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Life history

The long tail of tree maximum lifespan enriches the forest

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 9, pages 896–897 (2025)Cite this article

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A new study shows that the life history traits of trees are more related to maximum lifespan than to mean life expectancy, and illustrates the evolutionary and ecological importance of very old trees to forests.

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Fig. 1: Age structure in mixed, natural old-growth forest compared to a single-species plantation forest in relation to historical temperature and precipitation change.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, Singapore, Singapore

    Charles H. Cannon

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  1. Charles H. Cannon
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Correspondence to Charles H. Cannon.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Cannon, C.H. The long tail of tree maximum lifespan enriches the forest. Nat Ecol Evol 9, 896–897 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02695-7

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