DECRYPTION – These scientists traced the life cycle of American trees, explaining how this trade-off between growth and longevity is crucial to the planet's carbon footprint.
Trees are among the longest-living organisms on earth. “ Yet we don't know much about how they evolve over the course of their lives. »explains Lalasia Bialic-Murphy. In a recent study published in the journal Sciencean international team led by this researcher from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich looked at the life cycle of tree species on the American continent.
« Unlike humans and to other animalsthe trees do not seem to “age” and “get older” »recalls the main author. The objective of this work was therefore “ to be interested in the compromise – which also exists in most living beings – between the longevity of trees and their growth : can a tree that grows quickly live a very long time? ? », explains Damien Bonal, research director at Inrae in Nancy, who contributed to the study through his work on
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