© 1972 by Institute of Chartered Foresters
A Comparison of Wood Properties of Coastal and Interior Provenances of Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud
University of Aberdeen, Department of Forestry, St. Machar Drive Old Aberdeen
At the Millbuie Lodgepole pine intensive provenance plots increment borings were extracted at similar fractional heights in trees of a central Interior and a southern Coastal provenance and the properties of the same five growth-rings were compared. Scanning microphotometry was used to measure ring width, per cent earlywood, and earlywood density. Tracheid length and width, nominal density, and latewood density were also determined. For each of these wood properties significant differences were found between the average values for the two provenances. In the Coastal provenance nominal density was about 20 per cent higher than in the Interior provenance, the incidence of compression wood was much higher, but tracheid length was about 20 per cent shorter. The probable effects of these results on the properties of sawn timber and pulp are discussed. Average tree heights and diameters were similar, and the earlier growth of the trees was analysed. The relation between nominal density and ring width (vigour) was investigated, and a low correlation (r2 of 0·054 and 0·17) was found between the two quantities. Furthermore the regression lines show density decreasing slowly with increased ring width. Both these results are in contrast with published results for Sitka spruce.