As foliage canopies grow, new leaves are produced that frequently shade other leaves.
This is a dynamic process -
new growth affects further growth and the canopy can end up having a complex structure and
microclimate. We are interested how leaf, plant growth and photosynthetic function
are controlled in this dynamic system.
We have two important lines of biometric research:
(1) Developing and improving statistical methods for analysis of temporal and
spatial patterns to analyse the patterned environments produced by foliage
canopies.
(2) Creating process oriented dynamic simulation models to synthesize morphological and
physioliogical processes that control canopy dynamics and productivity. The most important
challenge is assessing these models, and over a number of years, and in association with lab alumni,
we have developed a method of multi-criteria model assessment that defines a new standard
for model assessment.
We are investigating two types of foliage canopies. First, in a natural
old-growth forest, we are interested in processes that contribute to longevity
of old-growth forests, both how individuals of some species survive over 1000 years and how shade tolerant
species continually regenerate. In contrast, in a high yielding maize crop, we are
investigating the differences in the structure of highly productive Zea mays canopies that may control
differences in crop yield and the physiological processes that are involved.
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