WOUND HEALING IN A PLANE (PLATANUS ACERIFOLIA (AIT.) WILLD.) AN EXPERIMENTAL PROOF OF ITS MECHANICAL STIMULATION

Abstract

A London plane (Platanus acerifolia (Ait.) Willd.) with a broken main stem is loaded by bending due to forces of gravity acting on a strong lateral branch which has become the leading shoot. There are two partially healed wounds on the opposite side of the main stem to the lateral branch. The longer axis of the oval wounds does not run along the vertical stem as it should be expected from other healed wounds. The experimental evidence is presented as supporting the hypothesis that wound healing in trees is stimulated mechanically by notch stresses.