Transverse shrinkage in G-fibers as a function of cell wall layering and growth strain

Transverse drying shrinkage was measured at microscopic and mesoscopic levels in poplar wood characterised by an increasing growth strain (GS), from normal to tension wood. Results show that: (a) the drying shrinkage, measured as a relative thickness decrease, was significantly higher for G-layer (GL) than for the other layers (OL), GL shrinkage was not significantly correlated with GS, and OL shrinkage was negatively correlated with GS. (b) In gelatinous fibre (G-fibre), lumen size increased during drying and this increase was positively related with GS, but in normal wood fibre, lumen size decreased during drying. These findings suggest that GL shrank outwards (i.e., its internal perimeter increases), so that its shrinkage weakly affected the total cell shrinkage and the mesoscopic shrinkage was controlled by the OL shrinkage which shrank inwards (i.e., its external perimeter decreases). (c) Measurements done on 7 × 7 mm2 thin sections evidenced a negative correlation between transverse shrinkage and GS, significant in T direction but weak in R direction. These observations at both levels allow to discuss the contribution of GL to the mesoscopic shrinkage of tension wood.