Green public procurement of certified wood : impact on international trade and global welfare

This paper investigates the impact of green public procurement (governments’ purchases) of certified wood in the EU. A spatial partial price equilibrium model is developed to analyse whether this policy impacts interregional trade flows of wood and other regions’ economic welfare. The model contains an innovative feature which allows the introduction of consumers’ willingness to pay for certified wood, and producers’ willingness to accept certified wood production in order to determine the share of certified wood in consumption and demand. The outcome of the analysis demonstrates that green public procurement of certified wood in one region can create a trade barrier for other regions and decrease other regions’ economic welfare. In the worst case scenario, other regions’ production of non-certified wood even increases. This endangers forest conservation. Cost reductions and adequate financial compensation for certified wood producers can tackle these problems

The process of civilization (and its discontents): violence, narrative and history

Historical violence studies are being increasingly influenced by theoretical approaches which focus on the development of ‘cultures of violence’. However, this growing interest in the interconnections between violence and culture faces a number of significant challenges posed by the influence of disciplines other than history as well as by internal difficulties in (and disagreements over) identifying the precise role of discourse in shaping (and changing) cultures of violence. In dealing with these issues, historians are becoming increasingly interested in Norbert Elias’s theory of the ‘civilising process’. This perspective has proven to be very fruitful; nonetheless, there are problematic issues raised by Elias’s approach. In particular, the relationship between 'culture' (and thus 'discourse') and the social forces which, according to Elias, have driven a historical decline in violent behaviour – interdependence, class differentiation and the state monopolisation of legitimate physical force – remains unsettled. In this essay, I contribute to the theoretical discussion of discourses of violence from a historical perspective marked by a critical engagement with the notion of a ‘civilising process’ and incorporating conceptual tools from the fields of discourse analysis, social geography and anthropology. My conclusions, though focused on the past, are nevertheless relevant to current issues in violence and the ways that it is understood

A rapid staining-assisted wood sampling method for PCR-based detection of pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in Pinus massoniana wood tissue

For reasons of unequal distribution of more than one nematode species in wood, and limited availability of wood samples required for the PCR-based method for detecting pinewood nematodes in wood tissue of Pinus massoniana, a rapid staining-assisted wood sampling method aiding PCR-based detection of the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Bx) in small wood samples of P. massoniana was developed in this study. This comprised a series of new techniques: sampling, mass estimations of nematodes using staining techniques, and lowest limit Bx nematode mass determination for PCR detection. The procedure was undertaken on three adjoining 5-mg wood cross-sections, of 0.5 · 0.5 · 0.015 cm dimension, that were cut from a wood sample of 0.5 · 0.5 · 0.5 cm initially, then the larger wood sample was stained by acid fuchsin, from which two 5-mg wood cross-sections (that adjoined the three 5-mg wood cross-sections, mentioned above) were cut. Nematode-staining-spots (NSSs) in each of the two stained sections were counted under a microscope at 100· magnification. If there were eight or more NSSs present, the adjoining three sections were used for PCR assays. The B. xylophilus – specific amplicon of 403 bp (DQ855275) was generated by PCR assay from 100.00% of 5-mg wood cross-sections that contained more than eight Bx NSSs by the PCR assay. The entire sampling procedure took only 10 min indicating that it is suitable for the fast estimation of nematode numbers in the wood of P. massonina as the prelimary sample selections for other more expensive Bx-detection methods such as PCR assay

Viscoelastic properties of green wood across the grain measured by harmonic tests in the range of 0\degree C to 95\degree C. Hardwood vs. softwood and normal wood vs. reaction wood

The viscoelastic properties of wood have been investigated with a dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA) specifically conceived for wooden materials, the WAVET device (environmental vibration analyser for wood). Measurements were carried out on four wood species in the temperature range of 0\degree C to 100\degree C at frequencies varying between 5 mHz and 10 Hz. Wood samples were tested in water-saturated conditions, in radial and tangential directions. As expected, the radial direction always revealed a higher storage modulus than the tangential direction. Great differences were also observed in the loss factor. The tan\delta peak and the internal friction are higher in tangential direction than in radial direction. This behaviour is attributed to the fact that anatomical elements act depending on the direction. Viscoelastic behaviour of reaction wood differs from that of normal or opposite wood. Compression wood of spruce, which has higher lignin content, is denser and stiffer in transverse directions than normal wood, and has lower softening temperature (Tg). In tension wood, the G-layer is weakly attached to the rest of the wall layers. This may explain why the storage modulus and the softening temperature of tension wood are lower than those for the opposite wood. In this work, we also point out that the time-temperature equivalence fits only around the transition region, i.e. between Tg and Tg + 30\degree C. Apart from these regions, the wood response combines the effect of all constitutive polymers, so that the equivalence is not valid anymore

Influence of the slope of terrain on the spatial variability of the wood density within Eucalyptus trees

The aim of this study was to understand how contrasting environments influence the wood formation in Eucalyptus clones and the effect on wood density and spatial variability. Wood density was assessed in clonal tests represented by 150 Eucalyptus urophylla x grandis hybrids with 6-year-old growing under different conditions. The main difference among the sites was the slope of the terrain: the clonal tests were replicated at plan site (0° of inclination), at site with 20°, and 40° of inclination. In order to provide experimental data to perform this study, gravimetric (reference) method and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy were combined for assessing the wood density in a large sampling of Eucalyptus wood. Hence, regression model based on NIR spectra was developed for estimating such wood traits from NIR spectra recorded at different radial and longitudinal positions along the height of the tree. This approach allows the examination of the patterns of spatial variation of wood density within Eucalyptus trees. Variations in wood density along the stem are less consistent than those in the radial direction, especially close the base of the tree. Overall, the wood density strongly varied from pith (460 kg m-3) to bark (600 kg m-3) at the base. The radial variation in wood density at the base was about 140 kg m-3 while the radial variation at 25% of stem height was slightly low (~130 kg m-3). At 50% of height the trait also increased radially (~104 kg m-3), but in relative low magnitude. The density slightly increased from pith to bark at 75% of height (~50 kg m-3) and at the top of the tree the variation was of lower magnitude (~20 kg m-3). The radial variation at the base take into account the wood formed from the first to the sixty year of growth while the variation in the top of the tree refers to the wood developed with few months of difference. The pith to bark variations in wood density were higher in the trees from the site presenting 40° of inclination. At 25% of the tree height, the radial variation was 104 kg m-3 in the site plan (0°), 133 kg m-3 in the site presenting inclination of 20°, and 157 kg m-3 in the site with 40° of inclination. In conclusion, the higher the inclination of the terrain, the greater the magnitude of wood density variation. Sloped terrains induce formation of reaction wood influencing the radial variation in wood traits. (Résumé d'auteur

A reverse chemical ecology approach to explore wood natural durability

The natural durability of wood species, defined as their inherent resistance to wood‐destroying agents, is a complex phenomenon depending on many biotic and abiotic factors. Besides the presence of recalcitrant polymers, the presence of compounds with antimicrobial properties is known to be important to explain wood durability. Based on the advancement in our understanding of fungal detoxification systems, a reverse chemical ecology approach was proposed to explore wood natural durability using fungal glutathione transferases. A set of six glutathione transferases from the white‐rot Trametes versicolor were used as targets to test wood extracts from seventeen French Guiana neotropical species. Fluorescent thermal shift assays quantified interactions between fungal glutathione transferases and these extracts. From these data, a model combining this approach and wood density significantly predicts the wood natural durability of the species tested previously using long‐term soil bed tests. Overall, our findings confirm that detoxification systems could be used to explore the chemical environment encountered by wood‐decaying fungi and also wood natural durability

Swelling of acetylated wood in organic liquids

To investigate the affinity of acetylated wood for organic liquids, Yezo spruce wood specimens were acetylated with acetic anhydride, and their swelling in various liquids were compared to those of untreated specimens. The acetylated wood was rapidly and remarkably swollen in aprotic organic liquids such as benzene and toluene in which the untreated wood was swollen only slightly and/or very slowly. On the other hand, the swelling of wood in water, ethylene glycol and alcohols remained unchanged or decreased by the acetylation. Consequently the maximum volume of wood swollen in organic liquids was always larger than that in water. The effect of acetylation on the maximum swollen volume of wood was greater in liquids having smaller solubility parameters. The easier penetration of aprotic organic liquids into the acetylated wood was considered to be due to the scission of hydrogen bonds among the amorphous wood constituents by the substitution of hydroxyl groups with hydrophobic acetyl groups.Comment: to be published in J Wood Science (Japanese wood research society

The Use of Demolition Wood in Papermaking

The reason for this study came from three factors affecting the paper industry as well as society as a whole. These factors are decreasing landfill space, increasing tipping fees, and increasing demands for alternative fiber sources. In the United States, approximately 9.8 million tons of demolition wood waste is landfilled per year. Increasing governmental regulations which require greater amounts of secondary fiber to be used in papermaking are forcing the industry to consider alternative fiber options. The seven steps in the procedure include: rough wood, wood chips, kraft pulping, fiber refining, screening, handsheets, and testing. The four types of wood involved are a 50 year old house wood, a 100 year old barn wood, a kiln-dried wood, and a red pine green wood. All wood types are pine. The strength test (tensile, burst, tear) revealed that demolition wood fiber is strong enough to be considered as a secondary fiber source. The average value obtained for tear from the demolition wood is 13.7 (mN m2/g). The average values for burst and tensile are 20.3 psi and 4.18 km, respectively. In fact, the values obtained from the old wood are comparable to those obtained by Kleppe for a green wood pine(4). Drawbacks to its use include containment removal, probable bleaching limitations, obtaining the wood, and labor/energy requirements. The resource may best be utilized by having a demolition company deliver the wood, pulp, screen, and refine the wood separately, and have the fibers metered in at know quantities at the blend chest within the paper mill. Ultimately the use of this source becomes a function of society\u27s focus on the green movement and regulations imposed on the industry by the government

An empirical investigation of wood product information valued by young consumers

Recent media reports regarding wood products question the trustworthiness of wood origin declaration, the sustainability of production methods and the product quality. In light of this question, it becomes important to ensure consumer trust in wood and wood-based products. Current research indicates that providing product information enhances product trust and purchase intentions, while young consumers in particular seek detailed product information. However, it is necessary to determine which wood product information young consumers strongly value because providing a high amount leads to information overload. As information needs may vary between different consumer segments, the present work aims at identifying segments of young consumers and their preferred wood-product information. The importance of different wood product information items concerning the purchase decision was investigated with a German-language online survey (N = 185, age range 18–30). A cluster analysis revealed four consumer segments. Thereof, three segments (an environmentally oriented, an environmentally and quality oriented, and a quality oriented segment) valued the provision of wood product information. The preferred information types differed among the three segments. Overall, this paper provides insights into young consumers' preferences for wood product information and the consumer segments on which marketing should focus

Modeling material failure with a vectorized routine

The computational aspects of modelling material failure in structural wood members are presented with particular reference to vector processing aspects. Wood members are considered to be highly orthotropic, inhomogeneous, and discontinuous due to the complex microstructure of wood material and the presence of natural growth characteristics such as knots, cracks and cross grain in wood members. The simulation of strength behavior of wood members is accomplished through the use of a special purpose finite element/fracture mechanics routine, program STARW (Strength Analysis Routine for Wood). Program STARW employs quadratic finite elements combined with singular crack tip elements in a finite element mesh. Vector processing techniques are employed in mesh generation, stiffness matrix formation, simultaneous equation solution, and material failure calculations. The paper addresses these techniques along with the time and effort requirements needed to convert existing finite element code to a vectorized version. Comparisons in execution time between vectorized and nonvectorized routines are provided