Girdling is when a tree's "circulation gets cut off."
Girdling is destruction of the phloem tissue, which is just under the bark. When the phloem is cut all the way around the circumference of the trunk, the tree is considered "girdled" and mortally wounded.
Girdling is something that is prevented not corrected.
Only in extremely rare cases have tree surgeons acted quickly to save girdled trees.
Once it happens the tree dies.
Girdling disrupts the translocation of carbohydrates (sugars made by the leaves)
from the canopy (leafy part of the tree) to the roots,
resulting in root mortality and decreased nutrient and water uptake
and eventually leading to tree death.
from an ISA continuing education article by Daniel A. Herns, Ohio State University
Understanding Tree Responses to Abiotic and Biotic Stress Complexes.
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