Tension wood occurrence in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. I. The spatial distribution of tension wood in one 11-year-old tree

Abstract

In preliminary work for a project to develop methods for rapid detection of tension wood in standing trees, the spatial distribution of tension wood was assessed in one 11-y-old tree of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. from East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Tangential shrinkage was assessed at about 500 locations within the tree by drying small wood samples to 12% moisture content after reconditioning, and high tangential shrinkage was used to indicate tension wood. A shrinkage differential was calculated as the difference between the tangential shrinkage at the site of maximum shrinkage and the minimum normal shrinkage in tissue of similar cambial age at the same height in the stem. In earlie..