catface
**Definition:** A large scar on the trunk of a tree, left by fire, mechanical injury, or disease — the bark and cambium destroyed, the wound partially healed over but never fully closed. A catface is the tree's memory of damage, visible for the rest of its life. In fire-adapted forests, catfaces record the history of burns: count the healed-over fire scars in a cross-section and you can reconstruct centuries of fire frequency.
A large scar on the trunk of a tree, left by fire, mechanical injury, or disease — the bark and cambium destroyed, the wound partially healed over but never fully closed. A catface is the tree's memory of damage, visible for the rest of its life. In fire-adapted forests, catfaces record the history of burns: count the healed-over fire scars in a cross-section and you can reconstruct centuries of fire frequency.
Etymology
The scarred surface is said to resemble the face of a cat — the irregular, angular wound pattern with protruding edges.
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