scholarly journals Germination rates of four Chilean forest trees seeds: Quillaja saponaria, Prosopis chilensis, Vachellia caven, and Caesalpinia spinosa

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1446
Author(s):  
Âlvaro Plaza ◽  
Miguel Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Broad Sense ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Forest Research ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Quillaja Saponaria ◽  
Prosopis Chilensis

Data on the germination rates of four tree species, natively founded in the Chilean Mediterranean-climate zone, were determined by germination in crop chambers. The obtained data were used to interpolate or extrapolate the time taken for 50% of seeds to germinate in each case. These results are useful for regional native forest research and, in a broad sense, for its use in models to study germination dynamics in Mediterranean-climate zones.

Identification of the preferred areas for animal burrowing activity with regard to the land cover, topography and soil properties using very high resolution WorldView-2 and LiDAR data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Grigusova ◽  
Annegret Larsen ◽  
Alexander Klug ◽  
Diana Kraus ◽  
Peter Chifflard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Lidar Data ◽  
Vegetation Distribution ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Topographic Features

<p>Bioturbation is assumed to be coupled with vegetation, soil properties and topography. The soil properties influence the amount of nutrients needed for plant growth and determine the resistance of the soil to the burrowing itself and to the burrow stability. Vegetation provides food and shelter for the animals. At the same time, the burrowing destroys the plant roots while the animal presence and changed vegetation distribution affect soil properties. Additionally, the soil properties and vegetation also depend on topographic features as height, aspect or curvature.</p><p>This relation between the bioturbation, soil properties and topography are to date understudied, in particular how and if the co-dependencies differ between various climate zones. High resolution remote sensing data provide here a sufficient method to study these dependencies as the soil characteristics change rapidly on microscale. However, the application of fused high resolution WorldView-2 data and LiDAR data for the prediction of bioturbation and soil properties are completely missing.</p><p>In our study we used WorldView-2 and LiDAR data with a resolution of 0.5m for a machine learning based prediction of visible indicators of bioturbation activity (number of holes and mounds) and related soil properties. We obtained a land cover classification from the WorldView-2 data and topographic features from the LiDAR data. We then analyzed the relationship between bioturbation, soil properties, land cover and topography in arid, semi-arid and Mediterranean climate zone in Chile.</p><p>For this, we measured the number of holes and mounds created by burrowing animals within 60 plots of 10mx10m randomly dispersed on six hillsides in the three climate zones. On each hillside, 20 soil samples were taken in regular distances from the crest to the bottom of each hillside. The soil samples were analyzed for soil skeleton fraction, above ground skeletal fraction, nine soil texture classes, bulk density, water content, organic carbon, porosity, erodibility and skin factor. We carried out an orographic and topographic correction of the WorldView-2 images and classified the land cover into soil, rocks, cacti, shrub, trees and palms. We calculated several topographic features from the LiDAR data as height, slope, aspect, curvature, surface roughness and flow direction. We then used the WorldView-2 bands, vegetation indices and topographic features to upscale the bioturbation activity and soil properties into the area of 5x5 km at each site using the random forest machine learning algorithm.</p><p>Our results show that the bioturbation activity is best predicted by WorldView-2 data and vegetation indices while the soil properties can be best predicted by topography. The bioturbation activity strongly depends on land cover and vegetation distribution in the Mediterranean climate zone while there is a stronger link of bioturbation activity to topography and soil properties in the arid and semi-arid climate zone.</p>

Greenhouse gas fluxes from an oil palm plantation on mineral soil in Indonesia undergoing riparian restoration 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella White ◽  
Ribka Sionita Tarigan ◽  
Anak Agung Ketut Aryawan ◽  
Edgar Turner ◽  
Sarah Luke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Riparian Restoration ◽  
Enrichment Planting ◽  
Mineral Soils ◽  
Ghg Fluxes

<p>Oil palm (OP) growers are under pressure to reduce their environmental impact. Ecosystem function and biodiversity are at the forefront of the issue, but what effect do changes in management practices have on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from plantations? </p><p>The Riparian Ecosystem Restoration in Tropical Agriculture (RERTA) Project is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the SMART Research Institute in Riau, Indonesia. This project explores the ecological changes resulting from the restoration of riparian margins between plantations and watercourses. Four management strategies were applied on both sides of a river to create 50m riparian buffers, 400m in length: (1) A control treatment of no restoration, the removal of mature OP and replanting of young OP to the river margin; (2) Little to no agricultural management of mature OP; (3) Clearance of mature OP and enrichment planting with native forest trees; (4) Little or no agricultural management of mature OP and enrichment planting with native forest trees. Here we present a specific objective to investigate the effect of riparian restoration – and related changes in soil characteristics, structure and vegetation cover – on fluxes of N<sub>2</sub>O, CH<sub>4</sub> and CO<sub>2</sub> from mineral soils.</p><p>The experimental site began as a mature OP plantation, with monthly background measurements taken between January and April 2019. Palms were felled in April 2019 and monthly sampling was resumed when replanting and restoration began, in October 2019. We measured GHGs using static chambers; 6 in each riparian treatment and 16 in the actual OP plantation, 40 chambers in total. Samples were analysed using GC-FID/µECD.</p><p>Background measurements before felling showed high variability, but indicated no difference between the four experimental plots and the rest of the plantation. Fluxes measured following replanting were also highly variable, with no significant differences observed between treatments. N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes were relatively low before felling as the mature palms were no longer fertilised. Higher emissions were seen in the disturbed immature OP and forest tree treatments following replanting. Though the sites appeared to recover quickly and emission fluxes decreased after a few months, presumably as the soil settled and new vegetation began to grow. CH<sub>4</sub> uptake was seen in the immature OP treatment immediately after replanting. In subsequent months no clear trends of CH<sub>4</sub> uptake or emission were observed, with the greatest variability generally seen in the forest tree treatment. CH<sub>4</sub> emissions increased in October 2020 with the beginning of the rainy season, most notably in mature OP and mature OP with forest tree treatments. Following restoration CO<sub>2</sub> emissions were higher in treatments with established plant communities – mature OP and mature OP with forest trees.</p><p>These results suggest that riparian restoration had no significant effect on GHG fluxes from mineral soils, and would not alter the overall GHG budget of a plantation. If there is no additional GHG burden and riparian restoration results in enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as improving water quality, it will be a viable management option to improve the environmental impact of an OP plantation.</p>

scholarly journals Determinants of Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption in Hospitals According to Climate Zones in Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7585
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Cygańska ◽  
Magdalena Kludacz-Alessandri
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Climatic Zone ◽  
Energy Costs ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Hospital Size

Energy use in hospitals is higher than in other public buildings, so improving energy efficiency in healthcare buildings is a significant challenge in this sector of engineering. For this, it is necessary to know the various determinants of energy consumption. Until now, the main factor affecting energy consumption in healthcare facilities studied in the literature was hospital capacity. However, the commonly used variables connected with hospital size and the number of beds do not take into account the medical activities carried out in these buildings. Assuming that energy consumption in hospitals is multiple and shaped by many factors that overlap, not only on an individual level but also on a higher scale level, this study devises a more integrated approach to its determinants. This study aims to investigate the determinants of electrical energy costs (EEC) and thermal energy costs (TEC) in Polish hospitals with regard to factors related to their size, work intensity and climate zones. The analysis was carried out using financial and resource data from all Polish hospitals for the years 2010–2019. The study used a multivariate backward stepwise regression analysis. In order to use climate as a moderating variable, a sample of Polish hospitals from 16 Polish NUTS 2 was divided into four climate zones. This article provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of electricity consumption in Polish hospitals related to their size and medical activity, taking into account climate zone as a moderating variable. The results of the analysis show that both electricity and heat consumption in hospitals are positively related to the number of doctors, beds and the number of medical operations performed. As expected, larger hospitals seem to use more energy. Moreover, there is regional heterogeneity in energy consumption in hospitals related to the climatic zone in which they operate. The conducted analysis shows that Polish hospitals located in the warmest climatic zone are characterized by higher energy consumption than hospitals in the coldest zone. It especially regards EEC in surgery hospitals. The warmer the climate zones, the higher intensity in terms of the number of surgeries, the higher EEC. In terms of nonsurgical hospitals, the influence of climate zone on EEC was not observed. Knowing the factors influencing energy consumption in hospitals can facilitate the correct adoption of an energy-saving strategy in the health sector, which is a reasonable response to climate change and supports a healthy and sustainable future.

Impact of Drought Stress on Forest Trees – A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190
Author(s):  
Shephali Sachan ◽  
◽  
Avinash Jain ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Dangerous Situation ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Capacity Level ◽  
Abrupt Changes ◽  
The Impact

Drought stress is creating dangerous situation worldwide. The impact of stress is not only the deficiency of water but it also leads to the deficiency and losses of everything which are linked to the water resources directly or indirectly. Drought stress disturbs the normal biochemical, molecular and physiological processes, affecting the morphology of plant. As a result the plant is either unable to live on abrupt changes or learn to avoid/tolerate the variation in the environment. The results vary species to species depending on genotype, frequency and time period of drought stress. There is need of screening various tree species for getting information related to their ability and capacity level of susceptibility, tolerance and avoidance behaviour with the further goal of their plantation in the various nurseries in order to rehabilitate the drought prone areas, wastelands and to increase intangible and tangible benefits.

Cacao, Shade, and Agroforestry

2021 ◽  
pp. 138-145
Author(s):  
Dale Walters
Keyword(s):  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Shade Trees ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
And Function ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

In its natural habitat, cacao grows in the shade of larger trees. In fact, 70 percent of the world’s cacao is grown with some level of shade. This comes mostly from native forest trees, thinned out to provide space for cacao seedlings to be planted, or to a lesser extent, from trees specially planted to provide shade. This mixture of shade trees and shrubs creates a three-tier canopy, resulting in a multi-species system similar in structure and function to a forest, known as an agroforest. Cacao agroforestry systems include full-sun cacao, diversified-shade cacao, and specialized-shade cacao. Achieving an appropriate level of shading for cacao is important, since it affects yield and can influence pest and disease outbreaks. Shade in cacao also helps to maintain biodiversity, so getting shade right in cacao agroforestry is important. This chapter examines the benefits and problems associated with growing cacao with and without shade.

scholarly journals Risk factors influencing the probability of browsing by hoofed game on forest trees

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 359-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Malík ◽  
J. Stuchlý
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Logit Model ◽  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Likelihood Method ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Scotch Pine ◽  
Factors Influencing

In this paper we analyze how selected risk factors determine the probability of browsing by hoofed game on forest trees. Risk factors covered by the model are: tree species (Norway spruce or Scotch pine), time period (season: spring + summer or autumn + winter) and chemical structure of bark (content of selected nutrients and chemical elements). We use a logit model for these purposes. We formulate the model and perform linear transformation by the natural log. Since the disturbance term in the logit model is heteroscedastic, we cannot use the ordinary least-squares method to estimate the parameters of the model. In this case the maximum likelihood method included in STATGRAPHICS Plus for Windows program is used for its estimation. We use a random sample of data including 59 trees. We do the interpretations of the estimated parameters and other characteristics. We demonstrate how the estimated probabilities depend on the considered factor. The model explains 44.1% of variations of the logits, the model is statistically significant. All regression coefficients are significant at least at 12% confidence level. Among the main explanatory variables (content of P, Ca, NO<sub>3</sub>, tree species and season), the P and Ca contents in the bark of the tree are the most important factors influencing the probability of future damage to the tree.

scholarly journals Parametric Design to Maximize Solar Irradiation and Minimize the Embodied GHG Emissions for a ZEB in Nordic and Mediterranean Climate Zones

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 4981
Author(s):  
Mattia Manni ◽  
Gabriele Lobaccaro ◽  
Nicola Lolli ◽  
Rolf Andre Bohne
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Mediterranean Area ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Optimized Design ◽  
Climate Zones ◽  
Early Design

This work presents a validated workflow based on an algorithm developed in Grasshopper to parametrically control the building’s shape, by maximizing the solar irradiation incident on the building envelope and minimizing the embodied emissions. The algorithm is applied to a zero-emission building concept in Nordic and Mediterranean climate zones. The algorithm enables conducting both energy and environmental assessments through Ladybug tools. The emissions embodied in materials and the solar irradiation incident on the building envelope were estimated in the early design stage. A three-steps optimization process through evolutionary solvers, such as Galapagos (one-objective) and Octopus (multi-objective), has been conducted to shape the most environmentally responsive ZEB model in both climates. The results demonstrated the replicability of the algorithm to optimize the solar irradiation by producing an increment of solar incident irradiation equal to 35% in the Mediterranean area, and to 20% in the Nordic climate. This could contribute to compensate the additional 15% of emissions due to the higher quantities of employed materials in the optimized design. The developed approach, which is based on the parametric design principles for ZEBs, represents a support instrument for designers to develop highly efficient energy solutions in the early design stages.

scholarly journals Nursery Cultural Techniques Facilitate Restoration of Acacia koa Competing with Invasive Grass in a Dry Tropical Forest

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1124
Author(s):  
Douglass F. Jacobs ◽  
Anthony S. Davis ◽  
R. Kasten Dumroese ◽  
Owen T. Burney
Keyword(s):  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Acacia Koa ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Kikuyu Grass

Anthropogenic activity has caused persistent and prominent losses of forest cover in dry tropical forests. Natural regeneration of forest trees in grazed areas often fails due to lack of seed sources and consumption by ungulates. To address this, the effective restoration of such sites often requires fencing and outplanting nursery-grown seedlings. In the degraded, dry forests of tropical Hawaii, USA, an additional challenge to restoration of native forest trees is the introduced kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus). This invasive, rapidly growing rhizomatous plant forms deep, dense mats. We studied the use of nursery cultural techniques to facilitate the establishment of koa (Acacia koa) seedlings outplanted amidst well-established kikuyu grass on a volcanic cinder cone on the dry, western side of Hawaii Island. Seedlings were grown four months in three container sizes (49, 164, 656 cm3) and with four rates (0, 4.8, 7.2, and 9.6 kg m−3) of 15–9–12 (NPK) controlled-release fertilizer incorporated into media prior to sowing. After 16 months in the field, seedling survival was > 80% for all treatments with two exceptions: the non-fertilized 49 cm3 (78%) and 164 cm3 (24%) containers. After 10 years, only these two treatments had significantly lower survival (35% and 10%, respectively) than the other treatments. One year following planting, none of the non-fertilized seedlings had transitioned to phyllodes from juvenile true leaves, regardless of container size. For the fertilized 656 cm3 container treatment, 78%–85% of seedlings had phyllodes, with mean values increasing by fertilizer rate. Phyllodes are known to confer greater drought resistance than true leaves in koa, which may help to explain the improved survival of fertilized trees on this relatively dry site. Overall, nursery fertilization was more influential on seedling height and diameter response than container size after outplanting. However, the largest container (656 cm3) with the addition of fertilizer, produced significantly larger trees than all other treatments during the early regeneration phase; early growth differences tended to fade at 10 years due to inter-tree canopy competition. Although koa is able to fix atmospheric nitrogen through rhizobium associations, our data confirm the importance of nursery fertilization in promoting regeneration establishment. Nursery cultural techniques may play an important role in forest restoration of dry tropical sites invaded by exotic vegetation.

scholarly journals RELAÇÃO ETNOBOTÂNICA DOS PROPRIETÁRIOS RURAIS DO MUNICÍPIO DE URUPEMA, SC, COM RECURSOS FLORESTAIS

FLORESTA ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 725
Author(s):  
Renata Diane Menegatti ◽  
Pedro Higuchi ◽  
Ana Carolina Da Silva ◽  
João Fert-Neto ◽  
Jean Correia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Araucaria Angustifolia ◽  
Forest Resource ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Fidelity Level ◽  
Araucaria Forest ◽  
Resources Exploitation

O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a relação etnobotânica de proprietários rurais do município de Urupema, SC, com recursos florestais. Para isso, foram realizadas entrevistas, em cada uma das 35 propriedades amostradas, sobre as principais fontes de renda e sobre as principais espécies florestais utilizadas. O uso das espécies foi analisado por meio do Nível de Fidelidade (NF) e da Porcentagem de Concordância quanto aos Usos Principais (CUP). As fontes de renda relatadas com maior frequência foram a pecuária, a fruticultura e a aposentadoria. Os recursos florestais são utilizados, principalmente, para fins de alimentação e energético. Todas as espécies citadas apresentaram elevado NF (≥ 97%) e a Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze é a espécie de maior valor de CUP (97,06%), por ser utilizada por quase a totalidade dos entrevistados (34), sempre para os mesmos fins. Os resultados demonstraram que a maioria dos entrevistados (83%) não obtém renda das florestas naturais, mesmo com quase metade (47%) tendo citado que seria possível sustentar a família por meio da exploração dos recursos florestais nativos. Dentre os recursos florestais explorados, destacou-se a extração de pinhão como fonte de renda.Palavras-chave: Floresta com Araucária; Planalto Catarinense; etnobotânica; produtores rurais. AbstractEthnobotanical connections of rural landowners in the municipality of Urupema, SC, with forest resources. The present research aimed to characterize the ethnobotanical connections of rural landowners in the municipality of Urupema, SC, with their use of forest resource. In order to do that, we conducted interviews, in each of the 35 surveyed properties, focusing the main source of income as well as the main used tree species. The species usages were analyzed by the Fidelity Level (NF) and Percentage of Main Use Concordance (CUP). The most frequent sources of income were livestock, fruit culture and retirement. The forest resources are mainly used as food and energy. All cited species revealed elevated values of NF (≥97%), and the more elevated value of CUP was observed for Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze (97,06%), as such species had been reported by almost the totality of farmers, always for the same purpose. The results revealed that most of the interviewees (83%) do not get income from natural forests, even with almost half (47%) of them considering that it would be possible to sustain their family by native forest resources exploitation. Among the exploited forest resources, the extraction of pine nuts stood out as income source.Keywords: Araucaria Forest; Planalto Catarinense; forest resource usages; ethnobotany, farmers.

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