Growth responses, physiology and decay associated with pruning plantation-grown Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and E. nitens (Deane and Maiden) Maiden

Detailed studies have been undertaken to define pruning regimes for Eucalyptus nitens, but little is known of E. globulus responses to pruning although this is a more commonly planted species. This paper describes experiments that aimed to identify (a) levels of pruning that reduce E. globulus growth, (b) physiological processes contributing to those growth responses, (c) the incidence of decay and factors influencing decay incidence following pruning of E. globulus, and (d) comparative responses of E. nitens and E. globulus to live branch pruning. Results of a field experiment indicated that removal of between 30 and 50% of the crown length was appropriate for E. globulus plantations verging on canopy closure. The significant reduction in height growth associated with removal of 50 or 70% of crown length suggested pruning should remain below 50% of crown length if reduced stem growth of pruned trees was to be avoided. Stem volume was only significantly reduced over the period of the experiment by 70% pruning, but it was estimated that standing volume following removal of 50% of crown length would be reduced by 82 m³ ha⁻¹ over a 20-year rotation if there were no other silvicultural interventions. The growth responses observed were probably related to large reductions in leaf area following 50 or 70% removal of crown length. Trees responded to pruning by changing patterns of biomass partitioning to favour stem growth at the expense of branch growth. A glasshouse study determined that light-saturated net CO₂ uptake (A_max) increased following pruning. E. nitens seedlings had both a higher baseline A_max and higher A_max following pruning than did E. globulus, which could partially explain the greater effect of pruning on E. globulus growth than has been observed for E. nitens in other studies. This result, as well as apparently different patterns of foliage distribution through the crowns of E. globulus and E. nitens, suggested that models of pruning responses need to be parameterised for both species. In addition, a more conservative pruning regime may be appropriate for E. globulus than E. nitens. Pruning increased the frequency of branch traces with decay infection, and there was a trend towards increasing decay outbreaks with increasing pruning severity. Decay outbreaks were more likely to occur following pruning of high angle or larger diameter branches.     

Reconstructing 100-150 years of logging history in coastal spruce forest (Picea abies) with special conservation values in central Norway

Coastal spruce forests of central Norway harbour a unique assemblage of epiphytic lichens and are given high priority with respect to conservation of biodiversity. To assess the historical impact of logging during the last 100-150 yrs, 31 remnant stands were studied by means of tree-ring analysis of 2199 trees and the decay stage of 1605 stumps. No stands had been clear-cut, but all had been selectively logged at least twice during the last 150 yrs. Total harvested timber volume ranged from 65 to 409 m³ha-¹ (31-124% of present-day standing volume) and the selective logging kept standing volume low (40-200 m³ha-¹) during 1890-1930. Present-day stand characteristics were strongly correlated with site productivity and topographic position within the ravine valleys. Low amounts of dead wood at sites with high historical logging activity was the only consistent relationship found after covariance of site productivity, topographic position and deciduous trees were taken into account. The results indicate that old-growth stand characteristics, such as reversed J-shaped age distributions and dead wood in advanced decay classes, can be obtained 100-150 yrs after intensive selective logging.     

How well does a log decay-class system capture the ecology of decomposition? - A case-study from Tasmanian Eucalyptus obliqua forest

The use of decay-class systems in characterising the state of decomposition of a forest’s complement of rotting logs is widespread. While most systems are based on an assessment of logs’ external characteristics, there is an implicit assumption that doing so captures important information on the underlying processes of internal decomposition. However, the validity of this remains largely untested. We explored the relationship between decay-class and internal state of decomposition in logs of Eucalyptus obliqua in the lowland wet eucalypt forests of Southern Tasmania, Australia. We examined rotten-wood samples from a large population of logs across a wide range of diameters. From this we determined that smaller-diameter (<60 cm: regrowth-sized) logs differ from larger-diameter (>60 cm: mature-sized) logs in their pathways of internal decomposition. Decomposition in regrowth-sized logs is characterised by greater activity of surface rots, with white rot-types predominating. Decomposition in mature-sized logs is more concentrated in the interior of the log, with brown rot-types tending to dominate. These differences probably both reflect and help shape the communities of organisms inhabiting logs of different origins. Despite these differences, regrowth and mature-sized logs show the same general progression of internal decomposition across the five decay-classes, to the extent that each class represents logs that have lost a predictable proportion of their original mass. We conclude that a decay-class system that is restricted to a single dimension, such as the five-class system used for E. obliqua, will be quite able to capture the main trajectory of biomass loss, but will not be able to characterise the complexity of the ecological processes giving rise to this loss. Studies that employ single-dimension decay classes, and which aggregate decay-class data across logs, can be given added ecological meaning by first partitioning logs into diameter-classes that reflect the underlying differences in the maturity of the trees giving rise to the logs. For E. obliqua logs, a cut-off diameter of 60 cm offers an appropriate distinction between regrowth-aged and mature-aged trees.     

Dynamics of large woody debris in small streams disturbed by the 2001 Dogrib fire in the Alberta foothills

We investigated the temporal dynamics of large woody debris (LWD) in five headwater streams before and after the 2001 Dogrib fire in the foothills of Alberta. The density of LWD varied from 5 to 41 logs per 50 m of stream reach and accounted for 19.4 ± 5.1 m³ ha⁻¹ (mean ± standard error) of wood in the riparian zones and 114.1 ± 30.1 m³ ha⁻¹ of wood in the bankfull margins of the stream channel. Individual logs averaged 18.9 ± 1.15 cm in diameter, 5.5 ± 0.7 m in length, and 0.2 ± 0.02 m³ in volume. Logs became significantly shorter in decay classes II–IV. Bridges were longer than partial bridges, which were longer than loose and buried LWD. Individual log volume was greatest for bridges, but not significantly different among other position classes. Bridges and loose LWD contributed little to stream morphology and function; however, 55% of partial bridges and all buried logs contributed to sediment storage, channel armouring, or riffles and pools in the stream channel.     

Testing and evaluation of natural durability of wood in above ground conditions in Europe – an overview

Natural durability of wood is determined by the European standard EN 252 for specimens in ground contact and EN 113 for basidiomycetes in the laboratory, but no test exists for above ground conditions. For above ground conditions, the European prestandard ENV 12037 and EN 330 are used to determine the durability of treated wood. The most important factors for fungal establishment on the surface and within wood are the moisture content, the surrounding temperature, and the relative humidity. Strength tests are the most sensitive for decay detection, but neither strength tests nor identification of fungi responsible for the decay are included in the standards of above ground durability in field tests. To detect decay, visual examination, pick or splinter tests, and mass loss determination are used. Identifying fungi with traditional methods, e.g., growth on solid medium, is time consuming and complicated. Molecular methods like polymerase chain reaction and sequencing do not require mycological skill for identification to species level, and furthermore the methods do not depend on the subjective judgement like most traditional methods, but are based on the objective information of the target organism (e.g., nucleotide sequences). The next generation of standard field tests will probably consider the drawbacks of standard tests today and be rapid and include both quality tests like molecular identification and nondestructive quantitative tests, e.g., acoustic tests. Laboratory tests can be improved by using fungi identified from field trials and by combining different fungi in the same test and thus simulate degradation in practice.     

用应力波频谱分析技术检测原木中的腐朽

运用应力波技术得到了原木中的频谱图,分析得出:谱线下的面积与产生这种频率范围所对应的木材的成分多少有正相关关系,腐朽成分越多与之对应的这种频率范围下的面积越大,对应于好的木材也是如此,因此可用频谱面积的大小来表示被测木材成分的多少。通过对已知内部腐朽情况的原木试样进行测试,得到了原木横截面上不同位置正常木频谱图,该频谱与原木实物正常木和腐朽木的分布一致,证实了频谱分析法有较高的正确性和测定木材内部腐朽分布的直观性。因此应力波频谱分析技术在无损检测木材内部的不同成分和分布方面是切实可行的。     

Breakdown of barrier zones and prediction of the spread of discolouration and decay resulting from stem wounds in Eucalyptus regnans and E. obliqua

In Eucalyptus regnans and E. obliqua a rapid increase in the spread of defects (discolouration and decay) was observed more than 14 years after wounding. This increase was due to a breakdown of the barrier zone and the subsequent spread of defects into wood formed after wounding. Satisfactory relationships predicting defect extent using time since wounding could not be derived.     

利用化学改性剂提高木材尺寸稳定,耐腐和阻燃性能

用木材化学改性剂（ＬＭ）改性木材（杨木、马尾松等），当木材化学改性剂增重（ＷＰＧ）达２０％─３０％时，可获得很高的抗缩系数（ＡＳＥ值）或尺寸稳定性。改性后木材具有良好的防腐、防白蚁、防霉、防蓝变的性能，并且还可获得很高的阻燃性能。用木材化学改性剂（ＬＭ）改性后的木材无毒（ＬＤ５０＞１００００ｍｇ／ｋｇ），无味，对人，畜无害。     

不同防腐剂处理马尾松边材防腐性能研究

利用扫描电镜(SEM)分析了马尾松边材素样以及6种防腐剂处理马尾松边材在被褐腐菌侵染后的降解情况,采用同步热分析(TGA-DSC)研究了试样热解特性、各反应阶段热动力学参数等。研究表明:当热解温度升高到600℃时,各试样失重率从小到大依次为10%丙酮<10%蒸馏水<马尾松素样<4%樟脑<10%乙酸乙酯<10%甲醇<4%氨溶烷基铜铵(ACQ),最大失重量越大则对应试样防腐剂的防腐效果越好。各试样的热解在低温区(260~380℃)和高温区(380~600℃)分别满足一级和二级反应动力学方程。各试样活化能从一级反应到二级反应阶段均出现不同程度减小。试样浸渍的防腐剂防腐效果越好,其褐腐后的纤维素含量保留得就越多,则对应试样的一级热解反应活化能越高。     

Micromorphological characteristics of bamboo (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phyllostachys pubescens</Emphasis>) fibers degraded by a brown rot fungus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gloeophyllum trabeum</Emphasis>)

The decay pattern in bamboo fibers caused by a brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum, was examined by microscopy. The inner part of the polylaminate secondary wall was degraded, while the outer part of the secondary wall remained essentially intact. Degradation in bamboo fiber walls without direct contact with the fungal hyphae was similar to wood decay caused by brown rot fungi. Degradation in polylaminate walls was almost confined to the broad layers whereas the narrow layers appeared resistant. The p-hydroxylphenyl unit lignin in middle lamella, particularly in the cell corner regions, was also degraded. The degradation of lignin in bamboo fibers was evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectra. The present work suggests that the decay of bamboo fiber walls by G. trabeum was influenced by lignin distribution in the fiber walls as well as the polylaminate structures.