Modele stosowane do opisu architektury drzew i możliwości ich praktycznego wykorzystania w leśnictwie

The qualitative and quantitative descriptive models of tree architecture differ in the degree of complexity and the way of mapping tree structure, and thus, are of varied use in forestry. The qualitative, Hallé−Oldeman models, serve as a framework for analyzing tree architecture and help define the different components of a tree branching system. Among the quantitative models (here: horizontal, three−dimensional or vertical ones) the horizontal representations are the most parsimonious, and proved to be useful for examining the effects of competition process and the light conditions within the forest understory. The three−dimensional representations (Quantitative Structural Models; QSMs) have the widest range of applications as they may be used for deriving both the two−dimensional traits (such as crown length or branch height) and the volumetric traits (such as tree crown volume or wood volume). At the same time they are the most complex ones. The vertical models were used to study the impact of local terrain shape and wind conditions on tree architecture, but the way of deriving such models from the QSMs seems excessively laborious. However, we highlight here also a photogrammetric method, which allows to obtain an analogous model in much simpler way. Both three−dimensional and vertical representations are useful for determining the wood quality features. Three−dimensional models can be used to accurately measure tree woody biomass, while horizontal models can be used for reliable biomass estimations.