1. Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees
CODIT
Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees

2. Outer BARK Bark is all the tissue from outer edge of cambium
Protects tree
Seals out oxygen
Saturates moisture levels in cambium

3. Heartwood
Heartwood is chemically altered, nonliving wood in a static state
Inner xylem
Decay resistant elements are deposited through dying sapwood into heartwood
Phenols in angiosperms
Resins and terpenes in conifers
Not all species form heartwood
Some maples have living cells in the center of 3 foot diameter tree

4. heartwood Some species heartwood is not resistant to fungi
Heartwood has no biological function and limited structural
Strength primarily comes from outer sapwood

5. CODIT Compartmentalization of decay in trees
Requires energy
Discoloration of wood response to microorganisms
Decay breakdown of tissue by fungi

6. CODIT
Trees is low energy state have diminished capacity to compartmentalize
Requires energy

7. CODIT Large cuts expose increased heartwood and sapwood
Pruning reduces photosynthetic tissue
In addition to the additional loss of energy to compartmentalize

8. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Tree surrounds injury with chemical boundaries
Translocates sugars to seal

9. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Resists vertical spread by plugging xylem

10. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Resists inward spread by depositing chemicals in cells

11. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Inhibits lateral spread by activing ray cells to resist decay

12. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Forms along the edge of outermost growth increment when tree injured
Referred to as barrier zone

13. FOUR WALLS OF COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Reaction zone
Walls 1, 2 and 3
Barrier zone
Wall 4
The strongest of all four walls

15. Wall 4 Tree can’t use sugars for new growth
Sugars have difficulty moving across
Trap starches and other energy inside tree
Can feed organisms that get inside

16. Wall 4 Structurally brittle Ring crack may follow wall 4 around trunk
Radial cracks can form along ray
Cracks can become direct pathways into tree

18. Best Management Practices
Avoid excessive pruning that weakens tree and opens wounds
Removing large limb could cause more damage than reducing length
Remove the least amount of live branches possible
Reduces sugar production and storage capacity