Tree Defense Mechanisms
As living and complex biological structures, trees activate their own defense mechanisms when they sense a threat to survival. Trees grow and adapt in ways that allow them to compartmentalize and compensate for decay. Unlike animals, which can move to a safe place when threatened, trees are stationary and start a series of chemical processes to wall off or create a boundary around injury or infection. Trees have a remarkable ability to try and protect themselves. When the bark of a tree is damaged, the process of compartmentalization begins almost immediately. Boundaries, called reaction zones, will begin to form physical and chemical barriers around the site of the wound so the rest of the tree is able to resist infection. The seal eventually becomes a scar on the outer bark and may or may not disappear over time as the trunk continues to add annual layers of growth.
Human-induced tree damage. Even if you love someone, or love a tree, carving into the bark is not showing the tree love. In this example, the tree has compartmentalized and sealed over the wound created by carving.
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