Effect of Initial Planting Density on the Moisture Content and Chemical Composition of the Triploid Chinese White Poplar (Populus× tomentosa Carrière) Plantation
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript entitles “Effect of Initial Planting Density on Moisture Content and Chemical Composition of Triploid Chinese White Poplar (Populus tomentosa) Plantation” has been written well and have some comments below:
In abstract Kindly give the reason why you used this plant for this study?
Line no.17, Please re-correct the sentence and start with full form of Moisture content.
Please give the significant values in the abstract so that you can say it is significantly higher or lower.
What is the conclusion of the study, it should be include inside the abstract.
In Keywords section, Keywords should be different from the title.
Line no 85; In Introduction part, remove the sentence.
In results, What is the difference in between table 2 and Figure 1 in both authors used same data for MC or different? If same then remove figure 1.
Likewise figure 2 and Table 2??
References should be according to the journals guideline. And follow same format for all the references. Reference number 31 pls correct the journal name…. ???.
English language must be improved in throughout the manuscript.
Author Response
Point 1: In abstract Kindly give the reason why you used this plant for this study?
Response 1: Thank you for your good suggestion. We update it in the new version (Abstract section, lines 12 - 14, page 1).
Point 2: Line no.17, Please re-correct the sentence and start with full form of Moisture content.
Response 2: Line 15 defines the acronym "moisture content" for the first time. We thought it appropriate for moisture content to appear as an acronym after this point.
Point 3: Please give the significant values in the abstract so that you can say it is significantly higher or lower.
Response 3: We accept your suggestion and have revised them in the new version (Abstract section, line 21 and line 25, page 1).
Point 4: What is the conclusion of the study, it should be include inside the abstract.
Response 4: Thank you for your constructive suggestion. In the new version, we have revised it (line 28 - 32, page 1).
Point 5: In Keywords section, Keywords should be different from the title.
Response 5: In the revised version, Keywords has been changed into "planting density; triploid hybrid clones; wood properties; phenotypic correlations" (Keywords section, line 33, page 1).
Point 6: Line no 85; In Introduction part, remove the sentence.
Response 6: We accept your suggestion and removed the sentence in the new version.
Point 7: In results, What is the difference in between table 2 and Figure 1 in both authors used same data for MC or different? If same then remove figure 1. Likewise figure 2 and Table 2??
Response 7: Table 2 reports the mean values, variation ranges, and phenotypic variation coefficients for the moisture content of three triploid hybrid clones and one diploid clone of Chinese white poplar under the seven planting densities. Figure 1 depicted the effect of the initial planting density on the moisture content of 11-year-old triploid Chinese white poplar. Compared with Table 2, Figure 1 can more directly show the influence of afforestation density on wood moisture content of triploid Populus tomentosa. Furthermore, Table 2 showed the mean values, range of variation, and coefficients of phenotypic variation for chemical compositions within the seven planting densities regardless of clones. It emphasized the effect of initial planting density on wood chemical properties. Figure 2 represented the effect of clonal effect on chemical compositions. In other words, Table 2 and Figure 2 showed different studied contents. Hence, we think it is best to leave Figures 1 and 2 intact.
Point 8: References should be according to the journals guideline. And follow same format for all the references. Reference number 31 pls correct the journal name…. ???.
Response 8: In the revised version, " J. Trop. for. Sci." has been changed into " J. Trop. For. Sci."( References section, line 416, page 13);
Point 9: English language must be improved in throughout the manuscript.
Response 9: English language of this manuscript was polished by Dr. Tatyana L., a senior editor in the University of Sydney.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Very nicely done introduction and literature review.
Why are both triploid and diploid shown in Table 1 , when the article is dedicated to triploid?
How was the sex of each clone determined, and did all felled trees from a given clone have the same sex?
What alcohol was used in determining the composition of the benzene-alcohol extract?
Why are all determinations made in accordance with Chinese standards and not international standards?
In connection with the good determination of the planting density, why was the density of trees not determined and the average height at each density of planting not given? This would be an additional value of the article.
The static analysis is carried out properly.
Author Response
Point 1:Why are both triploid and diploid shown in Table 1 , when the article is dedicated to triploid?
Response 1: To determine the response pattern of diploid and triploid to each planting density, a diploid and three triploid clones are designed in the experiment. The Table 1 shows that triploid Chinese white poplar has higher holocellulose content and improved pulp properties at each planting density. Because the article is dedicated to the effect of planting density on triploid Chinese white poplar, the diploid is excluded in the following analysis.
Point 2: How was the sex of each clone determined, and did all felled trees from a given clone have the same sex?
Response 2: The sex of each clone can be determined according to the morphology of the catkin. All felled trees from a given clone have the same sex.
Point 3: What alcohol was used in determining the composition of the benzene-alcohol extract?
Response 3: 95% (v/v) alcohol was used in determining the composition of the benzene-alcohol extract. In order to facilitate the evaluation of the results of benzene-alcohol extraction content, we added detailed methods in the revised version (Materials and Methods section, line 125 - 128, page 3).
Point 4: Why are all determinations made in accordance with Chinese standards and not international standards?
Response 4: Firstly, Chinese standards is similar to international standards. Secondly, the wood moisture content and chemical composition content of triploid Chinese white poplar are determined in Beijing Forestry University. All the methods for wood properties are Chinese standard.
Point 5: In connection with the good determination of the planting density, why was the density of trees not determined and the average height at each density of planting not given? This would be an additional value of the article.
Response 5: Data of the density of trees and the average height at each density of planting have been published in a previous paper (Sang, Y.R.; Gao, P.; Kang, X.Y.; Zhang, P.D. Effect of initial planting density on growth traits and wood properties of triploid Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa) plantation. Forests 2021, 12, 1676. DOI: 10.3390/f12121676).
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
In reviewer's opinion article is a valuable report that without deeper insight contributes to the discussion.
1. In reviewer's opinion methods of determining holocellulose, alpha-cellulose content should be included. It will allow evaluation of the precision of collected data points.
2. Unfortunately, reviewer do not have access to Chinese national standards, so evaluation of benzene-alcohol extraction and klason lignin content results assessment is impossible at this time.
Author Response
Point 1: In reviewer's opinion methods of determining holocellulose, alpha-cellulose content should be included. It will allow evaluation of the precision of collected data points.
Response 1: Thank you for your constructive suggestion. In the new version, we have added detailed methods to determine holocellulose and alpha-cellulose in the Materials and Methods section (line 139 - 158, page 3 - 4).
Point 2: Unfortunately, reviewer do not have access to Chinese national standards, so evaluation of benzene-alcohol extraction and klason lignin content results assessment is impossible at this time.
Response 2: In order to facilitate the evaluation of the results of benzene-alcohol extraction and klason lignin content, we added detailed methods in the revised version (Materials and Methods section, line 124 - 136, page 3).
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
