the different shapes of a tree based on its environment

The basic tendencies of an oak tree are genetically determined and they are generally the same from tree to tree (trunks grow directly away from the center of the earth, and branches and leaves grow towards the light). However, each tree takes on a different shape based on environmental factors.

In the image below, note the odd and seemingly irrational shape of the tree crowns.

The logic only becomes clear when you see the same five trees shown in their actual environmental context. Each tree within the cluster is growing in such a way as to gain the most exposure to light, considering the constraints imposed upon it by the neighboring trees.

A clear example shown below demonstrates the principle in its purest form. The oak tree on the left has grown in a wide open field, with generous access to light all around. It shows the characteristic broad crown, where leaves and branches expand outward towards the readily available light. The oak tree on the right has grown within a forest, with other trees all around it. Its leaves and branches have been forced upwards towards the light, and the lower level branches do not exist, because they would have little access to light within the forest.

http://natureinstitute.org/pub/ic/ic14/trees.htm

graphics / layout

Inspiration:

the simplicity and storytelling of BIG 

http://www.big.dk/projects/mtn/

the graphics of Zaha Hadid

http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/beethoven-concert-hall/

Another view on the Seed Dispersal

Biotic Seed Dispersal

http://database.portal.modwest.com/start.php

The dispersal of seeds can be split up into two major classes: biotic or abiotic dispersal. Abiotic dispersal methods use wind, water, or other abiotic forces to distribute seeds, while biotic dispersal relies on the movements of animals or other organisms for dispersal. The advantages of biotic dispersal are several. Animal movements are predictable and correlated with environmental cues, allowing plants to time seed production to correspond with these movements and environmental changes. Animals can also carry large, heavy seeds with more food for seedling growth thus enhancing the chances for reproductive success of the parent species. Then too, animals have food preferences that impose a sort of consistency on their movements and feeding locations. The presumption here is that if an animal shows a preference for a food type, and the source plant for that food has a selective preference for certain niches, as the animal moves from one location or niche to another in search of that food these locations will be relatively well suited to colonization by the seeds from the plant. And finally, animals can recognize color and odor cues. Mechanisms of animal transport include several different passive methods. In some instances, transport relies on some sort of adhesive (burrs, glues, etc.) to attach seeds to the animal. In other instances, ingestion[섭취] and subsequent off-site defecation[배변] of seeds is the method of dispersal. And finally, fruit hoarding[비축하기], or excess food production satiates[실컷 만족시키다] seed predators. Biotic seed dispersal may inspire a biomimetic systems for the distribution of materials in industrial cycles