Analysis of wood preferences for furniture production in Pinar del Río and Artemisa, Cuba

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the main preferred woods for the furniture manufacture in the provinces of Pinar del Rio and Artemisa. The method used to measure the preferences of the specialists was the so-called Hierarchical Analysis Process through the application of a survey to 350 individuals related to the consumption of wooden articles. The results obtained allowed us to define that the most preferred woods for the production of furniture are Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq., Cedrela odorata L., Cordia gerascanthus (L.) Moldenke, Hibiscus elatus L. y Tectona grandis Sw. From the application of the hierarchical analysis of the species selection process, it is stated that the most accepted species is Swietenia mahagoni, presenting an acceptance range of 100 %. Respondents also state that the attributes associated with quality aspects have a great impact on the preference of the product over the designs, when the furniture is made of solid wood. Based on the forest management project of the Costa Sur (Artemisa), Pinar del Río and Macurije (Pinar del Rio) agroforestry companies, it was defined that Pinus caribaea var caribaea, Eucalyptus saligna, Samanea saman, Gmelina arborea y Acacia mangium have the potential to be used in the furniture industry based on their volumes and permanence in the forest heritage of the companies studied.