Abstract

This study examined the radial variations in element demensions of mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica.), elm (Ulmus japonica.), maackia(Maackia amurensis.), castor aralia (Kalopanax pictus.) from pith outwards. Disks were cut from the d.b.h.(above 1.2m) of each species and specimen for tangential pore diameters, fiber length, ray height and width were taken from 1-3rd, 5th, 10th, 15th.............40th ring number from pith. The tangential pore diameters in the earlywood increased rapidly near the pith and then maintained almost constant or very gradually increased diameters in about 20th-30th ring number from pith. In the latewood, tangential pore diameters gradually increased from pith to outwards though the increment is smaller than in early wood. Radial variations of ray height and width maintained almost constant, gradually increased or rapidly increased diameters and then maintained almost constant from pith to outwards. Patterns of radial variations in the fiber length were almost coincident with patterns of earlywood pore diameters, and of ray height or width in Ulmus japonica and Maackia amurensis.

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