Some tropical tree species grow faster than before

16 February 2010

By performing tree ring analysis, WOTRO researcher Danaë Rozendaal studied the long-term tree growth patterns of tropical trees. She showed that growth rates of trees gradually increased in the past two centuries. This might be the consequence of higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

That tropical trees have tree rings, has not been known for long. Danaë Rosendaal used tree ring analysis for improved ecological understanding and management of Bolivian forest trees. Tree rings analysis can provide a lot of interesting information over the whole lifetime of a tree. This information can for instance be very relevant for measuring the effects of climate change.

Danaë showed that most fast growing juvenile trees eventually reached the canopy of the forest, while slow juvenils did not. She also showed that some tree species gradually increased growth rates over the years. By using tree ring analysis she could measure the growth rates of older trees in their juvenile years and compare these rates with those of juvenile trees today. The reason for this increasing growth rates is not yet known, but it might be the consequence of higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Danaë received her PhD on February the 3th, 2010 from Utrecht University.

Dissertation: Looking backwards: using tree rings to evaluate long-term growth patterns of Bolivian forest trees.
Promotor 1: Prof. dr. M.J.A. Werger
Copromotor 1: Dr. P.A. Zuidema

Source: Utrecht University (2010). Go to the whole article (Dutch only)