Solid Wood Products from Eucalypts Plantations

To improve and diversify the use of tropical plantation timbers in Southern China, with support from International Tropical Timber Organizations (ITTO), a research project was started in 2002 focusing on development of processing and manufacturing technologies to promote production of value-added wood products from eucalypts plantations. This project will also facilitate the formulation of forest management strategy in China to supplement the diminishing supply of timber from the natural forests. The specific objectives of the project are to develop and to adopt processing techniques for solid wood products from existing eucalyptus plantations and to evaluate the suitability of newly-planted eucalyptus for higher value-added solid wood products and to transfer the technologies obtained and to disseminate scientific knowledge to relevant aspects. This paper also presents primary sawing and drying experiment results of the project. The sawing and drying experiments were carried out on 4 eucalypts species     

Coppicing ability of dry miombo woodland species harvested for traditional charcoal production in Zambia:a win–win strategy for sustaining rural livelihoods and recovering a woodland ecosystem

The miombo woodland is one of the most extensive woodlands in Africa, supporting livelihoods based on biomass fuel for millions of rural people. However, there are growing concerns about the sustainability of harvesting for biomass fuel(mainly charcoal). Thus, the aim of this study was to examine whether regeneration by coppice is a viable option for sustainably managing miombo woodlands for biomass fuel production. We tested the hypotheses that(1) species, stump diameter, stump height and time since cutting significantly affect the number of sprouts per cut stump(coppice density) and mean sprout height(shoot vigour) and(2) higher coppice density reduces shoot vigour due to competition among coppice shoots in a given stump. In an inventory in areas that were harvested for charcoal production by the local people, 369 stumps of 11 species were recorded with mean coppice stumps ranged from 6 to 84. The mean coppice density ranged from 5 to 8 shoots per stump while the mean height of coppice shoots ranged from 46 to 118 cm with marked interspecific variations. Stump size was significantly and positively correlated with coppice density for some of the species, but not with shoot vigour for the majority of the species. However, shoot vigour was significantly positively correlated to time since cutting of trees for nearly half of the species. Coppice density had a significant negative correlation with shoot vigour for two species, and a positive correlation for one species. In conclusion, the results provide evidence about the importance of coppice management as a win–win strategy for sustaining charcoal-based rural livelihoods and recovering the miombo woodland ecosystem.     

Early selection efficiency for fiber dimensions and their relationships with growth and wood quality for Pinus elliotth Engelm. in southern ChinaOA

A solid understanding of the efficiency of early selection for fiber dimensions is a prerequisite for breeding slash pine(Pinus elliottii Engelm.) with improved properties for pulp and paper products.Genetic correlations between size of fibers,wood quality and growth properties are also important.To accomplish effective early selection for size of fibers and evaluate the impact for wood quality traits and ring widths,core samples were collected from360 trees of 20 open-pollinated Pinus elliottii...     

Effect of species composition on ecosystem services in European boreal forest

Forest management in several boreal countries is strongly focused on conifers because they are more productive,the technical quality of their stems is better,and their wood fibers are longer as compared to broadleaves.Favoring conifers in forest management leads to simple forest structures with low resilience and diversity.Such forests are risky in the face of climate change and fluctuating timber prices.Climate change increases the vitality of many forest pests and pathogens such as Heterobasidion spp.and Ips typographus L.which attack mainly spruce.Wind damages are also increasing because of a shorter period of frozen soil to provide a firm anchorage against storms.Wind-thrown trees serve as starting points for bark beetle outbreaks.Increasing the proportion of broadleaved species might alleviate some of these problems.This study predicts the long-term(150 years) consequences of current conifer-oriented forest management in two forest areas,and compared this management with silvicultural strategies that promote mixed forests and broadleaved species.The results show that,in the absence of damages,conifer-oriented forestry would lead to 5–10% higher timber yields and carbon sequestration.The somewhat lower carbon sequestration of broadleaved forests was counteracted by their higher albedo(reflectance).Mixed and broadleafforests were better providers of recreational amenities.Species diversity was much higher in mixed stand and broadleaf-oriented silviculture at stand and forest levels.The analysis indicates that conifer-oriented forest management produces rather small and uncertain economic benefits at a high cost in resilience and diversity.     

A management planning system for even-aged and uneven-aged forests in northeast China

The most common scientific approach to numerical landscape-level forest management planning is combinatorial optimization aimed at finding the optimal combination of the treatment alternatives of stands. The selected combination of treatments depends on the conditions of the forest, and the objectives of the forest landowners. A two-step procedure is commonly used to derive the plan. First, treatment alternatives are generated for the stands using an automated simulation tool. Second,the optimal combination of the simulated treatment schedules is found by using mathematical programming or various heuristics. Simulation of treatment schedules requires models for stand dynamics and volume for all important tree species and stand types present in the forest.A forest planning system was described for Northeast China. The necessary models for stand dynamics and tree volume were presented for the main tree species of the region. The developed models were integrated into the simulation tool of the planning system. The simulation and the optimization tools of the planning system were described. The optimization tool was used with heuristic methods, making it possible to easily solve also spatial forest planning problems, for instance aggregate cuttings.Finally, the use of the system is illustrated with a case study, in which nonspatial and spatial management plans are developed for the Mengjiagang Forest District.     

A rapid,automated flaw segmentation method using morphological reconstruction to grade wood flooring

Region-Growing Algorithms(RGAs) are used to grade the quality of manufactured wood flooring. Traditional RGAs are hampered by problems of long segmentation time and low inspection accuracy caused by neighborhood search. We used morphological reconstruction with the R component to construct a novel flaw segmentation method. We initially designed two template images for low and high thresholds, and these were used for seed optimization and inflation growth, respectively. Then the extraction of the flaw skeleton from the low threshold image was realized by applying the erosion termination rules. The seeds in the flaw skeleton were optimized by the pruning method. The geodesic inflection was applied by the high threshold template to realize rapid growth of the flaw area in the floor plate, and region filling and pruning operations were applied for margin optimization. Experiments were conducted on 512×512, 256×256 and 128×128 pixel sizes, respectively. The 256×256 pixel size proved superior in time-consumption at 0.06 s with accuracy of 100%. But with the region-growing method the same process took 0.22 s with accuracy of 70%. Compared with RGA, our proposed method can realize more accurate segmentation, and the speed and accuracy of segmentation can satisfy the requirements for on-line grading of wood flooring.     

Eucalyptus grandis plantations:effects of management on soil carbon,nutrient contents and yields

The expansion of fast-growing tree plantations is a worldwide process,with consequences on soil fertility and soil carbon storage.Disparate results were found on the effects of afforestation with Eucalyptus on soil carbon and other nutrient contents.These discrepancies are usually caused by differences in climate,land use history,soil texture as well as by management related factors such as plantation age,number of rotations,method of establishment(plantation or coppice),harvest residue management and soil preparation.We studied the effect of plantation age,number of rotations,and method of establishment on soils and plant nutrient concentrations in Eucalyptus grandis plantations in NE Argentina on different textured soils.We also determined if yields changed with nutrient variations in soils,and compared soils under plantations to soils under grasslands they replaced.Thirty-one E.grandis stands of different ages,number of rotations and method of establishment were evaluated as well as eight grassland sites.Levels of carbon,nitrogen,phosphorus,potassium,calcium and magnesium were determined for soils and plants.Soil carbon and nitrogen decreased over the number of rotations and were more pronounced in soils with 50-60%sand than soils with>75%sand.Coppice stands showed higher soil carbon and nitrogen levels than plantations,suggesting a negative effect of site preparation before planting on soil nutrient conservation,especially in fine-textured soils.Foliar nutrient concentrations did not follow the trends observed for soil nutrients nor did they reflect nutrient limitations.There was no evidence of decreased yields over successive rotations.Soil carbon and nitrogen contents decrease when grasslands are replaced by E.grandis plantations,and therefore a yield limitation may occur in a medium to long-term frame,especially in stands re-established for short-rotation management.Harvest residue management and site preparation must be specifically designed for improving soil nutrient management.     

Influence of Planting Spacing on Mechanical Properties of Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla Planted in China

The objective of this study was to understand influence of planting spacing on mechanical properties of Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla planted as a potential species for solid wood products in China. Four trees at age of 13 were selected from each of 6 groups of planting spacing and a total of 24 sampling trees were selected from the Dongmen Forestry Center of Guangxi Province in China. Furthermore, a one-meter-long log from each tree was cut into small blocks for wood properties testing. MOE, MOR and co...     

Three-dimensional light structure of an upland Quercus stand post-tornado disturbance

Light is the most common limiting factor in forest plant communities,influencing species composition,stand structure,and stand productivity in closed canopy stands.Stand vertical light structure is relatively simple under a closed canopy because most light is captured by overstory trees.However,wind disturbance events create canopy openings from local to landscape scales that increase understory light intensity and vertical light structural complexity.We studied the effects of an EF-1 tornado on horizontal and vertical(i.e.three-dimensional)light structure within a Quercus stand to determine how light structure changed with increasing disturbance severity.We used a two-tiered method to collect photosynthetic photon flux density at 4.67 m and 1.37 m above the forest floor to construct three-dimensional light structure across a canopy disturbance severity gradient to see if light intensity varied with increasing tornado damage.Results indicate that increased canopy disturbance closer to the tornado track increased light penetration and light structure heterogeneity at lower forest strata.Increased light intensity correlated with increased sapling density that was more randomly distributed across the plot and had shifted light capture higher in the stand structure.Light penetration through the overstory was most strongly correlated with decreased stem density in the two most important tree species(based on relative dominance and relative density)in the stand,Quercus alba L.(r=-0.31)and Ostrya virginiana(Mill.)K.Koch(r=-0.27,p<.01),and indicated that understory light penetration was most affected by these two species.As managers are increasingly interested in patterning silvicultural entries on natural disturbances,they must understand residual stand and light structures that occur after natural disturbance events.By providing spatial light data that quantifies light structure post-disturbance,managers can use these results to improve planning required for long-term management.The study also provides comparisons with anthropogenic disturbances to the midstory that may offer useful comparisons to natural analogs for future silvicultural consideration.     

Silvicultural alternatives to conventional even-aged forest man-agement-what limits global adoption?

Background: The development of forestry as a scientific and management discipline over the last two centuries has mainly emphasized intensive management operations focused on increased commodity production, mostly wood. This "conventional" forest management approach has typically favored production of even-aged, single-species stands. While alternative management regimes have generally received less attention, this has been changing over the last three decades, especially in countries with developed economies. Reasons for this change include a combination of new information and concerns about the ecological consequences of intensive forestry practices and a willingness on the part of many forest owners and society to embrace a wider set of management objectives. Alternative silvicultural approaches are characterized by a set of fundamental principles, including avoidance of clearcutting, an emphasis on structural diversity and small-scale variability, deployment of mixed species with natural regeneration,and avoidance of intensive site-preparation methods.Methods: Our compilation of the authors’ experiences and perspectives from various parts of the world aims to initiate a larger discussion concerning the constraints to and the potential of adopting alternative silvicultural practices.Results: The results suggest that a wider adoption of alternative silvicultural practices is currently hindered by a suite of ecological, economic, logistical, informational, cultural, and historical constraints. Individual contexts display their own unique combinations and relative significance of these constraints, and accordingly, targeted efforts, such as regulations and incentives, may help to overcome specific challenges.Conclusions: In a broader context, we propose that less emphases on strict applications of principles and on stand structures might provide additional flexibility and facilitate the adoption of alternative silvicultural regimes in a broader set of circumstances. At the same time, the acceptance of alternative silvicultural systems as the "preferred or default mode of management" wil necessitate and benefit from the continued development of the scientific basis and valuation of a variety of ecosystem goods and services. This publication is aimed to further the discussion in this context.     

Ecology,growth and management of black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia L.),a non-native species integrated into European forests

Black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia L.),a species native to the eastern North America,was introduced to Europe probably in 1601 and currently extends over2.3×10~6 ha.It has become naturalized in all sub-Mediterranean and temperate regions rivaling Populus spp.as the second most planted broadleaved tree species worldwide after Eucalyptus spp.This wide-spreading planting is because black locust is an important multipurpose species,producing wood,fodder,and a source of honey as well as bio-oil and biomass.It is also important for carbon sequestration,soil stabilization and re-vegetation of landfills,mining areas and wastelands,in biotherapy and landscaping.In Europe,black locust is drought tolerant so grows in areas with annual precipitation as low as 500-550 mm.It tolerates dry,nutrient poor soils but grows best on deep,nutrient-rich,well-drained soils.It is a fast-growing tree and the height,diameter and volume growth peak before the age of 20.It mostly regenerates vegetatively by root suckers under a simple coppice system,which is considered the most cost-effective management system.It also regenerates,but less frequently,by stool sprouts.Its early silviculture in production forests includes release cutting to promote root suckers rather than stool shoots,and cleaning-respacing to remove low-quality stems,reduce the number of shoots per stool,and adjust spacing between root suckers.In addition,early,moderate and frequent thinning as well as limited pruning are carried out focusing on crop trees.The species is regarded as invasive in several European countries and its range here is expected to expand under predicted climate changes.     

STUDY ON MEASUREMENT OF WOOD SURFACEROUGHNESS BY COMPUTER VISION

The working processes,machining devices and tools,cutting amount,consumptionof materials,productivity and quality of products are directly affected wood surface roughness.This paper gives an extensive review of methods used previously to measure wood surfaceroughness,and concludes that computer vision is the most suitable.The preliminarystudy shows that computer vinon method has the advantages of a noncontact,three--dimensionalmeasurement,high speed and well correlates with stylus tracing method.The method can be usedin classification and in-time measurement of wood surface roughness after being improved.     

Polycondensation reaction and its mechanism during lignocellulosic liquefaction by an acid catalyst: a review

The increase in the residue content resulting from polycondensation would be adverse to the utilization of lignocellulose and to the quality of products obtained from liquefied lignocellulosic material.The yield of the residue formed from liquefaction and the mechanism of polycondensation were reported mainly by Lin,Yamada and Kobayashi.The major products of cellulosic liquefaction are levulinic acid and hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF) derivatives under polyhydric alcohols and phenolated compounds under phenols.The cleavage of the β-O-4 bonds is the major reaction pathway of lignin liquefaction under various liquefying reagents regardless of whether they contain acid catalysts or not.The break up compounds by decomposition are polymerized to substances with high molecular weight by polycondensation in lignocellulosic liquefaction.The molecular weight of condensed residues increases almost linearly as a function of liquefaction time at the later stage of lignocellulosic liquefaction.The longer the time required,the greater the content of new residue generated by polycondensation during the entire process of liquefaction.We conclude that the condensed residues may stem from the interaction of degraded lignin and cellulose components in wood or from the products of two major components reacting with liquefying reagents.     

Assessing current stocks and future sequestration potential of forest biomass carbon in Daqing Mountain Nature Reserve of Inner Mongolia,China

Assessment of regional forest carbon stocks and underlying controls is critical for guiding forest management in the context of carbon sequestration. We investigated the variations in tree biomass carbon stocks relating to forest types, and estimated the total tree biomass carbon stocks and projected gains through natural stand development by 2020 and 2050 in the Daqing Mountain Nature Reserve based on Category II data of the Forest Inventory of Inner Mongolia for the period ending 2008. Over a total area of 388,577 ha,this nature reserve currently stores an estimated 2221 Gg C in tree aboveground biomass alone, with potential to grow by more than 30 % to reach 2938 Gg C by 2020 and nearly double to 4092 Gg C by 2050 through natural development of the existing forest stands. The tree biomass carbon density and potential gain in tree biomass carbon stocks vary markedly among forest types and with stand development.The variations in the potential change of tree biomass carbon density for the periods 2008–2020 and 2008–2050 among forest types partly reflect the varying relationships of tree biomass carbon density with stand age for different tree species, and partly are attributable to variations in the stand age structure among different forest types. Of the major forest types, the ranking of projected changes in tree biomass carbon density are not consistent with variations in the relationship between tree biomass carbon density and stand age, neither are they explainable by variations in stand age structures, implying the interactive effect between forest type and stand dynamics on temporal changes in tree biomass carbon density. Birch rank highest for future biomass carbon sequestration because of its dominance in cover area and better age structure for potential gain in tree biomass carbon stocks. Poplar and larch were out-performers compared to other forest types given their greater contribution to total tree biomass carbon stocks relative to their distributional areas. Findings in this study illustrate that protection and proper management of under-aged forests can deliver marked gains in biomass carbon sequestration. This is of great importance to policy-makers as well as to scientific communities in seeking effective solutions for adaptive forest management and mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions using forest ecosystems.     

Bio-amelioration of alkali soils through agroforestry systems in central Indo-Gangetic plains of India

A long-term field study was initiated during 1995 at Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Lucknow(26°47′58′′ N and 80°46′24′′ E) to analyze the effect of agroforestry systems on amelioration of alkali soils. Three agroforestry systems(pastoral, silvipastoral and silvicultural) were compared with the control where no agroforestry system was introduced. Tree-based silvicultural and silvipastoral systems were characterized by tree species Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica along with grass species Leptochloa fusca, Panicum maximum, Trifolium alexandrium and Chloris gayana. Growth of ten-year-old Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica planted in combination with grasses was significantly higher over the silviculture system with the same species. Tree biomass yields of P. juliflora(77.20 t?ha-1) and A. nilotica(63.20 t?ha-1) planted under silvipastoral system were significantly higher than the sole plantation of(64.50 t?ha-1 and 52.75 t?ha-1). Fodder yield under the pastoral system was significantly higher than the silvipastoral system during initial years but it was at par with that of silvipastoral systems after eight years of plantation. The microbial biomass carbon in the soils of silvipastoral systems was significantly higher than in soils under sole plantation of trees and control systems. The Prosopis-based silvipastoral system proved more effective in reducing soil pH, displacing Na+ from the exchange complex, increasing organic carbon and available N, P and K. Improvement in soil physical properties such as bulk density, porosity, soil moisture and infiltration rate was higher in the Prosopis-based silvipastoral system than in the silviculture system or control. On the basis of biomass production and improvement in soil health due to tree + grass systems, silvipastoral agroforestry system could be adopted for sustainable reclamation of highly alkali soils.     

Fuel properties and combustion characteristics of some promising bamboo species in India

We investigated the fuel characteristics of five important bamboo species viz., Dendrocalamus strictus, D. brandisii, D. stocksii, Bambusa bambos and B. balcooa. The selected species cover more than 85% of the total growing stock of bamboo in India. Basic density varied from 0.48 to 0.78 g?cm-3 among the bamboo species studied. Ash content, volatile matter content and fixed carbon content ranged between 1.4%-3.0%, 77.2%-80.8% and 17.6%-21.1%, respectively. Variation in calorific value(18.7-19.6 MJ?kg-1) was marginal. Fuel value index varied widely(586-2120) among bamboo species. The highest calorific value(19.6 MJ?kg-1) and fuel value index(2120) were found in B. balcooa. Ash elemental analysis revealed that silica and potassium are the major ash forming minerals in bamboo biomass. Silica content ranged from 8.7% to 49.0%, while potassium ranged from 20.6% to 69.8%. We studied combustion characteristics under oxidizing atmosphere. Burning profiles of the samples were derived by applying the derivative thermogravimetric technique which is discussed in detail. The five bamboo species were different in their combustion behaviour, mainly due to differences in physical and chemical properties. We compare fuel properties, ash elemental analysis and combustion characteristics of bamboo biomass with wood biomass of Eucalyptus hybrid(Eucalyptus tereticornis × Eucalyptus camaldulensis).     

Site index for teak in Colombia

Determination of site quality is a basic tool for proper selection of locations and species, in management of forest plantations.Throughout the Caribbean studies of site quality are few and are hampered by statistical limitations, inappropriate growth models, and limited data. We fitted growth curves for dominant height to evaluate and classify site quality of teak (Tectona grandis) plantations by using data from 44 permanent sample plots established since 1990 in 3 22 years old teak plantations in the Colombian Caribbean region. We used Korf’s and von Bertalanffy’s models to fit curves as nonlinear effects models. Both models, with a single random parameter, were considered as adequate for dominant height growth modelling, but Korf’s model was superior. There sulting curves were anamorphic and closely reflected high variability insite quality. Five site classes were clarified: at a base age of 12 years old,teak reached a mean dominant height of 24.8 m on the best sites, 9.8 m inthe worst sites, and in the averages sites, 15.8-18.8 m. Using this model,we identified the best and the worst sites for teak plantations in the Caribbean region. This model proved a useful tool, not only for site quality evaluation, but also for improved teak plantation planning and management.     

Vacuum press drying studies on two fast-growing Indian wood species

Two fast-growing Indian species, Melia composita Benth. and Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm., which have different sets of physical properties, were dried together in a vacuum press dryer(VPD) under two drying conditions,i.e., above boiling point(ABP) and below boiling point(BBP). The ABP and BBP conditions were maintained by keeping the temperature constant at 75 ℃ and maintaining two pressure levels: 300 mm of Hg(ABP) and 450 mm of Hg(BBP). In order to understand pressure conditions at the core during vacuum drying, a cylindrical brass pipe was inserted in both wood cores and attached with pressure gauges placed outside of the VPD. The results indicate that the Melia wood core attained equilibrium pressure immediately with the pressure of VPD, while Eucalyptus attained it very slowly, reaching equilibrium at later stages of drying when cracks and checks advanced to the core.The drying rate was higher for Melia than Eucalyptus under both drying conditions. The drying rate of Melia(ABP) was higher than Melia(BBP), however, the drying rate for Eucalyptus(ABP) was not significantly different from the BBP drying rate.     

Effect of Initial Moisture Content on Solar Drying Ratefor Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla

Wood drying is one of the most important process links in wood products processing.However, the existing drying methods mainly depend on heat to desiccate wood, which makes wooddrying consume roughly 40% - 70% of the total energy in the entire wood process. Using solar energyfor drying is greatly significant in two aspects of energy conservation and environment protection. Themoisture content (MC) of lumber affects not only the target value of wood drying, but also the heattransfer properties, moisture rate of expansion, etc., affecting dried lumber quality and drying rate.Eucalyptus grandis × E.urophylla lumbers were collected from Guangdong as test materials and dried inthe solar dryer with low temperature schedule and the effect of initial moisture content were primarystudied on drying rate. Experiments showed that solar drying was suitable for timber with high MC. Interms of drying rate and dried lumber quality, solar drying was as good as traditional steam drying withthe same schedule. And the solar dryer had distinct energy-saving effect.     

Variation in individual biomass decreases faster than mean biomass with increasing density of bamboo stands

The total biomass of a stand is an indicator of stand productivity and is closely related to the density of plants. According to the self-thinning law, mean individual biomass follows a negative power law with plant density. If the variance of individual biomass is constant, we can expect increased stand productivity with increasing plant density. However, Taylor's power law(TPL) that relates the variance and the mean of many biological measures(e.g. bilateral areal differences of a leaf, plant biomass atdifferent times, developmental rates at different temperatures, population densities on different spatial or temporal scales), affects the estimate of stand productivity when it is defined as the total biomass of large plants in a stand.Because the variance of individual biomass decreases faster than mean individual biomass, differences in individual biomass decline with increasing density, leading to more homogeneous timbers of greater economic value. We tested whether TPL in plant biomass holds for different species and whether the variance of individual biomass changes faster than the mean with increasing stand density.The height, ground diameter and fresh weight of 50 bamboo species were measured in 50 stands ranging from 1 m by 1 m to 30 m by 30 m to ensure more than 150 bamboos in every stand. We separately examined TPL in height,ground diameter, and weight, and found that TPL holds for all three biological measures, with the relationship strongest for weight. Using analysis of covariance to compare the regression slopes of logarithmic mean and variance against the logarithm of density, we found that the variance in individual biomass declined faster than the mean with increasing density. This suggests that dense planting reduced mean individual biomass but homogenized individual biomass. Thus, there exists a trade-off between effective stand productivity and stand density for optimal forest management. Sparse planting leads to large variation in individual biomass, whereas dense planting reduces mean individual biomass. Consequently, stand density for a plantation should be set based on this trade-off with reference to market demands.