Girdling

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Girdling in Lille, Northern France AnnelageAnnelationGirdling1LilleLamiot3.jpg
Girdling in Lille, Northern France

Girdling, also called ring-barking, is the circumferential removal or injury of the bark (consisting of cork cambium or "phellogen", phloem, cambium and sometimes also the xylem) of a branch or trunk of a woody plant. Girdling prevents the tree from sending nutrients from its foliage to its roots, resulting in the death of the tree over time, and can also prevent flow of nutrients in the other direction depending on how much of the xylem is removed. A branch completely girdled will fail and when the main trunk of a tree is girdled, the entire tree will die, if it cannot regrow from above to bridge the wound. Human practices of girdling include forestry, horticulture, and vandalism. Foresters use the practice of girdling to thin forests. Extensive cankers caused by certain fungi, bacteria or viruses can girdle a trunk or limb. Animals such as rodents will girdle trees by feeding on outer bark, often during winter under snow. Girdling can also be caused by herbivorous mammals feeding on plant bark and by birds and insects, both of which can effectively girdle a tree by boring rows of adjacent holes.

Contents

Orchardists use girdling as a cultural technique to yield larger fruit or to set fruit. [1] In viniculture (grape cultivation) the technique is also called cincturing .

Forestry and horticulture

Yellowing of alder leaves due to girdling. Girdled Alder.jpg
Yellowing of alder leaves due to girdling.

Like all vascular plants, trees use two vascular tissues for transportation of water and nutrients: the xylem (also known as the wood) and the phloem (the innermost layer of the bark). Girdling results in the removal of the phloem, and death occurs from the inability of the leaves to transport sugars (primarily sucrose) to the roots. In this process, the xylem is left untouched, and the tree can usually still temporarily transport water and minerals from the roots to the leaves. Trees normally sprout shoots below the wound; if not, the roots die. Death occurs when the roots can no longer produce ATP and transport nutrients upwards through the xylem. The formation of new shoots below the wound can be prevented by painting the wound with herbicide. [2]

Ring barking techniques have been developed to disrupt or impede sugar transport in phloem, stimulating early flower production and increasing fruiting, and for controlling plant size, reducing the need for pruning. [3]

Girdling is a slow process compared to felling and is often used only when necessary, such as in the removal of an individual tree from an ecologically protected area without damaging surrounding growth.[ citation needed ]

Accidental girdling is also possible and some activities must be performed with care. Saplings which are tied to a supporting stake may unintentionally be girdled as they grow, due to friction caused by contact with the tie. If ropes are tied frequently to a tree (e.g. to tether an animal or moor a boat), the friction of the rope can also lead to the removal of bark.[ citation needed ]

The practice of girdling has been known in Europe for some time. [4] Another example is the girdling of selected Douglas-fir trees in some Northern California oak woodlands, such as Annadel State Park, in order to prevent that Douglas-fir from massive invasion of the mixed oak woodland. [5]

Girdling can be used to create standing dead wood, or snags. This can provide a valuable habitat for a variety of wildlife, including insects and nesting birds.[ citation needed ]

Horticulture

Grape vines and their canopies Grape vines.jpg
Grape vines and their canopies

Girdling is also used as a technique to force a fruit-bearing plant to bear larger fruit. A farmer would place a girdle (bark removal) at base of a large branch or at the trunk. Thus, all sugars manufactured by the leaves have no sinks but the fruit, which grows to above the normal size. For grapes girdling or cincturing is used to make the grapes large and sweeter on the grape canopy and are sold as girdled grapes. Flowering and fruit setting is a problem on some trees; girdling may improve yield in the same way. The "damage" done by girdling restricts the movement of nutrients to the roots, thus the carbohydrates produced in the leaves do not go to the roots for storage. Girdling temporarily stops tree growth. Root pruning, an ancient Asian practice, and other controlled damaging, such as driving nails into the trunk or beating the branches and trunk, produce results that are similar to girdling. Girdling is commonly used on grape, avocado, apple, litchi, mango, citrus and other trees. Girdling is normally only done to healthy trees that did not yield well the previous year. Care must be used not to damage sapwood that may kill the tree or vine. Trees normally heal in four to five weeks after cincturing. Painting the cut can protect against fungus and pests. [6] [7] [8] [9]

By animals

Holes drilled by red-naped sapsucker in Platanus wrightii - an Arizona sycamore Sapsucker holes.jpg
Holes drilled by red-naped sapsucker in Platanus wrightii - an Arizona sycamore

Various animals can girdle trees through their feeding or others activities.

In North America, trees are prone to damage by voles in particular girdling both their roots and trunk. [10] Among North American birds, the sapsuckers are the most common girdlers of trees. While sapsuckers will bore holes in tree trunks to feed upon insects, they also make parallel rings of holes in order to eat sap that collects in the openings or to feed it to their young. They most frequently attack pine, birch, maple, spruce and fruit trees and do the most damage during breeding season and territory establishment between February and June. [11]

Beavers girdle the bases of stems 3-6 inches in diameter, and girdle the roots of larger trees. This often weakens or kills trees. [12]

In the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, the eastern grey squirrel is also known to girdle or entirely strip bark from trees.

Bucks (male deer) inadvertently girdle trees by rubbing their antlers on trees of various ages. [13]

One of several ways rabbits damage the environment in Australia is by girdling. [14]

By vines

Trees can be girdled by climbing, twining, and ground-creeping (rampant) vines. There are several invasive species that harm trees in this way and cause significant damage to forest canopy and the health of ecosystems dependent on it. Oriental Bittersweet, Oriental Wisteria, and English Ivy all can damage and kill trees by girdling.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phloem</span> Sugar transport tissue in vascular plants

Phloem is the living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates, in particular the sugar sucrose, to the rest of the plant. This transport process is called translocation. In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Ancient Greek word φλοιός (phloiós), meaning "bark". The term was introduced by Carl Nägeli in 1858. Different types of phloem can be distinguished. The early phloem formed in the growth apices is called protophloem. Protophloem eventually becomes obliterated once it connects to the durable phloem in mature organs, the metaphloem. Further, secondary phloem is formed during the thickening of stem structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruit tree pruning</span>

Fruit tree pruning is the cutting and removing of selected parts of a fruit tree. It spans a number of horticultural techniques. Pruning often means cutting branches back, sometimes removing smaller limbs entirely. It may also mean removal of young shoots, buds, and leaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bark (botany)</span> Outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants

Bark is the outermost layer of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines, and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner bark, which in older stems is living tissue, includes the innermost layer of the periderm. The outer bark on older stems includes the dead tissue on the surface of the stems, along with parts of the outermost periderm and all the tissues on the outer side of the periderm. The outer bark on trees which lies external to the living periderm is also called the rhytidome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arboriculture</span> Management and study of trees and other woody plants

Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their environment. The practice of arboriculture includes cultural techniques such as selection, planting, training, fertilization, pest and pathogen control, pruning, shaping, and removal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-bellied sapsucker</span> Species of North American bird

The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a medium-sized woodpecker that breeds in Canada and the northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pruning</span> Selective removal of parts of a plant

Pruning is a horticultural, arboricultural, and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of certain parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viticulture</span> Cultivation and harvesting of grapes

Viticulture or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of Vitis vinifera, the common grape vine, ranges from Western Europe to the Persian shores of the Caspian Sea, the vine has demonstrated high levels of adaptability to new environments, hence viticulture can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trunk (botany)</span> Main wooden axis of a tree

In botany, the trunk is the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, which is an important feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the trunk to the top, depending on the species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sap</span> Fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant

Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.

Edible plant stems are one part of plants that are eaten by humans. Most plants are made up of stems, roots, leaves, flowers, and produce fruits containing seeds. Humans most commonly eat the seeds, fruit, flowers, leaves, roots, and stems (e.g. asparagus of many plants. There are also a few edible petioles such as celery or rhubarb.

A bridge graft is a grafting technique used to re-establish the supply of nutrients to the rootstock of a woody perennial when the full thickness of the bark has been removed from part of the trunk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branch collar</span> German term: a part of a tree

A branch collar is the "shoulder" between the branch and trunk of woody plants; the inflammation formed at the base of the branch is caused by annually overlapping trunk tissue. The shape of the branch collar is due to two separate growth patterns, initially the branch grows basipetally, followed by seasonal trunk growth which envelops the branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grafting</span> Horticultural technique of joining plant tissues to grow together

Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion while the lower part is called the rootstock. The success of this joining requires that the vascular tissues grow together. The natural equivalent of this process is inosculation. The technique is most commonly used in asexual propagation of commercially grown plants for the horticultural and agricultural trades. The scion is typically joined to the rootstock at the soil line; however, top work grafting may occur far above this line, leaving an understock consisting of the lower part of the trunk and the root system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant stem</span> Structural axis of a vascular plant

A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant, the other being the root. It supports leaves, flowers and fruits, transports water and dissolved substances between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem, photosynthesis takes place here, stores nutrients, and produces new living tissue. The stem can also be called halm or haulm or culms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canopy (grape)</span> Grapevine structure above ground

In viticulture, the canopy of a grapevine includes the parts of the vine visible aboveground - the trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The canopy plays a key role in light energy capture via photosynthesis, water use as regulated by transpiration, and microclimate of ripening grapes. Canopy management is an important aspect of viticulture due to its effect on grape yields, quality, vigor, and the prevention of grape diseases. Various viticulture problems, such as uneven grape ripening, sunburn, and frost damage, can be addressed by skillful canopy management. In addition to pruning and leaf trim, the canopy is often trained on trellis systems to guide its growth and assist in access for ongoing management and harvest.

This glossary of viticultural terms list some of terms and definitions involved in growing grapes for use in winemaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vine training</span> Horticultural technique

The use of vine training systems in viticulture is aimed primarily to assist in canopy management with finding the balance in enough foliage to facilitate photosynthesis without excessive shading that could impede grape ripening or promote grape diseases. Additional benefits of utilizing particular training systems could be to control potential yields and to facilitate mechanization of certain vineyard tasks such as pruning, irrigation, applying pesticide or fertilizing sprays as well as harvesting the grapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypoxylon canker of shade trees</span> Tree disease

Hypoxylon canker of shade trees is a weak ascomycete fungus that negatively affects growth and can eventually lead to the death of already dying or diseased host trees. There are many different species that affect different trees. For example, Hypoxylon atropunctatum, a common species, is found on oak trees, Hypoxylon tinctor affects sycamore trees, and Hypoxylon mammatum infests aspen trees.

Trunk injection or endotherapy also known as vegetative endotherapy, is a method of target-precise application of pesticides, plant resistance activators, or fertilizers into the xylem vascular tissue of a tree with the purpose of protecting the tree from pests, or to inject nutrients to correct for nutrient deficiencies. This method largely relies on harnessing the tree's vascular system to translocate and distribute the active compounds into the wood, canopy and roots where protection or nutrition is needed.

<i>Planococcus ficus</i> Species of mealybug

Planococcus ficus, commonly known as the vine mealybug, is a species of mealybug, belonging to the family Pseudococcidae, native to tropical and subtropical regions. The vine mealybug is found in Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. The vine mealybug is invasive to weedy plants in many different regions of the world.

References

  1. Powell, Arlie A. (May 1996). "Girdling Peach Trees in the Southeast". The Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Auburn University. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  2. Heiligmann, Randall B. "Controlling Undesirable Trees, Shrubs and Vines in Your Woodland". Ohioline: Ohio State University Extension. F-45. Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 10 February 2003. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  3. Coombs, Blackburn-Maze,Cracknell, Bentley (1992) The Complete Book Of Pruning p.23 ISBN   0-7063-7235-2
  4. United States Division of Entomology (1901), Bulletin no 28, Published by U.S. Govt. Print. Off., Washington DC. 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  5. "C. Michael Hogan (2008): Douglas-fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii, globalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Strõmberg". Globaltwitcher.auderis.se. Archived from the original on 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  6. "A Review of Vine Girdling, by Bill Peacock, Tulare County Farm Advisor, The University of California Cooperative Extension, Tulare County". Archived from the original on 2015-02-24. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  7. Remove all phloem tissue when girdling for table grape quality, Sep 1, 2001, Jennifer Hashim Kern County, Calif., Farm Advisor, Western Farm Press
  8. South African Avocado Growers’ Association Yearbook 1995. 18:54-55, Increasing Yield of Young Hass Avocado Trees using the Cincturing Technique, C.R. Hackney, M. Boshoff and M.J. Slabbert
  9. "Cincturing reduces macca tree growth, From the September 2012 edition of Agriculture Today". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  10. "Principles of Vertebrate Pest Management". Archived from the original on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  11. "Home & Garden Information Center | Clemson Cooperative Extension | Clemson University, South Carolina".
  12. "Identifying and Managing Mountain Beaver Damage to Forest Resources". Extension Publications. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  13. "Deer going buck wild on trunks? How to save a tree after antler rub damage". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  14. Australian Encyclopaedia, Vol, VII, Grolier Society, Sydney