High compression of plant geometry is an important aspect in fast realistic visualization of plants. Hierarchical structuring plant morphology is a key factor for real time plant rendering, especially when pedestrian views, including both close-ups and far views, are requested. We present here a new geometric simplification method, called Viewdependent Hierarchical Foliage Simplification (VHFS)...

Phytostabilization aims to reduce environmental and health risks arising from contaminated soil. To be economically attractive, plants used for phytostabilization should produce valuable biomass. This study investigated the biomass production and metal allocation to foliage and wood of willow (Salix viminalis L.), poplar (Populus monviso), birch (Betula pendula), and oak (Quercus robur) on five...

In Narcissus tazetta, a monocotyledonous bulbous geophyte, floral initiation and differentiation occur within the bulb during the quiescent period in summer, when ambient temperatures are relatively high and the bulb is located underground with no foliage or roots. In many plant species, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and its homologues are considered powerful promoters of flowering. The Narcissus FT g...

The life cycle, within-field distribution, crop damage and impact of natural enemies of the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) were investigated in two potato cropping systems. The two systems differed in soil type (sandy vs. loess) which in turn affected the choice of cultivars, irrigation programme, insecticide application method (ground vs. aerial), and planting and harvest ...

Plants are important objects in virtual environments. High complexity of shape structure is found in plant communities. Level of detail (LOD) of plant geometric models becomes important for interactive forest rendering. We emphasize three major problems in current research: the time consumption in LOD model construction and extraction, the balance between visual effect and data compression, and...

Density of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) has increased in the southwest USA during the last century. Mesquite in dense thickets reduce grass production and plant species diversity. Prescribed frre is currently the least environmentally challenged and most economically sustainable option to manage mesquite. However, few mesquite over 1 year old are completely killed by frre. Moreover, the...

A large proportion of rainfall in dryland ecosystems is intercepted by plant foliage and is generally assumed to evaporate to the atmosphere or drip onto the soil surface without being absorbed. We demonstrate foliar absorption of intercepted rainfall in a widely distributed, continental dryland, woody-plant genus: Juniperus. We observed substantial improvement in plant water status, exceeding ...