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Radial trends in black spruce wood density can show an age- and growth-related decline

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Abstract

Context

Wood density variation affects structural timber performance and is correlated with several potentially confounding factors, such as cambial age, position in the stem and growth rate. To date, these relationships have not been comprehensively quantified in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.).

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe the variation in annual ring density in black spruce as a function of cambial age, stem height and growth rate.

Methods

Radial density profiles from 107 black spruce trees were analysed using a two-stage modelling approach. First, the parameters of a nonlinear function were estimated separately for individual samples. Linear regression was then used to model the parameters obtained in the first stage as functions of internal and external tree descriptors.

Results

Annual ring density was high near the pith and declined rapidly in the first 15 annual rings before increasing to more stable values between rings 25 and 60. However, just below 25 % of the samples showed a gradual decline towards the bark, typically after ring 60.

Conclusion

Describing and quantifying radial density patterns, including the decline close to the bark, will help further our understanding of the links between tree growth and ring density over the life of the tree.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of a project supported by the NSERC ForValueNet Strategic Network. The authors would like thank Daniel Corbett and Northwest Regional Growth and Yield field staff at Northwest Science and Information (OMNR) for the field work and field data. Many thanks also to our colleagues who helped with the laboratory work, including Stephane Comeault, Dr. Xiaodong Wang, Stephen Elliott, Brent Forbes, Dr. Marek Holpit and Dr. Thakur Upadhyay. We also sincerely thank Dr. Jean-Michel Leban and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on the manuscript.

Funding

Financial support for this project came from NSERC-ForValueNet and Living Legacy Trust.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada, P7B 5E1

    Wei Xiang & Mathew Leitch

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

    David Auty, Emmanuel Duchateau & Alexis Achim

Authors
  1. Wei Xiang
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  2. Mathew Leitch
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  3. David Auty
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  4. Emmanuel Duchateau
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  5. Alexis Achim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Xiang.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Jean-Michel Leban

Contribution of the co-authors

Wei Xiang was the principal investigator for this study. He undertook sample processing and laboratory measurements, carried out the main data analyses and wrote the manuscript.

Mathew Leitch was the main supervisor for the project. He supervised the work and helped in developing the methodology for the study, interpreting results and revising earlier drafts until final approval.

David Auty contributed to the development of the model and to the interpretation and presentation of the statistical results and revised the text.

Emmanuel Duchateau assisted the first author in developing the modelling approach and in finding a strategy to increase the convergence of the nonlinear models. He also contributed to the interpretation and presentation of the statistical results.

Alexis Achim was the co-supervisor for the project. He assisted with developing the methodology for the study, supervised the development of the model and revised the text.

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Xiang, W., Leitch, M., Auty, D. et al. Radial trends in black spruce wood density can show an age- and growth-related decline. Annals of Forest Science 71, 603–615 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-014-0363-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-014-0363-7

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