A Wind Tunnel Test for the Effect of Seed Tree Arrangement on Wake Wind Speed

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Changes in canopy structures caused by harvesting and regeneration practices can significantly alter the wind environment. Therefore, it is essential to understand the wind patterns influenced by seed tree arrangements for predicting seed dispersal by winds and ensuring the success of natural regeneration. This study aimed to identify how wind speed responds to seed tree arrangement designs with differing horizontal distances, vertical positions, and free-stream wind speeds. A wind tunnel test was conducted using pine saplings for a scale model of various seed tree arrangements, and the change in wake speed was tracked. The wake’s relative wind speed averaged 71%, ranging from 3.5% to 108.5%, depending on the seed tree arrangement, distance from saplings, and vertical position. It peaked within the patch of three seed trees compared to other arrangements and at the top canopy layer. The empirical function effectively described the wind speed reduction and recovery with distance from saplings. For instance, the minimum wind speed was reached at 0.6–2.2 times the canopy height, and a wind speed reduction of over 20% of the free-stream wind speed was maintained at a 1.6–7.6 canopy height. A negative relationship between the seed tree leaf area and the relative wind speed was observed only at the top canopy layer. This study presents empirical evidence on the patterns of wake winds induced by different types of heterogeneous canopy structures.