Douglas Fir bark

[GG Woody]

Wondering if anyone has some insight...
Why might some Douglas fir bark be super thick, and other bark be much thinner?
Similar sized trees (bit under 2ft diameter) similar environment (maybe 2kms apart, both kinda southish facing hills)
The thinner bark one is really nice green wood, super nice to split, the thicker bark was standing dead and quite a workout to split.
Maybe not a perfect comparison as the thinner bark isn't quite at the base of the tree as I haven't got there yet, and I'm not entirely sure how close to the base the thicker peice came from.

 

[begreen]

Age. The bark thickens as the tree gets older. The thick corky bark offers fire protection.

 

[GG Woody]

I'll have to count/ballpark the rings when I get to the base of this one. Could compare it to the other since the stumps on our property.
This one's a bit of a sketchy 4x4 to get to, I'm only able to haul 3/4 loads in the little UTV.

 

[stoveliker]

If they have the same diameter, there should be already quite some difference in growth ring spacing visible if their age is quite different.

 

[GG Woody]

If they have the same diameter, there should be already quite some difference in growth ring spacing visible if their age is quite different.

I'll have to investigate...
If I was to guess, they are similar age.
Merely a guess but I'd think about 120yrs. I do remember counting the one on our property with my then 10yr old, don't remember how many we counted.😵‍💫

 

[stoveliker]

I'm no PNW expert, nor Doug fir (or trees that have adapted to fire) expert, but would local site microclimate maybe play a role? Sun, shade, daylight hours, wind, temperature, temperature difference between day and night, and summer and winter, soil and nutrients, bug or fungi attacks. Many things in principle could change how a tree behaves.
Or maybe Doug fir only changes thickness of the bark with age. Idk...

If it's dry it'll burn

 

[GG Woody]

I'm no PNW expert, nor Doug fir (or trees that have adapted to fire) expert, but would local site microclimate maybe play a role? Sun, shade, daylight hours, wind, temperature, temperature difference between day and night, and summer and winter, soil and nutrients, bug or fungi attacks. Many things in principle could change how a tree behaves.
Or maybe Doug fir only changes thickness of the bark with age. Idk...

If it's dry it'll burn

It's certainly possible that it's one or all of those factors!
Maybe just stress, or lack of stress? Which could be one or all or none of em?
Might a stressed tree have thicker bark? I know that a heat stressed tree can have quite a cone abundance. Something like it thinks it's going to die so it produces an abundance of seed.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, that's how we got fruit abundance in the tree nursery I worked at as a teenager - by making them think the end was near.