Fiber morphology in fast growth Gmelina arborea plantations

Abstract

Gmelina arborea is planted in large areas of forest with the objective of producing solid wood using well known silvicultural techniques and taking advantage of the properties of the wood quality of fast-growing tree species managed in short rotation systems. The aim of this study was to analyze the morphology and dimension of fibers from the pith to the bark in trees from fast growth plantations in northern Costa Rica.The results indicate that fiber morphology is irregular in both diameter and shape; with 1 to 4 septa, abundant crystals deposited in fiber lumina and minutely bordered pits with oblique and nonvestured apertures. Fiber length, width and cell wall thickness increased with tree age in the early stages. Lumen diameter was not correlated with tree age. KEY WORDS:Fiber width, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, fiber length. RESUMENGmelina arborea se planta en grandes áreas de bosques con el objetivo de producir madera sólida mediante el uso de técnicas silvícolas bien conocidas, así como para aprovechar las ventajas de las propiedades de la calidad de la madera de especies arbóreas de rápido crecimiento y manejadas por sistemas de rotación corta. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la morfología y dimensión de las fibras, desde la médula hasta la corteza, en los árboles de rápido crecimiento de las plantaciones del norte de Costa Rica. Los resultados indican que la morfología de la fibra es irregular, tanto en diámetro como en forma; con 1 a 4 septa, cristales abundantes que se depositan en los lúmenes de la fibra y con hendiduras minuciosamente bordeadas con orificios no cubiertos y oblicuos. La longitud y ancho de la fibra y el grosor de la pared celular se incrementaron con la edad del árbol en las etapas tempranas. El diámetro del lumen no se correlacionó con la edad del árbol.PALABRAS CLAVE: Anchura de la fibra, diámetro del lumen, grosor de la pared celular, longitud de la fibra.

Comparative studies of fibres of woody species selected in relation to their paper-making potentials

“…The fibre length of G. arborea of 1.5 mm average observed in the present study corroborates the report of Moya, Tomazelo and Canessa (2007), therefore strengthening the reliability of our data. The result from the present study on the fibre length shows that the average fibre length (L) of A. boonei was 1.70 mm.…”

“…This observation indicates that papers produced from wood fibres of A. boonei is likely to have high tear resistance than those from the other wood samples studied. The fibre diameter of G. arborea observed in this study was higher than that reported by Moya et al (2007) and Ogunkunle (2010). Okereke (1962) reported that fibre with large diameter and broad lumen diameter ensures better collapsibility and therefore provides enough bonding surface during paper production.…”

VARIATION OF THE ANATOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF Anthocleista grandiflora WOOD AS A FUNCTION OF TREE AGE AND TRUNK POSITION

“…The species Antocleista grandiflora Gilg is native to the African continent, being found mainly in the countries of South Africa, South Sudan, Cameroon, and Comoros (KEW SCIENCE, 2021). Belonging to the Gentianaceae family, this plant species shows excellent growth in humid tropical biome regions, and its height can vary between 5 and 25 meters (NOTTEN, 2014;KEW SCIENCE, 2021;ROTICH et al, 2022). According to Mudau et al (2022), the roots and stems are extracted in fresh or dried states.…”