Summary
A forest canopy structure may be defined as the spatial distribution pattern of foliage density, and dynamics of canopy can be considered as changes of spatial distribution of foliage density. To study this process, the annual intrinsic growth factor (r) of foliage and the speed with which foliage shifts its position were estimated from shoot branching and shoot length. The spatial distributions of these parameters were obtained from a profile of evergreen broad-leaved forest.
r was large in the upper canopy layer and canopy gap; this indicated the active development of foliage. This phenomenon may be a major reason for the existence of dense foliage in the upper canopy. The speed with which foliage shifts its position was high in the canopy gap. For dominant species, light conditions affected positively on the distribution of r.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aber JD (1979a) A method for estimating foliage-height profiles in broad-leaved forests. J Ecol 67:35–40
Aber JD (1979b) Foliage-height profiles and succession in northern hardwood forests. Ecology 60:18–23
Bell AD (1984) Dynamic morphology: A contribution to plant population ecology. In: Dirzo R, Sarukhan J (eds) Perspectives on plant population ecology Sinauer, Sunderland, pp 48–65
Harper JH, White J (1974) The demography of plants. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 5:419–463
Horn HS (1971) The adaptive geometry of trees. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Koike F (1985) Reconstruction of tree and forest canopy profiles using photographs. J Appl Ecol 22:921–929
Monsi M, Uchijima Z, Oikawa T (1973) Structure of foliage canopies and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 4:301–327
Nakashizuka T (1985) Diffused light conditions in canopy gaps in a beech (Fagus crenata Blume) forest. Oecologia (Berlin) 66:472–474
Ondok JP (1984) Simulation of stand geometry in photosynthetic models based on hemispherical photographs. Photosynthetica 18:231–239
Pook EW (1984) Canopy dynamics of Eucalyptus maclata Hook. I. Distribution and dynamics of leaf populations. Aust J Bot 32:387–403
Tadaki Y, Hatiya K, Miyauchi H (1967) Studies on the production structure of forest XII. Primary production of Abies veitchii in the natural forest at Mt. Fuji. J Jap For Soc 49:421–428
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Koike, F. Canopy dynamics estimated from shoot morphology in an evergreen broad-leaved forest. Oecologia 70, 348–350 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379495
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00379495