Researchers from the Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University and Jagiellonian University in Poland have discovered a new type of wood in tulip trees that does not fit into the traditional categories of hardwood or softwood and that is highly effective at carbon storage.
This unique wood was identified in the Liriodendron tulipifera and Liriodendron chinense species during an evolutionary survey of wood ultrastructure from 33 tree species in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s Living Collections.
Liriodendron tulipifera is native to North America, while Liriodendron chinense is native to central and southern China and Vietnam.
Tulip trees, related to magnolias, can grow over 30 meters tall. They diverged from magnolias around 30-50 million years ago, a period marked by low atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations.
This new type of wood, termed ‘midwood’ or ‘accumulator-wood’, features intermediate-sized macrofibrils of 20 nanometers, unlike the 15-nanometer macrofibrils in hardwoods and the 25-nanometer macrofibrils in fast-growing softwoods.
This intermediate structure likely contributes to the trees’ rapid growth and efficient carbon storage, according to the research, recently published in New Phytologist.
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Dr. Raymond Wightman of the Sainsbury Laboratory noted that this discovery provides insights into the evolutionary relationships between wood nanostructure and cell wall composition.
The larger macrofibrils in tulip trees suggest an adaptation for capturing and storing more carbon, making them potentially valuable for carbon capture plantations.
Some East Asian countries already use Liriodendron plantations for carbon sequestration, which might be linked to this novel wood structure.
Dr. Jan Łyczakowski from Jagiellonian University, lead author of the research, emphasized the significance of understanding the diversity of wood ultrastructure for improving carbon capture strategies.
This novel knowledge is crucial for enhancing wood-based carbon storage, and therefore for climate change mitigation, Łyczakowski concluded.
The research was financed by the National Science Centre Poland and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.
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