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Articles containing the keyword 'downy birch'

Category : Article

article id 4962, category Article
Matti Keltikangas, Kustaa Seppälä. (1977). Ojitusalueiden hieskoivikoiden kasvatus taloudellisena vaihtoehtona. Silva Fennica vol. 11 no. 1 article id 4962. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a14813
English title: The economics of growing downy birch stands on drained peatlands in Finland.
Original keywords: kannattavuus; mänty; metsän uudistaminen; ojitetut suot; hieskoivu; uudistamiskustannukset
English keywords: Pinus sylvestris; regeneration; Betula pubescens; Scots pine; downy birch; profitability
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The aim of this study was to determine under what conditions and with what premises the growing of Betula pubescens Ehrh. is an economically competitive alternative to the growing of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in drained peatlands. The basic material consisted of all drainage projects in Ostrobothnia in Western Finland in 1937–38 and 1957–59, according to the archives of the Central Board of Forestry Tapio, including such areas that were at least moderately fertile and had birch dominated young stands or no tree cover. A total of 202 sample plots were measured.

According to the results, the discounted timber yield of the thinned B. pubescens stands is about 10% greater than that of untreated stands. The removing of birch seedlings and the subsequent growing of fully stocked Scots pine is more profitable than growing B. pubescens stands only if the establishment and subsequent development of the pine stand involve no costs. If the site in question is a fertile open drained peatland, establishment of a pine stand is obviously a better financial proposition than a naturally regenerated birch stand. However, if there is already a fully stocked young birch stand on the site, it is more economical to let it grow using a shortish rotation time.

The PDF includes a summary in English.

  • Keltikangas, E-mail: mk@mm.unknown (email)
  • Seppälä, E-mail: ks@mm.unknown

Category : Article

article id 7167, category Article
Veijo Heiskanen. (1966). Tutkimuksia rauduskoivikon karsimisen kannattavuudesta. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 81 no. 2 article id 7167. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7167
English title: Studies on the profitability of pruning of common birch (Betula pendula) stands.
Original keywords: laatupuu; koivu; laatuluokitus; karsinta; tyvitukki; rauduskoivu; hieskoivu; vanerikoivu; koivuvaneri
English keywords: Betula pendula; Betula pubescens; silver birch; pruning; timber quality; downy birch; quality grading; butt logs; birch veneer; veneer timber
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The objective of the present investigation was to clarify the profitability of pruning silver birch (Betula verrucosa, now Betula pendula Roth) in the growing of raw material for veneer industry. Calculations were made on the grade, value, and price of pruned and untreated butt logs as well as on costs of pruning and the development of pruned trees.

The grade distribution of unpruned veneer butt logs, the grade distribution of the veneer yield, and consequently, the value of veneer yield and log prices at the plant are considerably better than those of average logs. The grade, value and price increased with increasing diameter. The value and price of pruned butt logs depended primarily on the difference between the turning pruning diameters, and their increase with decreasing pruning diameter and increasing turning diameter. The value of pruned butt logs is always considerably higher than that of unpruned logs. The increase in the value correlates to the pruning and turning diameters, and is, for example, in rotary-cut logs which have been pruned when 10 cm in diameter 80–130%.

Pruning increases the stumpage in naturally regenerated silver birch stands on Oxalis-Myrtillus site by 2,000–3,000 Fmk/ha when employed at 20 years of stand age and rotary cutting at 60–80 years of age respectively. The average pruning costs on Oxalis-Myrtillus site are 51–57 Fmk/ha.

The PDF includes a summary English.

  • Heiskanen, E-mail: vh@mm.unknown (email)
article id 7463, category Article
Paavo J. Ollinmaa. (1955). Koivun vetopuun anatomisesta rakenteesta ja ominaisuuksista. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 64 no. 3 article id 7463. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7463
English title: On the anatomical structure and properties of the tension wood in birch.
Original keywords: koivu; rakenne; selluloosa; sahaus; rauduskoivu; hieskoivu; vetopuu; kemialliset ominaisuudet
English keywords: birch; Betula pendula; Betula pubescens; silver birch; downy birch; sawing; technical properties; structure; tension wood; pulp; chemical properties
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The investigation concerns with the strength of the eccentric growth accompanying formation of tension wood in silver birch  (Betula pendula Roth.) and downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), behaviour of wood in wood-working machines and its macroscopic characteristics, its microscopic and sub-microscopic structure, chemical composition, resistance against certain chemicals, physical properties, and the strength characteristics of wood.

The most detrimental properties of tension wood used in wood working industry are high longitudinal shrinkage, warping, twisting and checking. The wooliness of the cut is unwanted, for instance, in plywood and furniture. In pulp industry tension wood is better raw material than normal wood because it yields more and purer cellulose than normal wood. However, it has poorer strength properties.

The PDF includes a summary in English.

  • Ollinmaa, E-mail: po@mm.unknown (email)
article id 7356, category Article
Peitsa Mikola. (1942). Koivun vesomisesta ja sen metsänhoidollisesta merkityksestä. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 50 no. 3 article id 7356. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7356
English title: Silvicultural usefulness of sprouting of birch.
Original keywords: Etelä-Suomi; Pohjois-Suomi; koivu; uudistuminen; rauduskoivu; hieskoivu; vesominen; vesatalous; juurivesa
English keywords: birch; Betula pendula; coppicing; regeneration; silver birch; sprouting; downy birch; decay; Betula verrucosa
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Birches’ (Betula sp.) ability to grow sprouts is low. The stump grows root collar and stump shoots, but the stump shoots are not proper stump shoots that will grow from the space between wood and bark. The buds are situated very low in the base, even under the ground. In this study, no actual root shoots could be found. Also the bushy alpine birches seem to be formed from stump and root collar shoots.

In Southern Finland silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) is more common than downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) in dry upland forest sites, while downy birch is common in fresh mineral soil forests and peatlands. In Northern Finland downy birch is the dominant birch species. Of the two species downy birch has markedly better capacity to form stump and root collar shoots both in Northern and Southern Finland. In general, birches grow sprouts much more strongly in Northern Finland.

Growth of the shoots is fastest during the first year after the felling of the parent tree and slows down gradually. The stump shoots may get separated from the stump when the stump decays, and the decay may also spread to the shoots. It is common that the shoots have no own roots, and die along with the stump. The shoots may have own root system or use roots of the parent tree that have stayed alive, in the latter case decay spreads almost always from the stump to the shoot. Whether the tree was felled with axe or saw had no effect on sprouting, probably because the sprouting buds are situated in the base of the tree. The larger stumps had usually fewer sprouts than smaller stumps. The fertility of the site seemed to have little effect on sprouting, but more moist sites formed more sprouts.

Forest regeneration using sprouts may be possible in peatlands for firewood production. on mineral soil sites birch does not suit for coppicing. The proportion of trees originating from sprouts decreases strongly by the time. Consequently, in Southern Finland sprouts have little effect on regeneration of birch. In Northern Finland sprouting is the most important way of regeneration.

The PDF includes a summary in German.

  • Mikola, E-mail: pm@mm.unknown (email)
article id 7291, category Article
Paul Wallden. (1934). Tutkimuksia koivupuun anatoomisen rakenteen ja teknillisten ominaisuuksien keskinäisestä riippuvuudesta solumittauksien perusteella. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 40 no. 14 article id 7291. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7291
English title: Studies on relationship between anatomical structure and technical properties of birch wood.
Original keywords: koivu; puu; taivutuslujuus; Betula pubescens; putkilo
English keywords: wood; downy birch; bending strength; tracheid; libriform cell
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Birch wood is used widely in wooden structures where mechanical strength is needed. The aim of the research was to study the influence of the relative share of mechanically weak tracheids, and length of the wood fibers on specific gravity and bending strength of downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) wood. According to the results, the strength of wood is strongly dependent on the relative share of tracheids, and length of the libriform cells. The strength of the wood increases when the share of tracheids decreases and the length of libriform cells increases. The specific gravity can be used as an indication of the strength of wood, especially if it is possible to analyze the structure of the wood.

The PDF includes a summary in German.

  • Wallden, E-mail: pw@mm.unknown (email)
article id 7044, category Article
O. J. Lukkala. (1920). Lehdeksien tekotapa Lounais-Suomessa ja sen metsähoidollinen merkitys. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 16 no. 2 article id 7044. https://doi.org/10.14214/aff.7044
English title: The silvicultural influences of collecting leaf fodder in South-West Finland.
Original keywords: karjatalous; koivu; Betula sp.; lehdekset; rehu; Betula pubescens; Betula pendula
English keywords: silver birch; downy birch; leaf fodder; topping; cattle farming
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In South-West Finland the usual method to make leaf fodder for cattle has been to cut the branches and collect the new sprouts again next year. According to this review, the most common tree species to be topped is Betula sp. Downy Birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) grows shoots easier than silver birch (B. pendula Roth). The topped forests are usually small and situated near the settlements, next to the fields and meadows. The birch trees are typically cut when they are 15-20 years old. Regularly topped birch rots easily and seldom exceeds 50 years. The capacity to grow shoots depends on the age of the tree, site and time of the cutting. The risk for rotting can be decreased by removing only part of the shoots and cutting the shoots a short distance from the base of the shoot. Collecting leaf fodder decreased in Finland, and was common only in the South-West Finland and Åland.

The PDF includes a summary in German.

  • Lukkala, E-mail: ol@mm.unknown (email)

Category : Research article

article id 9996, category Research article
Mulualem Tigabu, Mostafa Farhadi, Lars-Göran Stener, Per C. Odén. (2018). Visible + Near Infrared Spectroscopy as taxonomic tool for identifying birch species. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 4 article id 9996. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.9996
Keywords: Betula; silver birch; downy birch; seeds; NIRS; OPLS; multivariate modelling
Highlights: Multivariate modelling of visible + near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra of single seeds distinguished Betula pubescens and B. pendula with 100% and 99% accuracy, respectively; The results demonstrate the feasibility of NIR spectroscopy as taxonomic tool for classification of species that have morphological resemblance.
Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The genus Betula L. is composed of several species, which are difficult to distinguish in the field on the basis of morphological traits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the taxonomic importance of using visible + near infrared (Vis + NIR) spectra of single seeds for differentiating Betula pendula Roth and Betula pubescens Ehrh. Seeds from several families (controlled crossings of known parent trees) of each species were used and Vis + NIR reflectance spectra were obtained from single seeds. Multivariate discriminant models were developed by Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures – Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA). The OPLS-DA model fitted on Vis + NIR spectra recognized B. pubescens with 100% classification accuracy while the prediction accuracy of class membership for B. pendula was 99%. However, the discriminant models fitted on NIR spectra alone resulted in 100% classification accuracies for both species. Absorption bands accounted for distinguishing between birch species were attributed to differences in color and chemical composition, presumably polysaccharides, proteins and fatty acids, of the seeds. In conclusion, the results demonstrate the feasibility of NIR spectroscopy as taxonomic tool for classification of species that have morphological resemblance.

  • Tigabu, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Box 49, SE-230 52 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: mulualem.tigabu@slu.se (email)
  • Farhadi, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Box 49, SE-230 52 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: mostafa.farhadi@gmail.com
  • Stener, The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Ekebo 2250, SE-268 90 Svalöv, Sweden E-mail: lars-goran.stener@skogforsk.se
  • Odén, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Box 49, SE-230 52 Alnarp, Sweden E-mail: per.christer.oden@slu.se
article id 322, category Research article
Jaakko Repola. (2006). Models for vertical wood density of Scots pine, Norway spruce and birch stems, and their application to determine average wood density. Silva Fennica vol. 40 no. 4 article id 322. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.322
Keywords: Norway spruce; Scots pine; silver birch; wood density; downy birch; mixed models
Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info
The purpose of this study was to investigate the vertical dependence of the basic density of Scots pine, Norway spruce, and birch stems, and how such dependence could be applied for determining the average stem wood density. The study material consisted of 38 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), 39 Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and 15 birch (Betula pendula and Betula pubescens) stands located on mineral soil sites in southern Finland. The stem material mainly represented thinning removal from stands at different stages of development. The linear mixed model technique, with both fixed and random effects, was used to estimate the model. According to the fixed part of the model, wood density was dependent on the vertical location along the stem in all three tree species. Wood density in pine decreased from the butt to the top, and the gradient in wood density was steep at the butt but decreased in the upper part of the stem. The vertical dependence was similar in birch, but the density gradient was much smaller. For spruce the vertical dependence of the basic density was moderate. The model can be calibrated for a tree stem when one or more sample disks are measured at freely selected heights. Using treewise calibrated predictions of the vertical density dependence and measured stem diameters, almost unbiased estimates, and lower prediction errors than with traditional methods, were obtained for the average stem wood density. The advantages of the method were greater for pine with a strong vertical dependence in basic density, than for spruce and birch.
  • Repola, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, Eteläranta 55, FI-96300 Rovaniemi, Finland E-mail: jaakko.repola@metla.fi (email)

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