to make more or less continuous incisions around a living stem, through at least both bark and cambium, generally with the object of killing the tree; kinds of girdling include the following:

—chemical girdling making a girdle and further, using an herbicide to kill the tree

—frill girdling making a series of downward, more or less overlapping incisions, generally for the introduction of an herbicide

—mechanical girdling removing a broad band of bark, from several inches (cm) to several feet (m) wide, all round a living bole, with some sapwood or without, so as to kill (with or without the aid of an herbicide), or at least weaken the tree —synonym band girdling This definition last updated 10/27/2008