Variation in wood structure of white fir along an elevational transect

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S. Dodd ◽  
Ariel B. Power

Several wood structural characteristics were measured in 15-year-old Abiesconcolor (white fir) from four populations along an elevational transect in the central Sierra Nevada region. The trees had been growing in a plantation near Placerville, California. Growth rings were narrower at breast height, latewood percentage tended to be greater, and tracheids were shorter in trees from higher elevation populations. Proportion of family variance components was greater than population for specific gravity and spiral grain angle. The characteristics that showed greatest population components of variation would be largely determined by durations and rates of shoot and radial growth. Presumably, length of the growing season would exert stronger selection pressure on these variables than on other characteristics of wood structure.

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S. Dodd ◽  
Nancy K. Walker

Wood structural characteristics were compared in 11-year-old Pinusradiata trees from hedge- and tree-form donors (H and T) to examine the effects of apical ageing (cyclophysis) on wood formation. Although the differences were small, T plants tended to produce wood with narrower growth rings and lower density in the first two rings. T plants showed a greater contrast between density at the end of one growth ring and the beginning of the next. The lower mean growth ring density in T plants was mainly due to a lower earlywood density with little difference in latewood density or latewood percentage. Although differences in density from early- to late-wood were greater in T plants, there was no difference between H and T plants in within-ring density variation. This was due to greater fluctuations in density across growth rings of H plants, perhaps because these plants were less buffered against the environment. Differences in wood structure between H and T plants were not the same for all clones, as shown by significant interactions in the analyses of variance. These different responses may have resulted from differences in the effectiveness of hedging in slowing apical maturation, or from differences in rates of maturation.


Ecology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Milodowski ◽  
Simon M. Mudd ◽  
Edward T. A. Mitchard

IAWA Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao Rongjun ◽  
Yao Chunli ◽  
Cheng Xianbao ◽  
Lu Jianxiong ◽  
Fei Benhua ◽  
...  

The anatomical characteristics, chemical composition, and physical and mechanical properties of fast-growing Populus × euramericana cv. ‘74/76’ juvenile wood were investigated. Four- to five-year-old clonal plantation trees were harvested from two different experimental sites in the suburbs of Beijing. The Shunyi site had black alkali soil with a planting density of 4 × 6 m and the Miyun site had sandy loam soil with a planting density of 3 × 5 m. The test results showed that the poplar trees from the two sites were both fast growing, with poplar at Shunyi growing faster than at Miyun. There were no significant differences in wood properties between trees grown at the two sites. Fiber length at breast height varied from 872 to 1300 μm between growth rings, average fiber width varied from 21.0 to 25.5 μm and double wall thickness varied from 5.0 to 6.6 μm. Average cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose contents in the samples were 48.9%, 25.4%, and 18.8%, respectively. MFA was higher in the first two growth rings (20–25°), and then decreased rapidly to 12° close to the bark. The average air-dry density at breast height was 401 kg/m3 while the average MOE at breast height was 9.3 GPa. The trees showed large growth rates in both height and stem diameter during the growing season. However, wood properties of the juvenile poplar appeared to be similar to those of poplars with a slower growth rate.


1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 690-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Hallgren ◽  
John A. Helms

Morphogenesis of the terminal shoot was studied in 2-year-old seedlings of California red fir (Abiesmagnifica A. Murr.) and two elevational sources of white fir (Abiesconcolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl.). Seedlings were either watered or left unwatered during the growing season in order to produce different shoot morphologies and seedlings with and without a summer shoot. Under favorable soil moisture, the frequency of summer shoot production was 32, 53, and 82% for red fir and high- and low-elevation white fir, respectively. Drought from mid-May to mid-September reduced summer shoot production to less than 1% in both species. Spring shoot morphology was not an indicator of capacity to produce a summer shoot. Rate of primordium production was directly related to apical dome diameter. However, when the normal spring increase in apical dome diameter was arrested by summer shoot elongation, the rate of primordium production appeared to be unaffected. Although the apical and subapical meristems were active at the same time, they did not appear to be antagonistic. The major effects of producing a summer shoot were as follows: (i) elongation of 60–120% more intemodes in the current growing season, (ii) production of 15–40% more needle primordia in the overwintering bud, (iii) production of 30–60% more primordia annually, and (iv) increase in the percentage of total primordium production that developed into needles from 60% to 75–80%.


2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leda N. Kobziar ◽  
Joe R. McBride ◽  
Scott L. Stephens

Plantations are the most common means of reforestation following stand-replacing wildfires. As wildfires continue to increase in size and severity as a result of fire suppression or climate change, establishment of plantations will likely also increase. Plantations’ structural characteristics, including dense, uniform spacing and abundant ladder fuels, present significant wildfire hazards. Large-scale fuels reduction techniques may be necessary to reduce potential fire behavior in plantations and to protect surrounding forests. In the present study, four different manipulations aimed at reducing potential fire behavior in a Sierra Nevada pine plantation are compared. The treatments include: mechanical shredding, or mastication, of understorey vegetation and small trees; mastication followed by prescribed fire; fire alone; and controls. Fire behavior modeling shows that mastication is detrimental whereas prescribed fire is effective in reducing potential fire behavior at moderate to extreme weather conditions. Predicted fire behavior was compared with actual values from the prescribed burns in an effort to explore the limitations of fire modeling. Fire behavior predictions were similar to field observations in the more structurally homogeneous stands, but differed greatly where mastication created forest openings and patchy fuels distributions. In contrast to natural stands, the homogeneity of pine plantations make the results of the present work applicable to other regions such as the south-eastern US, where similar fuels reduction techniques are used to increase fire-resistance and stand resilience.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-150
Author(s):  
L. E. Nelson ◽  
G. L. Switzer

Abstract Nine-year-old planted sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) consisting of four half-sib seed sources were refertilized with nitrogen in 1981 at the beginning of the tenth field-growing season. Increases in periodic annual height, diameter at breast height, basal area, stem volume (ob),and woody biomass increments of all four half-sib seed sources from applied nitrogen were observed during the 9 years following application. Periodic annual stem volume (ob) increments averaged over all half-sib seed sources were 120, 152, 192, and 266 ft³/ac/yr for the 0, 89, 178, and356 lb/ac N rates, respectively. The half-sib seed sources from alluvial sites were superior to those from upland sites in terms of productivity and response to N. The response of all half-sibs to N was immediate, occurring during the year of application; however, the increased growth ratesdue to N persisted for only 3 years. This suggests that on responsive sites, applications of N may be necessary every fourth year to maintain maximum growth rates. South. J. Appl. For. 16(3):146-150.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1345-1350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel F. Alvarez ◽  
Fields W. Cobb Jr.

Nine different types of mycorrhizae were observed on naturally occurring white fir seedlings in the north central Sierra Nevada, including one formed by the ubiquitous Cenococcum graniforme. The macro- and micro-scopic characteristics and reactions to different chemical reagents are described for five types. Possible mycorrhizal fungi of white fir are listed. Nursery-grown seedlings examined were ectomycorrhizal; intracellular penetration was not observed. None of the naturally occurring mycorrhizal types were found on nursery seedlings.


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 803-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Thies ◽  
E. E. Nelson

Eight treatments involving stump removal by bulldozing in combination with nitrogen fertilization were applied to 0.04-ha circular plots in a clear-cut on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Treatments included stump removal (either all stumps removed or the plot left undisturbed) and broadcast fertilization with ammonium nitrate (0, 336, 672, or 1345 kg N ha−1). Diameter at breast height and height of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings, planted several months after treatment, were recorded five and eight seasons after outplanting. The results showed that either bulldozing stumps from the site or fertilizing with ammonium nitrate increased growth of seedlings through their eighth growing season. After eight growing seasons, bulldozing had increased seedling height by 23% and diameter at breast height by 43%; fertilizing produced increases of 13% in height and 17% in diameter at breast height.


IAWA Journal ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-20
Author(s):  
R. Vijendra Rao ◽  
R. Dayal ◽  
B.L. Sharma ◽  
Luxmi Chauhan

An accurate deseription of the wood structure of Thottea siliquosa is presented for the first time. Earlier deseriptions for this species were based on ineorreetly identified sampies. Wood is diffuse-porous with distinet growth rings. Vessels are small , solitary, in radial multiples and also in clusters, forming a distinet radial pattern. Perforations are simple, intervessel pits small, alternate without vestures. Vaseular traehe ids are present. Axial parenehyma is diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Rays are very high and broad, heterogeneous. Fibres thick-walled and non-septate. Oil eells are absent.


2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 597-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia E. Maloney ◽  
David M. Rizzo

We determined the spatial pattern of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp.) associated with two different conifer hosts, white fir (Abies concolor) and Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi), in forests around the Lake Tahoe Basin and at the Teakettle Experimental Forest, both located in the Sierra Nevada. We also examined a number of host variables and bark beetle incidence to determine how these factors might be involved in the Arceuthobium—conifer interaction. There was no significant relationship between dwarf mistletoe-infected trees and associated bark beetles. We found the highest incidence of dwarf mistletoe on Jeffrey pine in Lake Tahoe (87%), followed by dwarf mistletoe on white fir in Lake Tahoe (30%), with the lowest incidence on white fir at Teakettle (27%). Dwarf mistletoe incidence on white fir in our Lake Tahoe grid was not correlated to density but the dwarf mistletoe rating (DMR) was positively correlated to host size. At the Teakettle Forest, dwarf mistletoe incidence on white fir was not correlated with host density but the DMR was correlated with host size. Dwarf mistletoe incidence and DMR on Jeffrey pine were correlated with host density. Individuals, of both conifer species, in all diameter size classes were susceptible to dwarf mistletoe, with the lowest infection rate in the seedling-10-cm-diameter class. Arceuthobium on white fir in Lake Tahoe showed spatial dependence to a range of 20 m. However, Arceuthobium on Jeffrey pine in Lake Tahoe and on white fir at Teakettle showed no clear pattern of spatial structuring. The degree of infection and stand history appear to be important in the spatial dynamics of Arceuthobium spp.


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