Observations on 3-dimensional crown growth of Stone pine

Abstract

In this work we wish to demonstrate the possibility of a reconstruction of the 3D growth of the Stone pine (Pinus pinea L) crown. The crowns of two samples were digitized in segments corresponding with individual years, which allowed us to reconstruct length-growth and 3D shape over the last 5 years. Due to the low sample amount, we limited ourselves to observations and methodology-descriptions instead of overall conclusions. We were able to observe diminished height-growth in year 2006, which is the year after a severe drought. However, this was not observed in the total length-growth of the crown. It is possible to see that the growth of 2006 is not dominant at the top of the crown, as it would have been in normal years. The year of the drought, 2005, is visible in the annual rings, but the shoot length of 2005 is not visibly lower than expected.