ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS OF CROWN GEOMETRY IN QUERCUS LIAOTUNGENSIS
辽东栎植冠的构型分析

Architectural analyses were made in different developmental stages of Quercus liaotungensis. The result is that architectural transition,mainly characterized by the changes of branch pattern,and bifurcation ratio,branch angle to horizon and branch length in upper layer,varied significantly in different developmental stage.The architectural comparison shows that:1)Seedlings grew quickly for abundant nutrient supply,and their branches extended rapidly with low bifurcation ratio;2)in sapling stage,both branch angle to horizon and branch length were larger than those in mature tree stage,and vice verse for bifurcation ratio;3)in mature tree stage,crown enlarged rapidly.Bifurcation ratio was much larger than those in the previous two stages,Dormant buds released and seedlings sprouted with apical dominance declined.Moreover,branch reorientation was a direct demonstration for architecture modulation.All above suggest that Quercus liaotungensis has different strategies in architecture to deal with varied micro environment and oppression.