Near ground level this tree divides into an open or wide fork. It is able to form a strong ridge between the two branches.
Higher up on the left there are two touching stems so close that they have shaped each other into a loving kiss.
When branches rub against each other like this it is liable to weaken them. They widen laterally to compensate for the flattening on one side. They may eventually weld together but more often they won't, Then one of them may break and the other is left without the support of its partner and will also succumb to forces exerted by the wind.
A kiss of death.
Here is one I prepared earlier, showing how branches which grow close to each other, forming a narrow fork, retain a barrier of bark between them. This prevents them from joining and welding together. In the space between, fungal organisms can initiate decay leading to breakage.
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