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Characterization of Douglas-fir grown in Portugal: heartwood, sapwood, bark, ring width and taper

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Abstract

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is one of the best timber conifers providing long sawnwood components. Original from North America, it has been planted in Europe on approximately 550 thousand ha. Twenty Douglas-fir trees growing in two sites in Portugal were studied regarding ring analysis, heartwood, sapwood and bark development, and taper. The radial growth rate was 7.1 and 6.6 mm year−1 at stem base for 45- and 50-year-old trees, respectively, in the two sites. Initial growth rate was slower, increasing until about 20 years and decreasing afterwards. Heartwood proportion represented on average 49% of the cross section in the lower part of the stem and decreased upwards. Heartwood formation was estimated to start at a cambial age of 8–9 years and increasing by 0.7–0.9 rings year−1. Sapwood width was on average 75 mm at stem base, decreasing upwards. Bark was 26–27 mm thick at stem base, where it represented 15% of the cross-sectional area and decreased to 3–5 mm at the top. Stemwood and heartwood tapers were on average 15 mm m−1 in the lower stem part and 21 and 18 mm m−1, respectively, in the upper part. Douglas-fir showed a good potential for the mountain areas of Portugal, and under the silvicultural conditions of both stands the trees presented ring homogeneity, small conicity and low taper suitable for long wood components.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF) for helping in tree selection and the sawmills Albano Leite da Silva, LDA and VilaMadeiras—Comércio de Madeiras, LDA, for allowing the sampling at the time of tree harvest. We thank Beatriz Sanchez for the data on latewood percentage. Centro de Estudos Florestais (CEF) is a research unit funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (AGR/UID00239/2013). The first author acknowledges a FCT doctoral fellowship (PD/BD/52404/2013) under the Sustainable Forests and Products (SUSFOR) doctoral program.

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  1. Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sofia Cardoso & Helena Pereira

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  1. Sofia Cardoso
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  2. Helena Pereira
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Correspondence to Sofia Cardoso.

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Communicated by Martina Meincken.

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Cardoso, S., Pereira, H. Characterization of Douglas-fir grown in Portugal: heartwood, sapwood, bark, ring width and taper. Eur J Forest Res 136, 597–607 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-017-1058-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-017-1058-z

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