In recent years, the natural disturbances, accompanied by bark beetle infestations and disease outbreaks, cause extensive damage to forests, reducing wood quality and usability. Dead woody biomass and bark beetle-attacked trees represent an important but underutilized source of extractives. The aim of this doctoral dissertation was to investigate the content of extractives in the tissues of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees attacked by the spruce bark beetle (Ips spp.) and in trees damaged in a windstorm in 2017, compared to healthy reference trees. Sampling was carried out in the Plešivška kopa and Plešivec areas in 2021 and 2022. After harvesting, 3-5 discs were dissected along the trunks, from which sapwood, heartwood, knotwood, and bark samples were isolated. The samples were extracted using the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Lipophilic and hydrophilic extractives were determined gravimetrically, total phenols and proanthocyanidins by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC, and the lipophilic extractives by GC-MSD. The content of hydrophilic extractives in all investigated groups was the highest in the knots, followed by bark and sapwood, and lowest in heartwood, while lipophilic extractives were the highest in the bark, followed by knots and sapwood, and lowest in heartwood. Total phenols were the highest in the knots (87,53 mg/g, 71,67 mg/g, 71,43 mg/g). The bark was rich with proanthocyanidins. Lignans were predominant phenolic compounds, especially in knots, particularly isolariciresinol, while taxifolin was the most abundant flavonoid in knots and bark. Dehydroabietic acid was the most abundant resin acid, especially in knots of dead woody biomass, while increased contents of abietic and isopimaric acid were also found in the bark of bark beetle-attacked trees. The study showed that this underappreciated and underutilized woody biomass is a valuable source for of extractives, and its possibility of biorefining can significantly increase the sustainable utilization of forests and improve the use of low-quality wood.
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