– Fractal patterns found in nature can be used to describe complex landscapes using simple mathematical language
– Forest canopies do not replicate the fractal patterns of individual tree
– Canopy structural complexity is a key emergent property of forest ecosystems that relates to their ability to store carbon, cycle water and nutrients, and provide habitat for biodiversity
– Evidence of fractal patterning was found in patchy or fire-affected forests, but not in forested landscape
– Data from airborne laser surveys of nine different forest types in Australia was used to investigate the structural complexity of forest
– Forests deviated from true fractals, with deviations linked to the size of the trees and the dry environment
– Taller, wetter forests exhibited a higher degree of self-similarity than shorter, drier ecosystems.