Abstract
• Context
The transition of microfibril angle (MFA) values from juvenile to mature wood marks the change from variable, low-quality wood to stronger and more consistent wood that can produce higher value products.
• Aims
We evaluate the utility of different statistical models that predict how much of a log is higher quality mature wood based on MFA.
• Methods
MFA was measured from pith to bark at breast height in six lodgepole pine stands in western Canada. Six different forms of two-segment regression models were assessed to determine the point of transition (TP) in MFA from juvenile to mature wood.
• Results
All six models provided useful and significant TP estimates. In the first segment (juvenile phase), the quadratic form produced the most conservative TPs, the linear form the least conservative, and the exponential form was intermediate. A linear second segment (mature phase) was only a minor improvement over a constant. There were significant differences in MFA TP among some sites. Analyses of the relationships between TP and tree variables, e.g., DBH, height, were inconclusive.
• Conclusions
Any of the six two-segment models can be used objectively to estimate MFA transition points; the choice of model will allow mill managers to manage risk in product out-turn.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Jared Salvail, John Vallentgoed, Jonathan Martin DeMoor, Dominique Lejour, Calvin Strom, Kirsten Mortensen, and Myriam Suard for their accuracy and commitment in carrying out the field work for this project. Comments on an earlier version by Art Groot, Ted Hogg, and Cosmin Filipescu are greatly appreciated. Discussions with Roger Whitehead, Paul Bicho, Barbara Dalpke, and Maurice Defo helped to shape the direction of this research. The comments of two anonymous reviewers are appreciated for helping improve the clarity of the manuscript.
Funding
Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada.
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Jean-Michel Leban
Contribution of the co-authors
Mingliang Wang: responsible for the data analysis, modeling, and writing the first draft of the manuscript.
James D. Stewart: responsible for the initiation, overall direction and management, and data collection for this study.
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Wang, M., Stewart, J.D. Determining the transition from juvenile to mature wood microfibril angle in lodgepole pine: a comparison of six different two-segment models. Annals of Forest Science 69, 927–937 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-012-0226-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-012-0226-z