Variation of wood density in Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna L.) grown in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the wood density of Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna L.), an introduced species in the Czech Republic. Sample trees coming from a Czech site were tested for basic wood density and oven-dry density according to Czech national standards. Four sections were taken from each tree to evaluate the variability of wood density along the stem height and along the stem radius. The mean values for the basic density and the oven-dry density were 544 kg.m-3 and 627 kg.m-3, respectively. The results show that the highest density can be found in the bottom part of the tree, followed by a decline with the increasing height of the stem. For the radial direction from the pith to the bark, the pattern of density variability was more complex, reaching its highest value close to the cambium. Practically no correlation between annual ring width and density values was found out.