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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Royal Society Open Science

Mast fruiting in a large tropical African legume tree species and the mineral nutrient limitation hypothesis

  • David M. Newbery1
  • Sarah Schwan1
  • George B. Chuyong2
  • Godlove A. Neba2
  • Culbertson E. Etta3
  • Julian M. Norghauer1
  • Martin Worbes4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Section for Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern 1 , Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland
  2. 2Department of Plant Science, University of Buea 2 , POB 63, Buea, South-West Region, Cameroon
  3. 3Research and Development Section, PAMOL Plantations Plc, Lobe Oil Palm Estate 3 , PMB 3, Ekondo Titi, South-West Region, Cameroon
  4. 4Tropical Plant Production and Agricultural Systems Modelling, Georg-August-University 4 , Grisebachstraße 6, DE-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Abstract

The large grove-forming ectomycorrhizal tropical tree Microberlinia bisulcata displays strong mast fruiting on poor soils. Evidence is presented that masting is probably determined primarily by mineral nutrients and secondarily by radiation. To test the nutrient resource limitation hypothesis, phenological recordings were matched with climate variables and modelled using logistic time-series regression. A strong predictor was average daily rainfall in the dry season, low in the current year of masting and high in the year prior. Less strong was the increase in dry season radiation between prior and mast years. Masting events showed no relationship to annual stem increment. Masting intensity was reduced after two caterpillar attacks. Fallen-leaf phosphorus concentration increased in the inter-mast interval, and that for potassium peaked mid-interval. A drier dry season prior to masting may have increased tree carbon, while a wetter one increased nutrient uptake by roots and mycorrhizas. A rooting–fruiting trade-off in carbon is suggested. The long-term stochastic driver appears to be dry season rainfall. Synchrony across masting trees may be enhanced by equilibration of nutrients across the mycorrhizal–root network. A life-history strategy determined by mineral nutrient resource dynamics provides the best explanation and advanced model of the observed pattern of events.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{newbery2026mast,
  title = {{Mast fruiting in a large tropical African legume tree species and the mineral nutrient limitation hypothesis}},
  author = {David M. Newbery and Sarah Schwan and George B. Chuyong and Godlove A. Neba and Culbertson E. Etta and Julian M. Norghauer and Martin Worbes},
  journal = {Royal Society Open Science},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1098/rsos.260234},
  url = {https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/11/260234/484002/Mast-fruiting-in-a-large-tropical-African-legume},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mast fruiting in a large tropical African legume tree species and the mineral nutrient limitation hypothesis
AU  - David M. Newbery
AU  - Sarah Schwan
AU  - George B. Chuyong
AU  - Godlove A. Neba
AU  - Culbertson E. Etta
AU  - Julian M. Norghauer
AU  - Martin Worbes
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/04
JO  - Royal Society Open Science
DO  - 10.1098/rsos.260234
UR  - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/13/11/260234/484002/Mast-fruiting-in-a-large-tropical-African-legume
AB  - The large grove-forming ectomycorrhizal tropical tree Microberlinia bisulcata displays strong mast fruiting on poor soils. Evidence is presented that masting is probably determined primarily by mineral nutrients and secondarily by radiation. To test the nutrient resource limitation hypothesis, phenological recordings were matched with climate variables and modelled using logistic time-series regression. A strong predictor was average daily rainfall in the dry season, low in the current year of masting and high in the year prior. Less strong was the increase in dry season radiation between prior and mast years. Masting events showed no relationship to annual stem increment. Masting intensity was reduced after two caterpillar attacks. Fallen-leaf phosphorus concentration increased in the inter-mast interval, and that for potassium peaked mid-interval. A drier dry season prior to masting may have increased tree carbon, while a wetter one increased nutrient uptake by roots and mycorrhizas. A rooting–fruiting trade-off in carbon is suggested. The long-term stochastic driver appears to be dry season rainfall. Synchrony across masting trees may be enhanced by equilibration of nutrients across the mycorrhizal–root network. A life-history strategy determined by mineral nutrient resource dynamics provides the best explanation and advanced model of the observed pattern of events.
SN  - 2054-5703
ER  -