Significance: Physiological decline in large, old trees could involve diminished reproductive effort, but evidence is lacking. A global analysis finds that fecundity decline in large trees is pervasive, consistent with physiological decline, thus providing new evidence for tree senescence. For the 20% of species not showing fecundity declines, this lack of evidence was linked not to specific species groups, but rather to lack of large trees in the data. Large trees remain important for their structural attributes, but results highlight the critical role of intermediate trees for their contribution to reproduction.

Significant gaps remain in understanding the response of plant reproduction to environmental change. This is partly because measuring reproduction in long‐lived plants requires direct observation over many years and such datasets have rarely been made publicly available. Here we introduce MASTREE+, a data set that collates reproductive time‐series data from across the globe and makes these data freely available to the community. MASTREE+ includes 73,828 georeferenced observations of annual reproduction (e.g. seed and fruit counts) in perennial plant populations worldwide. These observations consist of 5971 population‐level time‐series from 974 species in 66 countries. The mean and median time‐series length is 12.4 and 10 years respectively, and the data set includes 1122 series that extend over at least two decades (≥20 years of observations). For a subset of well‐studied species, MASTREE+ includes extensive replication of time‐series across geographical and climatic gradients. Here we describe the open‐access data set, available as a.csv file, and we introduce an associated web‐based app for data exploration. MASTREE+ will provide the basis for improved understanding of the response of long‐lived plant reproduction to environmental change. Additionally, MASTREE+ will enable investigation of the ecology and evolution of reproductive strategies in perennial plants, and the role of plant reproduction as a driver of ecosystem dynamics.

Central Chile is characterized by a Mediterranean Climate. Some of the tree species that grows in this zone (e.g. Quillaja saponaria (quillay) and Cryptocarya alba (peumo)) have developed physiological mechanisms to tolerate drought periods during the summer. The aim of this study was to quantify physiological and growth parameters in two-year-old quillay and peumo saplings, maintained under controlled water restricted conditions during one summer season. The plants were assigned to two different experimental treatments: well watered (control-WW) and restricted irrigation (RI). Saplings in RI had an average predawn water potential (ψpd) near to -3.5 MPa. At the end of the water restriction period, plant gas exchange parameters were determined and biomass distributions in leaves, branches, stems and roots were analyzed. During the period of high water deficit, quillay did not showed a clear mechanism of adjustment to water deficit, but a reduction in 55 % of leaf biomass decreased the evapotranspiration rate. Peumo showed an osmotic adjustment. Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of quillay and peumo plants were significantly reduced in the RI treatment when compared to control saplings. Quillay saplings showed a significant reduction in the above/below biomass ratio under the restricted irrigation treatment (2.3 to 1.4). In contrast peumo saplings did not change signifcantly this ratio (1.3).

Nothofagus glauca is an endemic tree of the Mediterranean zone of Chile and is a threatened species. Currently, available information for the propagation and nursery cultivation of this species is conspicuously lacking. This study examined the effect of four levels of shade (18%, 35%, 65% and 80% with Raschel® plastic net) and four rates of slow-release fertiliser (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 g l⁻¹ of Basacote® Plus 9M) on container-grown seedlings after one growing season. Growth was significantly affected by shade and fertilisation. Seedlings grown under 18% or 35% shade were larger in diameter and had more roots than those grown under 80% shade and fertilisation with 2.5–5 g l⁻¹ of media were smaller than those fertilised with 7.5–10 g l⁻¹.

Background: Araucaria araucana is a mast species that presents a high variability in annual cone production. Researchers have recorded synchronization events in cone production in different populations, which allows the seed production to be concentrated, reducing the percentage of seeds consumed by different animal species. Methods: We sampled three populations located in the Andes Mountains, Araucanía Region, Chile. In 2004 we began the collection of data on cone production, for which we installed permanent plots (1200 m² each) at each location. We identified and labeled each female tree in each plot to monitor its cone production. In 2012 we selected a total of 30 trees near the plots to evaluate the number of seeds per cone. In each February from 2012 to 2014 we selected two mature cones and covered them with a porous mesh for subsequent collection and storage in March. At the beginning of June, we counted and weighed the seeds, determining the average weight, the number of seeds per cone, the germination capacity (GC), and the germination speed (GS). Results: Cone production was synchronous across the three locations. We observed significant differences among the locations and years evaluated. The cones had fewer seeds in 2013 (high production) compared to those in 2012 (low production), but their weights were similar. In 2014 the cones produced smaller seeds in fewer quantities. The difference between the years 2013 and 2014 resulted from the high-energy expenditure in 2013. Regarding GC and GS, there were significant differences among the three locations (GC: F = 45.41, p < 0.01; GS: F = 96.08, p < 0.01), where the highest values were observed in 2013. Conclusions: Both GC and GS are related to seed weight but not to the number of cones produced in a given year. These annual fluctuations in seed production are determining factors in the population dynamics of forest species. Our results allow a better understanding of the reproductive phenology of A. araucana and could help define sustainable use and conservation actions for this species.