I've always suspected that heavy pruning and cutting could kill a tree.
The following might partially help answer that question. "Trees respond to pain".

See this:

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/video/titles/12151/do-plants-respond-to-pain

If that is the case peach trees must be masochists as removing 1/3 of the tree every year stimulates them :)

Plants reacting to touch is one thing, but wouldnt it require a brain to translate electrical impulses into pain?   I abhor the animal food chain but if they prove that plants also suffer pain,  is just too much.   Beam me up Scotty! get me off this cruel planet.

LOL I'm going to start using Aspirin for my plants.

Aspirin For Your Garden

by Charlie Nardozzi

There's a Roald Dahl story where a scientist creates a machine that 'hears' plants screaming when they are cut.  Here's a synopsis: http://www.roalddahlfans.com/shortstories/soun.php

Always kinda creeped me out.

Soni, before you leave this planet you still have one more choice." Airatarian".

Martin,

Those crackling noises you hear are the trees yelling "Why didn't you send me to James instead?" ;)

Yes they do feel pain.
Here is proof!

http://www.themill.com/work/geico-tree.aspx

I may put aspirin in the hydro solution instead of Pro-Tekt. I'll need to do a bit more research on it.

JD just called me from Costco.  He wanted to make sure he got the Chimichangas correct.  Then I added cinnamon.  I will be dead if I call back and add aspirin.  Another day.........  Poor dude, he's now looking for Panko.  Can't cook without that!  figs in panko......oooooooohhhh

Suzi

Joe, I don't know about the gold ones, but Blue fish love dried figs.

Suzi, A dash of Aspirin might enhance the flavor. But I see no Panko in the recipe! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-chimichangas-recipe.html

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

ifa spine injury costs you the use of your arms n legs, are you stronger?

If a tree screams when cut, then it must sound like a massacre going on in my yard!
Good thing they can't dial 911;)

Phil, at the end of the video, ether was used on the mimosa plant, it did not respond to anything at all!
The idea here is that electric impulses similar to human signals sent to the brain are being sent down from where the damage occurs all the way down to the root system. 
It makes you wonder what it means! Perhaps just like other discoveries of the twentieth century something new will come to light someday .

As a scientist by training I always keep an open mind.During the times of Aristotle, everyone accepted that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones. It took 1500 years later for the following to occur.

"Galileo dropped a cannonball and a musket ball simultaneously from a tower, and observed that they hit the ground at nearly the same time. This contradicted Aristotle's long-accepted idea that heavier objects fell faster."

When I was young, I was taught that pruning certain trees when dormant is the right way. I wonder why? I'm sure it's not because they feel pain,
but perhaps pruning those trees at the wrong time not to mention the wrong way, could cause some damage!

Today I visited an orchard not far from home. This older gentleman had only two fig trees. One of them was 14 year old and the other one was only four year old.
So I asked him if he prunes his trees, because I noticed that the tree was very dense.To my surprise he relied that he never ever pruned his fig trees. He only removes the dead wood.
He does not know what kind of fig tree he has. When I asked him about the perfect shrub shape, he told me that it shapes itself. As for production, it produces load and loads of fruit each and every season. I forgot to take pictures. perhaps next time.

I have read here and on other places that you should not trim over 30℅of the tree

This year, I root pruned some of my potted trees by taking about 1/3 of the roots while also pruning the trees themselves.
Well these trees that underwent this operation, grew like shrubs and were super healthy, but food production was down by over 50% vs the past year.
I believe that the extra energy went into growing new roots and new branches rather than growing fruit. This occured with all the trees that were heavily pruned.
The challenge that we face is that when growing trees in pots, we need to make sure that those trees don't become rootbound, so pruning is a must, but when in the ground, it's a different matter.

From what I've read plants are stimulated by cutting. Also if i remember correct i think the aspirin gets converted to something else, similar to using aloe vera. Pro tekk. Is a silica based product different than aspirin. I have noticed great results with a different silica product. You can use the pro tekk to help mix neem oil. There is a small k value and powder mildew resistance using silica. I'm at work I can give better specifics another time. I use a cheaper secrete product you mix yourself. I do recommend silica products for specific uses.

It would be weird if plants didn't respond to damage.  We touch a hot object and pull away from it due to a pain response.  I doubt that the brain is involved with that initial pain and flight response, you want to take your hand off the offending object asap, not wait for a signal to move from your hand to your brain and back to your arm again.  For a plant it needs to respond to the biting insect or what not and so a signal needs to be sent to respond appropriately.  The wound needs to be closed, defensive chemicals need to be produced, probably a whole bunch of other stress responses must occur.  I would expect this response wouldn't be comfortable for the plant.  I hope there isn't an awful pain response....wouldn't be able to mow my lawn!  I'll have to make sure my blades are sharp and swift.

Having said that, when a plant produces fruit and loads it with sugars, changes it's color to catch the eye of an animal to get it to come over and eat that fruit and disperse it's seeds....would make sense that the plant would enjoy that.  No need to be an airatarian unless you really want to be one.

Maybe it could be likened to our bodies fighting a virus. Your body knows it's fighting it, but you don't feel it. Not all defenses are naturally associated with pain.