Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

A Simple Planting Technique for Re-establishing Trees Where Frequent Inundation Occurs
Published on: January 26, 2018
Maintenance cost, toppling risk and size of trees in a self-thinning stand
1CTFS Global Forest Carbon Research Initiative, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panamá. larjavaaram@si.edu
Abstract:
Wind routinely topples trees during storms, and the likelihood that a tree is toppled depends critically on its allometry. Yet none of the existing theories to explain tree allometry consider wind drag on tree canopies. Since leaf area index in crowded, self-thinning stands is independent of stand density, the drag force per unit land can also be assumed to be independent of stand density, with only canopy height influencing the total toppling moment. Tree stem dimensions and the self-thinning biomass can then be computed by further assuming that the risk of toppling over and stem maintenance per unit land area are independent of stand density, and that stem maintenance cost is a linear function of stem surface area and sapwood volume. These assumptions provide a novel way to understand tree allometry and lead to a self-thinning line relating tree biomass and stand density with a power between -3/2 and -2/3 depending on the ratio of maintenance of sapwood and stem surface.
Related Concept Videos
Survival Tree
Building a Survival Tree
Constructing a survival tree begins...
Design Consideration
The factor of safety is another key aspect...
Prismatic Beams: Problem Solving
The design begins with analyzing the beam as a free body to identify moments and force balances, thereby determining support reactions. Next, the designer...
Unsymmetric Loading of Thin-Walled Members
The concept of the shear center is crucial in countering the...
Taping Over Different Ground Profiles
Design Example: Maintaining Level of an Embankment

