Seed quality and seed quantity in red maple depends on weather and individual tree characteristics

Under future climate change, plant species are expected to shift their ranges in response to increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. As seeds represent the single opportunity for plants to move, it is critical to quantify the factors that influence reproduction. While total seed production is clearly important, seed quality is equally as critical and often overlooked. Thus, to quantify how environmental and tree-level characteristics affect seed quality and quantity, the reproductive output of red maple (Acer rubrum) was measured along an elevation gradient in the Monongahela National Forest, WV. A variety of individual-level characteristics were measured (i.e., DBH, canopy area, tree cores), and seed traps were placed under seed-bearing trees to collect samaras and quantify total seed production. A random subsample of collected seeds from each tree were micro-CT scanned to determine embryo volume, photographed for morphology measurements, and used for germination tr...