Relationship between Anatomical and Mechanical Properties of Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda)

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of thinning and fertilization on mechanical properties of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) strands associated with growth ring number and height. A systematic link to forest management, anatomical properties, and mechanical properties was obtained by correlating the test results with anatomical properties. The modulus of elasticity (MOE) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of strands from three loblolly pine trees increased with the increment in growth ring number, whereas the MOE and UTS showed different trends with the increment in height. Prediction of the MOE and UTS with specific gravity for the trees seemed to be unreliable. A natural tree had the greatest correlation between tangential latewood cell wall thickness and the mechanical properties. A thinned tree had the greatest correlation between ring width and the mechanical properties. A fertilized tree had the greatest correlation between density and the mechanical properties. However, the correlation between a specific anatomical property and mechanical properties was weak. Different combinations of anatomical properties predicted MOE and UTS of loblolly pine strands from different forest-managed trees more closely, indicating an R2 of 0.84 to 0.95.