Bark pocket

[1] Bark pockets can also weaken tree forks, and can result in damage to the junction under stress.

[2] Bark pockets can be formed by inosculation, formation of a tree fork, encapsulation of a branch, joining together of an uneven trunk, or encapsulation of another object.

[citation needed] Bark pockets can be used as an indicator of air pollutants during which the time they formed.

[3] They can be used to monitor heavy metals such as lead and copper, as dust or other matter deposited on the bark at the time of formation is still present.

[5][6] One study analysed the amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in bark pockets as a historical record of air quality, possible due to the interaction between PAHs and lipids in the bark.