Spatial synchrony is the tendency of spatially separated populations to display similar temporal fluctuations. Synchrony affects regional ecosystem functioning, but it remains difficult to disentangle its underlying mechanisms. We leveraged regression on distance matrices and geography of synchrony to understand the processes driving synchrony of European beech masting over the European continent. Masting in beech shows distance-decay, but significant synchrony is maintained at spatial scales of up to 1,500 km. The spatial synchrony of the weather cues that drive interannual variation in reproduction also explains the regional spatial synchrony of masting. Proximity played no apparent role in influencing beech masting synchrony after controlling for synchrony in environmental variation. Synchrony of beech reproduction shows a clear biogeographical pattern, decreasing from the northwest to southeast Europe. Synchrony networks for weather cues resemble networks for beech masting, indicating that the geographical structure of weather synchrony underlies the biogeography of masting synchrony. Our results support the hypothesis that environmental factors, the Moran effect, are key drivers of spatial synchrony in beech seed production at regional scales. The geographical patterns of regional synchronization of masting have implications for regional forest production, gene flow, carbon cycling, disease dynamics, biodiversity, and conservation.

中文翻译：

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环境变化驱动欧洲山毛榉繁殖的大陆尺度同步

空间同步是空间分离的种群表现出类似的时间波动的趋势。同步影响区域生态系统功能，但仍难以理清其潜在机制。我们利用距离矩阵和同步地理的回归来了解欧洲山毛榉桅杆在欧洲大陆上驱动同步的过程。山毛榉的桅杆显示距离衰减，但在高达 1,500 公里的空间尺度上保持显着同步。驱动年际繁殖变化的天气线索的空间同步也解释了桅杆的区域空间同步。在控制了环境变化中的同步性后，邻近性在影响山毛榉桅杆同步性方面没有明显作用。山毛榉繁殖的同步性显示出明显的生物地理格局，从欧洲西北部到东南部递减。天气线索的同步网络类似于山毛榉桅杆网络，表明天气同步的地理结构是桅杆同步生物地理学的基础。我们的结果支持这样一个假设，即环境因素，即莫兰效应，是区域尺度山毛榉种子生产空间同步的关键驱动因素。桅杆区域同步的地理模式对区域森林生产、基因流动、碳循环、疾病动态、生物多样性和保护有影响。表明天气同步的地理结构是桅杆同步生物地理学的基础。我们的结果支持这样一个假设，即环境因素，即莫兰效应，是区域尺度山毛榉种子生产空间同步的关键驱动因素。桅杆区域同步的地理模式对区域森林生产、基因流动、碳循环、疾病动态、生物多样性和保护有影响。表明天气同步的地理结构是桅杆同步生物地理学的基础。我们的结果支持这样一个假设，即环境因素，即莫兰效应，是区域尺度山毛榉种子生产空间同步的关键驱动因素。桅杆区域同步的地理模式对区域森林生产、基因流动、碳循环、疾病动态、生物多样性和保护有影响。