The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model

A global method of nullcline endpoint analysis is employed to de-termine the outcome of competition for sunlight between two hypotheticalplant species with clonal growth form that differ solely in the height at whichthey place their leaves above the ground. This difference in vertical leaf placement...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrew L. Nevai, Richard R. Vance
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIMS Press 2007-12-01
Series:Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2008.5.101
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832590167820468224
author Andrew L. Nevai
Richard R. Vance
author_facet Andrew L. Nevai
Richard R. Vance
author_sort Andrew L. Nevai
collection DOAJ
description A global method of nullcline endpoint analysis is employed to de-termine the outcome of competition for sunlight between two hypotheticalplant species with clonal growth form that differ solely in the height at whichthey place their leaves above the ground. This difference in vertical leaf placement, or canopy partitioning, produces species differences in sunlight energycapture and stem metabolic maintenance costs. The competitive interactionbetween these two species is analyzed by considering a special case of a canopypartitioning model (RR Vance and AL Nevai, J. Theor. Biol. 2007, 245:210-219;AL Nevai and RR Vance, J. Math. Biol. 2007, 55:105-145). Nullcline endpointanalysis is used to partition parameter space into regions within which eithercompetitive exclusion or competitive coexistence occurs. The principal conclu-sion is that two clonal plant species which compete for sunlight and place theirleaves at different heights above the ground but differ in no other way can, un-der suitable parameter values, experience stable coexistence even though theyoccupy an environment which varies neither over horizontal space nor throughtime.
format Article
id doaj-art-1680c9a42a4847af995898708acb3c4e
institution Kabale University
issn 1551-0018
language English
publishDate 2007-12-01
publisher AIMS Press
record_format Article
series Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering
spelling doaj-art-1680c9a42a4847af995898708acb3c4e2025-01-24T01:57:50ZengAIMS PressMathematical Biosciences and Engineering1551-00182007-12-015110112410.3934/mbe.2008.5.101The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning modelAndrew L. Nevai0Richard R. Vance1Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095A global method of nullcline endpoint analysis is employed to de-termine the outcome of competition for sunlight between two hypotheticalplant species with clonal growth form that differ solely in the height at whichthey place their leaves above the ground. This difference in vertical leaf placement, or canopy partitioning, produces species differences in sunlight energycapture and stem metabolic maintenance costs. The competitive interactionbetween these two species is analyzed by considering a special case of a canopypartitioning model (RR Vance and AL Nevai, J. Theor. Biol. 2007, 245:210-219;AL Nevai and RR Vance, J. Math. Biol. 2007, 55:105-145). Nullcline endpointanalysis is used to partition parameter space into regions within which eithercompetitive exclusion or competitive coexistence occurs. The principal conclu-sion is that two clonal plant species which compete for sunlight and place theirleaves at different heights above the ground but differ in no other way can, un-der suitable parameter values, experience stable coexistence even though theyoccupy an environment which varies neither over horizontal space nor throughtime.https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2008.5.101canopy structure modellight competitionplant competi- tionmathematical model.canopypartitioning modelstable coexistence
spellingShingle Andrew L. Nevai
Richard R. Vance
The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering
canopy structure model
light competition
plant competi- tion
mathematical model.
canopypartitioning model
stable coexistence
title The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
title_full The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
title_fullStr The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
title_full_unstemmed The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
title_short The role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight: analysis of a canopy partitioning model
title_sort role of leaf height in plant competition for sunlight analysis of a canopy partitioning model
topic canopy structure model
light competition
plant competi- tion
mathematical model.
canopypartitioning model
stable coexistence
url https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2008.5.101
work_keys_str_mv AT andrewlnevai theroleofleafheightinplantcompetitionforsunlightanalysisofacanopypartitioningmodel
AT richardrvance theroleofleafheightinplantcompetitionforsunlightanalysisofacanopypartitioningmodel
AT andrewlnevai roleofleafheightinplantcompetitionforsunlightanalysisofacanopypartitioningmodel
AT richardrvance roleofleafheightinplantcompetitionforsunlightanalysisofacanopypartitioningmodel