Bucur V.

This lecture presents several acoustic methods effective for examining physical properties of wood, as a living material. Three main aspects are commented: 'Environmental acoustics' associated with the propagation of acoustic waves in forest 'Material characterization' related to anisotropy, global and local mechanical properties 'Wood quality' related to the development of nondestructive methods for the characterization of wood products and defect detection For efficient use of wood in the future three major areas need to be addressed: the development of efficient nondestructive techniques, the improvement of natural qualities of wood through the modification of its properties with different treatments, and the development of new products corresponding to the requirements of modern society.