WOOD RESEARCH Volume 69, Number 2, 2024
JAMES KUDJO GOVINA and RÓBERT NÉMETH

ANNUAL GROWTH RING CHARACTERISTICS OF QUERCUS CERRIS (L.) TREES GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

The study examined the effect of stand composition and soil quality on radial growth of Quercus cerris (L.) grown in Vas County in Hungary. Twelve trees were randomly harvested, and the sampled wood pieces were extracted from the breast-height portion. Wood strips were machine-sanded, scanned for analysis in ImageJ. Climate data were obtained from a database of the Hungarian National Metrological Service. Mean annual-ring width was larger for trees harvested from mixed species planting site. Overall, annual-ring sizes for trees harvested from pure species stand that thrive on poor soils exhibited wider variation (62%). The same plot of trees had a latewood width variation of 82%. Precipitation correlated positively with annual-ring size with weak to moderate coefficient (0.13 – 0.32), whereas maximum temperature negatively correlated with annual-ring size on moderate coefficient (-0.42)

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 63, Number 1, 2018
Monika Ziemiańska and Robert Kalbarczyk

Biometrics of tree-ring widths of (populus x canadensis moench) and their dependence on precipitation and air temperature in south-western poland

The aim of this study was to explore the structure of the basic biometric characteristics of Canadian poplar (Populus x canadensis Moench) growing on former farmland, and the influence of meteorological elements on the variability of tree-ring widths (TRW). The test was performed on stem discs. Measurements of TRW were made with the use of LINTABTM 6. The impact of meteorological conditions on the TRW of the examined poplars was determined using correlation analysis for the dependent variable – residual chronology and independent variables – rainfall and air temperature in the current year and the year preceding the formation of rings. The average TRW of the Canadian poplar was 6.70 mm, with a coefficient of variation of 45.6%. The average TRW in sapwood was 5.37 mm, 2.11 mm less than in heartwood. The site chronology represented the period 1967-2014 (48 years). Our study demonstrated a significant correlation between rainfall and temperature on TRW in Populus x canadensis. The greatest demand for water by the Canadian poplar was observed in April and September of the current year. In contrast, the effect of air temperature most negatively affected TRW in June-July of the previous year (especially July) and April-May of the current year. In the designated chronology we established 13 pointer years, 7 positive and 6 negative. Negative years were determined in the years in which the shortage of rainfall was up to 50% of the norm, and positive indicator years where precipitation was higher than in the multi-annual period, even >150%. Both the correlation analysis and the analysis of indicator years indicated rainfall as a factor determining the size of the tree-ring width in Canadian poplars. In recent years, Poland has seen a resurging interest in planting poplars, following a long-term global trend in forestry and the paper industry which requires fast-growing tree plantations. The authors of this study attempted to address the gap in knowledge about the impact of meteorological elements on the tree-ring widths of Populus x canadensis in the conditions of south-west Poland.