A Note on Within-Tree Variation of Specific Gravity in Sweetgum (<i>Liquidambar Styraciflua</i> L.)

Authors

  • Andrew W. Ezell
  • Prentiss E. Schilling

Keywords:

Specific gravity variation, radial variation, height variation, site influence on specific gravity

Abstract

Both radial and vertical variations of specific gravity within trees for sweetgum were analyzed. Upland and bottomland sites were studied. Six different sites (three upland and three bottomland) were selected; three dominant or codominant trees per site were chosen. In general, specific gravity was found to be a highly variable property of sweetgum wood. It fluctuates with both height and year of deposition, but the patterns were not consistent either within or among trees.

References

Carpenter, B. E., Jr., and W. C. Hopkins. 1966. Specific gravity values of sweetgum topwood and bolewood. For. Prod. J. 16(7):30.nEzell, A. W. 1977. Variation of selected anatomical and physical properties in sweetgum (Liquid-ambar styraciflua L.) grown on upland and bottomland sites in Louisiana. Dissertation Abstr. No. 7807571. Ann Arbor, Mich.nFogg, P. J. 1967. A tabular aid in the calculation of wood specific gravity. For. Prod. J. 17(4):52.nForest Products Laboratory. 1964. Pulp yields for various processes and wood species. USDA Forest Serv. Res. Note FPL-031.nHunter, A. G., and J. F. Goggans. 1968. Variation in specific gravity, diameter growth, and colored heartwood of sweetgum in Alabama. Tappi 51(2).nJett, J. B., and B. J. Zobel. 1975. Wood and pulping properties of young hardwoods. Tappi 58(1):92-96.nPanshin, A. J., and C. deZeeuw. 1970. Textbook of wood technology, third ed. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. 705 pp.nRandel, W. R., and J. E. Winstead. 1976. Environmental influence on ceil and wood characters of Liquidambar styraciflua L. Bot. Gaz. 137(1):45-51.nSmith, D. M. 1954. Maximum moisture content for determining specific gravity of small wood samples. Forest Prod. Lab., USDA Forest Serv. Rep. 2014. 8 pp.nWebb, C. D. 1964. Natural variation in specific gravity, fiber length, and interlocked grain in the wood of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) Ph.D. thesis. North Carolina State College, Raleigh, N.C. 138 pp.nWinstead, J. E. 1972. Fiber tracheid length and wood specific gravity of seedlings as ecotypic characters in Liquidambar styraciflua L. Ecology 53(1):165-172.nZobel, B. 1977. Increasing southern pine timber production through tree improvement. South. J. Appl. For. 1(1):3-10.n

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Published

2007-06-27

Issue

Number 2 / Summer 1980

Section

Research Contributions

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