Susceptibility of Populus x euramericana ?I-214? of Spanish origin to xylophagous attacks: durability tests for its possible inclusion in European standards

SPAVENTO ELEANA; MURACE MONICA; ACUÑA LUIS; MONTEOLIVA SILVIA; TROYA FRANCO TERESA

Forest Systems

INIA

Lugar: MAdrid; Año: 2019 vol. 28

Aim of study: to assess the natural durability of Populus x euramericana ?I-214? against xylophagous fungi and termites, and to carry out a macro-microscopic analysis of the alterations caused by each xylophagous agent in order to get the necessary information for its possible inclusion in existing European standards.Area of study: we worked with Populus x euramericana?I-214? from a 20-year-old commercial plantation located in Quintanilla de Sollamas (42° 36′ 00″N - 05° 49′ 00″ W), Spanish community of Castile-Leon.Material and methods: material sampling and selection was carried out following EN 350:2016 for commercial sawn timber. Poplar resistance to xylophagous basidiomycete fungi, soft rot fungi and subterranean termites was determined according to CEN/TS 15083-1:2005, CEN/TS 15083-2:2005 and EN 117:2012, respectively. The durability class was assessed according to EN 350:2016 and the use class was estimated according to EN 335: 2013. The anatomical studies were carried out with Optical and Scanning Electron Microscope. Material characterization was carried out by reference to Anagnost (1998) and Schwarze (2007).Main results: ?I-214? poplar wood proved to be ?Not-durable? to the action of basidiomycetes, soft-rot fungi and termites, use classes 1-2, and showed macro-microscopic evidence of these types of decay. Mass loss due to fungi ranged from 20 to 55% and to termites from 11 to 22%.Research highlights: it is expected that the information obtained will allow the inclusion of clone I-214 in the standard EN 350 and its explicit classification within it.