Differences in wood anatomy and chemistry of a Eucalyptus urophylla clone explained by site climate conditions

Abstract

Environmental conditions can change both the quantity and quality of wood formation. This study aimed to evaluate anatomical and chemical changes in the wood of a Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake clone cultivated in four sites of wide climatic conditions in Brazil. Radial samples were used to evaluate xylem anatomy along the growth cycles. Samples with a quarter of a disk were used to perform chemical analyses of extractives, total lignin (LG), syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G), holocellulose, and elemental analysis of wood. The elements Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Fe, Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, F, and Cl were also quantified. Correlations using the mean values of the variables per site were higher than those using values per tree growth cycle (years). Mean annual air temperature showed the highest correlations with wood density (r = −0.89) and the anatomical characteristics (vessel area: r = −0.68; fiber wall thickness: r = −0.70; vessel frequency: r = 0.74; and fiber lumen diameter: r = 0.90). Only LG and S/G showed significant correlations with the meteorological variables, with drier sites presenting a higher S/G. The anatomical characteristics change with regionwide climate features, while wood chemical characteristics showed weaker relations with climatic variations.