Reproduction is critical for the maintenance and demography of populations, and should therefore be assessed carefully when modeling population responses to climate change 9. In addition to the reported impact on growth, and, to a lesser extent, forest dieback, we need to know how tree reproduction, one of the most important components of plant fitness, is being affected by climate change, and its likely response. In cold and mild areas, such as boreal and temperate forests, global warming is extending tree growing seasons 4, 5 and promoting wood production and tree growth 3, whereas, in warmer and drier areas, negative impacts on tree growth 6 and survival 7, 8 have been observed. For instance, growth and survival, two of the main components of tree fitness, have been found to be substantially altered by climate change 2, 3. Nevertheless, while fitness can be enhanced by higher levels of seed production, it also depends on the frequency and synchronization of mast seeding production, which may also be influenced by climate change.įorests are important for biodiversity and as a terrestrial carbon sink 1, and contrasting responses to climate change have been identified. Our findings suggest that global warming may enhance oak reproductive effort in temperate ecosystems. This sensitivity of seed production to temperature was confirmed by a “space-for-time” substitution based on elevation gradients. In contrast, no relationship was found between seed production and precipitation. We describe here a previously unreported phenomenon: a significant increase in the reproductive effort (seed production) of temperate oaks with increasing spring temperature, observed over the last decade. However, understanding the impact of these changes in reproductive success and fitness remains a major challenge for ecologists. timing of flowering and fruiting) observed in recent decades demonstrate that tree reproduction has already been altered by climate change. The changes in reproductive phenology (i.e.
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