Growth Rings in Agathis robusta and Araucaria cunninghamii From Tropical Australia

Abstract

Agathis robusta and Araucaria cunninghamii trees growing in a seasonal tropical climate in north Queensland produce late wood during cooler and drier periods. Vascular cambium growth rates fluctuate, and slow-growing trees may temporarily have inactive cambium around parts of the trunk so no growth ring is formed. Radiocarbon dates on old Agathis trees indicate that the frequency of ring formation is less than annual.