Reaction Wood

[treeseer]

the pic is of reaction wood formed in the last few years on a big crepemyrtle.

Anyone else have pics of unusual trunk formations that were apparently formed in response to crown loading?

 

[D Mc]

I thought I had a better picture of this tree but hopefully this shows the degree of twisting in the trunk. It is radical. Looks like a piece of rope.

This is a silver maple, approximately 100 years old. There is another tree, same age, same species, probably from the same nursery, about 100 ft away, with the same exposure, that is perfectly straight trunked.

How do you determine the causal of the reaction with any certainty?

Dave

 

[D Mc]

Awww, found another picture of the tree.

Dave

 

[tree md]

Very cool!

I saw a lot of that in the trees along the coast in N. California. I had some pics but can't seem to find them at the moment.

 

[Bermie]

Is it possible that those big long low horizontal spreading branches are acting like a sail, causing a twist in the trunk, whereas the other tree's branches are going straight up, exerting less twisting effect...

 

[Daddy M Dawg]

the pic is of reaction wood formed in the last few years on a big crepemyrtle.

Anyone else have pics of unusual trunk formations that were apparently formed in response to crown loading?

Looks like a person holding one arm up on the lead on the right. Cool pic.

 

[derwoodii]

Ok heres a Corymbia citriodora, lemon scented gum. The smooth bark enhances the look of the twistin wood. Its one with the lot for structure faults but never has it given me grief and I known it for 15 years.

Its a tree with a lot of attitude eh.
I been up one of these blockin off sections when the tension came out "bang" like a gun shot over the noise of my saw. A crack opened down from my cross cut.

 

[treeseer]

nice pics, thanks. Dave, maybe we can approach certainty on the cause by hearing derwoodii's experience with the tree's response to cutting. I favor The Bermster's theory--she took a beauteous pic of a tamarind limb that indicates this kind of growth is reaction wood indeed. (but i cannot find it right now)

 

[D Mc]

... that indicates this kind of growth is reaction wood indeed. ...

I probably was too vague with my question. These unusual reactions do look to be adaptive growth and with lab work should prove cellular changes consistent with such.

What I was questioning was what triggered that particular response. Given similar stress parameters, most trees do not develop these unusual solutions.

So are these trees the drummers of the tree world? You know, the same but....different?

Dave

 

[derwoodii]

Could be, I kinda think its a response to damage at juvenile stage and as tissue is damaged but stable enough to support the wood builds upon a twisted base that the tree perpetuates as the most stable form over inherited structure fault. If able the tree would preffer to grow as normal saving a lot of energy building those vaults of support. But with some luck n time it becomes sound & unique in form. The Treeco pix and discussion I saw as possible or part explanation however I think many are tissue response to mutation agents eg mites virus DNA not mechanical.
Treeseer did you get to read Cassian H article I tried to link. All I have is glanced at the pictures I will give it some time and see what it says.

 

[derwoodii]

All I seem not to be able to post a link to this article perhaps try n dig yourselves using key words below.

Self Optimisation of Gum trees – Braided Reaction Wood Development

 

[treeseer]

All I seem not to be able to post a link to this article perhaps try n dig yourselves using key words below.

Self Optimisation of Gum trees – Braided Reaction Wood Development

the only copy i have of this is 2.24 mb and this site only allows 1.25 no bigger.

fasciation may look similar but is often caused by buds splitting, and not mechanical stress. but true this is guessing and yes coring and looking at the tissues up close would be interesting

 

[treevet]

Reaction wood has historically been defined as wood altered as a result of lean in a tree with the inclusion of compression on the underside and tension wood on the upper side. This I am sure also refers to lateral branches and the extreme pressure that gravity can impose on them if they are are long and heavy (that would lean towards the ground).

Seems most of this thread is about fasciation.

I have also considered reaction wood to be such as a phenomenon called "bottle butt" where a tree's structural strength is undermined by extensive decay in the base and there is a swelling ....

likely caused by the tree moving in ALL directions by even mild winds and the diminishing ability of degrading wood (through progressive decay) to keep the tree erect. (is there tension and compression wood all around?)

It also seems to me that a tree exposed to perpetually strong prevailing winds would develop reaction wood just as a leaning tree would. ( I suppose it intermittently leans away from the wind?)

But these 2 examples and the phenomena of fasciation are never in the definition of "reaction wood" I have seen anywhere.......so

maybe another term and definition needs to exist.

 

[D Mc]

These are not representations of fasciation.

Sinclair, Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, "This term connotes abnormal flattening of plant organs, usually stems, as the result of the change in form of the apical meristem from a minute dome to a jagged row of generative cells perpendicular to the stem axis."

The key here is fasciation develops in the apical meristem. The apical meristem is, in most cases, forever altered producing distorted leaves and flowers. Rarely (if ever) will growth revert to normal from the meristematic area once altered. In all the pictures here on this thread, you will see nonaltered, normal structure growing beyond the initial point of change.

Though exaggerations, these are examples of dynamic responses, not cellular mutation.

Dave

 

[treevet]

In contradiction to some of the material provided by Guy but nevertheless still not on topic with "Reaction Wood".

I have read definitions in Shigo's material including the dictionary and "Glossary of Arb. Terms"...Matheny and Clark....Haller...etc. and could easily go on and we are not on topic.

 

[S Mc]

It is easy to get into a "black and white" mind set.

ANY wood that forms in response to some external or internal force produces a "reaction". This could then be termed "reaction wood". Trees are reactionary organisms; hence, all the "tropisms". They constantly react to their environment.

If you are looking for a definition of "reaction wood" as defined by Shigo, Harris, Matheny, Clark, et al, then you will find their definition of same. They are all referring to the gravitational forces of why and how a tree stands up, corrects leans, grows horizontally, etc.

This does not preclude the use of the word "reaction" in any other context.

This is very reminiscent of the unproductive discussions dealing with word definitions such as vitality vs vigor, disease vs disorder; where in one context they are very specific but also true in another context with broader sense.

Many words (most) have multiple applications and meanings. But I don't see how fasciation is a good substitution here for the phenomena we are seeing in these photos. Perhaps "adaptive growth" would be a more comfortable term for some in this discussion.

Sylvia

 

[treevet]

It is easy to get into a "black and white" mind set.

ANY wood that forms in response to some external or internal force produces a "reaction". This could then be termed "reaction wood". Trees are reactionary organisms; hence, all the "tropisms". They constantly react to their environment.

It could be termed reaction wood but it is not. If a word is defined then that is the definition. Have you ever heard woundwood termed reaction wood?

This does not preclude the use of the word "reaction" in any other context.

Yes it does. If the word is defined to include tension and compression wood and be involved with "lean" then you are not at "liberty" to change the definition at will.

This is very reminiscent of the unproductive discussions dealing with word definitions such as vitality vs vigor, disease vs disorder; where in one context they are very specific but also true in another context with broader sense.

A perfect example of how you previously took liberties in "your own" REdefining words already defined by those that make definitions. Maybe just becoming just a tad snooty from passing a test most others have not even taken?

Many words (most) have multiple applications and meanings.

If they have other applications and meanings then...............they list the other applications and meanings.

 

[D Mc]

Your inability to process new concepts and your trollish jabs are what limit many from entering into what should be fun and educational discussions.

You defend your stance by referencing others that challenged the status-quo of their time and, in so doing, redefined words and introduced concepts that benefited us all with new understanding. Doing what you do becomes self-limiting in the acquisition of knowledge.

Dave

 

[treevet]

"we must define our terms" Shigo

now go back and finish cleaning the kitchen like mommy told you to.

 

[S Mc]

"we must define our terms" Shigo

Yes, this is what he said. Where did he say "stop thinking"?

Treevet, your ability to become offensive passes all bounds.

Sylvia