Models of crown architecture in Quercus petraea and Q. robur : shoot lengths and bud numbers

Summary The shape of shoot-length frequency distributions in oak can be described for each branching order using a limited number of mathematical models. In general, shoot lengths decreased with increasing branching order. The shape of these frequency curves is very similar among different species. The number of subapical buds showed very little variation, whereas that of median buds was normally distributed. The possibilities for using frequency distributions of shoot lengths and bud numbers for structural models are discussed.