Some Observations of Wood Density and Anatomical Properties in A Douglas-Fir Sample with Suppressed Growth

This study used ring width correlations to examine the effects of tree-growth suppression on within-tree local wood density and tracheid anatomical properties. A wood core sample was taken from a 70-yr-old Douglas-fir that grew under various degrees of suppression in a natural forest setting. SilviScan and an imaging technique were used to obtain wood density and tracheid cross-section dimensions. The results indicated that wood and tracheid properties correlate to annual-ring width very well. The results also reveal that growth suppression may increase the uniformity of wood density and tracheid cell-wall thickness in both radial and tangential directions