ABSTRACT
Tree root systems serve three major functions; absorbing water and nutrients, storing carbohydrates, and anchoring the tree in the ground. Although the physiological aspects of water and nutrient uptake have been extensively investigated over many decades (see Waisel et al., 1996), the study of tree root biomechanics has only begun to be developed in the past 15 years (Coutts, 1983; Mattheck and Breloer, 1994; cf. Stokes, 2000). The increased interest in this subject has been fueled by the intensity and frequency of violent storms in Europe over the past decade (Quine et al., 1995), including the 1999 hurricane which hit Northern Europe and resulted in over 15 million hectares of wind-blown trees in France alone (source: Inventaire Forestier National). Studies of root system architecture and root mechanical properties of trees that were felled in this most recent storm should yield important information as to the characteristics that are important for tree stability.
