DIFFERENCES IN MOISTURE-CONTENT AND SHRINKAGE BETWEEN OUTERWOOD, MIDDLEWOOD, AND COREWOOD OF 2 YELLOW-POPLAR TREES

Corewood, middlewood, and outerwood samples were obtained from two yel low-poplar trees (Liriodendron tulipifera L.). Disks were taken at var ious tree heights from each tree and dissected along a north and south radius, and observations were made from pith to bark along each radii . Green moisture content (MC), specific gravity (SG), and shrinkage in the radial and tangential direction were determined. Volumetric shrin kage and SG decreased from outerwood to middlewood to corewood. Moistu re content generally decreased from corewood to middlewood to outerwoo d. Tree 1 showed a much larger difference between the MC of the corewo od and outerwood than tree 2. Between the trees, the MC, SG, and tange ntial shrinkage were significantly different for all wood-types except outerwood. Volumetric shrinkage was not correlated to SG for either c orewood, middlewood, or outerwood but was slightly correlated with the data of all wood-types combined for the trees individually and collec tively. MC, SG, and volumetric shrinkage were not consistently correla ted with height. MC and SG were found to be negatively correlated for all wood-types of tree 1.