Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania
Thinning of forestry plantations is a common silviculture practice to increase growth rates and to produce larger dimension logs. The wood properties, basic density and stiffness, are key indicators of the suitability of timber for particular purposes and ultimately determine timber value. The impac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-09-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1304 |
| _version_ | 1797514561100709888 |
|---|---|
| author | Vilius Gendvilas Geoffrey M. Downes Mark Neyland Mark Hunt Peter A. Harrison Andrew Jacobs Dean Williams Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra |
| author_facet | Vilius Gendvilas Geoffrey M. Downes Mark Neyland Mark Hunt Peter A. Harrison Andrew Jacobs Dean Williams Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra |
| author_sort | Vilius Gendvilas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thinning of forestry plantations is a common silviculture practice to increase growth rates and to produce larger dimension logs. The wood properties, basic density and stiffness, are key indicators of the suitability of timber for particular purposes and ultimately determine timber value. The impact of thinning operations on wood properties is, therefore, of considerable interest to forest growers and timber producers. To date, studies examining the impact of thinning on wood properties have produced variable results and understanding the consistency of the effects of thinning treatments across various sites for important plantation species is limited. Two non-destructive assessment techniques, drilling resistance and acoustic wave velocity, were used to examine the impact of thinning on basic density and stiffness in 19–21-year-old plantation grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> across three sites. Commercial thinning to 300 trees ha<sup>−1</sup> decreased the stiffness of standing trees and this effect was consistent across the sites. Reduction in stiffness due to thinning ranged from 3.5% to 11.5%. There was no difference in wood properties between commercially and non-commercially thinned trees to 300 trees ha<sup>−1</sup> and no difference in wood properties when thinned to 500 trees ha<sup>−1</sup>. Basic density was not affected by thinning. The site had significant effects on both basic density and stiffness, which were lowest at the highest precipitation and highest elevation site. The results indicate that wood properties are influenced both by silviculture and site environmental differences. This knowledge can be used for the better management of <i>E. nitens</i> resources for solid wood production. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:33:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2114e709c7534536b39df243a96cb5c7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:33:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-2114e709c7534536b39df243a96cb5c72023-11-22T18:17:31ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-09-011210130410.3390/f12101304Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in TasmaniaVilius Gendvilas0Geoffrey M. Downes1Mark Neyland2Mark Hunt3Peter A. Harrison4Andrew Jacobs5Dean Williams6Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra7ARC Training Centre for Forest Value, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaForest Quality Pty Ltd., P.O. Box 293, Huonville, TAS 7109, AustraliaARC Training Centre for Forest Value, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaARC Training Centre for Forest Value, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaARC Training Centre for Forest Value, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaForico Pty Limited, Launceston, TAS 7249, AustraliaSustainable Timber Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7000, AustraliaARC Training Centre for Forest Value, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaThinning of forestry plantations is a common silviculture practice to increase growth rates and to produce larger dimension logs. The wood properties, basic density and stiffness, are key indicators of the suitability of timber for particular purposes and ultimately determine timber value. The impact of thinning operations on wood properties is, therefore, of considerable interest to forest growers and timber producers. To date, studies examining the impact of thinning on wood properties have produced variable results and understanding the consistency of the effects of thinning treatments across various sites for important plantation species is limited. Two non-destructive assessment techniques, drilling resistance and acoustic wave velocity, were used to examine the impact of thinning on basic density and stiffness in 19–21-year-old plantation grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> across three sites. Commercial thinning to 300 trees ha<sup>−1</sup> decreased the stiffness of standing trees and this effect was consistent across the sites. Reduction in stiffness due to thinning ranged from 3.5% to 11.5%. There was no difference in wood properties between commercially and non-commercially thinned trees to 300 trees ha<sup>−1</sup> and no difference in wood properties when thinned to 500 trees ha<sup>−1</sup>. Basic density was not affected by thinning. The site had significant effects on both basic density and stiffness, which were lowest at the highest precipitation and highest elevation site. The results indicate that wood properties are influenced both by silviculture and site environmental differences. This knowledge can be used for the better management of <i>E. nitens</i> resources for solid wood production.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1304basic densitydrilling resistance<i>Eucalyptus nitens</i>non-destructive wood testingstiffnessthinning |
| spellingShingle | Vilius Gendvilas Geoffrey M. Downes Mark Neyland Mark Hunt Peter A. Harrison Andrew Jacobs Dean Williams Julianne O’Reilly-Wapstra Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania Forests basic density drilling resistance <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> non-destructive wood testing stiffness thinning |
| title | Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania |
| title_full | Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania |
| title_fullStr | Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania |
| title_short | Thinning Influences Wood Properties of Plantation-Grown <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> at Three Sites in Tasmania |
| title_sort | thinning influences wood properties of plantation grown i eucalyptus nitens i at three sites in tasmania |
| topic | basic density drilling resistance <i>Eucalyptus nitens</i> non-destructive wood testing stiffness thinning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/10/1304 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT viliusgendvilas thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT geoffreymdownes thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT markneyland thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT markhunt thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT peteraharrison thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT andrewjacobs thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT deanwilliams thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania AT julianneoreillywapstra thinninginfluenceswoodpropertiesofplantationgrownieucalyptusnitensiatthreesitesintasmania |