Extended Competition Rules for Interacting Plants

Abstract

The goal of this paper is the interactive and realistic rendering of 3D competing plant covering a landscape. We introduce the so-called FON-Model as a new method for the visualization and simulation of competing plant root systems in which the overlapping area of the depleted-zone between competing root systems is quantatively found. We visualize different conditions for the resource competition between plant root systems. Additionally, we present an improved model for the competition for light that is dependant upon the translucency of the plant foliage and the density of the plant skeleton. In connection to it we introduce a new competition simulations for nurse plants. Finally, we simulate and visualize competition between a healthy plant and a plant that at one point in time becomes sick. As results, our method greatly increases the reality of the rendered landscape and allows rendering of large landscapes in interactive environments.