K. M. Bhat. (1980). Variation in structure and selected properties of Finnish birch wood. I. Silva Fennica vol. 14 no. 4 article id 5091. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15032

Keywords: birch; Betula pendula; Betula pubescens; density; wood characteristics; wood anatomy; shrinkage

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

Variation of wood characteristics was studied in two mature trees of Betula pendula Roth and two of B. pubescens Ehrh. by stressing the interrelationships of some of the structural features, basic density and shrinkage. Correlation analysis revealed that basic density was related to some of the variables studied, viz: number of rings (age) and distance from pith, height from the ground, ring width, fibre length and double wall thickness. Multiple regression equation showed that age from pith and height from the ground explained 80% of variation of basic density in B. pendula. Two structural variables, viz: fibre wall thickness and ring width accounted for only 28% of variation of basic density in B. pubescens. No significant relations could be found between shrinkage and any of the wood parameters measured in B. pendula while some of the relationships were significant in B. pubescens. However, only 55% of variation of volumetric shrinkage was explained by two related factors, viz: basic density and moisture content while only 35% of variation of tangential shrinkage was explained by ring width and fibre width. Increase in fibre length was highly associated with the increase in fibre width, double wall thickness and vessel length in either species.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

Bhat, E-mail: kb@mm.unknown

Category : Research article

article id 1107, category Research article

Arvo Tullus, Arne Sellin, Priit Kupper, Reimo Lutter, Linnar Pärn, Anna K. Jasinska, Meeli Alber, Maarja Kukk, Tea Tullus, Hardi Tullus, Krista Lõhmus, Anu Sõber. (2014). Increasing air humidity – a climate trend predicted for northern latitudes – alters the chemical composition of stemwood in silver birch and hybrid aspen. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 4 article id 1107. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1107

Keywords: climate change; Betula; Populus; macronutrients; atmospheric humidity; wood characteristics; structural carbohydrates

Highlights: Hybrid aspen and silver birch trees grew more slowly under increased air humidity conditions and had higher concentrations of N and P and a lower K to N ratio in stemwood; Minor species-specific changes were detected in stemwood concentrations of cellulose and hemicellulose; Density, calorific value and concentrations of lignin and ash in stemwood were not affected by elevated humidity.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

We studied the physicochemical properties of stemwood in saplings of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.), grown for four years under artificially elevated relative air humidity (on average by 7%) in field conditions, using the Free Air Humidity Manipulation (FAHM) research facility in Estonia. Altogether 91 sample trees from three experimental plots with manipulated air humidity and from three control plots were cut in the dormant season and sampled for the analysis of cellulose, hemicellulose, acid detergent lignin, macronutrients (N, P, K), ash content, density, and calorific value of wood. The analysed trees grew significantly more slowly under elevated humidity conditions, with a more pronounced effect on aspens. Significantly higher concentrations of N and P were observed in the stemwood of both aspens and birches grown under elevated humidity. This could be the result of a change in the content of living parenchyma cells and/or enhanced retranslocation of nutrients into wood parenchyma. Additionally, humidification resulted in a significantly higher concentration of cellulose and a lower concentration of hemicellulose in aspen stemwood, and in significantly lower concentrations of cellulose and K in birch stemwood. Elevated humidity did not affect lignin concentration, ash content, basic density and calorific value of stemwood. Results from the FAHM experiment suggest that the increasing air humidity accompanying global warming at northern latitudes will affect the growth and functioning of deciduous trees and forests, with obvious consequences also for forest management and industry.

Tullus, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: arvo.tullus@ut.ee
Sellin, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: arne.sellin@ut.ee
Kupper, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: priit.kupper@ut.ee
Lutter, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51014, Estonia E-mail: reimo.lutter@emu.ee
Pärn, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51014, Estonia E-mail: linnar.parn@emu.ee
Jasinska, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia & Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland E-mail: jasiak9@wp.pl
Alber, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: meeli.alber@ut.ee
Kukk, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: maarja.kukk@ut.ee
Tullus, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51014, Estonia E-mail: tea.tullus@emu.ee
Tullus, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, Tartu 51014, Estonia E-mail: hardi.tullus@emu.ee
Lõhmus, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: krista.lohmus@ut.ee
Sõber, Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Lai 40, Tartu 51005, Estonia E-mail: anu.sober@ut.ee

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