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Difference between revisions of "Tree"

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{{migrated article}}
 
 
{{quality|unrated}}
 
{{quality|unrated}}
 
{{av}}
 
{{av}}
<big>'''Notice:'''</big> With DF2014, Trees have received significant revision.  They are now multi-tile creations, spanning multiple z-levels, with separate tiles for trunk, roots, flowers, fruits, twigs, leaves, etc.  Exactly how much of the remainder of this article still applies is yet to be determined.
 
 
Trunks can be chopped down, yielding multiple logs. A single tree can have multiple trunk tiles, on separate z-levels as well as otherwise, but only one tile of trunk can be designated for chopping on a single tree, so make sure you pick one that can be reached. Chopping a single tile from a tree will chop down the whole tree - there's no such thing as partially cutting a tree. Cutting a tree from a trunk section above ground level may result in the woodcutter losing his/her footing and crashing to the ground (similar to having a tile deconstructed under their feet). Conversely, designating trees to be cut at the ground level tile has never (so far) resulted in a cave-in. Some trees have multiple tiles at ground-level; ginkgo, for instance.
 
 
Roots can be designated for digging, though the tile doesn't flash to indicate it's designated. Some trees can have multiple tiles of roots, others just the one; in either case, when a single tile of roots is dug out, the entire tree vanishes without a trace.
 
 
Leaves will fall in autumn, coloring tiles beneath a tree. Some can be cooked at a [[kitchen]].
 
 
---
 
 
 
'''Trees''' are a multi-[[tile]] feature that can be found aboveground on all but the most arid or most mountainous of maps, and below ground in the [[caverns]]. What kind of trees grow in a given location depends on [[biome]], as different species prefer different conditions. For example, tropical areas often have palm trees, while colder areas feature pines. An exception are underground trees, such as [[nether-cap]]s, that will grown anywhere underground. The species of a tree in turn determines its properties, including its structure, the color and density of its wood and what kind of growths it produces. Note also that "trees" in DF covers also things that are not literally trees, such as large cacti (e.g. [[saguaro]]s) and mushrooms (e.g. all underground trees).
 
'''Trees''' are a multi-[[tile]] feature that can be found aboveground on all but the most arid or most mountainous of maps, and below ground in the [[caverns]]. What kind of trees grow in a given location depends on [[biome]], as different species prefer different conditions. For example, tropical areas often have palm trees, while colder areas feature pines. An exception are underground trees, such as [[nether-cap]]s, that will grown anywhere underground. The species of a tree in turn determines its properties, including its structure, the color and density of its wood and what kind of growths it produces. Note also that "trees" in DF covers also things that are not literally trees, such as large cacti (e.g. [[saguaro]]s) and mushrooms (e.g. all underground trees).
  
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Trees can be [[climb]]ed in both fortress and [[adventure mode]], and most types of tiles in the crown provide support for walking. In a densely wooded areas, the overlapping tree crowns can form a continuous canopy that can be traversed.
 
Trees can be [[climb]]ed in both fortress and [[adventure mode]], and most types of tiles in the crown provide support for walking. In a densely wooded areas, the overlapping tree crowns can form a continuous canopy that can be traversed.
 +
 +
Roots can be designated for digging, though the tile doesn't flash to indicate it's designated. Some trees can have multiple tiles of roots, others just the one; in either case, when a single tile of roots is dug out, the entire tree vanishes without a trace.
  
 
{{migrated section}}
 
{{migrated section}}
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Growths are the things that grow ''on'' a tree, i.e. they are not an essential part of the tree's structure and can be shed or picked without destroying the tree. This includes leaves, needles, flowers, fruit, seed pods, catkins, cones, etc. Each tree species has at least one type of growth, the most common one unsurprisingly being leaves.
 
Growths are the things that grow ''on'' a tree, i.e. they are not an essential part of the tree's structure and can be shed or picked without destroying the tree. This includes leaves, needles, flowers, fruit, seed pods, catkins, cones, etc. Each tree species has at least one type of growth, the most common one unsurprisingly being leaves.
  
The leaves of deciduous trees change color in the autumn, fall during the winter and grow back in the spring.
+
The leaves of deciduous trees change color in the autumn, fall before the winter and grow back in the spring. Fallen leaves will color the tiles beneath their trees, turning the forest floor into colorful patchwork.
  
 
Trees of fruit-producing species usually grow flowers in spring and fruit later in the year. Flowers will fall in a cloud during the transition from flowers to fruit; the cloud is shown falling, and loo[k]ing at the ground after that will show "<tree> flowers" in addition to other tile contents. Both flowers and fruit appear and fall at set times through the year, so it's possible that a young tree that has never flowered to give fruit.
 
Trees of fruit-producing species usually grow flowers in spring and fruit later in the year. Flowers will fall in a cloud during the transition from flowers to fruit; the cloud is shown falling, and loo[k]ing at the ground after that will show "<tree> flowers" in addition to other tile contents. Both flowers and fruit appear and fall at set times through the year, so it's possible that a young tree that has never flowered to give fruit.
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Fruit can be picked from trees in Adventure mode, but Fort mode harvesting is not yet in the game. Nevertheless, you can embark with fruit or acquire it from trade and brew it at a [[still]]. Fruit do fall on the ground in fortress mode, but they cannot be collected or brewed. Cutting a tree with fruit causes the fruits to vanish.
 
Fruit can be picked from trees in Adventure mode, but Fort mode harvesting is not yet in the game. Nevertheless, you can embark with fruit or acquire it from trade and brew it at a [[still]]. Fruit do fall on the ground in fortress mode, but they cannot be collected or brewed. Cutting a tree with fruit causes the fruits to vanish.
  
== Use ==
+
== Chopping down trees ==
 +
{{main|Woodcutting}}
 +
 
 +
Trunks can be chopped down, yielding multiple logs. A single tree can have multiple trunk tiles, on separate z-levels as well as otherwise, but only one tile of trunk can be designated for chopping on a single tree, so make sure you pick one that can be reached. Chopping a single tile from a tree will chop down the whole tree - there's no such thing as partially cutting a tree. Cutting a tree from a trunk section above ground level may result in the woodcutter losing his/her footing and crashing to the ground (similar to having a tile deconstructed under their feet). Conversely, designating trees to be cut at the ground level tile has never (so far) resulted in a cave-in. Some trees have multiple tiles at ground-level; ginkgo, for instance.
 +
 
 +
== Products ==
 
=== Wood ===
 
=== Wood ===
{{main|Wood|Woodcutter}}
+
{{main|Wood}}
 
{{migrated section}}
 
{{migrated section}}
[[Woodcutter|Chopping down]] trees yields [[wood]] (obviously), one of the game's most important resources. Without wood it is not possible to build [[bed]]s, generate or transfer [[power]], create [[ash]], or power [[furnace]]s without [[magma]] (unless [[coal]] is available), and since wood is easily craftable many items become more difficult to craft.
 
  
 
One of the variation between the different tree species is in the weight and color of their wood. Weight is often a minor concern but when using wood to create objects that will be moved, such as bins or buckets, choosing lighter wood is an advantage as it will be hauled faster. Heavier wood will make wooden weapons and siege engine projectiles more effective, while lighter wooden shields reduce penalties to speed while blocking just as well as heavier shields.
 
One of the variation between the different tree species is in the weight and color of their wood. Weight is often a minor concern but when using wood to create objects that will be moved, such as bins or buckets, choosing lighter wood is an advantage as it will be hauled faster. Heavier wood will make wooden weapons and siege engine projectiles more effective, while lighter wooden shields reduce penalties to speed while blocking just as well as heavier shields.

Revision as of 09:42, 13 July 2014

This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Trees are a multi-tile feature that can be found aboveground on all but the most arid or most mountainous of maps, and below ground in the caverns. What kind of trees grow in a given location depends on biome, as different species prefer different conditions. For example, tropical areas often have palm trees, while colder areas feature pines. An exception are underground trees, such as nether-caps, that will grown anywhere underground. The species of a tree in turn determines its properties, including its structure, the color and density of its wood and what kind of growths it produces. Note also that "trees" in DF covers also things that are not literally trees, such as large cacti (e.g. saguaros) and mushrooms (e.g. all underground trees).

Trees are used as a source of wood, an essential resource in the game, irreplaceable (or hard to replace) for some applications. Thus the amount of local trees greatly affects fortress development, as without a ready source of wood the player will be forced to rely on trade to get it. Tree growth density on the embark site is determined by its biome, so it's displayed with the rest of the biome properties (temperature, etc.) on the "Choose Fortress Location" screen at embark.

Structure

Trees consist of several types of tiles - roots, trunk sections, branches and twigs, as well as a number of "growths" (leaves, needles, flowers, fruit, cones, etc., depending on species). A single tree is a structure that can span multiple tiles of each type in both horizontal and vertical directions. For example, a typical deciduous tree will have a single tile-wide trunk at ground level supporting a multiple-level crown of intertwined trunk sections, branches and twigs covered with leaves. Not all species follow the same scheme, though - palms have a high, naked trunk that doesn't branch and just a tuft of leaves on top of it, and some species can have trunks that are thicker than a single tile at ground level. Underground, things are simpler, as there is only one kind of root tiles and the extent of the root system doesn't seem to vary with species.

Trees can be climbed in both fortress and adventure mode, and most types of tiles in the crown provide support for walking. In a densely wooded areas, the overlapping tree crowns can form a continuous canopy that can be traversed.

Roots can be designated for digging, though the tile doesn't flash to indicate it's designated. Some trees can have multiple tiles of roots, others just the one; in either case, when a single tile of roots is dug out, the entire tree vanishes without a trace.

Viewed on their same z-level, many different sub-types of trees have their own symbol, such as , , , or . Some share the same symbol, but since the differences are only in preferences, this is not a significant problem (see table below for symbol pairings). For most purposes, a tree is a tree. Trees viewed from one z-level higher look like coloured rectangles ( ), appearing identical to coloured blocks floating in the air. Deciduous trees will change colour to red or yellow in autumn ( , ), and lose their leaves in winter ( ).

Tree trunks are a type of map tile and as such will form a solid barrier to movement, preventing channeling or the creation of walls and other constructions on their tile. This is problematic for caravan wagons, which require a path at least three tiles wide in order to access your fortress; on heavily forested maps it may be necessary to check depot access (D) every once in a while as trees continue to grow to make sure wagons can get through, and chop down (d-t) the impeding forest if they can't. Later on this can actually become a blessing, as if there is only one or a few pathways to the fortress it makes it easier to route incoming caravans down certain well-defended pathways, instead of allowing them to choose their own way across the map, where they may fall foul of ambushers or worse. It also makes building above-ground constructions more challenging, as any trees in the way must be chopped down first.

Growths

Growths are the things that grow on a tree, i.e. they are not an essential part of the tree's structure and can be shed or picked without destroying the tree. This includes leaves, needles, flowers, fruit, seed pods, catkins, cones, etc. Each tree species has at least one type of growth, the most common one unsurprisingly being leaves.

The leaves of deciduous trees change color in the autumn, fall before the winter and grow back in the spring. Fallen leaves will color the tiles beneath their trees, turning the forest floor into colorful patchwork.

Trees of fruit-producing species usually grow flowers in spring and fruit later in the year. Flowers will fall in a cloud during the transition from flowers to fruit; the cloud is shown falling, and loo[k]ing at the ground after that will show "<tree> flowers" in addition to other tile contents. Both flowers and fruit appear and fall at set times through the year, so it's possible that a young tree that has never flowered to give fruit.

Fruit can be picked from trees in Adventure mode, but Fort mode harvesting is not yet in the game. Nevertheless, you can embark with fruit or acquire it from trade and brew it at a still. Fruit do fall on the ground in fortress mode, but they cannot be collected or brewed. Cutting a tree with fruit causes the fruits to vanish.

Chopping down trees

Main article: Woodcutting

Trunks can be chopped down, yielding multiple logs. A single tree can have multiple trunk tiles, on separate z-levels as well as otherwise, but only one tile of trunk can be designated for chopping on a single tree, so make sure you pick one that can be reached. Chopping a single tile from a tree will chop down the whole tree - there's no such thing as partially cutting a tree. Cutting a tree from a trunk section above ground level may result in the woodcutter losing his/her footing and crashing to the ground (similar to having a tile deconstructed under their feet). Conversely, designating trees to be cut at the ground level tile has never (so far) resulted in a cave-in. Some trees have multiple tiles at ground-level; ginkgo, for instance.

Products

Wood

Main article: Wood


One of the variation between the different tree species is in the weight and color of their wood. Weight is often a minor concern but when using wood to create objects that will be moved, such as bins or buckets, choosing lighter wood is an advantage as it will be hauled faster. Heavier wood will make wooden weapons and siege engine projectiles more effective, while lighter wooden shields reduce penalties to speed while blocking just as well as heavier shields.

Nonetheless, all trees have the same intrinsic value[Verify] (beyond the preferences of individual dwarves), although the color of the wood may matter for aesthetic purposes.

Fruit

Growing trees

Trees grow from saplings, which start growing randomly on non-occupied tiles of a suitable biome; thus chopping down a forest may create a clearing, but within a couple of years a new forest will have grown. Saplings can be killed by heavy foot traffic, but not by flooding — they can survive submergence for extended periods of time and will still grow to maturity once the water level drops to 4/7[Verify] or lower. Dead saplings will remain for some seasons, and then disappear, more quickly if heavy traffic tramples them away. Growth from a sapling to a tree takes exactly 3 years. Many underground trees are called "young <tree>" instead of sapling, but the concept is the same. Saplings will not grow to maturity if their tile contains an item or building (including stockpile designations), though removing the item may cause the tree to spontaneously grow up. Paved roads and farm plots periodically purge all terrain features below them, preventing trees (or shrubs) from growing in unwanted areas. Trees cannot grow on stairs or ramps, making it possible to keep trees out of your plumbing by using up stairs instead of digging (this does not reveal the tile above). Above-ground trees will only grow in areas where there is sufficient soil 1 Z-level beneath them (currently observed to be at least one unmined tile within a two-tile radius); underground trees not only ignore this restriction for dry subterranean soil but will also grow on muddy subterranean stone. Additionally, saplings on soil cavern floors will block the construction of farm plots unless there is also a dusting or pile of mud beneath them.

Trees cannot be specifically "planted"; even if a map is stripped of all trees, new saplings will regrow, randomly and in their own time. Sadly, the elves do not seem to comprehend this. It is possible to farm trees by walling off or engineering a patch of soil and locking it away so your dwarves don't trample all over it, but it will take a long time for the farm to yield results. After you expose the caverns subterranean flora (including trees) will begin to grow on any exposed and previously bare soil within your fortress; this can be annoying when a copse of blood thorns suddenly appears in your sand collection area, but allows you to easily mine out large subterranean tree farms full of colorful subterranean trees.

List of tree species

Map
Tile
Graphic
(Trunk)
Name Deciduous Biome Align Tiles Wood
Density
(g/cm³)
Drink Drink
Value1
Eat Cook2 Growths


? None [[Acacia|Acacia]] No

None

Wet Dry
All (Dry) O trunk
thick branches
¼ branches
; twigs
¼ roots
None No No None
Tree Name Tile Biome / Habitat Alignment Deciduous Density (g/cm3) "Likes them for their..."
Acacia ¼ Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forest
Tropical Grassland
Tropical Savanna
Tropical Shrubland
All (Dry) No 0.600 thorns
Alder ¼ Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.410 catkins
autumn coloration
Almond Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.410 catkins
autumn coloration
Ash ¼ Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.600 flying keys
autumn coloration
Birch ¼ Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.650 catkins
silver bark
autumn coloration
Black-cap ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 2-3) All No 0.650 gloomy appeal
Blood thorn ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layer 3)
Subterranean Chasm
All No 1.250 sickening appearance
Cacao tree ¼ Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) No 0.430 flowers
Candlenut ¼ Any Tropical Forest All (Dry) No 0.140 nuts
Cedar ¼ Temperate Conifer Forest
Tropical Conifer Forest
All (Dry) No 0.570 majesty
Chestnut ¼ Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.430 smelly catkins
spiny pods
chestnuts
autumn coloration
Feather tree ¼ Not Freezing Good (Dry) No 0.100 feathery leaves
Fungiwood ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 1-2) All No 0.600 fine grain
Glumprong ¼ Not Freezing Evil (Dry) No 1.200 living shadows
Goblin-cap ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 2-3) All No 0.600 stunning color
Highwood ¼ Not Freezing Savage (Dry) No 0.500 magnificence
Kapok ¼ Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) No 0.260 buttresses
Larch ¼ Taiga
Temperate Conifer Forest
All (Dry) Yes 0.590 cones
needles
Mango tree ¼ Any Tropical Forest All (Dry) No 0.520 sweet-smelling flowers
Mahogany ¼ Any Tropical Forest All (Dry) No 0.600 loose inflorescences
Maple ¼ Temperate Broadleaf Forest
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Savanna
Temperate Shrubland
All (Dry) Yes 0.540 autumn coloration
Mangrove ¼ Mangrove Swamp All (Wet) No 0.830 roots
Nether-cap ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layer 3) All No 0.550 coldness to the touch
(wood has [MAT_FIXED_TEMP:10000])
Oak ¼ Any Temperate Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) Yes 0.700 acorns
autumn coloration
Palm ¼ Any Tropical All (Dry) No 0.680 leaves
Pine ¼ Taiga
Temperate Conifer Forest
Tropical Conifer Forest
All (Dry) No 0.510 cones
needles
Rubber tree ¼ Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forest All (Dry) No 0.490 branch shedding
Saguaro ¼ Any Desert All (Dry) No 0.430 amazing arms
Spore tree ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 2-3) All No 0.600 raining spores
Tower-cap ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 1-2) All No 0.600 great size
Tunnel tube ¼ Subterranean Cavern (layers 2-3) All No 0.500 curving trunk
Willow * Any Temperate
Any Tropical Forest
Tropical Grassland
Tropical Savanna
Tropical Shrubland

Tropical Freshwater Swamp
Tropical Saltwater Swamp
Tropical Freshwater Marsh
Tropical Saltwater Marsh
All (Wet) No 0.390 sad appearance
fluffy catkins


Bugs

  • In fortress mode, tree fruit (and presumably, other growths) can't be harvested yet, though it's possible to eat fruit in adventure mode. See DF2014:Release information.
  • (0.40.2) Constructing on trees causes them to vanish. Bug:6551
  • (0.40.2) When a root tile is mined, the entire tree ceases to exist. Bug:6749
  • (0.40.2) Building something (e.g. a cage) in a tree and then chopping down the tree leaves the building floating in the air. Bug:6949
Surface
Crops
Garden
Other
Subterranean
Surface
AbacaAcaciaAlderAlmondAppleApricotAshAvocadoBananaBayberryBirchBitter orangeCacao treeCandlenutCarambolaCashewCedarCherryChestnutCitronCoconut palmCoffeeCustard-appleDate palmDesert limeDurianFeather treeFinger limeGinkgoGlumprongGuavaHazelHighwoodKapokKumquatLarchLimeLycheeMacadamiaMahoganyMango treeMangroveMapleOakOliveOrangePapayaParadise nutPeachPearPecanPersimmonPinePlumPomegranatePomeloRambutanRound limeRubber treeSaguaroSand pearTeaWalnutWillow
Subterranean
Surface
Subterranean