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The purpose of this study was to determine variation in the density of wood from different provenances, growing under the same soil and climate conditions. Samples were obtained from an experimental site located at the Siemianice Forest Experimental Station. We analyzed larch wood samples from trees aged 48 years, collected from six different provenances in Poland. Diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height were used to calculate the parameters for sample trees, from which a 70 cm segment was cut, from breast height upwards (up to 2 m of tree height). Samples with dimensions 20 × 20 × 30 mm were obtained from the material. Sample volume was determined by stereometry. Relative density was determined for 890 samples. The highest wood density was found in trees from Czerniejewo, and the lowest in trees from Rawa Mazowiecka. Analysis of variance, including the mean wood density values of trees, did not demonstrate significant differences between provenances in terms of this characteristic. Mean relative density was higher in larch wood samples from the heartwood zone. The density of samples cut closer to the bark was lower, as the value was affected by the large content of sapwood. A relation was found between the provenances from which the study material was sourced and the relative density of wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the findings of a study concerning the variability in the density of oven-dry silver birch wood, depending on the geographical placement of tree stands, of the age and thickness of the trees, the influence of the forest habitat type and interactions occurring between chosen factors. The study was carried out on wood from trees aged approx. 30, 50 and 70 years old in 12 forest districts located throughout Poland. Altogether 4777 wood samples taken from 306 trees acquired on 51 test plots were measured. A significant influence of all the examined factors on the variability of the density of the oven-dry wood of the silver birch was proven. The highest mean values of the density of the birch wood in an oven-dry state were found in the Forest District of Giżycko in fresh mixed broadleaved forests - 669,85 kg/m3 and in the Forest District of Sokołów in fresh broadleaved forests - 662,04 kg/m3. For the entire examined material, mean values of the density of oven-dry wood are increasing along with age. In all three of the examined tree ages, the highest mean values were noted in the thinnest trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a comparison of the density of seven provenances of spruce trees, grown on an experimental plot located at Siemianice Forest Experimental Station. This plot is a unique research area on which observations concerning the growth of spruce trees of different provenances have been conducted for 41 years. The conditions in which the trees grow are very similar and it may be assumed that provenance is the element differentiating growth and wood properties. Trees growing on this plot have reached such large dimensions that it was possible to collect experimental material in the form of blocks, from which wood samples for further tests were obtained. Analyses were conducted on 651 samples collected from spruce trees of 7 provenances (Orawa, Międzygórze, Nowe Ramuki, Istebna Bukowiec, Kartuzy, Zwierzyniec 281B, Zwierzyniec Lubelski). The results indicated that wood of each individual provenance differed significantly in terms of the analysed trait. It was found that wood coming from Zwierzyniec Lubelski had the greatest values of basic density, while the lowest values were recorded for the Orawa provenance. Moreover, the examined provenances were divided into four groups, thus creating a ranking list of provenances in terms of the basic wood density of Norway spruce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigators wanting to study aspects of wood machining face many challenges. The material under investigation is inherently different with respect to its three major axes, and it responds in various ways to local temperature, moisture, and many other variables. Researchers proposing future research projects in this area thus face a critically important task of selecting parameters to include either as variables or as quantities to hold constant. This editorial outlines key parameters and conditions of wood machining that can be considered, depending on the scope of a project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timber is normally dried by kiln drying, in the course of which moisture-induced stresses and fractures can occur. Cracks occur primarily in the radial direction due to tangential tensile strength (TSt) that exceeds the strength of the material. The present article reports on experiments and numerical simulations by finite element modeling (FEM) concerning the TSt and fracture behavior of Norway spruce under various climatic conditions. Thin log disc specimens were studied to simplify the description of the moisture flow in the samples. The specimens designed for TS were acclimatized to a moisture content (MC) of 18% before TSt tests at 20°C, 60°C, and 90°C were carried out. The maximum stress results of the disc simulations by FEM were compared with the experimental strength results at the same temperature levels. There is a rather good agreement between the results of modeling and experiments. The results also illustrate the strong decrease of TSt with increasing temperature at a constant MC level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood density, shrinkage, hygroscopicity and fibre saturation point were studied in young trees corresponding to three important species in the spanish timber production (Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris and Pinus radiata). Twenty-nine thinned pines from different stands of Galicia (northwestern Spain) were sampled. The test material was small size defect-free specimens. The wood of Pinus pinaster exhibited intermediate density and more instability in dimensions, due to environmental moisture changes, than wood of Pinus radiata and Pinus sylvestris. These woods were light and relatively stable, especially Pinus radiata. The density in Pinus pinaster was similar to that obtained in previous studies on adult trees. Pinus radiata and Pinus sylvestris showed lower density than adult trees. The shrinkage properties were similar in the analyzed young wood and in the wood of adult trees, excepting the wood sampled for Pinus radiata, more stable than adult wood. Even with a sample of trees from the same stand in a specific site, there were significant differences in wood density among positions in each tree and among trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]