Wood anatomy in declining beech

Fagus sylvatica L. plants that showed abnormally brittle twigs were compared anatomically with trees with twigs of normal elasticity. The xylem of brittle trees was richer in pores and had shorter fibres, with thinner walls and less cellulose. A slightly reduced water content could in part explain the observed brittleness. However, because brittle beech also presented typical manifestations of decline, namely: early leaf yellowing and curling, accumulation of starch in the leaves, and alterations in the stomata, it seems likely that there is some relation between twig brittleness and decline in this species