scholarly journals How Are Wood and Non-Wood Forest Products Utilized in the Czech Republic? A Preliminary Assessment of a Nationwide Survey on the Bioeconomy

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratna C. Purwestri ◽  
Miroslav Hájek ◽  
Miroslava Šodková ◽  
Vilém Jarský

The Czech forests occupy 33.7% of the total country area; thus, wood and non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are important resources for the country. To date, the country has not adopted a forest bioeconomy strategy. A forest bioeconomy is defined as all activities that relate to the forest ecosystem services (FES). This study aimed to provide an initial evaluation regarding the use of forest products and related factors, and to make recommendations on developing wood consumption and promoting other FES for the adoption of a forest bioeconomy strategy in the country. The research study was part of a nationwide survey in June 2019. An online panel of 1050 respondents aged 18–65 years old was recruited based on a quota sampling procedure. Wood products were the most preferred material for furniture (96.3%) and building materials (46.3%). In total, 38.6% of Czech residents used wood as a source of energy, mostly in the form of firewood. It is challenging to switch the practice from using fossil-based heating to wood boiler energy source. The further development of wood into products with a high added value is recommended. Picking mushrooms and berries were among the popular activities in relation to NWFPs. The promotion of wood and NWFPs is encouraged, starting with increasing awareness and knowledge of the strength of the forest-based sector as a renewable energy resource and the importance of FES, using different channels as sources of information.

Author(s):  
Максим Олександрович Шишелов

Global manufacturers of timber products and specialized research institutes are actively developing innovative materials and improving production processes. The fastest growing groups include innovative packaging materials, innovative building materials, biodegradable polymers and biofuels. The aim of the article is to form a theoretical and methodological basis for the innovative development of the forestry complex of the Komi Republic. The subject of the research is theoretical and methodological aspects of innovative development of the forestry complex. Methods used in the study: historical method, methods of verification of theoretical positions (morphological analysis of the content and relationship of categories, principles and laws, assessment of the correspondence of historical facts to theoretical hypotheses), methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, logical method (hypothetical and axiomatic approaches), comparison method. Research hypothesis. The innovative development of the forestry complex in Russia is associated with forest chemistry. In particular, tall oil rosin and tall oil fatty acids in the markets of Russia and Asia are considered the most priority segments for Russian manufacturers. Presentation of the main material. Analysis of the current state of the forestry complex of the Komi Republic revealed an extremely low level of innovation activity. Over the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, development proceeded along the extensive path of increasing the production and export of forest products of primary and secondary levels of redistribution, and the share of innovative products in the commodity and industry structure was measured at the level of statistical error. Originality and practical value of the research. The production of innovative products of the second generation is a promising direction for the development of the timber processing industry in the Komi Republic. The main ones are: bioconversion of cellulose-containing raw materials; biomass torrefaction technology based on plant waste; production of sulphate turpentine; highly active preparations for agriculture from pine needles. Conclusions of the study. It is planned to implement these directions by increasing the output of products with high added value, organizing new production of innovative products, commissioning medium and small innovative enterprises for the production of wood flour, biosorbents and other products, and developing regional wooden housing construction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-53
Author(s):  
S.D. Akoto

This study sought to: (1) identify the types and sources of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) traded; (2) find the frequencyof the NTFPs trade and (3) identify the challenges in NTFPs trading in the Sunyani Municipality. The survey was carried outfrom February, 2014 to April, 2014 mainly at the Sunyani Central and Nana Bosoma Markets in the Sunyani Municipality. Thetarget population comprised NTFPs collectors (gatherers), sellers and consumers. Respondents were purposively sampled. Atotal of 100 respondents were engaged in this study. The NTFPs were grouped into six categories namely; food, medicine,building materials, packaging materials, artefacts and domestic utensils. Key informants’ interviews were also conducted atthe Sunyani Forest Services Division to triangulate the data already gathered. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was usedto analyze the data obtained. The study demonstrated that domestic utensils (37%), food (33%), medicinal products (12%),packaging materials (9%), artefacts (6%) and building materials (3%) were the types of NTFPs traded in the two market centers.The results also showed that majority of the respondents (77%) harvest their NTFPs from forest lands as against 23% whoharvest from communal lands. A significant proportion of the respondents (52%) traded in above 40 kg of NTFPs and only 4%were seen trading in 10 kg of NTFPs. The study further highlighted that food (28%) and domestic utensils (26%) were regularlybrought to the market centers on weekly basis whilst significant proportions of medicinal products (9%), building materials(3%) and artefacts (4%) were brought to the market venues on monthly basis. Cumbersome permit procedure (40%), increasedmarket demand (15%) and financial constraints (20%) were identified as some of the challenges encountered in NTFPs tradingin the Sunyani Municipality. To ensure strict monitoring and sustainability of the resource, there is the need for sensitizationprogramme on the importance of NTFPs in rural livelihood and why their conservation is vital in meeting the needs of thepresent generation whilst not undermining their potential in supplying the needs of future generations.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
R. Dan Seale ◽  
Rubin Shmulsky ◽  
Frederico Jose Nistal Franca

This review primarily describes nondestructive evaluation (NDE) work at Mississippi State University during the 2005–2020 time interval. Overall, NDE is becoming increasingly important as a means of maximizing and optimizing the value (economic, engineering, utilitarian, etc.) of every tree that comes from the forest. For the most part, it focuses on southern pine structural lumber, but other species such as red pine, spruce, Douglas fir, red oak, and white oak and other products such as engineered composites, mass timber, non-structural lumber, and others are included where appropriate. Much of the work has been completed in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory as well as the Agricultural Research Service with the overall intent of improving lumber and wood products standards and valuation. To increase the future impacts and adoption of this NDE-related work, wherever possible graduate students have contributed to the research. As such, a stream of trained professionals is a secondary output of these works though it is not specifically detailed herein.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110295
Author(s):  
Jun Miyashita ◽  
Sayaka Shimizu ◽  
Shunichi Fukuhara ◽  
Yosuke Yamamoto

Background: The relationship between advance care planning and religious beliefs, which are important for palliative care, is controversial in Western countries and has not been verified in Asian countries. Aim: To investigate the association between advance care planning discussions and religious beliefs in Japan. Design: A nationwide survey conducted in 2016 using a quota sampling method to obtain a representative sample of Japan’s general population. Setting/participants: We analyzed responses from 3167 adults aged 20–84 years (mean age ± standard deviation, 50.9 ± 16.8 years). The outcome was measured by asking whether the respondents had ever discussed advance care planning, and the main exposure by whether they had any religious beliefs or affiliations, and if so, their degree of devoutness. We analyzed religious beliefs, affiliations, and devoutness in relation to the occurrence of discussions using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for possible sociodemographic covariates. Results: Compared with respondents without, those with religious beliefs had significantly higher odds of having had discussions (adjusted odds ratio: 1.45, 95% confidence interval: 1.22–1.73). The devoutness of religious belief was proportional to the propensity of the occurrence of discussions ( p for trend < 0.001). In addition, Buddhists and Christians had higher odds of having had discussions than did nonbelievers. Conclusion: The results suggest that holding religious beliefs, especially in Japanese Buddhism and Christianity, facilitates advance care planning discussions among Japanese adults, and thus, may help health-care providers identify those prioritized for facilitating engagement in advance care planning, especially in palliative and spiritual care settings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 147592172199621
Author(s):  
Enrico Tubaldi ◽  
Ekin Ozer ◽  
John Douglas ◽  
Pierre Gehl

This study proposes a probabilistic framework for near real-time seismic damage assessment that exploits heterogeneous sources of information about the seismic input and the structural response to the earthquake. A Bayesian network is built to describe the relationship between the various random variables that play a role in the seismic damage assessment, ranging from those describing the seismic source (magnitude and location) to those describing the structural performance (drifts and accelerations) as well as relevant damage and loss measures. The a priori estimate of the damage, based on information about the seismic source, is updated by performing Bayesian inference using the information from multiple data sources such as free-field seismic stations, global positioning system receivers and structure-mounted accelerometers. A bridge model is considered to illustrate the application of the framework, and the uncertainty reduction stemming from sensor data is demonstrated by comparing prior and posterior statistical distributions. Two measures are used to quantify the added value of information from the observations, based on the concepts of pre-posterior variance and relative entropy reduction. The results shed light on the effectiveness of the various sources of information for the evaluation of the response, damage and losses of the considered bridge and on the benefit of data fusion from all considered sources.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 463
Author(s):  
Ivan Janotka ◽  
Pavel Martauz ◽  
Michal Bačuvčík

In addition to the known uses of natural clays, less publication attention has been paid to clays returned to the production process. Industrially recovered natural clays such as bricks, tiles, sanitary ceramics, ceramic roofing tiles, etc., are applicable in building materials based on concrete as an artificial recycled aggregate or as a pozzolanic type II addition. In this way, the building products with higher added value are obtained from the originally landfilled waste. This paper details the research process of introducing concrete with recycled brick waste (RBW) up to the application output. The emphasis is placed on using a RBW brash as a partial replacement for natural aggregates and evaluating an RBW powder as a type II addition for use in concrete. A set of the results for an RBW is reported by the following: (a) an artificial RBW fine aggregate meets the required standardized parameters for use in industrially made concrete, (b) a RBW powder is suitable for use in concrete as industrially made type II addition TERRAMENT showing the same pozzolanic reactivity as a well-known and broadly used pozzolan-fly ash, and (c) such an RBW as aggregate and as powder are, therefore, suitable for the production of industrially made TRITECH Eco-designed ready-mixed concrete.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Kellison ◽  
Russ Lea ◽  
Paul Marsh

Introduction ofEucalyptusspp. into the United States from Australia on a significant scale resulted from the gold rush into California in 1849. Numerous species were evaluated for fuel, wood products, and amenity purposes. The first recorded entry of eucalyptus into the southern United Stated was in 1878. Subsequent performance of selected species for ornamental purposes caused forest industry to visualize plantations for fiber production. That interest led the Florida Forestry Foundation to initiate species-introduction trials in 1959. The results were sufficiently promising that a contingent of forest products companies formed a cooperative to work with the USDA Forest Service, Lehigh Acres, FL, USA, on genetic improvement of selected species for fiber production. The Florida initiative caused other industrial forestry companies in the upper South to establish plantations regardless of the species or seed source. The result was invariably the same: failure. Bruce Zobel, Professor of Forestry, North Carolina State University, initiated a concerted effort to assess the potential worth of eucalyptus for plantation use. The joint industrial effort evaluated 569 sources representing 103 species over a 14-year period. The three levels of testing, screening, in-depth, and semioperational trials led to identification of some species and sources that offered promise for adaptation, but severe winter temperatures in late 1983 and early 1984 and 1985 terminated the project. Despite the failed attempt valuable silvicultural practices were ascertained that will be beneficial to other researchers and practitioners when attempts are again made to introduce the species complex into the US South.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1703-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Crespell ◽  
Eric Hansen

Innovativeness can help companies differentiate themselves, with the ultimate goal of securing survival and improving performance. Modern theories in organizational behavior look at innovation as something that starts with individual creativity but that is also affected by the work environment. Using one broad industry sector, the US forest products industry, this study attempts to integrate into a unifying model the concepts of work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance using structural equation modeling. Results support the proposed theoretical model, with some modifications, finding a positive and significant relationship among all factors. Having innovation as a core part of a company’s strategy and fostering a climate for innovation positively affects the degree of innovativeness and performance of a company. This is especially true for secondary or value-added wood products manufacturers. A climate for innovation is characterized by high levels of autonomy and encouragement, team cohesion, openness to change and risk taking, and sufficient resources available to people. Lack of a validation sample suggests treating the model as tentative until further testing.


FLORESTA ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anadalvo J. Dos Santos ◽  
Elisabeth Hildebrand ◽  
Carlos H. P. Pacheco ◽  
Paulo de Tarso De L. Pires ◽  
Roberto Rochadelli

Este artigo apresenta uma revisão bibliográfica sobre produtos não madeireiros visando traçar um panorama sobre os seus principais conceitos, classificação, valoração e mercados. Constata-se a necessidade de análises mais aprofundadas sobre a importância sócio-econômica desse grupo de produtos, criando assim, uma nova linha de pesquisa florestal. Estas analises são fundamentais no caso brasileiro devido a diversidade e extensão do ecossistemas florestais existentes no país. NON-WOOD PRODUCTS: CONCEPTS, CLASSIFICATION, ECONOMIC VALUATION AND MARKETS Abstract This article presents a bibliography review on non wood forest products seeking to have a view about the main concepts, classification, economic valuation and markets. It’s necessary to do a deeper analysis about the socio-economic importance of this group of products in order to create a new forest research area. These analysis are important in Brazil because of the forest ecosystem diversity and extension.


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