TRACHEID LENGTH and MICROFIBRIL ANGLE of YOUNG TAIWANIA GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT THINNING and PRUNING TREATMENTS Chih-Ming Chiu
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TRACHEID LENGTH AND MICROFIBRIL ANGLE OF YOUNG TAIWANIA GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT THINNING AND PRUNING TREATMENTS Chih-Ming Chiu Senior Scientist Division of Forest Management Taiwan Forestry Research Institute Cheng-Jung Lin Ph.D. Division of Forest Utilization Taiwan Forestry Research Institute 53 Nanhai Rd Taipei 100, Taiwan, ROC [email protected] and Song-Yung Wang† Professor Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture National Taiwan University, No. 1 Sec. 4 Roosevelt Road Taipei 106, Taiwan, ROC (Received May 2004) ABSTRACT The effects of different thinning and pruning methods on the tracheid length and microfibril angle of young Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hay) were investigated. No significant differences were found for tracheid length and microfibril angle among the three thinning and pruning treatments. The tracheid length increases outwards from the pith. The radial variation in microfibril angle is high near the pith, and declines gradually towards the cambium. The tracheid length values increase with decreasing microfibril angle. Keywords: Thinning, pruning, tracheid length, microfibril angle, Taiwania. INTRODUCTION Sprague 1998) have reported that the tracheid length increases rapidly and nonlinearly during Tracheid length is recognized as an important the first years of radial growth, and then more wood property. Sirvio and Ka¨renlampi (2001) gradually in the mature wood. Thus, tracheid indicated that the properties of tracheids depend properties appear to vary in a complex way. on maturity and growth rate. The tracheid di- Microfibril angle (MFA) is another wood mensions usually increase monotonically out- characteristic with a major effect on wood qual- wards from the pith, although the longest tra- ity, especially shrinkage properties. MFA mea- cheids are found in the lower middle parts of the bole. Some studies (Saren et al. 2001; Mott et al. surements in wood provide valuable information 2002; Macdonald and Hubert 2002; Zobel and as an index of mechanical properties and wood quality (Meylan and Probine 1969). For ex- ample, the cellulose microfibrils in the S2 layer † Member of SWST. in wood cells are the most significant contributor Wood and Fiber Science, 37(3), 2005, pp. 437 – 444 © 2005 by the Society of Wood Science and Technology 438 WOOD AND FIBER SCIENCE, JULY 2005, V. 37(3) to the mechanical properties of wood. Further- of tracheid) from earlywood to latewood is more, the orientation of the microfibrils is criti- gradual. The wood is straight-grained, fine- cal, with the smallest angle to the cell longitu- textured but without luster. The average fiber dinal axis often providing the highest mechani- length and width are 3.49 mm and 44.5 mm, cal properties. Nakada et al. (2003) and respectively (Chern 1994). It has become an im- Lichtenegger et al. (1999) also indicated that the portant species for plantation in Taiwan, because microfibril angle of tracheid cell walls is one of of its fast growth and good wood quality. In a the intrinsic and critical characteristics of conif- series of investigations on the wood quality of erous wood. It has been found that the microfi- young Taiwania trees grown with different thin- bril angle decreases from pith to bark (Licht- ning and pruning treatments, it was previously enegger et al. 1999; Macdonald and Hubert reported that the results included effects on ring 2002; Zobel and Sprague 1998). Furthermore, width, density, knot traits, bending properties, there exists a strong correlation between micro- and strength (Wang et al. 2003a, b). However, fibril angle and fiber length, and microfibril there has been little investigation concerning the angle and fiber strength (Mott et al. 2002; Mey- effects of thinning and pruning practices on the lan and Probine 1969). Therefore, these are very tracheid length and MFA. Therefore, the pur- important factors in determining the strength and pose of this study is to evaluate the effects of stiffness of wood, apart from consideration of silvicultural treatments on the anatomic proper- specific end uses. ties of young Taiwania in plantations. Koga et al. (1996) indicated that forest prod- uct industries depend on intensively managed MATERIAL AND METHODS fast-growing trees because of the depletion of natural timber and the rapidly increasing utiliza- Testing materials tion of wood materials. Also, it is important to The study site was located in the No. 12, stress and promote the role of quality in produc- Liukuei Experimental Forest of the Taiwan For- ing and utilizing wood effectively and economi- estry Research Institute (TFRI), Kaohsiung cally. Variability in wood traits is mainly af- County, Taiwan, R.O.C. The area of the study fected by genetic, environmental factors and sil- site was about 2.0 ha, divided into 27 plots, each vicultural practices (Zobel and Sprague 1998; about 0.04 ha in area, including a buffer zone. Zobel and van Buijtenen 1989; Lima et al. The three types of thinning treatments were 2004). In general, tree growth can be directly heavy thinning (basal area 28 m2/ha. at diameter affected by planting techniques and silviculture, breast height [DBH, about 1.3 m. above the including thinning and pruning, which are the ground]), moderate thinning (33 m2/ha.), and two most important silvicultural practices for control (42 m2/ha.). The heavy-thinning and commercial plantation wood, controlling tree moderate-thinning treatments harvested stocks growth, yield, form, and wood quality. Hence, from the original 42 (m2/ha) to retain 28 (m2/ha) many studies on the influences of thinning or/ and 33 (m2/ha), respectively. The three types of and pruning on the wood properties of planta- pruning treatments were heavy pruning (4.5 m), tions have been conducted (Zobel and van Bui- moderate pruning (3.6 m), and control (non- jtenen 1989). However, the influences of thin- pruning). The heavy-pruning and moderate- ning and pruning treatments on the anatomic pruning treatments represented trees that were wood properties, such as tracheid length and pruned from the root base upward to 4.5 m and MFA angle, have received little attention. 3.6 m of the tree height, respectively. The study Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hay), is plantation was planted at an initial density of a softwood indigenous to Taiwan. Growth rings 2000 trees/ha in 1980. Thinning and pruning are distinct, narrow, and irregular in width fre- treatments were implemented in 1990. quently with false rings. Transition (dimension Three levels of thinning were combined with Chiu et al.—THINNING AND PRUNING ON TRACHEID LENGTH AND MFA OF TAIWANIA 439 another three levels of pruning treatment. There- DBHs and tree heights are shown in Table 1. A fore, nine silvicultural practices (3 thinning × 3 mean diameter from the trees was selected from pruning treatments) were used in this study. The each plot (3 trees per treatment), and a total of same thinning and pruning treatment plots were 27 sample trees were cut. These trees were har- repeated three times, for a total of 27 sample vested on February 14–15, 2001, when they plots in the experimental design. were about 20 years old. There is large tree-to-tree (inter-tree) and One cross-sectional disc (10 cm thick) was cut within-tree variation in wood properties within a from each sample tree at the position of its DBH. species; the trees even have the same age and A pith-to-bark strip about 1 cm wide and 1.5 cm grow in the same condition (Zobel and van Bui- thick was sawn along an average radius from jtenen 1989; Anagnost et al. 2002; Saren et al. each disk. The diametrical strip was sawn from 2001). In this study, the diameter and height of each disc in the same direction, and each strip each tree on the 27 small plots were all mea- was subdivided into growth rings as measuring sured. We had studied the structure of thinning units. Matchstick-size specimens were trimmed and pruning treatments of Taiwania stands and to contain only one growth ring (earlywood and the expected and fitted Weibull distribution of latewood), and then soaked in test tubes with a diameter breast height classes for Taiwania plan- maceration solution (H2O2:CH3COOH: dis- ס tations after thinning and pruning treatments tilled H2O 1: 4: 5). These then were heated at (Chiu et al. 2002). To eliminate the variation in less than 40°C for 72 h until the color of the this study, trees (samples) were removed only specimens became transparently white. Then the from the mediate tree per plot. In other words, specimens were removed from the test tubes and we sampled 3 trees (one [mediate] tree was washed with distilled water. The bundles of mac- selected from each plot) of each treatment. The erated tracheids were stirred and separated with data set consisted of one tree × three replicas a glass rod, and then stained with Safrain-O. (plots) × three thinning treatments × three Tracheid length (TL).—In order to compare pruning treatments. In total, 27 trees were in- tracheid length and microfibril angle (MFA) vestigated for tracheid length and MFA. Each data on the ring, ring boundary positions for tree had more than nine tracheid lengths and each sample were obtained using Resistograph. MFAs according to the number of rings exam- The within-ring variances of density and the ring ined, respectively. boundaries have been reported in an earlier pa- per (Wang et al. 2003a). Fortunately, the density Experimental method profiles for these samples did show clear bound- aries. To eliminate within-ring variance in this First, the diameter and height of each tree on study, fibers were removed only from the third the 27 small plots were measured. The average outermost location of earlywood and all late- TABLE 1. Structure of different thinning treatments of Taiwania stands.