Fig. 9

Inter-individual growth partitioning between trees of different social positions in a stand depending on the current water availability. a In moist years, dominant trees can benefit from their preferential access to light and achieve asymmetric competition and overproportional growth rates compared with smaller neighbours. b Drought favours the growth of smaller trees in a stand on the expense of the socially dominating neighbours. c The relationship between tree size and size growth can be steep and reflect size-asymmetric dominance of tall trees in moist years. It may become shallow and reflect more symmetric growth partitioning under drought. The light green envelopes of the schematic tree crowns represent the individual growth rates of the trees