Biomechanical control of beech pole verticality (Fagus sylvatica) before and after thinning: theoretical modelling and ground-truth data using terrestrial LiDAR.

Premise Of The Study: Thinning is a frequent disturbance in managed forests, especially to increase radial growth. Due to buckling and bending risk associated with height and mass growth, tree verticality is strongly constrained in slender trees growing in dense forests and poor light conditions. Tree verticality is controlled by uprighting movements implemented from local curvatures induced by wood maturation stresses and/or eccentric radial growth.