Modelling radial and longitudinal variation in wood mechanical properties

由于森林部门目前正在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。这项研究计划旨在为几个商业上重要的树种开发预测木材属性在树干内分布的模型，作为树木生长的函数。在接下来的五年里，总体目标将是改进对不同树种和不同木材类型的木材力学性质径向变化的预测。为了实现这一目标，该计划将追求两个具体目标：1)测试一种新的方法，模拟树冠形态和发育对树干内透明木材特性的分布；2)通过纳入考虑树干生物力学行为的函数，改进现有的木材特性模型。项目1将对拉森的概念进行评估，该概念指出木材属性随着形成层年龄的增加而逐渐增加的模式是由树冠过程调节的。项目2将调查木材力学性质对不同树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营林情景对木材质量可能产生的影响的模型中包含更多的生物学合理性。这些模型将被集成到一个木材加工模拟系统中，该系统旨在对最终用户产品的性能进行预测。

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.