Scientific publications

The work has based on the hypothesis that excessive assimilate storage in the trunk caused the formation of abnormal patterned wood in Karelian birch. We were interested in the influence of sucrose, fructose and glucose on the phloem and xylem differentiation of Populus tremula, Alnus incana and Betula pendula. Solution of sucrose and products of its cleavage (concentrations: 0 g L-1, 10 g L-1, 25 g L-1, 50 g L-1, 100 g L-1, 200 g L-1) was applied to the trunk tissues of aspen, alder and birch. In all studied tree species glucose solutions had no effect on the conducting tissues formation. Injection of additional sucrose and fructose in the stem induced abnormal development of conducting tissues only in B. pendula and had no effect on the structure of P. tremula and A. incana tissues. It has been suggested that sucrose level in birch tissues is already high, so additional sucrose induced abnormal tissues formation. The role of sclerenchyma in maintenance of sucrose gradients in the cambial zone is discussed.