Vessel dimensions were analysed in tree-rings formed in 2006, 2008 and 2009 in the wood of adult beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees from 2 sites, Panška reka (PR) near Ljubljana, and Menina planina (MP). Images of cross-sections of each tree-ring were divided into sections from early-wood to late-wood according to the moving window method. Weekly increment method was also used with the tree-ring 2006 PR, where weekly increment was determined by the Gompertz function from the previous study on wood formation. Maximum diameter, minimum diameter, circumference, and area of the vessels as well as their quantity per square unit were determined in every window with image analysis software. Area and minimum diameter were the most relevant features to produce graphs of vessel sizes from early- to late-wood. The area of vessels decreased slowly in the first 70 % of treerings 2006 and 2009 PR, after that it dropped rapidly. In 2008 PR we observed a fast decrease of vessel dimensions already in the first half of the tree-ring. Tree-rings 2008 and 2009 MP had similar widths and comparable structures where the area of vessels was decreasing gradually. Late-wood constituted the last 20 % of tree-rings. The number of vessels per square unit was rather stable from early- to late-wood. It was only slightly reduced in the final part of the tree-rings. By using the moving windows method a variation of vessel dimensions has been established in connection to its distance from the growth ring boundary. By using the weekly increment method, we established the dimensions of vessels that were created at a certain period of time. This method is only applicable with tree-rings with a known formation dynamics, which can only be acquired from time consuming studies on wood formation.
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