The CODIT Principle and the consequences for tree care

The main change immediately after an injury is the air embolism in the water-conducting tissue of the tree. The embolism leads to a functional disruption to which the tree reacts with compartmentalization. It is only afterwards that the tree also walls off decay. This is why CODIT nowadays stands for “Compartmentalization of Damage in Trees”. The concept of damage encompasses all injury-related changes, from the air embolism and dysfunction through to the decay.

Why is this differentiation so important to the understanding of life processes in trees and their care? Many arboricultural methods causes injuries. Therefore, it is important to know what the consequences will be, from the first reactions to the end result years, even decades, later.

How wound reactions manifest themselves can vary considerably among individual trees, but the same principle is recognizable in all trees: the CODIT Principle. The presentation will focus on pruning wounds and stem wounds caused by cars and machines.