J. For. Sci., 2025, 71(12):614-623 | DOI: 10.17221/74/2025-JFS

Variation in wood density between mature sessile oak and English oak trees growing in different vegetation zonesOriginal Paper

Vladimír Gryc ORCID...1, Kyriaki Giagli ORCID...1, Sergei Mikhailov ORCID...1,2, Marko Stojanović ORCID...2, Dimitrios Tsalagkas ORCID...1, Hanuš Vavrčík ORCID...1, Petr Horáček ORCID...1,2
1 Department of Wood Science and Technology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic

Wood density is a fundamental functional trait influencing ecological adaptation, hydraulic safety, and timber utilisation in temperate hardwoods. This study investigated variation in wood density (12% moisture) across mature stands of two economically and ecologically vital European oak species, sessile oak [Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.] and English oak (Quercus robur L.), growing in their characteristic vegetation zones in the Czech Republic. We assessed wood density at two heights (at 1.3 m and at the crown base) across six trees per plot and examined its relationship with tree-ring width and height. Results demonstrated statistically significant interspecific differences, with Q. petraea consistently exhibiting higher wood density (721 kg·m−3) than Q. robur (662 kg·m−3) at 1.3 m. Q. petraea showed a statistically nonsignificant higher density of 710 kg·m−3 at the crown base and an overall average of 717 kg·m−3, while Q. robur had densities of 701 kg·m−3 and 669 kg·m−3, respectively. Radial density profiles revealed species-specific patterns, with Q. robur showing a more uniform density distribution than the pronounced pith-to-bark gradients observed in Q. petraea. Regression analysis indicated that tree-ring width explained only 12–13% of the variance in density, so other anatomical factors, such as latewood proportion and tree-ring structure (number and cell size), should be examined as anatomical drivers of wood-density variation.

Keywords: Czech Republic; Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.; Quercus robur L.; radial variation; wood properties

Received: October 15, 2025; Revised: December 12, 2025; Accepted: December 12, 2025; Published: December 22, 2025  Show citation

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Gryc V, Giagli K, Mikhailov S, Stojanović M, Tsalagkas D, Vavrčík H, Horáček P. Variation in wood density between mature sessile oak and English oak trees growing in different vegetation zones. J. For. Sci. 2025;71(12):614-623. doi: 10.17221/74/2025-JFS.
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