observed in growth rings of tropical species is a complex task, which is only possible by overcoming the restrictions adopted by dendrochronologists and wood anatomists of temperate regions for whom growth rings are essentially annual, strongly demarcated, tangentially continuous and restricted to the most pronounced markers.

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Section: Anatomical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 97%