A thorough synthesis of current knowledge about the ways canopies grow, develop, and function. Only recently have advances in simulation modeling in plants begun to emphasize the structural and functional properties of plant canopies in addition to those of the individual constituent leaves. The book considers these properties in terms of the processes—such as transpiration and photosynthesis—by which the canopy and its aerial environment interact. Topics discussed include the meaning of canopy structure, interception of solar radiation, exchange processes, nitrogen nutrition, leaf demography, leaf movement, tillering and branching, and modeling canopy processes from a wide range of plant communities and geographical locations.