Ecological significance of above-ground architectural patterns in woody plants: A question of cost-benefit relationships.

Different branching patterns and their repetitive expression during growth of woody plants can lead to different growth forms such as shrubs and trees, although they may also result in similar crown shapes. Recent work has shown that an integrated view of carbon gain, increment of biomass and its architectural arrangement in space is essential in assessing cost-benefit relationships of crown formation and structure, especially in situations where crowns compete for space and light.