Fractal on the vertical section form of tree crowns

The authors examined whether or not the vertical section form of tree crowns was fractal by the box counting method. Photographs of crowns taken in the field were digitized, and the box counting method was followed by processing the image data. The results of analyzing about seven species showed that the vertical section forms of crowns had the fractal property, and its form was quantified by fractal dimensions, non-integer (1 to 2). Crowns with small foliage densities or developed clusters of leaves had large fractal dimensions, whereas those with high foliage densities had small fractal dimensions. This showed that fractal dimension is a good quantifier of crown form varying widely with foliage distribution and density even within a species. Because of using photographs, the studied method is advantageous in continuously investigating changes in crown form.