Wood and bark moisture contents of small-diameter hardwoods growing on southern pine sites

Abstract

Ten 6-inch treea from throughout the South were sampled from each of 22 speciea, of which 11 were oaks. Ranking of speciea remained constant regardleu of whether moisture contents were determined for the entire tree, the stem with bark, branchea with bark, or stemand branchwood without bark. For ashea and hickory, the range among theBe various components was 46 to 57 percent; for oaks, red maple, hackberry, and elms 55 to 78 percent; for black tupelo 85 to 1M) percent; for sweetbay all moisture contents were close to 101 percent; and in yellow-poplar and sweetgum the range was 105 to 1~ percent. Stem bark and branch bark moisture contents ranged from 44 percent and 56 percent, respectively, in blackjack oak, to 126 and 134 percent in yellow-poplar. Stemwood moisture content was higher than that of branchwood in 15 species; moisture content of stem bark was lower than that of branch bark in 19specis. In the stem, bark moisture content was higher than that of wood in 6 speciM and lower in 14 SpeciM. In the top, moisture content of bark was greater than that of wood in 16 species; the other 6 specis had no significant difference. end at the point where a central axial ster could no longer be distinguished. In additior 10 disks were randomly selected fror throughout the top. All disks were 2 inches thick. Each we immediately sealed in plastic, placed in polyethylene bag, and taken to the laborato~ where wood and bark were separated an ovendried. On the average, 6-1/2 days elapse from the time the sample was cut until it we placed in the oven. Preliminary sampling ha indicated that wrapped specimens would nc lose moisture during a I-week period. For each tree, a weighted moisture pe: centage (dry weight basis) was determined fc stemwood, stem bark, branch wood, branc bark, stem (wood and bark combined), an branch (wood and bark). For each type c tissue, a total green weight was obtained b summing the green weights of the samples i that category; total ovendry weight we obtained in a like manner and moistw percentage computed. Tree moisture we determined by weighting the stem and branc moisture percentages by their respective gree weights, which were obtained in the fiel when the tree was felled. IN CONTINUATION OF RESEARCH (Manwiller 1974; Choong, T~oro, and Manwiller 1975) to de~rmine important wood properties of hardwoods growing on southern pine sites, this paPer reports data on moisture con~nts (MCs) of wood and bark from both s~ms and tops. The species sampled comprised about 95 percent of the volume of hardwoods on such sites. The bulk of the wood is in small, hard-to-utilize trees; the 6-inchdiame~r class was sampled since in volume it is probably the largest single class. Procedure In total, 220 trees were cut 10 of each species. The true hickories were sampled as a group because pine-si~ volume data. were not available for individual species. Sampling locations were broadly distributed throughout that portion of each species' range occurring in the II-sta~ area extending from Virginia to northern Florida and w~t to Arkansas and eastern Texas. Only one tree of a particular speci~ was cut at a location. Trees were collected from July 28 to December 19, 1972. All were between 5.5and 6.5-inches diame~r breast height (DBH). MCs of s~mwood and bark were determined from four cross-sectional disks taken from the bole: at 2 feet above ground, at the top, and at one-third and two-thirds of the distance to the top. The bole was considered to The author is Princi~ Wood Scientist, USD Forest Servi~, So. Forest Expt. Sta., Pineville, L This paper was received for publication in Februa!