Trees: The Mechanical Design

Trees optimize their mechanical design by adaptive growth, and react by self-repair to loads disturbing their optimum mechanical state. Both, the rule of constant stresses and the rule of external load minimization essentially form the tree.

Knowing these growth reactions, the fate of a tree can be concluded from its outer shape and from its tree rings (saw cuts) which reveal the loads the tree adapted to. The book teaches us to understand the body language of trees.