Influence of wood anatomy on moisture content, shrinkage and during defects in Vochysia guatemalensis Donn Sm

Vochysia guatemalensis is a native species widely used in Costa Rica for commercial purposes. When this species is processed into lumber and kiln dried, it develops severe defects and the moisture content is not uniform. This research studies the influence of several wood anatomy characteristics (fiber and ray dimensions, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, and diameter, frequency and percentage of pores) on moisture content, shrinkage, and drying defects. The results showed that the initial moisture content (MCi) averaged 159%, ranging from 98% to 281%. Vessel diameter was the only anatomical feature affecting green moisture content. Moisture content after drying (MCf) averaged 13.1%, ranging from 10 to 24%, and was influenced by MCi and by the distance from the pith. However, it was not affected by any of the wood anatomical characteristics analyzed. It was found that drying defects, such as warps, checks and splits, were influenced by some anatomical features like vessel frequency and ray height; however, their influence tends to disappear under the effect of other variables such as distance from pith and MCf.