Abstract
10 years old Platanus occidentalis L. had been fallen from Ninava plantation forest to examine the effect of stem height and diameter levels and their interactions on fiber length, fiber lumen diameter, fiber length/diameter ratio, rankle ratio and specific gravity. The results indicated that generally the highest means of fiber length, fiber length/diameter ratio and specific gravity were at the 1st height level (0.3m), then these means decreased gradually by increasing height levels and it reached the lowest mean values at 8th height level (14.3m). the effect of height on fiber diameter, fiber cell thickness and rankle ratio was found to be the lowest mean values at the 1st height level (0.3m), then these means began to increase as height level increased until it reached the highest values at the 5th height level (8.3m), then the mean values of fiber diameter and fiber cell wall thickness decreased gradually until the 8th height level (14.3m), while the lowest mean value rankle ratio was at 7th height level (12.3m) then its value increased a little at the 8th height level. The effect of diameter levels on studied properties showed that the lowest mean fiber length and fiber length/diameter ratio were at the pith, then it decreased gradually until it reached the highest value at the 4th diameter level (near the park). Also it was found that the lowest fiber diameter and fiber cell wall thickness was near the pith, then it increased gradually until it reached the highest value at the 3rd diameter level, then it decreased for little value at the 4th diameter level. The lowest rankle ratio was near the pith, then it increased gradually as the distance get closer to the park. The results also showed that the highest specific gravity was near the pith, then it decreased gradually as the distance become closer to the park until it reached the lowest mean value at the 4th diameter level.
