Quantifying And Predicting Wood Quality Of Loblolly And Slash Pine Under Intensive Forest Management Final Technical Report

Technical Report · Thu May 04 04:00:00 EDT 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/881917· OSTI ID:881917

Daniels, Richard F ^[1]; III, Alexander Clark

---

1. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602

The forest industry will increasingly rely on fast-growing intensively managed southern pine plantations to furnish wood and fiber. Intensive silvicultural practices, including competition control, stand density control, fertilization, and genetic improvement are yielding tremendous gains in the quantity of wood production from commercial forest land. How these technologies affect wood properties was heretofore unknown, although there is concern about the suitability of fast-grown wood for traditional forest products. A four year study was undertaken to examine the effects of these intensive practices on the properties of loblolly and slash pine wood by applying a common sampling method over 10 existing field experiments. Early weed control gets young pines off to a rapid start, often with dramatically increased growth rates. This response is all in juvenile wood however, which is low in density and strength. Similar results are found with early Nitrogen fertilization at the time of planting. These treatments increase the proportion of juvenile wood in the tree. Later, mid-rotation fertilization with Nitrogen and Phosphorus can have long term (4-8 year) growth gains. Slight reductions in wood density are short-lived (1-2 years) and occur while the tree is producing dense, stiff mature wood. Impacts of mid-rotation fertilization on wood properties for manufacturing are estimated to be minimal. Genetic differences are evident in wood density and other properties. Single family plantings showed somewhat more uniform properties than bulk improved or unimproved seedlots. Selection of genetic sources with optimal wood properties may counter some of the negative impacts of intensive weed control and fertilization. This work will allow forest managers to better predict the effects of their practices on the quality of their final product.

• Research Organization: University of Georgia -- Athens, GA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Transportation Technologies - (EE-30); USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)
• DOE Contract Number: FC36-01GO10619
• OSTI ID: 881917
• Report Number(s): DOE/FR/1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
FERTILIZATION
FORESTS
GENETICS
JUVENILES
MANAGEMENT
MANUFACTURING
NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS
PINES
PRODUCTION
SAMPLING
STAND DENSITY
TREES
WEEDS
WOOD
specific gravity
wood density
microfibril angle
fertilization
silviculture
MOE
MOR