Most ecosystem simulations use empirical models to partition assimilated products based on observations of the allometric relationship among plant organs. Photoassimilates partitioning, with importance influence on plant growth, competition and architecture forming of plant, is an important aspect of ecosystem simulation that deserve more research investiment. The factors influencing partitioning, including environmental factors and physiological processes of plant, were reviewed and analyzed. We pointed out that, as an integrated system, all the processes of plant physiology have influence on partitioning, and as the connective system among apparatuses and conduits of photoassimilate transporting, the properties of vascular bundles have significant impacts on partitioning. The influences of environmental factors, especially water condition, were detailed reviewed. The main rules of photoassimilate allocation founded in various studies were summarized, based on which the complexity of allocation pattern was indicated. The process of allocating is highly dynamic, and depending on environments and phases of plant growth.
Four classes of partition models, empirical models, functional equilibrium models, optimal control models, and source-sink models were reviewed in this paper. The empirical models were widely used with minimal mechanistic assumptions. The function equilibrium models were successful in the simulation of the root/canopy ratio at the periods of the vegetative growth, but were poor to simulate portioning among other organs. The optimal control models were suitable for the modeling under the equilibrium state. The source-sink models were the most powerful and mechanistically based models capable of simulating dynamic photoassimilates partitioning between any organs of the plants. 
The research on photoassimilates partitioning showed great progress recently. But there are still questions, especially the questions of plant growth viewed as an integrated system to respond to environmental changes, not fully understood.
Long term observations and experiments are still inadequate to allow formulation of a compelling and cohesive carbon partitioning model for ecosystem simulation. This paper also pointed that study of the relationship between the environmental control on photoassimilates partitioning would be hot issues in the future research.