THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CELL LENGTH AND RING WIDTH AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROWTH RATE IN FIVE CANADIAN SPECIES

Abstract

Variation in cell length and the relationship between cell length and ring width and circumferential growth rate were studied in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea Mill.), white spruce (Picea glauca Voss), black spruce (Picea mariana Britton, Sterns & Pogg.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) collected in the natural forest in Ontario, Canada. There was a negative relationship between cell length and ring width in jack pine, balsam fir and black spruce, and a positive relationship in trembling aspen. No relationship was found in white spruce. There was a negative relationship between tracheid length and circumferential growth rate in all conifers. In trembling aspen fibre length decreased in both higher and lower circumferential growth rate. Circumferential growth rate is a good index of the effect of tree growth on cell length.