What is the term for new wood produced in response to damage or loads to compensate for higher strain in trees?

The term for new wood produced in response to damage or loads to compensate for higher strain in trees is called response growth. This phenomenon is important for the tree's ability to adapt to stresses such as wind, the weight of branches, or physical damage. Response growth involves the development of additional wood tissue to reinforce structural strength, ensuring that the tree can maintain stability and continued growth even under adverse conditions. This adaptive mechanism allows for the tree to essentially "heal" and adjust its structure, providing it with resilience against future environmental stresses.

While terms like regrowth and adaptive wood may relate to a tree's recovery or growth in certain contexts, they do not specifically describe the process of generating new supportive wood in reaction to mechanical stress. Stress wood, on the other hand, is more commonly associated with wood that forms under specific mechanical burdens and may not encompass the broader aspect of response growth across various types of stressors. Therefore, response growth is the most accurate and specific term that encapsulates the tree's adaptive wood production in response to strain.