Mast seeding and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation: a long-term relationship?

Abstract

Recognition of the effects of inter-annual climate change on earth systems has led to a greater understanding of the various forces that influence natural systems. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is, arguably, the most well-known and widely researched inter-annual climate mode. The effects of ENSO on natural systems include changes in fire-regimes, rainfall and temperature patterns, oceanic upwelling and plant reproduction. Here, I posit a long-term relationship between ENSO and temporal changes in the abundance of a long-lived rainforest conifer, Lagarostrobos franklinii, in western Tasmania, Australia. An increase in pollen from L. franklinii occurs at a number of sites across the ..