著者

Shinozaki K. YODA Kyoji HOZUMI Kazuo KIRA Tatuo

出版者

日本生態学会

雑誌

日本生態学会誌 (ISSN:00215007)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.14, no.3, pp.97-105, 1964-06-01

被引用文献数

43

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SHINOZAKI, K., K. YODA, K. HOZUMI ard T. KIRA (Osaka City Univ., Osaka) A quantitative analysis of plant form-the pipe model theory. I. Basic analyses. Jap. J. Ecol. 14,97-105 (1964). Examining the profile diagrams of various plant communities showing the vertical distribution of the amounts of leaves and other non-photosynthetic organs at respective horizons above the ground, a close correlation was found between the distributions of the two amounts. The amount of leaves existing above a certain horizontal level in a plant community was always-proportiona1 to the sum of the cross-sectional area of the stems and branches found at that level. This led to a new interpretation of plant form, in which the stem and branches were considered as the assemblage of unit pipes each supporting a unit amount of photosynthetic organs. In trees, the disused pipes, which had once supported the leaves on the already shed-off branches, remain in the trunk and boughs together with the working pipes connected with the living leaves. A specific shape of tree Shoot is thus formed. This pipe model theory on tree form proved to be applicable to various conifers and hardwoods.