anatomical and physical wood property variation and juvenile wood distribution in a single stem of trembling aspen
abstract
the variation of fiber length, vessel element length, relative density, ring width
and the distribution o f juvenile wood within the stem of a 62-year-old trembling aspen
(populus tremuloides michx.) were studied. samples from the stem where acquired at
0.15 m, 1.3 m and then at every 2 m interval thereafter and examined in the east and
west aspects. radially, fibers and vessel elements both initially increased in length from
the pith outwards and then remained relatively constant toward the bark. the vertical
variation in cell length for both fibers and vessel elements was parabolic in shape. the
anova found that the three-way interaction aspect x zone x height was significant for
both mean fiber and mean vessel element length. for both cell types, the juvenile wood
zone had significantly shorter mean cell lengths than the mature wood zone in both
aspects, when comparing means from the same height. relative density did not have a
radial variation common to all the heights. the vertical variation o f relative density was
eccentric. the anova found that the two two-way interactions, zone x height and
aspect x height, were significant. at heights where there was a significant difference, the
mature wood zone had the significantly larger relative density. ring width was found to
generally increase from the pith outwards. the juvenile-mature wood boundary was
demarcated using the radial variation of fiber length. the radial variation of vessel
element length was tested as a criterion as well and found to be a viable criterion for
demarcating the juvenile-mature wood boundary. vertically, the width of the juvenile
wood zone decreased with increasing height. the study tree consisted entirely of
juvenile wood up to the age of 26. at age 62, the juvenile wood volume was 162 dm3
which represented 28.0 percent of the total stem volume. the volume of mature wood
exceeded the volume of juvenile wood at age 53. the relationship between the
percentage of stem volume and percentage of basal area that is juvenile wood varied
from linear to curvilinear depending on the height examined. from heights 0.15 m to 5.3
m, the relationship was curvilinear, while above 5.3 m the relationship was
approximately linear. the width of the juvenile wood zone, expressed as number of
rings, had a strong negative linear correlation with the interval age at the pith. the width
of the juvenile wood zone decreased as the interval age at the pith increased, suggesting
an ageing effect on the cambial initials influences the duration o f juvenile wood
production.
collections
- retrospective theses [1604]