Wood properties of Abizia zygia and Anogeissus leiocarpus: medium category wood species found in timber markets in Nigeria.

Abstract

The decreasing availability of commonly used wood species has made wider industrial application of lesser used wood species imperative in Nigeria. The categorization of wood species commonly found in the timber market on the basis of acceptability and extent of usage is expected to foster utilization of the lesser used wood species.  In this study, the wood properties of Albizia  zygia and Anogeissus leiocarpus, two medium category wood species were examined.  The mean wood density of A. zygia was 818kg/m³.  The mean fibre length was 1.22mm.  The mean volume fractions of heartwood, sapwood and bark were 49.19%, 40.04% and 10.77% respectively.  The result of the quantitative characterization of the anatomical elements of the wood species shows the proportion of fibres, vessels, axial and ray parenchyma cells as 36%, 7.38%, 23.3% and 30.0% respectively.  The result shows the wood of A. zygia to be durable and may not require extensive preservative treatment before deployment for service.   The wood density of A. leiocarpus is also high at 731kg/m³.  However, the result of the volume fractions of heartwood, sapwood and bark  at 6.12%, 87.80% and 6.08%, coupled with mean volume fractions of fibres, vessels, axial and ray parenchyma cells at 32.2%, 22..3%, 25.1% and 32.2% respectively indicated that the wood may require adequate preservative treatment to endure in service.

Keywords: heartwood, sapwood, bark, vessels, axial and ray parenchyma.