Went for a walk today and took these photos and it occurred to me that some might be interested to see what the crown of shyness looks like in a tropical rainforest.
The crown of shyness refers to the phenomenon of the crown of canopy trees not interlocking in a tangle but keeping their distance. In northern forests with fewer species it seems this is principally due to abrasion caused by wind but I am told it is not so clear in the tropics where there are many more species and some studies suggest wind is not a factor or not the only factor.
Here are photos of the underside of the canopy of some tall trees from different vantage points. The trees are similar in height and mature.
With a canopy like that the forest floor was quite open and easy to walk through
Here is a canopy with trees of varying heights
Here is the crown of some medium trees that have not established themselves. They are on a slope and the canopy is not the same height.
The crown of shyness refers to the phenomenon of the crown of canopy trees not interlocking in a tangle but keeping their distance. In northern forests with fewer species it seems this is principally due to abrasion caused by wind but I am told it is not so clear in the tropics where there are many more species and some studies suggest wind is not a factor or not the only factor.
Here are photos of the underside of the canopy of some tall trees from different vantage points. The trees are similar in height and mature.







With a canopy like that the forest floor was quite open and easy to walk through
Here is a canopy with trees of varying heights

Here is the crown of some medium trees that have not established themselves. They are on a slope and the canopy is not the same height.
