What are galls in standing timber?

• A. Decorative growths on bark.
• B. Living pests like beetles.
• C. Localized necrotic lesions primarily caused by fungi, often associated with rot.
• D. Pronounced excrescences of woody tissue in response to irritation by alien organisms.

Answer: (D)

Galls are abnormal, localized outgrowths of woody tissue that the tree forms in response to irritation or attack by foreign organisms. This matches the description of pronounced excrescences of woody tissue in response to irritation by alien organisms—the tree’s tissue proliferates, forming a noticeable swelling or growth where the offending organism interacts with the wood or bark.

In standing timber, this means the swelling itself is the key feature, not simply a pest or a decay lesion. Decorative growths on bark aren’t galls, and galls aren’t just living pests like beetles (they’re the tissue response to such attackers). Necrotic lesions are dead tissue and don’t represent the swelling and proliferation seen in galls.