Shrinkage of the gelatinous layer of poplar and beech tension wood

Macroscopic longitudinal shrinkage of beech and poplar tension wood is high er than in normal wood. This shrinkage is the result of mechanical interact ions of cell wall layers. SEM observation of cut, dried surfaces showed tha t longitudinal. shrinkage is much greater in the gelatinous layer than in o ther layers. AFM topographic images of the same cells, both in water and in air-dry conditions, confirm this result. Measurements on sections indicate around 4.7% longitudinal shrinkage for the G layer.