Dr John Davidson Wood Property Studies E. deglupta. (Kamarere)

Dr John Davidson undertook detailed wood properties research on E. deglupta (kamarere) as part of his PhD research studies back in the early 1970’s with awarding of his Ph.D. thesis submitted to Australian National University, Canberra of 1972 titled: Variation, association, and inheritance of morphological and wood characters in an improvement programme for Eucalyptus deglupta Blume.

Some of John’s work was highlighted in 1997 with the CSIRO papers38 re pulping and papermaking potential of plantation grown E. deglupta.

Aims of the experimental work undertaken during his PhD and subsequent studies included:

• Fibre length and density of the wood of E. deglupta.

• Determination of within tree variation in wood density.

• How the wood of an individual tree could be characterised by a single representative non-destructive bark to pith sample removed from a living tree.

• Explore the variation of a number of important parameters in the wood of E. deglupta within small samples (1 cc in volume) and determine how this variation could be assessed to derive sample average values.

• To use sample average values to determine the degrees of association among the measured parameters.

• To try and characterise the small samples by use of only a few of the measured parameters and relate as many as possible to wood density, a complex variable already studied.

• To use representative sampling to investigate variation in wood properties among trees, and among geographic areas.

• To determine the relative importance of genotype and environment as causes of observed variation in wood and morphological characters by imposing a number of different environmental treatments on seedlings and young clonal material.

• To use the genetic information obtained to determine which characters would be of value in selection of desirable trees in a tree improvement programme. vii. To determine phenotypic correlations among the characters used for selection.

This work is described in his excellent articles in his dissertation: RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – a parallel journey39 Parts 1- 8

38 Papers described page 54.

39 Accompaniment Rainbow Eucalypt Man – a parallel Journey. PNGAF Mag Issue #9B-5B 4D3 Dr John Davidson Parts 1-4 of 22nd Nov 2022 and parts 5-8 of 23rd Nov 2022.

Part 1 RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – 1967

Page 44 – (1967) confirmation of E. deglupta as a major native tree species for continuing study

Part 2 RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – 1968

Page 47-56 – (1968) examination of wood properties of E. deglupta

Page 85 – (1968) wood density variation E. deglupta

Part 3 RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – 1968 to 1972

Page 96 – (1968) report re fibre length and density

Page 107-116 - (1969) - wood fibres research activities

Page 117 – (1970) wood sampling in standing trees at Kerevat.

Page 127 – (1971) - wood density among random and candidate populations of trees.

Page 133 – (1971) – Investigation of heart rot in E deglupta.

Part 5 RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – 1973

Page 192 – (1973) Heartwood decay in E deglupta.

Part 8 RAINBOW EUCALYPT MAN – (1993-2019)

Finally in 1997, CSIRO published accompanying papers re pulping and papermaking potential of plantation grown E. deglupta.

Harries, E.D.; Phillips, F.H.; Logan, A.F. 1997: The pulping and papermaking potential of plantation-grown Eucalyptus deglupta from Papua New Guinea. Part 1. Pulpwood characteristics Journal of Tropical Forest Products 2(2): 199-215

Phillips, F.H.; Logan, A.F.; Harries, E.D. 1997: The pulping and papermaking potential of plantation-grown Eucalyptus deglupta from Papua New Guinea. Part 2. Sulphate and NSSC pulps from wood of various ages Journal of Tropical Forest Products 3(1): 20-42

Phillips, F.H.; Logan, A.F.; Harries, E.D.; Hansen, N.W. 1997. The pulping and papermaking potential of plantation-grown Eucalyptus deglupta from Papua New Guinea. Part 3. The suitability of pulpwood from different provenances Journal of Tropical Forest Products 3(2): 129-141. 1997.

Eight provenances of Eucalyptus deglupta were planted in experimental plots by the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Department of Forests at Baku in Madang Province near the Gogol wood chip export industry harvesting area. Six of the provenances were sampled at age 3.7 years to provide stem wood, stem wood with bark and whole tree above ground (excluding leaves and twigs) samples for pulping and papermaking evaluation. All provenances gave satisfactory unbleached sulphate pulps for papermaking.

Col Levy International Tropical Wood Preservation Seminar July 1975

Col Levy organised an international Tropical Wood Preservation Seminar 4-24th July 1975 at FPRC Hohola Port Moresby.

Acronyms

ACT Australian Capital Territory

ADB Asian Development Bank

ADD Air Dry Density

AFPNG Association of Foresters of PNG

AFS Australian Forestry School

AIF Australian Infantry Forces

AMF Australian Military Forces

ANBG Australian National Botanical Gardens

ANGAU Australian New Guinea Administrative Unit

ANU Australian National University

APM Australian Paper Manufacturers

APPM Australia Paper and Pulp Manufacturers

ATIBT Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux

AusAID Australian Aid Agency

BA basal area

BCOF British Commonwealth Occupational Force 1945-52

“Beer Time” Any time.

BFC Bulolo Forestry College

BGD Bulolo Gold Dredging Company

BNGD British New Guinea Development (Company Limited)

BUC Bulolo University College

C Commonwealth cm centimetre

CALM Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management

CFA Commonwealth Forestry Association

CNGT Commonwealth New Guinea Timbers Bulolo

CO2 carbon dioxide

CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation

DASF Dept of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries

DBH/ dbh Diameter at breast height

DEPT Department

DOF Department of Forests

DSB Dispute Settlement Body e.g. For example

ENB East New Britain Province.

Etc et cetera (more of the same)

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation

F &TB Forest and Timber Bureau Canberra

FRI Forest Research Institute Lae

Forkol Bulolo Forestry College

FD Forest Department

FOB free on board

FPRC Forest Products Research centre Hohola Dept of Forests PNG

GAB Girth above buttress

Gbhob Girth breast height over bark

Gubab Girth under bark above buttress