Annual cycles are the most common reproductive strategy in African tropical tree communities

We present the first cross‐continental comparison of the flowering and fruiting phenology of tropical forests across Africa. Flowering events of 5446 trees from 196 species across 12 sites and fruiting events of 4595 trees from 191 species across 11 sites were monitored over periods of 6 to 29 years and analyzed to describe phenology at the continental level. To study phenology, we used Fourier analysis to identify the dominant cycles of flowering and fruiting for each individual tree and we identified the time of year African trees bloom and bear fruit and their relationship to local seasonality. Reproductive strategies were diverse, and no single regular cycle was found in >50% of individuals across all 12 sites. Additionally, we found annual flowering and fruiting cycles to be the most common. Sub‐annual cycles were the next most common for flowering, whereas supra‐annual patterns were the next most common for fruiting. We also identify variation in different subsets of species, with species exhibiting mainly annual cycles most common in West and West Central African tropical forests, while more species at sites in East Central and East African forests showed cycles ranging from sub‐annual to supra‐annual. Despite many trees showing strong seasonality, at most sites some flowering and fruiting occurred all year round. Environmental factors with annual cycles are likely to be important drivers of seasonal periodicity in trees across Africa, but proximate triggers are unlikely to be constant across the continent.     

Reproductive phenology of two Mimusops species in relation to climate,tree diameter and canopy position in Benin (West Africa)

Assessing species phenology provides useful understanding about their autecology, to contribute to management strategies. We monitored reproductive phenology of Mimusops andongensis and Mimusops kummel, and its relationship with climate, tree diameter and canopy position. We sampled trees in six diameter classes and noted their canopy position. For both species flowering began in the dry season through to the rainy season, but peaked in the dry season, whilst fruiting occurred in the rainy season and peaked during the most humid period. Flowering was positively correlated with temperature. Conversely, fruiting was negatively correlated with temperature and positively with rainfall, only in the Guineo‐Sudanian zone. For M. andongensis, flowering and fruiting prevalences were positively linked to stem diameter, while only flowering was significantly related to canopy position. For M. kummel, the relationship with stem diameter was significant for flowering prevalence only and in the Guineo‐Sudanian zone. Results suggest that phylogenetic membership is an important factor restricting Mimusops species phenology. Flowering and fruiting of both species are influenced by climate, and consequently climate change might shift their phenological patterns. Long‐term investigations, considering flowering and fruiting abortion, will help to better understand the species phenology and perhaps predict demographic dynamics.     

Fruiting phenology of fig trees in Kalinzu Forest,Uganda

The study determined the abundance and species composition of fig trees that fruited in the different forest types of Kalinzu Forest Reserve (KFR), Uganda. It also assessed the seasonal variations in abundance and species composition of the fig trees, the relationships between the fruiting patterns and rainfall and the figs’ inter‐ and intraspecific patterns of fruiting episodes. Sixteen fig species represented by 515 individuals were monitored monthly from December 2007 to January 2010. Most individuals and species that fruited were in the secondary forest types (the Musanga‐ and Parinari‐dominated secondary forests) and abundances of individuals of the different species were significantly associated with particular forest types. One colonizing species (Ficus sur) was the most abundant species that fruited and was mostly recorded in the secondary forests. Species composition and abundances of trees that fruited varied seasonally, and only the abundances of two canopy species (Ficus lingua and Ficus sansibarica) were significantly related with monthly rainfall. Most species experienced at least four fruiting phases, and F. sur displayed the longest episode covering 22 months. The results suggest that the past intensive logging in KFR promoted the regeneration of a diversity of fig species, and most species generally experience community‐wide asynchronous fruiting.     

Seasonality in the equatorial tropics: Flower,fruit, and leaf phenology of montane trees in the highlands of Southwest Uganda

Phenology influences many forest functions and can inform forest conservation and management, yet representative phenological data for most common tropical forest tree species remain sparse or absent. Between June 2011 and December 2013, we investigated flowering, fruiting, and leafing patterns in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a montane forest located near the equator in Uganda, drawing on 16,410 observations of 530 trees of 54 species located between 2066 and 2527 m in elevation. The park's climate is equatorial with two wet and dry seasons each year. Flowering and fruiting were strongly seasonal while patterns in leafing were less pronounced. Flower occurrence peaked at the beginning of the short dry season followed by a pronounced trough during the beginning and the middle of the short wet season. Fruit occurrence had a pronounced peak during high rainfall months in March through April with most fruits ripening during drier months in May through July. Fruit scarcity was observed for a 4-month period spanning September to December and most flushing of leaves noted at the end of the wet season in November and December. Our binomial generalized linear mixed models indicated that flowering and fruiting were negatively associated with temperature and that leafing activity was positively associated with rainfall and temperature. These findings are consistent with the insolation- and water-limitation hypotheses suggesting that the seasonally varying availability of resources such as light, water, and nutrients determines these phenological patterns. Ideally, prolonged, multi-year community-level studies would be supported so as to better characterize the influence of climate and of climate variability.     

Phenological patterns among plant life-forms in a subtropical forest in southern Brazil

Phenological patterns in tropical plants usually are associated with the clear seasonality of rainfall associated with very different wet and dry seasons. In southern Brazil, in a subtropical forest with no pronounced dry season (average annual precipitation = 1389 mm, minimum monthly average c. 75 mm), plant phenology was studied to test for patterns (periodicity), to examine how phenological patterns vary among life-forms, and to test whether phenological cycles are associated with climatic variables. Thirty-seven plant species in four life-forms (trees, shrubs, lianas and epiphytes) were studied for 2 yr (1996-98) in an Araucaria forest remnant in southern Brazil, in the state of Paraná. Correlation and multiple regression methods established relationships between phenology and climate in terms of daylength, temperature and rainfall. In this Araucaria forest, plants showed seasonality in most life-forms and phenological phases. Leaf-fall, with its peak during the drier months (April to July), was the most seasonal. Flushing and flowering occurred during the wetter months (September to December), while fruiting occurred all year long. Phenologies varied among life-forms, and were strongly associated with daylength or temperature of preceding months, suggesting that plants receive their phenological cues well in advance of their phenological response. Phenologies in this Araucaria forest appear to be associated with the most predictable and highly correlated of the climatic variables, daylength and temperature and least so with rainfall, which is unpredictable.     

Solar radiation and ENSO predict fruiting phenology patterns in a 15‐year record from Kibale National Park,Uganda

Fruiting, flowering, and leaf set patterns influence many aspects of tropical forest communities, but there are few long‐term studies examining potential drivers of these patterns, particularly in Africa. We evaluated a 15‐year dataset of tree phenology in Kibale National Park, Uganda, to identify abiotic predictors of fruit phenological patterns and discuss our findings in light of climate change. We quantified fruiting for 326 trees from 43 species and evaluated these patterns in relation to solar radiance, rainfall, and monthly temperature. We used time‐lagged variables based on seasonality in linear regression models to assess the effect of abiotic variables on the proportion of fruiting trees. Annual fruiting varied over 3.8‐fold, and inter‐annual variation in fruiting is associated with the extent of fruiting in the peak period, not variation in time of fruit set. While temperature and rainfall showed positive effects on fruiting, solar radiance in the two‐year period encompassing a given year and the previous year was the strongest predictor of fruiting. As solar irradiance was the strongest predictor of fruiting, the projected increase in rainfall associated with climate change, and coincident increase in cloud cover suggest that climate change will lead to a decrease in fruiting. ENSO in the prior 24‐month period was also significantly associated with annual ripe fruit production, and ENSO is also affected by climate change. Predicting changes in phenology demands understanding inter‐annual variation in fruit dynamics in light of potential abiotic drivers, patterns that will only emerge with long‐term data.     

Phenology of Tree Species in Bolivian Dry Forests

Phenological characteristics of 453 individuals representing 39 tree species were investigated in two dry forests of the Lomerío region, Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The leaf, flower, and fruit production of canopy and sub–canopy forest tree species were recorded monthly over a two–year period. Most canopy species lost their leaves during the dry season, whereas nearly all sub–canopy species retained their leaves. Peak leaf fall for canopy trees coincided with the peak of the dry season in July and August. Flushing of new leaves was complete by November in the early rainy season. Flowering and fruiting were bimodal, with a major peak occurring at the end of the dry season (August–October) and a minor peak during the rainy season (January). Fruit development was sufficiently long in this forest that fruiting peaks actually tended to precede flowering peaks by one month. A scarcity of fruit was observed in May, corresponding to the end of the rainy season. With the exception of figs (Ficus), most species had fairly synchronous fruit production. Most canopy trees had small, wind dispersed seeds or fruits that matured during the latter part of the dry season, whereas many sub–canopy tree species produced larger animal– or gravity–dispersed fruits that matured during the peak of the rainy season. Most species produced fruit annually. Lomerio received less rainfall than other tropical dry forests in which phenological studies have been conducted, but rainfall can be plentiful during the dry season in association with the passage of Antarctic cold fronts. Still, phenological patterns in Bolivian dry forests appear to be similar to those of other Neotropical dry forests.     

Flowering and fruiting phenology of a xerochamaephytic shrub community from the mountain of Mallorca (Balearic islands,Spain)

A study of the flowering and fruiting phenology was undertaken for twenty species of the xerochamaephytic communities that characterize the mountain-crest areas of the island of Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The flowering period of the species considered extends from March to November, with the majority flowering during the spring and early summer, and a peak in June. The flowering duration at the species level is longest for Rosmarinus officinalis var. palaui (which flowered in spring and autumn) and was shortest for Genista majorica and Rubia balearica. In this community, three strategies were observed that may serve to reduce interspecific competition between pollinators: 1) pollination specialization of white-pink flowers; 2) high diversification of yellow flower pollinators; and 3) the divergence in flowering time of less common flower colours. The flowering duration of individual plants and whole populations are positively correlated, which may indicate that individuals of each population optimize the time which is phenologically useful. The flowering of the spiny cushion species of the community is characterized by a smaller intraspecific overlap in comparison to the other species examined. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fruiting phenology in a tropical dry evergreen forest on the Coromandel coast of India in relation to plant life-forms,physiognomic groups,dispersal modes,and climatic constraints

The fruiting phenology of 22 woody plant species belonging to 19 families was studied with respect to life-forms, physiognomic groups and dispersal modes, for 1 year at monthly intervals, in a tropical dry evergreen forest at Oorani (12°11′N, 79°57′E) on the Coromandel coast of India. At the community level, bimodal fruiting pattern prevailed, with a major peak in the dry season and a minor one in the early rainy season. An annual fruiting pattern was observed in many species and among the studied species fruiting lasted for 2–9 months. There was no significant difference in the frequency of species at three fruiting stages across the life-form categories and many species of upper and lower canopy trees and lianas were in the ripe fruiting phase during the late dry season. Plant physiognomic groups displayed distinct seasonality in fruiting pattern. The fruit maturation period was much longer for the wet season fruiting brevi-deciduous species than evergreen and deciduous species that fruited during the dry season. The variation in timing of fruiting behaviour among zoochorous species demonstrated less seasonality and zoochorous fruits were available throughout the year. Fruiting in anemochorous species peaked during the driest months and dryness favoured the dissemination of seeds. The fruiting patterns observed in the studied tropical dry evergreen forest across various plant traits were comparable with patterns recorded in other tropical seasonal forests.     

Reproductive phenology of a wet forest understorey in the Western Ghats, South India

The reproductive phenology of 60 understorey species was monitored at monthly intervals for 20 months in a medium elevation wet evergreen forest in the Southern Western Ghats. The life forms monitored were herbs (including terrestrial orchids), shrubs and small trees. Flowering and fruiting were non‐uniform with a dry season flowering peak and wet season fruiting peak. Flowering in the understorey correlated negatively with rainfall. No significant correlation was detected for fruiting. Life forms had flowering and fruiting peaks at different times of the year.     

Floristic composition and floral phenology of the Mediterranean batha of Ariel,Samaria

Field observations over a three-year period were used to document the floristic composition, flowering and fruiting sequences of the Sarcopoterium spinosa Mediterranean batha of Ariel. This plant community was found to be species-rich, with high percentages of annuals, bushes and geophytes, low percentages of herbaceous plants, climbers and trees, and ten species considered rare in Israel. Typical Mediterranean characteristics were observed in the S. spinosa batha: spring flowering reaching a peak in April, small between-year variation in flowering and fruiting, most species having Mediterranean distribution, and partial resistance to fire.     

Reproductive phenology, life-forms, and habitats of the Venezuelan Central Plain

Reproductive phenology of 171 plant species belonging to 57 families of angiosperms was studied according to life-forms in four habitat types in a savanna-forest mosaic on the Venezuelan Central Plain. Flowering, unripe fruit, and mature fruit patterns were affected significantly according to life-forms and habitats respectively. Production of flowers, unripe fruits, and mature fruits showed marked seasonality for all habitats except for the forest. Flowering peaked during the rainy season, and fruiting peaked toward the end of the rainy season. The savanna and the disturbed area had similar proportions of species that flowered over the year. The percentage of species with unripe fruits produced throughout the year was more seasonal for the disturbed area than for the other habitats. Mature fruit patterns showed an increase during the late rainy season for the ecotone and savanna. A large number of herbaceous (annual and perennial) and liana species flowered during the wet season, and a smaller fraction flowered during the dry season; and trees, shrubs, and epiphytes increased flowering activity during the dry season. Unripe fruit patterns were similar to those of flowering for all life-forms, however, tree species were less seasonal. Mature fruit production by shrubs peaked in the period of maximum rainfall, while the peak for perennial herbs was in the late rainy season and the peak for annual herbs was during the transition between the rainy season and the dry season. The largest proportion of tree and liana species with ripe fruits occurred during the dry season. Differences among phenological patterns in habitats were caused mainly by life-forms and promote a wider distribution of reproductive events in habitats and overall community in the Venezuelan Central Plain.     

Community phenological patterns of a lowland tropical rainforest in north-eastern Australia

Leaf-fall, leaf-flush (newly expanded leaves), flowering and fruiting were recorded monthly between April 1982 and May 1985 in 703 individuals of 99 species of trees, shrubs and herbs in a logged lowland, complex rainforest. Weekly water availability and demand were modelled using pan evaporation, rainfall, and a range of estimated maximum soil water storage. The water balance model indicated that rainfall distribution was an inadequate measure of the seasonal availability of water for growth and reproduction. Intermittent shortages in available water were predicted between October and February, well into what is the wettest season of the year in terms of long-term rainfall averages. Adequate water was available in soil water stores through most of the August–October ‘dry season’. Leaf-fall, flowering, and fruiting all followed distinct seasonal patterns although appreciable levels of activity occurred in all months. Community leaf-fall increased rapidly following an annual low in the very wet, February–May period, to a peak in August. The rapid increase in leaf-fall activity was accompanied by pronounced depressions in flowering and leaf-flushing and coincided with the period of minimum temperatures and insolation. There was no evidence to suggest that this leaf-fall peak was accompanied or induced by drought. This ‘winter’ was followed by rising temperatures and insolation at a time when adequate soil water was usually available, and flowering activity (number of species, number of individuals, and total abundance) increased rapidly in August and peaked from September to October. The flowering peak was accompanied by a major leaf-flush. Leaf-flushing continued intermittently from October to February, a period characterized by maximum temperature, maximum insolation, and periods of predicted water stress when soil water stores were depleted during short, rainless periods. A second peak in leaf-flushing coincided with the wet in March-April. This was accompanied by a relatively small increase in leaf-fall activity. Fruiting showed a bimodal peak from October to April each year. Prediction of functional relationships between climate and species and individual behaviour from community phenological patterns was considered to be inappropriate.     

Reproductive Phenology of Woody Species in a North Australian Tropical Savanna1

Interspecific and interannual variation in reproductive phenology was quantified for 50 common species of trees and shrubs from a mesic savanna near Darwin, northern Australia. The presence of buds, flowers, and fruit was noted over a 30-month period, from September 1992 to February 1995. Surveys were undertaken at monthly intervals for the less common species, and at bimonthly intervals for ten of the common trees and tall shrubs. The majority of species flowered each year at about the same time. There was no evidence of sub-annual or continuous regimes of reproductive phenology. There was no supra-annual carryover of seed-bearing fruit in the canopy of any species. The peak flowering periods were the mid to late dry season (July–August) and the transition between the dry season and the wet season (October–November). The two dominant trees–Eucalyptus miniata and E, tetrodonta– flowered during the dry season, thereby providing resources for some elements of the vertebrate fauna. Flowering and fruiting were uncommon at the end of the wet season (February/March), although two species that flower and fruit at this time (E. porrecta and Terminalia ferdinandianas may provide resources to consumers at a time when floral or fruit resources are otherwise scarce. Because the peak of reproductive activity takes place during the late dry season, fruit maturity and seed dispersal have occurred prior to the onset of the rainy season for most species, and germination and seedling establishment potentially may take effect in response to the first rains. Late dry season fires, which tend to be extensive and intense, are a potential threat to the floral and fruit reserves within these savannas.     

Latitudinal cline of flowering and fruiting phenology in Fagaceae in Asia

The seasonal timing of flowering and fruiting is crucial for the reproductive success of plants and for resource availability to animals. Although plants synchronize their reproductive timing to coincide with appropriate seasons by responding to environmental cues, seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation vary minimally in very wet tropical environments. To explore the latitudinal cline in the reproductive phenology of the Fagaceae in Asia, we analyzed phenology data for a total of 94, 121, and 219 species from Thailand, Malesia, and China, respectively, in the three genera of Fagaceae, Quercus, Castanopsis, and Lithocarpus. We found that Quercus and Castanopsis showed flowering peaks in April in China. In Thailand, the peak shifted to an earlier month, and the peak disappeared in Malesia. The flowering period lengthened with decreasing latitude in the animal-pollinated genera Castanopsis and Lithocarpus. However, this was not the case for the wind-pollinated genus Quercus. The fruiting period lengthened with decreasing latitude in all three genera. We examined the relationship between reproductive phenology and climatic factors. The combination of monthly temperature and precipitation best explained the monthly change in the proportion of flowering and fruiting species in China in all three genera. However, climatic factors had almost no impact on the predictive ability of the model in Malesia. Our results on phenological shifts in the family Fagaceae, from the temperate climates and seasonal tropics to the humid tropics, provide valuable information for predicting phenological changes in future climate change.     

Reproductive phenology of a northeast Brazilian mangrove community: Environmental and biotic constraints

Brazil has the third largest area of mangrove in the world, which is widely threatened by anthropogenic pressures. We carried out the first long-term phenological study investigating whether environment and competition for pollinators shape the reproduction of a western mangrove community in Brazil, and provide new information for mangrove conservation. We monitored monthly the flowering and fruiting of Avicennia schaueriana, Conocarpus erectus, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle, the only species composing this mangrove community. We applied circular statistics to detect seasonal trends, null models to test for aggregated, staggered or random flowering patterns, performed correlations between phenophases and climate, and calculated intra-specific phenological synchrony. Each species presented a different flowering pattern, from brief annual to continuous and from regular to irregular, resulting in a bimodal pattern at community level. Fruiting was annual or continuous and seasonally unimodal at community level. Precipitation showed the strongest correlation with reproduction for all species, except L. racemosa. Flowering was randomly distributed among species sharing pollinators and each species presented high intra-specific synchrony. The studied mangrove showed a diversity of flowering patterns despite the low number of species. Annual to sub-annual sequential flowering were prevalent, sustaining the pollinators of species all the year long, while the wind-pollinated species flowered continuously. We provide strong evidence that daylength, rainfall and temperature are driving the flowering and fruiting rhythm of these mangrove species.     

Fruit Production and Seed Predation in Two Miombo Woodland Trees in Zambia

During a six year period (1990–1995) fruiting frequency among marked trees and seed production and predispersal predation by beetle larvae of lsoberlinia angolensis and Julbernardia globiflora of the Leguminosae family and Caesalpinoideae subfamily were studied at two dry miombo woodland sites in central Zambia. Fruit production varied from year to year and was not related to annual rainfall. On average I. angolensis trees fruited once every two years while J. globiflora trees fruited once every two and one-half years. Number of fruits per tree was correlated with tree size for both species. In a peak year fruit biomass represented two to four percent of total above ground biomass but for J. globiflora about 5.5 and 4.5 percent of nitrogen and potassium, respectively, were in fruits compared to 0.6 and 1.8 percent for I. angolensis. The lower fruiting frequency in J. globifora was probably related to the depletion of N reserves during a fruiting year which required a longer replenishment period than in I. angolensis. Predispersal seed predation was low for J. globiflora (10%) and very high in I. angolensis (65–85%) and for the latter species predation rate increased from August to November 1991 and significant variations were observed among years and pod types. Seed predation rate was lowest in a peak fruiting year and this observation provides support for the satiation hypothesis. The results of the study also suggest that I. angolensis and J. globiflora may have different regeneration strategies although reproductive allocation in both species was within the range reported for other iteroparous plants.     

WITHIN- AND AMONG-TREE VARIATION IN FLOWER AND FRUIT PRODUCTION IN TWO SPECIES OF CARYA (JUGLANDACEAE)

The patterns of variability in the production of staminate inflorescences, pistillate flowers, and fruits for Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch and C. tomentosa (Poir.) Nutt. at Hutcheson Memorial Forest (Somerset County, New Jersey) were examined over a four-year period. We sought to determine 1) the patterns of variability in flowering and fruiting (within-trees, among-trees, and between-years), 2) if variable flowering might account for observed nut-bearing patterns, and 3) what were the relative contributions of intrinsic (genetic) and/or extrinsic (environmental) factors in determining flower production and fruit set. In general, our fine-scale analysis of shoots within canopies did not reveal a distinct mast fruiting pattern. While the number of male and female flowers varied significantly (among trees and between years), fruit set was not markedly affected. Variability of flowering and fruiting among shoots within trees was low. Both flowering and fruiting were observed to have a strong genetic and/or microenvironmental basis; however, flowering appeared more plastic and thus more sensitive to yearly environmental vagaries than did fruiting. Favorable environmental conditions at the time of flower differentiation may result in increased flower production; but, this does not necessarily result in increased fruit set. Many pistillate flowers abscise around the time of pollination and fertilization, apparently adjusting fruit set to available shoot resources. Approximately 50% of the pistillate flowers of both species fail to set fruit. Overall, individual trees exhibit their own flowering and fruiting schedules, suggesting the need to account for this level of variability in future studies of mast fruiting.     

Inter and intraspecific variation on reproductive phenology of the Brazilian Atlantic forest Rubiaceae: ecology and phylogenetic constraints

The reproductive phenology of seven species of Rubiaceae from the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest was compared to evaluate the occurrence of phylogenetic constraints on flowering and fruiting phenologies. Since phenological patterns can be affected by phylogenetic constraints, we expected that reproductive phenology would be similar among plants within a family or genus, occurring during the same time (or season) of the year. Observations on flowering and fruiting phenology were carried out monthly, from December 1996 to January 1998, at Núcleo Picinguaba, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Ubatuba, S?o Paulo State, Brazil. Nine phenological variables were calculated to characterize, quantify and compare the reproductive phenology of the Rubiaceae species. The flowering patterns were different among the seven species studied, and the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated significant differences in flowering duration first flowering, peak flowering and flowering synchrony. The peaks and patterns of fruiting intensity were different among the Rubiaceae species studied and they differed significantly from conspecifics in the phenological variables fruiting duration, fruiting peak date, and fruiting synchrony (Kruskal-Wallis test). Therefore, we found no evidence supporting the phylogenetic hypotheses, and climate does not seem to constrain flowering and fruiting patterns of the Rubiaceae species in the understory of the Atlantic forest.     

Vegetative and reproductive phenology of the mangrove Kandelia obovata

Mangroves in the subtropical area of Japan are growing to their northern limits, yet little is known of their phenology. The aim of the present study was to understand both vegetative and reproductive phenology patterns, such as leaf emergence, leaf fall, bud setting, flowering, fruiting and propagule setting, in the mangrove Kandelia obovata. The phenology of this species was assessed using litter‐fall data for 5 years. Leaf and stipule litter‐falls continued with a clear monthly pattern throughout the years. New leaf production and leaf fall peaked in summer, immediately after the propagules fell. Leaf and stipule litter‐falls were linked to monthly sunshine hour, and monthly mean air temperature and monthly mean air relative humidity, respectively. Kandelia obovata had a distinct flowering period, with the flowering phenophase starting in spring and continuing into summer. Fruit initiation started at the end of summer and continued into autumn, whereas propagule production occurred during winter and spring. Flowering of K. obovata was influenced by monthly sunshine hour and monthly mean air temperature, whereas fruit and propagule litter‐falls were not linked to any climatic factors. The present results showed that a small portion (4.4%) of flowers developed into propagules. The average development period from flower buds to mature propagules was approximately 11 months. Kendall's consistency coefficient suggested that the monthly trends in vegetative and reproductive litter‐fall components, except for branches, did not change significantly among years.