Trunk Wood Discoloration and Decay Following Root Wounding    (View PDF)

Frank S. Santamour, Jr.

Abstract: Discoloration and decay of trunk wood following root severance occurred only in trees that exhibited weak Wall 2 compartmentalization of chisel wounds made in the trunks. Furthermore, trunk wood discoloration only occurred when the root cambium died back to, or beyond, the junction of root and trunk. Thus, that trunk wood discoloration induced by root severance may have been the result of trunk injury (cambial death) rather than the root wounding. Other factors such as tree species, root size, and season of severance may also play a significant, but presently unknown, role in this process.

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https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1985.059