Vertical variability of selected macrostructural properties of juvenile wood organization in trunks of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees

Abstract

The study makes an attempt to analyse the width of annual rings, the width of the latewood zone and the proportion of the latewood within juvenile wood along trunks of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees and to verify the hypothesis about the heterogeneous properties of juvenile wood in a single trunk. It was found that the above-mentioned macrostructural elements of wood structure showed a curvilinear correlation with the height of measurement points along the tree trunk. As the distance from the base of trunk increased, the width of the annual ring and the width of the latewood zone decreased, while the proportion of the latewood increased. These types of changes can affect positively physical and mechanical properties of wood tissue. It can be assumed that there is a mechanism which modifies properties of juvenile wood causing axial diversification of the analysed type of wood tissue. It is probable that axial heterogeneity results in advantageous changes in the mechanics of the tree trunk.