Abstract:

The radial variation patterns of wood density in 7 Pinus caribaea provenances from an experimental plantation in Guangxi Province were studied by X-ray wood densitometry. The main results obtained are: 1) The general trends of the density profiles of the trees were similar, while there existed a certain degree of variations among provenances and among individual trees. Therefore, the indefiniteness in describing the variation patterns is inevitable. The variance analysis showed more significant differences in average ring density among provenances in mature wood than in juvenile wood. The differences in the parameters related to the variation patterns among provenances were nonsignificant. 2)The juvenile to mature age-age correlations of the average ring density among provenances and among individual trees with relatively large differences in between were significant. 3)The significance of the correlations between density components and between density components and ring width components related to the effect by provenances partly differed from those related to the effect of ages. The negative correlations between wood density and ring width were mainly shown in the variation related to the effect of age other than that related to provenances.

Key words: Wood density, Radial variation pattern, Pinus caribaea, Provenance