Crown Shyness

Crown Shyness : “A phenomenon where trees avoid touching each other at extreme heights’’

Crown Shyness is a naturally occurring phenomenon in some tree species where the upper most branches of trees in a forest avoid touching one another inspired by convergent evolution, forming a canopy-network.

The cracking visual effects & clearly defining borders splashing a view of :

• Cracks on smashed surface
• Filtering water in path of stones
• A shelter of netted leaf on frog
• Sky is watching earth through a net
• Insect- leaf plant etc.

This phenomenon was first observed in the 1920s but scientists are not able to find the actual reason behind this phenomenon yet .

Some possible physiological explanations are also given by some scientists:

1) Collisions among upper branches of trees due to strong winds causes gaps and resulting in crown shyness phenomenon.

2) Avoidations of touching insects larvae or I can say performing defence mechanism against leaf-eating insects causing spacing between branches of trees.

3) The growing tips on branches are sensitive to mechanical abrasions, light levels resulting in spacing and crown shyness.

4) Mutual Shading phenomenon.

Here are some species which reflects crown shyness phenomenon:

Dryobalanops sp.

eucalypt sp.

Pinus contorta

Clusia alata

Didimopynax pittien

CROWN SHYNESS is an unknown phenomenon yet but Scientists are working continuously and soon we will convert it into a known theory !!!

Thankyou for reading !

Incknowledge team thanks Raveena for helping us.

-All pictures taken from google images and science websites.-

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