Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Models for predicting microfibril angle variation in Scots pine

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Annals of Forest Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Context

Microfibril angle (MFA) is one of the key determinants of solid timber performance due to its strong influence on the stiffness, strength, shrinkage properties and dimensional stability of wood.

Aims

The aim of this study was to develop a model for predicting MFA variation in plantation-grown Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L). A specific objective was to quantify the additional influence of growth rate on the radial variation in MFA.

Methods

Twenty-three trees were sampled from four mature Scots pine stands in Scotland, UK. Pith-to-bark MFA profiles were obtained on 69 radial samples using scanning X-ray diffractometry. A nonlinear mixed-effects model based on a modified Michaelis–Menten equation was developed using cambial age and annual ring width as explanatory variables.

Results

The largest source of variation in MFA (>90 %) was within trees, while between-tree variation represented just 7 % of the total. Microfibril angle decreased rapidly near the pith before reaching stable values in later annual rings. The effect of ring width on MFA was greater at higher cambial ages.

Conclusion

A large proportion of the variation in MFA was explained by the fixed effects of cambial age and annual ring width. The final model is intended for integration into growth, yield and wood quality simulation systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Achim A, Gardiner B, Leban J-M, Daquitaine R (2006) Predicting the branching properties of Sitka spruce grown in Great Britain. NZ J For Sci 36:246–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Akaike H (1974) A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Trans Autom Control 19:716–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alteyrac J, Cloutier A, Zhang SY (2006) Characterization of juvenile wood to mature wood transition age in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) at different stand densities and sampling heights. Wood Sci Technol 40:124–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Auty D, Achim A (2008) The relationship between standing tree acoustic assessment and timber quality in Scots pine and the practical implications for assessing timber quality from naturally regenerated stands. Forestry 81:475–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auty D, Weiskittel AR, Achim A, Moore JR, Gardiner BA (2012) Influence of early re-spacing on Sitka spruce branch structure. Ann For Sci 69:93–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett JR, Bonham VA (2004) Cellulose microfibril angle in the cell wall of wood fibres. Biol Rev 79:461–472

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bendtsen BA, Senft J (1986) Mechanical and anatomical properties in individual growth rings of plantation-grown eastern cottonwood and loblolly pine. Wood Fiber Sci 18:23–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Burdon RD, Kibblewhite RP, Walker JCF, Megraw RA, Evans R, Cown DJ (2004) Juvenile versus mature wood: a new concept, orthogonal to corewood versus outerwood, with special reference to Pinus radiata and P. taeda. Forest Sci 50:399–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron AD, Lee SJ, Livingston AK, Petty JA (2005) Influence of selective breeding on the development of juvenile wood in Sitka spruce. Can J For Res 35:2951–2960

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cave ID (1969) The longitudinal Young’s modulus of Pinus radiata. Wood Sci Technol 3:40–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cave ID, Walker JCF (1994) Stiffness of wood in fast-grown plantation softwoods: the influence of microfibril angle. For Prod J 44:43–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark A III, Daniels RF, Jordan L (2006) Juvenile/mature wood transition in loblolly pine as defined by annual ring specific gravity, proportion of latewood, and microfibril angle. Wood Fiber Sci 38:292–299

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cown DJ, Herbert J, Ball RD (1999) Modelling Pinus radiata lumber characteristics. Part I: mechanical properties of small clears. NZ J For Sci 29:203–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Cown DJ, Ball RD, Riddell MJC (2004) Wood density and microfibril angle in 10 Pinus radiata clones: distribution and influence on product performance. NZ J For Sci 34:293–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Deresse T, Shepard RK, Shaler SM (2003) Microfibril angle variation in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and its relation to the strength and stiffness of early juvenile wood. For Prod J 53:34–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Domec JC, Gartner B (2002) Age- and position-related changes in hydraulic versus mechanical dysfunction of xylem: inferring the design criteria for Douglas-fir wood structure. Tree Physiol 22:91–104

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson LA (1992) Within-and between-tree variation in microfibril angle in Pinus radiata. NZ J For Sci 22:77–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson LA (1996) Effect of physiological age and site on microfibril angle in Pinus radiata. IAWA J 17:421–429

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson L (2008) Microfibril angle: measurement, variation and relationships: a review. IAWA J 29:345–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson LA, Burdon RD (1995) Clonal variation and repeatability of microfibril angle in Pinus radiata. NZ J For Sci 25:164–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Downes GM, Nyakuengama JG, Evans R, Northway R, Blakemore P, Dickson RL, Lausberg M (2002) Relationship between wood density, microfibril angle and stiffness in thinned and fertilized Pinus radiata. IAWA J 23:253–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans R (1999) A variance approach to the X-ray diffractometric estimation of microfibril angle in wood. Appita J 52:283–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans R, Ilic J (2001) Rapid prediction of wood stiffness from microfibril, angle and density. For Prod J 51:53–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans R, Downes GM, Menz D, Stringer S (1995) Rapid measurement of variation in tracheid dimensions in a radiata pine tree. Appita J 48:134–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner B, Macdonald E (2005) Compression wood in conifers-the characterisation of its formation and its relevance to timber quality, in European Union-Framework Programme FP5-Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources, QLRT-2000-00177, p. 376

  • Gardiner B, Leban J-M, Auty D, Simpson HL (2011) Models for predicting the wood density of British-grown Sitka spruce. Forestry 84:119–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gartner BL (1995) Patterns of xylem variation within a tree and their hydraulic and mechanical consequences. In: Gartner BL (ed) Plant stems: physiological and functional morphology. Academic, New York, pp 125–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Hale SE, Gardiner BA, Wellpott A, Nicoll A, Achim A (2012) Wind loading of trees: influence of tree size and competition. Eur J For Res 131:203–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herman M, Dutilleul P, Avella-Shaw T (1999) Growth rate effects on intra-ring and inter-ring trajectories of microfibril angle in Norway spruce (Picea abies). IAWA J 20:3–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Houllier F, Leban J-M, Colin F (1995) Linking growth modelling to timber quality assessment for Norway spruce. For Ecol Manag 74:91–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan L, Daniels RF, Clark A III, He R (2005) Multilevel nonlinear mixed-effects models for the modeling of earlywood and latewood microfibril angle. Forest Sci 51:357–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Jordan L, Re R, Hall DB, Clark A III, Daniels RF (2006) Variation in loblolly pine cross-sectional microfibril angle with tree height and physiographic region. Wood Fiber Sci 38:390–398

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan L, He R, Hall DB, Clark A III, Daniels RF (2007) Variation in loblolly pine ring microfibril angle in the southeastern United States. Wood Fiber Sci 39:352–363

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy RW (1995) Coniferous wood quality in the future: concerns and strategies. Wood Sci Technol 29:321–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krauss A (2010) Variation in the microfibril angle in tangential walls of pine wood tracheids (Pinus sylvestris L.). Wood Res-Slovak 55:7–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Lachenbruch B, Moore JR, Evans R (2011) Radial variation in wood structure and function in woody plants, and hypotheses for its occurrence. In: Meinzer FC, Lachenbruch B, Dawson TE (eds) Size- and age-related changes in tree structure and function. Tree physiology, volume 4. Springer, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson PR (1969) Wood formation and the concept of wood quality. Yale University School of Forestry Bulletin 74, p. 54

  • Larson PR, Kretschmann DE, Clark AI, Isebrands JG (2001) Formation and properties of juvenile wood in southern pines: a synopsis. USDA Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-129. USDA, Madison, p 42

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasserre J, Mason E, Watt M, Moore J (2009) Influence of initial planting spacing and genotype on microfibril angle, wood density, fibre properties and modulus of elasticity in Pinus radiata D. Don corewood For Ecol Manag 258:1924–1931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee SJ (1999) Improving the timber quality of Sitka spruce through selection and breeding. Forestry 72:123–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenz P, MacKay J, Rainville A, Cloutier A, Beaulieu J (2011) The influence of cambial age on breeding for wood properties in Picea glauca. Tree Genet Genomes 7:641–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenegger H, Reiterer A, Stanzl-Tschegg SE, Fratzl P (1999) Variation of cellulose microfibril angles in softwoods and hardwoods—a possible strategy of mechanical optimization. J Struct Biol 128:257–269

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindström MJ, Bates DM (1990) Nonlinear mixed effects models for repeated measures data. Biometrics 46:673–687

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindström H, Evans JW, Verrill SP (1998) Influence of cambial age and growth conditions on microfibril angle in young Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). Holzforschung 52:573–581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundgren C (2004) Microfibril angle and density patterns of fertilized and irrigated Norway spruce. Silva Fenn 38:107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald E, Gardiner B, Mason W (2010) The effects of transformation of even-aged stands to continuous cover forestry on conifer log quality and wood properties in the UK. Forestry 83:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mansfield SD, Parish R, Di Lucca CM, Goudie J, Kang K-Y, Ott P (2009) Revisiting the transition between juvenile and mature wood: a comparison of fibre length, microfibril angle and relative wood density in lodgepole pine. Holzforschung 63:449–456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McLean JP, Evans R, Moore JR (2010) Predicting the longitudinal modulus of elasticity of Sitka spruce from cellulose orientation and abundance. Holzforschung 64:495–500

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McMillin CW (1973) Fibril angle of loblolly pine wood as related to specific gravity, growth rate, and distance from pith. Wood Sci Technol 7:251–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Megraw RA (1985) Wood quality factors in loblolly pine. The influence of tree age, position in tree, and cultural practice on wood specific gravity, fiber length, and fibril angle. TAPPI Press, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  • Megraw RA, Leaf G, Bremer D, Butterfield BG (1998) Longitudinal shrinkage and microfibril angle in loblolly pine. In: Butterfield BG (ed) Microfibril angle in wood. Proc. IAWA/IUFRO Intn. workshop on the significance of microfibril angle to wood quality. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, pp 27–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Meylan BA (1972) The influence of microfibril angle on the longitudinal shrinkage-moisture content relationship. Wood Sci Technol 6:293–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore J, Achim A, Lyon A, Mochan S, Gardiner B (2009a) Effects of early re-spacing on the physical and mechanical properties of Sitka spruce structural timber. For Ecol Manag 258:1174–1180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore J, Mochan SJ, Brüchert F, Hapca AI, Ridley-Ellis DJ, Gardiner BA, Lee SJ (2009b) Effects of genetics on the wood properties of Sitka spruce growing in the UK: bending strength and stiffness of structural timber. Forestry 82:491–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakada R, Fujisawa Y, Hirakawa Y (2003) Effects of clonal selection by microfibril angle on the genetic improvement of stiffness in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don Holzforschung 57:553–560

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicoll BC, Gardiner BA, Rayner B, Peace AJ (2006) Anchorage of coniferous trees in relation to species, soil type and rooting depth. Can J For Res 36:1871–1883

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panshin AJ, de Zeeuw C (1980) Textbook of wood technology, 4th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, p 772

    Google Scholar 

  • Parresol BR (1999) Assessing tree and stand biomass: a review with examples and critical comparisons. Forest Sci 45:573–593

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro JC, Bates DM (2000) Mixed-effects models in S and S-PLUS. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro J, Bates D, DebRoy S, Sarkar D, R Core team (eds) (2012) nlme: linear and nonlinear mixed effects models. R package v. 3.1-105

  • R Development Core Team (2012) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarén M-P, Serimaa R, Andersson S, Saranpää P, Keckes J, Fratzl P (2004) Effect of growth rate on mean microfibril angle and cross-sectional shape of tracheids of Norway spruce. Trees-Struct Funct 18:354–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shuler CE, Markstrom DD, Ryan MG (1989) Fibril angle in young growth ponderosa pine as related to site index, dbh, and location in tree. USDA Forest Service Research Note RM-492

  • Timmell TE (1986) Compression wood in gymnosperms, vol 1–3. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulvcrona T, Ulvcrona KA (2011) The effects of pre-commercial thinning and fertilization on characteristics of juvenile clearwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Forestry 84:207–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vainio U, Andersson S, Serimaa R, Paakkari T, Saranpää P, Treacy M, Evertsen J (2002) Variation of microfibril angle between four provenances of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis [Bong.] Carr.). Plant Biol 4:27–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verkasalo E, Leban (2002) MOE and MOR in static bending of small clear specimens of Scots pine, Norway spruce and European fir from Finland and France and their prediction for the comparison of wood quality. Pa Puu-Pap Tim 84:332–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker JCF, Butterfield BG (1996) The importance of microfibril angle for the processing industries. N Z J For 40:34–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Watt MS, Zoric B, Kimberley MO, Harrington J (2011) Influence of stocking on radial and longitudinal variation in modulus of elasticity, microfibril angle, and density in a 24-year-old Pinus radiata thinning trial. Can J For Res 41:1422–1431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wimmer R, Downes GM, Evans R (2002) Temporal variation of microfibril angle in Eucalyptus nitens grown in different irrigation regimes. Tree Physiol 22:449–457

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zobel BJ, Sprague JR (1998) Juvenile wood in forest trees. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Sven-Olof Lundqvist, Åke Hansson and Lars Olsen at Innventia, Stockholm, for training in the use of the SilviScan-3 instrument. To Forest Research staff and Technical Services Unit for assistance with the extensive programme of field work: Shaun Mochan, Elspeth Macdonald, Steve Osborne, Andy Kennedy, Colin McEvoy, Alistair Macleod, Sandy Bowran, Calum Murray, Colin Smart and Steve O’ Kane. Thanks also to Will Anderson (Seafield Estates), Steve Connolly (Cawdor Forestry) and Forestry Commission Scotland for the site access and sample trees.

Funding

This project was funded by the Scottish Forestry Trust and Forest Research as part of the first author’s doctoral thesis for the University of Aberdeen. The SilviScan work was partly funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) programme, under the Short-Term Scientific Mission initiative. Thanks to Professor John Barnett and Dr. Karin Hofstetter, the respective chairs of COST Actions E50 and FP0802.

Author information

Author notes

  1. David Auty

    Present address: Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada

  2. Barry A. Gardiner

    Present address: INRA-Unité EPHYSE, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux, Villenave D’Ornon, 33140, Bordeaux, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Research, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9SY, Scotland, UK

    David Auty & Barry A. Gardiner

  2. Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Alexis Achim

  3. Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited), Private Bag 3020, Rotorua, 3046, New Zealand

    John R. Moore

  4. University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, Scotland, UK

    Andrew D. Cameron

Authors
  1. David Auty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barry A. Gardiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexis Achim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John R. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Andrew D. Cameron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Auty.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Jean-Michel Leban

Contribution of the co-authors

D. Auty was primarily responsible for conducting the field work, data analysis, and writing the manuscript and preparing figures. B. Gardiner was co-supervisor of the project and contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript. A. Achim contributed to the model development and writing and editing of the manuscript. J. Moore contributed to the data analysis and editing of the manuscript. A. Cameron was co-supervisor of the project and contributed to the editing of the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Auty, D., Gardiner, B.A., Achim, A. et al. Models for predicting microfibril angle variation in Scots pine. Annals of Forest Science 70, 209–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-012-0248-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-012-0248-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation