Wood Fibre Characteristics of Pedunculate Oak (Quercus R obur L.) Growing in Different Ecological Conditions

Abstract

Anatomical properties of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) wood have not been previously investigated in Serbia, so bearing in mind economic-productive and ecological significance of this species, it was one of the main reasons why this research was conducted. In this paper, fibre length (FL), double cell-wall thickness (DCWT) and fibre lumen diameter (FLD) were measured in pedunculate oak wood from two different sites. The study was conducted at two sites (Donji Srem – MU „Raškovica-Smogvica” and Gornji Srem – MU „Kupinske grede”), situated along the Sava River and characterised by different ecological conditions, including flooding regimes. Measurements were conducted in radial direction, from pith to bark, in order to assess variation of investigated characteristics with cambial age, between two sites and between individual trees within each site. All measured characteristics from both sites increase going from pith to bark apart from FL in the area of Donji Srem – MU „Kupinske grede” that reaches maximum value in the central part of xylem and then decreases. Hydrological site conditions affect the dimensions of pedunculate oak wood fibres and these values are a bit higher in Gornji Srem – MU „Raškovica-Smogvica”, due to a greater quantity of available water.