Allometric Effects on Plant Interference

The way interference develops in even-aged monocultures is usually judged from the progression of weight-density curves that the stands exhibit. For whole plant weight-density curves this development of interference is unaffected by root:shoot allometric changes in themselves. However, for weight (of a plant part) - density curves, e.g. shoot weight - density curves, differing root:shoot allometries in populations can change the way in which interference develops. For example, in shoot weight-density curves, increasing the proportion of total weight which is root increases the area occupied by an isolated plant and so decreases the density at which interference becomes appreciable. Increasing the proportion of total weight which is shoot, as density increases, increases the area occupied by an isolated plant but also decreases the rate at which density constrains shoot weight.