Variation in wood properties of Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon (syn. P. khasya Royle; P. insularis Endlicher); Eighteen trees of Burma provenance grown in Zambia

Abstract

The variation of six wood properties was studied within and between eighteen trees of Pinus kesiya Royle ex Gordon (syn. P. khasya Royle; P. insularis Endlicher) grown in Zambia from seed of Burma provenance and exhibiting 16 annual rings at 5 ft. above ground. Three trees represented each of two size classes in each of three thinning treatments. Thinning effects were poorly estimated but heavy thinning increased ring width, decreased latewood percentage and caused marginal decreases in tracheid length and density. The two tree classes differed in ring width characteristics. Individual trees varied particularly in density; significant height effects were detected for tracheid length and density. Latewood width (mean 0.9 mm) and grain angle (-1.2°) varied little but total ring width (5.8 mm), latewood percentage (19.6%), tracheid length (4.6 mm) and density (0.46 g/cm3) exhibited systematic patterns of variation within trees; quadratic polynomials including ring number and height as independent variables explained 80 to 90% of the variation. Radial differences were often statistically significant but practically unimportant. For plantation surveys many trees should be sampled by 3–4 annual rings on two radii at breast height.