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-The initial data of a long-term research programme aimed at determining the silvicultural choices for management of ageing holm oak coppices are reported. The

Combined treatment with steam and heat was imposed on green Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) wood, both for sapwood and heartwood. Steaming was carried out in an autoclave at 100, 120, or 130 °C, and then a portion of the samples was heated in an oven for 2 h at 120 or 180 °C. Extraction with ethanol provided the greatest extractive contents in sapwood, and the extractive quantity decreased as the heating temperature was increased to 180 °C. In contrast, extraction with dichloromethane provided the greatest extractive content in heartwood, and no sizeable differences were found among the various treatments. Lignin amounts increased with rising treatment temperatures combined with steaming at 100 and 120 °C until the greatest value of 31.1% lignin content was reached. However, the lignin content decreased as the steaming temperatures rose to 130 °C. In all the combined treatments, the lignin content was greater in heartwood than in sapwood. Moreover, both steaming and heating applied individually produced no significant effect on lignin content.

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The main purpose of this study was to investigate the hydrophobic effect and chemical changes induced by thermo-treatment and alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) on the surface properties of Alder (Alnus cordata (Loisel) Duby) wood before and after an artificial weathering test. Thermal treatment was conducted at a temperature of 200 °C for 4 h in a thermo-vacuum cylinder. Then, the paper sizing agent, AKD at different concentrations of a solution of 0.1%, 0.5% and 10% was used as a potential hydrophobizing reagent for untreated and thermally treated alder wood surfaces. The contact angle measurement, ATR-FTIR analysis and colour variation were carried out for the samples. The preliminary results revealed that the contact angle values of the wood materials increased with thermal modification. However, the influence of the thermal treatment on hydrophobicity was small when compared to the substantial effect of the AKD application in this respect, and also after the artificial weathering test. The FTIR analysis supported the hypothesis that AKD could make bonds chemically stable even when using a small concentration of AKD. The findings acquired in this work provide important information for future research and the utilization of the AKD on lesser-used wood species.