Radial variation of collapse,volumetric shrinkage,moisture conent and density in Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell.

Summary Examination of segmented increment cores from three trees of Eucalyptus regnans demonstrated radial variability as follows: collapse increased with distance from the periphery to about 85% of the radius where it commenced a precipitous decline towards the pith; total volumetric shrinkage increased to about 45% of the radius, gradually declined to 85% radius, then abruptly fell as with collapse; moisture content increased to about 75% radius and abruptly declined at 85–90%; basic density declined with distance from the periphery to about 75% radius, then showed a slight increase towards the pith; per cent saturation remained relatively constant from the periphery to about 90% of the radius, then abruptly declined. It is argued that compression failures in the fibre walls of the brittle heart core were responsible for the precipitous decline in collapse, moisture content and per cent saturation near the pith. Examination of data after separation by density into latewood and earlywood increments demonstrated that latewood tends to be more highly water saturated than earlywood. Similar levels of collapse for material of different densities and correspondingly different saturation values indicated that level of saturation was a more important determinant of collapse susceptibility in latewood than in earlywood.