Preliminary study on the characteristics of tactility of wood by physiological index HRV

We used heart rate variability (HRV), an electrophysiological index, to investigate the changes of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems of people when they were in contact with wood and other materials, in a time-domain, a frequency-domain, and by means of nonlinear dynamics. Our aim was to discover the relations among thermal parameters of different kinds of material, human physiological feedbacks, and psychological perceptions. It shows that the activity of the sympathetic nervous system when in contact with wood increased no more than when in contact with metal and ceramic materials, while the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system weakened less than when in contact with these materials. The time taken by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to revert to their normal state after contact with cloth and wood was shorter than that after contact with metal and ceramic. A subjective survey, by SD method, showed that the tactility of wood was favorable and people preferred wood to other kinds of material. Correlation analysis’ results showed that there was a close correlation among the HRV indices, human psychological emotion ratings, and thermal parameters of the different kinds of materials. The experiment proves that the effect of wood on our autonomous nervous system is slightly better than that of other materials except for cloth. Wood does not damage people’s health. __________ Translated from Journal of Northeast Forestry University, 2005, 33(2): 29–31 [译自: 东北林业大学学报, 2005, 33(2): 29–31]     

Selective assessment of duplex heat-treated wood by near-infrared spectroscopy with principal component and kinetic analyses

We selectively assessed the thermal and hygrothermal treatment times of duplex heat-treated samples from the softwood hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and the hardwood Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata) using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy with principal component analysis (PCA) and spectral-kinetic analysis. Wood samples from each species were thermally or hygrothermally treated at 120, 130, 150, and 180 °C, and the second-derivative spectra of these samples in the 6300–5450 cm^?1 range, where moisture content has the smallest effect, were then subjected to PCA. The master curve that was calculated by kinetic analysis successfully explained changes in the first principal component (PC1) scores with thermal treatment time for all temperatures. The angles between the PC1 loadings that explained the spectral variation due to thermal and hygrothermal treatment were 79° for hinoki and 80° for zelkova. Thus, calculation of the inner product between the second-derivative spectra of duplex heat-treated wood and a loading vector that explained the spectral variation due to thermal or hygrothermal treatment allowed us to selectively assess the thermal and hygrothermal treatment times.     

Physiological effects of wood on humans: a review

It is empirically known that wood can cause a comfort enhancement effect in humans. On the other hand, not enough scientific knowledge based on evidence-based research is available on this subject. However, data using physiological indices have increasingly accumulated in recent years. This review provides an overview of the current situation for peer-reviewed reports related to the physiological effects of wood. We reviewed reports that elucidated the effects of wood-derived stimulations on the olfactory, visual, auditory, and tactile sensations using physiological indices such as brain activity (e.g., near-infrared spectroscopy) and autonomic nervous activity (e.g., heart rate variability and blood pressure). It became clear that many studies were limited by (1) a small number of participants, mostly aged in their 20s; (2) use of only a single stimulus (e.g., only olfactory or only visual), or (3) an incomplete experimental design. In addition, this review examined the field of forest therapy, for which there is abundant research. Further study is needed to elucidate the physiological effects of wood on humans.     

Microfibril angle and density of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) trees in 15 half-sib families in a progeny test stand in Kyushu, Japan

It was previously believed in Japan that the wood qualities of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) were superior to sugi (Cryptomeria japonica). However, few studies of wood properties such as MFA (microfibril angle of S₂ layer in secondary wall of tracheid) have been completed for hinoki. Some reports have found that hinoki plus tree families have similar mechanical properties to sugi. Here we report the characteristics of MFA and density of hinoki half-sib families in a progeny test stand. There were significant differences in MFA and density between families. The wood properties of two families, Nakatsu 3 and Kanzaki 5, are stable in radial pattern and suitable for structural use. Early selection of hinoki families by MFA and density may be difficult. Effects of MFA and density on E _d (dynamic modulus of elasticity) of logs differed between families. The effects of growth rate on MFA and density differed between families and also between juvenile and mature wood. The faster growth rate in Nakatsu 3 appeared to improve wood properties and increase E _d of logs, although in many other families, faster growth rate had negative effects on desirable wood properties for structural use.     

Modeling the effects of growth rate on the intra-tree variation in basic density in hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of growth rate on intra-tree variation in basic density of hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) quantitatively using the statistical modeling technique. Nineteen sample trees were harvested from 50-year-old hinoki stand which consists of two different growth rate plots. Disks were cut from sample trees at height positions of 2, 4 m, and then 4 m intervals until 16 m position. Radial strips were cut from the disks, and ring widths and basic density were measured at 5-ring intervals. The basic density decreased with age at any height positions. The linear mixed model was fitted to the age trend data having two nested grouping levels, i.e., tree and position within tree. Models having various mean and covariance structures were tested in devising an appropriate wood density model. The model, consisting of the mean structure with quadratic function of cambial age was able to describe the intra-tree variation in basic density. The model containing the random effects which consist of effect of the tree level and vertical stem position level explained the density variation adequately. The growth rate did not show the significant effect on the basic density variation within the stem.     

Early growth of hinoki (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaecyparis obtusa</Emphasis>) trees under different topography and edge aspects at a strip-clearcut site in Kyushu,Southern Japan

The positive and negative effects of the residual stand edge at a strip-clearcut site were examined on the initial growth of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) planted in areas with diverse topography. On the south edge, the gap light index was lower than on the north edge and strip center; however, the vapor pressure deficit was also lower than on the north edge and strip center, which resulted in lower physiological stress of hinoki on the south edge. Tree size on the south edge did not exceed that on the north edge and strip center. These results indicated that low light conditions due to residual trees negatively affected growth on the south edge even under the positive effect of microclimate alleviation. In valley, tree size in the second year after planting was smaller than on ridge and slope; however, tree growth during the following 2 years was higher in valley. Surface soil in valley was thinner with rockier substrates than on ridge and slope; that is, soil sedimentation type and substrates influenced the initial growth of hinoki with undeveloped roots, and after that, topography started to influence growth, probably because hinoki roots penetrated into deeper soil, which is influenced by the water gathering capacity of the valley. The initial growth of hinoki at the strip-clearcut site was predominantly affected by light rather than microclimate alleviation. This alleviation is expected to disappear when hinoki trees planted in the strip center grow enough to give additional shade to slow-growing edge hinoki.     

Antifungal and antitermitic activities of wood vinegar from oil palm trunk

We evaluated the antifungal and antitermite activities of wood vinegars produced from oil palm trunk. The wood vinegars were produced at three different pyrolysis temperatures, 350, 400, and 450 °C. Antifungal activities of vinegars were evaluated using a Petri dish bioassay with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% (v/v) against a white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, and a brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris. Antitermite activities were tested using a no-choice bioassay method for Coptotermes formosanus with 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% (v/v). All the wood vinegars exhibited antifungal activities against T. versicolor. In particular, the wood vinegar produced at 350 °C resulted in complete inhibition of T. versicolor growth at 1.0 and 1.5%. However, higher concentrations were required to obtain growth inhibition of F. palustris. All the wood vinegars exhibited antitermite activity to C. formosanus workers in the no-choice experiment at relatively high concentrations. For instance, 10% concentration was required to achieve 100% mortality against C. formosanus at all production temperatures. The lowest mass loss of the treated filter paper of 11.75% was obtained with a 350 °C—10.0% combination.     

Physiological effects in humans induced by the visual stimulation of room interiors with different wood quantities

To clarify the visual effects of room interior with wooden materials on humans, pulse rate, blood pressure, and brain activity were measured while the subjects were exposed to visual stimuli using actual-size model rooms. The wood ratios (the ratio of the area covered with wooden material to the whole area of the ceiling, walls, and floor) of the rooms were 0%, 45%, and 90%. Subjective evaluation was also conducted. In the 0% room, diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly, but the observed change in the autonomic nervous activity was relatively small. In the 45% room, a significant decrease in the diastolic blood pressure and a significant increase in pulse rate were observed. This room tended to have the highest scores in subjective “comfortable” feeling. The 90% room caused significant and large decreases in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure at the beginning of the test, but the large coverage of wood appeared to cause a rapid decrease in brain activity and an increase in pulse rate. The present study demonstrated that a difference in wood ratio in the interior caused different physiological responses, especially in the autonomic nervous activity, by using actual-size rooms for the first time.     

Butt rot ofChamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endlicher trees caused byPerenniporia subacida in Shikoku district, Japan: Pathogen, distribution of damaged trees in the stand, and soil investigation

The rot ofChamaecyparis obtusa (hinoki) trees was studied in the northern part of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Among 158 hinoki examined, butt rot was found in 28.6, 58.3, and 100% of trees in the 29, 30, and 34-year-old stands, respectively. All trees with butt rot, and 11 trees without it had rotted roots. Thirteen hinoki were peeled byCervus nippon (sika deer) and all of them were infected with butt rot. The maximum height of rot in deer-damaged trees was 2.6 m from the ground level, but was 1.9 m in undamaged trees. About eighty-two percent of rotted trees showed rotted areas of less than 40 cm² on the cross section of stems at the ground level. White mycelia and black flecks sometimes appeared in the rotted wood. Basidiocarps of polyporaceous fungus were often found on felled logs and rotted stumps of hinoki and identified asPerenniporia subacida. Basidiomycetous fungus was isolated frequently from rotted wood of roots and stems, and determined to beP. subacida by comparative study on cultural characteristics. An inoculation experiment and wood-decay test proved that the fungus was the cause of the rot of hinoki. Few absorbing roots of living trees were found in the clayey subsurface soil of the high dry bulk density and the less soil aeration. Some absorbing roots had root rot and the rot spread from the base of the absorbing root to the central part of the woody root. This is the first report on the rot of hinoki caused byP. subacida in Japan.     

Termite resistance and color of heartwood of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) trees in 5 half-sib families in a progeny test stand in Kyushu, Japan

Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) wood has been used as a structural material in Japan because of its superior mechanical properties, its excellent durability and the beautiful color of its heartwood. Variations of termite resistance and compositions of extractives among hinoki trees have been reported. However, genetic variation of termite resistance and the effect of heartwood color on termite resistance remain unknown. In this study, we report the characteristics of termite resistance and color indexes (L*, a* and b*) of heartwood of hinoki half-sib families in a progeny test stand. The survival days of termites and the mass loss of samples of hinoki heartwood differed significantly among hinoki families. Families with red-color heartwood had larger termite resistance than families with yellow-color heartwood. The termite resistances of individual samples from two families with yellow-color heartwood were as small as that of Pinus densiflora. Larger a* and smaller b* induced larger termite resistance of heartwood. The effect of DBH (diameter at breast height) of hinoki trees on termite resistance of hinoki families was small.     

Solute diffusion into cell walls in solution-impregnated wood under conditioning process IV: effect of temperature on solute diffusivity

This study has focused on solute diffusing into cell walls in solution-impregnated wood under conditioning, process of evaporating solvent. The amount of the diffusion is known to be determined by the solute diffusivity and the solute-concentration difference between cell walls and cell cavities. Purpose of this paper was to clarify the effect of temperature only on the solute diffusivity that is directionally related to the thermal vibration of the solute molecule. The cross-cut block of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), polyethylene glycol (PEG1540), and water was employed as wood sample, solute, and solvent, respectively. The sample impregnated with a 20 mass% solution was conditioned at 20, 35, or 50 °C to finish the solute diffusion evaluated using the dimension of the sample that was conditioned followed by drying in a vacuum. To unify the solute-concentration difference, for all temperatures, the equilibrium moisture content was unified and the solvent-evaporation rate was controlled in three ways during conditioning. The solute diffusivity was higher in order of 35, 50, and 20 °C, which was evaluated by the solute diffusion at the same evaporation rate. It is clarified that the diffusivity increases with increasing the dimension of cell walls rather than with increasing the thermal vibration of solute molecule.     

Spectrophotometric assay of a wood preservative, <Emphasis Type="Italic">N,N</Emphasis>-didecyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-methylpoly(oxyethyl) ammonium propionate (DMPAP), in aqueous solution

A spectrophotometric assay based on the color reaction between N,N-didecyl-N-methyl-poly(oxyethyl) ammonium propionate (DMPAP) and 4-[4-(dipropylamino) phenylazo]-benzenesulfonic acid (propyl orange) was used to determine DMPAP concentrations as a wood preservative. The assay was carried out using a propyl orange solution at pH 2.9. The visible absorption spectrum of propyl orange showed an absorption maximum at 510 nm, which decreased linearly with increasing DMPAP concentration from 0 to 10 ppm. To apply this assay method to determine DMPAP retention in treated wood, the influence of wood extractives on the assay was investigated. Extractives from Japanese cedar, hinoki cypress, and Japanese larch were found to increase apparent DMPAP concentration. However, it was also found that measuring visible absorption at 477 nm prevented overestimation and gave precise values. This assay can be a viable alternative to the current methods for the determination of DMPAP concentrations.     

Development and activity of early saproxylic fungal communities in harvested and unmanaged boreal mixedwood stands

Limited scientific information is currently available regarding saproxylic fungal communities in the boreal forest of North America. We aimed to characterize the community development, richness and activity of saproxylic fungi on fresh wood in harvested and unmanaged boreal mixedwood stands of northwestern Québec (Canada). Fresh wood blocks (n = 480) of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were placed on the forest floor in a range of stand conditions (n = 24). Blocks were harvested every 6 months for up to 30 months and characterized for species composition and richness (PCR–DGGE, DNA sequencing), respiration, wood density and lignin and cellulose content. Colonization by a wide range of functional groups proceeded rapidly under different stand conditions. We detected a total of 35 different fungal operational taxonomic units, with the highest species richness at the wood block level being observed within the first 12 months. No differences in community composition were found between wood host species or among stand conditions. However, the variability in fungal communities among blocks (β diversity) was lower on trembling aspen wood compared with balsam fir and decreased over time on trembling aspen wood. Also, fungal activity (respiration and wood decomposition) increased on trembling aspen wood blocks and species richness decreased on balsam fir wood over time in partial-cut sites. The overlap in tree composition among stands, the high volume of logs and the recent management history of these stands may have contributed to the similarity of the saproxylic fungal community among stand types and disturbances.     

Nanoindentation of juvenile and mature loblolly pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus taeda</Emphasis> L.) wood fibers as affected by thermomechanical refining pressure

The effects of thermomechanical refining pressures, varying from 2 to 18 bars, on the cell-wall properties of refined wood fibers of a 54-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) with reference to both juvenile (JW) and mature wood (MW) were investigated using nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy. The results of this study indicate that refining pressure plays a significant role in the physical damage sustained by refined wood fibers. No obvious damage was observed in the cell walls of MW fibers refined at 2 and 4 bar. Nanocracks (<500 nm in width) were found in fibers refined at pressures in the range of 2–12 bar for JW and 6–12 bar for MW, and micro cracks (>3,000 nm in width) were found in both MW and JW fibers subjected to a refining pressure of 14 and 18 bar. The micro damage to the fibers refined at higher pressures was more severe inside the lumen than on the surface of the fibers, and the lumen or S₃ layer was significantly damaged. The elastic modulus, hardness, and creep resistance of MW fibers were higher than those of the JW fibers subjected to the same refining-pressure conditions. The elastic modulus and hardness decreased, whereas nanoindentation creep increased, with increasing refining pressure. This study also suggests that lower refining pressures (<4 bar) and higher pressures (>14 bar for MW and >12 bar for JW) should be avoided in the manufacture of fiberboards and wood fiber–polymer composites, because of the lower aspect ratio of the fiber bundles, shorter length of the fibers and fines, and severe damages to the fiber cell walls.     

The effects of within-species and between-species variation in wood density on the photodegradation depth profiles of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) and hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

Low density wood is more rapidly eroded than denser wood when exposed to the weather, possibly because it is more susceptible to photodegradation. Fourier transform infrared microscopy was used to examine: (1) the depth of photodegradation in earlywood and latewood of sugi (Japanese cedar) and earlywood of hinoki (Japanese cypress) exposed for up to 1500 h to artificial sunlight emitted by a xenon lamp (375 W/m² within the 300 to 700 nm spectral range); and (2) the relationship between the density of wood tissues and depth of photodegradation. The depth of photodegradation varied between species (sugi and hinoki) as well as within a growth ring (sugi earlywood and latewood), and there was an inversely proportional relationship between depth of photodegradation and wood density. These findings may explain why low density earlywood is more rapidly eroded than latewood during weathering, and more generally, why there is an inverse relationship between the density of wood species and their rate of erosion during artificial and natural weathering. Part of this work was presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Sapporo, August 2004     

Property gradients in oil palm trunk (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Elaeis guineensis</Emphasis>)

Since the structure of oil palm wood varies dramatically, the property gradients of oil palm wood within a trunk are of great interest. In this study, the physical (density, water uptake and swelling in the radial direction) and mechanical properties (bending modulus of elasticity and strength, compressive modulus of elasticity and strength in the direction parallel to the fiber, compressive strength in the direction perpendicular to the fiber and shear strength in the direction parallel to the fiber) of oil palm wood for a whole trunk were examined. The water uptake, compressive strength in the direction perpendicular to the fiber, shear strength in the direction parallel to the fiber, bending modulus of elasticity and strength and compressive modulus of elasticity and strength in the direction parallel to the fiber appeared to be independent of trunk height but tended to be related to the relative distance from surface or density by a single master curve. However, the swelling in the radial direction of the oil palm wood was not correlated with the relative distance from the surface, trunk height or density. Finally, property map of oil palm wood for a cross section at any height was prepared for practical use.     

Reducing eye fatigue through the use of wood

To clarify if eye fatigue is lessened when looking at wood, we carried out objective examinations using a near-point ruler and also performed sensory evaluations. Visual contact target materials were a white plastic panel, a black plastic panel or a wood panel which had Japanese ash flat grain surface. Each size of the materials was 140 × 280 mm. Test subjects were 30 undergraduate and graduate students. Each subject’s visual distance to a panel was 40–50 cm. The results showed that subjects suffered from more eye fatigue when looking at white and black plastic panels compared to looking at the wood panel in objective examinations. In sensory evaluations, almost all subjective symptom items for eyes and head progressed when subjects looked at white plastic panel or black plastic panel. However, almost no progression of subjective symptoms was noted when subjects looked at the wood panel. In both objective examinations and sensory evaluations, eye fatigue was most highly associated with the black plastic panel, followed by the white plastic panel and, finally, the wood panel.     

Residual strain analysis with digital image correlation method for subsurface damage evaluation of hinoki (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chamaecyparis obtusa</Emphasis>) finished by slow-speed orthogonal cutting

A digital image correlation (DIC) method was applied to measure strain which arose and remained beneath the finished surface in slow-speed orthogonal cutting of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), to evaluate the damage in the subsurface cell layers. While the quarter-sawn surface was cut parallel to the grain, the side surface, flat-sawn surface, was captured by a high-speed camera. The images were analyzed to calculate strain in a region of 0.67 × 0.22 mm allocated beneath the finished surface. Almost no strain normal to the cutting direction was detected for the depth of cut and cutting angles, 0.05 mm and smaller than 60°, respectively. For the depths of cut and cutting angles, larger than 0.1 mm and smaller than 60°, respectively, the fore-split induced tensile strain normal to the cutting direction, although it hardly remained after the cutting. The compression strain normal to the cutting direction clearly remained for the cutting angles larger than 70°, regardless of the depths of cut employed in this study. The subsurface damage assumed from the residual strain distribution corresponded to the appearance of the subsurface layer in the X-ray computed tomography (CT) images. It was also revealed, and the DIC program could not always measure excessively large strain correctly.     

Antifungal and antitermitic activities of wood vinegar from Vitex pubescens Vahl

Antifungal and antitermitic activities of wood vinegar produced from Vitex pubescens were evaluated. Three kinds of wood vinegar were produced at three different pyrolysis temperatures, i.e. at 350, 400 and 450 °C. A PDA dilution method was employed to assay antifungal activity of the vinegars with a white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor and a brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris. Termiticidal activity and repellent effect were evaluated by a no-choice test and a choice test with Reticulitermes speratus and Coptotermes formosanus. All wood vinegars exhibited antifungal activity against both fungi. Wood vinegar of 450 °C had the higher activity than those of 400 and 350 °C. It was assumed that acid component contributed to the increase in controlling the growth of fungal. The wood vinegar exhibited antitermite activity to both R. speratus and C. formosanus workers in the no-choice experiment. However, it needed relatively high concentration to obtain the perfect mortality. For instance, the wood vinegar of 10 % concentration was needed to achieve 100 % mortality against C. formosanus, whereas for R. speratus only 3 % of wood vinegar was required. In the direct-choice experiment, wood vinegar had a significantly repellent effect to both termites at the lowest treating concentration of 10 %.     

Heavy thinning in hinoki plantations in Shikoku (southwestern Japan) has limited effects on recruitment of seedlings of other tree species

Heavy thinning may provide a feasible means to convert single-species coniferous plantations to broadleaved or mixed forests. To assess this possibility, we monitored tree seedling dynamics of other tree species, the understory microenvironment, and seed availability following heavy thinning (50 % by volume) in two hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantations in Shikoku, southwestern Japan. Conventional (35 % by volume) and row thinning (50 % by volume) treatments were also applied at one of the sites. Diffuse transmittance in the understory dramatically increased after all thinning treatments then rapidly decreased, except after row thinning. Heavy thinning accelerated recruitment of small seedlings (with stems <30 cm high) at one of the sites. However, the densities of these seedlings declined sharply, and increases in the densities of larger seedlings recorded in subsequent surveys were very small. Furthermore, at the other site, recruitment of small seedlings under heavy thinning was equivalent to that under conventional thinning and lower than that under row thinning. Abundant species in the recruited seedlings were pioneer or subcanopy species found in the soil seed bank. Low seed rain density at both sites appeared to be responsible for the poor recruitment of canopy tree species. Our results suggest that heavy thinning had limited effects on the seedling recruitment of other tree species in these hinoki plantations due to insufficient seed rain and rapid canopy closure.