Electrical resistance related to phloem width in red maple

Abstract

Electrical resistances of combined bark and wood of 50 red maple (Acerrubrum L.) trees were strongly correlated with phloem width with an inverse correlation coefficient of −0.92. Diameter at 1.4 m aboveground was determined to be transitively correlated with electrical resistance through its strong correlation with phloem width. Little detectable relationship existed between electrical resistance and potassium concentration in phloem tissues. An electrical model is presented to illustrate the path of electrical current between electrodes in the tissues measured.