system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
When a tree engulfs a metal sign or fence, does the metal do any damage to the tree? i.e. Is this process safe for the tree?
gpt
If the object doesn't go all the way around the tree, the damage is more or less minimal.  If the object goes all the way around the tree it's capable of killing the tree through girdling it as the tree grows.