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Have you ever wondered how trees respond to damage, particularly when you consider the fact that overtime trees have experienced damages as a result of inclement weather and also from birds and other animals? These damages go beyond the aforementioned factors, In fact, human activities have been proven to inflict more damage to trees than any other factor.
It’s important to note that, unlike animals, once a tree tissue is damaged it doesn’t replace itself rather it uses a process called compartmentalization to prevent further damage.
Let’s say a tree bark is damaged as a result of the impact from the collision with a car, it will leave the tree open to harmful insects and fungi which will ultimately lead to its death. But when that damaged part is sealed off it will help protect the rest of the tree.
Most times when you find new bark forming around the wound of a tree, this new bark is called callous tissue. Callous tissue is natural defense and is noticeable by the appearance of an abnormal growth protruding from the trunk of the tree. Note that, apart from a collision with a car, there are other factors that damage a tree including; birds, squirrels, storms, pruning etc.
It’s important to note that, regardless of the fact that trees can heal itself from damages, most trees also end up dying as a result of damages too especially when the damage leads to infestation and decay. Although the sealing off of these damages often takes several years and chances are, the tree might still experience further damages before the completion of the sealing by the protective tissue.
For a tree to successfully repair its damage there are certain factors that must be taken into cognizance. These factors include; age, species, the degree of damage and also weather conditions. Meanwhile, a tree will likely pull through the damage if it successfully completes the compartmentalization process without experiencing further damage, infestation, and decay.
Since the trees around our homes serve diverse purposes which ranges from the beautifying our environment and enhancing our landscape, to helping us maximize oxygen in the air and other recreational purposes. We have to ensure that proper care is given to these trees. So whenever you notice any damage to any tree in your home, make sure you reach out to tree service professionals to assess the degree of the damage. If the damage is confirmed to be enormous the proper thing would be the removal of the tree.
In conclusion, ignoring a damaged tree in your home can be dangerous. You might wake up one morning and find your car or even a part of your building smashed by a fallen tree. It could even be more disastrous if the tree is standing close to a power line. In this case, you can only imagine the degree of damage and number of lives that would be lost to electrocution as a result of negligence.
