A low-cost tool-chain for reconstruction of standing trees of selected European hardwood species

The use of endemic hardwood species in forest conversion and forestation of marginal land is part of the current policy in Flanders, yet little is known about their quality. An inexpensive tool-chain is presented here for total tree assessment, starting with the reconstruction of the stem of the standing tree which can be used for calculation of taper, sweep, etc. Subsequently serial sectioning of the tree, image acquisition and registration is performed. Image processing of the discs and positioning in the reconstructed stem enables quantification of bark, veneer quality, etc. on virtual sawn or peeled logs. In combination with measured crown parameters such datasets can be used in physiological growth, yield and quality models and their predictions of wood characteristics. This easy-to-implement tool-chain generates important output for a number of forestry-wood chain related domains for lesser known hardwood species with highly irregular stem form