Was Silver Fir (Abies alba) Wood Favoured during Early Construction in Austria

Conifers were predominantly used historically in timber construction in Austria, with the preferred wood species changing with time and across regions. We investigated the historical preference for silver fir ( Abies alba ) wood in Austrian construction to understand the factors influencing these preferences. We analysed a database containing over 13 916 dendrochronologically dated building samples from Austria, focusing on the period from 1284 to 1938 CE . In addition, 128 objects from the Waldviertel region were thoroughly examined. Our analysis revealed that the buildings were exclusively constructed of silver fir wood before 1445 CE , whereas spruce ( Picea abies ) wood was only used after 1445 CE . Historical descriptions and modern test results indicate that the quality of spruce and silver fir wood are similar, providing no technical reason for preferring one over the other. The regional pollen profiles were examined to relate the observed wood preference to local forest history, which showed a decrease in silver fir pollen content that was accompanied by an increase in cereal pollen content during the medieval period, indicating a shift in land use from forest to agriculture. The preference of construction timber shifted from silver fir wood before 1445 CE to spruce wood thereafter. This change in wood preference may have been related to a change in the local availability of these tree species due to overexploitation or changing climatic conditions. Further research is needed to determine the exact causes of this shift in wood use preference

Abies alba · Douglas fir · Overexploitation · Pollen · Preference · Wood production · Tree-ring climate responses · Wood and Agarwood Research · Wood Treatment and Properties