Relationship between soil porosity and the apparent density of Astronium fraxinifolium (Anacardiaceae) wood

Abstract

Plants can modify their anatomy and physiology to improve their survival. Water stress is one of several factors that have been identified as potential wood modifiers. This study aimed to analyse whether soil physical properties and dioecy influence the wood density of Astronium fraxinifolium (Anacardiaceae). Samples of A. fraxinifolium trees were obtained from 20 male and 20 female individuals in two fields (an impacted area (IA) and a non-impacted area (NIA)) and the physical properties of soils from both areas were analysed. The apparent densities of the bark-to-bark wood samples were determined by X-ray densitometry. The apparent density values were calculated using QMS software. The IA soil showed lower porosity (macroporosity and microporosity) than the NIA soil. The wood densities of IA trees differed significantly, with IA trees having higher values than the NIA trees. The results indicated that trees growing in soils with low porosity and high soil bulk density had higher wood density. Based on the results of this study, which showed that species in areas with compacted soils had relatively high wood densities, it was concluded that A. fraxinifolium trees in environments with low water availability have dense wood with conducting vessels of large diameters. None of the wood features were influenced by the dioecy of A. fraxinifolium.