External quality of the saw timber stock of Scots pine and Norway spruce in Finland and France

A comparison was made of the external quality (dimensions, stem form, saw timber percentage) and ring width at breast height of saw timber stock of Scots pine and Norway spruce in Finland and northeastern France (Alsace). The analyses were based on 100 saw timber trees sampled for this study, and the results were compared with data from previous studies and national forest inventories. Despite being younger, the French saw timber trees, particularly pines, were on average considerably larger than the Finnish trees in terms of DBH, length, total volume, and volume and percentage of saw timber section. If knots are considered (according to the Finnish minimum quality requirements) the difference in average saw timber percentage was smaller, especially for pine, than when only diameter requirements are considered. The saw timber section meeting the minimum diameter requirements also completely met the quality requirements in a smaller percentage of the French than the Finnish trees. The taper in the lower tree section was larger in France than in Finland, but the situation was reversed in the upper parts for both species. At the same DBH, the Finnish saw timber trees were generally older than the French trees. Accordingly, diameter growth was considerably slower and ring width smaller in Finland than in France. This concerned spruce, in particular, but also pine. The Finnish saw timber was therefore of better quality than that sampled in France.