Overview
This paper reports on the physical and mechanical properties of small wood samples of eight species with potential for larger-scale planting in Great Britain. Six of these have been prioritised for future commercial production in Scotland and five have been prioritised in England.
Measurements include wood density, Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and Modulus of Elasticity (MOE). The results are in line with recent studies on larger structural-sized timber samples from the same stands.
Together they suggest the potential for a number of the species to be able to produce structural timber for the UK market, but identify at least one species that appears to be unsuitable based on these limited tests. We also report variations in wood properties with radial position within the tree, the difference in properties for two species planted on two sites widely separated by latitude, and we compare the results with previous measurements made in the UK and elsewhere.
Though limited in scope, these measurements help in the development of our understanding of the wood properties of a range of tree species of interest for helping to increase the resilience of British forests and future wood supply in a changing climate.