The material of the study consisted of 21 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees that had been pruned in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The butt log of the pruned stems was peeled into veneer from which the length and shape of the resin taps were determined. The length of the resin tap was affected in the first place by the knot diameter and the height of the knot along the stem. The length of the resin tap was about 1.5-fold that of the knot diameter. With an increase in the height above the ground of a knot, its length decreases. The resin taps were particularly long on poor sites and in the butt end of the stems, however, the variation in tap length was large both within and between the individual tree stands. The shape of the resin taps is presented in this study by diameter classes. The resin taps studied in the work were longer than those measured in other works. This may be due to the fact that the knots were uncovered by peeling instead of sawing.
The PDF includes an abstract in Finnish.
A computer model was developed for predicting knottiness of wood material of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and birch (Betula sp). The prediction included location of knots, their size and quality, i.e. if they are dead or living knots. The model suits best for tree species where branches are born at the base of shoots, in Finland such tree species is Scots pine.
The usefulness of the model was tested in the prediction of knots in wooden elements of joinery industry. According to the results, the shape of cross section affects the surface quality of elements. Especially useful is a quadratic cross section as it increases the probability to get a knotless surface.
The PDF includes an abstract in English.
A test sawing was made of 807 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) saw logs of varying size and quality. The most important knot characteristic affecting the value of sawn goods was the diameter of the thickest dry knot. The new minimum requirements for pine logs were proposed on the basis of top diameter of the log and the diameter of the thickest dry and living knot.
The PDF includes a summary in English
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) has been extensively introduced in Scandinavia on less productive sites. Under a changing climate, it also has a high potential in the eastern Baltic region; still, its performance there has scarcely been reported. This study investigated the performance of 36 Canadian provenances in 14 trials in western Latvia. Tree dimensions showed notable provenance and provenance-by-environment variation, implying that local selection by provenance can be applied for improved yield. Southern provenances showed the best height growth, while southwestern (more oceanic) provenances excelled in diameter growth. Most of the quality traits were affected by provenance or provenance-by-environment interaction, yet the variation was lower than for the growth traits.