Fuel Values of Chemically Deadened White Oak and Basswood Trees

The use of wood as a commercial and domestic energy source is receiving increased attention. The useable fuel value of wood varies with its moisture content and specific gravity. Past work indicates that trees injected with certain herbicides die and then lose moisture as a result of drying. Changes in specific gravity have not been previously reported. Over a two year time period, the moisture content of bark, sapwood, heartwood, and the total stem of injected white oak and basswood trees was usually reduced significantly compared to living trees. Few significant changes in specific gravity were noted. As a result of the reduced moisture content and generally unchanged specific gravity, the total-stem fuel value of dead trees is greater than that of live trees by 20 percent or more.

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