著者

八田 洋章

出版者

国立科学博物館

雑誌

筑波実験植物園研究報告 (ISSN:02893568)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.14, pp.1-33, 1995-12

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It is very difficult to quantitatively recognize the tree shapes as three dimensional body, although we have been unconsiously looking at them abundant in our surroundings. Various features of response of trees to their environment cause slow progress of the study of tree architecture. This paper reviews an outline of studies in tree form and author's work on shrub architecture. Attention was paid to significance of seedlings on the architectural study, because the basic growth pattern and stem form are controlled by the genetic potential. The author also noticed some of shrub in which plant body is composed of many different-aged stems and they are renewing within 2-5 years sucessively. In these plants, it is possible to investigate in detail the process of shoot growth from sprouting to death after fruiting. The constructive process of shrubs architecture will be expected to prove by these approaches. We have examined ca. 30 species every year with special reference to the branching patterns of seedlings. Noteworthy results on seedling include that (1) seedlings initially may be show a species specific growth process under a genetic control; (2) then they strongly influence the later development of tree form; and (3) species having a similar tree form may have different ways of architectural development.