Variation of anatomical characteristics of Nothofagus alpina wood grown under three silvicultural conditions

Key message

There were significant differences in the anatomical characteristics of Nothofagus alpina between the site with silvicultural condition similar to a regrowth forest, and with the sites with plantation regime.

Abstract

Nothofagus alpina has been a species of interest due to the high quality of its wood. To evaluate the early use of this wood in plantation regimes, wood from intermediate cuts has to be studied. Therefore, the variations in some anatomical characteristics of juvenile wood obtained from thinning of N. alpina trees growing under three different silvicultural conditions were evaluated. Using the decreasing granulometry sanding technique, wood samples were prepared to capture images from the transverse plane using reflectance microscopy. The anatomical characteristics considered in this work vary, from pith to bark, with statistically significant differences being found in the position closest to the bark. On the other hand, there were some similarities between the specimens that came from sites with a plantation regime and differences with the sites similar to a regrowth forest. Therefore, the possible impact of silvicultural conditions on the anatomical characteristics of N. alpina wood was pointed out, mainly the diameter of the vessels and wall thickness.