Does stand thinning influence wood physical properties? An investigation in a tropical hardwood, Acacia mangium Willd
Keywords:
Thinning, wood properties, tropical trees, rotation age, fast growing species, Acacia mangiumAbstract
Wood properties are influenced by stand management practices like thinning, pruning, etc. The implication of stand management practices on softwoods is well documented. In the case of hardwoods, the response and variation in wood properties due to thinning are still not fully understood. Twenty year old A. mangium was subjected to stand thinning at 7th year and the effect of thinning was assessed after 13 years. The wood samples collected from felled trees were analysed based on IS standards. Lack of significant variation between wood physical properties due to thinning intensities was observed. However, enhanced basic wood density which ranged from 530.50 to 602.00 g cm-3 for a 20-year-old tree was relatively higher compared to density values reported from younger aged plantations. Further, the increase in heartwood percentage (80.91%), lower moisture content and shrinkage values, all indicated that the prolonging the rotation age in fast growing species like A. mangium was more desirable from the utilisation point.Downloads
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