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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees
08:31

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

Published on: December 27, 2017

Growth patterns and climate sensitivity differ for understory and canopy trees.

Jakub Kašpar1, Jan Krejza2,3, Jan Holík1

  • 1Department of Forest Ecology, Landscape Research Institute, Lidická 25/27, 602 00 Brno, Czechia.

Tree Physiology
|July 9, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Forest understory trees have shorter growing seasons and fewer growth periods than canopy trees. Limited light availability, not climate, constrains their growth, despite faster rates when growth occurs.

Keywords:
canopy positiongrowth rateradial growth

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Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach
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Published on: July 3, 2020

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees
08:31

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

Published on: December 27, 2017

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach
04:35

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach

Published on: July 3, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Forest Ecology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Dendrochronology

Background:

  • Vertical forest structure impacts microclimate and tree growth.
  • Seasonal growth dynamics of understory vs. canopy trees at fine temporal scales are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Compare seasonal growth dynamics of understory and canopy trees.
  • Investigate the influence of microclimatic conditions and light availability on tree growth.
  • Model hourly growth probabilities using Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models (GLMMs).

Main Methods:

  • Sub-daily measurements using automatic band and pivotal dendrometers.
  • Study included five temperate tree species in four old-growth forests.
  • Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Models (GLMMs) analyzed growth in relation to climate and day phases.

Main Results:

  • Understory trees had shorter growing seasons, fewer growing hours, and less distinct diel growth rhythms than canopy trees.
  • Understory trees showed higher growth rates per growing hour (normalized by DBH) when growth occurred.
  • Limited light availability constrained understory tree growth, despite favorable microclimates.

Conclusions:

  • Understory tree growth is primarily limited by light availability, not atmospheric conditions.
  • Fewer, but proportionally larger, growth periods contribute to the annual increment of understory trees.
  • GLMMs better captured canopy tree growth dynamics, suggesting lower climatic dependency in understory trees.