Tree uprooting: review of terminology, process, and environmental implications

Abstract

Floralturbation, the mixing of soil by the action of plants, is an important pedologic process in forested areas. Uprooting of trees is the most obvious form of floralturbation. Uprooting is exacerabed by shallow rooting, topographic exposure, weakened condition of the tree, certain cutting practices, and/or low soil cohesion and shear strength. This paper: 1) provides a synthesis of related terminology on the topics of treefall and uprooting, 2) examines evidence for the widespread occurrence of uprooting, 3) summarizes disturbance cycles for catastrophic uprooting events in different environments, 4) discusses several examples of the economic import and scale of widespread uprooting events, and 5) reviews environmental factors and silvicultural practices that may lead to increased uprooting or can be used to minimize its likelihood. -from Authors