Determination of the natural durability of larch wood (Larix decidua Mill.) from the Western Italian Alps

This paper deals with the wood natural durability of Larix decidua Mill., an important forest resource in Piedmont, northwestern Italy, which provides timber of good technological value for the national industry. The natural durability of this specie has been a subject of discussion for many years due to the difficult of comparing data obtained through different testing methods s and to their large variability. Since this property might depends not only on the genotype but also on the provenance of the tested material, that can introduce several factors of influence, aim of the work was to consider the natural durability of this wood from local populations in order to check its performance in terms of resistance to fungal degradation and to compare the results with those available in the literature from similar analysis made on other European stands (mainly artificial) characterized of different growing conditions than those of the alpine areas.