The distinction between average enthalpy and the isosteric heat of water sorbed on wood; and the spatial distribution of the specific enthalpy of the sorbed water

Summary It is commonly assumed that specific enthalpy is uniform throughout water sorbed on wood. It is suggested here that this is not the case and that as a result the isosteric heat and the differential heat of wetting are two distinct functions. An analysis is developed which enables the distribution of specific enthalpy within the adsorbed water to be approximated. The results are presented with reference to klinki pine.Symbols a parameter, Eq. (14) - h specific enthalpy of sorbed water, J/kg - h average specific enthalpy of sorbed water, J/kg - h isosteric heat, J/kg - h₁ integral heat of wetting, J/kg - k a constant - l latent heat of vaporization of free water, J/kg - P_s pressure of water vapour at saturation, Pa - q differential heat of wetting, J/kg - R specific gas constant for water, J/kg K - r relative humidity - T temperature, K - enthalpy function defined in Eq. (10), J/kg - moisture content - _p prevailing moisture content The author is grateful to Dr. A. N. Stokes for a substantial simplification of the original derivation of Eq. (13)     

The thermodynamics of sorption with reference to klinki pine

Summary An investigation into the bonding energy relationships for water in wood indicates that as the temperature increases at constant total moisture content, water moves from within the chemical structure to the adsorption surface. The analysis is evaluated for the wood Araucaria klinkii Lauterb and it is indicated that at 25 °C, less water is held in the chemical structure during adsorption than during desorption.Symbols A amplitude of liquid surface profile - A₀ amplitude of solid surface profile - a mean radius of curvature of liquid surface (bubble radius), Å - a₀ mean radius of curvature of solid surface, Å - a_c a constant value of a, Å - F a function of temperature - f capisorption energy fraction - G a function of - g specific Gibbs free energy of saturated water vapour relative to unsaturated water vapour at the same temperature, J/kg - g_c specific Gibbs free energy associated with capisorption, J/kg - g_p specific Gibbs free energy associated with physisorption, J/kg - h change in specific enthalpy of liquid water as it is desorbed, J/kg - l latent heat of vaporisation of free water, J/kg - m wave number/m - p_s pressure of water vapour at saturation, Pa - R specific gas constant for water vapour, J/kg K - r relative humidity - s change in specific entropy of liquid water as it is desorbed, J/kg K - T temperature, K - w dry basis moisture content - x ln p_s/p_s25 - y In r - z length coordinate, m - , , constant coefficients - change in mean height of liquid surface, Å - ₀ a constant length, Å - constant - distance from solid to liquid vapour interface measured normal to solid surface, Å - ₀ a constant value of , Å     

Exact analysis of shear strain in wood

Summary An analysis is given which enables the shear strain in a piece of timber to be specified in terms of the difference between tangential and radial strain, herein termed the angular strain. The angular strain is then evaluated in terms of the orientation of two lines at right angles prior to deformation. The equations involved are simple and facilitate the evaluation of strain parameters which would otherwise require numerical computation.Symbols a, b, c length parameters, Fig. 2 - C half chord length - k constant of proportionality - r radial coordinate (distance from pith) - x length coordinate (board) - , angle parameters, Fig. 1 - shear strain - width of segment - angular strain - #x025B; tangential strain - _r radial strain - ₁, ₂ components of shear strain, Fig. 1 - angle parameter, Fig. 2 - angle parameter, Fig. 3 - angle parameter, Fig. 2 The author wishes to thank Mr. J. W. Sutherland for his assistance with the presentation of this paper.     

Absolute configuration of arylglycerol-β-aryl ethers obtained by asymmetric reduction of the correspondingα-ketonic compound with intactFusarium solani cells

When (±)--oxo-guaiacylglycerol--(vanillic acid) ether (1) is degraded byFusarium solani M-13-1, the-ketone is initially reduced to giveerythro andthreo guaiacylglycerol--(vanillic acid) ethers (2), arylglycerol--aryl ethers, both of which are enantiomerically pure. The absolute configuration in each2 was determined by Mosher's method; the products were converted to,-di-(R)--methoxy--trifluoromethylphenylacetates (MTPA esters) (3) oferythro (-)- andthreo (+)-veratrylglycerol--(methyl vanillate) ethers (3), whose¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were examined and compared with those of four di-(R)-MTPA ester (3) diastereomers from chemically synthesizederythro (±)-3 andthreo (±)-3. To assign the- and-MTPA-OCH₃ peaks, the¹H NMR scans of several compounds that have substructures of 3 and their 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl analogues were examined. When a racemic alcohol reacts with (R)-MTPA to give a pair of (R)-MTPA ester diastereomers, the value was defined as the absolute value of the difference in the¹H chemical shifts of the peak between the diastereomers. It was found that the values of-MTPA-OCH₃ were larger than those of-MTPA-OCH₃ owing to a shielding effect of the veratryl ring located on the-MTPA-OCH₃, and that the-MTPA-OCH₃ peaks in the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl compounds shifted downfield relative to those in the veratryl compounds. On the basis of the¹h NMR data of (R)-MTPA esters, the absolute configuration of the four chemically prepared diastereomers (3) were determined. The catabolicerythro 3 [fromerythro (-)-3] andthreo 3 [fromthreo (+)-3] were identical to (R, S, R)-erythro 3 and (R, S, S)- threo 3, respectively. An hydrogen species in the fungal reduction would attack the-ketone fromre-face of both (R)-1 and (S)-1, givingerythro (S, R)-2 andthreo (S, S)-2, respectively.Part of this paper was presented at the 33rd Lignin Symposium, Tsukuba, November 1988     

Dimensional instability of cement bonded particleboard: Modelling CBPB as a composite of two materials

Previous papers have quantitatively indicated that the total movement of cement bonded particleboard (CBPB) is equal to the sum of the movement of its components. This paper examined the efficacy of the law of mixtures when applied to the movement of a wood-cement composite under internal swelling or shrinkage stresses. Abundant data generated in companion papers were first manipulated to develop the universal formulae for predicting the movement of components. In conjunction with previous numerical results from image analysis of the structure of CBPB, and the orientated elasticity and stress algorithms, the models for theoretically predicting mass and dimensional changes of CBPB were derived. Validation studies were conducted and these demonstrated an excellent agreement of the theoretical predictions with experimental data for both mass and dimensional changes of CBPB due to internal swelling or shrinkage stresses during adsorption and desorption. The success also implied that CBPB can be treated as a composite and its properties can be well derived by the law of mixtures even though CBPB is an unusual type of composite having a very high volume fraction of wood chips, but a very high mass fraction of cement paste.Notation E_RT Mean transverse modulus of elasticity of wood - E_L Longitudinal modulus of elasticity of wood - E_p Modulus of elasticity of cement paste - E_wa Modulus of elasticity of embedded wood chips at angle - E Modulus of elasticity of wood chips at direction - E Modulus of elasticity of wood chips at direction - G_LRT Mean transverse shear modulus of wood - L(T)_cp Length/width (thickness) change of CBPB at angle - L(T)_p Length (thickness) change of cement paste - m_pf Mass fraction of cement paste in unit mass of CBPB - m_wf Mass fraction of wood chips in unit mass of CBPB - M_cpj Mass change of CBPB at the various conditions tested - M_pj Mass change of cement paste at corresponding conditions - M_wj Mass change of wood chips at corresponding conditions - M(L; T)_w/P Mass, length or thickness changes of wood chips or cement paste at various conditions - t Duration of exposure - _LRT Mean transverse Poissons ratio of wood - V_pf Volume fraction of cement paste in unit mass of CBPB - V_wf Volume fraction of wood chip in unit mass of CBPB - _cp Density of CBPB - _k Density of wood chip or cement paste - _cp Overall stresses of CBPB at angle - _L Stress in the longitudinal direction of wood - _RT Mean stress in the transverse direction of wood - _p Stress of cement paste - _w Stress of the wood chips at angle - Stress of the wood chips at direction - Stress of the chip at direction - _cp Strain in CBPB - _p Strain of cement paste - _WL Strain in the length of wood chips - _WT Strain in the thickness of wood chips - _w Strain in wood chips - Angle between the longitudinal direction of wood chips and surfaces or edges of CBPB - Angle between wood chips and edges (length direction) of CBPB - Angle between wood chip and vertical coordinate - A, B, C Coefficients related to the feature of materials and exposure conditions The senior author wishes to thank Professor W.B. Banks of University of Wales, Bangor for his constructive discussions and assistance and the British Council for partly financial support.     

Non-linear creep caused by slip plane formation

Summary The minute compression failures of the cell walls known as slip planes are quantified with respect to their occurrence in the compression side of beams subjected to mechano-sorptive creep. It is shown that slip planes occur at values of stress/strain lower than previously assumed. The slip plane intensity proves to be linearly related to creep and non-linearly related to stress. A permanent increase, S, of longitudinal shrinkage /swelling results from slip plane formation, and this parameter therefore serves as a substitute for slip plane intensity, which is not easily measured. Slip plane intensity is considered a measure of accumulated damage, and the substitute parameter S is used to quantify the accumulated damage of structural timber beams. The load level experienced by structural timber beams subjected to mechano-sorptive creep is shown to be reflected in the accumulated damage as assessed by S.The project is a part of a USDA funded project Initiation and Propagation of Failure in Wood. Support is also provided by the Danish Technical Research Council. The N.C. Brown Centre for Ultrastructure Studies, CESF, SUNY, Syracuse provided research facilities. The support is gratefully acknowledged     

Wood drying and Fick's second law

Summary The diffusion equation (sometimes referred to as Fick's second law) is derived in terms of water movement under the action of capillary forces. The mass diffusivity is thereby expressed in terms of the capillary diffusion coefficient. A numerical calculation is given for yellow poplar.Notations C diffusion coefficient for water in wood with capillary pressure as the driving force, kg/msPa - D diffusion coefficient for water in wood with moisture content as the driving force, kg/ms - F mass flux, kg/m²s - p_c capillary pressure, Pa - p_cf capillary pressure extrapolated linearly to fibre saturation, Pa - T absolute temperature, K - t time, s - x distance ordinale in the direction of flow, m - mass diffusivity, m²/s - density of liquid water, kg/m³ - _g basic density (dry mass/green volume), kg/m³ - _w density of wood substance, kg/m³ - moisture content of wood - _cls moisture content at continuous liquid saturation - _cs moisture content at complete saturation - _f moisture content at fibre saturation     

Ursachen der Massenvermehrung einiger Forstschädlingsarten

Zusammenfassung 1. Die in den Pflanzengeweben der Kiefer enthaltenen Terpenoide spielen die Rolle der Pflanzenschutzstoffe gegen Insektenschäden. Biologische Aktivität der einzelnen Terpenoide bewirkt Auswahlvermögen der einzelnen Arten der schädlichen Organismen. Besonders toxisch gegen Insekten sind die Azetate der Terpenalkohole und Monoterpene, dabei haben die Monoterpene im Futter eine anziehende und repellente Wirkung. Sehr toxisch für die pilzlichen Krankheitserreger sind die Terpenalkohole. Man kann deshalb die Komplexe der Pflanzenschutzstoffe der Kiefer als ein Schutzsystem des Baumes gegen Schädlinge und Krankheiten betrachten, die ihrerseits aus einer Reihe von Untersystemen zusammengesetzt sind: Nadeln, Triebe, Stamm, Wurzeln usw. Das Pflanzenschutzsystem des Baumes und die darin enthaltenen Untersysteme sind je nach den Vegetationsbedingungen sehr variabel, dadurch erklärt sich die verschiedene Anfälligkeit der Pflanzen für Schädlinge.Verschiedene Kiefernarten enthalten qualitativ verschiedene Schutzsysteme. Darauf ist ihre verschiedene Widerstandsfähigkeit gegen Schädlinge begründet.Das Pflanzenschutzsystem der Kiefer, die ihren Widerstand gegen den Triebwickler der GattungEvetria bestimmt, kann ausgedrückt werden durch die Formel + l + ³ ± 60% in der der -Gehalt an -Pinen in %, l-Gehalt an Limonen in %, ³-Gehalt an ³-Karen in %, -Gehalt an -Pinen in % bedeuten.     

Effects of quenching on relaxation properties of wet wood

A new relaxation property is discussed on the basis of creep behavior of wet wood specimens pretreated with heating at various temperatures followed by quenching. The treated samples showed more marked relaxation than that of an untreated sample. The relationship between relaxation time and heating history was represented by an equation ln() = –( _f – k ₁)T + [ln( _g) + k ₂], where ln() is the logarithmic relaxation time of wet samples after quenching, T is the difference between the heating temperature and the glass transition temperature (T _g), ln( _g) is the logarithmic relaxation time at T _g, is a constant, _f is the coefficient of thermal bulk expansion, and k ₁ and k ₂ are constants. It was concluded from the analysis of experimental results that the change in the relaxation property caused by heating and the following quenching is due to the temporary free volume created by freezing of molecular chain motion of wood components, most probably lignin, during quenching.This work was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of Japan Wood Research Society, Gifu, April 2002     

Study of the release in water of a chemical used for preservation of wood. Effect of the dimensions of the wood

Summary Various chemicals are used for protecting wood samples against fungi, and some of them are released in water, leading to pollution of the water. The kinetics of release of pentachlorophenol in water has here been studied, by considering the diffusion through the wood along the three principal axes of diffusion. The experiments and the modelling of the process is successfully coupled. The numerical model takes the three principal diffusivities, the partition factor, the volumes of wood and water into account. The effect of the length of the wood sample taken along the longitudinal axis of diffusion is especially studied, as the longitudinal diffusivity is much higher than the other two principal diffusivities. The effect of the relative volumes of wood and water is also of considerable interest not only for the concentration of the chemical in water but also for the rate of release.Symbols C concentration of liquid (g/cm³) - C_s, C_eq,t concentration of liquid on the surface, at equilibrium with the surrounding, respectively - C_i,j,k concentration of liquid in the wood at position (i, j, k) - D diffusivity (cm²/s) - h coefficient of mass transfer on the surface (cm/s) - i, j, k integers characterizing the position in the wood - K partition factor - L, R, T dimensions of the parallelepipedic wood sample - Mini amount of chemical contained in the wood at the beginning of the desorption - M_L, M_R, M_T dimensionless numbers - M_t, M amount of chemical released up to time t, up to infinite time, respectively - N half-number of slices taken in the wood parallelepiped along each dimension - V_water volume of the surrounding water - x, y, z coordinates - L, R, T thickness of the slices taken in the wood for calculation - t increment of time     

Die Massenvermehrung des Hagebuchenspanners,Himera pennaria L., 1962 in Niederösterreich und im Burgenland und die Ursachen des Zusammenbruches der Kalamität

Summary The Outbreak of Himera pennaria L. in 1962, in Lower Austria and Burgenland, and Causes of its break-down.The Hornbeam Measuring Worm,Himera pennaria L., hitherto described but once in forest-entomological literature as a bigscale forest pest, performed mass-attacks in 1962 in the Leitha hills (1500 acres) and Maria-Ellend wood, even clean-eating several hardwood species, especially hornbeam and also oak. The outbreak which occurred about mid-May broke perfectly down as soon as early June. The paper characterizes several bionomical and morphological data obtained during the course of the outbreak from individual development stages, also discussing the possible causes of the outbreak illustrated by climatograms. In conclusion, the biotical factors of the breakdown are treated, pointing out a virus disease (cytoplasmic polyhedrosis of mesenteron) as playing the greatest part. Along withH. pennaria L., alsoHibernia defoliaria L.,Hibernia aurantiaria Esp., andCheimatobia brumata L., as well as 4 species ofNoctuidae and 1 species ofArctiidae occurred rather frequently in the above-mentioned area, especially in the marginal zones of the Hornbeam Measuring Worm's mass-attack.

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Résumé La gradation de l'Arpenteuse du Charme —Himera pennaria L. — en 1962, en Basse-Autriche et au Burgenland, et les causes de la débâcle de la calamité.L'Arpenteuse du Charme,Himera pennaria L., signalée une seule fois dans la litérature entomologique forestière comme ravageur en masse, s'est manifestée en dimensions calamiteuses en 1962, dans les montagnes du Leitha (600 ha) et au bois de Maria- Ellend, dépouillant — par endroits même de leur feullage eiitier — différentes espèces de bois feuillus, surtout des charmes mais aussi des chênes. La gradation qui s'était manifestée vers la mi-mai, subit une débacle complète dès le début de juin. Le mémoire présente quelques données bionomiques et morphologigues, obtenues au cours de la gradation, sur les différentes phases du développement, tout en discutant à l'aide de climatogrammes quelles pourraient être les causes de la gradation. En conclusion, on traite spécialement les facteurs biotiques de la débâcle, parmi lesquels une maladie à virus (polyédrose cytoplasmique du mésentère) a joué le premier rôle. Em même temps que l'Himera pennaria L., les insectes suivants ont été trouvés dans le territoire en question, le plus fréquemment dans les zones marginales de l'aire de grádation de l'Arpenteuse du Charme:Hibernia defoliaria L.,Hibernia aurantiaria Esp.,Cheimatobia brumata. L., 4 espèces de Noctuides et l espéce d'Arcttides.

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Himera pennaria L. 1962 . . . . ,Himera pennaria L., -- , 1962 . (600 .) , , . , , . , , , . , ( ). H. Pennaria L. Hiberia defoliaria L., Hibernia aurantiaria Esp., Cheimatobia brumata L., 4 Noctuidade 1 Arctiidae, .

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Herrn Prof. Dr. A. Acatay zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.

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Die Untersuchungen erfolgten in Zusammenarbeit mit der Landesforstinspektion für Niederösterreich, speziell mit der Bezirksforstinspektion Wien-Umgebung und der Landesforstinspektion für das Burgenland, wofür an dieser Stelle herzlichst gedankt sei.

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Für Herstellung der mikroskopischen Präparate sei Frl. H. Meldt, für die Freilandaufnahmen und mikroskopischen Aufnahmen Herrn N. Maisner bzw. Herrn O. Baschny der Forstlichen Bundesversuchsanstalt Mariabrunn, für die Aufnahmen der elektronen-mikroskopischen Präparate Herrn Hayek vom Physikalisch-chemischen Institut der Universität Innsbruck gedankt.     

On the activation energy of diffusion of water in wood

Summary The diffusion equation for water in wood is expanded in terms of temperature and moisture gradient on the assumption that the driving force for the diffusion of water in wood is the partial pressure of water vapour. An analytic expression is then developed for the activation energy of diffusion in terms of enthalpy and entropy changes associated with the sorption process. The expression is compared with another published curve and some similarity was observed.Symbols C water concentration, kg/m³ - D diffusion coefficient for water vapour in wood with vapour pressure as the driving potential, kg/ms Pa - D_c diffusion coefficient for water vapour in wood with water concentration as the driving potential, m²/s - D_c a constant value of D_c, m²/s - E activation energy of diffusion, J/kg - F flow density, kg/m² s - f h/l - h specific enthalpy, J/kg - L l/R T - l latent heat of vapourization of free water, J/kg - l_s latent heat of vapourization of sorbed water, J/kg - p partial pressure of water vapour, Pa - p_s pressure of water vapour at saturation, Pa - R specifc gas constant for water, J/kg K - r relative humidity - s specific entropy, J/kg K - w dry basis moisture content - x length coordinate, m - a constant temperature equal to 6,800 K - -/ln r - _w density of wood (dry mass/moisture volume) at a given moisture content, kg/m³ - s/R - L style as 2 lines above - free water relative to sorbed water The author is grateful to the Editorial Board in relation to the use of (4)     

Influence of rotatory inertia,shear deformation and support condition on natural frequencies of wooden beams

Summary The degree of influence of rotatory inertia and shear deformation on natural frequency determinations is discussed. It is found that for material such as wood, which has a relatively high ratio of bending modulus to shear modulus, these effects need to be taken into account even for supposedly slender beams. The discussion covers the four most common types of support condition, namely simply supported, free-free, clamped-free and clamped-clamped ends. As a perfectly rigid clamped condition can never be achieved in practice, especially for relatively soft material like wood, consideration is extended to also include partially-clamped beams.Symbols A cross sectional area - E modulus of elasticity in bending - E_c modulus of elasticity in compression perpendicular to the grain - G shear modulus - I second moment of area - K shear shape factor - K_H, K_HO, K_HL translational spring stiffness - K_T, K_TO, K_TL rotational spring stiffness - L span - b breadth - d depth - s clamp length - m mass per unit length - t time - v transverse displacement - x distance along the length of a beam - y transverse displacement with time - total rotation - angular natural frequency - f_T natural frequency of a Timoshenko beam - f_E natural frequency of an Euler beam This work was undertaken with financial support from Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council under Special Support for Forestry Grant No. FRP0030800 and Operating Grant No. OGP0004417     

Defining competition vectors in a temperate alley cropping system in the midwestern USA: 2. Competition for water

A study was carried out in an alley cropping system in the Eastern Maize Belt of the United States with the objective of quantifying the competition for water between trees (black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). Spatial and temporal variation in soil moisture, tree and maize rooting patterns, tree and maize water uptake, and maize leaf area expansion were determined in three treatments; barrier (polyethylene root barriers separating maize and tree roots), trench (trenching without a polyethylene barrier), and no barrier (control). Significant temporal variation in soil moisture was observed in both black walnut and red oak alley cropping systems. The barrier and trench treatments resulted in higher soil moisture in the maize alley and lower soil moisture in the tree row than the no barrier treatment. Uptake of water by maize was higher in the barrier than the no barrier treatment. However, tree water uptake was higher in the no barrier treatment than in the barrier treatment because tree roots utilized water from the maize alley. Maize leaf area was negatively impacted by water stress in the no barrier treatment. Quantification of rooting patterns revealed that maize and tree roots were concentrated in the top 30 cm soil layer where water fluctuations were greatest. The barrier and trench treatments successfully eliminated the belowground root competition between trees and maize and resulted in greater leaf area and higher grain yields than the no barrier treatment. Thus, competition for water rather than competition for light seems to be critical in defining the productivity and sustainability of this alley cropping system.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Study of the release in water of chemicals used for wood preservation. Effect of wood dimensions

Summary Various chemicals are used for protecting wood samples against fungi, and some of them are released in water, leading to pollution of the water. The kinetics of pentachlorophenol release in water has here been studied by considering the diffusion through the wood along the three principal axes of diffusion. The experiments and the modelling of the process is successfully coupled. The numerical model takes into account the three principal diffusivities, the partition factor, the volumes of wood and water. The effect of wood sample length along the longitudinal axis of diffusion is studied especially, as longitudinal diffusivity is much higher than the other two principal diffusivities. The effects of the relative volumes of wood and water are also of considerable interest not only for the concentration of the chemical in water but also for the rate of release.Symbols C concentration of liquid (g/cm³)_ - C _c ,C _eq concentration of liquid on the surface, at equilibrium with the surrounding, respectively - C _i,j,k concentration of liquid in the wood at positioni, j, k - D diffusivity (cm²/s) - h coefficient of mass transfer on the surface (cm/s) - K partition factor - i, j, k integers characterizing the position in the wood - M _L ,M _R ,M _T dimensionless numbers - M _t ,M amount of chemical released after time t, after infinite time, respectively - t increment of time - L, R, T thickness of the slices taken in the wood for calculation - N _L ,N _R ,N _T number of slices taken in the wood - x, y, z coordinates - V _water volume of the surrounding water     

Effect of cutting position on rooting and shoot growth of two poplar clones

One-year-old shoots from stooling beds of Populus × deltoides Walker and Populus jackii Northwest were collected in late fall to determine the effect of cutting position on rooting and growth of hardwood poplar cuttings. Cuttings with a minimum diameter of 9.0 mm were obtained from basal, middle and distal locations on the poplar shoot. Rooting and shoot growth were assessed in the greenhouse and under field conditions. Walker poplar cuttings collected from basal portions of the shoot and planted in the field had 87.6% rooting and 103.8 cm growth compared to 78.8% and 103.4 cm and 67.6% and 88.8 cm for middle and distal locations respectively. For Northwest rooting and growth under field conditions was 84.4% and 94.7 cm for basal, 78.4% and 90.5 cm for mid and 64.4% and 84.3 cm for distal locations. Rooting in the greenhouse was superior to the field. Walker cuttings had fewer roots and buds per cutting than Northwest, however, growth of Walker in the field was superior.     

Applications of the capillary isotherm

The effect of temperature on the capillary isotherm is accounted for in a modified derivation. Some new equilibrium moisture content data for E. regnans are presented and fitted by the capillary isotherm. Some earlier data for Klinki pine are also fitted. It is shown precisely how reductions in the shear modulus of the cell wall material with increasing temperature give rise to reductions in equilibrium moisture content for a given relative humidity.Symbols A G₀/R, K - a₁ external radius of annulus, m - a₂ internal radius of annulus, m - a_f a₂ at fibre saturation, m - a a constant length, m - B a constant of integration - b₁, b₂ temperature parameters, K^1- - G rigidity of wood substance, Pa - G₀ G for dry wood, Pa - G_f G at fibre saturation, Pa - h isosteric heat, J/kg - latent heat, J/kg - p capillary pressure, Pa - P_s pressure of water vapour at saturation, Pa - R specific gas constant for water, J/kg K - r relative humidity - r_i inflection intercept - r_t tangent intercept - T temperature, K - t temperature, °C - X see equation (18) - x see equation (28) - , , ₁, ₁ coefficients, equations (27), (37) - y₁, y₂ see equations (25), (26), K - parameter, equation (9) - parameter, equation (33) - density of water, kg/m³ - _W density of wood substance, kg/m³ - equilibrium moisture content - _0.2 at r = 0.2 - _0.5 at r = 0.5 - _0.9 at r = 0.9 - _f at fibre saturation     

Field measurements of gas exchange in Avicennia marina and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Diurnal gas exchange characteristics were measured simultaneously in two mangrove species, Avicennia marina and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, over 7 d in summer (February–March), to compare their productivity. The study was undertaken in the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve, Durban, South Africa, using fully expanded leaves of young and mature trees at the top of the canopy. Gas exchange was strongly influenced by photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), leaf temperature and the accompanying leaf to air vapour pressure deficit ( w). Carbon dioxide exchange was saturated at a PPFD of about 600 mol m^-2s^-1 in B. gymnorrhiza compared to 800 mol m^-2s^-1 in A. marina. Maximal CO₂ exchange occurred between 12h00 and 14h00 and was consistently greater in A. marina (8.8 mol m^-2s^-1) than in B. gymnorrhiza (5.3 mu;mol m^-2s^-1). Mean internal CO₂ concentrations ( c_i) were 260 l l^-1 in A. marina and 252 l l^-1 in B. gymnorrhiza. Photorespiratory activity was 32% in A. marina and 30% in B. gymnorrhiza. Mean water use efficiency (WUE) was 8.0 mol mmol^-1 in A. marina and 10.6 mol mmol^-1 in B. gymnorrhiza. Diurnal leaf water potentials ranged from –0.8 to –3.5 MPa and were generally lower in A. marina.     

FAO initiatives in agroforestry training in Latin America

In response to the request of its member countries from the Latin America and the Caribbean to help promote agroforestry, FAO has initiated a number of activities in the region. These include a regional project Demonstration and Training in Agroforestry in Latin America, an International Workshop on the Formulation of a Project on Demonstration and Training in Agroforestry for the Amazon, held in January 1993, and the project Participative Forestry Development in the Andes. Currently, FAO assistance to the countries of the region in their efforts to promote agroforestry include The Latin American Technical Cooperation Network on Agroforestry Systems, FAO's country-specific technical cooperation projects, and assistance in obtaining development-bank loans through missions of the FAO Investment Center.     

Changes in the physical and chemical properties of six Japanese softwoods caused by lengthy smoke-heating treatment

The effects of prolonged smoke-heating treatments on wood quality were investigated. Six Japanese softwoods were smoke-heated for 100 and 200h at a temperature of 75° ± 5°C, which was recorded inside the log. After smoke heating, wood quality, including moisture content, amounts of chemical components, relative degree of crystallinity (RDC) of cellulose, and sapwood color were examined. Moisture content decreased as a result of smoke heating, especially in sapwood, leading to a uniform distribution of moisture content within a log. Almost no difference was found in the amounts of chemical components between the control woods and the woods that were smoke-heated for 100h. However, in the wood that was smoke-heated for 200h, the amounts of holocellulose decreased, suggesting that thermal deterioration and/or degradation of hemicelluloses had occurred. We assume that the increase in RDC was caused by smoke heating with the crystallization of cellulose and/or thermal degradation of hemicelluloses. Almost no differences were found in sapwood color between the control woods and the woods that were smoke-heated for 100h. In the wood that was smoke-heated for 200h, however, L*decreased, whereas a* and b* increased. As a result, E*ab, showing the total color change, increased, resulting in a deeper color. These results suggest that thermal degradation of hemicelluloses was caused by smoke heating for over 100h. Therefore, smoke heating of softwood logs using a commercial-scale kiln should not exceed 100h.