Seasonal and daily cycles of stem radial variation of Pinus pinaster in a droug...

High resolution measurements of stem diameter variation can provide valuable information on the growth process as well as the tree water status. This study investigates the hourly variations in stem radial increment of maritime pine growing on the west coast of Portugal, under a Mediterranean climate with a pronounced summer drought. We tested the hypotheses that 1) stem radius variation in maritime pine has a ...

Which matters most for the formation of intra-annual density fluctuations in Pi...

Climatic signals of tree-ring width and intra-annual density fluctuations in Pi...

Xylogenesis of Pinus pinaster under a Mediterranean climate

• Context: The knowledge on cambial activity in water limited environments, such as the Mediterranean, is still fragmentary. Dendrochronological studies have determined that spring precipitation plays an important part in determining tree ring width and the properties of tracheids. However, the complex relation between cambial phenology and climate is still far from understood. • Aims: We studied the influence ...

Are neighboring trees in tune? Wood formation in Pinus pinaster

Neighboring trees growing under identical environmental conditions can exhibit different dynamics and periods of growth. Despite the recent advances in cambial biology, the exogenous and endogenous factors generating asynchronous xylem growths still remain undetermined. This study investigated timings and duration of xylem formation in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) from an even-aged plantation in Portugal...

Plastic Response of Tracheids in Pinus pinaster in a Water-Limited Environment:...

The formation of wood results from cambial activity and its anatomical properties reflect the variability of environmental conditions during the growing season. Recently, it was found that wood density variations in conifers growing under cold-limited environment result from the adjustment of cell wall thickness (CWT) to temperature. Additionally, it is known that intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) are f...

Adjustment Capacity of Maritime Pine Cambial Activity in Drought-Prone Environm...

Intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) are anatomical features formed in response to changes in the environmental conditions within the growing season. These anatomical features are commonly observed in Mediterranean pines, being more frequent in younger and wider tree rings. However, the process behind IADF formation is still unknown. Weekly monitoring of cambial activity and wood formation would fill this ...