Changes in crown architecture with tree height in two deciduous tree species: developmental constraints or plastic response to the competition for light?

We examined the crown architecture of two canopy species, Fagus crenata Blume, which is highly shade tolerant, and Quercus crispula Blume, which is less shade tolerant, in upper and lower positions on a slope in a cool-temperate forest in Japan. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effects of the competitive position for the light environment and developmental constraints on the crown architecture of two species that have different degrees of shade tolerance. In both species, the maximum attainable height was smaller on the upper slope than on the lower slope. The light environment brightened with increasing tree height. Trees in similar competitive position and thus similar light environments were shorter on the upper slope than on the lower slope. When we considered tree height relative to the maximum attainable height, the difference between the upper and lower slopes in the relationship of competitive position to tree height disappeared. Thus, relative tree height was a good index of the competitive position for the light environment when the trees of both slope positions were pooled. The relationships of crown depth and width to relative tree height differed between trees on the upper and lower slopes, while the relationships of crown depth and width to actual tree height were similar. This suggests that developmental constraints are more important than the competitive position in determining the crown architecture of the two species. However, variation in crown architecture was greater in Q. crispula than in F. crenata, probably because of the difference in shade tolerance between the two species.