Natural durability of wood of seven forest species of El Salto, Durango

Abstract

In order to lay the foundations for a proper use of wood, it is important to know its natural durability under the action of both biotic and abiotic agents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the natural durability of the wood of Pinus durangensis, P. cooperi, P. strobiformis, P. teocote, Juniperus deppeana, Arbutus spp. and Quercus sideroxyla from the region of El Salto, Durango, through rapid assessments (soil microcosm and exposure to degrading fungi). The durability in soil microcosms was considered as the loss of mass and dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOE_dyn). For exposure to fungi, only the loss of mass was taken into account. According to the European Standard EN 350-1, the results of the durability in the soil microcosm classify the wood into three categories: moderately durable (Juniperus deppeana, P. cooperi and P. durangensis), scarcely durable (P. teocote) and not durable (P. strobiformis, Quercus sideroxyla and Arbutus spp.). In relation to the loss of the MOEdyn, the four species of pine and Juniperus deppeana had the lowest value, with an average 8.77 %; while Quercus sideroxyla and Arbutus spp. had up to 25.63 %. As for the exposure to fungi, Trametes versicolor degraded the wood to a larger extent, with 16.15 % of mass loss. Quercus sideroxyla had a high degree of degradation, with 32.57 %.