Tree Growing Circles - "Nelder Plots"

A "Nelder Plot" is a systematic planting project in which plants or trees are planted at the intersection of circular arcs and linear radii, forming concentric circles.

Nelder plots can be constructed to discover how trees respond to different levels of density and competition for resources, allowing the effects of spacing on growth of different planting geometries to be examined in a single plot.

This is yet another demonstration of how the study of geometry allows for the improvement of countless sciences and areas of life.

Photographs by Joseph Dondelinger