Hoop pine(Araucaria cunninghamii) is an important sub-tropical plantation tree capable of yielding timber and veneer of uniform medium density, light colour and excellent working properties and stability.Pruning of the butt log results in long clear timber lengths of high value. However, current plantations are known to be of variable quality; not all trees have been pruned and most crops include a small proportion of Unpruned butts and stems with natural pruning. Currently it is very difficult to identify unpruned butts with certainty before post-harvest processing (i.e. sawlogs or veneer). This means that establishing a proper pre-harvest price for plantations is difficult.
This study aims to establish quality/size/value scales for Hoop pine logs to provide better pricing systems; to generate Log Value Models that take into account changes in product values in the calculation of residual log values; and to develop systems to characterise, assess and monitor plantations prior to harvest.
Reference Number:
PN07.3020
