this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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Dyk, Bobby? (mander.xyz)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not bunk, but not an evolutionary strategy, I imagine. Leaves are dropped because they are too hard to maintain, rather than the benefit the trees get from mulching out competition.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Depends on the type of tree -- pine trees do benefit from the acidification of soil via their dropped needles - it reduces competition.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, but again, it don't think it's evolutionary strategy, rather than the content of the needles is what is needed, and the acidification is just a knock on effect. Pines in particular are disturbance specialists - they take off after fire, and drop relatively few needles during establishment when competition from grasses and other plants is at the highest. When they get larger they don't have to worry (,as it were) because you can choke out anything below you just by being big

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

It is very interesting though to walk through a pine stand after walking through a stand of mixed hardwoods. There is almost no undergrowth. It's a very different character.

Are boreal pines disturbance specialists too?