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Although tree-ring-width chronologies have been widely used for temperature reconstructions, there are many sites around the world at which there is little evidence of a clear climate signal in the ring-width chronologies. This is the case with the long-lived conifer Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii (Hook. F.) Quinn), endemic to Tasmania, Australia, when the species grows at low elevation. In this study, we developed chronologies of several wood properties (e.g., tracheid radial diameter, microfibril angle) from Huon pine growing at a low-elevation site. We found that despite the absence of a climate signal in the ring-width chronologies, there were significant correlations between wood density, tracheid radial diameter and microfibril angle and temperature, stream flow and a drought index, enabling the development of robust chronologies. This novel finding suggests that chronologies based on these wood properties may have important potential for climate reconstructions from sites and species that have not yet been realized. In particular, a relatively extensive resource of ancient, low-elevation Huon pine in western Tasmania, in which climate signals have not been found using ring widths, may now be useful as part of the broader effort to reconstruct Southern Hemisphere climate.

• The lack of extant lianescent vessel-less seed plants supports a hypothesis that liana evolution requires large-diameter xylem conduits. Here, we demonstrate an unusual example of a lianoid vessel-less angiosperm, Tasmannia cordata (Winteraceae), from New Guinea. • Wood mechanical, hydraulic and structural measurements were used to determine how T. cordata climbs and to test for ecophysiological shifts related to liana evolution vs 13 free-standing congeners. • The tracheid-based wood of T. cordata furnished low hydraulic capacity compared with that of vessel-bearing lianas. In comparison with most nonclimbing relatives, T. cordata possessed lower photosynthetic rates and leaf and stem hydraulic capacities. However, T. cordata exhibited a two- to five-fold greater wood elastic modulus than its relatives. • Tasmannia cordata provides an unusual example of angiosperm liana evolution uncoupled from xylem conduit gigantism, as well as high plasticity and cell type diversity in vascular development. Because T. cordata lacks vessels, our results suggest that a key limitation for a vessel-less liana is that strong and low hydraulically conductive wood is required to meet the mechanical demands of lianescence., (© 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.)

Anatomical and subcellular characteristics of juvenile and adult wood of seven species (Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen, Platymiscium yucatanum Standl., Lonchocarpus castilloi Standl., Roseodendron donnell-smithii (Rose) Miranda, Terminalia buceras (L.) Wright, Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC., Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth. from Mexico, including a histometric evaluation, were investigated by light microscopy with a digitized image analysis system and by X-ray diffractometry using the SilviScan® system. The topochemical distribution of lignin and phenolic deposits in the tissue was studied by means of cellular UV-microspectrophotometry (UMSP). Extractive contents (acetone/water and water) were determined gravimetrically. The results of the structural and topochemical analyses were compared with the interrelations of certain anatomical and subcellular structures as well as the topochemical composition with regard to the physical and mechanical properties of the timbers investigated. The objective was to provide a detailed cellular and subcellular description of the heartwood of seven lesser-known timbers from Central America. All examined tree species show significant differences between juvenile and adult heartwood. For individual species, however, the differences vary greatly and have to be individually assessed in addition to general trends observed for all studied species. It has been shown that vessel size, fibre length, size of fibre lumina, and height and width of rays, as well as the content of extractives and topochemical composition of the cell walls, are suitable indicators for the differentiation of the two heartwood types. The results also contribute to a better understanding of the wood properties of the investigated timbers in relation to their utilization and added value increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between hydraulic vulnerability expressed as P 50 (the air pressure causing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity) and within-ring differences in wood density (WD) and anatomical features were investigated with the aim to find efficient proxies for P 50 relating to functional aspects. WD and tracheid dimensions were measured with SilviScan on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trunk wood. P 50 was strongly related to mean WD (r = -0.64) and conduit wall reinforcement ((t / b)2), the square of the ratio between the tracheid double wall thickness (t) and the lumen width (b), where use of tangential lumen width ((t / b t)2) gave better results (r = -0.54) than radial lumen width (r = -0.31). The correlations of P 50 with earlywood (EW), transition wood (TW) and latewood (LW) traits were lower than with the specimen averages, both for WD (r = -0.60 for WDEW, r = -0.56 for WDTW, r = -0.23 for WDLW) and all anatomical traits. The loss of hydraulic conductivity was addressed as a dynamic process and was simulated by defining consecutive phases of 5% theoretical conductivity loss. WD and tracheid traits were calculated and correlated with P 50 values of each specimen. Tightest correlations were found for (t / b t)2, at relative cumulated theoretical conductivities until 45 to 50% (r = -0.75). We conclude that WD is one of the best available proxies for P 50, but does not necessarily reflect the mechanism behind resistance to cavitation. The new trait, based on estimation of conductivity loss as a dynamic process, provided even stronger correlations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than one-third of Germany's Douglas-fir resources, stock in age-classes from twenty-one to fifty-nine years. As such timber increasingly enters markets, detailed knowledge of the anatomy and properties of its wood is of importance to forest managers and wood processors. Anatomical and mechanical wood analyses in this study were carried out on twenty trees from four scientifically managed plantations in Southern Germany. The age of the trees selected was forty-two years whereby varying growth conditions were considered. Juvenile and adult woods were identified by segmented linear regression of radial profiles of anatomical characteristics, such as latewood percentage, tracheid wall thickness microfibril angle and density. Additionally, the width of earlywood, latewood and growth rings as well as bending modulus of elasticity were determined. Variance was dependent on the trait used for differentiation, juvenile wood comprised of an eleven to thirty-one growth rings resp. radial amounts of fifteen to sixty-five percent. When compared to adult wood, juvenile wood showed corresponding features of approximately thirty percent wider growth rings, thirty four percent lower latewood percentage, fourteen percent thinner tracheid walls, and eighty percent larger microfibril angles, eleven percent lighter wood and fifty-seven percent lower bending modulus of elasticity. As the assortment features fast grown trees, adult heartwood characteristics were slightly inferior to the characteristics of European Douglas-fir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimensions of dated tree rings are an important tool of dendroclimatology. However, the relationships between climatic variables and cell diameter and cell wall thickness are not yet clearly elaborated. In the present article, year-to-year cell characteristics, ring width, and wood density of Picea crassifolia trees growing in northwestern China have been measured with high resolution by means of the instrument SilviScan-3. The response function analysis showed that climate explained 51% of the variation of cell radial diameter chronology, 48% of wood density, 40% of cell wall thickness, and 37% of ring width. Cell wall thickness and wood density responded significantly and positively to temperature, and the response to precipitation was negative, while the opposite was true for cell radial diameter and ring width. Cell wall thickness and wood density were pronounced (statistically significant) to temperature in September and precipitation in May and August. Cell radial diameter responded significantly to temperature in June and July, and precipitation, in August. For ring width, the temperature in July was important. Accordingly, cell characteristics are sensitive to climate, and the findings could be useful in the field of dendroclimatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of Forest Science (EDP Sciences) is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The definition of quality in the field of resonance wood for musical instrument making has attracted considerable interest over decades but has remained incomplete. The current work compares the traditional knowledge and practical experience of violin makers with a material-science approach to objectively characterize the properties of resonance wood. Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] has earned a very high reputation for the construction of resonance tops of stringed instruments and resonance boards of keyboard instruments, and was therefore chosen as the focus of the investigation. The samples were obtained from numerous renowned resonance wood regions in the European Alps and cover the whole range of available qualities. A set of acoustical, anatomical, mechanical and optical material properties was measured on each sample. These measurements were compared with subjective quality grading by violin makers, who estimated the acoustical, optical and overall suitability for violin making. Multiple linear regression models were applied to evaluate the predictability of the subjective grading using the measured material characteristics as predictors. The results show that luthiers are able to estimate wood quality related to visible features, but predictions of mechanical and acoustical properties proved to be very poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers world news briefs on the Carl-Olof Ternryd Research award presented to Professor Holger Militz from the Department of Wood Science, the fifty year anniversary celebration of the journal "Cellulose Chemistry and Technology" in Paris and the World Wood Day celebration held in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The article announces awards given to researchers at the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) Ph.D. Award including Michaela Zauner from ETH Zurich, Shengcheng Zhai from Kyoto University, and Salim Hiziroglu from Oklahoma State University.

The article offers information related on the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS). It mentions the annual meeting of the IAWS that will be held in conjunction with the International Scientific Conference on Hardwood Processing (ISCHP) in Quebec from September 15-18. It announces that S. Nami Kartal of Istanbul University has been awarded with the International Scientific Research Fellowship.

The article presents information on the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) Plenary Meeting 2014, "Eco-Efficient Resource Wood With Special Focus on Hardwoods," to be held in Sopron, Hungary, and Vienna, Austria, during September 14-18. It also presents information on newly elected members of the IAWS Executive Committee and Academy Board, including President Uwe Schmitt, Treasurer Howard Rosen, and Bulletin Editor Roberta Farrell.