Tree biomass influences biogeochemical cycles, climate, and biodiversity across local to global scales. Understanding the environmental control of tree biomass demands consideration of the drivers of individual tree growth over their lifespan. This can be achieved by studies of tree growth in permanent sample plots (prospective studies) and tree ring analyses (retrospective studies). However, identification of growth trends and attribution of their drivers demands statistical control of the axiomatic co-variation of tree size and age, and avoiding sampling biases at the stand, forest, and regional scales. Tracking and predicting the effects of environmental change on tree biomass requires well-designed studies that address the issues that we have reviewed.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	tree growth, climate, tree size, tree age, sampling bias
Research Division:	Biological Sciences
Research Group:	Plant biology
Research Field:	Plant biology not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Objective Group:	Understanding climate change
Objective Field:	Understanding climate change not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Bowman, DMJS (Professor David Bowman)
UTAS Author:	Prior, LD (Dr Lynda Prior)
ID Code:	80607
Year Published:	2013
Web of Science® Times Cited:	164
Deposited By:	Plant Science
Deposited On:	2012-11-05
Last Modified:	2017-11-01
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