Acid Rain and Calcium Depletion

Research Issue 

Acid rain and other anthropogenic factors can leach calcium (Ca) from forest ecosystems and mobilize potentially toxic aluminum (Al) in soils.  Considering the unique role Ca plays in the physiological response of cells to environmental stress, we propose that depletion of biological Ca would impair basic stress recognition and response systems, and predispose trees to exaggerated injury following exposure to other environmental stresses.  Because Ca competes with Al for uptake, soil Ca deficiency would also increase the likelihood of Al toxicity and associated damage. 

To date, Ca depletion has been implicated in the decline and mortality of at least two tree species: red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharumMarsh.).  Our research on the causes of red spruce decline showed that acid rain directly leaches important pools of Ca from the cell membranes of red spruce foliage.  This loss of Ca reduces that stability of cells and diminishes the cold hardiness of foliage – increasing the risk of freezing injury and decline. New research on the broader significance of Ca depletion indicates that the same disruptions documented for red spruce can occur for other evergreen species (e.g., eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea(L.) Mill.), and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)), and that soil-based Ca deficiency is associated with the decline of sugar maple trees in the field.

Considering the unique role Ca plays in the physiological response of cells to environmental stress, we propose that depletion of biological Ca would impair basic stress recognition and response systems, and predispose plants to exaggerated injury following exposure to other environmental stresses.  Diminished stress response would be particularly problematic now because numerous human activities (e.g., pollution production, ozone depletion, climate change, the spread of exotic pests and pathogens, etc.) are simultaneously subjecting forests to an increasing level and diversity of stresses.  Because Ca competes with Al for uptake, soil Ca deficiency would also increase the likelihood of Al toxicity and associated damage.

Our Research

We are assessing the influence of Ca depletion and Al toxicity on the health and productivity of several tree species in the Northern Forest.  For example, we have worked on two long-term studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in NH to assess the tree health impacts of adding back Ca to soils to levels that existed before acid rain-induced leaching.  In one study where Ca was added to an entire watershed, Ca addition significantly improved the health of red spruce trees by increasing foliar Ca and sugar levels, increasing the activity of protective antioxidant enzymes, increasing foliar cold tolerance, and reducing the winter injury of foliage by about 3-fold during a year of otherwise high injury. In a separate replicated experiment, Ca addition reversed the well-established symptoms of sugar maple decline (crown dieback and reduced woody growth), and significantly increased wound closure on tree stems. The influence of Ca nutrition on wound closure has particular relevance for sugar maple trees because they are regularly wounded during maple syrup production.  We now expanding our research scope to assess 1) if Ca depletion plays a role in the decline of other tree species (e.g., paper birch: Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and 2) if Ca depletion may limit carbon (C) sequestration in the Northern Forest.  Reduced C sequestration would limit forest C uptake exactly when it is needed most to offset the anthropogenic CO2 emissions that promote climate change.   

Expected Outcomes

Concerns about the influence of Ca depletion on forest health exist for industrialized regions around the world including Europe, eastern North America, and increasingly China. Growing experimental evidence and examples from the field indicate that the threat posed to forest ecosystems from anthropogenic Ca depletion is real and potentially widespread. Knowledge of the influence of pollution loading on the cation pools that sustain forest health and productivity provides further scientific grounding and impetus for policy makers to modify existing pollution control measures. In addition, an increased recognition of the potential consequences of Ca depletion has functional relevance to managers in the field. Especially in regions with low inherent soil fertility and/or high precipitation leaching, management options that either add Ca to systems or decrease its removal are increasingly being examined and employed.

Research Results

Tree Health and the Northern Forest from NSRC.

Halman, J.M.; Schaberg, P.G.; Hawley, G.J.; Eagar, C. 2008.  Calcium addition at the Hubbard Brook Experiment Forest increases sugar storage, antioxidant activity and cold tolerance in native red spruce (Picea rubens). Tree Physiology 28:855-862.

Huggett, B.A.; Schaberg, P.G.; Hawley, G.J.; Eagar, C. 2007.  Long-term calcium addition increases growth release, wound closure, and health of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) trees at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 37:1692-1700.

Schaberg, P.G.; Tilley, J.W.; Hawley, G.J.; DeHayes, D.H.; Bailey, S.W. 2006. Associations of calcium and aluminum with the growth and health of sugar maple trees in Vermont. Forest Ecology and Management 223: 159-169.

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

• Paul G. Schaberg, US Forest Service - Northern Research Station - Research Plant Physiologist

Research Partners

• Gary J. Hawley, The University of Vermont -  Senior Researcher
• Joshua M. Halman, The University of Vermont - Research Field Technician
• Brett Huggett, Harvard University - Ph.D. Student
• Chris Eagar, US Forest Service - Northern Research Station - Research Ecologist

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/pollution/acid_rain_calcium_depletion/

Connections in wood and foliage

Author

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• Smith, Kevin T.

Year Published

2009

Source

American Nurseryman. 3: 12,14.

Abstract

Trees are networked systems that capture energy, move massive amounts of water and material, and provide the setting for human society and for the lives of many associated organisms. Tree survival depends on making and breaking the right connections within these networks.

Citation

Smith, Kevin T. 2009. Connections in wood and foliage. American Nurseryman. 3: 12,14.

Last updated on: May 1, 2009

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/7082

Host-mediated shift in the cold tolerance of an invasive insect

Author

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• Morey, Amy C.
• Venette, Robert C.
• Nystrom Santacruz, Erica C.
• Mosca, Laurel A.
• Hutchison, W. D.

Year Published

2016

Source

Ecology and Evolution. 6(22): 8267-8275.

Abstract

While many insects cannot survive the formation of ice within their bodies, a few species can. On the evolutionary continuum from freeze-intolerant (i.e., freeze-avoidant) to freeze-tolerant insects, intermediates likely exist that can withstand some ice formation, but not enough to be considered fully freeze tolerant. Theory suggests that freeze tolerance should be favored over freeze avoidance among individuals that have low relative fitness before exposure to cold. For phytophagous insects, numerous studies have shown that host (or nutrition) can affect fitness and cold-tolerance strategy, respectively, but no research has investigated whether changes in fitness caused by different hosts of polyphagous species could lead to systematic changes in cold-tolerance strategy. We tested this relationship with the invasive, polyphagous moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker). Host affected components of fitness, such as larval survivorship rates, pupal mass, and immature developmental times. Host species also caused a dramatic change in survival of late-instar larvae after the onset of freezing— from less than 8% to nearly 80%. The degree of survival after the onset of freezing was inversely correlated with components of fitness in the absence of cold exposure. Our research is the first empirical evidence of an evolutionary mechanism that may drive changes in cold-tolerance strategies. Additionally, characterizing the effects of host plants on insect cold tolerance will enhance forecasts of invasive species dynamics, especially under climate change.

Keywords

• Epiphyas postvittana
• fitness
• partial freeze tolerance
• polyphagy
• risk assessment
• supercooling point

Citation

Morey, Amy C.; Venette, Robert C.; Nystrom Santacruz, Erica C.; Mosca, Laurel A.; Hutchison, W.D. 2016. Host-mediated shift in the cold tolerance of an invasive insect. Ecology and Evolution. 6(22): 8267-8275.

Last updated on: November 22, 2016

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/53237

First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America

Author

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• Lorch, Jeffrey M.
• Palmer, Jonathan M.
• Lindner, Daniel L.
• Ballmann, Anne E.
• George, Kyle G.
• Griffin, Kathryn
• Knowles, Susan
• Huckabee, John R.
• Haman, Katherine H.
• Anderson, Christopher D.
• Becker, Penny A.
• Buchanan, Joseph B.
• Foster, Jeffrey T.
• Blehert, David S.
• McMahon, Katherine

Year Published

2016

Source

mSphere

Abstract

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease of bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since it was first detected near Albany, NY, in 2006, the fungus has spread across eastern North America, killing unprecedented numbers of hibernating bats. The devastating impacts of WNS on Nearctic bat species are attributed to the likely introduction of P. destructans from Eurasia to naive host populations in eastern North America. Since 2006, the disease has spread in a gradual wavelike pattern consistent with introduction of the pathogen at a single location. Here, we describe the first detection of P. destructans in western North America in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) from near Seattle, WA, far from the previously recognized geographic distribution of the fungus. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the isolate of P. destructans from Washington grouped with other isolates of a presumed clonal lineage from the eastern United States. Thus, the occurrence of P. destructans in Washington does not likely represent a novel introduction of the fungus from Eurasia, and the lack of intensive surveillance in the western United States makes it difficult to interpret whether the occurrence of P. destructans in the Pacific Northwest is disjunct from that in eastern North America. Although there is uncertainty surrounding the impacts of WNS in the Pacific Northwest, the presence of the pathogen in western North America could have major consequences for bat conservation.

Keywords

• Pseudogymnoascus destructans
• Washington
• bat
• white-nose syndrome

Citation

Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Palmer, Jonathan M.; Lindner, Daniel L.; Ballmann, Anne E.; George, Kyle G.; Griffin, Kathryn; Knowles, Susan; Huckabee, John R.; Haman, Katherine H.; Anderson, Christopher D.; Becker, Penny A.; Buchanan, Joseph B.; Foster, Jeffrey T.; Blehert, David S.; McMahon, Katherine 2016. First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America. mSphere. 1(4): e00148-16. 5 p. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00148-16

Last updated on: December 22, 2016

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/53327

Reproduction of walnut twig beetle in black walnut and butternut

Author

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• Hefty, Andrea R.
• Coggeshall, Mark V.
• Aukema, Brian H.
• Venette, Robert C.
• Seybold, Steven J.

Year Published

2016

Source

HortTechnology. 26: 727-734.

Abstract

The walnut twig beetle [WTB (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman)] is the primary insect vector for a pathogen that causes thousand cankers disease (TCD), a disease complex that leads to mortality in species of walnut (Juglans L.). We performed field and laboratory trials to determine if reproduction by WTB varies between two black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) parent trees of a full-sib mapping population of 323 offspring, and between black walnut and butternut (Juglans cinerea L.). These two tree species are native to eastern North America. In field trials, we found no significant differences in colonization density or mean number of adult offspring per female among branch sections from black walnut parent trees or among branch sections from black walnut and butternut, respectively. In laboratory trials with controlled colonization densities of WTB, we found that significantly fewer adult offspring developed in branch sections of the black walnut maternal 'Sparrow' parent than the paternal 'Schessler' parent over three summer months and one winter month. In the field, high colonization densities likely limited reproduction due to increased intraspecific competition beneath the bark. In the laboratory, where we established a lower colonization density, reproduction was likely influenced by differences in host quality. In laboratory trials, no differences were detected in the number of adult offspring emerging from black walnut and butternut accessions. This finding suggests that butternut is a suitable host for WTB. Future screening of the full-sib mapping population of 323 offspring of black walnut parent trees for WTB resistance is a warranted next step in developing alternative management strategies for TCD in black walnut.

Keywords

• Pityophthorus juglandis
• Juglans
• host colonization
• thousand cankers disease
• insect-disease complex
• domestic invasive species

Citation

Hefty, Andrea R.; Coggeshall, Mark V.; Aukema, Brian H.; Venette, Robert C.; Seybold, Steven J. 2016. Reproduction of walnut twig beetle in black walnut and butternut. HortTechnology. 26: 727-734.

Last updated on: January 4, 2017

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/53357

Robust surveillance and control of invasive species using a scenario optimization approach

Author

• Yemshanov, Denys
• Haight, Robert G.
• Koch, Frank H.
• Lu, Bo
• Venette, Robert C.
• Fournier, Ronald E.
• Turgeon, Jean J.

Year Published

2017

Source

Ecological Economics. 133: 86-98.

Abstract

Uncertainty about future outcomes of invasions is a major hurdle in the planning of invasive species management programs. We present a scenario optimization model that incorporates uncertainty about the spread of an invasive species and allocates survey and eradication measures to minimize the number of infested or potentially infested host plants on the landscape. We demonstrate the approach by allocating surveys outside the quarantine area established following the discovery of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario, Canada. We use historical data on ALB spread to generate a set of invasion scenarios that characterizes the uncertainty of the pest's extent in the GTA. We then use these scenarios to find allocations of surveys and tree removals aimed at managing the spread of the pest in the GTA. It is optimal to spend approximately one fifth of the budget on surveys and the rest on tree removal. Optimal solutions do not always select sites with the greatest propagule pressure, but in some cases focus on sites with moderate likelihoods of ALB arrival and low host densities. Our approach is generalizable and helps support decisions regarding control of invasive species when knowledge about a species' spread is uncertain.

Keywords

• Asian longhorned beetle
• Uncertainty
• Scenario-based model
• Mixed integer programming
• Robust optimization
• Human-mediated spread

Citation

Yemshanov, Denys; Haight, Robert G.; Koch, Frank H.; Lu, Bo; Venette, Robert; Fournier, Ronald E.; Turgeon, Jean J. 2017. Robust surveillance and control of invasive species using a scenario optimization approach. Ecological Economics. 133: 86-98.

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/53355

Cold tolerance of Trissolcus japonicus and T. cultratus, potential biological control agents of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug

Author

• Nystrom Santacruz, Erica
• Venette, Robert C.
• Dieckhoff, Christine
• Hoelmer, Kim
• Koch, Robert L.

Year Published

2017

Source

Biological Control. 107: 11-20.

Abstract

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is native to Asia and has become a severe agricultural and nuisance pest in the U.S. Therefore, foreign exploration was conducted in Asia to identify potential classical biological control agents. Several Trissolcus spp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) parasitize H. halyseggs in Asia and are being evaluated for potential release in the U.S. Since H. halys has invaded regions that experience sub-zero winter temperatures, cold tolerance is important for evaluation of Trissolcus spp. Our study compared the cold tolerance of populations of T. japonicus and T. cultratus, in order to assess relative suitability of the populations for release. We used thermocouple thermometry to determine the supercooling point and lower lethal temperature after brief exposure to cold temperature for each population. In addition, we subjected adult T. japonicus to a short photoperiod and low temperature regime, which increases cold tolerance in H. halys, to observe whether these conditions cause a change in cold tolerance in the parasitoid. We found that populations of both species froze and survived at colder temperatures than those reported forH. halys. In addition, there were no ecologically relevant differences in the temperature at which freezing or survival occurred among populations of either species, indicating that these populations are equally cold tolerant and suitable for introduction. Finally, T. japonicus does not acclimate by increasing cold tolerance in response to conditions that increase cold tolerance in H. halys, suggesting that the above-mentioned measures of cold tolerance are ecologically relevant.

Keywords

• Scelionidae
• Supercooling point
• Lower lethal temperature
• Geographic variation
• Longevity
• Acclimation

Citation

Nystrom Santacruz, Erica; Venette, Robert; Dieckhoff, Christine; Hoelmer, Kim; Koch, Robert L. 2017. Cold tolerance of Trissolcus japonicus and T. cultratus, potential biological control agents of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug. Biological Control. 107: 11-20.

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/53501

Biological and Environmental Influences on Forest Health and Productivity

Research Work Unit NRS-10

Our Research Mission

To develop strategies and tools to assess, protect, and improve forest health and productivity based on an improved understanding of tree and forest function.

Our Research Areas 

Invasive Species - Forests are threatened by the introduction, establishment, spread, and impact of invasive species, particularly in the northern U.S. 

Forest Fungi - Forest management for productivity and carbon sequestration is limited by an inadequate understanding of the critical roles of forest fungi in pathology, biodiversity, tree nutrition, and biogeochemistry.

Physiological Responses of Trees to Environmental Stress. - Forest health and productivity are threatened by an inadequate understanding of key physiological responses of trees to environmental stress.

Our Latest Products

• Nystrom Santacruz, Erica; Venette, Robert C.; Dieckhoff, Christine; Hoelmer, Kim; Koch, Robert L.  2017.   Cold tolerance of Trissolcus japonicusand T. cultratus, potential biological control agents of Halyomorpha halys, the brown marmorated stink bug.  Biological Control. 107: 11-20. 
• Yemshanov, Denys; Haight, Robert G.; Koch, Frank H.; Lu, Bo; Venette, Robert C.; Fournier, Ronald E.; Turgeon, Jean J.  2017.   Robust surveillance and control of invasive species using a scenario optimization approach.  Ecological Economics. 133: 86-98. 
• Hefty, Andrea R.; Coggeshall, Mark V.; Aukema, Brian H.; Venette, Robert C.; Seybold, Steven J.  2016.   Reproduction of walnut twig beetle in black walnut and butternut.  HortTechnology. 26: 727-734. 
• Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Palmer, Jonathan M.; Lindner, Daniel L.; Ballmann, Anne E.; George, Kyle G.; Griffin, Kathryn; Knowles, Susan; Huckabee, John R.; Haman, Katherine H.; Anderson, Christopher D.; Becker, Penny A.; Buchanan, Joseph B.; Foster, Jeffrey T.; Blehert, David S.; McMahon, Katherine  2016.   First detection of bat white-nose syndrome in western North America.  mSphere 
• Morey, Amy C.; Venette, Robert C.; Nystrom Santacruz, Erica C.; Mosca, Laurel A.; Hutchison, W. D.  2016.   Host-mediated shift in the cold tolerance of an invasive insect.  Ecology and Evolution. 6(22): 8267-8275.

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/units/foresthealth/

Title: Fundamentals of Acoustic Measurements on Trees and Logs and Their Implication to Field Application

Author: Wang, Xiping; 

Date: 2011

Source: In: Proceedings of the 17th lnternational Symposium on Nondestructive Tesing and Evaluation of Wood, 2011; pp 25-33; 2011.

Publication Series: Full Proceedings

Description: Acoustic technologies have been well established as material evaluation tools in the past several decades, and their use has become widely accepted in the forest products industry for on-line quality control and products grading. Recent research developments on acoustic sensing technology offer further opportunities to evaluate standing trees and logs for general wood quality and intrinsic wood properties. Although the concept of using acoustic velocity as an effective measure of stiffness applies to both standing trees and felled logs, the method typically used to measure acoustic velocity in trees different from that used in logs. Consequently, there is a significant difference in measured velocity values between trees and logs. Other factors affecting tree-log velocity relationships include tree diameter, stand age, operating temperature, and moisture content etc. This paper presents the fundamentals of acoustic wave propagation in trees and logs and discusses two different mechanisms of acoustic velocity measurement — time-of-flight (TOF) for standing trees and resonance for logs. Experimental data from previous studies are reviewed to examine the strength of the tree-log velocity relationships and discuss the factors that influence tree velocity deviation. 

Keywords: Acoustic velocity, acoustic waves, logs, resonance, time-of-flight, trees

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• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

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Citation:

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Wang, Xiping. 2011. Fundamentals of Acoustic Measurements on Trees and Logs and Their Implication to Field Application. In: Proceedings of the 17th lnternational Symposium on Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Wood, 2011; pp 25-33; 2011.

For further details log on website :
https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/42247

Title: Experimental investigation of stress wave propagation in standing trees

Author: Zhang, Houjiang; Wang, Xiping; Su, Juan; 

Date: 2011

Source: Holzforschung. Vol. 65, no. 5 (Aug. 2011): p. 743-748.

Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)

Description: The objective of this study was to investigate how a stress wave travels in a standing tree as it is introduced into the tree trunk through a mechanical impact. A series of stress wave time-of-flight (TOF) data were obtained from three freshly-cut red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) logs by means of a two-probe stress wave timer. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) stress wave contour maps were constructed based on the experimental data using a commercial software. These stress wave contour maps represent the wave fronts in a time sequence, illustrating the flow of stress wave energy within a log. The analysis of TOF data and wave fronts indicates that stress wave propagation in standing trees is affected by tree diameter, travel distance, and internal wood conditions (wood properties and structural defects). When a stress wave is introduced into a tree trunk from a point source, it initially propagates in the impact direction as a 3D wave. Then the flow of the stress wave energy gradually changes towards the longitudinal directions. As the diameter-to-distance ration reaches 0.1 or below, the wave begins to travel as a quasi 1D wave.

Keywords: Wood deterioration, red pine, pine, grading, mechanical properties, wood grading, acoustic properties, wood quality, wood defects, stress waves, nondestructive testing, acoustic imaging, Pinus resinosa, wood testing, testing methods, pine decay, standing trees, acoustic testing, wood decay, log quality, log grading, 2D stress wave contour maps, 3D stress wave contour maps, knots, logs, stress wave contour map, stress wave propagation, time-of-flight, wave front

Publication Notes:

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

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Citation:

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Zhang, Houjiang; Wang, Xiping; Su, Juan; 2011. Experimental investigation of stress wave propagation in standing trees. Holzforschung. Vol. 65, no. 5 (Aug. 2011): p. 743-748.

For further details log on website :
https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/39770

Title: Acoustic evaluation of wood quality in standing trees. Part I, Acoustic wave behavior

Author: Wang, Xiping; Ross, Robert J.; Carter, Peter; 

Date: 2007

Source: Wood and fiber science. Vol. 39, no. 1 (2007): pages 28-38.

Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication

Description: Acoustic wave velocities in standing trees or live softwood species were measured by the time-of-flight (TOF) method. Tree velocities were compared with acoustic velocities measured in corresponding butt logs through a resonance acoustic method. The experimental data showed a skewed relationship between tree and log acoustic measurements. For most trees tested, observed tree velocities were significantly higher than log velocities. The results indicate that time-of-flight measurement in standing trees is likely dominated by dilatational or quasi-dilatational waves rather than one-dimensional plane waves. To make appropriate adjustments of observed tree velocities, two analytical models were developed for the species evaluated. Both the multivariate regression model and dilatational wave model were effective in eliminating deviation between tree and log velocity and reducing variability in velocity prediction.

Keywords: Acoustic velocity, time-of-flight, dilatational wave, Poisson's ratio, standing trees, logs, regression analysis, multivariate analysis, wood grading, trees, acoustic properties, nondestructive testing, wood quality, softwoods, mechanical properties, nondestructive testing, standing trees

Publication Notes:

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

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Citation:

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Wang, Xiping; Ross, Robert J.; Carter, Peter 2007. Acoustic evaluation of wood quality in standing trees. Part I, Acoustic wave behavior. Wood and fiber science. Vol. 39, no. 1 (2007): pages 28-38.

For further details log on website :
https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/27302

Title: Acoustic testing to enhance western forest values and meet customer wood quality needs

Author: Carter, Peter; Briggs, David; Ross, Robert J.; Wang, Xiping; 

Date: 2005

Source: Productivity of western forests : a forest products focus. Portland, OR : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, [2005]. General technical report PNW ; GTR-642.

Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication

Description: Nondestructive testing (NDT) of wood products, such as lumber and veneer, for stiffness and strength evaluation has been proven and commercialized for many years. The NDT concept has been extended and commercialized in the Director HM-200™ tool for testing logs in advance of processing so manufacturers can make more informed log purchases and better match logs to customer needs for product stiffness and strength. Further extension of the NDT concept to standing timber is a logical progression and a new commercial tool, the Director ST-300™, has just been developed for this application. This paper describes operating principles of both tools and presents examples of their use with various species. The potential effects of wood density, moisture content, temperature, and age on results from these tools are also discussed.

Keywords: Nondestructive testing, tree quality, log quality, modulus of elasticity, stiffness, trees, forestry, wood quality, valuation, elasticity, logs, standing trees, wood strength, acoustic testing, log grading

Publication Notes:

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

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Citation:

---

Carter, Peter; Briggs, David; Ross, Robert J.; Wang, Xiping 2005. Acoustic testing to enhance western forest values and meet customer wood quality needs. Productivity of western forests : a forest products focus. Portland, OR : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, [2005]. General technical report PNW ; GTR-642.

For further details log on website :
https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/22084