Relationships between surface growth strain and some tree, wood and sawn timber characteristics of Eucalyptus cloeziana

SYMMARY To assess the utility of the CIRAD-Fort% growth strain gauge for estimating stein growth stress, the relationship of longitudinal growth strain (LGS) with log-end splitting, sawn timber distortion and other tree and wood properties was studied in 23 ten-year-old Eucalyptus cloeziana trees. The CIRAD-Foret growth strain gauge appears to be useful as a means of predicting sawn timber distortion in young E. cloeziana trees. LGS correlated well with bow and spring and accounted for 50 and 30% of the respective total variation. The relationships of LGS with log end splitting, wood density, tree diameter and height were weak. However, distinct differences in wood density and sawtimber distortion were observed between trees with low and high strain. Trees with high growth strain were generally smaller with wood of significantly higher basic density and bow. Sampling position around the stem was not important and LGS increased with tree height.