branch subsidence crack

An axial crack on the underside of a subsiding branch. The compressive stress is translated into a transverse tensile stress in the same way a banana being straightened might split on its convex side (in the analogy of Mattheck & Breloer, 1994). See bark congestion.

This definition is abridged from A – Z of tree terms: A companion to British arboriculture.
Read the preface. Order the book.