B.C. Ministry of Forests
		Abstract for SIL460

		BASIC WOOD PROPERTIES OF SECOND-GROWTH WESTERN HEMLOCK
		Authors or Ministry Contacts: L.A. Jozsa, B.D. Munro and J.R. Gordon
		Branch: Forest Practices
		Subject: Forestry General
		Series:  Silviculture
		Other details: Published 1998.

Abstract

Properties that were assessed by Forintek, both within and between trees, include: relative density of wood, shrinkage, moisture content, relative proportions of heartwood-sapwood, bark thickness, content and distribution of compression wood, incidence and degree of spiral grain, incidence and severity of brown stain, and bending strength of small clear samples.

Naturally grown 90 year old western hemlock stands represent much of the emerging timber supply in the B.C. coastal forest region. Information characterizing the commercial quality of this resource is needed now to support processing and marketing decisions and for product promotion. In addition stand management decisions are being made today that will influence the future quality of western hemlock. We can reduce the risk of making wrong management decisions by providing information on how different growing conditions (e.g. biogeoclimatic zone, site, stand density, and thinning) affect second-growth wood quality.

This document was published as : Forintek Special Report Publication No. Sp-38

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