THE ANALYSIS OF XYLEM AND PHLOEM CELL NUMBER AND ANALYSIS OF THE SAPWOOD AREA PROPORTION IN NORWAY SPRUCE (PICEA ABIES (L.) KARST.) WITH VARIOUS STATE OF HEALTH

In the project we focused on the evaluation of the health state of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in the Drahany highlands. The research was conducted in six research plots. The first indicator of the state of health was the anatomical structure of the last xylem and phloem increment and cambium. The numbers of cells in individual types of tissues was evaluated with the aim to express the current growth potential. Further, the sapwood area proportion at breast height was analysed. This provides the information about the potential physiological activity of the entire stem section. The last type of data was the data from habitual diagnostics of woody plants. When analysing the sapwood area proportion, we found out that there is no statistically significant difference between means of particular plots. When analysing the numbers of cells in xylem in the latest ring, cambium and phloem, we found statistically significant differences among the research plots. However, these differences were not related to the proportion of sapwood or the data from habitual diagnostics. Based on the results, the basic hypothesis that the anatomical structure of xylem, cambium, and phloem, and the sapwood proportion can be used as one of the criteria for the evaluation of the state of health of woody plants was not confirmed. However, the contribution of the analysis of the selected indicators can be seen in the fact that the methods used and verified in the forestry practice (habitual diagnostics) were extended by data providing information about the physiological functionality of woody plants in the given conditions.