Editing v0.34:Tree

[[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. Thus a lack of trees can be an important deterministic factor in fortress development, as without a ready source of wood the player will be forced to rely on [[caravan]]s for wood item production and possibly [[magma]] for metal-forging (that being said, it is not impossible to circumvent). The density of growth on the embark site is determined by the [[biome]], and those are visible on the pre-[[embark]] screen by hitting {{k|F1}}, {{k|F2}} etc. The tree density of the biome does not change as there are no climate shifts during game play, but heavy woodcutting activity will eventually strip any [[forest]] bare. Trees are currently not a source of food or other material, so it is not possible to harvest mangoes, maple syrup, nuts, rubber, etc. {{version|0.34.11}}

Trees are a type of [[map tile]] and as such will form a solid barrier to movement, preventing [[channel]]ing or the creation of [[wall]]s and other [[construction]]s on their tile. This is problematic for caravan [[wagon]]s, 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 [[trade depot|depot]] access ({{k|D}}) every once in a while as trees continue to grow to make sure wagons can get through, and chop down ({{k|d}}-{{k|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. Trees do not form a floor on the level above them (creatures cannot walk "on top of" trees), though both creatures and items can get stuck on top of trees if they manage to be thrown there. Currently there is no way to get down from the top of a tree in [[Adventure mode]].