DETERMINING FIBER COARSENESS OF SMALL WOOD SAMPLES FROM ACACIA-MEARNSII AND EUCALYPTUS-GRANDIS BY KAJAANI FS-200 FIBER ANALYZER

Within-tree variation of fibre coarseness was studied in an eight year old, plantation grown tree of each of Acacia mearnsii De Wild and Enc alyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden. The trees were sampled at six height l evels. A radial strip was prepared from each sample disc and pulped cl amped between perforated plates. Fibre coarseness was measured with a Kajaani FS 200 fibre analyser Oven dry mass of fibres in the dilute su spensions was determined using Millipore filters. A. mearnsii had fine r fibres than E. grandis (4.2 compared with 6.2 mg/100 m). Fibre coars eness increased with height in A. mearnsii but decreased with height i n E. grandis. With distance from pith, coarseness increased in E. gran dis, and was constant for A. mearnsii.