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In-forest assessment of timber stiffness in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Beurteilung der Steifigkeit von Fichtenholz (Picea abies (L.) Karst) am stehenden Baum

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify easily obtainable predictors for the mean timber stiffness of a forest stand. The most robust predictor is found to be the average taper of the trees in a stand, expressed as the tree height divided by the diameter at breast height (H/D-ratio). In a simple linear regression, the mean H/D-ratio of a stand yielded a R 2-value of 82 % in explaining the mean modulus of elasticity of boards from the corresponding stand. As a practical approach, exclusion of timber from stands with an H\D-ratio under a certain threshold is implemented. This shows an increase of six to ten percentage points in the C30-portion depending on the combinations of strength classes produced with a Dynagrade strength-grading machine. This must be considered a substantial improvement in grade yield and makes such pre-sorting in the forest very attractive since the H/D-ratio can easily be measured in forest inventories or by harvesters.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel dieser Studie ist die Ermittlung leicht bestimmbarer Werte zur Vorhersage der mittleren Steifigkeit aus einem Bestand. Die mittlere Abholzigkeit der Bäume in einem Bestand, angegeben als Baumhöhe geteilt durch den Brusthöhendurchmesser (H/D-Verhältnis), erwies sich als stabilster Vorhersagewert. In einer einfachen linearen Regression zwischen dem mittleren Elastizitätsmodul der Bretter eines entsprechenden Bestandes und dem mittleren H/D-Verhältnis des Bestandes ergab sich ein Bestimmtheitsmaß R² von 82 %. Als ein in der Praxis anwendbares Verfahren wird Holz aus Beständen, bei denen das H/D-Verhältnis einen bestimmten Grenzwert unterschreitet, ausgeschlossen. Dies führt zu einer 6-10 Prozent höheren Ausbeute von Schnittholz in der Festigkeitsklasse C30 je nach gewählter Sortierklassenkombination in einer Dynagrade Sortiermaschine. Dies muss als eine erhebliche Verbesserung der Sortierausbeute erachtet werden und macht eine derartige Vorsortierung im Wald attraktiv, da das H/D-Verhältnis bei Waldbestandsinventuren oder bei der Holzernte leicht gemessen werden kann.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been financed by the Research Council of Norway in the two projects “SSFF-project” (Grant no. 143920/I30) and “Tresterk” (Grant No. 208085/I10).

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  1. Treteknisk (Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology), P.O. Box 113, Blindern, 0314, Oslo, Norway

    Audun Øvrum

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Correspondence to Audun Øvrum.

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Øvrum, A. In-forest assessment of timber stiffness in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Eur. J. Wood Prod. 71, 429–435 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-013-0694-3

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