treefall

Timber hitting ground

Treefall is a tree that has fallen, especially in a forest, or the event of its falling.

Treefalls create gaps in the canopy that allow light to reach the forest floor, driving ecological succession.

The term appears in forestry and ecology: We documented every treefall in the study area.

A treefall gap is the opening left behind.

event

crash

Sudden violent impact

toppleCause to fall
collapseSudden structural failure
tumbleUncontrolled rolling descent

thud · impact · uproot · windthrow · blowdown · snag · deadfall · widow-maker · lean · splinter

sound

crack

Narrow break or attempt

snapSudden sharp sound
thudDull impact noise
whumpDull impact sound

crash · creak · groan · splintering · rustle · rumble · boom · echo · thunderous · silence

forestry

logging

Recording system events

fellingDowning standing timber
lumberjackProfessional tree cutter
chainsawMotor-driven cutting tool

clearcut · sawyer · bucking · stump · trunk · skidding · cruising · marking

ecology

succession

Following in order

regenerationBiological self-repair process
decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
habitatOrganism's natural environment

biodiversity · understory · seedlings · fungi · microhabitat · disturbance · old-growth · mosses · insects · salamanders

deforestation

clearcutting

Harvesting every standing tree

slash-and-burnPrimitive clearing method
fragmentationBreaking into smaller pieces
degradationDecline in condition

Categories

storm effectsstorm damage, wind damage, lightning strikes, hail damage, flooding

Opposites

tree position/state

treefallstanding timber

Trees still rooted, marketable

snag · canopy tree · stump

forest dynamics

treefallregeneration

Biological self-repair process

recruitment · afforestation · tree planting

Family

fall, tree, fallen, falling, falls

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