I got this pine this week, the top of the tree had blown off in last weeks storm, these were still standing. I`m not sure if the cracking is from shake, stress, or both, still looks like a lot of salvageable lumber to me...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18098/pine_shake_1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1509806332)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18098/pine_shake2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1509806403)
Not home so can't look up the latin name,but white pine?
If so I kinda doubt shake. I have sold logs and cut probably the same amount for firewood,never seen shake in a white pine like that.
The tree may have split when it was felled!
It is white pine, I wasn`t sure if shake affected it, could be from the wind or dropping it..
From the first picture it looks like it must have been a standing dead tree. If it was it was most likely damage from felling the tree.
I think it's mostly a stress crack from the tree falling. Wood in a dead tree is more brittle and more likely to crack when it hits the ground.
But you can also see how the crack has followed a semi-circle section of growth rings, and those rings have a different colour. That's more indicative of "shake". Maybe "something" happened early in the trees history. Fire / lightning strike etc. Didn't kill the tree, but weakened that growth ring. The tree recovered and kept growing normally, but left that weak ring.
That's my theory anyway. :D
And yes if you can saw around the crack, the rest of the wood should be OK.
I've seen Pondarosa and lodgepole pine do that but only when standing dead.
I have seen shake in W Pine a time or two.
That's shake and when the tree was cut it landed on something to crack it , or someone pulling the tree out bent the thing too far around a bump tree.
Had one today.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/SAM_1622.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1510095665)