Spatial Arrangement of Branches in Relation to Slope and Neighbourhood Competition

Spatial patterns of branches

Crowns of Castanea crenata, a common hardwood tree species in Japan, are liable to invasion by branches of nearby heterospecific neighbours. Sumida et al. (pp. 301-310) show this by analysing the framework structure of branches of C. crenata individuals and their near neighbours. The ecological significance of branch-scale structure is discussed in terms of neighbourhood competition.