Estimating Bole Specific Gravity From Limbs of Mature Black Cherry and Northern Red Oak Trees

Specific gravity values were determined for the bole, and three locations in limbs were taken from the upper, middle, and lower crown of fifty 35-year-old trees of both northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.). Bole specific gravity varied from 0.469 to 0.605 with an average of 0.524 for black cherry; and varied from 0.549 to 0.656 with an average of 0.584 for northern red oak. Limb specific gravity was greater and more variable. At each crown position limb specific gravity decreased along the limb from the base to the terminus. The highest bole-limb correlation was with the middle section of the middle limb in black cherry (r = 0.510); and the middle section of the lowest limb in northern red oak (r = 0.450). The degree of correlation was low but statistically significant