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2025_04_28_Bastock_Jillian.pdf (6 MB)

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From Twig to Canopy: Exploring the Links Among Corner's Rules, Economic Traits, and Leaf Area of Isolated Urban Trees

Bastock, Jillian Noelle
http://orcid.org/0009-0008-8413-4351
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1745961412500925

Abstract Details

2025, Master of Science in Environmental Science, Cleveland State University, College of Arts and Sciences.
Isolated trees in urban green spaces face unique environmental conditions that influence their structural and functional traits, shaping canopy architecture differently than trees in natural forests. This study examined how functional traits, including those associated with Corner’s rules and the plant economic spectrum, relate to total twig-scale leaf area (TLA) and leaf area index (LAI) in isolated trees. We aimed to determine whether commonly measured traits could serve as predictors of canopy structure, informing urban forest management. Between June and September 2022, we measured leaf and twig traits for 32 tree species growing in open conditions at Secrest Arboretum. Key traits, including specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf size, twig diameter, and twig density, were assessed to determine their influence on TLA. Whole-canopy traits, including wood area index, branch angle, and branching intensity (i.e., ‘branchiness’) were estimated using terrestrial laser scanning between February and April 2022. Additional canopy traits, including LAI, leaf area density, and diffuse non-interceptance, were estimated using a gap fraction analyzer between September 2022 and August 2023. To further contextualize canopy structure, we also considered phyllotaxy, twig density, and shade tolerance. Our findings revealed partial support for Corner’s rules in isolated trees in urban green spaces. While TLA was positively correlated with twig diameter, individual leaf area and twig diameter were not strongly linked, suggesting that certain aspects of Corner’s rules may not fully apply to isolated trees. Leaf size and twig diameter emerged as key predictors of TLA, indicating that thicker twigs and larger leaves contribute to greater TLA. At the canopy scale, almost 50 to 60% of LAI variation was explained by phyllotaxy, twig density, and TLA downstream of the second-most-distal branch order, standardized by cross-sectional area. This suggests that simple trait measurements could aid in reliably estimating aspects of canopy architecture without the need for specialized instruments. This study highlights trade-offs between economic and structural traits in shaping canopy architecture. By improving our understanding of how leaf area scales from twigs to whole canopies, our findings can inform tree selection and management strategies to maximize ecosystem services in urban environments.
Kevin Mueller (Advisor)
John Van Stan, II (Committee Member)
Katie Stuble (Committee Member)
Biology; Botany; Ecology; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Forestry; Plant Biology; Plant Sciences; Remote Sensing; Sustainability; Urban Forestry; Urban Planning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bastock, J. N. (2025). From Twig to Canopy: Exploring the Links Among Corner's Rules, Economic Traits, and Leaf Area of Isolated Urban Trees [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1745961412500925

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bastock, Jillian. From Twig to Canopy: Exploring the Links Among Corner's Rules, Economic Traits, and Leaf Area of Isolated Urban Trees. 2025. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1745961412500925.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bastock, Jillian. "From Twig to Canopy: Exploring the Links Among Corner's Rules, Economic Traits, and Leaf Area of Isolated Urban Trees." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1745961412500925

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1745961412500925
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© 2025, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License From Twig to Canopy: Exploring the Links Among Corner's Rules, Economic Traits, and Leaf Area of Isolated Urban Trees by Jillian Noelle Bastock is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12