Elaboración de un procedimiento de obtención de imágenes digitales de muestras de madera para su análisis informático con WinDENDRO™

Abstract

Extensive scientific literature on forest modelling provides information about the conditions for the growth and evolution of the stands –natural or not– of the studied species, Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl. (Sessile Oak). This information derives mainly from field inventories and from data obtained by using different techniques, such as stem analysis. The purpose of this paper is to explore dendrochronological studies, which provide the information required to perform stem analysis. The present paper analyses and proposes how to improve the techniques applied to measurement of wood samples, by using computer tools (WinDendro™). In order to make the presented method applicable to all species and not only to species with high contrast between growth rings, the species selected as a model was Quercus petraea, a deciduous hardwood of slow growth. The vast majority of conifers show high contrast between growth rings, but in Quercus petraea, growth rings are difficult to see. Therefore, techniques such as sanding, brushing, contrast enhancement by wetting, and digital photography had to be used to obtain a quality image for subsequent processing. In the last part of the present study, the method proposed is applied to a specific tree, and an example of the measurements obtained is provided