THE RIPEWOOD AS A LIMITING FACTOR OF THE FALSE HEARTWOOD FORMATION OF BEECH (FAGUS SYLVATICA L.)

The aim of this work was found out whether the size of ripewood zone has significant influence on frequency of false heartwood occurence and its size. Influence of cambial age and average annual growth ring width on ripewood size was investigated too. The results demonstrated that false heartwood was formed only in stem with ripewood zone. Cambial age and average annual growth ring width had a signifficant influence on size of ripewood zone. Ripewood proportion increased by increasing of cambial age of stem. However, simultaneously increasing of average annual growth ring width ripewood proportion decreased. If the cambial age increase, false heartwood will form only in wider ripewood zone. On the other hand, the stems with narrower ripewod zone will be without false heartwood. Size of false heartwood zone is in 89,5 % cases lesser, than size of ripewood zone. Expansion of false heartwood above ripewood area caused infiltration of microorganism. The most of these false heardwoods had flame and circle shapes, less false hartwood had star and mosaic shapes.