Silviculture and timber properties

 

Summary

The aim of this programme is to determine the effects of silvicultural practice and site factors upon conifer timber quality in Britain in order to increase the competitiveness of both the growing and processing sectors of the British forest industry and:

• Provide forest managers with the information required to evaluate alternative management options in terms of timber quality and value.
• Provide improved information to the wood using industries about the quality characteristics of future timber supplies, thus enabling them to make strategic investment decisions.
• Provide advice to policy makers and growers on strategies which will maximise the quality and hence value of the homegrown timber resource.

The initial focus of this work is on the stem form, strength properties and dimensional stability of conifer sawn timber, with particular emphasis on Sitka spruce and Scots pine.

Research objectives

• Develop methods of assessing and forecasting sawlog quality in standing trees in order to provide improved information about the quality of future timber supplies with the aim of integrating this assessment into normal forest survey procedures and production forecasting.
• Develop a computer based model to predict conifer timber quality on the basis of silvicultural, site and stand characteristics and genetic quality of planting stock.
• Evaluate the potential financial benefits and practical implications of including additional wood quality characteristics, i.e. grain angle and microfibril angle or stiffness in the conifer breeding programme.
• Determine the impact of silviculture, site and genetics on the stem characteristics, wood properties, volume recovery and timber performance of the key conifer species growing in the UK.

Funders and partners

This research is funded by the Forestry Commission Timber properties programme and receives guidence from the Improving Conifer Timber Quality Steering Group.

Collaboration is taking place with:

• Building Research Establishment
• Center for Timber Engineering - Napier University, Edinburgh
• Glasgow University
• STFI-Packforsk - Stockholm, Sweden
• INRA - Nancy, France.

This programme is a partner in the EU Compression Wood Project.

Forestry Commission policy

The sustainable production of timber that is “fit for purpose” is a key component of the forest strategies of the Forestry Commission in England, Scotland and Wales. For example:

England Forest Strategy: “High quality management will mean that we have woods which both produce high-quality timber, an essential prerequisite for improving markets for woodland produce, and are attractive to look at and visit”.

Woodlands for Wales: “In future, we must concentrate more on improving the quality of the timber grown, through attention to species choice, thinning and other management operations”.

The Scottish Forestry Strategy: “Maximise the economic potential of Scotland’s timber resources”.

Publications and seminar presentations

Publications on timber quality

Presentations given at Wood Quality Seminar in Lockerbie in November 2007:

• Regional Resource Assessment ^(PDF-2413K)
• The Value Of Timber ^(PDF-2228K)
• Timber Utilisation for the Industry (TUFTI) ^(PDF-2210K)
• Understanding the Variability in the Wood Properties of Home-Grown Timber ^(PDF-2210K)

Status

The programme was established in 1997 and is ongoing.

Current activities

• Assessing and forecasting log quality in standing trees
• The impact of silviculture on timber properties
• The impact of genetics on the timber properties of Sitka spruce
• Modelling the effects of site factors and silviculture on Sitka spruce timber quality
• Timber utilisation for the industry
• Scots pine timber quality in North Scotland: market requirements and resource availability
• Sustainability impact assessment of the forestry-wood chain (EFORWOOD)
• The use of “Sour-felling” in wood fuel supply
• Cell wall macromolecules and reaction wood (CEMARE) 
• Compression wood in conifers (Compression Wood)

Contact

Barry Gardiner
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian EH25 9SY

Tel: 0131 445 2176
Fax: 0131 445 5124
Email: barry.gardiner@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

People

• Dr. Alexis Achim,  Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
• Dave Auty, PhD Student, University of Aberdeen
• Annabelle Caron, PhD Student, University of Glasgow
• Monica De Ioanni, Project Researcher, Forest Research
• Dr. John Fonweban - Project Leader (Wood Properties Modelling), Forest Research
• Prof. Barry Gardiner, Programme Leader, Forest Research
• Elspeth Macdonald, Project Leader, Forest Research
• Shaun Mochan, Project leader, Forest Research
• Steve Osborne, Technical Officer, Forest Research
• Leena Virhermaa, PhD Student, University of Glasgow