Narrow-Leaved Ash, an important hardwood in Turkey, (Fraxinus angustifolia) is one of the fast growing species. In Turkey, several plantations have been established for 40 years. Narrow-Leaved Ash grows very fast and produces 25 (m3/year) mean increment. Except for eucalyptus and poplar, this increment is the highest compared to the other imported fast growing wood species. Until 1980, the spacing on ash plantations was 3x2 m (1666 number/ha) and 3x2.5 m (1333 number/ha). Later, the spacing changed from 3.7x3.7 (730 number/ha) to 4x4 m (625 number/ha). This study investigated the morphological properties and the treatability of woods through chemical impregnation. The wood samples were obtained from narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) plantations with different spacings. Tangential and radial diameters of earlywood and latewood traces and the fiber length, lumen width, signal wall thickness and rays in per mm2 were measured and determined for wood samples coming from different spacings. The results showed the importance of spacing on wood quality and how to optimize the spacing to produce wood with high quality fiber and high quality impregnability properties based on the demands of the forest industry.

Purchase this document