Which wood type is primarily associated with the development of woundwood?

Woundwood is primarily associated with reaction wood, which includes both compression wood and tension wood, depending on the tree species and its growth response to injury or stress. When a tree is wounded, it responds by producing specialized wood that fills in the damage, promoting healing and structural stability.

Compression wood typically forms on the lower side of leaning conifers, helping to support the tree, while tension wood forms on the upper side of leaning hardwoods, helping to pull the tree back into an upright position. Both types are part of the tree's adaptive response to uneven growth or physical damage.

While flexure wood isn't typically associated with woundwood, understanding the specific roles of compression and tension wood as parts of the broader category of reaction wood is essential. This is why the emphasis on reaction wood is critical – it is directly involved in the tree's mechanisms for healing and adapting to stressors, which defines the development of woundwood.