The study investigated the wood mechanical properties of black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), and silver birch (Betula pendula L. Roth.) a widely distributed deciduous trees in Europe valued for its suitability in silviculture and wood industry applications. The aim was to compare these properties among selected half-sib families and assess the relationship between wood hardness and other characteristics. Experimental plantations of black alder and silver birch progenies from Lithuanian populations were established in different forest regions in 1998. The study analyzed various parameters for different genetic families, including tree diameter, height, wood hardness, moisture content, wood density, and mechanical properties.
The study findings revealed significant variability in various wood properties among different genetic families, although the static modulus of elasticity did not exhibit significant differences between the chosen genetic families. Furthermore, the analysis identified weak correlations between wood hardness and other mechanical properties like density, modulus of elasticity, and bending strength. This suggests that wood hardness may not reliably indicate wood quality for industrial applications. Consequently, the study recommends considering alternative non-destructive properties, such as dynamic modulus of elasticity, in future genetic studies of black alder for more accurate assessments of wood quality.
Keywords: bending strength, modulus of elasticity, wood density, genetic influence; vertical variation, wood hardness
Authors
Benas Šilinskas
Lithuania research centre for agriculture and forestry, forest resources, economics and policy department, Kaunas, Lithuania
Marius Aleinikovas
Lithuania research centre for agriculture and forestry, forest resources, economics and policy department, Kaunas, Lithuania
Lina Beniušienė
Lithuania research centre for agriculture and forestry, forest resources, economics and policy department, Kaunas, Lithuania
Mindaugas Škėma
Lithuania research centre for agriculture and forestry, forest resources, economics and policy department, Kaunas, Lithuania
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