The goal of this paper was to investigate the possibility and verify the use of the software product “Image J” for the evaluation of the selected qualitative characters of wood as a renewable natural resource. For this purpose, the qualitative character “false heartwood” in beech wood was selected and evaluated in the sample of 63 logs. The aim was to compare the assessment of this qualitative character as it is performed today, namely by visual evaluation, against the use of the software product “Image J”, which is considered to be more precise in assessing this qualitative character. The difference in quality grades of wood assortments between the two methods has also been quantified, as well as the potential economic benefi ts in the practical use of this software product. The possibilities of its use in the evaluation and measurement of other wood qualitative characters have been described, specifi cally those in which the quantification of the affected area is decisive. The results clearly demonstrate that the current visual evaluation of these qualitative characters is not adequately precise and that therefore, in some cases, it underestimates the quality of timber.

Cilj ovog rada bio je istražiti mogućnosti i provjeriti primjenu programa ImageJ za vrednovanje odabranih kvalitativnih obilježja drva kao obnovljivoga prirodnog resursa. Za tu svrhu odabrano je kvalitativno obilježje trupaca bukve, tzv. lažna srž, i ocijenjeno na uzorku od 63 trupca. Cilj je bio usporediti procjenu toga kvalitativnog obilježja metodom koja se danas primjenjuje, tj. vizualnom metodom, s metodom u kojoj se primjenjuje softverski proizvod ImageJ, za koju se predviđa da je preciznija u procjeni toga kvalitativnog obilježja. Određena je razlika u kvaliteti razreda različitih drvnih sortimenata procijenjena tim dvjema metodama, te utvrđene potencijalne ekonomske koristi od praktične primjene toga softverskog proizvoda. Opisane su mogućnosti primjene softvera u ocjenjivanju i mjerenju drugih kvalitativnih obilježja drva, posebno onih u kojima je odlučujuća kvantifikacija površine. Rezultati jasno pokazuju da je sadašnja vizualna procjena kvalitativnih obilježja nedovoljno precizna te da je u nekim slučajevima kvaliteta drva podcjenjena.