Hallo, developing an individuum-based model of mixed species forests I came over a problem I would like to share with you: How does a suppressed tree know that it is suppressed? Consider the following (hypothetical) situation: You have two indentical clones of, lets say, spruce. The first (A) you plant on a site in e.g. montane Germany under an existing canopy. The other (B) you plant e.g. in Finland on an open field. The sites are such that the amount of radiation, climate (temperature, precipitation) and soil are for both clones identical. So if both clones come out they both experience the same climate, soil etc.. Now both trees should grow in the same way, but experience tells you that the suppressed spruce A will grow in a different way than B, meaning A will grow more in height than B, and less in diameter. Question: How does A tell that it is suppressed? What is the difference in the situation of A and B? Is it the quality of light that it filtering through the canopy telling tree A of it suppressed status? or do I overlook something fundamental? The answer is very important for the further development of my simulation model. Any comments and suggestions are highly appreciated, yours truely, Michael Sonntag Forschungsgruppe Umweltsystemanalyse University of Kassel Moenchebergstr. 11 34109 Kassel Germany Tel.: 0561 804 31 75 Fax: 0561 804 31 76 Mail: michael@usys.informatik.uni-kassel.de
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