Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Wood is a remarkably complex and fascinating biological structure and natural lignocellulosic polymer. Xylem provides water with conductive function, structural support to the tree, as well as serving in the storage of nutrients. Xylem is built with different cell types and structures, which not only evolved over hundreds of millions of years to accomplish their function, but also undergo a continuous and rapid adaptation during their lifetime. The analysis of wood cells and structures can provide valuable information about a tree, including the tree species, its eco-physiological response, the stage of development, the co-occurring environmental conditions during growth, and the events that occurred during its life and its quality. Although the general features of the xylem are species specific, many quantitative traits are modified by the growth environment (such as extreme events: frost, drought, flooding, lack of light, and pests). These modifications appear as anomalies in the xylem and in tree rings, such as false-, frost-, light-, and blue-rings, etc.

Mechanical stress (such as wind, snow, ice storms, mechanical injuries, and pruning) can also lead to the formation of atypical wood structures, such as reaction wood, wound wood, scar tissue, callus, necrotic tissue, etc. Wood anatomy and atypical wood structures can serve as markers to reconstruct events in time, and they can provide important information regarding the adaptive response to functional and ecological variations and the recovery ability of a tree. Moreover, understanding xylem structures and responses may be useful in predicting functional trends and climate change impacts on woody plants. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the latest knowledge on xylem anatomy evaluation and the codification of xylem structures linked with their functional and ecological rule.

Prof. Dr. Veronica De Micco
Dr. Maks Merela
Dr. Angela Balzano
Guest Editors

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• wood anatomy
• false rings
• frost rings
• functional anatomical traits
• quantitative wood anatomy
• juvenile wood
• reaction wood
• vessels inclusions
• wound wood
• scar tissue
• compartmentalization