VARIATION OF Pinus caribaea WOOD DENSITY WITH HEIGHT IN TREE AND DISTANCE FROM PITH, IN DIFFERENT SITE CLASSES

Abstract

Trees were sampled in three stands representing low-growth, medium-growth,and high-growth site classes. Two-centimetre-thick discs were cut, and 2-cmbroadradial strips were cutfrom each disc in the N-S and E-W directions. Thesestrips were cut into samples I em wide, numbered from pith to bark. Theresulting samples were dried and their density measured. Significantly lesserwood densities were found in the upper parts of the trees and there was aconsistent radial density pattern, high at the pith, decresing rapidly to aminimum, and then rising to a constant value which was maintained outwards tothe bark. In general the wood front the outer and lower parts of the trees shouldhe strong enough Jill' light to medium construction work. The overall meandensity in low growth site lVas higher compared with other sites, indicating thatthere is an ssociation be/ween growth rate and wood relative density.