According to earlier studies, the weight of the wood may be a useful quality when aim is to create such wooden structures where small weight is combined with maximum mechanical strength. Of the northern tree species, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and birch (Betula sp.), birch has the highest bending strength. The main focus of this study was to find out if there is correlation between the specific gravity of cell wall substance and bending strength of the birch wood, and if the specific gravity of cell wall substance could be used as indication of the quality of the wood.

Dominant trees from 55 years old birch (Betula sp.) stand was selected for bending tests. The bending strength did not vary in birch as much as in many other tree species. The highest bending strength was achieved near the specific gravity class s=0,65, and it can be concluded that when the specific gravity falls below S=0,57, the wood’s technical quality is not sufficient. The article includes a literature review on the subject.

The PDF includes a summary in German

Walldén, E-mail: pw@mm.unknown

Category : Research article

article id 42, category Research article

Pablo Martínez-Álvarez, Fernando Manuel Alves-Santos, Julio Javier Diez. (2012). In vitro and in vivo interactions between Trichoderma viride and Fusarium circinatum. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 3 article id 42. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.42

Keywords: pitch canker; antagonism; biocontrol; biological control agents; endophytes; Pinus radiata; Spain

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Fusarium circinatum, a fungus that causes pitch canker disease, has been present in Europe since at least 2003, when it was detected in northern Spain and found to be producing severe damage in tree nurseries and pine plantations. In this study, we tested a method of biological control of the disease with Trichoderma viride, a fungal species successfully used against many other pathogens. In vitro and in vivo assays were carried out to test the efficacy of this antagonist in controlling F. circinatum. The T. viride isolate exerted a significant effect on the growth of F. circinatum in the in vitro assay, reducing the length of the pathogen colony by half. However, although we tested three different concentrations of the T. viride spore solution, no clear conclusions were obtained with regard to the effects on the Pinus radiata seedlings. To our knowledge, this is the first study carried out with the aim of using Trichoderma spp. to control pitch canker disease.

Martínez-Álvarez, Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, University of Valladolid – INIA, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34071 Palencia, Spain E-mail: pmtnez@pvs.uva.es
Alves-Santos, Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, University of Valladolid – INIA, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34071 Palencia, Spain E-mail: fmas@nn.es
Diez, Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, University of Valladolid – INIA, Avenida de Madrid 44, 34071 Palencia, Spain E-mail: jjd@nn.es

article id 137, category Research article

Alberto Bueno, Julio J. Diez, Mercedes M. Fernández. (2010). Ophiostomatoid fungi transported by Ips sexdentatus (Coleoptera; Scolytidae) in Pinus pinaster in NW Spain. Silva Fennica vol. 44 no. 3 article id 137. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.137

Keywords: Spain; Ips sexdentatus; ophiostomatoid fungi; Pinus pinaster; mycangia

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Ips sexdentatus (Coleoptera; Scolytidae) is one of the main vectors of ophiostomatoid blue stain fungi that can cause mortality of healthy conifers. For this reason, our objective was to identify the fungal species carried by this bark beetle in Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) in north-western Spain. We collected insects from naturally infected pines placed them on malt extract agar (MEA) and left to walk freely on culture plates. Plant tissues (phloem and xylem) from adult pines were cultivated in moist chambers and also on MEA. At the same time, we inoculated pine logs with living insects in the laboratory. Four ophiostomatoid fungi appeared: Ophiostoma ips, Ophiostoma brunneo-ciliatum, Ceratocystiopsis minuta and Ophiostoma sp., as well as Graphium and Sporothrix imperfect stages. Moreover there were seven saprophytic species: Penicillium sp., Trichoderma sp., Verticillium sp., Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger, Gliocladium viride and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and the pathogenic Ophiostoma ips. The fructification percentage of the ophiostomatoid species was low, however; its imperfect stage Sporothrix/Hyalorhinocladiella produced high quantity of conidiophores.

Bueno, University of Valladolid, Dept of Agroforestry Sciences, Palencia, Spain E-mail: ab@nn.es
Diez, University of Valladolid, Dept of Agroforestry Sciences, Palencia, Spain E-mail: jjd@nn.es
Fernández, University of Valladolid, Dept of Agroforestry Sciences, Palencia, Spain E-mail: mffernan@agro.uva.es

article id 601, category Research article

Ricardo Alía, Javier Moro-Serrano, Eduardo Notivol. (2001). Genetic variability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) provenances in Spain: growth traits and survival. Silva Fennica vol. 35 no. 1 article id 601. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.601

Keywords: Spain; Scots pine; genetic variation; provenances; GE interaction

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Plants obtained from seed of 16 Spanish and 6 German provenances of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were installed at five trial sites distributed throughout the natural range of the species in Spain. Five years after planting (7 years of age) the experimental material was measured for total height, diameter, number of twigs at the fourth year whorl and survival. The analysis confirmed that the rate of height growth of the Spanish is lower than that of the German provenances, whereas for the other traits the best Spanish compare favourably with the Germans. Provenance by site interaction was very significant (P < 0.01) for most traits. Attempts to model the interaction of Spanish provenances on height by simultaneous introduction of some climatic and geographic covariates on both factors were not successful but a multiplicative model with one bilinear term was enough to provide a sensible explanation of this interaction. Usually, provenances closest to each trial site were found better adapted than more distant ones but some provenances of close origin presented a different behaviour. Processes of adaptation and selection of these ancient populations could be considered as the main factors to cause this interaction.

Alía, CIFOR-INIA, Unidad de Mejora Forestal, 28080 Madrid, Spain E-mail: ra@nn.es
Moro-Serrano, CIFOR-INIA, Unidad de Mejora Forestal, 28080 Madrid, Spain E-mail: jmoro@inia.es
Notivol, Unidad de Recursos Forestales, SIA-DGA, Ca de Montañana 179, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain E-mail: en@nn.es

Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.

If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.

Contents alert

Your selected articles

Follow @SilvaFennica