Trees can adapt their architecture in response to climate change by adjusting growth processes such as leaf neoformation and polycyclic growth. Tondjo et al. present work aimed to improve the plant growth model GreenLab in order to take into consideration these processes through stochastic functions.
The model is tested using existing data collected on planted teak trees (Tectona grandis, Lamiaceae) in Togo, Africa. Simulations reproduced the observed tree architectures and biomass production at different ages satisfactorily. The main advantage of Greenlab is its mathematical formulation that allows direct and fast calculation of a single tree or a forest.