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The growth−survival and stature−recruitment  trade-offs structure the majority of tropical forests.
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  • Stephan Kambach,
  • Richard Condit,
  • Salomón Aguilar,
  • Helge Bruelheide,
  • Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin,
  • Chia-Hao Chang-Yang,
  • Yu-Yun Chen,
  • George Chuyong,
  • Stuart Davies,
  • Sisira Ediriweera,
  • Corneille Ewango,
  • Edwino Fernando,
  • Savitri Gunatilleke,
  • Nimal Gunatilleke,
  • Stephen Hubbell,
  • Akira Itoh,
  • David Kenfack,
  • Somboon Kiratiprayoon,
  • Yiching Lin,
  • Jean-Remy Makana,
  • Mohizah Mohamad,
  • Nantachai Pongpattananurak,
  • Rolando Perez,
  • Lilian Rodriguez,
  • Ifang Sun,
  • Sylvester Tan,
  • Duncan Thomas,
  • Jill Thompson,
  • Maria Uriarte,
  • Renato Valencia,
  • Christian Wirth,
  • S. Joseph Wright,
  • Shu-Hui Wu,
  • Takuo Yamakura,
  • Tzeleong Yao,
  • Jess Zimmerman,
  • Nadja Rüger
Stephan Kambach
Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg

Corresponding Author:stephan.kambach@gmail.com

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Richard Condit
Field Museum of Natural History
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Salomón Aguilar
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
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Helge Bruelheide
Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg
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Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
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Chia-Hao Chang-Yang
National Sun Yat-sen University
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Yu-Yun Chen
National Dong Hwa University
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George Chuyong
University of Buea
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Stuart Davies
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
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Sisira Ediriweera
Uva Wellassa University
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Corneille Ewango
Wildlife Conservation Society
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Edwino Fernando
University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Agriculture
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Savitri Gunatilleke
University of Peradeniya
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Nimal Gunatilleke
University of Peradeniya
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Stephen Hubbell
University of California
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Akira Itoh
Osaka City University
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David Kenfack
Harvard University
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Somboon Kiratiprayoon
Thammasat University
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Yiching Lin
Tunghai University
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Jean-Remy Makana
University of Kisangani
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Mohizah Mohamad
Forest Department Sarawak
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Nantachai Pongpattananurak
Kasetsart University
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Rolando Perez
Smithsonian Tropical Research institute
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Lilian Rodriguez
University of the Philippines Diliman
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Ifang Sun
National Dong Hwa University College of Science and Engineering
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Sylvester Tan
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Washington DC Offices
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Duncan Thomas
Oregon State University
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Jill Thompson
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology -Edinburgh,
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Maria Uriarte
Columbia University
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Renato Valencia
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador
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Christian Wirth
Leipzig University Faculty of Life Sciences
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S. Joseph Wright
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
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Shu-Hui Wu
National Sun Yat-sen University
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Takuo Yamakura
Osaka City University
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Tzeleong Yao
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
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Jess Zimmerman
University of Puerto Rico
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Nadja Rüger
Universität Leipzig
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Abstract

All species must balance their allocation to growth, survival and recruitment. Among trees, evolution has resulted in different strategies of partitioning resources to these key demographic processes, i.e. demographic trade-offs. It is unclear whether the same demographic trade-offs structure tropical forests worldwide. Here, we used data from 13 large-scale and long-term tropical forest plots to estimate the principal trade-offs in growth, survival, recruitment, and tree stature at each site. For ten sites, two trade-offs appeared repeatedly. One trade-off showed a negative relationship between growth and survival, i.e. the well-known fast−slow continuum. The second trade-off distinguished between tall-statured species and species with high recruitment rates, i.e. a stature−recruitment trade-off. Thus, the fast-slow continuum and tree stature are two independent dimensions structuring most tropical tree communities. Our discovery of the consistency of demographic trade-offs and strategies across forest types in three continents substantially improves our ability to predict tropical forest dynamics worldwide.
Jul 2022Published in Journal of Ecology volume 110 issue 7 on pages 1485-1496. 10.1111/1365-2745.13901