title: Identifying ontogenetic, environmental and individual components of forest tree growth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify and characterize the ontogenetic, environmental and individual components of forest tree growth. In the proposed approach, the tree growth data typically correspond to the retrospective measurement of annual shoot characteristics (e.g. length) along the trunk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dedicated statistical models (semi-Markov switching linear mixed models) were applied to data sets of Corsican pine and sessile oak. In the semi-Markov switching linear mixed models estimated from these data sets, the underlying semi-Markov chain represents both the succession of growth phases and their lengths, while the linear mixed models represent both the influence of climatic factors and the inter-individual heterogeneity within each growth phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the basis of these integrative statistical models, it is shown that growth phases are not only defined by average growth level but also by growth fluctuation amplitudes in response to climatic factors and inter-individual heterogeneity and that the individual tree status within the population may change between phases. Species plasticity affected the response to climatic factors while tree origin, sampling strategy and silvicultural interventions impacted inter-individual heterogeneity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transposition of the proposed integrative statistical modelling approach to cambial growth in relation to climatic factors and the study of the relationship between apical growth and cambial growth constitute the next steps in this research.
authors.affiliation: CIRAD, UMR Développement et Amélioration des Plantes and INRIA, Virtual Plants, TA A-96/02, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chaubert-Pereira
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Caraglio
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavergne
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guédon
mesh_terms: D002980:Climate; D004777:Environment; D008390:Markov Chains; D008954:Models, Biological; D028223:Pinus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029963:Quercus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014197:Trees / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*
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