Organism
Forest Trees (General)
TL;DR
In mature forests, tree size distributions are strongly right-skewed: many small trees, fewer medium trees, exponentially fewer large trees.
In mature forests, tree size distributions are strongly right-skewed: many small trees, fewer medium trees, exponentially fewer large trees. Distribution emerges from competition for light, water, and nutrients combined with multiplicative growth where size begets more growth. Most trees are small and contribute relatively little to biomass, while a small fraction of large trees disproportionately contribute to biomass, carbon storage, and canopy structure.
Notable Traits of Forest Trees (General)
- Extreme size inequality
- Multiplicative growth advantage
- Canopy dominance by few individuals