Pictures can say 1000 words, so they are great for explaining the complex world of mathematical modelling. With US collaborators, Scion scientist Dr Christine Todoroki has created colour maps of wood properties within 20 individual Douglas-fir trees. The maps show that density and stiffness change both up and across each tree. Models of within-tree wood properties will allow manufacturers to choose the most appropriate logs for production of materials such as laminated veneers and structural plywood.

See Todoroki, C. L., Lowell, E. C., Dykstra, D., & Briggs, D. G. (2012). Maps and models of density and stiffness within individual Douglas-fir trees. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science, 42, 1-13 for more detail on this novel approach. www.scionresearch.com/nzjfs