Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Photoperiodic induction of synchronous flowering near the Equator

Abstract

In tropical rainforests, 30–65% of tree species grow at densities of less than one individual per hectare1. At these low population densities, successful cross-pollination relies on synchronous flowering. In rainforests with low climatic seasonality, photoperiodic control is the only reliable mechanism for inducing synchronous flowering2,3. This poses a problem because there is no variation in day length at the Equator. Here we propose a new mechanism of photoperiodic timekeeping based on the perception of variation in sunrise or sunset time, which explains and predicts the annually repeated, staggered, synchronous and bimodal flowering of many tree species in Amazonian rainforests near the Equator.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Seasonal variation in day length, sunrise and sunset time near the Equator.
Figure 2: Synchronous, bimodal flowering and bud break in tropical forests at low latitudes.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Condit, R. et al. Tropical tree diversity: Results from a worldwide network of large plots. Biol. Skr. Dan. Vid. Selsk. (Copenhagen) (in the press)

  2. Thomas, B. & Vince-Prue, D. Photoperiodism in Plants (Academic, San Diego, 1997)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Rivera, G. et al. Increasing day length induces spring flushing of tropical dry forest trees in the absence of rain. Trees – Struct. Funct. 16, 445–456 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rivera, G. & Borchert, R. Induction of flowering in tropical trees by a 30-min reduction in photoperiod: evidence from field observations and herbarium specimens. Tree Physiol. 21, 201–212 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Borchert, R. & Rivera, G. Photoperiodic control of seasonal development in tropical stem-succulent trees. Tree Physiol. 21, 213–221 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Borchert, R., Meyer, S. A., Felger, R. S. & Porter-Bolland, L. Environmental control of flowering periodicity in Costa Rican and Mexican tropical dry forests. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. 13, 409–425 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Borchert, R. Environmental control of tropical tree phenology http://www.biology.ku.edu/tropical_tree_phenology/ (2004)

  8. Calle, Z. Temporal variation in the reproductive phenology of Montanoa quadrangularis in the Andes of Colombia: declining photoperiod as a likely environmental trigger. Biotropica 34, 621–622 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  9. National Maritime Museum. Timekeeping: the Equation of Timehttp://www.nmm.ac.uk/site/request/setTemplate:singlecontent/contentTypeA/conWebDoc/contentId/351.

  10. Holttum, R. E. Periodic leaf-exchange and flowering of trees in Singapore (II). Gardens Bull. S.S 11, 119–175 (1940)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Imaizumi, T., Tran, H. G., Swartz, T. E., Briggs, W. R. & Kay, S. A. FKF1 is essential for photoperiodic-specific light signaling in Arabidopsis. Nature 426, 302–306 (2003)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Valverde, F. et al. Photoreceptor regulation of CONSTANS protein in photoperiodic flowering. Science 303, 1003–1006 (2004)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dore, J. Response of rice to small differences in length of day. Nature 183, 413–414 (1959)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Snow, D. W. A possible selective factor in the evolution of fruiting seasons in tropical forest. Oikos 15, 274–281 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Gautier, L. Reproduction de la Strate Arborée d'une Forêt Ombrophile d'Amazonie Péruvienne M.S. thesis, Univ. Genève (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gautier, L. & Spichiger, R. Ritmos de reproducción en el estrato arbóreo del Arboretum Jenaro Herrera (provincia de Requena, departamento de Loreto, Perú). Contribución al estudio de la flora y de la vegetación de la Amazonía peruana. X. Candollea 41, 193–207 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Justiniano, M. J. & Fredericksen, T. S. Phenology of tree species in Bolivian dry forests. Biotropica 32, 276–286 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rolf Borchert.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Discussion 1

This describes the sun's motion and its effect on time keeping and explains the equation of time (Fig. 3). Websites and references to more detailed descriptions are provided. (DOC 96 kb)

Supplementary Discussion 2

This describes the role of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in causing bimodal rainfall patterns at ~4 °N in northern South America and the resulting bimodal flowering periodicity of three drought-deciduous tree species (Figs. 4 and 5). (DOC 806 kb)

Supplementary Table

This shows the changes in day length, sunrise and sunset time during 20-d periods around the spring and autumn equinoxes (compare Fig. 1d, f). (DOC 50 kb)

Supplementary Data

This provides in 6 worksheets flowering observations used for calculation of mean flowering time and standard deviations for Fig. 2a (0 to 5 0S) and 2c. (XLS 60 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Borchert, R., Renner, S., Calle, Z. et al. Photoperiodic induction of synchronous flowering near the Equator. Nature 433, 627–629 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03259

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03259

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing