The effect of site and cambial age on selected anatomical properties of

Date
2012-03
Authors
Wondifraw, Daniel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this project was to determine the site effect- especially water availability - and the effect of cambial age on selected anatomical properties of Pinus radiata, in order to be able to predict possible changes in wood quality due to an expected change in climate. A second objective was to correlate ring and fibre properties, in order to determine, if ring properties could be used as a proxy to describe wood quality. The samples consisted of 12 trees, sampled at an age of 1 to 16 from six selected sites in the Western Cape, which ranged from water stressed to moist. Apart from the water availability all other external factors, such as elevation etc. were kept as equal as possible. Anatomical wood properties such as fibre length and fibre diameter, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, ring width and earlywood/latewood ratio were determined and their change with cambial age and water availability was evaluated. Fibre length, fibre diameter and cell wall thickness increased with increasing cambial age, and ring width and earlywood/latewood ratio decreased with increasing cambial age. No significant correlations were found between any of the ring or fibre properties and water availability. Most of the fibre properties were significantly correlated with ring width and earlywood/latewood ratio when age was not considered as covariate, but showed no correlation when the age effect was excluded.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die projek was om die perseel se effek te bepaal, veral water beskikbaarheid, ten opsigte van die effek van kambium ouderdom en geselekteerde anatomiese eienskappe van Pinus radiata, om sodoende die moontike verandering in hout kwaliteit as gevolg van verwagte klimaatsverandering te voorspel. ‘n Tweede doelwit was om die ring en vesel eienskappe te korreleer en ook te bepaal of ring eienskappe gebruik kan word om hout kwaliteit te beskryf. Die monsters het bestaan uit bome van ses geselekteerde persele in die Wes Kaap en het gevarieer van ‘n water tekort na klam. Behalwe vir water beskikbaarheid is al die ander eksterne faktore, soos hoogte ens., konstant gehou waar moontlik. Anatomiese hout eienskappe soos vesel lengte en deursnee, sel deursnee, selwand dikte, ring wydte en E/L verhouding was bepaal asook die verandering met kambium ouderdom en water beskikbaarheid. Vesel lengte , vesel deursnee en selwand dikte het toegeneem met toename in kambium ouderdom, en ring wydte en E/L verhouding het afgeneem met toename in kambium ouderdom. Toename in water beskikbaarheid het gelei to afname in vesel lengte en selwand dikte, waar vesel deursnee, sel deursnee, E/L verhouding en ring wydte toegeneem het. Meeste van die vesel eienskappe het betekenisvol gekorrelleer met ring wydte en E/L verhouding wanneer ouderdom nie as ko-variant gebruik is nie.
Description
Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Keywords
Pinus radiata -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Pinus radiata -- Water requirement -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Pinus radiata -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Growth, Wood -- Quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Dissertations -- Forest and wood science, Theses -- Forest and wood science, Pinus radiata -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Climatic changes -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Citation