Tropical forests dynamics: intraspecific and interspecific variability of the growth of trees and growth trajectories in wet evergreen forest ; Dynamique des peuplements forestiers tropicaux hétérogènes : variabilité inter et intraspécifique de la croissance des arbres et trajectoires de développement en forêt dense humide sempervirente, dans les Ghâts occidentaux de l'Inde

Through the analysis of data provided from the annual monitoring of the radial growth of more than 3500 trees between 1990 and 2008 and from additional measurements of trees dimensions (total height and crown dimensions), we investigate the forest dynamics and the growth of trees in a wet evergreen forest of the Western Ghats of India (Uppangala Permanent Sample Plot). The estimation of demographic parameters (mortality and recruitment rates) combined with the analysis of growth addressed with various approaches (fitting of mean and potential radial growth, analysis of radial growth time-series, and fitting of allometric relationships), permit to describe the growth strategies of the main species according to their position at the adult stage in the canopy (understorey, low-canopy, canopy, or emergent species). The five dominant species show significant differences concerning demographic parameters, mean and potential radial growth, differential allocation of biomass among tree parts, morphological plasticity and both supra-annual and seasonal rhythms of radial growth. Besides, the analyses show a high intraspecific variability in radial growth, differential allocation of biomass between the different parts of a tree, and rhythms of radial growth. The results open new prospects for modelling the dynamics of forest tree communities, especially for a simulation-based exploration of how growth strategies contribute to species coexistence. ; Une analyse de la dynamique forestière et de la croissance des arbres d'une forêt sempervirente des Ghâts occidentaux de l'Inde (dispositif d'étude permanent d'Uppangala) est réalisée, à partir des données de suivis annuels de croissance radiale effectués entre 1990 et 2008 sur plus de 3500 arbres, et de mesures dendrométriques complémentaires (hauteur totale et dimensions de couronne) réalisées ponctuellement. Associée à l'analyse des paramètres démographiques (mortalité et recrutement), l'analyse de la croissance, abordée sous différents aspects (ajustement des croissances ...