Digital Commons Network^™

Sp683 Tree Wounds - Response Of Trees And What You Can Do, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Trees are commonly wounded and the causes are many: broken branches; impacts, abrasions and scrapes; animal damage; insect attack; fire; etc. Wounds usually break the bark and damage the food- (phloem or inner bark) and water- (xylem or wood) conducting tissues. Wounds also expose the inside of the tree to organisms, primarily bacteria and fungi that may infect and cause discoloration and decay of the wood. Decay can result in structurally weakened tree stems and unsightly trees and can shorten the life of a tree. Decay in a tree cannot be cured. However, proper tree care can limit the progress …

Sp658 Lightning Protection For Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Lightning is one of nature’s most powerful forces. Lightning can have devastating effects on people, property and trees. Each strike of lightning can reach more than five miles in length, and produce temperatures greater than 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit and an electrical charge of 100 million volts. At any given moment, there are 1,800 thunderstorms in progress somewhere across the earth. Lightning detection systems in the United States sense an average of 25 million lightning strikes per year.

Trees occupy a particularly susceptible position in the landscape, since they are often the tallest objects. Tall trees are the most vulnerable, especially …

Sp630 Bark Splitting On Trees, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Bark splitting and sloughing results from a number of environmental factors. Sloughing or peeling of the bark is a normal process, especially in the spring when the tree begins to grow, and is more noticeable in some species than in others. The outer layers of bark are dead tissue and cannot grow, so the outer bark must split in order for the tree to grow in diameter. The inner bark is living, and forms a new protective coat as the outer bark pulls apart. If you look closely at normally furrowed bark, you will not be able to see the …

Sp610 Tree Susceptibility To Salt Damage, The University Of Tennnessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Although de-icing salts assist in keeping pavement dry and safe during ice and snow, their extensive use can cause damage to woody species along streets and highways. Trees and shrubs can be injured by salt spray and drift, by salt that leaches into the soil or by a combination of both.