Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, 52109 Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia; Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, No 2 Eucalyptus Blue Road, Panlong District, Kunming, China
Jinfeng Zhang
Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, No 2 Eucalyptus Blue Road, Panlong District, Kunming, China
Xian Feng
Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, No 2 Eucalyptus Blue Road, Panlong District, Kunming, China
Zhonghua Chen
Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, No 2 Eucalyptus Blue Road, Panlong District, Kunming, China
Zhengtao Li
Dehong Forestry and Grassland Bureau. Mangshi, Dehong, China
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of four different age groups on wood properties, i.e., anatomical, physical, and mechanical, of Himalayan birch (Betula alnoides Buch.-H.ex D.Don). The correlation between the properties was also discussed. The results indicated age influences the anatomical, physical, and mechanical properties of Himalayan birch. Results were comparable with other plantation species. Moreover, mechanical properties were highly correlated with the fibre morphology in Himalayan birch. Results from this present study indicate that the 15-, 20-, and 25-year-old Himalayan birch are suitable to be used for parquet, furniture, and other products. Generally, plantation-grown Himalayan birch has the potential to be a raw material to fulfill the demand for the timber industry.
