The biomechanical formation of trees

Abstract

Tree biomechanics and biomechanical tree stability are research problems that have been discussed in world literature for many years. The biomechanical profile formation in trees is an extremely complicated problem and has not been fully clarified to date. It is influenced by many factors, which determine tree growth, tree development, multifunctionality of organs, and anatomical elements in xylem. The phenomenon is further affected by the overlapping of functions and development of numerous interactions between all the systems found in living trees. This paper presents a synthetic description of selected research results, providing insight into the mechanical functioning of trees, from initial theories of mechanical tree formation to the influence of dynamic load on tree stability. Trees are a biological structure that shows high adaptability to external conditions. Thus, the response to a specific environmental stressor, including abiotic and biotic factors, should be considered. Analyses of the biomechanical system in plants need to be considered in a broader context than a selected single load. Due to the complexity of these phenomena and numerous interactions, we need more multidisciplinary research to explain biomechanical mechanism of tree development.