Comment on "Critical wind speed at which trees break".

Authors :: Albrecht, Axel
Badel, Eric
Bonnesoeur, Vivien
Brunet, Yves
Constant, Thiéry
Défossez, Pauline
de Langre, Emmanuel
Dupont, Sylvain
Fournier, Meriem
Gardiner, Barry
Mitchell, Stephen J.
Moore, John R.
Moulia, Bruno
Nicoll, Bruce C.
Niklas, Karl J.
Schelhaas, Mart-Jan
Spatz, Hans-Christof
Telewski, Frank W.
Virot, E.
Ponomarenko, A.
Source :: Physical Review E. Dec2016, Vol. 94 Issue 6, p1-1. 1p.
Publication Year :: 2016
Abstract: Virot et al. [E. Virot et al., Phys. Rev. E 93, 023001 (2016)] assert that the critical wind speed at which ≥0% of all trees in a population break is ≈42 m/s, regardless of tree characteristics. We show that empirical data do not support this assertion, and that the assumptions underlying the theory used by Virot et al. are inconsistent with the biomechanics of trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]