Serbian spruce (Picea omorika (Pančić) Purkyné) - endemicity and advantages

Abstract

Conifers, as a response to mechanical stress, such as wind and stem lean, form reaction wood called compression wood (CW). CW occurs in a range of gradations from near normal wood (NW) to severe CW (SCW). As the severity of CW affects the mechanical and chemical properties of wood, and as CW has limited value in the forest products industry, it is desirable to be able to measure CW severity. Picea omorika belong to slow-growing conifer species in which CW typically occurs in a severe form. We developed different morphometric and non-morphometric methods for estimation of CW severity tested on wood samples of P. omorika juvenile trees exposed to long term static bending. This specific review is aimed at presenting P. omorika as one of the most adaptable spruces, and as a good model for testing of methods for estimation of compression wood severity. First, we summarize main knowledge about P. omorika, features of CW, and methods for assessment of wood quality. Then, we present breifly our recently published methods for estimation of compression wood severity tested on P. omorika juvenile wood samples.

Konifere kao odgovor na mehanički stres (vetar, savijanje) formiraju reakciono drvo koje se naziva kompresiono drvo (CW). CW se javlja u nizu gradacija od skoro normalnog drveta (NW) do jako izraženog CW (SCW). S obzirom da stepen izraženosti osobina CW ima značajan uticaj na mehaničke i hemijske osobine drveta i da CW ima ograničenu vrednost za drvnu industriju, poželjno je moći odrediti stepen izraženosti osobina CW u uzorku. Picea omorika spada u sporo rastuće četinarske vrste kod kojih se CW tipočno javlja u jako izraženoj formi. Mi smo razvili nekoliko morfometrijskih i ne-morfometrijskih metoda za procenu izraženosti osobina CW u uzorku, testiranih na uzorcima drveta juvenilnih stabala P. omorika koja su bila izložena dugotajnom statičkom savijanju. Ovaj revijski rad ima za cilj da predstavi Pančićevu omoriku kao jednu od najadaptabilnijih smrča i kao dobar model za testiranje metoda za procenu izraženosti osobina CW u uzorku. U prvom delu sumiramo znanja o Pančićevoj omorici, osobinama CW i metodama za procenu kvaliteta drveta, a u drugom ukratko predstavljamo naše nedavno objavljene metode za za procenu izraženosti osobina CW u uzorku, testirane na uzorcima drveta juvenilnih stabala P. omorika.