Beech Research Articles

Site conditions rather than provenance drive tree growth, climate sensitivity and drought responses in European beech in Germany

Ongoing climate change and associated extreme events strongly impact the growth and vitality of forest ecosystems in Europe. Because of its’ high drought sensitivity, European beech, which is considered as climax tree species in large parts of Central Europe, may specifically suffer. Hence, recent studies increasingly focus on the resistance and resilience of beech growth to climate change. Intra-specific variations in growth responses by comparing different beech provenances, however, received less attention, as did the question whether provenance selection can be used to mitigate potential future negative impacts of climate change. Therefore, we here investigated 24 provenances belonging to the International Beech Provenance Trial growing at three sites in Germany along a latitudinal gradient (study sites are referred to as ’North’, ‘Center’, ‘South’). Specifically, we compared tree-ring width (TRW), diameter breast height (DBH), climate-growth relationships, as well as drought resistance and resilience in the extreme years 2003 and 2018. Large differences in growth performance were observed between the three study sites. At site North, beech trees showed the highest DBH and TRW. Tree growth was predominantly driven by previous-year October and current-year winter temperature, whereas growth at sites Center and South was significantly impacted by summer SPEI and constrained by precipitation in late winter and early June, respectively. Overall, drought responses in 2003 were less variable than in 2018. We found increasing resistance and decreasing resilience from the wetter North to the drier South, but with minimal differences between the Center and the South. Whereas differences between study sites were large, provenance differentiation within sites was comparably low, substantiating that beech is a highly plastic tree species. Even though some provenances were found to perform slightly better or worse, differences were not statistically significant and show unclear patterns. Hence, we conclude that climate change will affect beech forests in Europe mainly depending upon site conditions, and that provenance selection may not ensure superior growth performance.

Lignocellulose Treatment Using a Flow-Through Variant of OrganoCat Process.

This study adapts the biphasic OrganoCat system into a flow-through (FT) reactor, using a heated tubular setup where a mixture of oxalic acid and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) is pumped through beech wood biomass. This method minimizes solvent-biomass contact time, facilitating rapid product removal and reducing the risk of secondary reactions. A comparative analysis with traditional batch processes reveals that the FT system, especially under severe conditions, significantly enhances extraction efficiency, yielding higher amounts of lignin and sugars with reduced solid residue. Notably, the FT system shows partial hydrolysis of the cellulose, which increases with temperature while not producing significant amounts of furfural or 5-HMF, indicating more efficient depolymerization of polysaccharides without substantial sugar degradation. A statistical design of experiments (DOE) using a Box-Behnken design elucidates the influence of process variables (time, solvent flow rate, temperature) on the yield. Key findings highlight reactor temperature as the dominant factor affecting yields, with process time showing a significant but less pronounced impact. This study demonstrates the potential of the FT OrganoCat system for efficient lignocellulosic biomass fractionation and represents an advancement towards continuous lignocellulose processing, contributing to our knowledge of process optimization for improved biorefinery applications.

Low altitude Vaccinium myrtillus L. populations in the Eșelnița Valley (Danube Gorge, Carpathian Mountains, Romania)

The presence of certain species in habitats and at altitudes different from their usual ecological requirements has great biogeographic importance. Such a situation was identified in 2023 on the middle and lower course of Eșelnița Valley, a Danube tributary in the Carpathian Mountains in southwestern Romania. Thus, in Eșelnița Valley, we identified Vaccinium myrtillus and Calluna vulgaris species in beech forests at low altitudes. The lowest altitude with V. myrtillus in Eșelnița Valley was 198 m (approximately 5 km upstream from the Danube). On Eșelnița Valley, other species related to mountain areas are also present at low altitudes, favored by the narrow shape and the cooler microclimate of the valley.

IMPACT OF HOLLOW CORE DIAMETER AND BFRP WRAPPING ON AXIAL COMPRESSIVE STATIC PERFORMANCE OF TIMBER

This paper presents an experimental study on the axial compressive static performance of the cylindrical timber-wrapped basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP). Beech and black pine woods were used as cylindrical timber material, polyurethane (PUR) adhesive was used as the adhesive agent, and BFRP was used as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). The stress on compression tests was applied to 70 pieces of test samples prepared. The results showed that there was found out that the highest average stress value of 51.8 MPa was achieved inthe black pine cylindrical timber- BFRP wrapping- hollow core (Ø=70 mm)- the beech cylindrical timber blocks- BFRP wrapping samples under compression loading. The lowest average value stress value of 30.78 MPa was found in the black pine cylindrical timber- none hollow core samples. On average, the stress of the black pine cylindrical timber- BFRP wrapping- hollow core (Ø=70 mm)- the beech cylindrical timber blocks- BFRP wrapping samples were68% higher than the stress of the black pine cylindrical timber- none hollow core samples. The influence of the hollow core diameter and the BFRP wrapping type were found statistically significant.

Synergistic xylan decomposition by a reducing-end xylose-releasing exo-oligoxylanase with other xylanolytic enzymes derived from Paenibacillus xylaniclasticus strain TW1.

Paenibacillus xylaniclasticus strain TW1 is a promising tool for decomposing xylan-containing lignocellulosic biomass, since this strain possesses various genes encoding cellulolytic/hemicellulolytic enzymes. In this study, PxRex8A from the TW1 strain was found to be a reducing-end xylose-releasing exo-oligoxylanase of glycoside hydrolase family 8, which cleaves xylose from xylooligosacchrides of corn core xylan. In synergistic assay, the efficient decomposition of oat spelt xylan (OSX) and beech wood xylan was exemplified in the combination of endo β-1,4-xylanase (PxXyn11A) and PxRex8A from the TW1 strain in a molar ratio of 4:1. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of β-d-xylosidase/α-l-arabinofuranosidase (PxXyl43A) from this strain with PxXyn11A and PxRex8A achieved twice the amount of reducing sugars (1.1 mg/mL) against OSX after 24 hours compared to PxXyn11A alone (0.5 mg/mL). These results present that synergy effect of PxRex8A and PxXyl43A with PxXyn11A promotes xylan degradation into xylose.

Effects of Thinning Practices on Soil Properties and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Natural Pure Oriental Beech Forests

Thinning intensities in Fagus orientalis Lipsky. stands may influence the soil properties, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi symbiosis, and their interaction through soil quality enhancement. We aimed to investigate the impact of four thinning intensities—control (no thinning); moderate (15%), moderately intense (35%), and intense thinning (55%)—implemented five years ago in pure oriental beech forests. In this context, the percentage indicates the proportion of trees removed by each thinning intensity, based on the total number of trees before thinning. Our focus encompassed soil physical–chemical properties, AM fungi community composition, and root colonization. At the intense thinning sites, the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available potassium, AMF spore density, and root colonization increased by 209.7, 88.9, 115.8, 404.9, and 448.5%, respectively, when compared to the control sites. This suggests a potential rise in AMF spore density and root colonization—a vital aspect for natural regeneration. These findings highlight the importance of considering management practices in forest systems that can enhance the root system in a sustainable manner to improve plant performance, soil fertility, and symbiosis with AM fungi.

A direct comparison of the radial growth response to drought of European and Oriental beech

Climate change-related extreme drought events already have a significant impact on the productivity and mortality of Central European forests. European beech (Fagus sylvatica ssp. sylvatica), one of the most important European broadleaved species, has responded to such drought periods with increasing mortality and reduced volume increment. This has raised concerns about its suitability and adaptive capacity in relation to future climatic conditions and motivated the search for alternative tree species that are suitable for assisted migration into European beech forests. One of the candidates is the Oriental beech species complex (F. sylvatica ssp. orientalis), whose range extends from the Balkan to Iran and, at least in some parts of its range, grows under a warmer and drier climate. In order to evaluate whether Oriental beech is more drought tolerant, we compared the radial growth response to droughts between 1920 and 2018 of a total of 138 European and 122 Oriental beeches growing under identical site conditions in eight different locations in Germany and France. The species identity of all analysed trees was verified by microsatellite analyses, and the origin of the introduced Oriental beech was traced to the Greater Caucasus (7 stands) and the Black Sea coast (1 stand). The drought responses of radial growth were quantified using the indices resistance, resilience, and recovery as suggested by Lloret et al. (2011) and growth recovery time (GRT) (Thurm et al., 2016) and used as response variables in generalized linear mixed effect models.Considering only the average radial growth response to severe and extreme drought events, both the different Lloret indices and the GRT did not show prominent difference between Oriental and European beech. However, the mixed model analyses, which also included interaction terms, revealed interspecific differences in drought tolerance, depending on the intensity and timing of the drought. In extreme summer drought years, values of resistance predicted by the mixed-effect models were significantly higher in Oriental beech than in European beech, whereas its resilience was only slightly better than in European beech, regardless of drought intensities. In contrast, Oriental beech was much more susceptible to spring drought with significantly weaker growth recovery and distinctly longer growth recovery times.Based on these results, Oriental beech provenances from the Caucasus do not appear to be sufficiently more drought tolerant than European beech to justify an assisted migration approach to adapt Central European forests to climate change. To analyse the drought tolerance of Oriental beech more comprehensively, introduced trees representing other genetic clusters need to be analysed, as well as the effects of repeated drought events on growth and mortality.

European Beech Masting Cycles and the Spatial Distribution of Wisents in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland

The variability of food resources considerably affects the habitat preferences of animals. In mast years, the availability of highly nutritive food increases significantly. We tested whether changes in the distribution of the areas of wisents, Bison bonasus L. concentration, in the Bieszczady Mountains, Poland, were connected with the availability of beechnuts. In the two beech masting years of 2013 and 2022, we considered the months with the highest availability of beechnuts, namely September and October. The beechnut crop varied significantly between as little as 2.4 g dry matter/m2, recorded within the Baligród herd’s home range in 2013, and up to 238.8 g dry matter/m2 within the Tworylne herd’s range, also in 2013. The analysis of the spatial distribution of beech stands within various parts of the wisents’ home range showed that within the 95% kernel area, their share was mostly high, varying between 25.7% and 42.8%. Meanwhile, within the 50% kernel area, it was generally much lower, except for the year 2022 in the case of the Baligród herd. The densities of wisents varied significantly between the kernel areas of 95% and 50%, ranging between 0.04 and 0.08 animals/ha and 0.17 and 0.48 animals/ha, respectively. However, there was no statistical difference between the figures for all plots tested within the home range of the wisent population and plots dominated by beech. Based on the data obtained in this study, habitat selection patterns of wisents in the Bieszczady Mountains cannot be explained by the availability of beech stands and the phenomenon of mast years.

Molecular identification of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes), analysis and production of beta-glucan using beech wood sawdust waste

Lentinula edodes has the ability to grow and produce bioactive compounds on industrial by-products. This study aimed to produce B-glucan of cell wall Shiitake on Beechwood Sawdust (BWS) through a two-step procedure, which included fermentation and B-glucan extraction and purification. Shiitake mushrooms are cultivated by solid-state fermentation (SSF) using the Jamas method to increase the purity of B-glucan. The fermented substrate was first separated and then hydrolyzed by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (10 M, 1 M), followed by acid hydrolysis extraction. The structure and purity of B-glucan were confirmed by FTIR, NMR, and AFM spectroscopy. The fungus used was molecularly identified by the 18 s rRNA method. Shiitake mushroom was produced by SSF using BWS and high purity β-glucan was extracted from the produced polysaccharide in the amount of 67.33 mg/g. FTIR, NMR, and AFM analyses proved the production of beta-glucan, and based on molecular identification, it was determined that the mushroom used was Lentinula edodes. The results obtained show that SSF is a valuable technology for the production of biomass and polysaccharides by utilizing the strain of L. edodes. To the best of our knowledge, the yield reported is the highest by the strain of L. edodes using SSF.

Modelling branch surface area of Fagus sylvatica L.

ABSTRACT Allometric models describe properties of trees that are difficult to measure. Here, we provide a set of allometric models for estimating branch properties for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Branches affect rainfall and snow interception, provide habitat for other organisms and contribute to the economic and aesthetic value of trees. Using randomized branch sampling (RBS) of 27 beech trees in Austria we developed models for branch surface area, branch number, branch base diameter and branch length, depending on stem diameter, tree height and crown ratio. For individual branches, branch diameter was the best predictor of branch surface area while including branch length or position along the stem did not improve the models. For the entire tree, stem diameter was the most important predictor. Branch surface area (and in consequence also branch volume) assessed by RBS was greater than the branch surface area estimated as a cylinder from measurements of branch length and branch base diameter. Since the branch allometry of beech differs considerably from a previous study on branches of Picea abies, we conclude that assumptions and models derived from other tree species can lead to considerable biased results in assessing the functions of tree branches.

Long‐term assessment of macro‐ and micronutrients in foliage of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in thinned versus unmanaged old‐growth stands

AbstractBackgroundScience‐based decisions regarding forest management require the knowledge of the impact of thinning regimens on the forests’ vitality and resilience. There is no systematic study analysing the role of forest management approaches on the nutritional status of forests, serving as a surrogate for their health and growth.AimsWe assessed the impact of ‘heavy thinning from above’ versus ‘no management’ on the foliar chemistry of old‐growth European beech stands on a calcareous site with cambisol/chromic luvisol soil in Thuringia, Germany.MethodsMacro‐ and micronutrients were analysed by serial foliar analysis of six trees per experimental plot over 13 years (2009–2021). To assess potential differences of foliar chemistry between the two plots and over time, a linear mixed‐effects model was applied.ResultsFoliar concentrations of all macro‐ and micronutrients were not significantly different between the two plots (p > 0.05), demonstrating that the management approach had no relevant impact on the nutritional status of beech trees growing at the calcareous site. Furthermore, all foliar concentrations were dynamic over the 13‐year evaluation period. Hence, long‐term forest monitoring is crucial to capture the complex interplay between the trees and environmental conditions.ConclusionsSerial foliar analysis allows for a reliable evaluation of a forest's nutritional status. The results indicate that either regimen, that is, ‘heavy thinning from above’ or ‘no management’, shall not pose any risk in terms of growth and stability. Our results add to the understanding of beech forest dynamics and may provide a further piece for science‐based strategies of sustainable forest management.

The influence of forest types including native and non‐native tree species on soil macrofauna depends on site conditions

AbstractThe ongoing climate change calls for managing forest ecosystems in temperate regions toward more drought‐resistant and climate‐resilient stands. Yet ecological consequences of management options such as planting non‐native tree species and mixing coniferous and deciduous tree species have been little studied, especially on soil animal communities, key in litter decomposition and pest control. Here, we investigated the taxonomic and trophic structure of soil macrofauna communities in five forest types including native European beech (Fagus sylvatica), range‐expanding Norway spruce (Picea abies) and non‐native Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) as well as conifer‐beech mixtures across loamy and sandy sites in northern Germany. Abundance of primary decomposers (feeding predominantly on litter) was high in Douglas fir and beech forests, benefiting from less acidic soil and more favorable litter resources compared to spruce forests, while secondary decomposers (feeding predominantly on microorganisms and microbial residues) reached highest densities in spruce forests. Differences in abundance and species richness among forest types generally varied between regions and were most pronounced in Douglas fir of the sandy region. However, trophic guilds differed more between regions than between forest types, indicating that environmental factors outweigh the importance of forest type on soil macrofauna communities. The analysis of stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C values) supported the general robustness in trophic position of macrofauna trophic guilds against variations in forest types and regions, but indicated reduced detrital shifts and food‐chain lengths in coniferous compared to European beech forests with mixtures mitigating these effects. Overall, for evaluating consequences of future forest management practices on the structure and functioning of soil animal communities, regional factors need to be considered, but in particular at loamy sites the taxonomic and trophic structure of soil macrofauna communities are resistant against changes in forest types.

High nitrate and sulfate leaching in response to wetter winters in temperate beech forests

Climate models project moderate to large increases in air temperature for most temperate ecosystems with an overall increase in winter precipitation and a shift from snow towards rain. We investigated the effects of increased winter rainfall on the ecosystem functioning of European beech forests at their north-eastern distribution range. In a large-scale field experiment we manipulated winter climate at nine forest sites by increasing the amount of rainfall and excluding snow. Nutrient availability in the topsoil and leaching in 50 cm depth as well as litter decomposition and radial growth of mature European beech trees were analysed. It was hypothesized that (1) wetter winters lead to increased nutrient deposition as well as leaching, with an overall increase in net nutrient availability, (2) decomposition decreases in response to water addition containing also additional nutrients and (3) primary production during the subsequent growing season increases as presumably not all additionally available nutrients would be leached. We found an increase in topsoil nitrate and sulfate availability during winter in response to rain addition, likely as a consequence of collecting more atmospheric deposition, and surprisingly high leaching rates of the additionally available nutrients. During the subsequent early growing season, no difference in nutrient availability could be observed anymore. Enhanced nutrient availability in the topsoil and leaching do not seem to have a strong short-term influence on forest ecosystem processes in ecosystems which are close to their critical load of N deposition. Decomposition rates during winter and early growing season as well as stem diameter growth during the following growing season were not influenced. This indicates that additional nutrients in the topsoil in response to wetter winters are not available for plant growth but pollute ground- and surface waters.

Fagivorina arenaria (Geometridae, Lepidoptera) endangered species of preserved mountain beech forests: new records from the Czech Republic

Abstract We summarize the published data on occurrence of Fagivorina arenaria (Hufnagel, 1767) in the Czech Republic. The species belongs to the European endangered moths. It occurs only very locally and rarely in the Czech Republic. Published records come mainly from the border mountain ranges. Newly we present records from the Beskydy Mts. and the Hrubý Jeseník Mts. On the basis of our observations and published data, F. arenaria can be considered as a representative species of preserved mountain herb-rich beech forests. Due to the very local occurrence of the species, particular associations with mountain primeval forest and decline from some former localities, we argue that the species should be listed in the Red List of Invertebrates of the Czech Republic in the higher categories of threat, i.e. endangered or critically endangered.

Korištenje morfoloških značajki sadnica obične bukve (Fagus sylvatica L.) za selekciju reprodukcijskog materijala iz provenijencija vjerojatno zahvaćenih klimatskim promjenama

Global climate change causes the reduction of tree growth and spread of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests, thus indicating the need to preserve tree abundance due to the changes that have occurred. The comparison of beech seedlings from various provenances in southeast and central Europe was carried out based on the dimensions of root collar diameter and height to select the proper starting material that would reduce the negative consequences of the climate. There have been statistically significant differences in root collar diameter and height between various seedlings tested in European provenances. Clear differentiation was recorded between European countries in the growth performances of one-year-old and two-year-old seedlings of F. sylvatica based on the nursery test. The study's results indicate the potential for producing adaptable beech reproductive material from various European provenances. This finding lays the groundwork for future precise analyses that aim to select provenances tolerant to changing climate conditions.

Fracture predictions in impact three-point bending test of European beech

Hardwood has become widespread in European forests. The strongest factor is climate change and damage to conifers by the bark beetle. The effort to study hardwoods grows with increasing volume of applications. Therefore, European beech wood was investigated under two impact loads in two material directions, resulting in four unique combinations supplemented by the measurement of the friction coefficient. Then, it was computationally simulated to reproduce the cracking, while the material model reflected the orthotropic behaviour in elasticity, plasticity and failure. The model was coded using the user subroutine in Abaqus to initiate and propagate the crack using the element deletion. The resulting reaction forces were in good agreement with those from the experiments. Cracking was numerically simulated in three of four cases as experimentally observed, however, upon larger deflections. Therefore, the model is applicable for further investigations.

An in situ 15N labeling experiment unveils distinct responses to N application approaches in a mountain beech forest.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has notably increased since the industrial revolution, doubling N inputs to terrestrial ecosystems. This could mitigate N limitations in forests, potentially enhancing productivity and carbon sequestration. However, excessive N can lead to forest N saturation, causing issues like soil acidification, nutrient imbalances, biodiversity loss, increased tree mortality and a potential net greenhouse gas emission. Traditional experiments often overlook the canopy's role in N fate, focusing instead on direct N addition to the forest floor. In our study, we applied 20kgNha y-1 of labeled 15NH415NO3 solution (δ15N=30‰) both above and below the canopy, maintaining also control plots. We assessed ecosystem components before and after treatment, calculated N stocks, and used mass balance for fertilizer recovery analysis. Findings revealed that the above-canopy N addition intercepted up to 31±4% of added N in foliage, a significant contrast to the negligible recovery in leaves with below-canopy treatment. Overall plant recovery was higher in the above-canopy treatment (43±11%) compared with below (9±24%). Post-vegetative season, about 15±1% of above-canopy added N was transferred to soil via litterfall, indicating substantial N reabsorption or loss through volatilization, stemflow or throughfall. In contrast, the below-canopy approach resulted in just 4.0±0.6% recovery via litterfall. These results highlight a significant difference in N fate based on the application method. Nitrogen applied to the canopy showed distinct recovery in transient compartments like foliage. However, over a few months, there was no noticeable change in N recovery in long-lived tissues across treatments. This implies that N application strategy does not significantly alter the distribution of simulated wet N deposition in high Carbon/N tissues, underscoring the complex dynamics of forest N cycling.

Cost-effectiveness of lures in attracting mammals: a large scale camera-trapping field test on European species

The cost-effectiveness of different attractants during camera trapping surveys has been seldom evaluated. To contribute in filling this knowledge gap we (1) compare the effectiveness of a suite of attractants in detecting widely distributed mammals in Europe and (2) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these attractants, by calculating the costs associated to reach a specific monitoring objective. We conducted a large-scale field experiment across four study areas in central and northern Italy, encompassing a variety of environments, from lowland forest to alpine beech forest. We focused on comparing the following low cost and readily available attractants: sardines, peanut butter, a commercial lure and we used a camera with no attractant as control, collecting data on a suite of small to large mammals. We found that for seven of our 13 target species detectability varied with the type of attractant used. Specifically, sardines proved to be the most effective attractant for canids and the porcupine, peanut butter was most effective for mustelids but was avoided by the roe deer, whereas the commercial lure was the most effective with red deer. Through a power analysis combined with a cost function analysis we were able to show striking differences in the cost-effectiveness of the different methods, sometimes in the order of magnitude of tens of thousands of euros, which strongly emphasizes the critical importance played by the choice of whether to use an attractant or not and the type of attractant to be used.

The return of tall forests: Reconstructing the canopy resilience of an extensively harvested primary forest in Mediterranean mountains

Understanding recovery times and mechanisms of ecosystem dynamics towards the old-growth stage is crucial for forest restoration, but still poorly delineated in Mediterranean. Through tree-ring methods, we reconstructed the return of a tall canopy after severe human disturbance in a mixed beech (Fagus sylvatica) and silver fir (Abies alba) forest, located at a mountain site in the southern edge of both species' range (Gariglione, south Italy). The primary forest was extensively harvested between 1930 and 1950, removing up to 91 % of the biomass. Growth histories, climate-growth relationships and time-series of growth dominance in Gariglione were compared with a network of protected mature and old-growth beech forests distributed along a wide elevational gradient in the same region. We found that the renewed tall canopy of Gariglione is mainly composed of remnant trees, which include uncut trees and saplings, and the post-harvesting regeneration mostly represented by fir. Canopy beech trees reached maximum basal area increment (BAI) in the 1970s, 40–50 years after cutting. Then, beech BAI shifted towards negative trends in phase with drying climate (PDSI), while fir maintained a sustained growth until 2000. This growth asynchrony between the two species conferred community stability over the last decades. The network comparison highlighted the common negative impact of summer drought on high-frequency growth signals of beech in south Italy. However, analysis of long-term mean growth trends indicates decreasing BAI limited to Gariglione beech, revealing relevant differences due to site ecology and its interactions with legacy effects of past management in driving growth responses to climate change. Indeed, lowland mature beech forests showed increasing BAI in the last decades, while primary high-mountain forests displayed a remarkably stable low oscillating growth. In all the Mediterranean forests we studied, large and old trees showed a marked growth acclimation despite ongoing climate warming, demonstrating the effectiveness of landscape rewilding.

How well can sound tomograms characterize inner-trunk defects in beech trees from a burned plot?

In recent years, forest fires have become increasingly common, but also more damaging phenomena. These aspects are reflected in significant economic losses that affect the quality and quantity of wood volumes that can be used for industrial processing. For this reason, knowing the quality of the wood is important, especially in fire-affected trees. Because visual analyses cannot always reflect the quality of the wood inside the trunk, the present research aimed to evaluate the extent to which modern techniques based on the transfer of sounds can identify internal wood defects. In this sense, 42 tomograms made from beech trees affected by a litter fire were compared with the relative resistances of the wood to drilling and with the real condition of the wood inside the trunk, as made visible through the growth cores taken with a Pressler drill. From the cumulative interpretation of the results, it was found that the trees affected by the fire have serious defects, which lead to the downgrading of the wood and are not reproduced by the tomograph to their true extent. Conversely, sound transfer speeds through wood are influenced by the presence of beech red heartwood, which leads to an increase in sound transfer speeds through wood, and that can alter the accuracy of the tomogram.