tree-growth
Tree growth refers to the biological processes governing the increase in height, girth, and biomass of trees, driven by cell division in meristematic tissues such as the vascular cambium and apical meristems. Studying tree growth helps scientists understand how environmental factors like temperature, water availability, and light influence wood formation, seasonal growth rings, and overall forest productivity. This knowledge is essential for predicting how forests respond to climate change and for informing sustainable forestry and conservation practices.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-07-01
Scots pine trees near the Arctic Circle grow fastest not at midday in summer, but during the cool, moist hours around midnight. This frequency-dependent growth pattern, driven by temperature and humidity, may explain why boreal forests aren't responding to warming as simply as climate models predict.
Stem radius increment peaked during cool, moist midnight hours (air temp 4-16°C, vapor pressure deficit near 0 kPa), with two optimal growth windows jointly accounting for 68% of total annual growth.
Immediate correlations between summer growth rates and temperature/humidity were negative, but those correlations flipped to positive when accounting for meteorological conditions up to 4 days prior.
Peak wood cell production occurred in warm summer months on an annual scale, but within summer days, midday warmth and rising solar altitude consistently suppressed radial growth.
