A comparison of above ground forest metrics with below ground soil CO₂ respiration was carried out in an attempt to reveal if any correlations exist. Above ground measurements of 2720 clonally propagated trees were taken assessing the silvicultural treatments of stocking, herbicide and fertiliser. These were compared to 480 below ground soil CO₂ respiration measurements. Using measurements of mean height, mean dbh and basal area the data was analysed and returned significant results for mean dbh and the interactions of herbicide and clones, and stocking and herbicide. Mean height returned a significant result for the interaction of stocking and herbicide. Below ground measurements showed an interaction between ripping and stocking; however these results were not ratified by the above ground results. Overall the results were encouraging and should aid in future experiments that seek to understand what effect above ground treatments have on below ground CO₂ activity.

Pinus radiata is by far the dominant species grown in New Zealand plantations as a renewable source of wood. Several wood quality issues have been identified in the material produced, including the high incidence of compression wood, which is undesirable for end users. At present our understanding of the complex array of developmental processes involved in wood formation (which has a direct bearing on wood quality) is limited. Hence, the forest industry is interested in attaining a better understanding of the processes involved. Towards this goal, and for reasons of biological curiosity, the experiments described in this thesis were carried out to investigate several aspects of xylem cell development. In an in arbor study, changes in the orientation of cortical microtubules and cellulose microfibrils were observed in developing tracheids. Results obtained provide evidence that cortical microtubules act to guide cellulose synthase complexes during secondary wall formation in tracheids. The mechanisms involved in controlling cell wall deposition in wood cells are poorly understood, and are difficult to study, especially in arbor. A major part of this thesis involved the development of an in vitro method for culturing radiata pine wood in which hormone levels, nutrients, sugars and other factors, could be controlled without confounding influences from other parts of the tree. The method developed was used in subsequent parts of this thesis to study compression wood development, and the influence of the hormone gibberellin on cellulose microfibril organisation in the cell wall. Results from the in vitro compression wood experiments suggested that: 1. when a tree is growing at a lean, the developing cell wall was able to perceive compressive forces generated by the weight of the rest of the tree, rather than perceive the lean per se. 2. ethylene, rather than auxin, was involved in the induction of compression wood. Culture of stem explants with gibberellin resulted in wider cells, with steeper cortical microtubules, and correspondingly steeper cellulose microfibrils in the S2 layer of developing wood cells. This observation provides further evidence that the orientation of microtubules guides the orientation of cellulose microfibrils. Overall, the work described in this thesis furthers our knowledge in the field of xylem cell development. The stem culture protocol developed will undoubtedly provide a valuable tool for future studies to be carried out.

New Zealand grown Pinus radiata is limited in its application for structural purposes by its stiffness deficiencies. This dissertation aims to estimate potential improvements in stem value through selection for improved stiffness. A new method to model and value volumes of structural wood grades within a stem was used to calculate these value improvements. Data for each stem from a stand in Kaingaroa Forest bred for improved wood quality was used to perform this analysis. This data was from a stand bred for improved wood quality and included information on the stiffness, density and width of each growth ring for each stem. The data was in the form of cores. Height and volume data was not recorded and therefore needed to be modelled. The volumes of MSG8, MSG11 and MSG13 wood were estimated by modelling the stem volume at the age when wood is produced that is stiff enough to qualify for each grade. The majority of stems had merchantable volumes between 1-2.5m3 with the largest stems containing 3.6m3. Average stiffness ranged between 5.2GPa and 11.3GPa with the stand average being 8.4GPa. There was no relationship between average stiffness and merchantable volume. Stem values were found to range between $60-$131/m3 with the stand average being $91/m3. The 10 most valuable stems had a total stem value ($318) twice that of the stand average ($157). The most valuable stem ($411) showed a 160% increase in stem value from the average. The increases in value/m3 were caused by large increases in the proportion of MSG11 and MSG13 wood held within the merchantable volume. These potential gains in stem value could help tree breeders assign an accurate economic weighting to stiffness improvements. Forest managers wanting to justify using a more expensive, improved stiffness seedlot may also find these results valuable.

The increasing frequency and severity of windthrow events affecting the forestry industry in New Zealand have raised important management issues surrounding the rate of colonisation of fallen trees by sapstain fungi and the time available for salvage harvesting before sapstain degradation limits potential economic returns. These fungi are known to be spread by a multitude of factors including wind, rain splash, harvesting processes and insect vectoring. Apart from the ecological interest in these interactions between fungi, plants and insects, sapstain fungi are also economically important because their hyphae discolour the sapwood and reduce the overall quality of the timber. The amount of time available to salvage harvest damaged trees is unknown, especially on seasonal and regional scales. Manipulative experiments were established in Pinus radiata forests to examine this seasonal and regional variation in sapstain attack following windthrow, and to investigate the importance of bark beetles as vectors of sapstain fungi. A range of methods were implemented to assess the role of bark beetles as vectors and to ascertain which sapstain fungi are associated with them. Experimental billet logs were caged to exclude beetles and subsequently analyse fungal attack in comparison with identical logs left exposed to beetles. In addition, individual beetles were sampled directly to determine whether they carried spores of particular fungal species and to assess the degree of association in vector-fungal dynamics. Finally, a novel application of DNA melt peak analysis was developed to investigate variation among the fungal communities associated with beetles potentially involved in vectoring sapstain spores. The moisture content of fallen trees was found to be the main factor regulating sapstain development, and when moisture content drops below 100% (on dry weight basis) sapstain fungi grew rapidly. The speed at which this level drops depends on the season, with much faster drying occurring in the warmer months of spring and summer. As a result, trees that fell in the previous winter or autumn did not develop significant sapstain levels until temperatures rose in the following summer, suggesting that storm-damaged trees that fall in winter can be left safely until just before the next summer before they are no longer suitable for salvage harvest. In New Zealand, the bark beetle species acting as vectors of sapstain fungi are not behaviourally adapted to colonisation of logs that are not in contact with the ground. Following windthrow events in pine forests, trees generally lie with their stems suspended above the level of the ground by their branches. As a result, under these circumstances, beetle colonisation of windthrown timber was low, and bark beetles were not a significant vector of stain. The caged and un-caged experimental log billets, however, were in contact with the ground, resulting in colonisation of the un-caged logs. In this case, bark beetles did play an important role in contributing to sapstain intensity, and the stain distribution within the logs mirrored that of the stain distribution. However, this effect may be due to the provision of access points for wind- or water-borne spores of the non-insect vectored stain fungus Diplodia pinea, or to the spread of hyphae through the tunnelling and feeding activities of beetles within the tree, rather than by bark beetles acting as vectors of spores. Bark beetles were confirmed as sapstain vectors with the isolation of seven different ophiostomatoid stain fungi from them, five of which were also found in wood. Finally, the development of a laboratory based, rapid species identification method was developed to identify fungal DNA. Melt peak analysis allowed the species-specific DNA melt temperatures to be compared with the melt temperatures of known species to be able to rapidly, and cheaply, identify an unknown species. Bark beetles are vectors of sapstain fungi in P. radiata forests, however the bark beetle species naturalised in New Zealand prefer to colonise wood when it is in contact with the ground. Following windthrow, trees are generally not attacked by beetles as they are held from the ground by their branches, leaving them to be stained predominantly be wind and rain dispersed stain fungus D. pinea. Stain did not occur until the moisture content of fallen trees dropped below 100%, which only happens in the warm months of summer and spring. In New Zealand, there are interactions between trees and bark beetles, and bark beetles with fungal pathogens from all around the globe resulting in a unique novel assemblage of species together for the first time. Understanding the dynamics of these species in their novel environment is crucial to effectively responding to potential pest threats.

Wood stiffness or modulus of elasticity (MOE) is one of the most important wood properties for solid timber applications, and as such, the efficacy of wood use, especially for structural timber is strongly related to MOE. MOE in Pinus radiata is highly variable and poorly understood. In this study, the effect of initial stand spacing and breed on outerwood MOE and the vertical distribution of MOE of Pinus radiata was assessed. Understanding positive or negative influences of growth caused by initial stand spacing and genetic material on MOE is appealing because it could enable us to better comprehend how forest growers could adapt silvicultural operations to the demands of wood processing. Physical characteristics of different breeds and propagation methods of Pinus radiata were assessed at a variety of initial stand spacings. Stem diameter, crown height, stem slenderness and branch size were all heavily influenced by stand spacing. Breed had a marginally significant influence on diameter and stem slenderness. Internode length was not affected by stand spacing, but showed sizeable differences, especially between the long internode 870 breed and the remaining growth and form (GF) breeds. Outerwood MOE was significantly (P<0.0001) influenced by stand spacing and breed, but not their interaction (P>0.05). MOE scaled positively with stand spacing. MOE increased by 39% from 5.4 GPa at 209 stems ha-1 to 7.5 GPa at 2551 stems ha-1. The majority of this increase (33%) occurred between 209 and 835 stems ha-1. Physiologically aged cuttings of greater maturation status exhibited greater MOE, with the three-year-old cuttings being stiffer than the one-year-old cuttings, seedlings from the 870, 268 and 850 series, by 15, 17, 22 and 27%, respectively. Stem slenderness exhibited the strongest significant (P<0.0001) relationship with MOE (r2=0.49), followed by green crown height (r2=0.46) and diameter (r2=0.44). Stem slenderness and green crown height had a direct influence on MOE that explained 53% of the variance in MOE. MOE was also significantly (P<0.0001) influenced by spacing and breed when using the resonance technique to assess whole stem MOE. The vertical distribution of MOE showed that the lowest portion of the stem (bolt 1) was approximately 30% less stiff than bolts 2 and 3. After the greatest MOE value had been obtained at bolt 3, MOE gently declined to the top of the measured stem. Variation of MOE within trees was significant (58%) at the high stockings of 1457 and 2551 stems ha-1, but somewhat lower (36%) at the lower stockings. The 870 breed was approximately 8% and 16% stiffer than the 268 and 850 breeding series respectively, across all stockings, with the three-year-old cuttings being 7% stiffer than the one-year-old cuttings. At stockings of 481 stems ha-1 and less, the proportional height at which MOE was greatest within a tree was between 25% and 50% of stem height. At stockings above 481 stems ha-1 the proportional height at which maximum MOE was obtained was between 15% and 40% of stem height. Bolt slenderness was found to be the most significant factor impacting on MOE of the bolt. Regression of critical buckling height against diameter at ground level yielded a scaling exponent of 0.55, which was lower than the scaling exponent of 0.67 predicted with constant density-specific stiffness. There was a tendency for some bolts with lower mean diameter to display significantly higher safety margins than bolts with higher mean diameter, suggesting that the largest bolts, which occur at the base of tree, are the point of most likely critical failure.

Radiata pine is a major plantation grown wood in the Southern hemisphere, but has inferior dimensional stability and low durability compared to other commercial species and the improvement of these features is the focus of this thesis. Specifically this thesis examines the dimensional stability, durability and mechanical properties of radiata pine after heat-treatment (160-210°C) in linseed oil. Changes in colour, micro-structure and chemistry with heat-treatment were studied. To optimise the treatment results, oil heat-treatment of wood was also carried out after thermo-mechanical compression of wood and the effect of the prior thermo-mechanical compression on stability, durability and mechanical properties were examined. The oil heat-treated wood turned uniformly darker in colour. The hydrophobicity (Water Repellence Efficiency-WRE up to 30%), dimensional stability (Ant-Swelling Efficiency-ASE up to 60%) and fungal resistance (up to 36%) were improved with the extent of the changes mainly depending on treatment temperature. However, the mechanical properties of oil heat-treated wood were reduced compared to the untreated control group. Accelerated UV weathering tests have shown that the oil heat-treated wood retained its colour and dimensional stability better than the untreated wood (the control group). The cell wall of treated wood was intact and no distinct structural changes were observed even at the most severe treatment (210°C for 6 hrs).The treatment resulted in changes to the wood chemical constituents, mainly the degradation of hemicelluloses which is believed to be principal reason for alterations in wood properties. A study of the effect of prolong heating on the linseed oil showed an increase in viscosity with heating time which in turn reduced the oil uptake and water repellency of treated wood. However, no significant difference in the colour and dimensional stability of the treated wood was noticed with oil of different heating ages. Oil absorbed by the wood during heat treatment was removed by organic solvent extraction and its contribution to the weight percentage change and moisture related properties were evaluated. The oil uptake percentage, determined by organic solvent extraction, was greater than the weight percentage loss that was deduced to occur during the heat treatment phase, which was attributed to mass losses or thermal degradation of wood constituents. Moisture excluding efficiency decreased after removal of the oil from treated wood, which suggested that the hydrophobicity of treated wood is affected by oil absorbtion. The influence of the post-treatment cooling period on properties of treated wood was studied separately. Oil uptake increased substantially with the post-treatment cooling time which in turn affected the hydrophobicity of treated wood although this effect was less important to dimensional stability. The loss of mechanical properties due to heat-treatment was successfully countered by thermo-mechanical compression of wood prior to the oil heat-treatment. The wood was compressed to 39% of its original thickness without any visible surface checks and cracks. Spring back and compression set recovery in densified wood decreased after oil heat-treatment. This combination treatment also resulted in improved fungal resistance compared to untreated wood. From this research, it is concluded that oil heat-treatment of radiata pine wood can improve its dimensional stability and durability obviating the need to introduce any persistent toxic chemicals. Thermo-mechanical densification of wood prior to oil heat-treatment can countered the loss of mechanical properties due to heat-treatment. The heating oil can be re-used in subsequent treatments and oil uptake can be minimised by limiting the post-treatment cooling time without any significant effect on the dimensional stability of treated wood.

Pinus radiata is by far the dominant species grown in New Zealand plantations as a renewable source of wood. Several wood quality issues have been identified in the material produced, including the high incidence of compression wood, which is undesirable for end users. At present our understanding of the complex array of developmental processes involved in wood formation (which has a direct bearing on wood quality) is limited. Hence, the forest industry is interested in attaining a better understanding of the processes involved. Towards this goal, and for reasons of biological curiosity, the experiments described in this thesis were carried out to investigate several aspects of xylem cell development. In an in arbor study, changes in the orientation of cortical microtubules and cellulose microfibrils were observed in developing tracheids. Results obtained provide evidence that cortical microtubules act to guide cellulose synthase complexes during secondary wall formation in tracheids. The mechanisms involved in controlling cell wall deposition in wood cells are poorly understood, and are difficult to study, especially in arbor. A major part of this thesis involved the development of an in vitro method for culturing radiata pine wood in which hormone levels, nutrients, sugars and other factors, could be controlled without confounding influences from other parts of the tree. The method developed was used in subsequent parts of this thesis to study compression wood development, and the influence of the hormone gibberellin on cellulose microfibril organisation in the cell wall. Results from the in vitro compression wood experiments suggested that: 1. when a tree is growing at a lean, the developing cell wall was able to perceive compressive forces generated by the weight of the rest of the tree, rather than perceive the lean per se. 2. ethylene, rather than auxin, was involved in the induction of compression wood. Culture of stem explants with gibberellin resulted in wider cells, with steeper cortical microtubules, and correspondingly steeper cellulose microfibrils in the S2 layer of developing wood cells. This observation provides further evidence that the orientation of microtubules guides the orientation of cellulose microfibrils. Overall, the work described in this thesis furthers our knowledge in the field of xylem cell development. The stem culture protocol developed will undoubtedly provide a valuable tool for future studies to be carried out.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1988. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-179). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Appl. Sc.) -- Lincoln University, 2008. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Lincoln University, 2009. / Also available via the World Wide Web.