Reading the book Sprout Lands, by forester William Bryant Logan, who, while not a great writer, knows a lot about trees.

Above are London planetrees (aka sycamores) in Geneva, Switzerland. These are very old trees, thriving for centuries, thanks to pollarding. In summer these trees sprout immense umbrellas of greenery, making this avenue along lac Léman a delightful shaded corridor.

So, if this is pollarding, what is coppicing? Pretty much the same thing, except that the pruning takes place at ground level rather than 6 or 8 feet up.

Coppicing and pollarding have been practiced all over the world for millennia, and are more or less responsible for human civilization. If you don’t believe me, read the book.