Abstract

HALLE, Francis. Tree architecture. Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. [online]. 2010, vol.45, n.3-4, pp.405-418. ISSN 1851-2372.

Trees never have a random crown form; each tree has its specific developmental program, controlled by genes, since its germination. The form of the adult tree may be modified by ecological factors but developmental rules are ever lasting; analyzing these rules is the objective of architecture. The genetic program of growth and development of a young tree will be referred to as «architectural model». The five most common out of the 22 architectural models so far recognized will be presented. Whenever a model has a unique expression that persists during the whole life of a tree, the tree is called «unitary»; these unitary trees are ancient. The concept of «reiteration» is key to understand what a tree is: this mechanism turns a tree into a colony; «reiterated trees» (RT) grow on top of each other the way parasites do. Reiteration means the birth of an entire tree, with trunk, branches and roots. A young RT grows vertically; then, with the help of wood plasticity and a lever, it inclines and turns horizontal, thus becoming more efficient in light capturing. It has been a relevant discovery to find, within a single tree crown, genetic variations from one RT to another: in several species, a tree is a colony of genomes.

Keywords : Tree architecture; Architectural models; Reiteration.

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