Title:	Effect of rotation age and physiographic region on weight per cubic foot of planted loblolly pine
Author(s):	Clark, Alexander, III; Daniels, Richard F.; Borders, Bruce E.
Date:	2006
Source:	Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-92. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 344-346
Description:	Most harvested southern pine is sold by weight. We discuss how the weight of wood and bark per cubic foot of wood (the weight scaling factor) for plantation-grown loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) varies with tree age across the coastal and inland regions of the Southern United States. To determine the weight scaling factor for plantation trees in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal Plain, upper Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Hilly Coastal Plain, we destructively sampled > 1,200 loblolly trees 5 to 17 inches in diameter at breast height and 10 to 45 years old. We cut cross-sectional disks at 4- to 8-foot intervals up the stem and determined the green weight of wood and bark per cubic foot. We weighted disk values by basal area to obtain a stem-weighted scaling factor. Our results show that the weight scaling factor averaged 2 percent higher for loblolly pine planted in the coastal region than loblolly planted in the inland region. In both regions, the weight scaling factor decreased significantly with tree age. This variation shows that the factors should be adjusted to account for differences in tree age at the time of harvest.
	View and Print this Publication (226 KB)
Publication Notes:	We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information. This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain. Our on-line publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat. During the capture process some typographical errors may occur. Please contact the SRS Webmaster, srswebmaster@fs.fed.us if you notice any errors which make this publication unuseable.
	Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility