Induction of discolored wood in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Induction of discolored wood in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees by treatment with ethylene, carbon dioxide, nitrogen (hypoxia) or wounding from early April to late September was investigated. All treatments induced formation of discolored wood upward and downward from the drill hole. The amount of discolored wood formed above the drill hole depended on the treatment in the following order: ethylene > carbon dioxide = nitrogen > wounding; and below the drill hole in the order: ethylene > carbon dioxide = nitrogen = wounding. Based on chemical analyses (HPLC/UV, GS/MS, LC/MS and 1H-NMR), discolored wood induced by wounding or treatment with ethylene or carbon dioxide showed compositional similarities to natural heartwood, whereas discolored wood induced by nitrogen treatment showed fewer similarities to natural heartwood. The results suggest that ethylene is an important factor controlling heartwood formation, although wounding and internal concentrations of carbon dioxide may also play a role.     

Righting response of artificially inclined maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) saplings to wind loading

To determine if trees respond to dynamic and static loading in the same manner, 2-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) trees were subjected to different types of mechanical loading in the field. One block of trees (the control) were kept in pots and planted in the field at an angle of 0 or 45 degrees to the vertical. A similar block of leaning potted trees was planted nearby and subjected to frequent, unilateral wind loading for a period of 1 s every 2 min. Half the leaning trees were oriented toward the direction of wind loading and half were oriented along the axis of wind loading. The stem profile was measured three times during the growing season to quantify the rate of stem straightening. Compression wood formation and stem shape were measured in all plants. No differences in mean height or diameter were observed between blocks and all leaning trees straightened, but not at the same rate. Although no difference in the rate of apical straightening occurred between control and wind-treated trees, the righting response of the basal part of the stem of leaning trees subjected to wind was four times greater than that of leaning trees without wind. No differences in the righting response were observed between leaning trees growing toward and trees growing away from the source of wind. No significant differences in compression wood formation were found between control trees and wind-treated trees, indicating that other factors must determine the reorientation rate of leaning trees. Results are discussed with reference to the quality of compression wood in conifers and the mechanotransductive pathway in plants.     

Effect of Coriolus versicolor on physico-chemical properties of Eucalyptus globulus wood

Summary The purpose of this study was to determine the progressive changes in physical and chemical properties of Eucalyptus globulus wood under the action of a representative white rot fungus, Coriolus versicolor. Observations concerning the nature and relative effects on weight loss, hot water solubility, 1% sodium hydroxide solubility, Klason lignin, holocellulose, intrinsic viscosity and degree of polymerisation of holocellulose, pentosans, methoxyl value, neutral sugar composition and nitrobenzene oxidation products are discussed.The authors thank Dr. P. S. Rehill, the then Officer-in-Charge, Forest Pathology Branch, for valuable suggestions and providing facilities for decay experiments     

Kinetics of acid-catalysed delignification of Eucalyptus globulus wood by acetic acid

Summary The kinetics of HCl-catalysed delignification of Eucalyptus globulus wood by 70% (w/w) acetic acid solution were satisfactorily explained by a model in which 5% of the lignin fraction could not be eliminated and the remaining 95% was eliminated by a single process which, in view of the activation energy calculated from the data was attributed to the hydrolysis of -aryl ether bonds. The selectivity of the process was effectively independent of HCl concentration and operating temperature for pulp yields >50%. At high temperature (160 °C) and catalyst concentration (0.027 MHCl), lignin condensation and precipitation became significant and the data were better fitted by a model comprising two consecutive processes: lignin solubilization followed by lignin condensation.The authors are grateful to the CICYT for financial support of this work (Project AGF93-0605) and also to the DGICYT for a research grant awarded to J. González     

Growth and water relations of three geographically separate origins of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) under saline conditions

Water relations and growth of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) were investigated in 2-year-old seedlings of French ('Landes'), Iberian ('Iberian') and Moroccan ('Tamjoute') origin raised for 67 days in a flowing solution culture system containing 0, 50, 150 or 250 mM NaCl. Height growth, and stem, needle and root dry matter were reduced by salinity with minor differences among geographic origins. Predawn needle water potential was decreased by salinity and corresponded approximately to the osmotic potential of the nutrient solution. Stomatal conductance was reduced according to the amount of salinity applied. Whole-plant hydraulic conductance was also reduced, even when expressed on a root dry weight basis. The osmotic potential of xylem sap was five- to sixfold lower than that of the nutrient solution. Seedlings of the most southerly origin (Tamjoute) exhibited a greater ability to decrease osmotic potential under saline conditions than seedlings of more northerly origin (Landes and Iberian) as a result of higher mineral cation transport to the shoot.     

Improvement of Pinus pinaster wood dimensional stability using cork industry wastes

Summary This article relates to a procedure of preparing solutions for wood treatment by dissolving the condensed waste material from the baking steam of expanded cork board production in organic solvents. These solutions were applied by way of different methods inPinus pinaster wood treatment. The use of these products and methods improved the pine wood dimensional stability giving rise to lower water absorption and swelling. This cork industry waste, is mainly constituted by tannins and waxes, and their solutions are easy to obtain at low cost. A patent application was done.The authors would like to thank the collaboration of our fellow Mr. Paulo Cortiço     

Extraction of antioxidants from eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) bark

The extraction of phenolic compounds from eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) bark was examined with the aim of analyzing the potential of the extracts as natural antioxidants. Experiments were planned according to a 2³ factorial design to analyze the influence of temperature and Na₂SO₃ and NaOH concentrations in aqueous solutions on extraction yield, extract total phenols content, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and number- and weight-average molecular weights. Extract total phenols content and FRAP antioxidant activity in the ranges 0.91–2.58?g gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100?g oven-dried bark and 4.70–11.96?mmol ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/100?g oven-dried bark, respectively, demonstrated the potential of eucalyptus bark as a source of antioxidant compounds. Extraction at the highest temperature (100°C), the lowest Na₂SO₃ concentration (1.5% on oven-dried bark), and without NaOH provided the highest extract total phenols content and FRAP antioxidant activity. Those eucalyptus bark extracts with lower molecular weight showed higher antioxidant activity. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed the presence of polygalloyl glucoses, catechin, epicatechin, ellagic acid, quercetin-3-o-rhamnoside, and isorhamnetin in eucalyptus bark aqueous extracts.     

Relations between various extracted basic densities and wood chemical components in Eucalyptus globulus

Relations between various extracted basic densities and wood chemical components were investigated by their within-tree variations in Eucalyptus globulus for assistance in the prediction of the properties of wood or wood-derived products. Extraneous compounds affect the relations between various basic densities and wood chemical components such as holocellulose and the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl ratio. We also discuss the relation of various densities, the molar composition of neutral sugars constituting hemicellulose, and fiber morphology.     

Influence of provenance,silvicultural regime and tree shape on the quality of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) timber

The aim of this study was to establish the sources of variation in maritime pine wood properties related to appearance and strength, because of the importance of this wood in the sawing industry in Galicia (NW Spain). Ten trees from each of ten plots of the species (i.e., 100 trees) growing in Galicia were felled and sawn to produce the structural planks required for studying the presence of external strength-reducing characteristics. The planks were sampled from the basal logs to 16 m height in the stems, yielding cross sections of target dimensions 100 × 40 mm to 200 × 200 mm. We propose a model in which individual tree height and dominant height are used to predict the knottiness of planks from trees in mature stands. The abundance of externally visible knots on faces and edges of sawn planks is therefore more dependent on the stand location than on the prior silvicultural treatment of the stand.     

Osmotic adjustment in three-year-old seedlings of five provenances of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) in response to drought

Three-year-old seedlings of five provenances of Pinus pinaster Ait. that differed in climatic conditions at their geographical origin were subjected to decreasing soil water availability. The degree of needle osmotic adjustment (OA) was estimated based on logarithmic plots of needle relative water content (RWC) against needle osmotic potential (Psi(pi)); i.e., lnRWC versus -ln(-Psi(pi)). There were significant differences among provenances in active OA (0.13 to 0.30 MPa for a decrease in RWC to 80%), and a clear negative relationship was found between OA and precipitation (650 to 1280 mm of mean annual rainfall) at the geographical origins of the provenances. A high osmoregulatory capacity contributes to the maintainance of positive turgor at low water potentials. We conclude that OA is one of the mechanisms underlying adaptation to drought in P. pinaster. Solute accumulation was about 2.3 times higher in the provenance from the driest site than in the provenance from the wettest site. The contribution of osmotic adjustment to differences in drought tolerance mechanisms among provenances is discussed.     

Recovery of bioactive compounds from Pinus pinaster wood by consecutive extraction stages

Pinus pinaster wood samples, obtained at different positions of three healthy trees, were subjected to two sequential extractions using an Accelerated Solvent Extraction instrument. The first extraction was carried out with hexane (to remove lipophilic extractives) and the second one with acetone/water (95:5 v/v) to recover bioactive phenolic compounds, the target compounds of this study. The extracted fractions were assayed for total yield and composition. The extracts contained a spectrum of phenolic compounds (simple phenolics, phenolic stilbenes, flavonoids and lignans) and non-phenolic components (juvabiones, resin and fatty acids, steryl esters and triglycerides). The fractionation effects achieved by consecutive extractions and the recovery of bioactive phenolics are discussed.     

High resolution temporal variation in wood properties in irrigated and nonirrigated Eucalyptus globulus

? Environmental determinants of wood properties variation were examined in Eucalyptus globulus, a globally important hardwood plantation species, in southern Tasmania, Australia.

? Radial variation in wood properties, measured with the SilviScan system, were re-scaled from distance to time abscissa using stem radial growth data measured with dendrometers. With this re-scaled data it was possible to evaluate how water availability and temperature affected wood density, microfibril angle (MFA) and fibre and vessel transverse dimensions in irrigated and non-irrigated trees.

? Wood density, fibre radial diameter and MFA were sensitive to water availability. Wood density increased and fibre radial diameter decreased in response to reduced water availability. When high water availability was maintained, wood density was negatively correlated with temperature. Together, temperature and soil matric potential explained about 60% of temporal variation in wood density variation. In contrast MFA was not related to temperature but decreased with increasing water stress. Slower growing trees also had lower MFA than faster growing trees. Slower growing trees had a larger number of vessels per unit area of wood than faster growing trees within this even aged stand. However, vessel radius to the 4th power was significantly higher in faster growing trees than in slower growing trees.

? Overall, E. globulus wood properties were sensitive to temporal changes in environmental conditions (particularly water availability) and associated growth rates. The data provided support for the hypothesis that growth rates are hydraulically mediated.

     

Root distribution of Pinus pinaster, P. radiata, Eucalyptus globulus and E. kochii and associated soil chemistry in agricultural land adjacent to tree lines

We quantified the extent and distribution of roots of four commonly planted tree species (Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Pinus radiata D. Don, P. pinaster Aiton and E. kochii Maiden & Blakely subsp. plenissima C.A. Gardner) in agricultural land adjacent to tree lines, and examined the effect of soil type and root pruning on root morphology. Root distribution in soil adjacent to tree lines was mapped by a trench profile method at 13 sites on the south coast of Western Australia. Soil samples were collected to determine water content and fertility. The lateral extent of tree roots ranged from 10 m for E. kochii to 44 m for P. pinaster. This equated to between 1.5 and 2.5 times tree height (H) for E. globulus and Pinus spp. to 4H for E. kochii. Root density declined logarithmically with distance from the trees and was greatest for P. pinaster and least for E. globulus (P < 0.001). The rate of decrease in root density with distance from the trees was greatest for the Pinus spp. and least for E. kochii (P < 0.05). Root density was generally greatest in the top 0.5 m of the soil profile and decreased with increasing depth. This decrease was relatively gradual in the deep sands, but abrupt in clay subsoil. Root dry mass in the sandy top soil beyond 0.5H ranged between 1.0 and 55.5 Mg km(treeline) (-1) for 6-year-old E. kochii and 50-year-old P. pinaster, respectively. Soil water content generally increased with distance from the trees (P < 0.001). There was no evidence of reduced soil fertility in the top 1.4 m of the soil profile adjacent to the trees. Two to four years after trees had been root pruned, both the lateral extent and vertical distribution of roots were similar for pruned and unpruned trees. The density of roots < 2 mm in diameter was greater for root-pruned trees than for unpruned trees (P < 0.05). We conclude that the study species can compete with agricultural crops based on the lateral extent of their roots and the occurrence of greatest root density within 0.5 m of the soil surface.     

Potential of laccase for modification of Eucalyptus globulus wood: a XPS study

The influence of a commercial laccase on the grafting of 4-chloro-2-methoxyphenol, a model compound, onto Eucalyptus globulus sapwood was evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The grafting was carried out on extracted and non-extracted wood samples. The extraction procedure modified the surface composition due to extractives removal but with high data dispersion. The laccase-mediated grafting of the chlorophenol was demonstrated by the decrease in O/C ratio and the presence of Cl in wood surface after the enzymatic wood treatment. Laccase seemed to be adsorbed suggesting a possible competition between adsorption and grafting processes. The extractive compounds have no effect on the enzymatic grafting since similar Cl amount was analyzed in extracted and non-extracted wood. This enzymatic grafting methodology opens up new possibilities for wood surface modification in order to obtain new wood products with sustainable technologies and mild conditions.     

Utilization of polar metabolite profiling in the comparison of juvenile wood and compression wood in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Juvenile wood (JW) of conifers is often associated with compression wood (CW), with which it is sometimes believed to be identical. To determine whether JW and CW can be distinguished metabolically, we compared gas chromatographic profiles of 25 polar metabolites from rooted cuttings of a single loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) clone raised in controlled environment chambers and subject to three treatments: (1) grown erect with minimal wind sway (control); (2) swayed by wind from oscillating fans; and (3) with 30-cm growth increments successively bent at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical. Profiles were compared by principal component analysis. Substantial increases in abundances of coniferin and p-glucocoumaryl alcohol separated immature JW-forming xylem tissues of the control trees from the CW-forming xylem of the bent and swayed trees.     

Variation in growth and osmotic regulation of roots of water-stressed maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) provenances

Hydroponically cultivated Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings of a drought-sensitive population from France (Landes) and of a more drought-adapted population from Morocco (Tamjoute) were subjected to a progressive increase in water stress by additions of an osmoticum (polyethylene glycol 600) to the nutrient solution. The final osmotic potential (Psi(ms)) of the nutrient solution was achieved over a period of up to 6 days, and ranged from -0.03 (control, no added osmoticum) to -0.8 MPa. In the 6 days during which water stress was imposed, roots elongated faster in the Moroccan provenance than in the French provenance, but the applied water deficits did not inhibit root elongation in either population. Among treatments, root dry weight per unit root length, total root dry weight and root/shoot dry weight ratio increased with decreasing Psi(ms) in both provenances. Both the water potential (Psi(w)) of the roots (apices) and the water potential difference between the roots and the nutrient solution decreased as Psi(ms) decreased. The reduction in Psi(w) was matched by a decrease of comparable magnitude in cell osmotic potential (Psi(pi)) so that root turgor was unaffected by the Psi(ms). Osmotic adjustment was greater, however, in the Moroccan provenance than in the French provenance. Consequently, under the osmotically imposed water stress, the water potential difference between root and nutrient solution was greater in the Moroccan provenance than in the French provenance. Similar changes in plant water relations were observed when seedlings were grown in drying sand.     

Faunal use of bluegum ( Eucalyptus globulus ) plantations in southwestern Australia

We examined the faunal use of Eucalyptus globulus plantations in southern Western Australia, and compared use of remnant vegetation, agricultural land and plantations in different positions relative to large tracts of remnant vegetation. In general, faunal use of plantations is less than in comparison with adjacent remnant vegetation, but more than in open pasture. For all faunal groups there were almost twice as many species recorded in the native vegetation than in any site in the plantations or on agricultural land and they were in greater abundance. Faunal use of plantation edges and interiors did not show consistent patterns. Generally, edges next to remnants were most frequently used, but individual species showed a wide range of patterns of use across the various habitat types studied. More species of bird identified as being “at risk” were found in plantation edges than in interiors. Adjacency to remnant vegetation increased plantation use by some species, but the overall differences between isolated plantations and those adjacent to remnant vegetation were relatively small. We conclude that plantations provide some value in terms of habitat for some species, including some of conservation concern, but that this value is limited by the lack of habitat complexity in the intensively-managed plantations. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Maturation of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) seedlings after exposure to a period of continuous light

Nine half-sib families of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) of known adult performance were grown in continuous light at either 25 degrees C or 25/20 degrees C for 18 weeks. They were then exposed to a dormancy induction period followed by a dormancy release period and then grown for a further 9 weeks in a 16-h photoperiod at a day/night temperature of 25/20 degrees C. Seedlings exhibited great diversity in morphology at the end of the first growth period. The number of morphogenetic cycles varied between one and three and the form of the apical meristem ranged from a typical rosette to an adult-like bud. The type of seedling obtained at the end of the first growth period strongly influenced later growth, independently of the temperature regime. Maturity was proportional to the number of morphogenetic cycles achieved during the first growth period and was characterized by short growth duration, small primary needles and a high degree of fixed growth. The state of the apical meristem that underwent the dormancy period had less influence on the rate of maturation than the number of morphogenetic cycles. The time course of maturation was endogenously controlled and varied among traits. Conspicuous morphological differences were not associated with changes in the relationship between growth components at the phenotypic level. However, there seemed to be a shift in the genetic correlations between growth components after first budset.