In order to discover the meaning of the term sapwood, the first thing we have to do is know its etymological origin. In this case, we can emphasize that it is a word that derives from Latin, specifically from “albura”, which means “very white”. It is considered that this is the result of the sum of two clearly differentiated parts:
-The adjective “albus”, which can be translated as “white”.
-The suffix “-ura”, which is used to express “result”.
The first meaning mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) refers to the ideal whiteness of something. The concept, in any case, is usually used in the field of botany .
In this case, the sapwood is the soft sector that makes up the youngest rings of the wood. This is the whitish layer that is located under the bark. When it is said that the wood has double sapwood , we are referring to a defect that causes the texture to be looser than usual in certain layers.
Sapwood houses a high level of humidity since it has low density and is permeable. It combines dead cells with others that remain active in terms of their physiological action. When these parenchyma cells die, the sapwood becomes heartwood, remaining in the central area of the trunk.
In addition to providing support to the structure of the tree, sapwood allows the storage of certain useful substances and facilitates the distribution of sap .
In the wood industry, sapwood analysis is essential as it determines the strength of the wood. The usual thing is that the sapwood enters a state of putrefaction before the heartwood; In addition, being soft, it makes it difficult to carry out different jobs . That is why when a technical report is developed on a wood, the characteristics of the sapwood and heartwood are usually specified to make its properties known.
From the aforementioned heartwood we can determine that it is the innermost part that exists in the stem of the trees, which is formed from the sapwood and which has a darker color than this. In the same way, we cannot forget that it is commonly known as “the heart of the wood.”
Furthermore, we must not overlook that the heartwood is resistant, hard and much heavier than the part in question. What's more, it is considered to be great when it comes to dealing with attacks from both insects and fungi.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that Albura is the name of an association in the town of Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid). It has been in operation for more than 25 years and is specifically defined as a Recreational Sports Cultural Association whose aim is to promote the educational part of any outdoor activity.
Multi-adventure or surf camps are some of the proposals carried out by this entity for the little ones.