Tree uprooting explained

Uprooting is a form of treefall in which the root plate of a tree is torn from the soil, disrupting and mixing it and leaving a pit-mound.^{[1] [2]}

Purposes

Transplanting

Small trees can be replanted if their root system is well attached to the trunk.^[3] Trees can suffer from transplant shock when moved to new environment, and that causes the tree not to be able to root itself properly.^[3]

Ecosystem maintenance

Uprooting can be an effective method for efforts to remove unwanted woody species from an ecosystem, e.g., in the context of woody plant encroachment.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Šamonil . Pavel . Král . Kamil . Hort . Libor . The role of tree uprooting in soil formation: A critical literature review . Geoderma . Elsevier BV . 157 . 3–4 . 2010 . 0016-7061 . 10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.03.018 . 65–79. 2010Geode.157...65S .
2. Schaetzl . Randall J. . Burns . Scott F. . Johnson . Donald L. . Small . Thomas W. . Tree uprooting: review of impacts on forest ecology . Vegetatio . Springer Science and Business Media LLC . 79 . 3 . 1988 . 0042-3106 . 10.1007/bf00044908 . 165–176.
3. Web site: Gerard. Jack. Can an Uprooted Tree Be Replanted?. SFGATE.com. Hearst Communications, Inc. 14 December 2018. 2 August 2021.
4. Castillo-Garcia . Miguel . Alados . Concepción L. . Ramos . Javier . Pueyo . Yolanda . 2024-01-01 . Effectiveness of two mechanical shrub removal treatments for restoring sub-alpine grasslands colonized by re-sprouting woody vegetation . Journal of Environmental Management . 349 . 119450 . 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119450 . 0301-4797. free . 37897902 . 2024JEnvM.34919450C .