2005/10/12 by Barry Gardiner, Bryan Marshall, B.J. Marshall +5 · 103 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Aeolian processes and effects #Aerospace engineering #Atmospheric sciences #Biology #Canopy #Ecology #Engineering #Environmental science #Geography #Geology #Meteorology #Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics #Stability (learning theory) #Tree Root and Stability Studies #Tree canopy #Turbulence #Wind speed #Wind tunnel
paper · doi:10.1093/forestry/cpi053
published in Forestry An International Journal of Forest Research 78(5), 471-484 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2005/10/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/21
We report on a wind-tunnel study with 1 : 75 scale model trees designed to examine the influence of canopy structure on the formation of turbulent gusts above forests. This was to test the hypothesis that more irregular canopy structures produce less intense gusts because the change in wind speed with height at canopy top is less severe. Measurements were made of wind speeds and turbulence within and above the model forests and of the wind loading on model trees in four different silvicultural systems. The systems tested were even-aged, single-tree selection, shelterwood/group selection and strip felling. The measurements showed that the profiles of different mean wind and turbulence characteristics above the forests are remarkably similar when vertical heights are normalized by the height of the tallest tree but differences do exist within the canopy. The wind loading measurements indicated no difference between the systems in terms of stability except possibly for the shelterwood/group selection. In the shelterwood/group selection system the presence of smaller sub-canopy trees appears to reduce the loading on the main canopy trees either by providing support and increasing damping or by absorption of energy from the canopy-penetrating gusts.