From the forest to products: how segregation systems will allow the characterisation of fibre-grown plantations for higher value production

Segregation systems can characterise a plantation resource according to its wood quality and can be used to sort material into different product streams. The global demand for forest products is steadily increasing and the viable long-term supply of wood products requires the use of sustainably sourced wood. In order to comply with the commercial demand for timber, forest plantations are of crucial importance in meeting material supply requirements. Planted forests have undergone a dramatic expansion in the last decades. Species of the genus Eucalyptus are now planted worldwide for hardwood production. In Australia, the spread of eucalypt plantations managed to produce fibre has followed the global trend, with the establishment of single species, unthinned and unpruned stands managed under short rotation. As a consequence, the appearance, wood quality and properties of fibre-grown Eucalyptus timber differ noticeably from the native resource and from plantations managed for sawn timber. Nevertheless, this fibre resource could be used in structural applications where appearance is not critical. The prediction of structural properties of trees managed for fibre production purposes is highly desirable to sort the material and improve the manufacture of different timber products. Significant benefits may derive from segregating trees and logs according to their characteristics, which can later be directed to the ideal processing plant to match end products such as sawn boards or veneers. Correlations between known segregation techniques and wood quality plantation eucalypts are poorly understood.