Weight and Properties of Ohio Plantation-Grown White Pine

Abstract

Abstract There has been increasing interest in using the plantation-grown white pine resource in Ohio. Potential uses include posts, poles, sawlogs, and pulp fiber. Estimates of specific gravity and weight prediction equations are needed to use this material effectively. Specific gravity or density is the simplest and most useful index to the suitability of wood for many important uses. It is a particularly important factor in the manufacture of pulp and paper because specific gravity largely determines the dry pulp yield from a given volume of wood. It is also directly related to strength and many of the working properties of wood. We found that the specific gravity of plantation-grown white pine is significantly lower than the published values for natural-grown white pine. This will affect the expected yields of dry pulp fiber and the strength of solid wood products. Equations are presented for predicting the weight of green wood, green bark, green wood plus bark, and dry wood and dry bark of the central stem from a 1-ft stump to a 2-in. dob top. North. J. Appl. For. 5:176-180, Sept. 1988