Variation of fibre length within trees of Fraxinusexcelsior

A systematic internodal analysis within three 22-year-old trees of European ash (Fraxinusexcelsior L.) showed that fibre length increased rapidly from the first ring from the pith outwards to about ring 7 (which coincided with maximum leaf weight within the crown), then increased more slowly to a maximum at about ring 14 (formed below the base of the crown). Since there was little variation in this pattern of increase in fibre length with height in the tree, an increment core taken at breast height should give an adequate indication of fibre length in the whole trunk in trees of this age. Fibre length varied significantly between seasons, independent of age or level in tree.Within growth rings, fibre length increased from earlywood to latewood, reaching a maximum before the end of the latewood. Fibre length was not correlated with ring width between rings (excluding the first five rings from the pith); this suggests that in Fraxinusexcelsior management treatments increasing wood production would not neces...