Variation In Cell Dimensions and Fibril Angle For Two Fertilized Even-Aged Loblolly Pine Plantations

Increment core samples were obtained from randomly selected, nine-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in two even-aged plantations in Louisiana in order to determine the variation in cell dimensions and fibril angle of the sites. The Homer site is representative of the growing conditions in north Louisiana, and the Bogalusa site is typical of the conditions in southeastern Louisiana. Both sites were subjected to similar site preparation and weed control and were fertilized in the juvenile period. The anatomical properties that were measured include: fiber length, cell-wall thickness, and microfibril angle (MFA). Observations were made in order to compare corewood (rings 2-4) and outerwood (rings 7-9) and also between earlywood and latewood. For both plantations, the statistical analysis revealed that cell-wall thickness and fiber length were significantly greater in outerwood and latewood than in corewood and earlywood, respectively. Microfibril angle was found to be significantly higher in corewood than in outerwood for both plantations. The anatomical properties were found to be more acceptable from an end-use perspective on the Homer site, which experienced slower diameter growth than the Bogalusa site