Wood quality of Quercus cerris from Kosovo

• Author(s): Bajraktari, Agron
• Date: 2018
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/15830
• Origin: Repositório da UTL
• Subject(s): Quercus cerris; Kosovo; stem quality; heartwood; chemical analysis; insect durability
• Document Type: Doctoral thesis
• Language: English
• Advisor(s): Pereira, Helena Margarida Nunes; Nunes, Lina Maria Ribeiro
• Contributor(s): Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa

Description

Doutoramento em Engenharia Florestal e dos Recursos Naturais - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Kosovo’s forest products industry is a very important part of Kosovo’s economy and within the present work data was collected through a survey of all sawmills in Kosovo and information gathering from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development of Kosovo. The forest resources and sawmill structure of Kosovo were analyzed and the availability of different species of wood in different regions of the country established. In parallel, the study of one home grown wood species, Quercus cerris, was conducted in order to improve its use in sawmilling to produce value added wood components. For this purpose, ten Quercus cerris trees, grown in two sites in Kosovo, were felled and discs taken at different stem height levels. Relevant data for this species was obtained on stem quality, including heartwood, sapwood and bark development as well as ring analysis. Chemical and durability characterization was also conducted together with the evaluation of density and Brinell hardness. Quercus cerris from Kosovo showed good potential as a timber species for the supply of stem wood to the saw-milling industry allowing good yields of heartwood-only sawn wood components. Taking into account the good technological properties measured together with the apparent low level of extracts and the low durability class against subterranean termites, interior or protected uses are highly recommended. The bark should also be considered for complementary valorization. Furthermore, based on the worked developed, a curricular programme combining scientific and technological knowledge for industrial management, communication knowledge and creative work was developed in close cooperation with wood processing enterprises in Kosovo, and with the Kosovo Wood Processing Association. Recommendations were also provided for further development of the forest and sawmill industry