Sometimes people tend to think about the rationale for very obvious facts. One of the most controversial questions is why do tree trunks and branches have a circular cross-sectional shape? As you know, nature does not allow mistakes, therefore there are many reasons for the shape of the tree trunk to be round.
The answer to the question about the origin of the shape of a tree trunk can be found out by studying the possibilities of living organisms to adapt to the conditions of existence. Interestingly, in the course of natural evolution, the structure of the trunks and branches of plants has changed very slightly, remaining almost in its original form. With the exception of those regions of the world in which a harsh climate prevails, trees have an almost perfect round shape of trunks and branches.
Why does a tree need a round trunk?
From the point of view of the laws of wild nature, a tree is deprived of the ability to move and hide from the dangerous influences of the outside world. The most threatening factor for the existence of trees is considered to be the wind, which can gain tremendous strength during all kinds of natural disasters. And since the plant cannot migrate and hide from external dangers, it is protected by other methods, including due to the structural features.
The tree is protected from the harmful effects of wind due to the uniformly streamlined shape of the trunk. Thus, no matter which side the gust of wind comes from, the tree remains streamlined and flexible in all directions. The structure of the wood fiber is of great importance in determining the shape of the trunk.
Wood has excellent tensile strength but does not handle extreme compressions well. The longitudinal arrangement of the fibers in the tree trunk allows them to stretch strongly and maintain elasticity on the one hand, while on the other, the fibers are not compressed, but folded. This property of a barrel with a circular cross-section is possible only if it is not damaged.
How is the trunk formed?
Many people know that the age of the tree itself can be determined by the number of rings on the cross section of a tree trunk. This is indeed the case, considering that every year a new stage of growth begins in the subcorrinal layer of the tree.
From the moment it grows, the trunk of the tree has a soft core, which acts as a transport system that delivers nutrients and moisture throughout the plant's body. This structure is observed in the tree everywhere: from the tips of the roots to the most distant branches. At the same time, the plant distributes nutrients extremely evenly, which means that the growth of new cells occurs simultaneously in all directions. It is for this reason that the trunk of the tree is round.
