# Salinity stress reduces tree reproductive allocation in coastal forests

## TL;DR

Salinity stress from rising sea levels reduces how much trees invest in reproduction in coastal forests.

## Contribution

The study shows species-specific reductions in reproductive investment due to salinity stress in coastal tree species.

## Key findings

- Pinus taeda reduced pine cone production by 52% in high-salinity areas.
- Juniperus virginiana decreased seed production by 64% in high-salinity areas.
- Salinity stress leads to species-specific reproductive responses in coastal trees.

## Abstract

Plants adjust reproductive allocation in response to environmental changes to maximize fitness. As sea level rise increases salinity in coastal forests, we examined its effects on seed rain in two tree species.
Pinus taeda
showed a median 52% reduction relative investment in pine cone production in high-salinity areas relative to low salinity areas.
Juniperus virginiana
decreased relative investment in seed production by 64%, though with higher uncertainty. These results reveal that salinity stress reduces tree allocation to reproduction in coastal forests, and suggests species-specific reproductive responses to environmental change, with implications for coastal forest dynamics under rising salinity.