A forest stand where trees tilt in random directions, usually caused by the melting of permafrost (thermokarst) or severe soil shifting. The loss of stable root anchorage causes the trunks to lean, making the timber difficult to harvest and often resulting in severe compression wood defects.
Heard on the job
We had to abandon that black spruce block up north, it turned into drunken trees after the thaw.
Also heard as
- drunken forest
- tilted forest