The occurrence and size of false heartwood in beech timber

The aim of this study was to analyse the occurrence and size of false heartwood in beech timber over the lower and upper log faces. The research was carried out on 350 beech trunks where the presence of false heartwood was found on at least one of the log faces. The research material came from the Jarosław and Lesko Forest District (the Regional Directorate of the State Forests (RDSF) in Krosno) and the Pińczów Forest District (RDSF Radom). The following measurements were taken on selected logs: the mean bottom diameter, the mean upper diameter, the length of the analysed trunks, the maximum diameter of the false heartwood at both ends. As a result of the research, it was found that the maximum diameter of false heartwood on the beech log faces ranges from 30% to 40%, and a statistical test showed no significant difference in the extent of the defect between the lower and the upper face (t = -0.389; df = 612; p-value = 0.697). An analysis of the presence of the examined feature on the log faces showed that there were cases in which false heartwood appeared only over the lower face or only over the upper one. It was also noted that almost half of the examined logs had a larger diameter of the defect over the upper face than over the lower one. This study also examined the existence of a correlation between the diameter of the log face, log length and the percentage of the defect. The statistical test showed no significant correlation for both the lower and the upper face and the log length.