The influence of heavy browsing on the fractal branching pattern of Ilex aquifolium

This morphometric study describes the relation between branch diameter and branching order in Ilex aquifolium using a simple fractal scaling law. The logarithmic plots of mean branch diameter against the logarithm of order were generally linear, suggesting that biological branching structures may be genetically-controlled. However, fractal exponent values varied a function of environmental factors such as heavy grazing, suggesting that while the fractal scaling function is genetically coded, it is also an expression of adaptations to the environment.