The goal of this work was to study the effect of pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, in the mechanical properties of maritime pine wood, Pinus pinaster, assessed by the modulus of elasticity in bending (MOE) and wood density in boards of sound wood, naturally infected wood and artificially inoculated wood. Each treatment was characterized regarding PWN degree of infection, considering its number per unit of dry weight, studied for a period of three months of infection evolution. The average of PWN in the 15 studied boards of infected wood was, in sapwood, 49,45±57,99 MNP/g dw, with no PWN detected at heartwood. Sound wood inoculation was not very successful, as only 33 % of the number of boards was actually infected, with a μ ± sd of 7,91±14,85 MNP/g dw. There were significant differences between the density of the sound or inoculated woods, 0,54 g/cm3, and the infected wood, 0,63 g/cm3. Nevertheless, no significant differences were found between the average MOE of sound wood, 7 100 MPa, and infected wood, 7 451 MPa, nor between the ones of sound or inoculated, 6 825 MPa. Therefore, there is no evidence, that the infection with PWN affects the MOE of maritime pine wood

Mestrado em Engenharia Florestal e dos Recursos Naturais - Instituto Superior de Agronomia