Hollow trees make such ideal habitats for so many types of birds, squirrels and other animals that it almost seems like nature created them primarily to fulfill such purpose. Hollow trees across the planet are home to many types of wildlife, and have also played important roles in folklore through the entire years. Based on National Geographic News, male tree-hole frogs in the pouring rain forests of Borneo have been found to make use of the initial acoustics of hollow trees to tune the pitch of the mating calls to be louder and more inviting to females. Rotting, hollow tree branches serve since the mating and breeding habitat for these tree-hole frogs while they take advantage of the sheltered, moist environment to lay eggs. Hollow trees fall naturally into living cycle, but perhaps you have wondered why some trees are hollow in the first place?
Understanding the main reason some trees are hollow involves first taking a glance at how trees sustain life. Hollow Knight Tree trunks and branches are composed of some layers, with each serving a vital purpose. The visible outer bark of the tree protects the interior of the tree from the elements in addition to disease, fungi, animals, insects and dehydration. Another three layers just within the outer bark transport food and sugars from the leaves to the remaining tree, create new growth and transport water and nutrients from roots to the rest of the tree. The innermost layer of the tree, called heartwood, serves as a supportive core and is composed of strong woody tissue that is no further alive. Tree growth occurs when new layers of tissue form and push outward, while dead cells become part of the supportive heartwood.
To ensure that a tree to guard itself, exterior layers must compartmentalize decay before it spreads to the supportive heartwood of the tree. If outer layers fail to take action, an opening called a rot cavity will form, that will be likely caused by fungi causing decay in the heartwood of the tree. This often happens after the tree has acquired a wound, such as from pruning or damage from a storm. As time passes, this rot cavity may become larger, eventually resulting in a complete hollowing of the tree's heartwood. Provided that the outer, living layers of the tree remain intact and are of sufficient thickness as compared to the hollowed area, a tree can often survive after developing a hollow.
While historically hollow trees have been filled up with cement and numerous other substances, most experts now agree that filling a cavity or hollow trunk is more detrimental than with the capacity of supporting the tree. It is important to see that while some hollow trees are structurally sound, others represent a hazard and must certanly be supported or removed. Hollow trees which are weak may become hazardous and pose threats to people, buildings and other property in the vicinity. When you have an empty tree on your own property, it is advised to own it inspected by a professional arborist, who can determine whether it is living and assess its strength. If the tree is structurally weak, an arborist can determine whether it could be salvaged through effective cabling and bracing techniques, or if removal is necessary.
