FrankC wrote: I'm not convinced. It might be right when the trees are dormant, but once they are completely in leaf , well in this case needles, the big ones will cover the smaller ones and your dept is gone. But, I could be complete wrong, I hope you prove me wrong.
You may not be convinced, but it's not like LB is making this up. It is a well known guideline. It's all about (perceived) perspective.
Here's an article that describes this. It explains why trees need to be tapered and it tells a bit about forests and why trees in a forest do not need as much taper as single trees - it's all about that perspective and the way we look at trees.
Trunks are an important part of the tree and they need to be visible. They will still be visible even if the trees are in full leaf.
