A tree's quest for light-optimal height and diameter growth under a shading canopy.

ABSTRACT: For trees in forests, striving for light is matter of life and death, either by growing taller toward brighter conditions or by expanding the crown to capture more of the available light. Here, we present a mechanistic model for the development path of stem height and crown size, accounting for light capture and growth, as well as mortality risk. We determine the optimal growth path among all possible trajectories using dynamic programming. The optimal growth path follows a sequence of distinct phases: (i) initial crown size expansion, (ii) stem height growth toward the canopy, (iii) final expansion of the crown in the canopy and (iv) seed production without further increase in size. The transition points between these phases can be optimized by maximizing fitness, defined as expected life

SUBMITTER: Fransson P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7868666 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature