Selected Wood Characteristics of Young Yellow-Poplar

The excellent working qualities of wood from old-growth yellow-poplar have been responsible for the great importance attached to this species for the manufacture of furniture and plywood. Wood of second-growth trees and its physical, mechanical, and morphological properties has not been well described in the technical literature. This paper reports some of the environmental and morphological factors contributing to the variation of specific gravity and toughness in the wood of second-growth yellow-poplar. Samples from dry and moist sites were studied and multiple regression analyses were computed with the individual measured percentages of tissue types present as dependent variables. When the data was analyzed, the following conclusions seemed appropriate: 1) age from the pith and its square term both have a definitely measurable effect on specific gravity and toughness; 2) specific gravity and toughness of yellow-poplar are inversely related to site index; 3) specific gravity and toughness decrease from the ground end to the top end; 4) an increasing lignification index indicates an increase in specific gravity and a corresponding increase in toughness; 5) gelatinous fibers cause an increase in specific gravity and, thereby, toughness; 6) density and toughness in tension wood are both directly related to specific gravity; 7) parenchyma contributes more to the specific gravity of yellow-poplar wood than previously assumed.

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