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Detection of wetwood in living poplar trees by electrical resistance measurements
Author(s) -
Scott Eileen S.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
european journal of forest pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.535
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1439-0329
pISSN - 0300-1237
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0329.1984.tb00182.x
Subject(s) - biology , crown (dentistry) , resistance (ecology) , salicaceae , botany , horticulture , woody plant , high resistance , ecology , agronomy , materials science , composite material
Wetwood was detected in living trees by determining the electrical resistance patterns across the stem with a Shigometer. The resistance of wetwood to a pulsed electric current was low compared with that of healthy sapwood. Bacteria were isolated from wood with low resistance, but rarely from wood with high resistance. Provided that drilling and measurements were performed in a stepwise fashion, the extent of wetwood could be assessed with little damage to the trees tested. This procedure may be useful in identifying trees containing wetwood, particularly in the early stages before crown symptoms become apparent.