Advances in understanding canopy development in forest trees [Chapter 3]

Abstract

Canopy processes at once provide the fundamental building blocks for tree growth, health, and reproduction, and reflect the tree’s ability to adapt to its immediate environment. Foresters’ understanding of these processes informs their decisions about management activities that maintain and enhance forest vigor, health, and biodiversity while providing for desired ecosystem and economic benefits now and into the future. By manipulating density, foresters directly influence availability of light to the remaining trees and indirectly influence available water and nutrients. Forest canopies are highly variable within and among coniferous and broadleaf deciduous species, species genotypes, climates, and forest types; further, they vary with interspecies and intraspecies competition, forest disturbances, successional stage, and a myriad of other influences on forest development and reproduction (Barnes et al., 1998). Although most forest canopies are dominated by tree leaves, species within the Chamaecyparis, Juniperus, and Thuja genera have scales, which serve the same function as leaves. That is, they control evapotranspiration and respiration. Most importantly, they conduct photosynthesis. These tree species do not have preformed buds that require a period of dormancy and chilling before the tree can commence growth.

Citation

Moser, W. Keith; Coble, Adam P.; Hallik, Lea; Richardson, Andrew D.; Pisek, Jan; Adamson, Kairi; Graham, Russell T.; Moser, Cynthia F. 2020. Advances in understanding canopy development in forest trees [Chapter 3]. In: Stanturf, John A., ed. Achieving sustainable management of boreal and temperate forests. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh and Dodds Science Publishing. p. 59-98.