Evidence for a Self-Thinning Rule in Animals

Abstract

An animal equivalent of the «−3/2 power rule» for self-thinning in plants has been proposed: the «−4/3 power rule». It is based upon the relationship between animal body weights and their metabolic rate (Kleiber's law). Here, I consider some problems with using this relationship and suggest a more general form for an animal self-thinning law. Some experimental support for such a broader approach is provided