Ökoinformatik, Biometrie und Waldwachstum

PhD topic D11


Rule-based models of growth and above-ground morphology of spruce trees (Picea abies) with different degrees of physiological accuracy


Description:


Some years ago, shoot lengths and ramification were measured at samples from full-grown spruce trees in the Solling mountains (North Germany), with distinction of sun-exposed and shadowed branches. These empirical data are not yet completely evaluated. They shall be used to design and calibrate detailed dynamic, structural 3D models for the ontogenic development of spruce trees. The models shall be specified in the language XL, using the tool GroIMP (www.grogra.de). Preliminary models, based on L-systems, do already exist. The following improvements should be obtained in this thesis:


  • Trees with age 0 to 120 years shall be covered by one rule system based primarily on a "vitality" parameter of buds and shoots,
  • adaptation to sun and shade shall be included (using GroIMP's radiation model),
  • the models should be validated at independent empirical data and, if necessary, be improved afterwards.


Two versions shall be implemented: one model with direct effect of incoming light on the vitality of buds, and one making use of a (more realistic) simulation of photosynthesis, carbon transport and consumption by plant organs. Both versions shall be compared in terms of realism (visual and botanical) of their output, time and space efficiency, and transparency of code. Comparisons shall also be done with tree models from the literature (LStudio, LIGNUM, AmapSim, GreenLab etc.).


Literature:


  • Barczi, Jean-François; Rey, Hervé, Caraglio, Yves; de Reffye, Philippe; Barthélémy, Daniel; Dong, Qiao Xue; Fourcaud, Thierry (2008): AmapSim: A structural whole-plant simulator based on botanical knowledge and designed to host external functional models. Annals of Botany 101, 1125-1138.
  • GroIMP: http://www.grogra.de
  • Gruber, Franz (1987a): Beiträge zum morphogenetischen Zyklus der Knospe, zur Phyllotaxis und zum Triebwachstum der Fichte (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) auf unterschiedlichen Standorten. Ber. Forschungszentrum Waldökosysteme/Waldsterben, Reihe A, Bd. 25.
  • Gruber, Franz (1987b): Das Verzweigungssystem und der Nadelfall der Fichte (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) als Grundlage zur Beurteilung von Waldschäden. Ber. Forschungszentrum Waldökosysteme/Waldsterben, Reihe A, Bd. 26.
  • Hemmerling, Reinhard; Kniemeyer, Ole; Lanwert, Dirk; Kurth, Winfried; Buck-Sorlin, Gerhard (2008): The rule-based language XL and the modelling environment GroIMP illustrated with simulated tree competition. Functional Plant Biology 35, 739-750.
  • Kniemeyer, O. (2008): Design and Implementation of a Graph Grammar Based Language for Functional-Structural Plant Modelling. Ph.D. thesis, University of Technology at Cottbus. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn=urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus-5937
  • Kurth, Winfried (1999): Die Simulation der Baumarchitektur mit Wachstumsgrammatiken. Stochastische, sensitive L-Systeme als formale Basis für dynamische, morphologische Modelle der Verzweigungsstruktur von Gehölzen. Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Berlin, Berlin.
  • Kurth, Winfried (2007): Specification of morphological models with L-systems and relational growth grammars. Image, vol. 5 / Themenheft, http://www.uni-forst.gwdg.de/~wkurth/cb/html/ima_lsy.pdf
  • Kurth, Winfried; Anzola Jürgenson, Gustavo A. (1997): Triebwachstum und Ver-zweigung junger Fichten in Abhängigkeit von den beiden Einflussgrößen "Beschattung" und "Wuchsdichte": Datenaufbereitung und -analyse mit GROGRA. In: Pelz, D. (ed.), Deutscher Verband Forstlicher Forschungsanstalten, Sektion Forstl. Biometrie und Informatik, 10. Tagung Freiburg i. Br. 1997, Ljubljana, Biotechn. Fakultät, 89-108. http://www.uni-forst.gwdg.de/~wkurth/cb/html/freibg.doc.gz.
  • Perttunen, J.; Sievänen, R.; Nikinmaa, E.; Salminen, H.; Saarenmaa, H.; Väkevä, J. (1996): LIGNUM: a tree model based on simple structural units. Annals of Botany 77, 87-98.
  • Prusinkiewicz, P.; Lindenmayer, A. (1990): The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants. Springer, Berlin etc.; http://algorithmicbotany.org/papers/abop/abop.pdf.
  • Yan, H.; Kang, M. Z.; de Reffye, Ph.; Dingkuhn, M. (2004): A dynamic, architectural plant model simulating resource-dependent growth. Ann. Bot. 93, 591-602.