Effects of Short-Term Storage Method on Moisture Loss and Weight Change in Beech Timber

Abstract

Timber harvested from fresh-felled trees has high moisture content and relatively high mass. During storage, the timber dries out and its weight decreases with the loss of moisture. The main objective of this study was to determine how the method and conditions of short-storage in summer affect weight changes and moisture loss in beech timber (not used for fuel). The study was carried out in a stand located in the north-eastern part of the range of beech. The age of the studied stand was 47 years. A total of 60 model trees were selected and divided into two groups. In the first group, 30 whole trees (WT) were left in the stand after felling. In the second group, 30 trees (CT) were delimbed and crosscut, and trunk sections (logs) were obtained (2.5 m). The timber (CT) was stored in a pile, and the weight of each log was measured daily. After 14 days, the trees from the first group, which had been left in the stand (WT), were delimbed and the trunks were cut into 2.5 m sections and weighed. It was assumed that timber intended for mechanical processing is stored in the forest for a short period of time, unlike energy wood. Therefore, the period of storage was not longer than two weeks. A more effective method of drying is to leave whole trees after felling, called transpirational drying. The timber stored in a pile (CT) lost moisture more slowly than the timber from trees that had been left whole after felling (WT). Comparing the weights of the logs stored in a pile, on days after harvesting, a statistically significant difference was found only between the first and the last day. It can be concluded that two weeks is the minimum period of storage in a pile (CT) required to obtain a significant degree of weight change and moisture loss.