Limit Tree Growth Research Articles

Comparative metabolomics analysis reveals different metabolic responses to drought in tolerant and susceptible poplar species.

Drought is one of the critical factors limiting tree growth and survival. Clarifying the adaptation to drought will facilitate the cultivation of drought-tolerant varieties. Metabolites, as direct signatures of biochemical functions, can uncover the biochemical pathways involved in drought responses. Here, we investigated the physiological and metabolic responses of drought-tolerant Populus simonii and drought-susceptible Populus deltoides cv. 'Danhong' to drought. Under drought conditions, P. simonii grew better and had a higher photosynthetic rate than P. deltoides cv. 'Danhong'. Global untargeted metabolite profiling was analyzed using gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry system. A total of 69 and 53 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified in drought-stressed P. simonii and P. deltoides cv. 'Danhong', respectively. The metabolisms of carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid and energy were involved in the drought responses common to both poplar species. The citric acid cycle was significantly inhibited to conserve energy, whereas multiple carbohydrates acting as osmolytes and osmoprotectants were induced to alleviate the adverse effects of drought stress. Unlike P. deltoides cv. 'Danhong', P. simonii underwent a specific metabolic reprogramming that enhanced non-enzymatic antioxidants, coordinated the cellular carbon/nitrogen balance and regulated wax biosynthesis. These results provide a reference for characterizing the mechanisms involved in poplar response to drought and for enhancing the drought tolerance of forest trees.

A lattice-based approach to option and bond valuation under mean-reverting regime-switching diffusion processes

Nowadays, the pricing of financial instruments under continuous-time Markov switching models have received a widespread attention from researchers and practitioners in the finance industry. Lattice-based approaches are amongst the most widely used approaches to solve the pricing problem in this context. Recently, Yuen and Yang (2010) have proposed a simple and fast recombining trinomial tree method to handle the case of regime-switching geometric Brownian motion processes. In this paper, we generalize their approach to the regime-switching (exponential) mean-reverting case with state-dependent switching rates and derive the necessary conditions for the positivity of conditional branching probabilities. We employ the Hull and White’s tree-building procedure to limit tree growth away from the long-run mean of the process. We use the proposed lattice framework to price contingent claims of European, American and barrier type, and demonstrate its applicability in pricing default-free zero-coupon bonds. In the proposed tree structure, the number of nodes is substantially decreased and the computational cost is effectively reduced compared to the usual approaches. Extensive numerical experiments illustrate the efficiency and flexibility of the proposed scheme.

Fuels, vegetation, and prescribed fire dynamics influence ash production and characteristics in a diverse landscape under active pine barrens restoration

BackgroundAn important consequence of wildland fire is the production of ash, defined as a continuum of mineral to charred organic residues formed by the burning of wildland fuels. Ash may impact soil health depending on its elemental composition and other factors, which are influenced by fuel quantity and quality, and by combustion completeness. To investigate how ash properties relate to variation in fuels and fire, we collected and analyzed ash samples following prescribed fires in a pine barrens landscape spanning grassland, shrubland, conifer woodland, and deciduous forest. At some plots, mechanical brush cutting was applied, and woody fuels were added or removed to experimentally manipulate fuel loads.ResultsAsh load averaged 2 Mg ha−1, or approximately 12.5% of fuel consumption, and was positively related to maximum temperatures estimated by temperature-sensitive paint tags. Ash load also increased in cut brush and fuel addition treatments. Fuel consumption in grasslands, estimated from maximum paint tag temperatures by calibration, was increased by woody fuel addition. Total nutrient stocks in ash was greatest at conifer sites (i.e., nitrogen, N; phosphorus, P; potassium, K; magnesium, Mg; and iron, Fe) and lowest at grassland sites (P; K; calcium, Ca; Mg; and manganese, Mn). Concentrations of leachable nutrients in ash were high for cations Ca (>20 g kg−1), K (>4 g kg−1), and Mg (>5 g kg−1), which resulted in high ash pH (mean ± standard error = 8.4 ± 0.1). Leachable cations were positively related to total ash cation concentrations, but leachable metal concentrations (Fe; Mn; copper, Cu) were low despite their high content in ash.ConclusionsWe observed differences in ash production and composition that corresponded to variation in vegetation cover, fuel loads, and paint tag temperatures. High concentrations of leachable cations in ash suggested that repeated prescribed fire may act to decrease cation availability in soils if cations are leached through sandy soils over time. In the case of pine barrens, prescribed fires, which decrease carbon (C) stocks while producing high concentrations of leachable nutrients in ash, may contribute to decreased soil nutrient stocks, and more limited tree growth, thus helping to maintain and restore critically endangered barrens ecosystems.

Björn Lindahl.

Björn Lindahl.

Modeling regional drought-stress indices for beech forests in Mediterranean mountains based on tree-ring data

Due to the recent spread of forest die-off worldwide, concerns arise about the relative influence of specific climate parameters on tree growth decline in semi-arid environments, such as the Mediterranean mountain forests. As temperatures increase, drought may reduce tree productivity and survival across these forest ecosystems. Drought-induced tree growth decline can be interpreted as an early-warning signal of forest vulnerability. Here, we modeled the relationship between tree-ring width index (RWI) of beech populations in mountain forests of south-central Italy and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) derived from local weather stations. The aim of the research was to propose a procedure to determine the tipping point of drought severity triggering tree decline in beech forests. We focused on the cumulative water balance over the previous 1 month, which was particularly appropriate in relationship with the soil water conditions of these Mediterranean mountains. Under drier conditions, the correlation between RWI and SPEI was stronger, soil water supply (early fall of current year) and atmospheric evaporative demand (late spring of current year) being the dominant factors limiting tree growth of southern beech populations.

Uneven winter snow influence on tree growth across temperate China.

Winter snow is an important driver of tree growth in regions where growing-season precipitation is limited. However, observational evidence of this influence at larger spatial scales and across diverse bioclimatic regions is lacking. Here, we investigated the interannual effects of winter (here defined as previous October to current February) snow depth on tree growth across temperate China over the period of 1961-2015, using a regional network of tree ring records, in situ daily snow depth observations, and gridded climate data. We report uneven effects of winter snow depth on subsequent growing-season tree growth across temperate China. There shows little effect on tree growth in drier regions that we attribute mainly to limited snow accumulation during winter. By contrast, winter snow exerts important positive influence on tree growth in stands with high winter snow accumulation (e.g., in parts of cold arid regions). The magnitude of this effect depends on the proportion of winter snow to pre-growing-season (previous October to current April) precipitation. We further observed that tree growth in drier regions tends to be increasingly limited by warmer growing-season temperature and early growing-season water availability. No compensatory effect of winter snow on the intensifying drought limitation of tree growth was observed across temperate China. Our findings point toward an increase in drought vulnerability of temperate forests in a warming climate.

Contrasting effects of flooding on tree growth and stand density determine aboveground production, in baldcypress forests

Stand production, a common indicator of site productivity, is often low in flooded wetland forests. However, it remains unclear whether the low production reflects flood stress limiting tree growth, flood disturbance limiting tree density, or both. Here, we investigate how tree growth and stand density vary in baldcypress forests, across gradients of flooding by both fresh and saline waters. We used three investigations to conduct this analysis: (a) a meta-analysis of previously reported tree- and stand-production measurements; (b) an analysis of tree cores from 204 baldcypress trees in 16 sites; and (c) intensive stand surveys and growth measurements across two freshwater flooding gradients in southern Louisiana. The meta-analysis (a) showed that stand production generally varies linearly with stand density, and that detrimental effects of flooding on tree-level growth are only consistently evident in saline systems. The tree-core investigation (b) showed that tree basal area growth was largely a function of tree sapwood area, but basal area growth per sapwood area (i.e. sapwood efficiency, a measure of how efficiently trees grow per growing space occupied) was higher in the more flooded sites of freshwater gradients and lower in the more saline sites of salinity gradients. The intensively studied sites (c) showed that deeper flooding was associated with sparse stands with lower production; however, trees in those sparser sites had higher sapwood efficiency, implying that the benefits of reduced competition were greater than any potential physiological limitations caused by that deeper flooding. Our findings generally show that sparser stands with saline flooding contained poorly growing trees, but sparser stands with freshwater flooding generally did not. These dichotomous effects of freshwater flooding on tree growth versus stand density demonstrate the need to conceptualize production as a dual function of disturbance effects on stand structure and environmental limitations on individual trees, each with potentially different limiting factors.

Limits to Tree Growth and Longevity.

Tree growth and longevity are key features to understand fundamental issues of plant biology, environmental sciences, and current forest management plans. Here I discuss current evidence on the limits of tree growth and longevity and present a new conceptual framework to understand how and why they are closely interconnected. Despite the tremendous plasticity of trees, growth and longevity are limited not only by biotic and abiotic stresses, but also by age-related structural constraints such as height-related hydraulic limitations and vascular discontinuities, which are strongly species specific. Continuous growth and plastic branching may serve as a means to reach extreme longevities in some nonclonal trees, but even in these millennial organisms immortality can be attained only through the germ line.

Permafrost Regime Affects the Nutritional Status and Productivity of Larches in Central Siberia

Permafrost exerts strong controls on forest development through nutrient availability. The key question of this study was to assess the effect of site conditions on macroelement concentration and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) dynamics during the growing season, and nutrient stoichiometry and resorption efficiency in the foliage of two common larch species in Siberia. Foliar nutrient (N, P and K) concentrations of larches grown on permafrost soils were exceptionally high in juvenile needles compared to those from a permafrost-free region (+50% and 130% for P and K), but were two-fold lower at needle maturation. Within permafrost terrain trees, sites with a warmer and deeper soil active layer had 15–60% greater nutrient concentrations and higher δ15N in their needles compared to shallower, colder soils. Larch of permafrost-free sites demonstrated an enrichment of foliage in 15N (+1.4% to +2.4‰) in comparison to permafrost terrain (−2.0% to −6.9‰). At all sites, foliar δ13C decreased from June to August, which very likely results from an increasing contribution of current photoassimilates to build foliar biomass. With senescence, nutrient concentrations in larch needles decreased significantly by 60–90%. This strong ability of larch to retain nutrients through resorption is the essential mechanism that maintains tree growth early in the growing season when soil remains frozen. The high resorptive efficiency found for K and P for larches established on permafrost suggests nutrient limitation of tree growth within the Central Siberian Plateau not only by N, as previously reported, but also by P and K. The increasing nutrient concentrations and a 15N enrichment of foliage towards warmer sites was paralleled by an up to 50-fold increase in biomass production, strongly suggesting that accelerated nutrient cycling with permafrost degradation contributes to an increased productivity of Siberian larch forests.

Nitrogen Addition and Understory Removal but Not Soil Warming Increased Radial Growth of Pinus cembra at Treeline in the Central Austrian Alps.

Beside low temperatures, limited tree growth at the alpine treeline may also be attributed to a lack of available soil nutrients and competition with understory vegetation. Although intra-annual stem growth of Pinus cembra has been studied intensively at the alpine treeline, the responses of radial growth to soil warming, soil fertilization, and below ground competition awaits clarification. In this study we quantified the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization, soil warming, and understory removal on stem radial growth of P. cembra at treeline. Soil warming was achieved by roofing the forest floor with a transparent polyvinyl skin, while understory competition was prevented by shading the forest floor with a non-transparent foil around six trees each. Six trees received N- fertilization and six other trees served as controls. Stem growth was monitored with band dendrometers during the growing seasons 2012–2014. Our 3 years experiment showed that soil warming had no considerable effect on radial growth. Though understory removal through shading was accompanied by root-zone cooling, understory removal as well as N fertilization led to a significant increase in radial growth. Hardly affected was tree root biomass, while N-fertilization and understory removal significantly increased in 100-needle surface area and 100-needle dry mass, implying a higher amount of N stored in needles. Overall, our results demonstrate that beside low temperatures, tree growth at cold-climate boundaries may also be limited by root competition for nutrients between trees and understory vegetation. We conclude that tree understory interactions may also control treeline dynamics in a future changing environment.

Radial growth of Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata displays a larger temperature sensitivity in dominant than codominant trees

The radial wood growth curves of Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata (an endangered species of subtropical Taiwan) exhibit an S shape. The dominant trees displayed a larger radial growth than the codominant trees, and their growth was more sensitive to air temperature. Knowledge of wood radial growth is important for evaluating the factors that limit tree growth performance. The relevant experiments have mostly been conducted in cold and temperate ecosystems, but rarely in subtropical ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to construct a unified radial growth model for Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata and to identify its sensitivity to temperature. The wood radial increments were quantified for 3 years by either pinning or microcoring. The radial wood growth curves were modelled integratively by semiparametric regression and individually by curve fitting. The effects of tree social class, interannual and environmental factors on radial growth were analysed quantitatively. A unified S-shaped growth model for C. kanehirae was successfully constructed. By including the social class effect, the model was significantly improved. The maximum radial increment (A) was significantly correlated with the maximum growth rate (μ); both A and μ were significantly higher in dominant than in codominant trees. The time-varying radial growth rate was more sensitive to air temperature in dominant than in codominant trees. Semiparametric models revealed an S-shaped growth curve of C. kanehirae and confirmed the higher temperature sensitivity of dominant trees compared to codominant trees in humid subtropical areas.

Hydraulics play an important role in causing low growth rate and dieback of aging Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica trees in plantations of Northeast China.

The frequently observed forest decline in water-limited regions may be associated with impaired tree hydraulics, but the precise physiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. We compared hydraulic architecture of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) trees of different size classes from a plantation and a natural forest site to test whether greater hydraulic limitation with increasing size plays an important role in tree decline observed in the more water-limited plantation site. We found that trees from plantations overall showed significantly lower stem hydraulic efficiency. More importantly, plantation-grown trees showed significant declines in stem hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic safety margins as well as syndromes of stronger drought stress with increasing size, whereas no such trends were observed at the natural forest site. Most notably, the leaf to sapwood area ratio (LA/SA) showed a strong linear decline with increasing tree size at the plantation site. Although compensatory adjustments in LA/SA may mitigate the effect of increased water stress in larger trees, they may result in greater risk of carbon imbalance, eventually limiting tree growth at the plantation site. Our results provide a potential mechanistic explanation for the widespread decline of Mongolian pine trees in plantations of Northern China.

Warming Increased Nitrogen Availability and Tree Growth During the Last Five Decades as Revealed by Annual Ring Data of Pinus merkusii in Central Vietnam

ABSTRACTThe effects of climate change including warming on nitrogen (N) availability and growth of Pinus merkusii in central Vietnam were investigated using the relationship between climate variables (rainfall and temperature) and tree-ring parameters (ring width, density, basal area increment, and N concentration) for the last five decades. Rainfall was not correlated with any tree-ring parameters, indicating that water availability did not limit tree growth in the study site probably due to sufficient rainfall. Temperature was positively correlated with ring N concentration, basal area increment, and ring density, probably reflecting the positive effects of warming on soil N mineralization, net photosynthesis, and cell wall thickness, respectively. Therefore, this study suggested that global warming during the last five decades increased N availability and the increased N further helped warming-induced increases in the growth of P. merkusii in central Vietnam.

A One Hundred -Year Study of the Upper Limit of Tree Growth (Terminus Arboreus) in the Swedish Scandes– Updated and Illustrated Change in an Historical Perspective

A One Hundred -Year Study of the Upper Limit of Tree Growth (Terminus Arboreus) in the Swedish Scandes– Updated and Illustrated Change in an Historical Perspective

DENDROECOLOGIA DE <i>Sebastiania commniana</i> (Baill.) L.B.Sm. & Downs E<i> Hovenia dulcis</i> Thunb. EM UMA ÁREA DEGRersoADADA NA FLORESTA OMBRÓFILA MISTA ALUVIAL, SUL DO BRASIL

Em uma área da Floresta Ombrófila Mista Aluvial impactada por vazamento de óleo bruto no município de Araucária - PR, Brasil, conduziu-se o estudo dendroecológico de Sebastiania commersoniana (Baill.) L.B.Sm. & Downs (Euphorbiaceae) e da espécie exótica Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (Rhamnaceae). Os objetivos do estudo foram avaliar o efeito do alagamento da área a partir da construção de diques como medida de descontaminação de petróleo e de fatores meteorológicos no crescimento em diâmetro do tronco de ambas as espécies. Foram coletadas três séries temporais radiais do lenho de cada indivíduo adulto selecionado com uso de sondas de incremento, em duas condições, ambas com solo hidromórfico (Gleissolo Háplico), tendo como diferença a altura do lençol freático: SHT – saturação hídrica temporária (Sebastiania commersoniana n=12; Hovenia dulcis n= 10) e SHP – saturação hídrica permanente (Sebastiania commersoniana n=6; Hovenia dulcis n= 0). Séries cronológicas foram desenvolvidas, correlacionando-as com dados meteorológicos da região. Os resultados demonstraram que os indivíduos da espécie nativa em ambas as condições apresentaram padrão semelhante de crescimento, com tendência de diminuição ao longo dos anos; diferentemente dos indivíduos da espécie exótica, com tendência de aumento do incremento ao longo dos anos. Os indivíduos da condição SHP tiveram taxas menores de incremento após o ano do derramamento, o que mostra que o alagamento da área a partir da construção de diques como tentativa de descontaminação afetou o crescimento dos indivíduos. O crescimento das espécies correlacionou-se com a precipitação apenas na condição SHT. A temperatura mínima representou ser fator limitante ao crescimento de Sebastiania commersoniana, mostrando que temperaturas mais elevadas são importantes para o crescimento, principalmente no início do período deste. Entretanto, a ocorrência de temperaturas muito altas nos meses mais quentes pode ser limitante ao crescimento. Para Hovenia dulcis, nenhuma correlação significativa foi observada com a temperatura, porém, a precipitação mostrou-se fundamental nos meses em que a espécie mais cresce, sendo, no entanto, prejudicial em meses subsequentes às fortes chuvas devido ao efeito de saturação hídrica do solo.

Vapor–pressure deficit and extreme climatic variables limit tree growth

Assessing the effect of global warming on forest growth requires a better understanding of species-specific responses to climate change conditions. Norway spruce and European beech are among the dominant tree species in Europe and are largely used by the timber industry. Their sensitivity to changes in climate and extreme climatic events, however, endangers their future sustainability. Identifying the key climatic factors limiting their growth and survival is therefore crucial for assessing the responses of these two species to ongoing climate change. We studied the vulnerability of beech and spruce to warmer and drier conditions by transplanting saplings from the top to the bottom of an elevational gradient in the Jura Mountains in Switzerland. We (1) demonstrated that a longer growing season due to warming could not fully account for the positive growth responses, and the positive effect on sapling productivity was species-dependent, (2) demonstrated that the contrasting growth responses of beech and spruce were mainly due to different sensitivities to elevated vapor-pressure deficits (VPD), (3) determined the species-specific limits to VPD above which growth rate began to decline, and (4) demonstrated that models incorporating extreme climatic events could account for the response of growth to warming better than models using only average values. These results support that the sustainability of forest trees in the coming decades will depend on how extreme climatic events will change, irrespective of the overall warming trend.

Oak tree-rings record spatial-temporal pollution trends from different sources in Terni (Central Italy).

Monitoring atmospheric pollution in industrial areas near urban center is essential to infer past levels of contamination and to evaluate the impact for environmental health and safety. The main aim of this study was to understand if the chemical composition of tree-ring wood can be used for monitoring spatial-temporal variability of pollutants in Terni, Central Italy, one of the most polluted towns in Italy. Tree cores were taken from 32 downy oaks (Quercus pubescens) located at different distances from several pollutant sources, including a large steel factory. Trace element (Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Tl, W, U, V, and Zn) index in tree-ring wood was determined using high-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We hypothesized that the presence of contaminants detected in tree-rings reflected industrial activities over time. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings was affected by anthropogenic activities in the period 1958-2009, though signals varied in intensity with the distance of trees from the industrial plant. A stronger limitation of tree growth was observed in the proximity of the industrial plant in comparison with other pollutant sources. Levels of Cr, Ni, Mo, V, U and W increased in tree-ring profiles of trees close to the steel factory, especially during the 80's and 90's, in correspondence to a peak of pollution in this period, as recorded by air quality monitoring stations. Uranium contents in our tree-rings were difficult to explain, while the higher contents of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Tl could be related to the contaminants released from an incinerator located close to the industrial plant. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings reflected the historical variation of environmental pollution in the considered urban context.

Size‐dependent nutrient limitation of tree growth from subtropical to cold temperate forests

Abstract The traditional paradigm is that plant growth at high latitudes is generally nitrogen (N) limited, whereas phosphorus (P) limitation occurs at low latitudes. However, this latitudinal pattern of nutrient limitation is not empirically tested and the underlying mechanisms are far from clear. Here we performed a coordinated experiment of N and/or P addition at three forest sites in China, a subtropical forest, a warm‐temperate forest and a cold‐temperate forest. By measuring relative growth rate (RGR) and leaf nutrient traits among different tree size groups, we assessed how they vary with nutrient addition and tree sizes and uncovered the likely mechanisms underlying these observed responses. Our results revealed that P addition enhanced the RGR of small trees (DBH < 15 cm) by 41% in subtropical forest and 114% in warm‐temperate forest, but reduced it by 57% in cold‐temperate forest. Moreover, small tree RGR increased linearly with soil available P at subtropical and warm‐temperate sites, while it followed a quadratic relationship with soil available N:P ratio at a cold‐temperate site. N addition only affected small tree RGR at the cold‐temperate site. In contrast, the RGR of large trees (DBH > 15 cm) was not impacted by any nutrient addition treatment or soil nutrient variations at any site. Leaf P concentration and resorption efficiency in both small and large trees mostly showed a linear response to soil available P at subtropical and warm‐temperate sites, while leaf N:P ratio in small trees elevated linearly with soil available N:P ratio at a cold‐temperate site. Overall, this study presents robust experimental evidence that growth in small trees, not large trees, is primarily limited by P in subtropical and warm‐temperate forests, but is co‐limited by N and P in cold‐temperate forests. This size‐dependent nutrient limitation highlights the importance of considering tree size classes when assessing nutrient limitation in forest. A plain language summary is available for this article.

Local and regional climatic signals recorded in tree-rings of Chukrasia tabularis in Bangladesh

We developed the first tree-ring chronology of Chukrasia tabularis from a moist tropical forest in Bangladesh, spanning the 102-year period 1911–2012. The species showed wood anatomically clear annual tree-ring boundaries which crossdated between tree individuals. Bootstrapped correlation analyses revealed that the ring-width index was significantly negatively correlated with current year mean and minimum temperatures. This relationship was stronger during the dry season (November–March), the pre-monsoon (February–April) and the post-monsoon season (September–November) than during the main monsoon season (May–August). We interpret this result as an indication that temperature-driven higher evapotranspiration outside the main rainy season leads to water stress limiting tree growth. This is confirmed by negative correlations of the ring-width index with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) during the dry season. Precipitation did not show significant relationships to tree growth, except in current year June. However, cloud cover strongly negatively affected tree growth, likely by reducing photosynthetic capacity particularly during the rainy summer (May–August) monsoon season. On a regional scale, the ring-width index was correlated with both Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, but during different seasons. Ring width of C. tabularis was also significantly correlated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Monthly Niño 3.4 region positive temperature anomalies enhanced current year tree growth but negative temperature anomalies reduced tree growth in the following year mainly through modulating local climate. Hence, tree-ring variations of C. tabularis in Bangladesh record local and regional climate signals and are a potential proxy to reconstruct local and regional paleoclimatic variability during the past centuries.

Micronutrients and mangroves: Experimental evidence for copper limitation

AbstractTesting the availability and requirements of micronutrients during early mangrove growth is essential for understanding their recruitment success across intertidal gradients. Recent research has highlighted the role of dissolved iron in mangrove growth, but the role of other trace metals (Cu, Zn, Mo) in supporting and possibly limiting tree growth is unknown. In outdoor experiments, dissolved copper, supplied at a rate mimicking those in natural forests, limited early growth of five species of mangroves. Rates of stem extension and biomass increase from seedling to sapling stage of Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Avicennia marina, and Ceriops tagal increased linearly with increasing rates of Cu supply (0.0 μmol m−2 d−1, 0.005 μmol m−2 d−1, 0.01 μmol m−2 d−1, 0.02 μmol m−2 d−1, and 0.05 μmol m−2 d−1); early growth of Xylocarpus moluccensis best‐fit Gaussian curves with maximal growth at a Cu supply rate of 0.02 μmol m−2 d−1 with toxicity evident at the highest Cu supply rate. Most copper was stored in roots and leaves. Zinc and molybdenum were not limiting for growth of any of the five species, but X. moluccensis growth declined with increasing Mo supply, suggesting lower tolerance and greater toxicity. Differences in such requirements among species, especially during early establishment, may be a key driver in fostering changing patterns in species composition among forests.