Age determination and tree-ring growth dynamics in old trees of Pyrus communis' Angelica'

In the study area in Marche Region (central Italy), Pyrus communis 'Angelica' reached the maximum expansion during the 1930's, but after the rapid industrial growth and the diffuse abandonment of rural areas, production rapidly decreased in the 1950's. Recently, a few farmers have started to resume 'Angelica' cultivation in more intensive orchards than the traditional free-standing trees with inter-row cropping. Annual tree ring series of the oldest 'Angelica' pear trees have been constructed in order to determine their cambial ages and to assess their growth dynamics in relation to the main disturbance factors. Some of the living trees have unusually large sizes, since stem diameters range from 40 to 55 cm and their total heights vary between 4.6 to 7.5 m. The cambial ages range from 38 to 69 years. The main dendrochronological statistical parameters show that mean ring widths ranged from 1.93 to 6.07 nm and that there was no negative relationship with age, as usually happens with forest trees due to geometric constraints.