girdling

/G ER1 D L IH0 NG/
verb
  1. 1

    To gird, encircle, or constrain by such means.

  2. 2

    To kill or stunt a tree by removing or inverting a ring of bark.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/girdle, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/girdling