RADIAL GROWTH DYNAMICS OF SPRUCE (PICEA-ABIES) MEASURED BY MICRO-CORES

Using medical cannulas of 0.5 mm inside diameter, micro-cores were tak en at three circumferential heights from five spruce trees [Picea abie s (L.) Karst.] in the Ore Mountains (Germany). The micro-cores were ta ken every second week during the growing seasons of 1996 and 1997 and light-microscopy studies were made on the micro-cores. The number of x ylem and phloem cells, and total cell count in the cambial zone, were tabulated for each sample. Determination of the intra-annual cellular growth rate of conifers is simplified and will be possible also in lon g-term experiments. Preliminary evaluations of the wound response indi cate that this micro-coring technique causes minimal injury.