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Annual Report of the Department of Forest and Wood Science

2013

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Chairman’s report The Department of Forest and Wood Science (DFWS) has strengthened

its original mandate of enriching forest and wood science through basic

and applied research, teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate

levels, and community outreach. We are recognised as an international

role player in forest and wood science research, being amongst the

leaders in several fields. Teaching, research and development services

are provided to a full spectrum of stakeholders, both locally and

internationally, which include the South African and international

commercial forestry sector, government, NGOs, and society. The DFWS

has a small team of dedicated lecturers and researchers supported by

knowledgeable and experienced technical and administrative staff. The

presence of forest and wood science under one roof enables the DFWS to

address the full forestry value chain, from forest establishment and

silviculture, forest management, timber harvesting and transport, to

secondary processing for bioenergy, lumber, furniture, and pulp and paper

production.

The DFWS hosted several workshops with international participation,

dealing with climate change and other topical issues. Three staff members

participated in three European Cooperation in Science and Technology

(EU COST) Actions and several short courses were presented to the

South African forest industry. Considerable collaborative work was done

with partner institutes in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and

Malawi, which resulted in common proposals, projects and postgraduate

supervision. International links and extended collaboration were

maintained with partner institutions in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland,

Germany, Sweden and the USA.

The ‘Climate-Fit Forests’, an EU-financed Marie Curie IRSES mobility

programme that was launched in 2011, gained further momentum in 2013.

The programme links the DFWS’s efforts to a broad spectrum of climate

change-related research activities with partners in Germany, Italy and

Switzerland. Topics addressed ranged from wood quality to carbon

reduction in timber harvesting.

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The DFWS increased its access to state-of-the-art technology and world-

class equipment for the non-destructive testing of wood and other

materials. Our CT scanner officially started operating in 2013. A high-

resolution multispectral sensor was developed in a joint venture with the

Agricultural Research Council and has triggered great interest in the field

of applied remote sensing for agricultural and forestry.

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and

Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) has been established as a

networking project across Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South

Africa. The DFWS plays the lead role in one of the SASSCAL projects that

kicked off in 2013, namely the development of a Dryland MSc Forestry

programme at the DFWS.

Conventional tree breeding has become a successful research field in the

Department. The programme has been strengthened with the appointment

of Professor Bill Dvorak, the director of CAMCORE, as an extraordinary

professor.

Thomas Seifert

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Department News

Professor Tim Rypstra retired after 37 years of dedicated service to the

University and the Department

Vincent Young was awarded the Schlich Medal as the top student in his

graduating class

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Academic Staff

Pierre Ackerman

Forest Engineering

Martina Meincken

Wood Physics

Phillip Crafford

Secondary Wood

Processing

Thomas Seifert

Forest Management

(Department

Chairperson)

Ben du Toit

Silviculture

Luvuyo Tyhoda

Wood Chemistry

Cori Ham

Forest Economics

Brand Wessels

Wood Mechanics

Hannél Ham

Forest Development

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Academic Support Staff

Lise Gleasure

Researcher

Forest Engineering

Anton Kunneke

Remote Sensing,

GIS

Stefan Seifert

Postdoctoral Fellow

Green Landscapes

Technical and Administrative Support Staff

Mark Februarie

Technical Officer

Forest Science

Wilmour Hendrikse

Technical Officer

Wood Science

Poppie Gordon

Administrative

Officer

Ursula Peterson

Departmental

Secretary

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Extraordinary professors William Dvorak Professor in Tree Improvement

Coert Geldenhuys Professor in Forest Ecology

Michael Jacobson Professor in Forest Economics

Reino Pulkki Professor in Forest Engineering

Klaus von Gadow Professor in Forest Management

Walter Warkotsch Professor in Forest Engineering

Marius Barbu Professor in Wood Technology

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Research exchange in 2013

Prof Marie Johansson from Linnaeus University in Sweden visited the Department to contribute to the work on wood characterisation of drought resistant eucalypts.

Forestry graduate Ralston Hans attended an international training course in Forest Eco-physiology with Prof Rafael Rubilar & colleagues in Chile. The silviculture team arranged a two-day silvicultural workshop that featured Prof Jose Stape and speakers from our local industry.

Prof Reino Pulkki visited from Lakehead University, Canada, to work with both MSc and PhD research candidates.

Debbi Leung was our annual exchange student from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and worked in the Forest Engineering field.

Pierre Ackerman attended the Finnish Forestry Institute (METLA) COST Action titled Development and Harmonisation of New Operational Research and Assessment Procedures for Sustainable Forest Biomass Supply (FPS Action FP0902).

John Rabie visited Norway for a short term scientific mission as part of the COST FP0902 WG 4 addressing discrete-event simulation, also hosted by the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute. As part of the STSM, a short course was provided covering the basics of simulation as well as applying them to cut-to-length operations. Following, he attended an IUFRO 3.06.0: Forest Operations in mountainous conditions conference in Honne, Norway. After this, he travelled to Jönköping, Sweden for the Elmia Wood event.

Four post-graduate students from Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany, together with two researchers visited Stellenbosch University for a forest inventory practical in March 2013. During the practical, the German students worked together with two Stellenbosch students to enumerate the NCT Enon plantation outside Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal. The data from this exercise was used by Dan Ndalowa in his MSc study on the estimation of above ground carbon from plantations. The inventory exercise provided valuable training for all students and was funded by the Hans Merensky Foundation and the National Research Foundation (NRF) Green Landscapes project.

Jeanne Roux, a Post-graduate diploma student, attended the winter semester at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. During this

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period she attended courses in Global Forest Policy and Economics, Non-Timber Forest Products and Bioclimatology and Global Change. This visit was funded by the Higher Education Partnership (HEP) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Cori Ham attended the Final Reporting and Planning Workshop of the Higher Education Partnerships (HEP)- Programme taking place from 18- 23 November 2013 at the Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany. The HEP aims to extend existing and establish new networks between the University of Göttingen and partner universities in Chile, Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia for improvement of education and scientific exchange. The workshop was managed and organized by the Section for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Forestry (SeTSAF), Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL) of the Georg-August-University Göttingen. It was financially supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Prof Michael Jacobson from PennState University, USA, visited Stellenbosch in May to present a forest finance course and undertook a visit of SAPPI outgrower projects in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands.

Dr Martin Ziesack 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.

Hannél Ham attended the Breeding for Value in a Changing World conference hosted by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) in Florida, United States of America where she presented a presentation “Pinus radiata hybridisation: The quest for Success”.

Stephan Rust visited Lakehead University for a research visit to Prof. Mathew Leitch from October 2013-February 2014. He worked on a project where the mechanical properties of hybrid laminated beams were modelled.

Four students from FH Salzburg each spent 6 months in Stellenbosch to complete modules as well as conduct research projects. One of them, Marco Proller, also completed his bachelors’ thesis while in Stellenbsoch.

Philip Crafford attended the 6th annual Green Building Convention. This

Convention, with the theme “ReWire – Connecting Minds, Building Value” was hosted collectively by the Green Building Council of South Africa and the World Green Building Council. The programme included big-picture

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sustainability thinking, the economics of green building and the green

economy, while also addressing more technical green building subjects.

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Visiting Lecturers and Short Courses Prof Jose Stape, a forest eco-physiology expert of North Caroline State University visited to present a

short course on silviculture.

A short course on silvicultural research techniques (co-hosted by Drs Ben du Toit, Steven Dovey) was attended by MSc students Fillemon Kayofa, GP Scheepers, Ralston Hans and Gerard Lindner

Prof Jolanda Roux, of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, at the University of Pretoria, presented a short course on forest pest and disease management.

Prof Walter Warkotsch from 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 in September to second year Forest Science students.

Mr Pieter Kofman, associated with Stellenbosch University, FESA and the Danish Forestry Extension, presented a short course on “Wood Fuel Supply Chain – Forest to gate and gate to grate” in Stellenbosch. The course was well attended by staff members and members of industry.

Participants of the Silviculture short course presented by Prof Stape

Roger Jackson and Bronson Gunther during the Husqvarna chainsaw course

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The “Continuing Education in Forest Finance and Economics” short course was presented in two block weeks in May and October 2013. This course was attended by 26 industry representatives. The first block week was presented by Prof. Mike Jacobson while the second week was presented in the form of a mini symposium where experts on various topics gave presentations.

Cori Ham presented the “Forest finance, what every forester should know” course to 16 foresters from KLF at the KLF Platorand training centre in Sabie during December 2013.

Prof. Mathew Leitch, Professor in Wood Technology, from Lakehead University, Canada visited the Department.

A short course “Integrating Sustainability by Design – Timber as Material” presented by Vernon Collis was hosted by the Department in December 2013 and was aimed at architects, engineers and constructors of wood structures. Brand Wessels presented a short course in sawmill simulation.

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Postgraduate Students 2013 MSc PhD

Simon Alexander Ackerman Pierre Alexander Ackerman

Angeline Atsame-Edda Moise Babulo Bambot

Carl Baptista Tembo Chanyenga

Louisa Burger (Erasmus) Giordano Diamtino Da Costa Alpoim

Phillip Lodewikus Crafford Phillip Murray Fischer

Gideon Froneman Dean Anronio Ferao Concalo

Feliciana Ndapewa Hainduwa Cornelis Ham

Ralston Hans Hannél Ham

Guilaume Jooste Targuinio Magalhaes

Marios Kadas Enver Cosolata Mapanda

Fillemon Kayofa Benedict Oitho Odhiambo

Anton Kunneke Christian Ombina

Frederik Johannes Lerm Shalini Oogathoo

Gerard Eckard Lindner Kasay Sentime

Moses Moses Coenraad Brand Wessels

Daniel Ndalowa

Ntombizodwa Ngubeni MFor

Darius Phiri Sandy Itchell Guiney

John Frederick Rabie Robert Mupemba Mwamba

Stephan Rust Linda Carole Rousseau-Mossop

Gerhardus Petrus Scheepers

Jaco-Pierre van der Merwe PGDipl

Andre Jean Wise Lebogang Ivonne Mphahlele

Vincent Alexander Young Jeanne-Lazya Roux

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Degrees Awarded 2013

PG Dipl

Jeanne-Lazya Roux (cum laude)

Lebogang Ivonne Mphahlele

MSc

Simon Alexander Ackerman (cum laude) The effect of irregular stand structures on the growth and wood quality of Pinus patula and technical solutions to prevent irregular stand structures.

Phillip Lodewicus Crafford An investigation of selected mechanical and physical properties of young, unseasoned and finger-jointed Eucalyptus grandis timber.

Feliciana Ndapewa Hainduwa Impact of fuelwood quality and quantity on rural households’ energy use in Omusati region in North-West of Namibia.

Ralston Ronald Hans (cum laude) Growth responses to controlled release fertilization on commercial forest species in South Africa.

Frederik Johannes Lerm A method for three-dimensional stem analysis and its application in a study on the occurrence of resin pockets in Pinus patula.

Moses Moses Assessment of trade-offs between timber and carbon values of Pterocarpus angolensis (Kiaat) in the Kavango region of Namibia – A comparison of current and potential values.

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Darius Phiri Biomass modelling of selected drought tolerant eucalypt species in South Africa.

André Jean Wise (cum laude) An open source framework for the spatial-temporal modelling of tree height and DBH based on edge effect and stand evenness for plantation stands.

PhD

Tembo Chanyenga Effect of population size on viable seed output, seed rain and natural regeneration pattern of a tropical conifer Widdringtonia whytei – Rendle in Malawi.

MSc Forestry (cum laude) graduates at the December 2013 graduation ceremony

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Departmental Research Foci Scientific work at the Department of Forest and Wood Science is

characterized by a healthy blend of basic and applied research aspects.

Based on 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.

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 utilization, to reduce

waste, and increase profits. PF makes use of several key technologies

such as GPS/GIS/RS, dealing with automatic data capture, including

locating and navigation systems. Thus PF addresses both the use of geo-

spatial-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 both the ever increasing scrutiny over 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 forests they manage and products they make.

Integrated Land Use Management Initiative “Green Landscapes”

“Green Landscape Design” is a concept which spatially integrates different

strategies and economic demands within the same region and includes all

land use. In this context, it plays a cardinal role in Africa. The requirements

for forest services are manifold and they are not constant over time.

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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 be

potentially suitable for each individual land parcel. Each path is

characterized by a succession of specific management activities,

unexpected hazards and specific system responses.

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 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, ecologic

implications on 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 concise

management of biomass and biofuel production. Our aim is to contribute to

the optimization of resource use and the mitigation of climate change.

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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. Optimisation and

effective management of the value added chain and its individual links is

only possible with a sound knowledge of the factors influencing wood

properties during tree growth, harvesting, storage, drying and multiple

conversion steps; and also depends on the quality of determination

process itself. A holistic approach that attempts to link the single steps of

production to understand their dependencies and identify crucial steps in

the conversion chain that can be influenced by management is required.

This includes modelling, simulation and novel methods of wood quality

determination and product performance testing with the objective to

understand and optimise wood quality throughout the value added chain of

wood production.

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Plantation Silviculture Forest eco-physiology

Forest Soils and Nutrition Tree crops for Bio-energy

Sustainability & Fire Management

Silviculture and Eco-physiology An MSc student investigated the regeneration potential of Pterocarpus angolensis (Kiaat) in the dry forests of North and North-eastern Namibia (Photo 1). In particular, this study aimed to document the age, size and carbon (C) storage in underground tubers (photo 3) that develop during the suffrutex stage. The suffrutex stage is a growth phase when the tree undergoes annual dieback (due to fire, herbivory, etc.) and hence has to store large quantities of carbohydrates below ground. The carbohydrate reserves are then partially mobilised when the tree progresses rapidly through the sapling and eventually to the bole stage. Early results indicate that most of the large tubers (> 3 kg fresh mass) are between 5 and 24 years old. It is also clear that, in addition to starch, both simple sugars, and polysaccharide compounds make a significant contribution the belowground C storage. One of the undergraduate practicals took place in the moist forest of the Tsitsikamma (Photo 4). Students assisted with the development of allometric relationships in Ocotea bullata and Curtissia dentata.

Silv

iculture

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Forest soils and nutrition Work on plantation nutrition investigated the application of controlled-release (CR) fertilizer products (photo 5) and wood ash. Results showed that CR products could be used to increase nutrient uptake and storage in young Eucalypt canopies: It was found that the N content in the developing canopy at one year of age could be quadrupled by large applications on CR fertilizer (120 g N per tree) on a nutritionally poor soil in Zululand. Other research found early growth improvements when similar dosages of CR fertilizers were combined with wood ash applications. This latter study investigates the potential of recycling bottom ash from biomass burning at pulp mills to plantation soils instead of dumping it on landfills. Tree crops for bio-energy Two book chapters were published that focus on short-rotation tree crops for bio-energy: one chapter deals with silvicultural considerations of short rotation crops and the other deals with ecological impacts of such systems at the stand and landscape level. Effects of repeated prescribed burning on sustainability Two studies, an MSc and PhD, recently started work on the effects of repeated prescribed burning in semi-mature pine stands. Their research will quantify the effect of repeated prescribed burning on fuel reduction, weed regrowth, tree damage, soil nutrient dynamics, erosion losses, changes in leaf area index and stand productivity.

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Forest and Tree Growth Growth and Environment

Dendro-ecology

Carbon sequestration modelling for Mecrusse woodlands The objective was the development of biomass and carbon functions for above and belowground phytomass of Androstrachys johnsonii in Mozambique to estimate carbon.

Irregular stand structures Irregular stand structures can result from poor thinning practice or natural hazards. The objective of this project was to analyse the effects of irregular stand structures on growth, wood quality and to develop mitigation options for operational harvest planning and thinning of Pinus patula.

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Evaluation of drought resistant tree species to alleviate poverty in arid regions of South Africa The objective of this project was to determine 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 The objective was to analyse factors that influence the fire resistant of trees. A key element of the project was the quantification of the influence of the structural, physical and chemical properties of bark and their influence 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 growth and defence reaction on 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 west coast of South Africa.

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Supply Chain Management Timber Harvesting

and Logistics

South African Forest Industry Time Study Standard The Standard, now accepted as standard practice by the industry, will provide a common and standardised time-study methodology for the South African Forest Industry. Its implementation will serve the purpose of aligning the Industry with international forest operations development and assist with the “modernisation” of the Industry’s forest operations. The Standard will be web-based and will guide the user step-by-step through the set up and execution of time studies and their application in Operations Research analysis. The standard deals with the setting of time-study objectives to ensure that time and resources are used efficiently and help to develop the desired results.

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Engin

eering

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Analysis of a mechanised cut-to-length harvesting operation through use of discrete-event simulation The objective of this MSc study is to apply discrete-event simulation to accurately simulate a common South African mechanised cut-to-length harvesting operation using the statistical program R. Operational factors within the operation will be changed, and the effects of these changes on the productivity of the system will be analysed with the aim of productivity improvement. The impact of mechanical log surface damage on fibre loss and chip quality when processing eucalypt pulpwood using a single-grip harvester This MSc study aims to investigate the influence of different debarking techniques and tree characteristics on industrial eucalypt 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. Softwood sawlog secondary transport travel speed prediction for the South African Forestry Industry This study generated a predictive model for travel speed of softwood sawlog timber transport vehicles over a range of forest and provincial roads of varying condition. Location and payload data was collected remotely using a combination of GPS tracking and remotely sensed data. Road condition, including road width, was assessed for each identified road segment according to a Visual Condition Indicator index. Comparisons of the correlations between average speed and the respective predictor variables showed that road width and percentage of maximum (legal) payload were significant predictors.

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Forest Informatics Remote Sensing Spatial Analysis

Hyperspectral remote sensing project The past year saw positive changes in the hyperspectral sensing project. The ARC “Jabiru” aircraft was available for a year through an agreement between the institutions, which resulted in several flight campaigns. The sensor is now tested for commercial readiness with more reliable SSD storage and automated processing chains. The focus of forestry work is still nutrition and disease tree recognition, in mostly pine and eucalypt plantations. EU Marie Curie – Eco-physiology The past year saw detailed climate and tree data being collected within the Marie Curie IRSES Climate-fit Forests project. The data was analysed with the partner institute in Italy (University of Padua) where protocols for analysis are already established. The high intensity data collection included sap flow and growth monitoring.

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Micro cores were sampled from trees to look at cell production related to water supply. The work shows the ability of trees to adapt to challenging environments. Transpiration is clearly regulated under dry conditions to prevent damage with a resulting loss in growth. The assumption of exotic trees as indiscriminate water pumps is challenged by this work and provides the basis of continuous studies in volumetric water use and carbon assimilation.

Stem form and wood quality assessment The Terrestrial LiDAR Scanner owned by the Department was used in several studies relating tree form to wood quality. Scans of sampled trees in-situ produce a digital 3D model of all standing trees. The result is a full tree inventory of a sample area, which provides an input to other software, stand analysis, bucking algorithms, machine harvesting and extraction modelling and saw simulators. One example looked at stem form and timber recovery from stems with defects (refer Wood Processing).

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Enterprise Development Forestry Promotions

Rural Forest Use .

Formulation of a strategy for SAFCOL in terms of its future role within a development state, institutional form in the forestry industry and whether ownership should continue to vest in state hands The project was commissioned by the Department of Public Enterprise. The objective was to review the role of SAFCOL as a parastatal in South Africa. A very involved stakeholder consultation process was followed where stakeholders ranging from local communities to forestry CEO’s were consulted. The Stellenbosch team worked closely with an inter-governmental task team to develop various future scenarios for SAFCOL.

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Evaluation of carbon accounting models for plantation forestry in South Africa The study aimed at gaining an understanding of the current carbon sequestration estimation methodology and models in use by the South African Forestry Industry. A questionnaire survey was undertaken amongst forestry industry stakeholders in which 77% of respondents agreed to the need for a carbon sequestration model for South Africa. The survey helped to identify the qualities that a carbon model should have if it is to be used by the South African Forestry Industry. A search of freely available models and software was conducted. The aim was to find a freely available model/s that would be readily applicable and adapted to South African conditions. Evaluation of the variation in South African plantation valuation calculations within the IAS41 framework The reliability of financial information resulting from the application of the International Accounting Standard 41 principle has been questioned by many researchers. In light of this, the study focuses primarily on answering the following questions:

What is the possible valuation variance within the ISA41 framework?

What methods are sanctioned by this framework?

What is the effect of applying these different methodologies to the same dataset?

What are the various variables that impact on the valuation?

What is the sensitivity of these variables?

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Community Forestry

Plant Propagation Tree Improvement

Forest Ecology Agroforestry

Regeneration dynamics of natural forest species within an invasive alien Acacia mearnsii The dynamics, spread and establishment of natural forest species from very small moist, dry and riparian forest patches into a 90-ha stand of invasive alien Acacia mearnsii (black wattle) along the Buffeljagsrivier, Western Cape, South Africa were studied. Clusters of natural forest species were recorded and mapped. The classification-ordination analyses indicated the developing forest clusters related more to Riparian forest. However, detailed evaluation of species importance values and stem diameter distributions indicated that every type of forest patch contributed to the development of forest clusters within the stand.

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Mature trees of well-established clusters were the main seedsources for the cluster expansion in all directions. Four main groups of woody species were identified: species common in the forest patches and present in the forest clusters; species specific to particular forest patches and present in the forest clusters; species present in the forest patches but absent from the forest clusters; and species absent from the forest patches but present in the forest clusters. The presence/absence of most species can be explained in terms of their fruit/seed characteristics and dispersal mechanisms. A conceptual framework was developed to guide the rehabilitation of stands of light demanding invasive stands in the forest environment. Investigating the reproductive barriers of Pinus radiata: Pinus radiata is a very important species in plantation forests in South Africa due to outstanding wood quality, good commercial forestry value and climatic adaptability, but is highly susceptible to Fusarium circinatum. Forestry companies worldwide have tried to hybridise P. radiata with other Pinus species that have mild resistance/ tolerance to F. circinatum to overcome susceptibility, extend the geographic planting range and retain the excellent wood qualities, but there appears to be reproductive barriers hampering hybridisation success. The aim of this study is to establish a new protocol for successful hybridisation of P. radiata with other, Fusarium-resistant pines (in collaboration with Camcore). Preliminary results on environmental conditions inside pollination bags, pollen grain size, pollen tube elongation rate and female strobili abortions showed significant differences for all nine Pinus species under investigation. Furthermore, various families from the Pinus radiata breeding programme of Cape Pine have been screened for Fusarium circinatum resistance.

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Silviculture vs. Wood Properties Wood Mechanical Properties

Sawmill Processing

The effect of planting spacing on wood properties Many growers have reduced the clearfelling age of compartments due to a combination of financial and other pressures. The problem with a reduction in the felling age of trees is that certain wood properties, such as the stiffness or modulus of elasticity (MOE), are strongly influenced by age. The objective of this project was to evaluate new sawlog plantation management regimes which focused on higher initial planting densities. Indications from other research projects are that such regimes might result in higher value yields per hectare land. The prediction of the flexural lumber properties from standing South African-grown Pinus patula trees The purpose of this study was to develop empirically based models for predicting the flexural properties of the wood produced from relatively young Pinus patula trees. Models were based on the properties of standing trees and their effectiveness was evaluated at board, tree and compartment levels. These models can serve as tools in understanding and managing the effects of shorter rotation ages on the quality of the wood produced.

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Development of a green-gluing lamination process to manufacture solid wood products from young Eucalyptus grandis timber The objective of this research work was to investigate a novel green-gluing process where freshly sawn Eucalyptus grandis boards were finger-jointed and laminated before drying. If successful, this process might enable the use of large volumes of pulp logs for a new generation of solid wood products.

The variation of microfibril angle in South African grown Pinus patula and its influence on the stiffness of structural lumber The objectives of this study were to describe the variation in MFA in young Pinus patula trees and to determine the relationship between MFA and the dynamic MOE of sawn Pinus patula lumber. MFA, density and ring width were measured at two height levels using Silviscan 3. A multiple regression model, which included MFA, density and ring width, explained 71% of the variation in the dynamic MOE of boards. A sensitivity analysis on the model showed that MFA and density had approximately similar influences on predicting the dynamic MOE of Pinus patula boards.

Hybrid laminated beams from SA and Canadian pine species In this study, the feasibility of using slow-growing, high stiffness Canadian softwood species for the outer laminates of laminated structural beams for the South African market was investigated. The core laminates was made up of young, low stiffness SA pine lumber. An empirical model was developed to predict the stiffness of these hybrid beams. This model can be used to complete financial and technical evaluations for manufacturing hybrid beams in South Africa.

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Surface Analysis Composite Materials

Bio-energy

Thermally degraded wood

Several projects dealing with potential utilization of wood exposed to wildfires were completed; and comprised of the following:

Response comparisons between wood exposed to a flame or a heat source. Flames involve chemical oxygenation reactions as opposed 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 the CT scanner.

Wood damage caused by fire. As it is not commonly known to what temperature wood is exposed to during wildfires, the first step of this classification is the visual impact on the tree.

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More detailed analysis on the physical, chemical and anatomical wood quality were performed on wood samples sourced from the different visual classes to obtain a clear indication which wood is still useful and for what purpose. The effect of climate change on wood quality

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

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

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Biomass Fractionation &

Valorisation for Sustainable Production of Chemicals,

Materials & Fuels

Lignocellulosic biomass composes a diversity of feedstock raw materials representing an abundant and renewable carbon source. Lignocellulose is constituted mainly by carbohydrate macromolecules, namely cellulose and hemicellulose, and by lignin, a polyphenilpropanoid macromolecule. Between these biomacromolecules, there are several covalent and non-covalent interactions defining an intricate, complex and rigid structure of lignocellulose. The deconstruction of the lignocellulosic biomass makes these fractions susceptible for easier transformation to a large number of commodities including energy, chemicals and materials within the concept of a bio-refinery.

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The recalcitrance of lignocellulose materials is the main limitation for its processing. Furthermore, none of the currently known processes is highly selective and efficient for the satisfactory and versatile use, thus, new methodologies are still studied broadly.

Our current investigations in this area examine the possible use of novel (i) alkaline catalysed organosolv fractionation process, by using high boiling alcohols, particularly Xylitol and Ethylene glycol, as the fractionating agents for Eucalyptus grandis and sugar cane bagasse. Further, we are looking at (ii) the possible use of ionic liquids as fractionation agents in combination with an alkaline hemicelluloses pre-extraction step. The aim for both projects is to obtain all three biomass components i.e. cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin in high yield and quality. Hemicellulose finds wide application in the food, drug and cosmetic industry. Cellulose, on the other hand, could be used as raw material for transport fuels and pulp depending on quality. Lignin can be used as a raw material for chemicals such as phenols etc. In the end, a new project focussing on the use conversion of lignin from different sources into valuable chemical products.

This study focuses on the pyrolysis of eight different types of lignin, isolated from three types of biomass (eucalypt, pine and bagasse) by three processes commonly used in the industry (Kraft, sulphite and soda anthraquinone) as well as steam explosion technique to high value-added phenolic chemical products. This is done by screening of series of catalysts and lignin from different sources using thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) in combination with gas chromatography hyphenated mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) to determine the abilities of the catalysts and lignin to produce high yield and selectivity for phenols and vanillin.

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Funding and Sponsors

The Department is very grateful for financial support from:

ACCESS

Alternative Structures, South Africa

International Cooperative for Tree Conservation and Domestication (CAMCORE)

Cape Pine

Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology, Pretoria

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

Department for Public Enterprises (DPE)

Department of Science and Technology (DST)

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

Farmsecure Agri Science

Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA)

FP&M Seta

Hans-Merensky Foundation

Husqvarna South Africa

Komatiland Forests (KLF)

Marie-Curie Program (EU FP7)

MiX Telematics

Mondi

MPact Ltd. (Research and Development Laboratory)

NCT Forestry Cooperative Limited

National Research Foundation (NRF)

Pamsa

Optron Trimble

Sawmilling South Africa

The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL)

Sappi

Stihl South Africa

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

Terason

Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP)

Tigercat

York Timbers

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Academic Collaborations

SOUTH AFRICA

Prof Michael Samways & Dr. James Pryke (Stellenbosch University)

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

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

Drs André Nel and Arnulf Kanzler (Sappi)

André van der Hoef and research team (Cape Pine)

Roy Southey (Sawmilling SA)

Ben Bothma, Lebogang Maphahlele and Nico Olivier (Komatiland Forests)

Dr Mark Gush (CSIR)

Simon Ackerman (FESA)

Brad Shuttleworth (Forestry Solutions)

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Drs. Patrick Graz, Dave Joubert & Ms. Vera de Cauver (Polytechnic of Namibia)

Namibian Department of Forestry

Dr. Steven Siyapungani (Copperbelt University, Zambia)

EUROPE

Prof Hans Pretzsch, Drs Enno Uhl and Thomas Rötzer (Technische Universität München, Germany)

Prof Walter Warkotsch (Technische Universität München, Germany)

Marius-Catalin Barbu (FH Salzburg Germany)

Marie Johansson (Linnaeus University, Sweden)

Sven-Olof Lindqvist (Innventia, Sweden)

Prof. Bart Muys (KU Leuven, Belgium)

Jan Nyssen (Universiteit van Gent, Belgium)

Enrico Vidale (Italy)

Prof Christoph Kleinn (Georg-August University, Germany)

NORTH AMERICA

Prof Mathew Leitch (Lakehead University, Canada)

Prof Reino Pulkki (Lakehead University, Canada)

Prof Jose Stape (North Carolina State University)

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Commercial/Industry Collaboration

Cape Pine

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF)

Forest Engineering Southern Africa (FESA)

Hans Merensky

Komatiland Forests (KLF)

Mondi

PG Bison

SAFCOL

Sappi

CAMCORE (USA)

York Timbers

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Peer-reviewed Journal Publications ACKERMAN SA, ACKERMAN PA, SEIFERT T. 2013.”Effects of irregular stand structure on tree growth, crown extension and branchiness of plantation grown Pinus patula”. Southern Forests. 75(4): 247-256.

DOWSE GP, WESSELS CB 2013. “The structural grading of young South African grown Pinus patula sawn timber.” Southern Forests 75 (1) : 7–17.

DU PLESSIS A, MEINCKEN M, SEIFERT T. 2013. “Quantitative

determination of density and mass of polymeric materials using microfocus Computed Tomography”, Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation, 32, 2013, 413-417.

MEINCKEN M, DU PLESSIS A. 2013. “Visualising and quantifying thermal degradation of wood by Computed Tomography”, European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, 71, 2013, 387-389.

MEMA V, CHENG H, CHIMPHANGO AFA, LORENZEN L, TYHODA L,

GÖRGENS JF. (in press) “Extraction of humic acids from alkaline black liquors”. South African Journal of Chemical Engineering.

NEPPALLI R, CAUSIN V, MARIGO A, MEINCKEN M, HARTMANN P, VAN REENEN AJ, 2013. “Effect of electrospun ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) fibres on the structure, morphology, and properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)”, Polymer, 54, 2013, 5909-5919.

PELLEGRINI M, ACKERMAN P, CAVALLI R. 2013. “On-board computing in forest machinery as a tool to improve skidding operation in South African softwood sawtimber operations”. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science 75(2): 89-96.

VENA PF, GARCÍA-APARICIO MP, BRIENZO M, GÖRGENS JF, RYPSTRA T. 2013. “Effect of alkaline hemicellulose extraction on kraft pulp fibers from eucalyptus grandis”. Journal of Wood Chemistry and

Technology. 33(3):157-17.

VENA PF, BRIENZO M, GARGA-APARICIO MP, GÖRGENS JF, RYPSTRA T. 2013. “Hemicellulosesextraction from giant bamboo (Bambuse balooca Roxburgh) prior to kraft or soda-AQ pulping and its

effect on pulp physical properties”. Holzforschung. 67(8):863-870.

VENA PF, GARCÍA-APARICIO MP, BRIENZO M, GÖRGENS JF, RYPSTRA T. 2013. “Impact of hemicelluloses pre-extraction on pulp

properties of sugarcane bagasse.” Cellulose Chemistry and Technology. 47(5-6):469-477.

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Books, Book Chapter and Reports

ACKERMAN PA, GLEASURE E. 2013. How much fibre is left in-field after

harvesting? SA Forestry October: 12.

ACKERMAN PA, GLEASURE E. 2013. Skidder operations under the microscope. SA Forestry October: 14-15.

ACKERMAN PA, HAM C, DOVEY S, DU TOIT B, DE WET J, KUNNEKE A, SEIFERT T, MEINCKEN M, VON DODERER C. 2013. The use of forest residue for bioenergy in southern Africa. ICFR Bulletin Series 03/2013. Scotsville: Institute for Commercial Forestry Research.

ACKERMAN PA, HOGG GA. 2013. The use of forest residues for bioenergy in South Africa. SA Forestry October: 25-27.

ACKERMAN PA, LYONS J, ELIASSON L, BELBO H. 2013. Development and harmonization of new operational research and assessment procedures for sustainable forest biomass supply. EU COST Action FP0902. Brussels: European Cooperation in Science and Technology.

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Conference Proceedings ANDERSON G, ACKERMAN PA. 2013. Facilitating the development of international partnerships to enhance the delivery of co-op and WIL

programs in order to create successful learning outcomes for students. The 18th WACE World Conference Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education, Durban, South Africa, 24-27 June 2013.

CHIMPHANGO AFA, VAN ZYL WH, GÖRGENS JF, TYHODA L. 2013. Enzyme aided adsorption of water soluble xylans onto cellulosic material, The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry,

Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

GOMES K, CHIMPHANGO A, GÖRGENS JF, TYHODA L. 2013.

Enzymatic modification of xylan biopolymers for reduced water solubility and application as hydrogels and nano-particles. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry, Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

JOUBERT A, CHIMPHANGO A, GÖRGENS JF, TYHODA L. 2013.

Hemicelluloses extraction from Eucalyptus grandis with Kraft green and white liquors compared to mild caustic treatment. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry, Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

LINDNER B, VISSER T, WESSELS CB. 2013. A model to optimise the

linked sawing and ripping decisions in the South African pine wood industry. ORSSA Conference, Stellenbosch, 16-20 September 2013.

NEPPALLI R, CAUSIN V, MARIGO A, MEINCKEN M, HARTMANN P, VAN REENEN AJ. 2013. The effect of polymeric nanofibres on structure, morphology, and properties of poly lactic acid. 12th Annual UNESCO/IUPAC Workshop & Conference on Macromolecules & Materials, 25-28 March 2013, Stellenbosch.

NJAMELA SN, RYPSTRA T, BRIENZO M, GÖRGENS JF, TYHODA L.

2013. Lignin carbohydrate complexes in biomaterials. Tappsa National Conference and Exhibition, Durban, South Africa.

NKOMBA E, TYHODA L, CHIMPHANGO A, GÖRGENS JF. 2013. Fractionation of Eucalyptus grandis and sugarcane bagasse by combination of ionic liquids or ethanol with alkaline treatment to produce functional cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin products. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry, Vancouver (BC),

PAPTAC.

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POSTMA D, CHIMPHANGO AFA, GÖRGENS JF, TYHODA L. 2013.

Chemical modification of xylan biopolymers for application at wet-end

paper additives. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

TYHODA, L, RYPSTRA T, DU TOIT B, FISCHER K, LIEBNER F. 2013. Ammoxidized steam exploded lignin tested on Eucalyptus marcarthurii and Acacia mearnsii tree seedlings as a high grade slow nitrogen release fertiliser. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry, Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

TYHODA L, RYPSTRA T, FISCHER K, LIEBNER F. 2013. Synthetic humic materials from lignin based by-products of the South African pulp and paper industry: Synthesis and properties. 9th International

Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries, Antwerp, Belgium.

VENA PF, GARCIA M, BRIENZO M, GÖRGENS JF, RYPSTRA T, TYHODA L. 2013. Hemicelluloses extraction from South African grown

Eucalyptus grandis prior to Kraft pulping to produce paper pulps and value added biopolymers. The 17th International Symposium on Wood, Fibre and Pulping Chemistry, Vancouver (BC), PAPTAC.

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Service on boards and committees, memberships Ackerman, Pierre Coordinator of the International Precision Forestry Steering committee

and initiative Member of the International Forest Engineering Conference Steering

committee

Member of the South African Institute of Forestry Member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Forest

Engineering

Advisory Board member of the School of Natural Resource Management, NMMU (Saasveld)

du Toit, Ben Council member of Southern African Institute of Forestry Deputy coordinator of IUFRO Division 1.02.05 (Silviculture

and management in arid and semi-arid regions) Editorial board member of Forest Ecology and Management Ham, Cori Member of Southern African Institute of Forestry

Member of African Forest Forum

Member of the Wood Foundation

Ham, Hannél Chair SAIF Western Cape 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) Meincken, Martina Subject editor for “Wood Science and Wood Products” at the

European Journal of Forest Research Member of SAIF Member of the Microscopic Society of Southern Africa Member of the Society of Wood Science and Technology

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Seifert, Thomas Chairperson of the Department of Forest and Wood Science

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

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

Advisory Board Member of the School of Natural Resource Management, NMMU (Saasveld)

Board member of the Central Analytical Facilities, Stellenbosch University Tyhoda, Luvuyo Vice Chairperson of the South African Institute of Forestry (Western

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

Africa (TAPPSA)

Member of the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA)

Member of the International Research Group on Wood Protection Layout & editing: Jeanne Roux & Lise Gleasure Graphics: Di Johnson-Ackerman