Population of Small Wood Mouse (Apodemus uralensis) Under the Conditions of Naturally Disturbed Environment in the Reserved Territory of the Middle Ural

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyse the log loading process of wood room, which is typically the first processing unit in pulp and paper mills. The aim is to improve the log loading process to obtain production with a constant log flow of well de-iced logs to the debarking drum. This way it is possible to reduce costs and enhance product quality. The research was carried out utilising a log loading simulator. The parameters of the simulation model were selected on the basis of process observations on a mill. The results indicate that it is essential to adjust the process and equipment parameters, raw material properties and truck loader operation together in order to reach the target capacity with minimum costs. Especially the speed of the infeed conveyor affects all performance criteria and should be selected carefully. In addition, wood yard logistics and raw material properties have a remarkable effect on the wood room performance. The results can be utilised in mills to allow the upper level control perform in a planned way so that small wood loss and good product quality can be obtained.

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Naturalization and spread of the alien species Ozognathus cornutus (LeConte, 1859) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ernobiinae) in Italy

Phytoparasitica ◽

10.1007/s12600-021-00923-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Giuliano Cerasa ◽

Gabriella Lo Verde

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

First Record ◽

The Other ◽

Ecological Role ◽

Dried Fruits ◽

Wood Shavings ◽

Potential Pest ◽

Small Wood ◽

Natural Barrier

AbstractOzognathus cornutus (LeConte, 1859) (Coleoptera: Ptinidae: Ernobiinae), species native to North America, is a saproxylophagous species and is known to feed on decaying tissues within conspicuous galls and on vegetal decaying organic material such as dried fruits or small wood shavings and insect excrements in galleries made by other woodboring species. A few years after the first record in 2011, its naturalization in Italy is here reported. The insect was found as successor in galls of Psectrosema tamaricis (Diptera Cecidomyiidae), Plagiotrochus gallaeramulorum, Andricus multiplicatus and Synophrus politus (Hymenoptera Cynipidae). The galls seem to have played an important ecological role in speeding up the naturalization process. The lowest proportion of galls used by O. cornutus was recorded for P. tamaricis (23%), the only host belonging to Cecidomyiidae, while the percentages recorded for the other host species, all Cynipidae forming galls on oaks, were higher: 43.6%, 61.1% and 76.9% in A multiplicatus, S. politus and P. gallaeramulorum, respectively. Although O. cornutus is able to exploit other substrates like dried fruits and vegetables, for which it could represent a potential pest, it prefers to live as a successor in woody and conspicuous galls, which thus can represent a sort of natural barrier limiting the possible damages to other substrates.

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