| Abstract | Wood anatomical characters of Alnus nepalensis growing in Central Nepal were evaluated against three non-anatomical factors: tree height, diameter at breast height (dbh) and altitude. Samples were taken from the outermost parts of the stem of dominant trees at seven localities between 600 and 1650 m above sea level. Tree height ranged from 11 to 20 m and dbh ranged from 10 to 75 cm. Altitude and tree height were correlated with all the vessel characters studied. Among the wood anatomical characters, vessel characters measured from cross sections were strongly correlated with one another, and also with vessel element and fibre tracheid length. Multiple regression analysis using non-anatomical factors as independent variables resulted in significant correlation at 1% level in vessel element length and at 5% level in pore density, tangential vessel diameter, intervessel pit diameter, uniseriate ray height, and bar number of the perforation plates. Regression coefficients of significant regressions were usually largest for altitude, then for height and dbh. For wood structure of Alnus nepalensis in Central Nepal 22-28% of the variation could be predicted by non- anatomical factors. |