Abstract
The altitude is an important factor to affect the growth and development of saplings of the tree. However, the effect of altitude on the growth and properties of wood during their young stage it has been little studied. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the influence of two different altitude steps: 795 m (a.s.l. low-altitude) and 1350 m (a.s.l. high altitude) on the morphological, anatomical and wood density properties of saplings of Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani [Asch. & Sint. ex Boiss] Coode & Cullen (Trojan fir). Trojan fir is an endemic species in Turkey and its morphology and anatomy have less studied in the literature. The functional traits and wood density properties differed significantly between the two altitudes. The saplings grown at low-altitude showed greater taper degree, pith radius, pith proportion, and bark proportion than high-altitude. However, stem height, stem diameter, node number, and xylem proportion were found to be higher in saplings grown at high-altitude than low-altitude. Wood cell anatomy also varied significantly between two altitudes such that ring width, ray numbers, tracheid length, and tracheid width were higher at low-altitude, whereas ray height, ray width, tracheid lumen width, and tracheid wall thickness were greater at high-altitude. This study, therefore, suggested that the growth and development of fir saplings were better when they were grown at high-altitude than low-altitude.
Highlights
The growth and establishment of trees can be influenced potentially by various climatic and environmental factors which are light regime, air temperature, water availability, wind, soil characteristics, altitude, aspect, and slope (Fritts, 1976; Kramer and Kozlowski, 1960; Oliver and Larson, 1996; Hicks, 1998; Desta et al, 2004; Körner, 2007; Topaloğlu et al, 2016)
Trees growing at low altitudes generally had greater stem heights since trees more likely grow vertically to capture more light, while trees growing at higher altitudes produce thicker stems in which the temperature is colder at higher altitudes so stems grow more likely in radially (Briceño et al, 2000; Cavieres, 2000)
The results showed that fir saplings were grown better at high-altitude
Summary
The growth and establishment of trees can be influenced potentially by various climatic and environmental factors which are light regime, air temperature, water availability, wind, soil characteristics, altitude, aspect, and slope (Fritts, 1976; Kramer and Kozlowski, 1960; Oliver and Larson, 1996; Hicks, 1998; Desta et al, 2004; Körner, 2007; Topaloğlu et al, 2016). Tees could be better adapted to different altitudes by changing the size, number, thickness, and distribution of cells and width of annual growth rings (Coomes and Allen, 2007). Numerous studies have focused on understanding the effect of changes in environmental and climatic conditions with altitudinal gradients on the physiological, morphological, anatomical, and mechanical properties of different tree species (Coomes and Allen, 2007; Topaloğlu et al, 2016; Lopez-Mata, 2017). Ex Boiss] Coode & Cullen (Trojan fir) to understand how saplings are at similar age can show differences in their growth and development depending on the altitudinal gradient. The present study hypothesized that as altitude increases stem diameter, height, tracheid wall thickness, and ray width increase, while annual ring width and ray number decrease It can be suggested Abies nordmanniana subsp. This study, could provide a better understanding of the ecological requirements of Trojan fir at the sapling stage so the findings of this study may help to produce the successful performance and growth over the life cycle of a Trojan fir tree
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