why are these sycamores shaped like this?

[Mike Dempsey]

Out for a very informative guided tour of a big countryside park yesterday to look at milling some big ash for the rangers. Spotted these 2 unusual shaped sycamore growing in a field. Anyone hazard a guess as to why they have grown this shape. The only clue I will give is 1983 which will probably make it trickier for the younger arbs out there! I will post the answer later today.

[Tom D]

I have seen that a lot, in fact there's one right near my house. My theory is that the tree grows a second canopy under the first as the first gets scorched by the wind and allows enough light through to stimulate growth lower down. Sometimes the upper canopy dies and the tree adopts a more squat appearance. Essentially the tree is "veteranising" itself. It wouldn't work in a woodland environment as the lower growth would be shaded out.

[Wolfie]

It's called retrenchment. Couldn't say that I could explain it. Maybe a veteran tree needs to draw-in it's size as it probably then needs less energy to maintain itself.

 

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[Mike Dempsey]

Hi Guys

There is a very clear event in 1983 which led to these trees being the shape that they are.

[scotspine1]

Anyone hazard a guess as to why they have grown this shape.

 

Looks like natural crown retrenchment on the tree on the right, this happens for various reason such as storm damage, drought or simply that the tree has reached it's maximum height and so begins to form a new crown lower down - meaning nutrients/photosynthates have less distance to travel from root to shoot/vice versa (less energy used by the tree).

 

1983, only thing I can think of was we had very heavy snow in Scotland in the winter of 82 so this might have snapped the lower branches leading to vigourous regeneration at the wounds? Seems like both trees lost lower limbs at some point for whatever reason.

[Mike Dempsey]

getting warm but not on fire yet!

[Daniël Bos]

Trees were part of a larger group, some severe weather removed surrounding trees and lower branches of these remaining ones, reaction growth shaped the trees thus?

 

I'm far too young and youthful to have been aware in 1983 though...

[Dan Earp]

The to the early / heavy (red) rain from the sand being picked up from the Sahara Desert?

 

Margaret Thatcher came to office?

[lyons e]

It's called retrenchment. Couldn't say that I could explain it. Maybe a veteran tree needs to draw-in it's size as it probably then needs less energy to maintain itself.

 

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

 

Second what u said

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[Marc Lewis]

The to the early / heavy (red) rain from the sand being picked up from the Sahara Desert?

 

Margaret Thatcher came to office?

 

Margaret Thatcher came to office, Man Utd won fa cup and Oz won ashes, a sign of things to come perhaps! Although now we're all over the ozzies at cricket:thumbup: