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

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 5168

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Veronica De Micco

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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", 80055 Portici, NA, Italy
Interests: functional anatomical traits; linking structure and eco-physiology; plant hydraulics; wood formation; dendroecology; quantitative wood anatomy; stable isotopes; drought; ionizing radiation; altered gravity; crop biology in CEA; Mediterranean ecosystems; plant adaptive strategies in extra-terrestrial environments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maks Merela

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: wood anatomy; properties; wood use; archaeological wood; cultural heritage; rare species; invasive species; innovative products; wood products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Angela Balzano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva Ulica 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: wood and phloem formation; intra-annual density fluctuation; functional wood traits; quantitative wood anatomy; drought response; mediterranean ecosystems; scanning electron microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

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

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

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

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2139 KiB  
Article
Explorations into Accessible Wood Identification in Paraguay: Wood Anatomy of Plinia rivularis and Plinia peruviana
by Andrew G. Cervantes and Seri C. Robinson
Forests 2025, 16(3), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16030406 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 359
Abstract
South American wood and wood-based products play major roles in the global forest sector. Most research related to Paraguayan wood is focused on forest restoration, urban arborization, silviculture, and botanical taxonomy. Often overlooked but of major importance is the cellular structure of the [...] Read more.
South American wood and wood-based products play major roles in the global forest sector. Most research related to Paraguayan wood is focused on forest restoration, urban arborization, silviculture, and botanical taxonomy. Often overlooked but of major importance is the cellular structure of the trees that comprise remaining forests in Paraguay. Wood greatly contributes to forest value, yet wood anatomy studies remain novel in the country. To further document Paraguayan wood anatomy, two downed species of multipurpose Myrtaceae trees were sampled from a subtropical semi-deciduous forest in Areguá, Central Paraguay. In this article, heartwood xylem anatomy was observed and documented using low-cost methodology to support the regional realities of the emerging field in rural communities, especially local Paraguayan peoples. This included specific gravity, density, and basic light microscopic features. Sample material was processed near the pith at breast height to display cellular features in the transverse, radial, and tangential planes. Four features were measured with light microscopy and ImageJ: tangential vessel element diameter, vessel element length, ray seriation, and ray height. Results showed structural similarity between species, with diffuse porosity, solitary pores, simple perforation plates, alternate intervessel pits, and apotracheal diffuse parenchyma in aggregates. These results represent the first sampling of Myrtaceae from Paraguay in a methodology that can be easily replicated by the native population, thereby enabling further wood anatomy studies in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 10464 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Anatomical Variation of Wood in Stem and Branch of Six Forest Species from the Amazon Region and Its Relationship with Wood Specific Gravity
by Carolina Martínez-Guevara, Nancy Pulido-Rodríguez, Bernardo Giraldo Benavides and Jaime Barrera García
Forests 2025, 16(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010033 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1075
Abstract
Wood functional traits provide information for the management and sustainable use of species. This study evaluated the wood specific gravity (SG) and nine anatomical characteristics of wood in six sections (three levels of stem height and three orders of the branch) in six [...] Read more.
Wood functional traits provide information for the management and sustainable use of species. This study evaluated the wood specific gravity (SG) and nine anatomical characteristics of wood in six sections (three levels of stem height and three orders of the branch) in six species of bioeconomic importance for the Colombian Amazon region: Jacaranda copaia, Virola elongata, Virola peruviana, Cedrelinga cateniformis, Erisma uncinatum, and Cabari macrocarpa. The results showed that low- and medium-SG species have branches with equal or greater SG than the stem. In this group, Erisma uncinatum and Virola peruviana showed no differences between their sections. In contrast, for high-SG species such as Cabari macrocarpa, the relationship was inverse. Fiber thickness correlated mainly with SG, with no differences between sections, except in Cabari macrocarpa. Fiber length decreased in all species in the stem-to-branch direction. The other characteristics varied, suggesting an optimization in the effort of water transport along the tree. These findings infer a potential sustainable use of branches of tree species with low biomechanical variation, such as Erisma uncinatum and Virola peruviana. They also demonstrate the hydraulic and mechanical adaptability of these species, which is relevant when facing climate change scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 6498 KiB  
Article
Qualitative Wood Anatomy Study of Ottobratica and Sinopolese Cultivars of Olea europaea L.
by Tiziana Urso, Michela Zanetti, Annalisa Magnabosco, Angelo Mammoliti, Marco Paccagnella and Andrea Rosario Proto
Forests 2024, 15(11), 2001; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15112001 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 881
Abstract
Olive wood is used in a niche economic context but is attracting growing interest. In this study, the wood anatomy of Olea europaea L. belonging to two cultivars cultivated in the Plain of Gioia Tauro in Calabria (RC) is qualitatively described. Wood samples [...] Read more.
Olive wood is used in a niche economic context but is attracting growing interest. In this study, the wood anatomy of Olea europaea L. belonging to two cultivars cultivated in the Plain of Gioia Tauro in Calabria (RC) is qualitatively described. Wood samples were obtained along the diameter of wood slices to investigate any anatomical differences between the inner and outer zones of the stem. The microscopic slides were investigated using an optical microscope. The anatomical characteristics observed were compared with existing literature data. The two cultivars show parenchyma rays arranged not only in one to two rows (typical of this species), but also in three rows. Furthermore, in both cultivars, the presence of starch deposits in procumbent parenchyma cells was observed. The Ottobratica cultivar seems to have more starch than the Sinopolese one, but given the high variability of olive wood, further quantitative analysis is needed to determine whether these differences are statistically valid and due to the different cultivars. This work can contribute to a better understanding of the Olea europaea L. species and to a better technical valorisation of its wood. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition)
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21 pages, 13582 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Silica–Titanium Composite Film on Wood Surface and Optimization of Its Structure and Properties
by Zhigao Liu, Qianying Li, Si Cheng, Penglian Wei and Yunlin Fu
Forests 2024, 15(8), 1410; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081410 - 12 Aug 2024
Viewed by 889
Abstract
In this thesis, wood loaded with a silica–titanium (Si-Ti) composite film was prepared using the sol–gel method in order to achieve improved wood with high hydrophobicity and photocatalytic activity under visible light. The factors affecting the structure and properties of the composite film, [...] Read more.
In this thesis, wood loaded with a silica–titanium (Si-Ti) composite film was prepared using the sol–gel method in order to achieve improved wood with high hydrophobicity and photocatalytic activity under visible light. The factors affecting the structure and properties of the composite film, as well as the optimization process, were discussed. Infrared analysis revealed that the vibrational intensity of Si-O-Si, Ti-O-Ti, and Ti-O-Si telescopic vibration peaks increased with an increase in vinyltriethoxysilane (VETS). Additionally, the number of Ti-O-Ti telescopic vibration peaks also increased with an increase in VETS. Furthermore, the intensity of -NO3, Si-O-Si, and Ti-O-Ti telescopic vibrational peaks was enhanced with a higher dosage of nitric acid. Conversely, the intensity of -OH telescopic vibrational peaks decreased with an increase in drying temperature. XRD analysis showed that nitric acid could promote the transformation of TiO2 from amorphous to anatase, while SiO2 would reduce the grain size of anatase TiO2 and promote the growth of rutile TiO2. Additionally, wood surfaces loaded with Si-Ti composite film changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, with significant differences observed between different levels of each factor. The photocatalytic activity of surface-loaded Si-Ti composite films on wood was most affected by the amount of nitric acid, which influenced crystallinity of TiO2 and thus impacted the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, changes in VTES dosage not only affected the crystalline phase of TiO2 and the grain size of Si-Ti composite film but also influenced the crystallinity of TiO2 through generating SiO2. Finally, based on optimal preparation process (titanium–alcohol ratio of 1:5, titanium–silicon ratio of 1:0.2, titanium–acid ratio of 1:0.5, and drying temperature of 100 °C), wood surfaces loaded with Si-Ti composite film achieved a contact angle up to 125.9° and exhibited a decolorization rate for rhodamine B under UV light reaching 94% within 180 min. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 12372 KiB  
Article
Influence of Anatomical Spatial Architecture of Pinus devoniana on Pressure Gradients Inferred from Coupling Three-Dimensional CT Imaging and Numerical Flow Simulations
by Juan Gabriel Rivera-Ramos, José Cruz de León, Dante Arteaga, Raúl Espinoza-Herrera, Erica Arreola García, Manuel Arroyo-Albiter and Luis Olmos
Forests 2024, 15(8), 1403; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081403 - 10 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1171
Abstract
Conifer forests in Michoacán are facing climate change. Pinus devoniana Lindley, with natural distribution in the state, has shown certain adaptability, and knowing the influence of anatomy in the flow system is essential to delimit how it contributes to safety margins and water [...] Read more.
Conifer forests in Michoacán are facing climate change. Pinus devoniana Lindley, with natural distribution in the state, has shown certain adaptability, and knowing the influence of anatomy in the flow system is essential to delimit how it contributes to safety margins and water efficiency. For this, the pressure gradients in the cell lumens and their ramifications were analyzed by numerical simulations of flow throughout the real microstructure. Xylem were evaluated in radial, tangential and longitudinal directions. With the skeletonization of lumens and their constrictions, a branching system of interconnection between tracheids, ray cells, intercellular chambers, extensions, and blind pits were identified. In the simulation, the branched system bypasses the longitudinal fluid passage through the pores in membranes of pairs of pits to redirect it through the direct path branching, contributing to safety margins and water efficiency. Thus, resilience at low pressures because of the lower pressure drop in the extensions. The interface between the branching system and the cell lumens are sites of higher pressure gradient, more conducive to water-vapor formation or air leakage in the face of the lowest pressure system. The flow lines move along easy paths, regardless of the simulated flow direction. Deposits in the cell extensions were shown to be attached to the S3 layer of the cell wall, leaving the center of the duct free to flow. It is concluded that the spatial architecture of the xylem anatomy of Pinus dvoniana is a factor in the resilience at low pressures due to high water stress of the species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wood Anatomy and Evaluation of Wood Structures and Their Modifications—2nd Edition)
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