Effect of growth regions on some technological properties of maple (Acer trautvetteri Medw.) wood

In this study, the effects of growth region on some physical and mechanicalproperties of Maple wood (Acer trautvetteri Medw.) naturally grown in Turkey wereevaluated. Experimental materials were selected from two different areas in threedifferent location (West Blacksea Region (Düzce), East Blacksea Region (Trabzon-Maçka) and Middle Blacksea Region (Ordu-Çambası)). The percentage of bark,annual ring width, latewood width and latewood ratio for macroscopic properties,density of air-dry and oven-dry, density value in volume, shrinkage and swelling,fiber saturation point, percent of maximum water content, cavity and cell wall ratiofor physical properties, bending strength, modulus of elasticity in bending,compression strength parallel to grain, impact bending, janka hardness, and tensionstrength perpendicular to grain for mechanical properties were determined. Theresults were evaluated statistically to compare growth regions and related physicaland mechanical properties.The study showed that the growth regions had statistically significant effect(p value < 0.001) on physical and mechanical properties of maple wood. When thesampling stands within the same growth region is considered only somemacroscopic, physical and mechanical properties were statistically significant ( p<0.05).Key Words: Acer trautvetteri, growth regions, technologic properties