Comparative Wood Anatomy of Stem and Root in Korean-grown Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipipfera L.)

Abstract

This study was carried out to offer basic information on the wood anatomy of domestic yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), a new plantation species selected by Korea Forest Service as one of the promising hardwood and bioenergy sources of the future, through comparison of stem wood with root wood in the qualitative and quantitative features. In the qualitative anatomical features, growth rings were distinct in stem wood but relatively less distinct in root wood. And stem wood appeared to have pores in radial multiples of 2 to 5, sometimes clusters but root wood to have pores in radial multiples of 2 to 3, rarely clusters. And numbers of bars in scalariform perforation plates were somewhat numerous in vessel elements of root wood than in those of stem wood. Interestingly, on the other hand, more extraneous materials in the wood rays of tap root than in those of lateral root and stem were confirmed in the chemical composition analyses. In the quantitative anatomical features, pore densities were significantly greater but vessel elements were considerably narrower in stem wood than in root wood. Vessel elements and wood fibers of root wood were considerably longer than those of stem wood. Rays were somewhat more numerous in stem wood than in root wood, and only ray heights of stem wood were more or less greater in cell numbers but both ray heights and widths of stem wood were lower in dimension than those of root wood. The anatomical differences between stem wood and root wood were thought to be associated with different growth environments between the stem above ground and the root below ground.

Comparative Wood Anatomy of Stem and Root in Lindera erythrocarpa Makino

“…Root wood was known to be mainly influenced by the amount of water Quantitative wood features of stem and root are shown in Table 1. Vessels per square millimeter in cross section average 39.8 in stem wood and 31.0 in root wood, thus agreeing with the results of greater vessels per square millimeter in stem wood than in root wood in Capparis spinosa by Psaras and Sofroniou (1999) and Liriodendron tulipifera by Lee and Eom (2011). Unlike this result, however, Rao et al (1989) found vessels per square millimeter to be significantly fewer in stem wood than in root wood of Sonneratia caseolaris.…”

“…Root and stem are almost the same in the qualitative wood anatomy. When compared with stem wood, however, growth ring boundaries of root wood are relatively less distinct due to smaller differences in vessel diameter between latewood and earlywood and narrower band of Lee and Eom (2011). Occurrence of relatively less distinct boundaries in root wood than in stem wood in present study is might be resulted from more constant growing conditions in soil and by the seasonal soil water availability as an important factor affecting the growth ring formation like the reports of Lebedenko (1962) and Machado et al (2007).…”

“…This agrees with Rao et al (1989) who found in Sonneratia caseolaris that the vessel elements of stem wood to be longer than those of root wood. Sofroniou (1999, 2004) and Lee and Eom (2011), however, reported in Capparis spinosa, Phlomis fruticosa, and Liriodendron tulipifera that vessel elements were longer in root wood than in stem wood. On the other hand, Machado et al (2007) reported in Styrax that vessel elements of root wood were generally longer than those of stem wood in S. martii and S. ferrugineus and vice versa in S. latifolium, S. leprosus, and S. camporum.…”

“…In earlier studies, some qualitative and quantitative anatomical differences between stem wood and root wood were found in hardwood species (Stokke and Manwiller, 1994 Eom, 2011) and root wood was considered to be sub- ject to great anatomical variability due to extremely variable soil conditions (Schweingruber et al, 2006).…”

Anatomical Characteristics of Paulownia tomentosa Root Wood

“…In addition, Palhares et al (2007) found that the amount of parenchyma cells and thin-walled fibers differed between root wood and stem wood. Lee and Eom (2011) identified the wood anatomy of yellow-poplar grown in Korea, and compared stem and root wood for their vessel and ray elements, and quantitative anatomical features. Furthermore, Fortunel et al…”