THE PRICE OF VENEER OAK AS INFLUENCED BY STEM DIMENSION, SITE CHARACTERISTICS AND WOOD QUALITY

In 1989/90 the harvest of veneer timber in the 360 year old oak stands of the forest district Rohrbrunn (Spessart/Bavaria) was evaluated for an insight into the relationship between site characteristics and ven eer wood production. Prices achieved at the veneer auction were a majo r criterion for this investigation. Multiple analysis of variance and regression explained about 40% of the variation in price. Dependent on the type of statistical analysis the stem dimensions, site characteri stics, quality of the tree and of the veneer stem had an influence of 22-31%, 2-7%, and 10-15% respectively on the variation in on price. Si te characteristics have a more indirect influence on the price, becaus e they also affect growth performance and wood quality. In contrast to the prevailing opinion in literature, in the Spessart mountains good growing sites, especially, achieve the best prices. Considering wood q uality, periodically wet sites and steep hill slopes should not be use d for veneer wood production because they produce a high percentage of ,,hard'' veneer wood. On plain sites there is a higher risk of frost damages. In conclusion, sites with good water and nutrient supply on m oderately sloped hill sites are preferable for veneer wood production. Silviculturally, special attention should be paid to canopy closure a nd crown shape, for even old oak trees can produce water shoots in a s urplus or deficit of light. Water shoots lead to a marked price decrea se.