Determination of Some Physical and Mechanical Properties of Uludağ Fir Wood (Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana) Grown in Different Site Classes

Abstract

Physical, mechanical, and quality characteristics of Uludağ fir (Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana) wood, which occurs naturally in Turkey, were determined. The effect of site classes (SCs) on these characteristics was investigated. Uludağ fir trees growing naturally in the Şerif Yüksel Forest Management District and belonging to different site classes (I, II, and III) were considered. The physical and mechanical properties of the test samples were determined in accordance with relevant standards, and differences between SCs were evaluated using statistical methods. SCs were found to have a statistically significant effect on the physical and mechanical properties of Uludağ fir wood (p<0.05). The highest performance in terms of physical and mechanical properties was generally observed in samples from Class II. Static quality (SQ) values ranged from 9.52 to 10.9, while dynamic quality (DQ) values ranged from 1.77 to 1.98. Based on DQ values, samples from all quality classes fell into the group of wood exhibiting high elastic properties; based on SQ values, they were classified as high-quality wood. The findings highlight the impact of SCs on the quality characteristics of Uludağ fir wood, providing important scientific data for quality-focused raw material selection, sustainable forest management, and the planning of wood usage areas.