Modelling radial and longitudinal variation in wood mechanical properties

由于森林部门目前正从商品生产转向增值生产，人们越来越关注森林管理对木材质量可能产生的影响。本研究计划旨在开发模型，预测木材特性的茎内分布作为树木生长的功能，用于几种重要的商业树种。在今后五年中，总的目标将是改进对不同种类和不同木材类型的木材机械性能径向变化的预测。为了实现这一目标，该项目将追求两个具体目标：1)测试一种新的方法，以模拟树干内明木特性的分布，作为树冠形态和发育的函数；2)通过包括考虑到树干生物力学行为的函数来改进当前的木材特性模型。项目1将对Larson的概念进行评估，该概念指出，随着形成层年龄的增长，木材性能逐渐增加的模式是由树冠过程介导的。项目2将研究木材力学性能对不同年龄树干生物力学行为的影响。这两个项目的结果将有助于在预测用户定义的造林情景对木材质量可能产生的影响的模型中增加更多的生物学合理性。这些模型将被纳入一个木材加工模拟系统，以预测最终用途产品的特性。

As the forest sector is currently shifting from commodity to value-added production, there is increasing concern about the likely effects of forest management on wood quality. This research program aims to develop models that predict the within-stem distribution of wood properties as functions of tree growth, for several commercially important tree species. Over the next five years, the general objective will be to develop improved predictions of the radial variation in wood mechanical properties in different species with different wood types. In order to achieve this, the program will pursue two specific objectives: 1) to test a new approach for modelling the distribution of clearwood properties within the stem as a function of crown morphology and development, and 2) to improve current wood properties models by including functions which take into account the biomechanical behaviour of the stem. Project 1 will provide an assessment of Larson's concept, which states that the pattern of gradually increasing wood properties with cambial age is mediated by crown processes. Project 2 will investigate the effect of wood mechanical properties on the biomechanical behaviour of the stem at different ages. Results from both projects will help include more biological plausibility in models that predict the likely effects on wood quality of user-defined silvicultural scenarios. These models will be integrated into a wood processing simulation system designed to make predictions of the properties of end-use products.