Assessment of continuous distribution of wood properties from a low number of samples: Application to the variability of wood modulus of elasticity between trees and within tree.

Bailleres, Henri; Vitrac, Olivier; Ramananantoandro, Tahiana

Assessment of continuous distribution of wood properties from a low number of samples: Application to the variability of wood modulus of elasticity between trees and within tree.

2005

Bailleres, Henri | Vitrac, Olivier | Ramananantoandro, Tahiana

The aim of this study was to propose an alternative non-deterministic and non-parametric technique for describing continuous variation in modulus of elasticity (E) within and between stems. The material studied consisted of hybrid Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophyllax X Eucalyptus grandis) stems felled at the age of 59 months. Samples for measuring E were taken along a diameter slab at 1.30 m above ground. The results showed that the proposed reconstruction technique is consistent compared to results from other studies on Eucalyptus. E increases from pith to bark, following a polynomial distribution. Local and tree-averaged E increased with cambial age, following a sigmoidal profile that can be described with five characteristic parameters (E at pith, E at inflection point, E after inflection point, cambial age when latency period ends, and cambial age at inflection point). The tree contributes little to the total variation. The most important changes in E value were found with increasing radial position, with this effect eight-fold more important than the tree effect.

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