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Wet storage of windblown conifers in Germany.
Authors: W. LiesePublication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 1984, Issue N.Z.J.For. 29(1) 1984, pp 119-135, May 1984
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Abstract: On 13 Nov. 1972 a windstorm with gale velocities of up to 200 km/h struck NW Germany, particularly Lower Saxony, and flattened more than 100 000 ha of forest. Clearing of 17.6 million msuperscript 3 of timber was necessary. Of this total, 1.39 million msuperscript 3 were placed under wet storage in sprinkler yards and in lakes and ponds. Assessments of the logs after several years of storage showed that in order to avoid decay water storage must be restricted to high quality logs with a high moisture content which are free of fungal infection. Water-stored spruce logs frequently showed staining to a darker colour in the outer 5-10 mm of the stem. This creates problems if the wood is used for pulping, as the pulp is difficult to bleach and discolours more quickly than pulp from normal wood. After 4 yr sprinkler storage there was no significant strength reduction in spruce or pine. After 3 yr of sprinkling air-dry pine showed increased susceptibility to fungal deterioration. Preservative uptake by water-stored pine sapwood and its subsequent resistance to fungal attack did not differ significantly from the responses of unstored sapwood. Sprinkler yards had no detrimental effect on surface or groundwater systems, and there were no difficulties in marketing sprinkled logs.