Abstract
In the study of the growth of softwoods an interesting parameter is the rate of the growth of their needles. This parameter is significant in the evaluation of how economically trees use water, in particular the consumption of water in their growth in thickness and height. This is important in the study of the assimilation characteristics of plants and in the determination of physiological parameters of woods. The aim of the present study is to calculate, as accurately as possible, the total surface of Norway spruce needles on the basis of the circumference and shape of their radial slices.