Tree talk: beavers, burls and more

Though quite durable, trees suffer a variety of impacts. Some result in irreparable harm, such as the damage inflicted by beavers when their harvest is successful. Others are toppled during storms or ravaged by rising waters along riverbanks. Trees can also recover from injuries, healing human carvings in bark, and developing dramatic protrusions, known as burls, from stresses such as fungal invasion or insects.