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The global spectrum of tree crown architecture
Tommaso Jucker1, Fabian Jörg Fischer2, Jérôme Chave3
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK. t.jucker@bristol.ac.uk.
Nature Communications
|May 26, 2025
Summary
Tree crown shape varies greatly worldwide, influenced by climate, competition, and disturbances like wind and fire. Understanding these factors helps reveal the 3D structure of forest ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Botany
- Forest Science
Background:
- Tree crown architecture significantly impacts terrestrial ecosystem structure and function.
- Considerable diversity exists in crown architectural traits, yet the drivers of this variation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors controlling tree height and crown width scaling relationships globally.
- To identify the roles of climate, disturbance, competition, functional traits, and evolutionary history in shaping tree crown diversity.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed data from 374,888 trees across 1914 species worldwide.
- Examined scaling relationships between tree height, crown width, and stem diameter.
- Correlated these relationships with environmental and biological factors.
Main Results:
- Height-diameter scaling is primarily driven by water availability and light competition.
- Crown width is predominantly influenced by wind and fire exposure, and functional traits (mechanical stability, photosynthesis).
- Distinctive crown forms were identified in specific plant lineages, such as dipterocarps and legumes.
Conclusions:
- Water availability, light competition, wind, and fire are key determinants of global tree crown architecture.
- Functional traits and evolutionary history also play a role in shaping unique crown forms.
- This study provides a comprehensive overview of tree crown diversity and its ecological drivers.
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