Forest management not only affects biodiversity but also might alter ecosystem processes mediated by the organisms, i.e. herbivory the removal of plant biomass by plant-eating insects and other arthropod groups. Aiming at revealing general relationships between forest management and herbivory we investigated aboveground arthropod herbivory in 105 plots dominated by European beech in three diffe...

Microwave and conventional acetylation of wood was carried out to determine its efficacy on the material properties. Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and poplar (Populus hybrids) samples with dimensions 14 mm × 14 mm × 14 mm were impregnated using acetic anhydride, and chemical reactions were initiated by microwave and conventional heating. The microwave acetylation process was carried out using labo...

A study with synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) of PUR, PVAC, and UF adhesive bond lines in beech wood, bonded under various growth ring angles is presented. After determining the hardening characteristics of the adhesives, we evaluate the bond line morphologies, and the adhesive penetration into the wood structure. We find distinct bond line imperfections for the differ...

Potential antitermitic properties of some common wood stains were tested against Coptotermes formosanus. Four different wood species treated with 3 different stain chemicals at the 0,1 kg/m2 retention level were exposed to no-choice termite feeding test in laboratory conditions. Mean mass loses, mortality rates and consumption rates were calculated based on weight changes before and after the t...

Colour parameters of European beech were measured using CIELab system. 103 logs from 87 trees in 9 sites were cut into boards to study the variations of wood colour parameters. Both site and tree effect on colour were observed. Patterns of red heartwood occurrence were defined. When excepting red heartwood there was still a highly significant effect of site and tree; differences remained after ...

Thermal treatment is a suitable method for improving the quality of wood types like spruce, beech, or poplar, and thus to open up new fields of application that used to be limited to tropical woods or woods treated with timber preservatives. These thermally treated woods are characterized by a typical odor caused by degradation products of miscellaneous wood components. The characterization and...