Canadian Forest Service Publications
Wood relative density development in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) stands as affected by different initial spacings. 1995. Larocque, G.R.; Marshall, P.L. Forest Science 41: 709-728.
Year: 1995
Issued by: Laurentian Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 16768
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Abstract
The relationship between wood relative density and growth rate in red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) trees originating from different initial spacings was examined. Wood relative density was also related to crown development, as affected by competition. At young ages, the relative densities of entire rings and of the earlywood and latewood zones and the percentages of earlywood within the rings did not differ much among the spacings. As stands grew older, however, ring relative density and earlywood and latewood relative densities increased while the percentage of earlywood decreased. The closer the spacing, the faster relative density increased and the percentage of earlywood decreased. These changes closely followed changes in crown ratio. A food fit was obtained for an equation relating ring relative density to age and percentage of latewood for trees of various ages originating from a wide range of initial spacings. Ring width, ring relative density, and percentage of earlywood were regressed against (1) crown width and distance between the base of the crown and breast height and (2) crown volume and crown ratio. These equations did not fit well at young ages. However, the strength of the relationships improved with age, which indicated the increasing influence of crown development on wood density.