Dependency of cone production on tree dimensions in Abies mariesii

Abstract

Dependency of cone production on tree dimensions was examined in Abies mariesii trees that had developed undamaged crowns. The total and maximum numbers of cones produced by a tree for the last 8 years both had allometric relationships with the square of the trunk diameter just below the lowest living branch (DB2). The estimated number of cones produced during the most recent 17 years on the main branch axes showed a positive correlation with the square of the trunk diameter just below the whorl developed in 1979, 1969, or 1959, while no such relationship was found with DB2. The number of cones produced on a branch was constrained by the square of the branch diameter. I suggest that the number of cones is regulated by the amount of dry matter accumulated in the neighboring trunk and branches where the cones are produced rather than the whole amount of dry matter in the tree. Key words: Abies mariesii, cone production, tree dimensions, trunk diameter, branch diameter.