The morphology and growth of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry): an architectural model simulating colonizing growth

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Abstract
Plan view simulations of the growth and spread of the prostrate shrub, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. (bearberry) are presented using quantitative data from the colonizing zone in open sand-dune sites. The model was based on statistical analyses of the lengths of dominant horizontal shoots, the frequency and location of daughter shoots on parental shoots, and the divergence angles between daughter and parental shoots. A sequence of 10 rules was devised which described the structural relationship between parent and daughter shoots. To accommodate observed variability in architectural parameters, several stochastic elements were incorporated into the model. Consequently, there was virtually no possibility of two simulations being identical. The simulations showed growth patterns similar to colonizing complexes observed in nature. The advantages and limitations of the model are discussed.