Silvicultural treatments and associated growth rates, growth strains and wood properties in 12.5-year-old Eucalyptus grandis
1991
Wilkins, A.P. (New South Wales Forestry Commission (Australia)) | Kitahara, R. (Utsunomiya Univ., Utsunomiya (Japan). Dept. of Forestry)
Measurements were made at 12.5 years at breast height (1.3 m) on 36 trees which had received various silvicultural treatments since planting. The treatments studied were: untreated control (C); thinning (T); fertilizer and thinning (F); and fertilizer, weeding, insecticide and thinning (A). Strain was measured using electronic strain gauges glued to the outer xylem. Stem diameter was progressively greater and growth strain lower in treatments C,T, F and A respectively. Treatment A increased diameter at breast height by 190 percent and reduced longitudinal growth strain by 40 percent. However, within treatments, growth strain was not related to growth rate. In silviculturally treated and fast grown trees, the reduced longitudinal growth strain gradient, along a radius from pith to outer xylem, would decrease splitting of wood during conversion. A positive relationship was found between growth strain and basic density within treatment A, the treatment with the fastest rate of growth.
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