baarstam

Baarstam is a term found in some Dutch-language horticultural and forestry writings, used to describe a tree trunk whose bark has been removed or is deliberately exposed. The word combines baar (bare) and stam (stem or trunk). Because it is not a standardized term in international botany, its exact meaning can vary by region and context.

In practice, baarstam may appear in discussions of bark stripping, debarking, or trunk preparation for specific crafts or research. It can refer to a trunk that has been debarked for easier inspection, for resin or sap-related work, or for producing a smooth surface in timber processing. In historical or dialectical texts, baarstam may describe traditional forms in orchards, vineyards, or coppice systems where trunks are kept bark-free for a period.

The term is less common in contemporary formal forestry nomenclature, where more precise terms such as debarked trunk or bark removal are typically used. When encountered, the exact meaning of baarstam should be inferred from the surrounding context, including the species involved and the purpose of bark removal.

See also: debarking, bark stripping, dendrology, timber processing.