Some Observations of Wood Density and Anatomical Properties in A Douglas-Fir Sample with Suppressed Growth

Authors

  • J. Y. Zhu
  • David W. Vahey
  • C. Tim. Scott

Keywords:

SilviScan, tracheid, wood density, diameter, wall thickness, anisotropy, image analysis, resolution, suppressed growth, small diameter, thinnings, pulp

Abstract

This study used ring width correlations to examine the effects of tree-growth suppression on within-tree local wood density and tracheid anatomical properties. A wood core sample was taken from a 70-yr-old Douglas-fir that grew under various degrees of suppression in a natural forest setting. SilviScan and an imaging technique were used to obtain wood density and tracheid cross-section dimensions. The results indicated that wood and tracheid properties correlate to annual-ring width very well. The results also reveal that growth suppression may increase the uniformity of wood density and tracheid cell-wall thickness in both radial and tangential directions.

References

Anon (2005). Personal communication. Ponderay Newsprint Company, Usk, WA.nDinwoodie JM (1965) The relationship between fiber morphology and paper properties: A review of literature. TAPPI J 48(8):440-447.nDutilleul P, Herman M, Avella-Shaw T (1998) Growth rate effects on correlations among ring width, wood density, and mean tracheid length in Norway spruce (Picea abies). Can J For Res 28:56-68.nHatton JV, Hunt K, Gee WY (1996) Effects of spacing on the basic relative density, wood and fiber properties of plantation grown western cedar. Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, Vancouver, BC. Pulp and Paper Rep. 1239.nKang K-Y, Zhang SY, Mansfield SD (2004) The effects of initial spacing on wood density, fibre and pulp properties in jack pine (Pinus Banksiana Lamb.). Holzforschung 58:455-463.nKlungness JH, Gleisner R, Mann D, Scallon KL, Zhu JY, Horn EG, Edwards LL (2006) Evaluation of forest thinning materials for TMP production. TAPPI J 5(4):17-22.nKoch P (1972) Utilization of the Southern Pines, Vol. I The Raw Material. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service, US Government Printing Office, Stock No: 0100-1483, Washington, DC 20402, Library of Congress Card No: 79-188-856. p 68.nLarson PR (1963) The indirect effect of drought on tracheid diameter in red pine. Forest Sci 9:52-62.nLindstrom H (1996) Basic density in Norway spruce. Part III. Development from pith outwards. Wood Fiber Sci 28(4):391-405.nMakinen H, Saranpaa P, Linder S (2002) Wood-density variation of Norway spruce in relation to nutrient optimization and fiber dimensions. Can J For Res 32:185-194.nMason CL, Lippke BR, Zobrist KW, Bloxton TD Jr, Ceder KR, Comnick JM, McCarter JB, Rogers HK (2006) Investments in fuel removals to avoid forest fires result in substantial benefits. J Forestry 104(1):27-31.nMyers GC, Barbour RJ, AbuBakr S (1999) Small-diameter trees used for thermomechanical pulps. TAPPI J 82(10):105-110.nMyers GC, Barbour RJ, AbuBakr S (2003). Small-diameter trees used for Chemithermo-mechanical pulps. FPL-GTR-141, USDA Forest Service, Forest Prod Lab, Madison, WI, December. 12 pp.nMyers GC, Barbour RJ, AbuBakr S (2004) Optimizing lodgepole pine submerchantable log thermomechanical pulp. Wood Fiber Sci 36(4):476-482.nRudie AW, Morra J, St. Laurent JM, Hickey KL (1994) The influence of wood and fiber properties on mechanical pulping. TAPPI J 77(6):86-90.nSeth RS (1990) Fibre quality factors in papermaking—II. The importance of fibre coarseness, in MRS Symposium Proceedings, Vol. 197, pp. 143-161, Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh, PA.nVahey DW, Zhu JY, Scott CT (2007) Wood density and anatomical properties in suppressed-growth trees: Comparison of two methods. Forest Sci 39(3):462-471.nWatson P, Garner C, Robertson R, Reath S, Gee W, Hunt K (2003) The effects of initial tree spacing on the fibre properties of plantation-grown coastal western hemlock. Can J For Res 33:2460-2468.nYang KC, Hazenberg G (1994) Impact of spacing on tracheid length, relative density, and growth rate of juvenile wood and mature wood in Picea mariana. Can J For Res 24:996-1007.nZahner R, Oliver WW (1962) The influence of thinning and pruning on the date of summer wood initiation in red and jack pines. Forest Sci 8:51-63.nZahner R, Lotan JE, Baughman WD (1964) Earlywood-latewood features of red pine grown under stimulated drought and irrigation. Forest Sci 10:361-370.nZhu JY, Scott CT, Gleisner R, Mann DW, Dykstra DP, Quinn GH, Edwards LL (2007a) Mill demonstration of tmp production from forest thinnings: pulp quality, refining energy and handsheet properties. BioRes 2(4):544-559.nZhu JY, Scott CT, Mann D, Vahey DW, Dykstra DP, Quinn GH, Edwards LL (2007b) Forest thinnings for integrated commercial production of lumber and paper, feature article. Forest Prod J 57(11):8-13.nZhu JY, Scott CT, Scallon KL, Myers GC (2007c) Using ring width correlations to study the effects of plantation density on wood density and anatomical properties of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.). Wood Fiber Sci 39(3):502-512.nZobel BJ, van Buijtenen JP (1989) Wood variation: Its causes and control. Springer-Verlag, New York.n

Downloads

Published

2008-04-25

Issue

Number 2 / April 2008

Section

Research Contributions

License

The copyright of an article published in Wood and Fiber Science is transferred to the Society of Wood Science and Technology (for U. S. Government employees: to the extent transferable), effective if and when the article is accepted for publication. This transfer grants the Society of Wood Science and Technology permission to republish all or any part of the article in any form, e.g., reprints for sale, microfiche, proceedings, etc. However, the authors reserve the following as set forth in the Copyright Law:

1. All proprietary rights other than copyright, such as patent rights.

2. The right to grant or refuse permission to third parties to republish all or part of the article or translations thereof. In the case of whole articles, such third parties must obtain Society of Wood Science and Technology written permission as well. However, the Society may grant rights with respect to Journal issues as a whole.

3. The right to use all or part of this article in future works of their own, such as lectures, press releases, reviews, text books, or reprint books.