%0 Research article
%T Effect of felling season, storage and drying on colour of silver birch (Betula pendula) wood from four different growing sites
%A Luostarinen, Katri
%A Möttönen, Veikko
%D 2009
%J Silva Fennica
%V 43
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.190
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/190
%X Darkening of birch wood during artificial drying is a significant  problem regarding the use of its timber as raw material by the  mechanical wood industry. In the future, an increasing proportion of  birch timber will be obtained from plantation forests, which differ from  natural forests in many respects. In this investigation sample boards  of Betula pendula, both from naturally regenerated stands and  plantations, were sawn into the dimensions used as raw material for  parquet billets. Growing site, felling season, and storage of logs were  taken into account as possible factors affecting wood colour changes  during drying. The wood of birches from fertile plantations remained  lighter-coloured during conventional drying than the wood of naturally  regenerated birches from low- and medium-fertile stands. The reason may  be the difference in tree age and growth rate between natural and  planted stands. Thus, it could be beneficial to grow birch in fertile  stands so that the trees reach log size as young as possible. The  results of this study emphasise the good quality of the birch wood from  planted stands compared to natural stands with regard to its colour.