Moisture content is an important factor affecting the quality of stored roundwood in the southeastern United States. The effectiveness of water sprinkling systems on radial and longitudinal moisture content gradients in logs was studied using artificial neural network modeling. Moisture contents for four pulpwood species under sprinkled and un-sprinkled treatments were sampled over a seven-month period.Sensitivity analyses revealed that species, number of days in storage, and distance from the core had the greatest influence on moisture contents. Position of the bolt in the tree showed a moderate influence but probably not enough to warrant separate treatment of top and butt sections in the woodyard.Drying occurred along the entire length of the 1.52-meter bolts and not just at bolt ends. Drying at bolt ends exhibited a steeper gradient than in the middle of the bolt but was not a significant factor in overall moisture loss. These results suggest that woodyard treatments that seal or wet only log ends would not effectively control moisture loss.Loblolly pine maintained considerably higher and more stable moisture contents than the three hardwood species. Trends for loblolly pine bark indicate that it may play a role in the stability of the log's wood moisture content. Further study is needed to determine if sprinkling schedules for loblolly pine could be reduced or modified if stored separately from hardwoods. Water sprinkling for hardwoods should begin as soon as possible after harvest.
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