Angela Balzano

Angela Balzano
University of Ljubljana · Department of Wood Technology

PhD
Researcher at University of Ljubljana

About

54
Publications
26,007
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672
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Introduction
Angela Balzano currently works at the University of Ljubljana · Department of Wood Technology. Angela does research in Forestry, Environmental Science and Agricultural Plant Science.
Additional affiliations
September 2014 - present
University of Ljubljana
Position
  • PhD

Publications

Publications (54)
Article
Full-text available
Mediterranean forests are severely threatened by increasing seedling mortality due to harsh environmental conditions, especially drought. In this study, we investigate whether seedlings of Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo, previously exposed to water deficit, acquired tolerance to summer drought. Seedlings of the two species were grown from April to...
Article
Full-text available
The high temperature sensitivity of pine trees in northern Fennoscandia has led to some of the most reliable tree-ring climate reconstructions in the world for the past millennia. However, wood anatomical anomalies that likely reflect temperature-induced reductions in cell wall lignification, the so-called Blue Rings (BRs), have not yet been system...
Article
The international wood anatomy community mourns the loss of Prof. Dr Pieter Baas (28 April 1944 - 29 April 2024) from the Netherlands. He was a key figure in the International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA) and editor of the IAWA Journal for decades. He made an outstanding contribution to the development of wood anatomy and wood science for...
Article
Full-text available
Analysing wood anatomy has many applications, including the identification of tree species, understanding the trees’ growth responses to variable environmental conditions, studying evolutionary trends, and evaluat-ing wood quality. Improving knowledge on wood anatomical traits and possible modifications induced by biotic and abiotic factors is cruc...
Article
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This study investigates the anatomical characteristics and growth patterns of Salix arctica and Salix herbacea, two prevalent dwarf shrub species in Iceland, to understand their responses to environmental changes. We employed optical and scanning electron microscopy methods and quantitative wood anatomy to analyze the stem and root structures of st...
Article
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Quercus ilex L., an evergreen oak species typical of the western and central Mediterranean basin, is facing decline and dieback episodes due to the increase in the severity and frequency of heat waves and drought events. Studying xylogenesis (the wood formation process) is crucial for understanding how trees respond with their secondary growth to e...
Article
The mining tradition in Litija, dating back to the Iron Age, involved the intensive use of wood in the mines, especially for support and protection. The Sitarjevec mine was reopened for tourism in 2017, and the central tunnel was opened in 2021. Wood remains a key material in the mines, although other materials have replaced it in the past. The woo...
Poster
Full-text available
Droughts are becoming more frequent in the Mediterranean forests due to warmer climate and longer periods without precipitation. In the Mediterranean region, cambial activity is mostly determined by water availability and it occurs during favorite seasons. However, a few studies have focused on the seasonal patterns of wood formation (xylogenesis)...
Article
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Afforestation success is measured by the tree establishment and growth capacity which contribute to a range of ecosystem services. In the Mongolian steppe, Populus sibirica and Ulmus pumila have been tested as candidate species for large afforestation programs, by analyzing their response to a combination of irrigation and fertilization treatments....
Article
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The present study focuses on the cambium and the anatomy of secondary tissues (xylem – wood and phloem) of Siberian poplar (Populus sibirica) and Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) grown in a plantation in the semi-arid Mongolian steppe. Stem and root microcores from both species were collected and subsequently processed to obtain cross-sections for light...
Article
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In the Mediterranean region, prolonged droughts affect the growth and reproductive cycles of grapevine. Changes in the physiological processes of grapevine, consequent to variations in environmental factors or cultivation management, are recorded in wood anatomical and isotopic traits in grapevine stems. In this study, we measured the anatomical tr...
Article
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In the Mediterranean region, some areas of the Vesuvius National Park (southern Italy) are subjected to a severe anthropogenic impact, especially during spring and summer seasons. The continuous trampling of tourists and buses leads to the formation of “dust-clouds”, exposing plants, especially along the paths, to a great deposition of powder parti...
Article
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We present a technical note that supplements published procedures on optimal sample preparation for performing wood and phloem formation analyses. Before beginning sampling, it is important to learn about the characteristics of the tree or shrub species to be investigated. Some tips are given how to use the Trephor tool in the best way, how to remo...
Article
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Waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW), approximately 4500 years old, from the prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement at Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia, was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We propose a simplified protocol for sample preparation and the SEM technique for the study of highly degraded WAW of Quercus, Faxinus, Acer, Salix and...
Article
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As additive manufacturing technologies advance, new opportunities are opening up for their application in the furniture industry. Wood remains one of the leading raw materials in the furniture industry; therefore, possible options for combining it with 3D printing have been researched. The bonding of 3D-printed polymer parts with wood or 3D printin...
Article
The monitoring of xylogenesis makes it possible to follow tree growth responses to stress factors in real-time, by observing the course of wood cell division and differentiation. Proper microscopy techniques are of key importance to exactly identify the xylem cells during the different phases of differentiation. We aimed to apply epifluorescence mi...
Article
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Izvleček / Abstract Izvleček: Les na prostem je izpostavljen delovanju abiotskih in biotskih dejavnikov. Če hočemo njihovo delovanje upočasniti, moramo les zaščititi. V preteklosti je bil biocidni proizvod na osnovi bakrovih, kromovih in borovih spojin (CCB) ena najpomembnejših rešitev za zaščito lesa v ostrih pogojih izpostavitve. Kljub temu, da s...
Article
Full-text available
Les na prostem je izpostavljen delovanju abiotskih in biotskih dejavnikov. Če hočemo njihovo delovanje upočasniti, moramo les zaščititi. V preteklosti je bil biocidni proizvod na osnovi bakrovih, kromovih in borovih spojin (CCB) ena najpomembnejših rešitev za zaščito lesa v ostrih pogojih izpostavitve. Kljub temu, da se CCB v EU praktično ne uporab...
Article
Full-text available
Microwave modification can increase the permeability of wood by delaminating and rupturing its anatomical microstructures at their weak points. A high degree of intensity of microwave modification can cause significant structural damage to the microstructures of wood, resulting in poorer strength properties. The objective of this study was to evalu...
Article
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Quercus ilex L. dieback has been recently reported at numerous Mediterranean sites. Wood and phloem formation dynamics and tree-ring series of anatomical traits can be used to evaluate growth conditions of trees. We monitored cambial activity in Q. ilex trees growing at a site in southern Italy in order to assess how xylem and phloem production are...
Article
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Buildings on piles have been constructed in Ljubljana since the Bronze Age. The piles were made of different types of wood. In the present study, piles that were erected about 125 years ago were investigated. Investors tend to renovate a building; therefore, the piles were analysed to assess the structural condition of the building. The building sh...
Article
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Izvleček Abstract: Wood identification of barbecue charcoal from commercial packages of three retailers (B1, B2, B3) in Slovenia and Croatia was performed with help of Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). CLSM enabled us to image key identification features of charcoal wood that were compared with light micrographs of wood from the reference...
Article
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Temporal variability of leaf senescence (autumn phenology) was observed in 2020 in 11 European beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees in Tivoli, Rožnik and Šišenski hrib Landscape Park in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and also observed for spring phenology in the same year. General leaf colouring, BBCH94, occurred between 19 and 24 October 2020, with lower inter-ind...
Article
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Since invasive alien species are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss in the region and thus of changes in ecosystem services, it is important to find the best possible solution for their removal from nature and the best practice for their usability. The aim of the study was to investigate their properties as components of wood-plastic compo...
Article
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Research Highlights: The antifungal assay confirmed that knotwood extractives of Scotspine inhibit the growth of wood decay fungi. Heartwood extracts of black locust were found to bemuch stronger free radical scavengers than the extracts of Scots pine. The extracts were depositedin the lumina and on the wall surface of cells in the impregnated sapw...
Article
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Forests are under great pressure due to climate changes. It is forecast that the importance of Mediterranean type forests will significantly increase. Among various types of oak species, pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens) will likely gain ecological and economic importance in the region south of Alps. Although this wood species is well known, there...
Article
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Research was done to develop the optimal method of wood surface preparation for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Since 2018, environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM™) FEI Quanta 250 has been installed at the Department of Wood Science and Technology in Ljubljana. We tested several methods for the pre-preparation and cutting of wood surf...
Article
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Fluctuations in climatic conditions during the growing season are recorded in Mediterranean tree-rings and often result in intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs). Dendroecology and quantitative wood anatomy analyses were used to characterize the relations between the variability of IADF traits and climatic drivers in Pinus pinaster Aiton and Que...
Article
Full-text available
Recent studies on the seasonal dynamics of secondary tissue formation in Mediterranean trees have shown that xylogenesis depends on species and site conditions, but many questions still remain open. On the other side of the cambium, even less information is available about phloem structure and timing of its formation. We analysed intra-annual phloe...
Article
Full-text available
We used the Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope(CLSM) Olympus LEXT OLS5000for non-destructiveobservation and image analysis of wood anatomytraitsin growth layers of treespecies fromdifferent climatic zones. In European beech (Fagus sylvatica),where tree rings can generally be recognised, we discuss the changes in tree-ring structure due to adverse e...
Article
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Exact wood identification is usually based on observation of wood features under the microscope. For this, we have to take a sample of the wood from the object and cut thin slides, possibly of all three anatomical sections. Such destructive sampling is often not possible on valuable historical objects, and therefore there is a need for non-destruct...
Article
Full-text available
Determining the effect of a changing climate on tree growth will ultimately depend on our understanding of wood formation processes and how they can be affected by environmental conditions. In this context, monitoring intra-annual radial growth with high temporal resolution through point dendrometers has often been used. Another widespread approach...
Article
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Pred drugo svetovno vojno so v okolici Golega vrha postavili obsežno podzemno utrdbo. Še od časa izgradnje je v utrdbi ostalo nekaj lesa, dodatno so pred leti namestili nekaj lesenih razstavnih predmetov. Na lesu je bilo nekaj let po odprtju opaziti obsežen glivni razkroj. V utrdbi smo namestili senzor za spremljanje relativne zračne vlažnosti in t...
Article
Full-text available
A tree ring is defined as a band of xylem-cell layers produced in one year. In Mediterranean trees, cambium often produces several bands of alternating early- and latewood during one calendar year, resulting in Intra-Annual Density Fluctuations (IADFs). We present some characteristics of growth layers in Pinus pinea (stone pine) growing on Vesuvius...
Article
In Mediterranean ecosystems, some natural areas are exposed to severe anthropogenic impact. Especially in summer, the considerable number of tourists visiting such areas, often through vehicles, causes the deposition of dust over the vegetation due to the formation of powder clouds also favoured by wind erosion, high temperature, low precipitation...
Article
Mediterranean trees and shrubs form intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in tree rings as a sign of their plasticity in wood formation in response to intra-seasonal variations of environmental conditions. Different species show a different aptitude to form IADFs, due to their diverse ability to cope with climate stressors, since the occurrence...
Article
Full-text available
Mediterranean trees and shrubs form intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in tree rings as a sign of their plasticity in wood formation in response to intraseasonal variations of environmental conditions. Different species show a different aptitude to form IADFs, due to their diverse ability to cope with climate stressors, since the occurrence...
Article
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A local tree-ring chronology of sessile oak (Qercus petraea) was constructed for the site Klanec pri Kozini (KLA), Slovenia (45.59° N, 13.92° E, 450 m a.s.l.) located on the Karst edge on the transition from the sub-Mediterranean climatic to temperate Continental zones. The chronology is 93 years long and covers the period 1925–2017. A comparison w...
Article
Background and aims: Mediterranean trees have patterns of cambial activity with one or more pauses per year, leading to intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in tree rings. We analysed xylogenesis (January 2015-January 2016) in Pinus pinea L. and Arbutus unedo L., co-occurring at a site on Mt. Vesuvius (southern Italy), to identify the cambial...
Article
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We present xylem formation in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in 2015 at Panška reka, near Ljubljana, Slovenia (ca. 46°00’N, 14°40’E, 400 m a.s.l.) with a temperate climate. The research was a part of a long-term project, which involves different sites and tree species. We measured the widths of cambium and the formation of xylem growth rin...
Article
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Key message The analysis of the growth behaviour, wood anatomical, and eco-physiological traits of twoBougainvilleagenotypes, trained to two shapes and subjected to different irrigation regimes, fully supports the idea that structural properties interact with cultural practices (i.e., training) in determining the adaptive capability of plants, henc...
Article
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Key message Wood fibres are as sensitive to environmental conditions as vessels in tree rings with intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in Mediterranean species. Abstract Forecasted environmental changes are likely to increase the frequency of intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in Mediterranean tree rings. The interpretation of intra-an...
Article
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Vessel occlusion through tyloses or gums is a natural phenomenon occurring with aging and heartwood formation, and in sapwood in response to vessel embolism. These types of vessel occlusion play a crucial role to limit the spread of pathogens and wood decay organisms, also as part of compartmentalization after wounding. In the sapwood, they can be...
Article
Full-text available
Mediterranean tree rings are characterized by intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) due to partly climate-driven cambial activity. IADFs are used as structural signals to gain information on relations between environmental conditions and eco-physiological processes during xylogenesis, with intra-annual resolution. To reach an unbiased synchroni...
Thesis
Full-text available
The occurrence of long and severe summer drought periods, forecasted for the Mediterranean basin (IPCC, 2013), is expected to affect cambial activity and wood formation, thus altering tree growth and vegetation dynamics thus affecting the productivity of forests (Sarris et al., 2007; Martinez del Castillo et al., 2016). In such a context, is import...
Article
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Tree rings provide information about environmental change through recording stress events, such as fires, that can affect their growth. The aim of this study was to investigate wood growth reactions in Pinus halepensis Mill. trees subjected to wildfires, by analysing anatomical traits and carbon and oxygen isotope composition. The study area was So...

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