Still rethinking the value of high wood density

Larjavaara, Markku; Muller‐Landau, Helene C.

doi:10.3732/ajb.1100324

Cited by 76 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…That is, the relatively short forests of Hawaii, and to a lesser extent Madagascar, also have higher wood density. This is the opposite of the pattern that might be expected from a biomechanics perspective, in which higher wood density would enable trees to be stronger and thus taller for a given diameter, and would lead to the expectation that regions with higher wood density would also have higher H:D (Larjavaara and Muller-Landau 2010). In the global humid tropical forest biome, several ecoregions do contain forests with both tall trees and high wood density.…”

Section: Relating Lidar To Tropical Forest Structure and Carbon Stocksmentioning

confidence: 88%

A universal airborne LiDAR approach for tropical forest carbon mapping

et al. 2011

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Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is fast turning the corner from demonstration technology to a key tool for assessing carbon stocks in tropical forests. With its ability to penetrate tropical forest canopies and detect three-dimensional forest structure, LiDAR may prove to be a major component of international strategies to measure and account for carbon emissions from and uptake by tropical forests. To date, however, basic ecological information such as height-diameter allometry and standlevel wood density have not been mechanistically incorporated into methods for mapping forest carbon at regional and global scales. A better incorporation of these structural patterns in forests may reduce the considerable time needed to calibrate airborne data with ground-based forest inventory plots, which presently necessitate exhaustive measurements of tree diameters and heights, as well as tree identifications for wood density estimation. Here, we develop a new approach that can facilitate rapid LiDAR calibration with minimal field data. Throughout four tropical regions (Panama, Peru, Madagascar, and Hawaii), we were able to predict aboveground carbon density estimated in field inventory plots using a single universal LiDAR model (r 2 = 0.80, RMSE = 27.6 Mg C ha -1 ). This model is comparable in predictive power to locally calibrated models, but relies on limited inputs of basal area and wood density information for a given region, rather than on traditional plot inventories. With this approach, we propose to radically decrease the time required to calibrate airborne LiDAR data and thus increase the output of high-resolution carbon maps, supporting tropical forest conservation and climate mitigation policy.

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Section: Relating Lidar To Tropical Forest Structure and Carbon Stocksmentioning

confidence: 88%

A universal airborne LiDAR approach for tropical forest carbon mapping

et al. 2011

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“…Applying this knowledge to individual variation, it is concluded that there must be the higher construction cost at stem base, and this should play a key role in sustaining this trees, because as a climax species, the plant must invest in the high construction cost, which will provide long-term benefits (Larjavaara & Muller-Landau 2010), in this case adequate mechanical support.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships among wood anatomy, hydraulic conductivity, density and shear parallel to the grain in the wood of 24-year-old Handroanthus vellosoi (Bignoniaceae)

et al. 2017

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We studied the relationships among wood anatomy, hydraulic conductivity, density and shear parallel to the grain in the stem of Handroanthus vellosoi trees with the goal to identify possible trade-offs between hydraulic conductivity and mechanical properties. For this study we felled 12 trees with 24-year-old and cut 10-cm-thick disks at three heights: base of the trunk, one meter in height, and two meters in height. We propose that the relationship between hydraulic conductivity and mechanical resistance found along the H. vellosoi trunk indicates greater mechanical investment in the wood at the base of the trunk compared with the other two heights (1 and 2 meters). Anatomically, this would be represented by smaller diameter vessels and fibers with thicker walls. Consequently, strength investment implies lower water conductivity at the stem base. However, more studies are needed to determine whether this lower value with respect to 1 and 2 meters represents a significant effect on water transport along the stem. Key words: axial variation, biomechanics, brazilian wood, ipê amarelo, trade-offs. ResumoForam estudadas as relações entre anatomia da madeira, condutividade hidráulica, densidade aparente e cisalhamento paralelo à grã no tronco de árvores de Handroanthus vellosoi objetivando-se identificar os possíveis trade-offs entre a condutividade hidráulica e propriedades mecânicas. Para este estudo foram cortadas 12 árvores com 24 anos de idade, discos com 10 cm de espessura foram retirados em três alturas: base do tronco, um e dois metros de altura. Propomos que a relação entre a condutividade hidráulica e resistência mecânica encontrados ao longo do tronco H. vellosoi parece indicar um maior investimento mecânico na base do tronco em comparação com as outras duas alturas (1 e 2 metros), anatomicamente representada por vasos de menor diâmetro e fibras com paredes mais espessas. Consequentemente, um investimento em maior resistência mecânica implica em menor condutividade de água, contudo, mais estudos são necessários para determinar se este valor mais baixo em relação ao 1 e 2 metros representa um efeito significativo no transporte de água ao longo do tronco. Palavras-chave: variação axial, biomêcanica, madeira brasileira, ipê amarelo, trade-offs.Relationships among wood anatomy, hydraulic conductivity, density and shear parallel to the grain in the wood of 24-year-old Handroanthus vellosoi (Bignoniaceae)

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“…Density can have an enormous impact on mechanical properties, and can accurately predict mechanical strength values 33,34 . The present study indicated that rubberwood density was not significantly different among the seven trees.…”

Section: Mechanical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in chemical and mechanical properties of Pará rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) trees

Riyaphan¹,

Phumichai²,

Neimsuwan³

et al. 2015

ScienceAsia

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Pará rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) is grown primarily for latex. Some clones (timber clones) are frequently planted for wood production. Rubberwood, from old rubber trees, is an important economic byproduct. In general, the quality of the wood depends on multiple factors, including chemical and mechanical properties. This study investigates the effects of clone variety, height (1.3 and 6.0 m above ground level), and the variation between clone and height on chemical and mechanical properties of seven Pará rubber clones (RRIT 251, RRIM 600, RRI-CH-35-59, RRI-CH-35-650, RRI-CH-35-1397, RRI-CH-35-1757, and RRI-CH-35-2086). Thirteen-year old trees were sampled selecting one tree per clone. Results showed that height had a significant effect on the chemical components of the wood. Furthermore, the interaction between clone and height also had an effect on the chemical composition of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, and extractives. In contrast, the mechanical properties of rubberwood depended a lot on the clone variety. The chemical and mechanical properties of rubberwood were significantly correlated among the seven clones studied. RRI-CH-35-1757, RRI-CH-35-2086, and RRIM 600 had the highest values for holocellulose as the main chemical components and mechanical strength.

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Still rethinking the value of high wood density

Abstract: The deviation from proportional scaling for modulus of rupture is so small that our central conclusion remains correct: for a given construction cost, trees with lower wood density have higher strength and higher resistance to bending.

Cited by 76 publications

References 9 publications

A universal airborne LiDAR approach for tropical forest carbon mapping

A universal airborne LiDAR approach for tropical forest carbon mapping

Relationships among wood anatomy, hydraulic conductivity, density and shear parallel to the grain in the wood of 24-year-old Handroanthus vellosoi (Bignoniaceae)

Variability in chemical and mechanical properties of Pará rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) trees

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