Available Online at http://www.recentscientific.com International Journal of CODEN: IJRSFP (USA) Recent Scientific International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research Vol. 8, Issue, 11, pp. 21459-21464, November, 2017 ISSN: 0976-3031 DOI: 10.24327/IJRSR Research Article RADIAL PATTERNS OF WOOD DENSITY VARIATION IN PINUS MERKUSII JHUNGH & DE VRIESE Lego K., Sharma M and Sharma C.L* Wood Science and Forest Products Laboratory, Department of Forestry NERIST, Nirjuli- 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2017.0811.1078 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: The present study was conducted in Pinus merkusii Jhungh & de Vriese to find out the patterns of wood density variation from pith to bark at breast-height and successive heights and to see the Received 20th August, 2017 th relationship between juvenile and mature wood. The study revealed gradual increase in wood Received in revised form 29 density variation from pith to bark at all heights. The boundary was demarcated at 15th ring and a September, 2017 positive and significant relationship existed between juvenile and mature wood. Accepted 30th October, 2017 th Published online 28 November, 2017 Key Words: Breast-height, Juvenile wood, Mature wood, Pinusmerkusii, Radial variation, Wood density. Copyright © Lego K., Sharma M and Sharma C.L, 2017, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. INTRODUCTION developing efficient methods for utilization of wood for various products. The present investigation on radial patterns of wood Wood density is one of the important indicator of wood quality. density variations from pith to bark in Pinus merkusii Jhungh & It is one of the main functional characteristics of woody plant de Vriese has been made with the objectives of (a) to determine species. The woods with higher density are decay and drought the magnitude of wood density variations from pith to bark at resistant (Hietz et al.2013). It is related to above ground breast-height and successive heights (b) to demarcate the biomass and carbon stock estimation (Nogueira et al., 2008; boundary between juvenile wood and mature wood and (c) to Chave et al., 2009). It affects the shrinkage and swelling see the relationship between juvenile wood and mature wood behaviour of wood. In addition, it is related to many physical properties like strength, stiffness, hardness ease of drying, MATERIAL AND METHODS machining (Jyske et al.2008), pulp yield and physical Six straight boled trees with uniform crown and no visible properties of fibrous products (Molteberg and Høibø, 2007), defects were selected from pure pine forest of Dong village quality and quantity of wood products (Zobel and van under Walong administrative circle of Anjaw district, Buitjtenen, 1989). Wood density also plays a major role for Arunachal Pradesh during the time of road construction by analysis of tree growth and prediction of future tree Border Road Organization (BRO) under Border Area productivity due to climate change (Bouriaud et al. 2004). Development Programme. The geographical coordinates of the A perusal of literature reveals that wood density is highly selected sites taken with GPS were 28⁰10'16.10"N latitude and variable like other wood characteristics and varies within and 97⁰02'32.88"E longitude. The cross-sectional discs of about 10 among trees. It varies from pith to bark radially, from base to cm thickness were taken at breast height and at regular top axially, from one side of tree to other side around the intervals of 3 meter above breast-height (Fig.1).The north circumference and even within an annual ring (Zobel and van direction was marked with a nail in each cross-sectional disc. A Buijtenen, 1989). Wood density is under strong genetic control. total of 42 cross-sectional discs were collected from six trees. Its variation provides an advantages for the development of The discs were packed in poly bags and brought to laboratory better wood to the forester and also creates problems in for further processing. *Corresponding author: Sharma C.L Wood Science and Forest Products Laboratory, Department of Forestry NERIST, Nirjuli- 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India Lego K., Sharma M and Sharma C.L., Radial Patterns of Wood Density Variation In Pinus Merkusii Jhungh & De Vriese T5D1 T5D2 T5D3 T5D4 T5D5 T5D6 T5D7 T5D8 T5D9 T5D10 T5D11 Fig 1 Cross-sectional discs of Pinus merkusii at breast height and successive heights of Tree 5 RESULTS All cross- sectional discs were smoothened to end grain with There was gradual increase in wood density variation from pith the help of an electric planer and sand paper to obtain clear to bark at breast-height and all successive heights (Figs.2-12) in annual rings on the surface and were photographed. Radial both north and south directions of selected trees. The graphs of wedges from two opposite directions namely North-South were Tree 5 were presented here. sawn out from bark to pith in each disc (Lego et al.2017). The annual rings were separated out from the selected wedges and The scattered diagram plotted by logarithmic regression wood density of all annual rings was determined by water analysis (Fig.13) showed a steep increase in wood density up to displacement method (Smith, 1955). SPSS software package 15 years and afterwards it remained constant. was used for statistical analysis and graphs were plotted by Microsoft word. 21460 | P a g e International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 8, Issue, 11, pp. 21459-21464, November, 2017 0.60 T5D6 0.70 T5D1 ) 0.50 0.60 3 m ) c 0.40 / 3 0.50 g ( m c 0.30 y / 0.40 t g i ( s n 0.20 y 0.30 e t i d North s North n 0.20 0.10 d e o d South o 0.10 0.00 d South W o o 0.00 -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 W -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 Age (Years) Age (Years) Fig 7 Fig 2 0.60 T5D2 0.70 0.50 T5D7 ) 3 m 0.40 ) 0.50 c / 3 g ( m c 0.30 y / t g 0.30 i ( s n y North 0.20 e t i d s North n 0.10 South d e o 0.10 d o South d W o 0.00 o -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 W 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Age (Years) Age (Years) Fig 3 Fig 8 0.70 T5D3 0.60 0.70 ) T5D8 3 0.50 m ) c 3 / 0.50 g 0.40 m ( c / y g t 0.30 i ( s 0.30 y n t e 0.20 North i s d n North e d 0.10 South 0.10 o d o South d 0.00 o W o -0.10 -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 W 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Age (Years) Age (Years) Fig 9 Fig 4 T5D9 T5D4 0.60 0.60 0.50 0.50 ) 3 ) m 3 0.40 c 0.40 / m g ( c / 0.30 y g 0.30 t ( i s y n t 0.20 i e s 0.20 North d n North e 0.10 d d o South o 0.10 South d 0.00 o W o 0.00 W -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 Age (Years) Age (Years) Fig 5 Fig 10 T5D5 0.60 0.60 T5D10 0.50 0.50 ) 3 ) 3 0.40 m c m 0.40 / c g / 0.30 ( g ( y t 0.30 y i t 0.20 s i n s e n North 0.20 North d e 0.10 d South d South o d 0.00 o o 0.10 o W W -0.10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 0.00 Age (Years) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Age (Years) Fig 6 Fig 11 21461 | P a g e Lego K., Sharma M and Sharma C.L., Radial Patterns of Wood Density Variation In Pinus Merkusii Jhungh & De Vriese (Zobel and van Buijtinen, 1989). A perusal of literature reveals that different patterns of wood density variation from pith to 0.60 bark was observed by number of researchers. Abdel-Gadir and T5D11 ) 0.50 Krahmer(1993) observed initial decline in wood density up to 3 m 10 rings, a rapid increase upto 30 rings and gradually increase c / 0.40 g ( thereafter in Pseudotsuga menziesii. On contrary to it, Koubaa y t i 0.30 et al., (2005), Park et al., (2009) and Yamashita et al., (2010) s n e reported higher wood density near the pith, rapid decrease in d 0.20 North d transition zone with gradual increase in mature wood in Picea o South o 0.10 mariana, Pinus banksiana, and Picea koyamae.