Connecting an architectural plant model to a forest stand dynamics model—application to Austrian black pine stand visualization

Abstract

Abstract& Context Forest stand dynamics models simulate the growth of trees in stands; based on field measurements and system knowledge, they provide a relatively precise representation of forest growth and are well adapted for forest management purposes. Architectural models describe the structure of plants according to ontogenetic development processes; as a support of biomass production and partitioning at organ scale, they simulate individual tree development. & Aims The aim of this study was to link a stand dynamics model and an architectural model to simulate stand dynamics, in which the ecological or silvicultural modelling from the stand model and the architecture representation could be integrated, to provide individual tree details at the stand level. & Methods Stand-level simulations of Austrian black pine dynamics provided global results on tree growth from the empirical forest growth model PNN, and branching details for individual trees were provided by the functionalstructural plant model (FSPM) GreenLab. & Results Individual tree dynamics were computed, and the simulated trees were integrated at the stand level for visualizing two different management scenarios. & Conclusion By combining a stand dynamics model adapted to forest management with an FSPM with detailed tree architecture, it is possible to simulate individual tree structure with consistent dimensions, adapted to ecological and silvicultural modelling for decision support in forest management.

The partitioning of gross primary production for young Eucalyptus tereticornis trees under experimental warming and altered water availability

“…However, fixed allocation schemes cannot capture ontogenetic effects (Poorter et al ., ; Duursma & Falster, ) or dynamic temporal responses (De Kauwe et al ., ; Doughty et al ., ). Another approach is to assume a functional balance between tree organs via allometric relationships, Huber values, or root to leaf mass fractions (Landsberg & Waring, ; Mäkelä et al ., ; Feng et al ., ). Finally, there is the concept that trees increase C partitioning towards the acquisition of the primary limiting resource (McMurtrie & Dewar, ).…”

An empirical assessment of tree branching networks and implications for plant allometric scaling models

“…; Feng et al . ; Makela ), few studies have assessed external branching patterns at the level of the branch node or the whole tree and analysed data in the context of plant‐scaling models (Shinozaki et al . ; Leopold ; Barker et al .…”

The CAQ network in France: 15 years of brainstorming and cooperative work to connect forest resources and wood quality through modelling approaches and simulation software

“…Le Moguédec and Dhôte (2012) describe in detail the distance-independent tree-centred Fagacées growth and yield model for sessile oak (Q. petraea) and beech (F. sylvatica), which first computes growth at the stand level and in a second stage allocates growth between the individual trees. Feng et al (2012) combine an individual tree architectural model for black pine (Pinus nigra nigra) with an empirical stand model, to simulate individual tree structure development according to silvicultural scenarios, with an application to whole stand visualization. Fortin and Langevin (2012) analyse the importance of implementing stochastic processes in stand models and show that deterministic simulations can result in biased predictions.…”