Seasonal leaf-fall reveals branch structure enabling sound tree-selection decisions

Evidence

November is, for many reasons, the month for the axe. It is warm enough to grind an axe without freezing, but cold enough to fell a tree in comfort. The leaves are off the hardwoods, so that one can see just how the branches intertwine, and what growth occurred last summer. Without this clear view of treetops, one cannot be sure which tree, if any, needs felling for the good of the land. — Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 245

Categorization

• XREF: Connects directly to Reading the Landscape’s ‘reading disturbance history from present landscape structure’ purpose — leaf-off structure as readable evidence.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: which other management actions hinge on a seasonally revealed structure only visible in one window?