A new attempt at discrimination between Quercus petraea and Quercus robur based on wood anatomy

Abstract

The interspecific variability of wood anatomy between the two major oak species Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. is still largely unknown. However, anatomy strongly influences the technological properties of wood and the ecophysiological functioning of trees. Moreover, identification of oak wood species is a long-standing challenge and important for many purposes. In the Cîteaux Forest (Burgundy), 58 oaks from 14 mixed stands were sampled for wood anatomy characterization. Image analyses of four ring radiographies per tree were carried out. Shape, size, and proportion of tissues (earlywood vessels, fiber, parenchyma, and latewood vessels) were characterized, taking into account cambial age and ring-width effects. Taxonomic status of the trees was assessed by foliar morphology analysis. Significant differences in numerous anatomical features appeared between the two species. The surface proportion of earlywood vessels (the proportion of total ring surface area taken up by these vessels), the number of earlywood vessels, and the size and surface proportion of fiber zones were among the largest. The diameter and shape of earlywood vessels did not differ between the two species. A bivariate discriminant function reached a 78% rate of success for species recognition. However, a much clearer foliar morphology gap existed between the two species. At the intraspecific level, linear correlations between anatomical and morphological variables were significant for a few variables only. Nevertheless, for each species, trees displaying an atypical wood anatomy were also less morphologically representative. Technological and ecophysiological implications of these results are discussed. In mixed stands, hybridization introgression between the two species could explain the large anatomical overlap. Thus, anatomical discrimination between the two oak species may be easier in pure stands. Finally, a practical identification key is given. Résumé : La variabilité inter-spécifique de l'anatomie du bois des deux principaux chênes de la forêt européenne (Quercus robur L. et Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) est encore paradoxalement peu connue. Pourtant, l'anatomie conditionne pour une large part les propriétés technologiques du bois et le fonctionnement écophysiologique des arbres. La possibilité d'identifier l'espèce à partir d'échantillons de bois offrirait aussi une large gamme d'applications. Quatorze peuplements mélangés de chênes pédonculé et sessile de la forêt de Cîteaux (Bourgogne) ont été échantillonnés (58 chênes au total). Par analyse d'images radiographiques de carottes de sondage, on a caractérisé la forme, la taille et la proportion des différents tissus (gros vaisseaux, fibres, parenchyme et petits vaisseaux) de quatre cernes par arbre, en contrôlant les effets âge et largeur de cerne. Le statut taxonomique des arbres a été précisé par analyse de la morphologie foliaire. Nous mettons en évidence, entre autres, des différences très significatives entre espèces pour le nombre et la proportion surfacique ...

Novel perspectives in wood certification and forensics: dry wood as a source of DNA

“…The determination of the same variants on wood samples could help confirm the claimed geographical origin of the wood used to age wine by the barrel industry. Taxonomic identification of wood samples, sometimes difficult or costly on the basis of wood anatomy studies alone (Feuillat et al 1997), could be enhanced by the analysis of appropriate genetic markers selected from one of the three genomes, for instance ribosomal DNA from the nuclear genome, repeated in many copies and often considered as an excellent tool for taxonomic purposes (Szymanski et al 1999). Also, nuclear microsatellites could be used for tracing individual trees, at least when working with relatively fresh wood samples.…”

Leaf morphology as species indicator in seedlings of Quercus robur L. and Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl.: modulation by irradiance and growth flush

“…Because of the large variability among individuals in morphological features, this identification may be difficult, in particular within mixed stands where the taxonomical status of trees is often uncertain. In the absence of fruits, leaf morphology remains one of the most reliable criteria to discriminate between the two species [1,7,9,12,13,15]. Consequently, many studies comparing Q. petraea and Q. robur use identification criteria based on leaf morphology.…”

Late Gothic Altarpieces as Sources of Information on Medieval Wood Use: A Dendrochronological and Art Historical Survey

“…All sculptures that were selected for this paper were made of oak. From the 118 sculptures that entered the dendrochronological analysis, 50 were submitted to a more detailed anatomical examination, according to the identification key presented by Feuillat et al (1997). High-resolution images of the tree-ring patterns provided the means to determine the average number of earlywoodvessel ranks and the average percentage of latewood.…”

“…Two other sculptures (BASS-64 and -65), that have not been identified wood anatomically, also originate from this particular tree (Table 1). Both sculptures lack a sufficient number of growth rings that approximate 2 mm and therefore are not suited for the identification key of Feuillat et al (1997). The small sculpture (BASS-61) has only 36 tree rings.…”

“…is still hard to determine (Grosser 1977;Walker 1978;Feuillat et al 1997). According to Feuillat et al (1997) two specific features allow a fast discrimination between Q. robur and Q. petraea: the number of earlywood vessel rows and the latewood ratio. These features must be measured on four different growth rings approximately 2 mm wide on each unidentified specimen.…”