Axial variation of wood basic density three gymnosperms species

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the axial variation of the basic density of Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, Pinus elliottii Engelm. and Pinus taeda L woods. The trees were randomly chosen from plots of homogeneous stands in the State of Paraná, Brazil, and felled and discs 2 cm thick at the base, diameter at breast height (DAP), 25, 50, 75 and 100% of commercial height were taken. Thus the average density of each species was calculated using the averages over the height of trade. The values found for both pine woods were 0.41 g cm3 and 0.40 g cm-3 for the Araucaria wood. In this study it was possible to observe that Araucaria angustifolia and Pinus taeda behave very similarly to the axial variation of density, in which there was a significant decrease in the specific density depending on the tree height. However, for the species Pinus elliottii in the DAP position, the basic density showed a significant difference compared to the other positions, which has greater value than the base position.