Variation in Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Seed : 3. IUFRO - Buchensymposium

Zvolen

1991

S. 93-99

2 Abb. 2 Tab.

Bandaufführung

12938

75594

This paper reports on the results of an investigation of dimensions, weight and chemical composition of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seed in relation to the age and altitude of the parent stand. The material is represented by samples originated from 11 localities in various regions of Slovakia (in 70 - 130 years old stands and at altitudes from 290 to 940m). Biometrical data on dimensions and weight of Beech seed are processed by statistical data analyses. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results: 1. The mean length of beech nuts of investigated populations is 16.92mm, standard deviation is +- 1.46mm. The mean width of seeds is 9.18mm +- 1.12mm. The length of beech nurs has a smaller variability than their width. Owing to this fact the length of beech nuts gives a closer and statistically more significant correlation upon the age of the stand and upon the altitude (Figs. 1 and 2). 2. The mean length of the embryo of all investigated samples of beech seed is 12.97mm with a mean width of 7.63mm. The variability of length and width of the embryo is in contradiction to the dimensions of the whole seed nearly the same (9.7 - 10.0%) . Besides the correlation between the length of the embryo and age and altitude, there has been proven a dependency between the embryo and the altitude of the mother stands (Figs. 1 and 2). 3. The mean weight of the seed is 241.6 +- 27.3g (vx = 10.6%) With the increasing age of the parent stand weight decreases every 10 years by 9g. (Fig 3). 4. The pericarp of one seed weighs in average 83.7mg and the embryo 183.4mg. The weight of the pericarp and the embryo have also a statistically significant dependence upon the age of the stand, with which it decreases. It is not, however, dependent upon the altitude. 5. The ratio of the length and width of the embryo to the length and width of the whole seed is approximately the same for all samples, what points out the fact that the embryo of beech seed under our conditions is full developed even in the period of seed fall. 1. Beech seed contains different components: fats (43.70%), proteins and cellulose (34.31%), starch (5.60%), ash (3.46%), total sugars (2.29%) and reducing sugars (0.36%). The rank of these components in seed is completely different: reducing sugars, starch, total sugars, proteins and cellulose, fats and ash. From this it is possible to see that in beech seed the most constant components having the lowest variability are ash and fats. On the other hand the variability of carbohydrates is very high. 2. The proportion of reducing sugars and sugars totally increases linearly with the increasing age of the parent stand as well as with the increasing altitude of their occurrence. The dependency of the reducing sugar on the altitude being more significant and the dependence of reducing sugars upon the age not being statistically proved. 3. With the .....