Seasonal fluctuations of low-molecular-weight sugars, starch and nitrogen in sapwood of Pinus sylvestris L.

The content of water-soluble substances and starch in the living tree stem at the time of felling influences wood durability during further utilization. The aim of the study was to describe the annual and seasonal fluctuations in the contents of stored carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds. The contents of soluble sugars, starch, and nitrogen were measured in the outer sapwood (0-15 mm from cambium) of 65-yr-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees during an annual cycle. To study the influence of growth conditions, samples were taken from different stands in Sweden, in one stand from a control and a fertilized block. The effect of the age of the trees on the content of stored substances was also considered by comparing young (10-15 yrs old) and older trees (40-65 yrs old). Determination of the carbohydrates was carried out using enzymatic analysis. The outer pine sapwood contained a higher content of low-molecular weight sugars during autumn and winter than during spring and summer. Starch content rose at the beginning of the growth period and decreased in autumn. The content of soluble sugar increased towards the cambium on all sampling occasions. Fructose and glucose were dominant sugars in all the stands studied. Seasonal changes of sucrose were different from those of glucose and fructose, in that the sucrose content was already decreasing in February. The variations in the nitrogen content of the sapwood were far smaller than those of the soluble sugars. No significant differences were found between the stands with regard to glucose, fructose and the sum of all three sugars. The fertilized block showed low content of sucrose and nitrogen. It is concluded that seasonal fluctuations are more important with regard to the sugar content than the effect of growth conditions. Data indicate a lower content of soluble sugars and nitrogen in the outermost sapwood of young trees as compared with older trees.