Compartmentalization  - Compartmentalization is the tree's defense process where boundaries form that resist spread of infections and that defend the liquid transport, energy storage and mechanical support systems.  As trees compartmentalize infected wood, storage space for energy reserves is reduced. Strong compartmentalization "keeps" the lost space to a minimum.  Wounded wood is compartmentalized in trees.  Wounds are compartmentalized in tropical trees, including palms.  Compartmentalization is similar to damage control on a ship.  (See TREE ANATOMY, SHIGO, 1994)  History:  “In the beginning there was Curiosity!  Some of the information in textbooks did not agree with what I was seeing in dissected trees.  Were the trees wrong?  Or, were the books wrong?  I had to satisfy my curiosity.  AUTOPSY MEANS TO SEE FOR YOUR SELF.  Thousands of trees were dissected.  Hundreds of thousands of isolations for microorganisms were made.  From this research came concepts of successions and compartmentalization.  IN THE END, THE TREES WERE CORRECT.  (SHIGO, 2002) There are many items on SHIGO, 2002 on compartmentalization.

See "CODIT"  Click here for model of CODIT. 

Compartmentalization and a Model (CODIT) of the process.  Compartmentalization is a tree survival process.  The process resist, not stops, not stops, not stops, please it does not stop the spread of infections.  Compartmentalization is a process that resist the spread of infections or the succession of microorganisms.  CODIT is a model of the process.  CODIT is simple, it was meant to be simple.  You can overlay it over most defects.  Some trees have a strong 1, some trees have a strong 2 – 3.  Some trees have such a strong 1, 2 and 3 they don’t even have a 4.  Please don’t confuse the model with the real.  Please, please because it is done.  We know very little about the compartmentalization process.  We need more research on this process.  See the process includes – biology, chemistry, physics, successions, taxonomy, genetics, morphology.  It is a very complex process, but it also requires work, physical work.  Its not easy to cut trees, dissect trees, bring samples in and split them with an axe.  I know, I have gone through all of this education so I do not have to work and now you are telling me I have to work.  I do not understand much of compartmentalization and I admit it.  The major point is don’t confuse the model with the real.  The model is so simple – what happens to the tree at the time of wounding, 1-2-3.  And all the model does is put numerical terms on the reaction zone.  There is no such thing as a wall 1, a wall 2, a wall 3, or a wall 4 in a tree.  There’s no walls.  It’s a means of trying to communicate the type of resistance.  A tree that has strong 1’s will have very short columns.  A tree that has weak 1’s will have a very long column.  A tree that has a very strong 2 will have a column that does not spread into the center of the tree.  The tree that has a weak 2 will have a column that will spread into the center of the tree.  A tree that has a strong 3 will have a column that does not spread around (circumferentially) in the tree.  The tree that has a weak 3 will spread around (circumferentially) the tree.   And wall 4 is the barrier zone.  That happens after wounding.  People just do not realize you don’t go to the emergency room if you get a little scratch or a cut or a splinter.  It’s the same with a tree, some trees are so strong, they say why do I need or require a wall 4, a barrier zone?  That’s very expensive going to the emergency room.  You are taking up their time, their space, their materials, their people and really its not required so why do it.  Some trees come with such a strong 3 they say I don’t require a 4.  Other trees say I am going to be a short lived tree and I am going to grow faster than anything else.  In a sense, in a sense, in a sense their storage goes into growth and I’ll grow big and fast and get everything done.  Other trees say I will just take my time.  Compartmentalization is a survival process.  CODIT is a model of the process.  You say we keep repeating.  Thank you, because nature repeats.  Repeats means it is highly arranged.  Trees are generating systems, they produce new parts in new spatial positions.  This is called apoptosis – they have programmed cell death.  Some cells live for a short time, some for a little longer and some for a very long time but they are in new positions.  And the mass increases and as the mass increases the likelihood for the mass energy ratio to click in.  In a sense it means as any system gets larger whether a airline, a big business, a company that makes steel or other products if you grow to fast and to quickly there comes a time when you just cannot survive.  Compartmentalization – survival, it’s a process.  CODIT a model.  Please don’t confuse the two.  Think, think, think. 


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