Growth and wood quality of plantation grown Eucalyptus dunnii

Forests NSW manages Eucalyptus plantations on the north coast of NSW, Australia for high value timber production. Productivity, wood properties and mill recovery of Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden, a species becoming increasingly important to eucalypt hardwood producers worldwide was investigated. Historic data from stands aged from 3 to 34 years were assessed for growth, and wood quality using a range of non-destructive and destructive measurements. These measurements were analysed to determine wood properties that may influence grade yield. Many wood quality traits could be correlated with basic density, which was correlated with tree age. This has implications for the timber industry as it is intended that plantation trees will be harvested at younger ages than native forest trees. The predictive ability of these models will be tested shortly when E. dunnii of three different ages – 12, 16 and 34 – years will be harvested and pulp, sawlog and veneer recovery assessed