I find using a tool unlikely. I would say it was more of a method. Pruning it to grow in a certain manner and perhaps weight. @demryn What do you think?
Couldn't you just wait til the sappling had grown tall a bit, and then literally stick anything remotely n shaped in the ground over it (maybe tying it lightly so it doesn't slip out)?
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Tbh I'm more impressed the trees didn't get trampled to death somehow
The bark on the elbow turns so dramatically it looks like it was a seperate growth. It if had grown without being manipulated the bark should be more smooth. Bear in mind I have little experience on trees outside of Canada.
Using an N-shaped tool to pin the tree would have worked as well. I didn't think of that. The weight and your idea would have the same effect. I'm not sure which one would have a greater effect.
I second that @adam44
I don't think they used a special tool. In Germany we use trees as sunshades by just bending them in Form with bamboo and ropes and I think they used a similar technique
An avalanche, probably not, as this would have to happen while the plant is young and the avalanche would kill it. A mudslide could also do it. It really shouldn't be hard to figure out, as this does not require human intervention if you see my post below.
There are places in Alaska something similar exists; as are places along the coast of Cali. It's not to figure out that it's the wind pushing them and them angling towards where they get the most sunlight while they are saplings. Heck even my current cannabis plant did this because i got lazy with the lighting right after I replanted it while it could still flex.
Trees can get this shape if they were seedlings in an area which used to be grazed. In the past it was more common to graze cattle and sheep in forests. The animals trample the young trees and they grow back with a distinctive, curved profile. Not saying this happened here (the trees are very uniform) but it's possible.
What bugs me is the fact there's also a bunch of trees going straight up... but that might be explained by growth rate. So there was an event of some kind it seems.
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Tbh I'm more impressed the trees didn't get trampled to death somehow
Using an N-shaped tool to pin the tree would have worked as well. I didn't think of that. The weight and your idea would have the same effect. I'm not sure which one would have a greater effect.
I don't think they used a special tool. In Germany we use trees as sunshades by just bending them in Form with bamboo and ropes and I think they used a similar technique