Annual Report

Department of Forest and Wood Science 2012

Message from the Chairman

The Department of Forest and Wood Science (DFWS) celebrated its 80th

anniversary in 2012. In 1931, Stellenbosch University was identified as an appropriate provider for this field of study, and the Faculty of Forest and Wood Science was established in 1932. Since then, the Faculty (and later the Department) has awarded 890 BSc, 210 MSc, 42 PhD and 11 DSc degrees.

The Department’s strategic direction during 2012 remained the same as in previous years:

Increase international visibility Expand focus on Africa Partner with industry

Not only did the Department participate in three European Cooperation

in Science and Technology (COST) actions, but it was also awarded the

South African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive

Land Use (SASSCAL) project, financed by the German Federal Ministry

of Education and Research (BMBF). The focus of this project is on

climate change adaptation and it has an outreach initiative into Africa,

especially in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

member region. Institutions in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia

and Malawi form part of the consortium. Three international projects

were initiated in cooperation with partners in Namibia and other SADC

countries: (1) the development of an MSc course on dryland forestry, (2)

sustainable woodland management and (3) optimisation of a wood

conversion value chain.

Climate change remains a challenge that may only be solved through interdisciplinary and international research collaboration. Several successful projects in this area are in operation, such as the “Green Landscapes” project, a prestigious multidisciplinary and international project on holistic landscape management funded by the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation (DST-NRF). This project is one of only three successful applications by Stellenbosch University, making the DFWS part of a growing climate research movement at Stellenbosch.

A European Union (EU)-financed Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) mobility project, “Climate-Fit Forests”, gained momentum in 2012, with the first international visitors arriving from partner universities in Germany, Italy and Switzerland. This initiative involves a broad spectrum of climate change-related research

1

Furthermore, projects dealing with wood quality, drought effects in natural forests, fire response of trees, and growth and wood quality of drought-resistant eucalypts came to fruition during the year.

Work on conventional tree breeding continues, and the DFWS currently is the only South African academic research institution that is part of the International Cooperative for Tree Conservation and Domestication (CAMCORE).

A Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA) project on the retrieval and use of forest residues for bioenergy in South Africa was undertaken and the results were released in 2012. The Department also contributed to several chapters in the new edition of the South African Forestry Handbook, which were well received by the forestry industry. The Department has always had a clear focus on plantation forestry, documented by several successful industry-related projects. New research projects show a continuing trend in broadening this focus by incorporating woodlands and indigenous forests into its research. Besides involvement in the SASSCAL project, the Department is working on projects dealing with carbon sequestration in the mecrusse woodlands of Mozambique, the trade-off between carbon and timber production of kiaat in Namibia, firewood use in the dry woodlands of Namibia, competition effects in indigenous afrotemperate forests of the Southern Cape, and the regeneration biology of Wyddringtonia whitey in Malawi. Prof Tim Rypstra retired at the end of December after 37 years of dedicated service to the University and the Department. We wish him well in his retirement.

In conclusion, the Department is looking forward to a productive and exciting 2013.

Thomas Seifert

2

Academic Staff

Brand Wessels Wood Mechanics

Pierre Ackerman

Forest Engineering

Cori Ham

Forest Economics

Martina Meincken

Wood Physics

Tim Rypstra

Wood Chemistry

Thomas Seifert

Forest Management

(Departmental Chair-

person)

Hannél Ham

Forest Development

Barend Lötter

Furniture Construction

Luvuyo Tyhoda Wood Chemistry

Ben du Toit

Silviculture

3

Academic Support

Technical and Administrative Support

John de Wet

Forest Operations

Anton Kunneke

Remote Sensing, GIS

Ursula Petersen

Departmental Secretary

Wilmour Hendrikse

Technical Officer, Wood Science

Mark Februarie

Technical Officer, Forest Science

Poppie Gordon

Administrative Officer

Stefan Seifert

Postdoctoral Fellow

Green Landscapes

4

Professors Extraordinary

Coert Geldenhuys

Professor in Forest Ecology

Michael Jacobson

Professor in Forest Management

Reino Pulkki

Professor in Forest Engineering

Klaus von Gadow

Professor in Forest Management

Walter Warkotsch

Professor in Forest Engineering

William Dvorak

Professor in Tree Improvement

5

Research Exchange

Prof Marie Johansson from Linnaeus University in Sweden visited the Department to contribute to the work on wood characterisation of drought-resistant eucalypts. Brand Wessels travelled to Linnaeus University in Växjö and to Innventia, Stockholm on a reciprocal visit. Prof Reino Pulkki visited from Lakehead University, Canada to work with both MSc and PhD research candidates. He also undertook a review of selected eucalyptus pulpwood supply chains with Pierre Ackerman during the period of his visit. Prof Thomas Seifert visited the Technical University München in Germany in connection with the EU Marie Curie project "Climate-Fit Forests", and also visited Göttingen University to liaise with several colleagues to foster further collaboration between the two departments.

Prof Martin Ziesak from Bern University for Applied Sciences in

Switzerland collaborated on the "Climate-Fit Forests" project and

focussed on questions of reduced energy consumption in forest

operations.

Prof Klaus von Gadow used an extended research stay to contribute to an analysis of competition in afromontane forests.

Dr Jakub Sandak from the Italian Tree and Timber Research Institute in Italy visited us to discuss possible cooperation.

Sam Field was our annual exchange student from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, doing work in the Forest Engineering field.

6

Visiting Lecturers and Short Courses Prof Bill Dvorak (Director: CAMCORE) presented a Tree Improvement short course to third-year Forest Science students from 6-10 August. The focus was on world trends in forestry, basic principles of tree improvement, important forest species (eucalyptus, pines, teak, etc.), various tree improvement case studies (worldwide), selection criteria, experimental design, clonal deployment and development.

Prof Walter Warkotsch from the Technische Universität München, Germany and Prof Reino Pulkki from Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada, lectured on timber harvesting and forest road network development, construction and maintenance. Roger Jackson and Bronson Gunther from Husqvarna in Pietermaritzburg presented the annual chainsaw course to second year Forest Science students in September.

7

CT Scanner

The CT Scanner Unit celebrated its first anniversary since the launch of the facility. A financial summary for the first 12 months shows that the unit had achieved 100.64% cost efficiency. Besides financial success, the first scientific papers have been published, including a study of the 3D imaging of thermal damage in wood cell walls.

The unit is also growing through internships. Sarah Knuth was a visiting intern, and now Vincent Young is working in this field. In addition, two new NRF/DST internships have been made available. Additional scientific 3D-analysis software - Avizo Fire - was acquired recently and allows for more advanced material differentiation.

For more information and news, please see: www.sun.ac.za/ ctscanner or http://blogs.sun.ac.za/ctscanner/introduction/

From left to right: Dr Anton du Plessis, Vincent Young, Sarah Knuth, and Prof Thomas Seifert.

8

Stellenbosch Forestry Student Association (SFSA)

The SFSA organised the following events:

The 1st Years’ Braai

The annual Wood Chopper’s Ball sponsored by MPact Ltd. and Husqvarna South Africa

A paintball event

A tree planting ceremony at the Nora Tyre’s Crèche

A number of themed braais

Two fundraising raffles

The 2012 SFSA committee

Top (L to R): Gerard Lidner, Willie Brink, John Rabie. Middle (L to R):

Phillip Truter, Edward Wise, GP Scheepers. Bottom (L to R): Nonkululeko

Ntinga, Mhlengi Gumede, Jean Roux, Mnqobi Zuma.

Tree planting ceremony at the Nora Tyre’s Crèche in Cloetesville. The event, arranged as part of National Arbor Week, was to demonstrate and teach the importance of trees. The SFSA planted one tree and will be returning in 2013 to continue the work of developing educational cooperation.

9

.

The annual paintball event is held to get rid of frustrations accumulated

during the year.

One of the braai’s had the theme, “What I wanted to be when I was 5”. It

was a great evening filled with good company, music and food.

The annual Wood Chopper’s Ball took place at the Oude Klok. This event

was the highlight of the year for staff and students.

10

Postgraduate Students

MSc

Simon Ackerman

Angeline Atsame-Edda

Carl Baptista

Burger Burger

Phillip Crafford

Gideon Froneman

Feliciana Hainduwa

Ralston Hans

Dani Jacobs

Guilaume Jooste

Marios Kadas

Anton Kunneke

Frederick Lerm

Gerard Eckard Lindner

Moses Moses

Daniel Ndalowa

Ngceba Ngcobo

Ndumiso Paul Ngozo

Boas Nkhuwa

Darius Phiri

Jaco-Pierre van der Merwe

Andre Wise

PhD

Pierre Ackerman

Tembo Chanyenga

Dean da Costa

Steven Dovey

Ferrao Goncalo

Cori Ham

Hannél Ham

Tarquinio Magalhaes

Enver Mapanda

Benedict Odhiambo

Christian Ombina

Kasay Sentime

Coenraad Wessels

11

Degrees and Awards

Sir William Schlich Medal

Vincent Young

BSc Honours

George Heunis

Philip Hongwane

Hendri Jooste

Moses Moses

Nolte Smit

MSc

PhD

Daniel Wondifraw The effect of site and cambial age on selected

anatomical properties of mid-rotation Pinus radiata.

Carien de Beer The socio-economic impact of the phasing out of

plantations in the Western and Southern Cape region of South

Africa – a case study of three plantations.

Marius du Plessis A fibre optimisation index developed from a

material investigation of Eucalyptus grandis for the Kraft pulping

process.

Steven Dovey Effects of clear felling and residue management on

nutrient pools, productivity and sustainability in a clonal eucalypt

stand in South Africa.

12

Bill Esler On the development and application of indirect site

indexes based on edapho-climatic variables for commercial forestry

in South Africa.

Green Landscapes – Designing Sustainable Landscapes in an African Context

The objective of this National Research Foundation funded project within the programme Global Change, Sustainability and Society is the development of a spatial decision support tool for optimal land-use management.

This is an ongoing multidisciplinary and collaborative project,

coordinated by Prof Thomas Seifert and hosted by the Department

of Forest and Wood Science. Participating project partners are from

the:

Department of Conservation Ecology

Department of Entomology

Department of Soil Science

A postdoctoral research fellow Dr Stefan Seifert, spent a large part

of 2012 programming the interactive model framework. Cori Ham

and several MSc and PhD students from the participating

departments are establishing the ecosystem service provision

models.

The Green Landscapes framework is a public domain decision

support system (DSS) to design sustainable landscapes in an

African context. It will use proposed land-use changes to estimate

related impacts on the delivery of ecosystem services. The user can

change the current land-use pattern and then restart the integrated

models to predict a set of key ecosystem services for selected

climatic scenarios. The predicted ecosystem services include as key

variables food production, timber production, carbon sequestration,

conservation, water balance and job creation.

The subsequent evaluation model will aggregate the different model

outputs to present a weighted overall score for the landscape, which

allows for comparing different land-use scenarios for regional

planning.

13

Various land uses in the Greytown

area.

Interactive map that allows a rule based and graphical change of the land-

use pattern.

14

Departmental Research Foci

Scientific work by the Department of Forest and Wood Science is characterised by a healthy blend of basic and applied research aspects. On the basis of this principle, the Department has defined four overarching research fields that not only reflect our vision concerning the main questions to be answered by Forest and Wood Science in the coming years, but also show our ability to address the value-added chain of wood, paper and biomass production from the beginning to the end. To tackle these relevant topics we joined forces in the Department to cover the necessary bandwidth of expertise and extend our activities in the defined focal research areas in the future.

Precision Forestry

Precision Forestry (PF) provides for additional, adequate quality information about forests and the manufacturing of forest products. It facilitates planning and site-specific forest management activities and operations to improve wood product quality and utilisation, to reduce waste, and to increase profits. PF makes use of several key technologies, such as GPS/GIS/RS, to deal with automatic data capture, including location and navigation systems. Thus PF addresses both the use of geospatial information to assist forest management and planning, and site-specific silvicultural operations. The need for Precision Forestry is no longer a choice but an imperative in managing forests and producing forest products. Driven by the ever-increasing scrutiny of the protection of forest resources, and the economic need to use forest products to the fullest, professional foresters and product managers are demanding quality, detailed information about the forests they manage and the products they make.

Integrated Land Use Management Initiative, “Green Landscapes”

“Green landscape design” is a concept that spatially integrates different strategies and economic demands within the same region and includes all forms of land use. In this context, it plays a cardinal role in Africa. The requirements for forest services are manifold and are not constant over time. Traditional forest planning is based on principles of constancy and long-term stability. In reality, however, periodic reorientation and frequent changes of policy are quite common. It is also understood that not only one, but a variety of treatment options or “management paths”, may potentially be suitable for each individual land parcel. Each path is characterised by a succession of specific management activities, unexpected hazards and specific system responses.

15

The ultimate aim is to identify some optimum combination of management paths for the landscape as a whole. The conceptual framework for this research is provided by multiple path theory, which assumes that a landscape is an aggregation of spatially defined land parcels of varying size and shape. This form of adaptive management provides a suitable basis for designing forested landscapes. Biomass and Biofuel Production Initiative, “Power SA”

The “Power SA” initiative aims at providing all the necessary information on biomass and biofuel production in a South African and African context. It covers the value-added chain of production, from the plant to the product of biomass and biofuels. This involves a wide range of expertise, including remote sensing, inventory, resource estimation with the help of simulation models, stand management for biomass production in plantations, agro-forests, extensively managed forests, harvesting and transport, transformation technology and raw material quality considerations, ecological implications on a local and global level, as well as socio-economic implications of bio-energy production. The Department will focus future research work on the integration of these fields of expertise for the concise management of biomass and biofuel production. Our aim is to contribute to the optimisation of resource use and the mitigation of climate change. Wood Quality from the Plant to the Product

Wood quality may be the most essential aspect of the value added chain of wood production, but also the one least understood. The optimisation and effective management of the value added chain and its individual links are only possible with a sound knowledge of the factors influencing wood properties during tree growth, harvesting, storage, drying and multiple conversion steps; and also depend on the quality of the determination process itself. A holistic approach is required that attempts to link the single steps of production to understand their dependencies and to identify crucial steps in the conversion chain that can be influenced by management. These steps includes modelling, simulation, and novel methods of wood quality determination and product performance testing with the objective of understanding and optimising wood quality throughout the value added chain of wood production.

16

Silv

icultu

re Plantation Silviculture

Forest Eco-physiology Forest Soils and Nutrition Tree Crops for Bio-energy

Sustainability & Fire Management

Testing controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) applied to eucalypts at planting Young eucalypt stands often respond to fertilizer application during the

establishment phase, yet nutrient demand increases up to canopy

closure (i.e. 9-18 months in most SA gum stands). Fertilizer elements in

conventional fertilizer sources applied at planting may be immobilised in

plant-unavailable forms, or may leach out in fair quantities over time.

Our aim with CRFs is thus to increase stand nutrient accretion during

the prolonged supply period, so that a bigger, more nutrient-rich leaf

area can be built. This will allow for ample and effective re-translocation

of nutrients within the growing trees during the phase after canopy

closure.

Three CRF trials in eucalypt stands were established in KwaZulu-Natal during the last year (Photos 1 and 2). The survival on all three sites is excellent, and early results show that significant height growth responses are being obtained with up to 40 and even 80 g of controlled-release N per plant. Intensive measurements of stem growth, leaf area index and nutrient uptake continue to aid our understanding of and to quantify the long-term growth response.

1

2 3

17

Sustainable productivity of short-rotation stands During 2012, FESA commissioned a study on the use of forest residue for bio-energy. The contribution focused on the effect of increased levels of biomass and residue harvesting on nutrient input-output budgets. The impact of various management scenarios on the nutritional sustainability of pine and eucalypt plantations in the summer rainfall zone could be demonstrated. In the Western Cape, several genotypes are being tested as short-rotation eucalypt crops grown for poles and/or bio-energy (Photo 3). The water availability gradient across the sites spans the range from moist sub-humid to semi-arid and arid regions (Photo 4). The results of these trials formed the basis for two presentations by Ben du Toit and co-workers at two international symposia in Chile during 2012: (a) Tree-based strategies to mitigate climate change whilst providing bio-energy, employment and ecosystem services, and (b) Expanding eucalypt plantings to dry areas of southern Africa requires new taxa and more accurate site-taxon matching. Dendrology / Forest Botany Considerable work has been devoted to updating the Forest Botany modules offered by the Department following the publication of new taxonomic relationships by the International Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG III). A dedicated effort is also being made to source new samples for the Williams Herbarium at the Department and to include and update the most important uses and wood properties of the commercially important species in the curriculum. Photo 5 shows a mixed forest of Araucaria and Nothofagus species in central Chile.

4 5

18

Fore

st

Managem

ent

Forest and Tree Growth Growth and Environment

Dendro-ecology

Carbon sequestration modelling for Mecrusse woodlands The objective of this project was the development of biomass and carbon functions for the above- and belowground phytomass of Androstrachys johnsonii in Mozambique to estimate carbon levels. Irregular stand structures Irregular stand structures can result from poor thinning practices or as a result of natural hazards. The objective of this project was to analyse the effects of irregular stand structures on growth and wood quality and to develop mitigation options for the operational harvest planning and thinning of Pinus patula.

19

Evaluation of drought-resistant tree species to alleviate poverty in the arid regions of South Africa The objective of this project was to determine the growth, biomass and wood quality of drought-resistant eucalypts in order to establish a sustainable wood source for small growers and communities in arid areas. The effect of fire damage on the growth and survival of native and commercial trees in South Africa In this project, the objective was to analyse factors that influence the fire resistance of trees. A key element of the project was the quantification of the influence of the structural, physical and chemical properties of bark on heat resistance. Further projects: Parameterisation and application of an individual tree hybrid growth model for South African plantation stands. Using spatial landscape attributes to estimate forest structure. The effects of bark stripping on the growth and defence reaction of native trees in South Africa. Impact of drought on mortality and diameter increment in the afromontane forests in Southern Africa. Influence of water availability on tree ring growth, latewood proportion and wood density of Pinus radiata in South Africa. Biomass modelling of three drought-resistant Eucalyptus genotypes growing on the west coast of South Africa.

20

Fore

st

Engin

eeri

ng

Supply Chain Management Timber Harvesting

and Logistics

Sustainable mangrove forest harvesting management in the Cameroon The objective of this study was to conduct comparative qualitative and quantitative analyses of the ecological and socio-economic impacts of reduced impact (RIL) and conventional logging (CL) operations in the mangrove forests of the Cameroon estuary. Secondary objectives included the assessment of damage to residual trees, the canopy, root systems and site; to quantify and analyse fibre losses incurred during the operations; to cost differences between RIL and CL; the assessment of the social impact of RIL and CL operations on the surrounding local communities; and to develop harvesting guidelines based on RIL techniques for the sustainable exploitation of mangrove forests.

21

On-board computing (OBC) in forest machinery as a tool to improve skidding operations in South African softwood saw timber operations This study shows the results of a series of trials to better understand the quality of information and the application possibilities of OBC systems in forest timber harvesting operations. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the accuracy of information collected using OBC systems and to assess the suitability of the information for the calculation of productivity and other work/time parameters. Mechanised cut-to-length harvesting systems optimisation using discrete event simulation This study involves productivity, cost and systems analysis of the mechanised cut-to-length eucalyptus pulpwood harvester and forwarder system using discrete event simulation operational research methodology. The simulation will be used to adjust harvesting operations being modelled to identify systems improvements. The impact of mechanical log surface damage on fibre loss and chip quality when processing eucalyptus pulpwood using a single-grip harvester This study aims to investigate the influence of different debarking techniques and tree characteristics on industrial eucalyptus wood chip production in relation to log surface damage, fibre recovery and wood chip size distribution, including any fracturing, wood chip moisture content uniformity and bark content, in the Zululand coastal plain of South Africa. These variables influence pulp yield and quality.

22

Rem

ote

Se

nsin

g a

nd G

IS

Forest Informatics Remote Sensing Spatial Analysis

Hyperspectral remote sensing project

The airborne hyperspectral sensor project was extended to do close-

range sensing of vegetation and objects. The sensor was optically

adjusted to focus at close range. This opens opportunities to use the

sensor in times when the weather is not suited to aerial work. A spatial

representation is produced of the variability of growth in a tree,

indicating young and older leaves for example. Work is also planned

on wood samples in 2013. Work was also conducted on agricultural

plots, wheat and vines.

Costing model

A new specification was prepared for the South African Harvesting and

Transport Systems Costing Model. A programmer has been tasked to

write the code for the new application. The graphical interface of the

new application is more user friendly and a number of features not

included previously have been incorporated. A thorough testing of all

functions and calculations is currently under way and, once complete,

the application will be prepared for release, probably in September

2013.

23

Stereo aerial photography

Work relating to aerial surveys of plantations was continued this year.

Both UAV and aeroplane surveys were conducted. The stereo images

were used to create digital terrain models of the sampled areas, which

include the Forest Growth Simulation under Climate Change (FORSIM)

project areas managed by Prof Thomas Seifert, and the areas for the

nutrition trials of Dr Ben du Toit. Different software packages were tested

for ease of use and quality of three-dimensional output.

Other ongoing work

Work contributing to several other collaborative projects included an

update of the Integrated Equipment Management System (Profor)

application, data requirements for the Green Landscapes project,

maintenance of weather station infrastructure in the Department and

maintenance on databases for storage of project information.

24

Fore

st

Econom

ics

Enterprise Development Forestry Promotions

Rural Forest Use

Assessment of trade-offs between timber and carbon values of

Pterocarpus angolensis (kiaat) in the Kavango region of Namibia

This study’s main aim was to estimate the total value of an average

Kiaat tree marked for harvesting, with a focus on current timber use

value, value of an optimally utilised tree, carbon value, and alternative

uses. A combination of a socio-economic survey and tree volume and

biomass determination was used to collect data.

25

Impact of fuel wood quality and quantity on rural households’ energy use in the Omusati region in North-West Namibia

This study investigated the relationship between fuel use and the quality

and quantity of fuel in two rural villages in the Omusati region of Namibia.

It investigated the impact of fuel quality and quantity and the

corresponding sales of firewood on households’ energy consumption.

The study quantified the amount of fuel wood consumed and collected

per household per week, using user-recall and physical measurement

respectively. The most preferred fuel species or fuel materials were

identified and their physical properties, calorific value, moisture content,

ash content and density were measured under laboratory conditions.

Development of a dynamic decision support framework for the

optimisation of financial returns from conservation areas on

plantation forestry estates in South Africa

The primary objective of this project is to develop a dynamic decision

support framework that can be used to define management paths for

conservation areas located on forestry estates in order to optimise

financial returns from derived ecosystem services. Attaching real

financial values to conservation areas can help provide more objective

values for these areas in plantation valuations and will also help to justify

the costs of managing them. Secondary objectives involve the

development of input models for the decision support framework, and

the testing of the framework during forestry estate valuations.

26

Fore

st

Develo

pm

ent Community Forestry

Plant Propagation Tree Improvement

Forest Ecology Agroforestry

Investigating the reproductive barriers of Pinus radiata

Pinus radiata is a very important species in South Africa due to its

outstanding wood quality, good commercial forestry value and

climatic adaptability, but it is highly susceptible to Fusarium

circinatum. Forestry companies worldwide have tried to hybridise P.

radiata with other Pinus species that have mild resistance to/

tolerance of F. circinatum to overcome susceptibility, extend the

geographic planting range and retain the excellent wood qualities, but

there appear to be reproductive barriers hampering hybridisation

success. The aim of this study is to establish a new protocol for the

successful hybridisation of P. radiata with other, Fusarium-resistant

pines. The research is being done in collaboration with CAMCORE.

27

Various families from the Pinus radiata breeding programme of Cape

Pine have been screened for Fusarium circinatum resistance. All the

families showed various levels of severe susceptibility.

Rehabilitation of alien-invaded riparian zones and catchments using indigenous trees: an assessment of indigenous tree water use

The study comprises two objectives: the dynamics of the regeneration

of natural forest species spreading into a stand of the invasive alien tree

Acacia mearnsii along the Buffeljagsrivier, and changes in biomass

production and carbon sequestration potential when converting alien

invasive trees to natural forest. This study will complement previous

studies done by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The effect of population size on viable seed output, seed rain and

the natural regeneration pattern of the tropical conifer

Widdringtonia whytei in Malawi

This endemic, fire-adapted pioneer tree species occurs in fragmented

forest patches on Mulanje Mountain in Malawi and is related to the South

African Cedarberg cedar W. cedarbergensis and the Baviaanskloof

cedar W. schwarzii. The results of the study highlighted some of the

difficulties the species is experiencing in terms of viable seed production,

seed dispersal and seedling regeneration in and around forest patches.

It provided important information for the conservation and management

of this high-value conifer.

28

Wood P

rocessin

g

Non-destructive Timber Testing Prediction of Timber Quality

Sawmill Processing

The flexural properties of young SA Pine

The roof truss industry is arguably the single most important market for our sawmilling industry. The main objective of this study was to determine the most critical design property in typical South African roof truss designs and to determine the relative utilisation of the different characteristic of strength and stiffness values in typical roof truss designs. Of all the individual strength properties, bending strength was the most influential in truss design. Local deflection, which is related to the stiffness or MOE of timber, was also found to be influential in truss design.

A study on the occurrence of resin pockets in Pinus patula

A study was conducted on the occurrence and causes of resin pockets in Pinus patula from the Mpumalanga escarpment, South Africa. Twenty-four trees from three compartments were dissected and then digitally reconstructed into three-dimensional models. The formation of Type 2 resin pockets was most probably due to felling damage during thinning operations. It seems likely that wind damage and possibly insect attacks might be responsible for the formation of Type 1 resin pockets in Pinus patula.

29

A method for three-dimensional stem analysis Information on branch structure, tree ring widths and defects such as resin pockets is important for many forest and wood science researchers. An in-field system for stem dissection, which was used to develop three-dimensional models of logs and trees, including some macroscopic internal characteristics, was designed and built. An investigation of selected mechanical and physical properties of young, unseasoned and finger-jointed Eucalyptus grandis timber

In this study, the concept of using young finger-jointed Eucalyptus grandis timber was evaluated for possible application in roof truss structures while the timber is still in the green, unseasoned state. The objectives of the study were to determine various mechanical and physical properties of this finger-jointed product, more specifically to (1) determine the strength and stiffness potential of the product in the wet and the dry condition, (2) evaluate physical properties such as density, warp, checking and splitting, (3) evaluate potential indicator properties to be used as structural grading parameters, and (4) compare the flexural properties to the current SA pine resource and SANS structural grade requirements. Prediction of selected mechanical product properties from standing trees

Various methods to determine the structural timber quality of standing trees are being evaluated in this project. Acoustic methods, branch and knot evaluation methods, and wood quality tests on increment cores are being evaluated. The repeatability of the method, age-age correlations, and the relationship between standing tree acoustic wave speed and final product properties are being investigated.

30

Wood P

hysic

s

Surface Analysis Composite Materials

Bioenergy

The effect of climate change on wood quality

This project determined how the wood and fibre quality of pine and eucalypt species are effected by different water availability to allow the development of a model to predict wood quality with changing climate. Samples were collected from E. cladocalyx and were analysed for anatomical properties. The biggest challenge was sample preparation in order to be able to see tree rings and the cell structure of hardwoods.

Bioenergy

Together with various industries partners we are working on a database of physical and chemical properties of biomass suitable for energy conversion. The study includes commercial and invasive species.

31

Thermally degraded wood

Several projects dealing with the potential utilisation of wood exposed to wildfires were completed. The projects comprised the following:

Response comparisons between wood exposed to a flame or a heat source. Flames involve chemical oxygenation reactions in contrast to only heat, which does not.

Determining when the degradation of wood of different density and mechanical properties starts when exposed to heat. In this respect, structural changes of wood samples exposed to varying temperatures were studied using a CT scanner.

Wood damage caused by fire. As it is not commonly known what temperature wood is exposed to during wildfires, the first step in this classification is the visual impact on the tree. More detailed analysis of the physical, chemical and anatomical wood quality was performed on wood samples sourced from the different visual classes to obtain a clear indication of which wood is still useful and for what purpose.

32

Wood C

he

mis

try

Wood Degradation & Preservation Chemical Utilisation of Wood

Pulp & Paper

Biorefinery concepts for wood processing in the South African pulp and paper industry

The project focuses on the development of technologies and processes for integration into a biorefinery for the production of a range of valuable products from wood-based raw materials from the forestry sector in South Africa.

The project focuses in particular on the development of novel processing technologies to produce specialty hemicellulose biopolymers, novel cellulosic products and renewable energy from Eucalyptus grandis.

33

Improved and alternative methods of processing E. grandis were

investigated, including isolation, fractionation and modification of

hemicelluloses, pulp fibres (cellulose) and lignin.

The ultimate goal was to develop technologies that will allow the pulp

and paper industry to produce new products in the form of specialty

organic polymers, and cellulosic products with new functional properties

for specialised industrial applications, and to utilise part of the feedstock

for the production of biofuels. These products all represent significant

potential for new commercial value to the industry.

The project is funded by the Paper Manufacturers Association of South

Africa (PAMSA) and includes the four sub-projects listed below, which

are being carried out by MSc students:

1. Targeted modification and application of hemicellulose to diversify

functional properties of cellulose-based products for novel

application.

2. Conversion of E.grandis biomass residues into valuable bio-

energy products through thermo-chemical processing (pyrolysis).

3. Energy products from pulp mill sludge.

4. Characterisation of lignin carbohydrate complexes.

34

Funding and Sponsors

The Department is very grateful for financial support from:

Alternative Structures, South Africa

International Cooperative for Tree Conservation and Domestica-tion (CAMCORE)

Cape Pine

Cape Timbers

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

Department for Public Enterprises (DPE)

Diggersrest Farm

Farmsecure Agri Science

Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA)

Merensky

Husqvarna South Africa

Komatiland Forests (KLF)

Mondi

MPact Ltd. (Research and Development Laboratory)

NCT Forestry Cooperative Limited

National Research Foundation (NRF)

Sawmilling South Africa

Rance Timbers

Sappi

Stihl South Africa

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

Terason

Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and NRF

Tigercat

York Timbers

35

Academic Collaborations

The Department pursues academic collaboration with the following people and institutions: South Africa

Prof Colin Dyer and Steven Dovey (Institute for Commercial Forestry Research)

Drs Dirk Laengin, Marius du Plessis and Mr Dean da Costa (Mondi)

Stellenbosch University: Botany, Plant Pathology, Horticulture, Polymer Science, Soil Science, Agricultural Economics

Sustainability Institute of Stellenbosch University

Europe

Prof Bart Muys (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)

Dr A de Jong (Wageningen University, Holland)

Profs T Anfodillo and R Cavalli, Drs M Carrer and M Pellegrini (Padua University, Italy)

Prof H Pretzsch, Prof T Knoke (Technische Universität München, Germany)

Profs H Militz, C Kleinn (Georg August University Göttingen, Germany)

Ms Veronika Cottontail (University Ulm, Germany) Prof M Ziesak (Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland)

Mr John Lyons, Coillte Forest (Coillte, Ireland)

Profs P Geladi and T Nordfjell (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden)

Dr L Eliasson (The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, Sweden)

Prof M Johansson (Linnaeus University, Sweden)

Prof O Lindgren (Luleå University of Technology, Sweden)

Dr Sven Olof Lundqvist (Innventia, Sweden)

Drs B Talbot and H Belbo (Sogoglandskap, Norway)

Prof Bo Dahlin (University of Helsinki, Finland) North and South America

Prof Rafael Rubilar (University of Concepción, Chile) Drs S Barros and V Emhart Schmidt (Instituto Forestral, Santiago,

Chile) Dr Claudio Balocchi (Arauco, Chile)

Dr Raul Schenone (Forestal Bosque del Plata, Argentina)

Prof Damase Khasa (Université Laval, Québec, Canada) Australia

Mr Mark Brown (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia)

36

Commercial/Industry Collaboration

Commercial and industry collaboration is pursued with the following:

Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Germplasm Development

Division and Infruitec

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

Forest Engineering, Smurfit Kappa (Colombia)

Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA)

MPact Ltd.

Tree Improvement Division , Mondi

Tree Improvement Division , Sappi

Tree Improvement Division , Cape Pine

Tree Improvement, Forestry Department, CAMCORE (USA)

Tree Improvement Division , Hans Merensky

Tree Improvement Division , PG Bison

Tree Improvement Division , York Timbers

Tree Improvement Division , Komatiland Forests (KLF)

37

PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

ACKERMAN PA, PULKKI RE. Fibre volume losses of eight softwood clearfell harvesting systems in South Africa. Southern Forests 2012; 74(2): 133-149. ALAM MB, PULKKI RE, SHAHI C, UPADHYAY T. Modelling woody

biomass procurement for bioenergy production at the Atikokan Generating Station in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Energies 2012; 5: 5065-5085.

CHANYENGA TF, GELDENHUYS CJ, SILESHI GW. Germination response and viability of an endangered tropical conifer Widdringtonia whytei seeds to temperature and light. South African Journal of Botany 2012; 81 : 25-28. MALA WA, GELDENHUYS CJ, PRABHU R. Perceptions of climate

variability and pest-disease incidence on crops and adaptive forest-agricultural practices. Culture and agriculture 2012; 34(1): 53-67. MEINCKEN M. Powering Africa. South African Journal of Science 2012;

108(1062): 1-2. PRETZSCH H, DIELER J, SEIFERT T, RÖTZER T. Climate effects on productivity and resouce-use efficiency of Norway spruce (Picea abies) [L.]

Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.] in stands with different spatial mixing patterns. Trees—Structure and Function 2012; 26(4): 1343-1360. SCHAAF W, ELMER M, FISCHER A, GERWIN W, PRETZSCH H,

SEIFERT S, WINTER S, ZAPLATA M.K.. Monitoring the formation of structures and patterns during initial development of an artificial catchment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2012; published

online. SHEBANI AN, VAN REENEN AJ, MEINCKEN M. Using extractive-free wood as a reinforcement in wood-LLDPE composites. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 2012; 31(4): 225-232. SMIT HC, MEINCKEN M. Time/temperature combustion profiles of

various wood-based biofuels. Biomass & Bioenergy 2012; 39: 317-323. VERMEULEN WJ, GELDENHUYS CJ, ESLER KJ. Response of Ocotea

bullata, Curtisia dentata and Rapanea melanophloeos to medicinal bark stripping in the southern Cape, South Africa: implications for sustainable use. Southern Forests 2012; 3(74): 183-193.

ACKERMAN PA, HAM C, DOVEY S, DU TOIT B, DE WET J, KUNNEKE A, SEIFERT T, MEINCKEN M, VON DODERER C. 2012. The procurement and use of forest residue for bioenergy in South Africa. ICFR Bulletin 03/2013: 173. ACKERMAN PA, LÄNGIN DW, OLSEN G. Timber harvesting and

transport. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 353-367.

BOOKS, BOOK CHAPTERS AND REPORTS

38

ACKERMAN PA, WARKOTSCH PW, WISE AJ. Forest Roads. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF),

Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 417-438. BREDENKAMP BV. The volume and mass of logs and standing trees. In

South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 239-258. DU TOIT B, NORRIS C. Elements of silviculture systems and regimes used in Southern African plantations. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 21-25.

DU TOIT B. Matching site, species and Silviculture regime to optimise the

productivity of commercial softwood species in Southern Africa. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 43-49. GELDENHUYS CJ, BEZUIDENHOUT L. Rehabilitation of natural forests using nurse stands of plantation or invasive introduced species as allies. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry

(SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 579-598. GELDENHUYS CJ, VERMEULEN WJ. Yield regulation and silvicultural systems for harvesting timber and wood products from natural forest and woodland. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 545-542. GELDENHUYS CJ. Natural forests and woodlands in South Africa: Their classification and distribution. In South African Forestry Handbook,

Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa,

2012: 531-543. GELDENHUYS CJ, BEZUIDENHOUT L. Rehabilitation of natural forests using nurse stands of plantation or invasive introduced species as allies. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 579-598. GAYLER S, PRIESACK E, FLEISCHMANN F, HELLER W, RÖTZER T,

SEIFERT T, MATYSSEK R. Modelling the Defensive Potential of Plants. In Growth and Defence in Plants, Springer, London, United Kingdom, 2012:

375-399. HAM C, UYS HJE, DAUGHERTY A. Principles of Forest Valuations. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 501-509.

HAM C, JACOBSON MG. Financial decision making in forestry projects. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 491-500.

HOGG GA, KRIEG B, ACKERMAN PA, LÄNGIN DW. Harvesting Systems and Equipment Costing. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 375-384.

JACOBSON MG. Role of Extension in Forestry. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 511-516. KOTZE H, DU TOIT B. Silviculture of industrial pine plantations in

Southern Africa. In South African Forestry Handbook Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 123-140.

39

CONFERENCE PROCEDINGS

LEUCHNER M, HERTEL C, RÖTZER T, SEIFERT T, WEIGT R, WERNER H, MENZEL A. Solar radiation as a driver for growth and competition in forest stands. In Growth and Defence in Plants, Springer, London, United

Kingdom, 2012: 175-191. MAREE B, KOTZE H, DU TOIT B. Silviculture of industrial Eucalyptus and Acacia plantations in South Africa. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 141-155. PRIESACK E, GAYLER S, RÖTZER T, SEIFERT T, PRETZSCH H. Mechanistic modelling of soil-plant-atmosphere systems. In Growth and Defence in Plants, Springer, London, United Kingdom, 2012: 335-353. RÖTZER T, SEIFERT T, GAYLER S, PRIESACK E, PRETZSCH H. Effects of stress and defence allocation on tree growth: simulation results at the individual and stand level. In Growth and Defence in Plants, Springer, London, United Kingdom, 2012: 401-432. VIERO PWM, DU TOIT B. Establishment and regeneration of eucalypt, pine and wattle stands. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Scottsville , South Africa, 2012: 99-106. VERMEULEN WJ, GELDENHUYS CJ, ESLER KJ. Development and implementation of harvest systems for little-known species, particularly for non-timber forest products. In South African Forestry Handbook, Southern African Institute for Forestry (SAIF), Menlo Park, South Africa, 2012: 563-577.

JOOSTE GHC. Management and research on Afromontane and Afrotemperate forests in South Africa. Proceedings of the 2nd International DAAD Workshop, Ascot Conference Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen (Internationaler wissenschaftlicher Fachverlag) 2012: 151-155. ODHIAMBO BO, SEIFERT T. The insulation capacity of tree bark against fire damage in the Western Cape Region, South Africa. Proceedings of the 2nd International DAAD Workshop, Ascot Conference Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen (Internationaler wissenschaftlecher Fachverlag) 2012: 167-172. ROUX J-L, HANS RR. A review of South African forest policy: gearing up

for climate change. Proceedings of the 2nd International DAAD Workshop, Ascot Conference Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen (Internationaler wissenschaftlicher Fachverlag) 2012: 67-77. SEIFERT T, HAM C, DU TOIT B. Forestry and forestry research in South Africa. Proceedings of the 2nd International DAAD Workshop, Ascot Conference Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Cuvillier Verlag Göttingen (Internationaler wissenschaftlicher Fachverlag) 2012: 3-12. WESSELS CB, DU PLESSIS JDV, VAN ZYL F, VAN DYK L. Log positioning optimisation during primary breakdown sawing. 2012 Conference Division 5 Forest Products (IUFRO), Estoril Congress Centre, Lisbon, Portugal, grupo Portucel Soporcel 2012: 95-96.

40

Service on and membership of boards and committees Pierre Ackerman

Chairman of the Precision Forestry Research Group Coordinator of the International Precision Forestry Steering Committee

and initiative Member of the International Forest Engineering Conference Steering

and Research Committee.

Member of the South African Institute of Forestry Member of the editorial board of the Croatian Journal of Forestry

Ben du Toit

Council member of the Southern African Institute of Forestry Deputy coordinator of IUFRO Division 1.02.05 (Silviculture

and management in arid and semi-arid regions) Member of the Paarl Mountain Advisory Board Editorial board member of Forest Ecology and Management Sub-editor: Silviculture for the 5th edition of the SA Forestry Handbook

Cori Ham

Member of the Southern African Institute of Forestry Member of the African Forest Forum Member of the Wood Foundation

Hannél Ham

Chairperson of the South African Institute of Forestry, Western Cape branch

Member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions Member of the Southern Africa Institute for Forestry Member of the South African Society for Plant Breeders Member of the Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding

Capacity Building Member of the COST FP0905 Management (Biosafety of

Forest Transgenic Trees) Martina Meincken

Member of the SABS subcommittee on solid biofuels Member of the South African Institute of Forestry Member of the Microscopic Society of Southern Africa Member of the Society of Wood Science and Technology

41

Tim Rypstra Member of the International Research Group on Wood Preservation Member of the Oil and Colour Chemists' Association Member of the SA Wood Preservers Association Member of the SA Pest Control Association

Member of the Technical Association of Pulp & Paper Industries of SA Member of the South African Chemical Institute Member of the SABS Technical Committee

Thomas Seifert

Chairperson of the Department of Forest and Wood Science

Deputy coordinator of the IUFRO unit 4.04.04 – Sustainable forest management scheduling.

Subject editor for “Wood Science and Wood Products” of the European Journal of Forest Research

Editorial board member of the Journal for Mathematical and Computational Forestry & Natural-Resource Sciences (MCFNS)

Editorial board member of Southern Forests

Reviewer for the NRF

Editor: Bioenergy for the Springer book Bioenergy from Wood: Sustainable Production in the Tropics in the Managing Forest Eco-systems Series

Board member of the Advisory Board of the School of Natural Resource Management, NMMU George/Saasveld

Board member of the Central Analytical Facilities, Stellenbosch University

Luvuyo Tyhoda

THRIP project assessment committee Vice-Chairperson of the South African Institute of Forestry, Western

Cape branch Member of the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper in Southern

Africa (TAPPSA)

Member of the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA). Brand Wessels

Member of the South African Institute of Forestry

Layout & editing: Martina Meincken, Pierre Ackerman, Debbi Leung, Di Johnson-Ackerman. Graphics: Di Johnson-Ackerman (www.dfjohnson-ackerman.co.za) Front cover photo: Dr Peter Klaver

42