This paper by Raupach, Finnigan, and Brunet explores the similarities between the turbulence near the top of a vegetation canopy and the mixing-layer turbulence. The authors argue that the coherent motions and active turbulence in the canopy are patterned after a plane mixing layer due to the strong inflection in the mean velocity profile. This inflection induces hydrodynamic instabilities that determine the coherent eddy structure and turbulence length scales. The paper highlights several key differences between canopy turbulence and surface layer turbulence, including the ratios of components in the Reynolds stress tensor, the ratio of eddy diffusivities for heat and momentum, the roles of ejections and sweeps, the behavior of the turbulent energy balance, and the behavior of turbulent length scales. The authors predict that these length scales are controlled by the shear length scale and propose a model where dominant canopy eddies are modulated by larger-scale, quasi-horizontal turbulence. The paper also discusses the implications of this analogy for understanding canopy turbulence in various environmental contexts, such as microclimates, energy and water balances, and wind damage.This paper by Raupach, Finnigan, and Brunet explores the similarities between the turbulence near the top of a vegetation canopy and the mixing-layer turbulence. The authors argue that the coherent motions and active turbulence in the canopy are patterned after a plane mixing layer due to the strong inflection in the mean velocity profile. This inflection induces hydrodynamic instabilities that determine the coherent eddy structure and turbulence length scales. The paper highlights several key differences between canopy turbulence and surface layer turbulence, including the ratios of components in the Reynolds stress tensor, the ratio of eddy diffusivities for heat and momentum, the roles of ejections and sweeps, the behavior of the turbulent energy balance, and the behavior of turbulent length scales. The authors predict that these length scales are controlled by the shear length scale and propose a model where dominant canopy eddies are modulated by larger-scale, quasi-horizontal turbulence. The paper also discusses the implications of this analogy for understanding canopy turbulence in various environmental contexts, such as microclimates, energy and water balances, and wind damage.