Abstract
Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) has a dense wood that allows high-quality uses. In the present work, we study the influence of vessel characteristics, measured through image analysis and optical microscopy, on wood density, measured using X-ray microdensitometry, on 40-year-old trees. Vessel area increases with cambial age (5403–33064 μm2), while wood density decreases (1.229–0.836 g/cm3). The number of vessels is relatively constant at 6 vessels/mm2, while vessel proportion in cross-section increases from 3.3% near the pith to 20.5% near the bark. In growth rings closest to the pith, with high wood density and low vessel area, the relationship between the two variables is linear (R 2 = −32.1%, P < 0.01) but with increasing tree age and vessel size, the wood density remains rather constant, suggesting that decreases in density might compromise mechanical support of the tree at a stage when the increase in cross-sectional area alone might not provide mechanical stability. Other anatomical characteristics not considered in this study, like large xylem rays that increase with cambial age, may be responsible for the constant density.
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Acknowledgments
This study was partially funded by the European project Suberwood (QLRT 2000-0701) within the fifth Research Framework and the Portuguese project SOBRO (AGRO 523) within the AGRO and FEDER Programmes. The work was also integrated in the project ‘OAKWOODS.PT—Properties of wood from Portuguese oaks for high value solid and assembled wood products’ (PTDC/AGR-AAM/69077/2006) supported by the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). Centro de Estudos Florestais is a research unit funded by FCT within the POCTI-FEDER Programme. The first three authors acknowledge additional funding granted by FCT under the programme POCI—2010. We wish to thank Joana Paulo for providing help during the fieldwork.
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Communicated by T. Seifert.
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Leal, S., Sousa, V.B., Knapic, S. et al. Vessel size and number are contributors to define wood density in cork oak. Eur J Forest Res 130, 1023–1029 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-011-0487-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-011-0487-3