TECHNICAL EXPRESSIONS
Bark: All the tissues outside the cambium that
protects the trunk and all
branches
Callous margin: Edge of callous tissue
overgrowing a stem wound
Thin layer of meristematic tissue that lies between, and gives
rise by Cambium: active division to, secondary xylem on the
inside and secondary phloem
on the outside
Compartmentalisation: A dynamic defence process
in an injured tree which forms structural and chemical boundaries in order to
resist the spread of pathogens
Cross-dating: The procedure of matching
variations in ring width or other ring
characteristics among several tree ring series, allowing the
identification of the exact year in which each tree ring was formed, or th e
geographic origin of the tree
Innermost ring: First formed ring, situated
immediately next to pith
Master fire chronology: Chronologies of fire
dates constructed from the fire scar information derived from all samples
within a collection area
Outermost ring: The most recently formed tree
ring still visible on a wood sample
Parenchyma: Mostly rectangular, storage cells
alive in the sapwood, with simple
pits, present in the rays and axially oriented in xylem and
phloem
Parenchyma band: Parenchyma forming one or more
tangential lines within a tree ring
Pith: The central core of a stem and of twigs,
consisting of storage
tissue (parenchyma) with unlignified cell walls
Radius: On a stem disc, measuring line between
the pith and the outermost ring
Stem disc: Cross-wood section
ABSTRACT
Dendrochronology was used to study the wood anatomy and growth
performance of five West African savanna species namely Anogeissus
leiocarpa (DC.) Guill., Perr., Detarium microcarpum Guill.,
Perr., Diospyros abyssinica (Hiern) F. White, Isoberlinia doka
Craib., Stapf., and Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. This technique
was also used to reconstruct the fire past in studied areas that are
Comoé National Park in Côte d'Ivoire and Upper Aguima Catchment in
Benin. Tree-ring analysis (Dendrochronology) through 72 stem discs collected
from two to three different heights of trees and using cross dating approach
helped to better understand the biology of wood. Using these data, we
categorized the five s pecies in different groups according to their wood
anatomy and radial growth performance. Then, we determined, described the inter
and intra specific variation of the growth rate. Finally, we compared the two
studied areas among their seasonal fire interva l, its frequency and intensity.
So, species such as Detarium microcarpum Guill., Perr., and
Isoberlinia doka Craib. were identified as fast growing species with
brown wood. The rings boundaries were easily distinguished and formed by
marginal parenchyma ba nds. Wood of Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill.,
and Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. were white or yellow in colour. The
rings showed a variation in vessels distribution and the growth performances
were also good. Diospyros abyssinica (Hiern) F. White was demonstrated
like a slow-growing species that wood's colour usually varies between white and
yellow with black streaks. The rings are narrow and not identifiable
macroscopically. However, they were easily measured with high accuracy. The
rings boundaries were presented in single concentric line and characterized by
patterns of alternating parenchyma and fibre bands. Finally, both studied sites
were seriously disturbed by using of several consecutive fires that caused the
injuries in tree and ecosystems.
Key words: Tree-dating, Dendrochronology, wood
anatomy, Bush fire, Savanna, Upper Aguima Catchment (Benin), Comoé
National Park (Côte d'Ivoire)
| 
