EFFECT OF PLANTATION DENSITY ON WOOD DENSITY AND SELECTED ANATOMICAL PROPERTIES OF Tectona grandis L. f. WOOD

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of plantation density on the wood density and anatomical properties of Tectona grandis from free areas and forest plantations. T. grandis trees were felled from forest plantation and free area to obtained bolts of 50 cm in length from base, middle and top of the felled trees representing 10, 50 and 90 % of the merchantable height respectively and discs were obtained from each zone and portioned into inner, middle and outer wood. The samples obtained were subjected to physical properties test (moisture and density) and selected anatomical properties (fiber length, fiber diameter, lumen width, and cell wall thickness, ray height and ray width). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance at 0.05. Results showed that fiber anatomical characteristics, including fiber length (1.03–1.46 mm), fiber diameter (21.32–27.45 µm), cell wall thickness (6.18–8.54 µm), and lumen width (11.27–16.32 µm), were not significantly influenced by plantation density, indicating a genetic control over these traits. In contrast, wood density showed notable variation, with free area samples averaging 0.79 g/cm³ compared to 0.69 g/cm³ for forest plantations. This disparity reflects differences in plantation spacing and growth rates. These findings suggest that while plantation density has limited impact on anatomical properties, it influences wood density, which may affect the suitability of T. grandis for various applications. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term impacts of extreme densities on wood properties under diverse environmental conditions.