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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Shrinkage characteristics of lodgepole pine

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This study examined shrinkage and related characteristics of two North American varieties of lodgepole pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia and Pinus contorta var. murrayana, sampled at 10% of tree height. For var. murrayana, size was the only factor that had a significant effect on specific gravity; specific gravity decreased with increasing tree diameter. For var. Iatifolia, latitude was the only factor that had a significant effect on specific gravity; in general, specific gravity increased with increasing latitude. Conversely, specific gravity had a significant effect on radial shrinkage, the radial shrinkage tangential shrinkage ratio, and volumetric shrinkage for both varieties. The analysis of variance procedure indicated that the factors size, latitude, and elevation had no effect on the shrinkage of var. Iatifolia. However, for var. murrayana, radial shrinkage was affected by both tree size and latitude. Tangential shrinkage was also affected by latitude (increasing with increasing latitude). Linear correlations between radial shrinkage and growth rate, longitudinal shrinkage and distance I from the pith (a negative relationship), and specific gravity and growth rate were highly significant for both varieties. For var. Iatifolia, the linear association between specific gravity and heartwood percent was also significant. For var. murrayana, no difference in shrinkage or specific gravity was detected between the heartwood and sapwood. For var. Iatifolia, heartwood shrank less radially and had a lower specific gravity than sapwood. A comparison of the two varieties at their common latitudes indicated that murrayana trees have both higher specific gravity and shrinkage than do Iatifolia trees of the same size.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Forestry and Forest Products
Department dc:contributor.department
Forestry and Forest Products
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Year dc:date.issued
1988

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Wiedenbeck, Janice K.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53198
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53198

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Wiedenbeck, Janice K.. Shrinkage characteristics of lodgepole pine. masters thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53198