Inter- and Intraspecific Differences in Physical and Mechanical Properties of Wood from Sclerocarya birrea and Anogeissus leiocarpus

Abstract

This paper studied the basic density and mechanical properties differences of wood among and within Sclerocarya birrea and Anogeissus leiocarpus. Three trees from each species were selected from the Lagawa Natural Forest Reserve in Western Kordofan State, Sudan. Test specimens were selected from three vertical positions (10, 50, and 90% along the bole length) of the trees. Specimens were also collected from three horizontal positions (innerwood, middlewood, and outerwood) within each of the three vertical positions. Tests for basic density of wood (BD), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), compressive (CS), and shear strength (SS) parallel to the grain were performed. An analysis of variance shows that only the horizontal positions were a significant source of variation for both species studied. The correlation coefficient of BD was significant, weak, and positive for the mechanical properties of A. leiocarpus. A similar observation was found for BD correlated with CS and SS for S. birrea.