Document Type

Review

Publication Title

Maine Woodlands

Publisher

Maine Woodland Owners

Publication Date

Winter 2-2025

Publisher location

Augusta, Maine

Issue Number

2

Volume Number

50

Abstract/ Summary

This review explores the concept of wood quality and how it can be influenced by silvicultural practices. Wood quality is primarily assessed by two characteristics: appearance, critical for decorative uses like furniture and paneling, where clear, knot-free material is highly valued; and strength, paramount for structural applications.

A key factor affecting quality is the presence of knots and juvenile wood, found in the tree's central "knotty core." This wood, formed when lower branches are present, is inherently weaker and prone to warping. Silviculture can improve quality by encouraging early branch shedding through crowded young growth or pruning, ensuring subsequent growth is high-quality mature wood.

Fast-growing trees producing wide annual rings (outside the juvenile core) yield stronger wood, as they form a higher volume of dense latewood. This contradicts the common misconception that narrow-ringed "old-growth" wood is strongest. Another significant defect is reaction wood, which develops in leaning trees. This wood exhibits problematic longitudinal shrinkage, leading to bowing in sawn boards and compromising structural integrity. It is identifiable by off-center growth rings. Therefore, careful silvicultural management, including promoting vertical growth, is essential for optimizing wood quality.

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