Trade‑offs and timing of leaf defenses during development in two co‑occurring oaks with contrasting leaf habits
Research paper
Key message
Evergreen and deciduous oaks resolve the early ontogenetic “vulnerability window” with contrasting defense schedules: evergreens front‑load chemical deterrence (condensed tannins) and complete mechanical reinforcement later, whereas the deciduous prioritize rapid growth and earlier mechanical strengthening, delaying chemical investment.
Keywords
Condensed tannins; Deciduous; Evergreen; Quercus; Relative growth rate; Work of fracture
Publication
Sancho-Knapik, D., Urcola-Lázaro, N., Alonso‑Forn, D. et al. Trade‑offs and timing of leaf defenses during development in two co‑occurring oaks with contrasting leaf habits. Annals of Forest Science 83, 22 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-026-01338-6
Data availability
The dataset generated during the current study is available in the Zenodo repository, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19451403
Handling editor
Erwin Dreyer