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Vessel feature changes as a tool for detecting annual rings in tropical trees

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Abstract

Radial variations in vessel features (vessel lumen area and frequency) of four tropical tree species grown in tropical savanna, monsoon, and rainforest climates were investigated to detect indistinct annual rings. Leaf and soil water potentials were measured periodically to show annual variations in water availability and their relationship to radial variations in vessel features. In addition, the accuracy of annual-ring detection was estimated using trees of known age. Radial variations in vessel features showed annual cyclicity in all three sites. The vessel feature that showed clear annual cyclicity was different among the species and sites. Furthermore, the variation pattern of vessel features in the rainforest site tended to be different between two radii within individual trees, implying low synchronicity of wood formation in the wet area. Compared with leaf and soil water potentials, vessel features varied independent of water availability in all species in the rainforest site and most species in the savanna and monsoon sites. The direct effect of low water availability on vessel features was considered only in one species in the savanna and monsoon sites. Nevertheless, the deviation of vessel feature cycles from tree age was similar and reasonably small (mostly within ±10 %) among all sites. These results indicated a circannual rhythm in vessel formation. Thus, vessel feature changes seemed to aid in detecting annual rings in trees throughout wide tropical areas; however, asynchronous wood formation must be considered in dendrochronology, especially in humid tropics.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. M. H. Sahri, Mr. M. R. Mohd Salleh, and Mr. P. Kirdto for allowing us to conduct this field research and providing great support. The field experiments were greatly assisted by Mr. K. Tangjaipitak, Mr. W. Sinual, Mr. M. F. Imam Supa’at, Mr. A. R. Isa, and Mr. M. K. Ismail. We convey our special gratitude to Prof. A. Osawa, whose comments made an enormous contribution to this study. This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number 10J03561.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Shinta Ohashi & Naoki Okada

  2. Department of Forest Production, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Amir Affan Abdul Azim & Tadashi Nobuchi

  3. Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Somkid Siripatanadilok

  4. Department of Forest Products, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Teera Veenin

  5. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109, Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia

    Ahmad Zuhaidi Yahya

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  1. Shinta Ohashi
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  2. Naoki Okada
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  3. Amir Affan Abdul Azim
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  4. Somkid Siripatanadilok
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  5. Teera Veenin
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  6. Ahmad Zuhaidi Yahya
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  7. Tadashi Nobuchi
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Correspondence to Shinta Ohashi.

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Communicated by Y. Sano.

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Ohashi, S., Okada, N., Abdul Azim, A.A. et al. Vessel feature changes as a tool for detecting annual rings in tropical trees. Trees 28, 137–149 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-013-0936-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-013-0936-3

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