Alignment of resources for higher quality production: change and challenges in alternative uses of fibre-grown E. nitens plantations

The characterisation of a plantation resource has the potential to depict regional differences in wood quality traits, and the application of segregation systems can be useful in sorting material into different product streams.

Native forests resource supplies are declining whilst global demand for forest products is increasing. One of the largest global timber supply is from fibre-managed Eucalyptus plantations. This resource, however, has notably different timber quality and properties to traditional native resources making its use in contemporary wood products challenging. Improved segregation based on a better understanding of log characteristics at the time of harvest could help supply appropriate timber resources to markets and products.

The variability in growing environments influence greatly the quality of trees, hence characterising the plantation resource might outline regional wood quality differences. Processes of sorting raw forest material according to its quality traits could improve the efficiency of the product chain, as the resource will be directed to the ideal processing stream. Significant benefits may derive then from predicting structural properties of the timber and from the evaluation of their impacts on the final products.