@article{fdi:010055892,
  title = {{A}ssessing the utility of direct and indirect methods for estimating tropical tree age in the {W}estern {G}hats, {I}ndia},
  author = {{N}ath, {C}. {D}. and {B}oura, {A}. and {D}e {F}ranceschi, {D}. and {P}{\'e}lissier, {R}apha{\¨e}l},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he knowledge of tree age is important for understanding tree growth and forest dynamics. {I}t may be estimated by 'direct' methods involving growth ring counts, or by 'indirect' methods involving field measurements of growth rates. {D}irect methods are considered more accurate, but it is not clear if they are appropriate for all species, notably from the humid tropics. {I}n this paper we assess the occurrence of annual growth rings and their utility for age estimation in three tropical tree species, {A}crocarpus fraxinifolius, {D}albergia latifolia ({F}abaceae) and {S}yzygium cumini ({M}yrtaceae), growing in traditional shade coffee plantations of the southern {W}estern {G}hats, {I}ndia. {T}hese species previously were described as having "indistinct or absent" growth rings. {W}e used anatomical studies, field measurements and computational methods to characterise growth rings and assess similarities between directly and indirectly estimated tree ages. {O}ur study revealed that annual growth rings were characterised by different sets of anatomical features per species and were most distinct in the fast-growing deciduous {A}. fraxinifolius. {G}rowth rates measured in the field showed annual periodicity in all three species, and reflected annual rainfall-drought cycles in {D}. latifolia and {S}. cumini. {D}irect age estimates were most similar to indirect estimates in {D}. latifolia, and least so in {S}. cumini. {T}he results of direct age estimation by counting rings are consistent with them being annual in nature in tropical species with distinct and reliable annual growth ring formation. {H}owever, for species with poorly defined growth rings, indirect age estimation methods might be more useful.},
  keywords = {{A}ge-size trajectories ; {D}rought ; {G}rowth periodicity ; {K}odagu ; {L}oess ; {S}tochastic model},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{T}rees : {S}tructure and {F}unction},
  volume = {26},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {1017--1029},
  ISSN = {0931-1890},
  year = {2012},
  DOI = {10.1007/s00468-012-0679-6},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055892},
}