Crown Shyness | Even Trees Need Personal Space

 In some tree species such as pine and eucalyptus, the sections called the crown of the upper branches form gaps with those of neighboring trees. This is called crown shyness. It is still unknown why this condition which is more common in trees of the same species occurs. Some hypotheses on this subject are given below.

The gaps between trees are formed when branches and leaves have blown in windy weather are damaged by collisions and fall. An experiment was made to test this hypothesis, called reciprocal pruning. In this experiment, it had seen that the gap between two trees with fixed crown parts was closing.

But some researchers studying different species think that some trees that show crown shyness stop growth in the up sections before the collision occurs. The reason for this is said to be the phytochrome structure that detects sunlight. Depending on the angle of the sunlight, the tree that is sometimes in the shade of the other tree stops growing sideways. So, photosynthesis continues more effectively.

On the other hand, some the livings may affect positive or negative nearby plants and livings to grow up and improve by shooting some chemicals their circumference. Therefore, it is another striking thought that trees that have crown shyness could pressure other trees to grow up.

With those, it is possible to the sunlight that leaks between the crown shyness spaces to the ground can be effective for growing up the livings whose help to live the trees together. Thus, these spaces also could be used as like social distancing for insects or parasites whose is harmful to trees' health. Probably, crown shyness happens for not only one reason. When the researchers will found a better way to work on the tops of trees, they will understand which one is more dominant.

As I can't climb to the top of a tree, I can say Bye Bye👋🌳

byBoy