Eco-strain in model forests

A new perspective in forest modeling, based on analogies with continuous media physics, is presented. There are two central concepts, one called eco-strain in biomass production, and the other nonlinear allometry. Previously, it was shown that our models, based on works of the pioneers F. Clements and E. Odum, allow exactly 8 types of schemes for succession in dominant/codominant forestry, which conserve nutrients. It is shown that exactly 5 are eco-strained, including competitive, parasitic and mutualistic schemes, whereas 3 are eco-unstrained, and are reversible deformations of the classical straight-line allometries of Huxley. All are cost-preserving over the longer timescale.