Effect of some environmental conditions on wood properties of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky.)

In the present study, effects of some environmental conditions (altitude, aspect, soil properties) on macroscopic, physical and mechanical properties and wood anatomy of Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky.) species which naturally distributed in Sinop were investigated. Sinop and Ayancık regions were chosen for this study. 20 trees from Sinop, 16 trees from Ayancık, total of 36 trees, were cut and investigated. Results demonstrated that altitude and aspect factors had significant effects on many wood characteristics. Soil properties such as soil texture, available water capacity, pH and electrical conductivity showed significant relation with some anatomic, physical, and mechanical properties of wood. Vessel diameter of Oriental Beech wood decreased as altitude increased both for regions however vessel in per unit area increased. There was no significant relation between macroscopic characteristics of wood and altitude, aspect, soil properties, anatomic, physical, and mechanical characteristics of wood. In Sinop region, vessel cell length, fiber length, volumetric swelling, maximum water content, shear strength decreased while static bending strength and static bending modulus of elasticity increased as altitude increased. In the case of Ayancık region volumetric density, volumetric shrinkage, compression strength parallel to fibers, static bending modulus of elasticity, and shear strength decreased while maximum water content and dynamic quality values increased as altitude increased. As the aspect degree increases cross sectional stiffness of wood increased while vessel radial diameter decreased in Sinop region, and in Ayancık region static bending strength decreased while height and width of multiserial rays and dynamic bending strength increased. It was also found that there were significant differences between soil and wood characteristics of these two regions. Key Words: Beech, Altitude, Aspect, Ecological wood anatomy, Wood properties, Soil properties