What is "sheltered site" (as opposed to "exposed site")?
It's used in context of location of trees in bumpy ground areas and weather damage.
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Depends on the context. Examples can be: In depressions instead of lonely on the plain, inside of the forest instead of at the edge, along a river bank or lakeside instead of on dry ground.
Or, in short: exposed to wind & weather instead of sheltered from the rigour.
Also depends on the tree. Some pioneer trees can grow individually in adverse conditions, others like it in groups and warm and wet.
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It's basically a (rough) description of the relative wind speed on the site compared to the local average. If a site is sheltered, it will typically experience: lower wind speeds, potentially warmer mean temperatures, and (in temperate zones) a lower risk of frost (although some sites may actually have an increase due to catabatic airflow: "frost hollows")
Exposed sites are the reverse, higher windspeed, more extreme weather conditions.
