The influence of synthetic foaming agents on seed germination of coniferous species

Water is the most frequently used substance for extinguishing of wildfires. Ones of the most commonly used additives enhancing the extinguishing efficiency are foaming agents. This article deals with the influence of foaming agents on germination of coniferous species. Foaming agents Moussol-APS F-15 and Sthamex F-15, foaming solutions of various concentrations were used for the tests. Germination of seeds of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) was observed. The percentage of germinating seeds was recorded every 7 days. The results were evaluated in the form of graphs. When the concentration levels of foaming solutions ranged from 0.1 vol% to 0.25 vol%, their influence on germination of both coniferous species seeds varied from negligible to slightly positive. Subsequently, the negative effect increased considerably and with concentrations exceeding 1 vol% - 1.5 vol% the germination of samples reached zero values. While foaming solutions of Sthamex F-15 showed less significant influence on germination of the Scots pine seeds, seeds of the Norway spruce were less influenced by foaming agent Moussol-APS F-15. Based on obtained results it is possible to recommend minimisation of foaming agents amounts, eventually application of substances with less negative effect on plants germination for extinguishing of wildland fires, in order to gain restoration of affected area as fast as possible. Key words: foaming agent, germination, wildfire (wildland fire), foaming solution

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Radial variation in tracheid lengths in dominant trees of selected coniferous species

BioResources ◽

10.15376/biores.15.4.7330-7341 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 7330-7341

Author(s):

Ewa Fabisiak ◽

Beata Fabisiak ◽

Andrzej Krauss

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Radial Variation ◽

Mature Wood ◽

Forest Site ◽

Annual Rings ◽

European Larch ◽

Coniferous Species

The radial variation was examined for tracheid lengths of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood from dominant trees coming from an even-aged stand, and growing under identical forest site and climatic conditions. The measurements were completed on macerated material. The variation of tracheid lengths in annual rings from the core to the bark was used for determination of the border between the juvenile and mature wood in the trunk cross-section. The boundary age between the juvenile and mature wood zones established for the examined species was comparable, as it was 25 annual rings for Scots pine and 29 for European larch and for Norway spruce. In the juvenile zone, the tracheid lengths increased 2.2-fold in Norway spruce wood, while in Scots pine and European larch wood it was approximately 1.7-fold. By contrast, in the mature wood zone the tracheid lengths was stabilized at a certain level, showing slight fluctuations. The differences in the tracheids length of early and late wood in the examined annual rings were also determined, and it was established that for the majority of annual rings they are statistically significant (p<0.05).

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Difference on cone size preferences between two coniferous species by Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3288 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3288 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Łukasz Dylewski ◽

Reuven Yosef ◽

Łukasz Myczko

Keyword(s):

Picea Abies ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Seed Predation ◽

Morphological Characteristics ◽

Disruptive Selection ◽

Vertebrate Species ◽

Coniferous Species ◽

Phenotypic Features ◽

Dendrocopos Major

The number of species that specialize in pre-dispersal seed predation is relatively small. Examples of specialized pre-dispersal seed predators adapted to feeding on closed cones include vertebrate species like Crossbills, Squirrels, Nutcrackers and Woodpeckers. Seed predation selects against certain phenotypic features of cones and favors another phenotypic features. In this study, we document preferences of the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) for specific traits in the cones of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). We found that the Great Spotted Woodpecker prefers to feed on medium sized Norway spruce cones. The results suggest a disruptive selection that favors the extreme cone lengths in Norway spruce. In Scots pine, the woodpeckers avoided cones with large apophyses. Further, the selectivity for the specific characteristics of the cones is probably related to the configuration of the anvil, a place at which woodpeckers extract seeds from the cones. We think that the Great Spotted Woodpecker preferences in relation to the morphological characteristics of cones are a key to the design of the anvil in order to maximize the use of it as a tool for processing cones of both the Norway spruce and the Scots pine.

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Functional surfaces produced by foam coating

TAPPI Journal ◽

10.32964/tj15.8.515 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 15 (8) ◽

pp. 515-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

EIJA KENTTÄ ◽

HANNA KOSKELA ◽

SARA PAUNONEN ◽

KARITA KINNUNEN-RAUDASKOSKI ◽

TUOMO HJELT

Keyword(s):

Life Time ◽

Silica Coating ◽

Foaming Properties ◽

Coated Paper ◽

Paper Properties ◽

Foaming Agent ◽

Foaming Agents ◽

Size Stability ◽

Stability Measurement ◽

Standard Paper

This paper reports experiments on silica coating formulations that are suitable for application as a thin pigment layer with foam coating technique on a paper web. To understand the foaming properties of nanosilica dispersions, the critical micelle concentration, foam half-life time, and foam bubble size stability were determined with three different foaming agents. The results indicate that the bubble stability measurement is a useful characterization method for foam coating purposes. Pilot foam coating trials were done and the effects of the chosen foaming agents were studied on the properties of the nanosilica-coated paper. The surface hydrophilicity of silica coated paper was related not only to silica pigment, but also to the chemical nature of the foaming agent. Standard paper properties were not affected by the thin silica coating.

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Growth Responses of Boreal Scots Pine, Norway Spruce and Silver Birch Seedlings to Simulated Climate Warming over Three Growing Seasons in a Controlled Field Experiment

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11090943 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 943

Author(s):

Katri Nissinen ◽

Virpi Virjamo ◽

Antti Kilpeläinen ◽

Veli-Pekka Ikonen ◽

Laura Pikkarainen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Norway Spruce ◽

Scots Pine ◽

Root Biomass ◽

Growing Season ◽

Silver Birch ◽

Shoot Biomass ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Simulated Climate ◽

Shoot And Root Biomass

We studied the growth responses of boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings to simulated climate warming of an average of 1.3 °C over the growing season in a controlled field experiment in central Finland. We had six replicate plots for elevated and ambient temperature for each tree species. The warming treatment lasted for the conifers for three growing seasons and for the birch two growing seasons. We measured the height and diameter growth of all the seedlings weekly during the growing season. The shoot and root biomass and their ratios were measured annually in one-third of seedlings harvested from each plot in autumn. After two growing seasons, the height, diameter and shoot biomass were 45%, 19% and 41% larger in silver birch seedlings under the warming treatment, but the root biomass was clearly less affected. After three growing seasons, the height, diameter, shoot and root biomass were under a warming treatment 39, 47, 189 and 113% greater in Scots pine, but the root:shoot ratio 29% lower, respectively. The corresponding responses of Norway spruce to warming were clearly smaller (e.g., shoot biomass 46% higher under a warming treatment). As a comparison, the relative response of height growth in silver birch was after two growing seasons equal to that measured in Scots pine after three growing seasons. Based on our findings, especially silver birch seedlings, but also Scots pine seedlings benefitted from warming, which should be taken into account in forest regeneration in the future.

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