GreenLab Course
Development
About plant structural modelling
The GreenLab model structural aspects are inspired from the AMAP's historical structural approach:
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- structure construction results for a discrete growth process simulating the construction of leafy axes
- structure construction is defined according to various axis typologies, as defined in architectural botany
- structure construction authorizes the reiteration process
- construction is stochastic
- in structure simulation, topological aspects (the branching scheme) are separated from geometrical aspects
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- the basic component is the phytomer, not the internode
- the growth cycle is defined at low level (the phytomer), not at growth unit level (on rhythmic growth)
- axis typology is defined from the botanical notion of physiological age, and not from branching order
- stochastic modelling aspects are better defined
- the structure is not required to be explicit: the number of organs produced per growth cycle and their status is the only requirement of the model when 3D representation is not necessary
- as a consequence, the geometrical aspects are less developed when compared to AMAP's earlier models.
Stochastic structural modelling
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Since the structure of a plant is established from discrete elements (phytomers),
such modelling relies on statistical distribution modelling.
The proposed processes to be modelled concern:
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- axis development: this means the probability of a new phytomer appearing (i.e. of repeating the
current micro-state or of moving to the next one in terms of the automaton)
- axis mortality: this means the probability of a metamer dying
- axillary bud branching: this means the probability a new axis developing
Such stochastic models can be derived from the classic Renewal theory.
Bibliography
Hu B.-G, de Reffye P., Zhao X., Yan H.-P. and Kang M.-G 2003. GreenLab: A new methodology towards plant functional-structual model-Structual aspect. In: Hu, B.G., Jaeger, M. (Eds.), Plant Growth Modeling and Applications: Proceedings - PMA03, Tsinghua University Press and Springer, Beijing. pp. 21-35. (pdf)