Abstract

LOUSADA, José; NORONHA, Maria; LOPES, Domingos  and  SILVA, Maria. Relationship Between Weight, Volume and Specific Gravity for the Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) Wood Grown in Portugal. Silva Lus. [online]. 2008, vol.16, n.2, pp.183-196. ISSN 0870-6352.

The need to get accurate conversions of the wood weight into volume, and vice-versa, is increasing. A sample of 30 trees, with ages varying between 13 to 54 years old, and with a dbh range between 7.5 and 35.7 cm and a total height varying from 3.5 m to 22.2 m, was used. Wood samples were collected at different percentage levels of the trunk, in which the weight, the volume and the density was evaluated to later establish relations between these variables and afterwards construct conversion tables between weight/volume and volume/weight. Additionally, the tree level which allowed the best estimation of the global density was evaluated. Achieved results showed that, for this species, basic density changes between a maximum of 0.469 g/cm³ and a minimum of 0.364 g/cm³ with a variation coefficient of 6.7%. The best trunk level to evaluate basic density was obtained when samples were collected at 10% of the total height, followed by the 50 and 40% levels. The accuracy of the equations describing the relationships between weight and volume was around 99%, and simple linear equations were used. The best estimates, either for volume and weight, were obtained using dbh as a prediction variable, throughout logarithmic equations, presenting determination coefficients ranging between 0.98 and 0.99.

Keywords : Weight; volume; specific gravity; wood; Pinus pinaster.

        · abstract in Portuguese | French     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )