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Relationship between density and aesthetic attributes of wood and preference of Malagasy consumers

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Abstract

Context

The knowledge of consumer preferences in wood furniture is crucial for the wood processing industries.

Aim

This study aims to identify the attributes of wood that affect the preferences of consumers from the city of Antananarivo, Madagascar, for wooden furnishings.

Methods

Quantitative measurements of the density and aesthetic properties of 12 wood species were carried out. The properties measured were the colour in the CIEL*a*b* colour space, the texture through greyscale image processing, and the density. Then, the wood specimens were subjected to sensory analysis with 100 consumers.

Results

The results showed that the "density" was a prime criterion in choosing a wood species. Concerning the visual aspect, Antananarivo consumers generally liked slightly dark wood colour (L* around 52), tending towards yellow, with a visible oriented texture. The influence of socio-economic factors was also highlighted.

Conclusion

These results are of prime importance in the search for alternative species to replace precious woods that are becoming rare.

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Acknowledgments

We owe special thanks to the test persons for help with collecting data for sensory analysis. The authors wish to thank S'Prix Meubles factory in Ambohidratrimo and sawmill in Ambatoroka for providing the wood samples used in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université d’Antananarivo, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, Département des Eaux et Forêts, BP 175, Antananarivo, 101, Madagascar

    Tahiana Ramananantoandro, Miora F. Ramanakoto & Andraina H. Rajemison

  2. Institut Clément Ader, IUT Département Génie Mécanique et Productique, 1 rue Lautréamont BP 1624, 65016, Tarbes Cedex, France

    Andraina H. Rajemison & Florent Eyma

Authors
  1. Tahiana Ramananantoandro
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  2. Miora F. Ramanakoto
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  3. Andraina H. Rajemison
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  4. Florent Eyma
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tahiana Ramananantoandro.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Jean-Michel Leban

Contribution of the co-authors

Tahiana Ramananantoandro designed the study, carried out colour and texture measurements, and wrote the paper.

Miora F. Ramanakoto carried out the sensory analysis and density measurement, and wrote the paper.

Miora F. Ramanakoto and Andraina H. Rajemison carried out statistical analysis.

Tahiana Ramananantoandro and Florent Eyma supervised the work.

All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

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Ramananantoandro, T., Ramanakoto, M.F., Rajemison, A.H. et al. Relationship between density and aesthetic attributes of wood and preference of Malagasy consumers. Annals of Forest Science 70, 649–658 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0299-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0299-3

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