Growth and Development Interaction: The Use of Internal Trophic Pressure (Q/D)
摘要
This chapter presents a possible improvement of the GreenLab model that aims to reflect the feedback between architectural development and growth, which are traditionally considered as separate processes in the Standard model. The novel approach integrates the activity of meristems and the expansion of organs, both of which are influenced by plant vigor (represented by the ratio biomass supply divided by demand, called trophic pressure), into a unified framework. The “Crown Analysis” and “Organic Series Analysis” provide numerical data for the botanical automaton, allowing for an empirical description of meristem function and organ expansion over thermal time. The model applies integrative biology to account for environmental and stochastic variability in plant development. The chapter also discusses how different environmental conditions can lead to diverse phenotypes from the same genotype, highlighting the phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental stress. It also notes that planting density significantly affects tree architecture. This new model emphasizes the importance of considering environmental factors and the dynamic nature of plant growth in understanding and predicting plant architecture.