LAUREL FORESTS IN TENERIFE, CANARY-ISLANDS .2. LEAF DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN INDIVIDUAL TREES

Branching pattern, leaf distribution (area, dry weight, number) and al lometric relations on individual trees from a Canarian laurel forest h ave been analyzed. The following species were studied: Persea indica ( L.) Spreng., Laurus azorica (Seub.) France, and Erica arborea L. Crown architecture was similar in all study species and corresponded to Rau hs's model. In all species, leaf area was highly correlated to stem di ameter. The vertical distribution of foliage was largely symmetrical a nd was roughly approximated by a Gaussian-like pattern which shifted u pwards in dominant tree and downwards in suppressed tree. When radiall y viewed, most of the foliage area occurred roughly half the distance between the stem axis and the edge of the crown. However, radial leaf area calculated for different areas of annulus around showed a maximum closer to the stem.