Effect of growth Rate and Latewood content on basic Density of Wood from 120-to 154-Year-old Natural-grown Teak (Tectona grandis L. f.)

The relationship between the radial variations of growth ring features and basic density were investigated in juvenile and mature wood for five 120-to150-year-old trees of Tectona grandis L. grown naturally in moist deciduous forest of Thane, Maharashtra. The study showed that the mean basic density of growth rings in juvenile wood was 0.665 (0.602-0.702) g cm -3 and 0.613 (0.562-0.665) g cm -3 in mature wood. The annual growth in juvenile period was high with a ring width mean of 4.03 mm and the latewood content represented 76.36 % of the annual growth, while in mature period was low with a ring width mean of 1.24 mm and the latewood content represented 59.41% of the annual growth. The patterns of radial variation of ring width, latewood content and basic density were more inherent in the juvenile wood than mature wood of all trees due to cambial ageing. The basic density of five individual trees showed an insignificant correlation between ring-width and latewood content in juvenile wood, whereas a significant positive correlation was found in mature wood of most of individual trees. The mean ring width value of all trees showed a highly significant positive correlation with basic density in both types of wood but mean latewood content showed a non-significant or low significant correlation.