title: Comment on "Critical wind speed at which trees break".
abstract: Virot et al. [E. Virot et al., Phys. Rev. E 93, 023001 (2016)10.1103/PhysRevE.93.023001] assert that the critical wind speed at which ⩾50% of all trees in a population break is ≈42 m/s, regardless of tree characteristics. We show that empirical data do not support this assertion, and that the assumptions underlying the theory used by Virot et al. are inconsistent with the biomechanics of trees.
authors.affiliation: Forest Research Institute Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wonnhaldestrasse 4, 79100 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.affiliation: PIAF, INRA, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Badel
authors.affiliation: PIAF, INRA, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.|LERFoB, INRA, AgroParisTech, F-54000 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Vivien
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bonnesoeur
authors.affiliation: ISPA, INRA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, F-33140 Villenave D'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.affiliation: LERFoB, INRA, AgroParisTech, F-54000 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Thiéry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Constant
authors.affiliation: ISPA, INRA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, F-33140 Villenave D'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Défossez
authors.affiliation: Ladhyx, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Langre
authors.affiliation: ISPA, INRA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, F-33140 Villenave D'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.affiliation: LERFoB, INRA, AgroParisTech, F-54000 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Meriem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: ISPA, INRA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, F-33140 Villenave D'Ornon, France.|Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, EH25 9SY, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, 3041-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Scion, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua 3046, New Zealand.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: PIAF, INRA, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moulia
authors.affiliation: Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, EH25 9SY, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Nicoll
authors.affiliation: Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Karl J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Niklas
authors.affiliation: Alterra, Wageningen UR, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mart-Jan
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schelhaas
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologie III, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg D-79104, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Christof
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Spatz
authors.affiliation: W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Telewski