What causes or caused this change in angle in the trunk?

[tree_enthusiast12]

I have seen many bent trees, such as bent oak trees, but their trunk is a consistent curve. In this case, there is a clear change in angle. Why does the curve here abruptly change angle? Does this mean a piece of the trunk was chopped off? The first tree is the one I'm interested in. The second and third tree are example of bent trees where you can see a consistent curve with no abrupt change in angle. I have pointed out the relevant areas in each of the pictures. This particular tree is a spotted gum tree in Australia by the way I believe.

Note I am not asking why the general shape occurs in all trees. I am moreso asking specifically why the first tree has an abrupt angle change in its trunk (see circle) but not the other two.

 

[old CB]

It's not uncommon to find trees with similar structure. The tree (tree A) begins straight into the sky, which is its job. Then, due to snow load, excessive wind, or any kind of weakness or death, an adjacent tree falls and bends tree A sideways, 90 degrees to its skyward shape. But a tree's job, its reason to be, is to grow straight up toward the sun, so it bends back sunward. Resulting in the shape in your photo.

Tomorrow I might dig out a photo of a remarkable such tree up the road from me.

 

[capetrees]

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

It's not uncommon to find trees with similar structure. The tree (tree A) begins straight into the sky, which is its job. Then, due to snow load, excessive wind, or any kind of weakness or death, an adjacent tree falls and bends tree A sideways, 90 degrees to its skyward shape. But a tree's job, its reason to be, is to grow straight up toward the sun, so it bends back sunward. Resulting in the shape in your photo.

Tomorrow I might dig out a photo of a remarkable such tree up the road from me.

I'm not sure this addresses the question. Your explanation explains why the general shape occurs in all trees. I am moreso asking specifically why the first tree has an abrupt angle change in its trunk but not the others.

 

[old CB]

why the first tree has an abrupt angle change in its trunk but not the others.

Because the others did not get knocked sideways by something falling on them.

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

Because the others did not get knocked sideways by something falling on them.

I don't understand why the angle has to abruptly change in this case. There are cases of trees that have been bent due to something likely falling on them (since they seem too small to be intentionally bent by humans like trail marker trees) where this abrupt angle change doesn't occur. I've attached an example where the curve is still smooth. Also, is it possible tree A in the post was shaped intentionally by humans, perhaps by Aboriginals?

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

@old CB By the way, I'd appreciate it a lot if you can find a picture of the tree you mentioned

 

[old CB]

It's certainly possible that any such tree was caused by human intervention. But unless you shot any of these photos 120 years ago, all the Indians I know have been navigating using maps and such like in the meantime.

Now that you mention it, I have a neighbor up the road who I've worked for who has some saplings bent (rope and such) into crazy shapes for the future. He's a retired Asian chef if that means anything.

 

[ATH]

tall skinny tree

Another tree falls on it making a spring pole tree.

One of the lower branches that was horizontal now is pointing straight up.

That branch grows up, up, up.

The tree "decides" it doesn't need the old trunk that was above that branch because it has a new trunk, so that old part dies.

 

[Del_]

I don't understand why the angle has to abruptly change in this case. There are cases of trees that have been bent due to something likely falling on them (since they seem too small to be intentionally bent by humans like trail marker trees) where this abrupt angle change doesn't occur. I've attached an example where the curve is still smooth. Also, is it possible tree A in the post was shaped intentionally by humans, perhaps by Aboriginals?

The angle changes abruptly because a sprout on the trunk achieved dominance over the bent main trunk and the main trunk later died off for the same reason that all trees shed limbs that don't get enough sun.

These are the same trees you started another post about.

 

[Del_]

Damn that ATH beat me to it.. ... .....again!

 

[ATH]

It's certainly possible that any such tree was caused by human intervention. But unless you shot any of these photos 120 years ago, all the Indians I know have been navigating using maps and such like in the meantime.

Now that you mention it, I have a neighbor up the road who I've worked for who has some saplings bent (rope and such) into crazy shapes for the future. He's a retired Asian chef if that means anything.

Yeah, there were certainly trail marker trees...but not many of those will still remain. A lot of people want that token of history to be a part of their property, but that want doesn't make it so.

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

The angle changes abruptly because a sprout on the trunk achieved dominance over the bent main trunk and the main trunk later died off for the same reason that all trees shed limbs that don't get enough sun.

These are the same trees you started another post about.

What I'm having trouble understanding is that didn't a sprout on the trunk have to also achieve dominance over the bent main trunk in the case of the other two trees? There is a stub in the case of the other two trees as well indicating that the old part died but the curves in those trunks are not abruptly changed. That is the crux of my confusion. And yes, this is my second post, but the question before was moreso in regards to bark shedding which is a different topic.

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

@Del_ @ATH @old CB I was wondering actually if the abrupt angle change is because of the difference in tree species. Someone I asked on another forum was mentioning that, and I'm quoting verbatim, "It's the difference in tree species in how the reaction wood develops. Look up compression wood and tension wood.". I was interested in your thoughts on this. Going to do some research on this as well.

 

[old CB]

So here's a photo (had to get my daughter to coach me through getting it here from I-Photo). It's a Ponderosa Pine. I'm standing by the main trunk. It bends over toward the ground, though there's no connection between tree and soil, then goes skyward again.

 

[Del_]

View attachment 881662

What this photo may be showing what is called 'fiber buckling'. Fiber buckling is where the tree fibers on the compression side fail in a minor way and are pulled apart. Likely reaction wood has formed around the buckled fibers so the lump seen may be a combination of the two.

 

[tree_enthusiast12]

@Del_ @ATH @old CB I was wondering actually if the abrupt angle change is because of the difference in tree species. Someone I asked on another forum was mentioning that, and I'm quoting verbatim, "It's the difference in tree species in how the reaction wood develops. Look up compression wood and tension wood.". I was interested in your thoughts on this. Going to do some research on this as well.

If the others are oak trees, and this is a spotted gum tree, since both are angiosperms which seem to produce the same kind of reaction wood (tension instead of compression), perhaps this is not the right explanation actually, according to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_wood. Hm, it looks like this is still unexplained.

 

[sean donato]

I smell a troll.....

 

[old CB]

These are really not uncommon. When I drive down the woods road to my camp, I pass beneath an elm that took its sideways path about 12 foot up, went sideways about 8 feet, then continued up. Whether it's main trunk or limb that shoots skyward is little matter. The tree will find its way in that direction one way or another. Probably one or the other is a flip of the coin.

 

[old CB]

Sean, the troll thing crossed my mind, but I'm giving the benefit of the doubt here.