The morphology of cellular elements of juvenile wood of spruce has, in comparing to mature wood, different parameters. Subsequently, indented growth ring zones, caused by genetic predisposition and cambial injury, can significantly change the morphology of these tissues. The aim of the paper compared the morphology of cellular elements of juvenile wood originating in the indented and the normal growth rings. The results confirmed a significant difference in the proportion, the dimensions and shape of parenchyma cells and tracheids. While, in zones containing the indented growth rings the proportions were 15.6 % and 84.4 %, in normal growth rings were 10.4 % and 89.6 %. Tracheids in the indented growth ring zones were shorter and narrower (1.47 mm and 25.4 µm), but in normal growth ring zones longer and wider (2.14 mm and 28.3 µm). Tracheids from marginal and central zones normal growth rings showed considerable inhomogeneity in longitudinal shape (they were twisted). On the basis of change tissue morphology in the juvenile growth phase we can expect the impact of these growth disproportions on the quality production of pulp and paper, mainly in assortments with small diameter.
Injuries to standing trees caused by logging and the subsequent changes in biochemical composition and anatomy of affected tissues lead to wood quality loss, thus lowering the commercial value of roundwood. In this study, we investigated the influence of various factors that could help mitigate or prevent the spread of infections in the stem caused by injuries. A total of 112 beech logs (tree age: 42-143 years) from ten forest stands at three different sites in central Slovakia were examined, and the extent of discolouration and decay zones in each stem was measured, along with cambial age, stem diameter, injury width, and injury closure period. The results showed that the width of physiologically active wet sapwood and the width of the inactive dehydrated zone in the stem are important factors influencing red heartwood formation. We found no significant differences in the extent of discolouration and decay among different stands and sites. Stem diameter and injury width did significantly affect the penetration of infection through sapwood, and red heartwood formation was significantly affected by cambial age and injury width, while stand age, site slope, beech proportion in the stand and injury closure did not show any significant effect. Binary logistic models were applied to assess the probability of pathogen penetration through sapwood into the stem dehydrated zone as a function of injury width and stem diameter, as well as the probability that this could lead to red heartwood formation based on injury width and cambial age of beech stems.
Key message Fungal infection was outlined as a potential reason for the onset of indented annual growth ring formation during the juvenile phase of hazel wood growth. Annual growth ring indentations resulted from the formation of disturbed zones which originated solely in close proximity to leaf traces. Context Hazel wood is an abnormal type of woody tissue that is formed as a result of exogenous stimuli that may trigger long-term responses in the cambium. Cambial responses produce anatomical alterations in the surrounding xylem tissue that can be observed as an indentation of annual growth rings. The chemical profiles of lignan hydroxymatairesinol may provide an indication of its possible role in the protection of a living tree against the spread of a fungal or microbial infection at the onset of indentation. Aims The objectives of this study were to reveal the anatomical differences in the altered woody tissue of Picea abies hazel wood at both the onset and the later stages of annual growth ring indentation and to determine the chemical profiles for hydroxymatairesinol upon elicitation by a fungal infection in the disturbed zones. Methods Light and scanning electron microscopy observations were carried out on radial, tangential, and cross sections of hazel wood zones separated from P. abies stems. Concentrations of hydroxymatairesinol were determined for both the disturbed zones and the non-indented zones using a gradient high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The formation of disturbed zones was accompanied by significant changes in both the direction and width of the tracheids which produced an abnormal formation of intertwined and twisted tracheids. Fungal hyphae, radial cell wall cracks, and unusually large cross-field pitting were all found in the tracheids of the disturbed zones. Conclusion The content of hydroxymatairesinol in the acetone extract determined from the disturbed zones was 3.4 times greater than that present in the non-disturbed tissues. By means of vascular dysfunction in the leaf traces, host trees responded to the fungal infection by plugging the lumens of conductive leaf trace tissue and filling the vascular pathway with polyphenolic compound deposits.
The degradation of wood changes various properties; these changes can favor its usage in particular instances, e.g., as an insulation material. Knowledge of the moisture content and movement of moisture in building materials is crucial. The primary focus of this paper is the diffusion coefficient and equilibrium moisture content of three wood species after degradation via Trametes versicolor. Values for the diffusion coefficients were determined under different conditions: a temperature of 20 °C ± 2 °C; and 3 relative air-humidity settings, i.e., 30% ± 3%, 60% ± 3%, and 96% ± 3%. The differences in the longitudinal and transversal directions were statistically significant for all conditions, while the differences in the diffusion coefficients were non-significant for the first two relative-air-humidity settings. A portion of the diffusion coefficient calculation data was used to develop a sorption isotherm for all wood species. The equilibrium moisture content of the degraded wood was determined for each condition. Duncan’s multiple-range test showed that the wood species was a significant factor; therefore, the isotherm had to be plotted for each wood species. The number of sorption sites in the monolayer in degraded spruce wood was different from the number in degraded beech and oak wood.
There is a vast diversity of historic heirloom apple varieties around the world. Apples of various colors, sizes, tastes, uses, and ripening times can be found. In Slovakia, there has recently been a rising interest to preserve these apple varieties. The life of a tree is partially influenced by the growing conditions of the environment where the tree grows. In this paper, macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of four selected heirloom apple trees growing in Slovakia’s Štiavnické vrchy were observed. Studying the microscopic structure of historical heirloom apple trees wood could reveal specific cell arrangements of tissues. This could help to specify the individual varieties.
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