Moisture content and basic wood density of nine commercial Amazonian tree species

The aim of this work was to group species with similar moisture content and basic wood density in order to compose mixed species loads for industrial kiln drying. Nine tree species with three repetitions each were sampled at an Upland Forest in Central Amazonia. For all the species the moisture content was the same for top and base portions of the trunk, which gives stability during wood drying processes. The basic wood density values varied from 0,561 to 0,904 g cm(-3). The species were divided in three groups based on basic density and moisture content; the first one included the species Minquartia guianensis, Lecythis poiteaui, Mezilaurus itauba, Manilkara huberi and Brosimum rubescens which are considered dificult or slow drying heavy woods (density ranging between 0,835 to 0,904 g cm(-3)). The second group was composed with the species Clarisia racemosa and Ocotea rubra (avarage density of 0,665 and 0,720 g cm(-3), respectively), the third group includes Parkia paraensis and Brasimum parinarioides that showed average density and were considered fast drying woods (density of 0,561 e 0,588 g cm(-3), respectively).