Scanning electron microscope image of nanoscale wood structure of tulip tree
Jan J. Lichkovski and Raymond Wightman
Scientists have discovered an entirely new type of wood — a discovery that could significantly increase trees’ carbon storage capabilities.
Tulip trees feature a nanoscale wood structure called “mesowood” that is intermediate between broadleaf and softwood trees, which is thought to be why they are so effective at storing carbon.
Jan Lyczakowski Researchers from the Jagiellonian University in Poland and their colleagues investigated the nanoscale structure of live wood samples taken from 33 tree species at the University of Cambridge Botanic Gardens in the UK.
The researchers froze each sample in “slush nitrogen” and stored them at temperatures of minus 210 degrees Celsius, then studied each one under a cryo-scanning electron microscope, which allowed them to analyze the size of each wood’s macrofibrils, the tiny rod-shaped fibers that house wood cells.
The researchers found that hardwoods such as oak and birch have macrofibrils that are about 15 nanometers in diameter, while softwoods such as pine and spruce have larger macrofibrils that are more than 25 nanometers in diameter.
But there was one “surprising” exception, says Łyczakowski. Liriodendron Genus, tulip tree (Liriodendron) and Chinese tulip tree (LiriodendronLiriodendron has macrofibrils that are about 20 nanometers wide, which is intermediate between conifers and hardwoods. “Liriodendron has a different macrofibril structure, for reasons we don’t know,” he says.
“At that time, we “Liriodendrum” says Raymond Wightman At Cambridge University.
Autumn tulip tree
Garfotos/Alamy
In previous studies, Liriodendron teeth High carbon sequestration rate and fast growthThis makes it a good candidate for carbon plantation projects.
Tulip tree The closely related Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) was a point in Earth’s history, approximately 30 to 50 million years ago, when the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere suddenly dropped from 1000 ppm to approximately 320 ppm.
Łyczakowski suggests that as atmospheric carbon concentrations fall, trees may have developed larger macrofibrils to allow them to more efficiently absorb carbon from the atmosphere. To test that theory, Łyczakowski now wants to bioengineer trees to have mid-wood-sized macrofibrils and test their carbon sequestration rates. If mid-wood-sized macrofibrils turn out to be optimal for carbon sequestration, he says, it might be possible to crossbreed other tree species with macrofibrils of that optimal size to increase their carbon storage capacity.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
