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Longitudinal growth strain as a log and wood quality predictor for plantation-grown Eucalyptus nitens sawlogs

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Abstract

Peripheral longitudinal growth strain (LGS) was measured on a total of 81, 22-year-old pruned Eucalyptus nitens trees from five thinning treatments in a plantation thinning trial in Tasmania. Growth strain data were gathered at breast height on each tree using the CIRAD-Forêt method. The effects of thinning treatment and tree diameter on LGS and its relationships to solid-wood traits determined in a processing trial were examined. LGS was significantly higher in the direction of the prevailing wind and was not significantly affected by either thinning treatment or tree diameter. An index of log end splitting was positively related to tree diameter, sawlog position (upper/lower), and LGS, which explained up to an additional 20% of the variance after tree diameter and log position were accounted for in a linear regression model. High LGS and log end splitting were significant indicators of increased board end splitting.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Tony Jaeger and Brett McKay of McKay Timbers, for making their St Helens and Glenorchy sawmills available for the processing trial and ITC Timbers for carrying out drying of some of the boards. Dion McKenzie of Forestry Tasmania provided invaluable assistance during the tree selection and field harvesting phases of the trial. Trevor Innes, then of the University of Tasmania, also helped with the harvesting and processing phases. We thank Emlyn Williams of the Australian National University for statistical advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Forestal, Fundo Teja Norte S/N Valdivia, Valdivia, 384, Chile

    Juan Valencia

  2. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Private Bag 12, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    Chris Harwood

  3. CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Private Bag No. 10, Clayton South, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Russell Washusen & Andrew Morrow

  4. Forestry Tasmania, 79 Melville Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia

    Matthew Wood & Peter Volker

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  1. Juan Valencia
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  2. Chris Harwood
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  3. Russell Washusen
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  4. Andrew Morrow
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  5. Matthew Wood
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  6. Peter Volker
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Correspondence to Juan Valencia.

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Valencia, J., Harwood, C., Washusen, R. et al. Longitudinal growth strain as a log and wood quality predictor for plantation-grown Eucalyptus nitens sawlogs. Wood Sci Technol 45, 15–34 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-010-0302-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00226-010-0302-1

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