scholarly journals Effects of wood chip amendments on the revegetation performance of plant species on eroded marly terrains in a Mediterranean mountainous climate (Southern Alps, France)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Breton ◽  
Y. Crosaz ◽  
F. Rey
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Steep Slope ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Soil Fertility Improvement

Abstract. The establishment of plant species can limit soil erosion dynamics in degraded lands. In marly areas in the Southern French Alps, both harsh water erosion and drought conditions in summer due to the Mediterranean mountainous climate prevent the natural implementation and rege neration of vegetation. Soil fertility improvement is sometimes necessary. With the purpose of revegetating such areas, we aimed to evaluate the effects of wood chip amendments on the revegetation performance of different native or sub-spontaneous plant species. We conducted two experiments on steep slopes over three growing seasons (2012–2014). The first consisted of planting seedlings (ten species), the second consisted of seeding (nine species including six used in the first experiment). First we noted that wood chips were able to remain in place even in steep slope conditions. The planting of seedlings showed both an impact of wood chip amendment and differences between species. A positive effect of wood chips was shown with overall improvement of plant survival (increasing by 11% on average, by up to 50% for some species). In the seeding experiment, no plants survived after three growing seasons. However, intermediate results for the 1st and 2nd years showed a positive effect of wood chips on seedling emergence: seeds of four species only sprouted on wood chips, and for the five other species the average emergence rate increased by 50%.

scholarly journals Effects of wood chip amendments on the revegetation performance of plant species on eroded marly terrains in a Mediterranean mountainous climate (Southern Alps, France)

Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 599-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Breton ◽  
Yves Crosaz ◽  
Freddy Rey
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Steep Slope ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Steep Slopes ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Soil Fertility Improvement

Abstract. The establishment of plant species can limit soil erosion dynamics in degraded lands. In marly areas in the Southern French Alps, both harsh water erosion and drought conditions in summer due to the Mediterranean mountainous climate prevent the natural implementation and regeneration of vegetation. Soil fertility improvement is sometimes necessary. With the purpose of revegetating such areas, we aimed to evaluate the effects of wood chip amendments on the revegetation performance of different native or sub-spontaneous plant species. We conducted two experiments on steep slopes over three growing seasons (2012–2014). The first consisted of planting seedlings (10 species), and the second consisted of seeding (nine species including six used in the first experiment). First we noted that wood chips were able to remain in place even in steep slope conditions. The planting of seedlings showed both an impact of wood chip amendment and differences between species. A positive effect of wood chips was shown with overall improvement of plant survival (increasing by 11 % on average, by up to 50 % for some species). In the seeding experiment, no plants survived after three growing seasons. However, intermediate results for the first and second years showed a positive effect of wood chips on seedling emergence: seeds of four species only sprouted on wood chips, and for the five other species the average emergence rate increased by 50 %.

scholarly journals Wood Chip Drying through the Using of a Mobile Rotary Dryer

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Del Giudice ◽  
Andrea Acampora ◽  
Enrico Santangelo ◽  
Luigi Pari ◽  
Simone Bergonzoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Black Locust ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Initial Moisture Content ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Cocurrent Flow ◽  
Drying Process ◽  
Rotary Dryer

Drying is a critical point for the exploitation of biomass for energy production. High moisture content negatively affects the efficiency of power generation in combustion and gasification systems. Different types of dryers are available however; it is known that rotary dryers have low cost of maintenance and consume 15% and 30% less in terms of specific energy. The study analyzed the drying process of woody residues using a new prototype of mobile rotary dryer cocurrent flow. Woodchip of poplar (Populus spp.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), and grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) pruning were dried in a rotary drier. The drying cycle lasted 8 h for poplar, 6 h for black locust, and 6 h for pruning of grapevine. The initial biomass had a moisture content of around 50% for the poplar and around 30% for grapevine and black locust. The study showed that some characteristics of the biomass (e.g., initial moisture content, particle size distribution, bulk density) influence the technical parameters (i.e., airflow temperature, rate, and speed) of the drying process and, hence, the energy demand. At the end of the drying process, 17% of water was removed for poplar wood chips and 31% for grapevine and black locust wood chips. To achieve this, result the three-biomass required 1.61 (poplar), 0.86 (grapevine), and 1.12 MJ kgdry solids−1 (black locust), with an efficiency of thermal drying (η) respectively of 37%, 12%, and 27%. In the future, the results obtained suggest an increase in the efficiency of the thermal insulation of the mobile dryer, and the application of the mobile dryer in a small farm, for the recovery of exhaust gases from thermal power plants.

scholarly journals Improvement of Enzymatic Saccharification of Cellulose-Containing Raw Materials Using Aspergillus niger

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1360
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Budenkova ◽  
Stanislav Sukhikh ◽  
Svetlana Ivanova ◽  
Olga Babich ◽  
Vyacheslav Dolganyuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Enzymatic Hydrolysis ◽  
Aspergillus Niger ◽  
Filter Paper ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Enzymatic Saccharification ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Cellulase Activity ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Acid Pretreatment ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose-containing raw materials, using Aspergillus niger, were studied. Filter paper, secondary cellulose-containing or starch-containing raw materials, miscanthus cellulose after alkaline or acid pretreatment, and wood chip cellulose, were used as substrates. The study focused on a wild A. niger strain, treated, or not (control), by ultraviolet (UV) irradiations for 45, 60, or 120 min (UV45, UV60, or UV120), or by UV irradiation for 120 min followed by a chemical treatment with NaN3 + ItBr for 30 min or 80 min (UV120 + CH30 or UV120 + CH80). A mixture of all the A. niger strains (MIX) was also tested. A citrate buffer, at 50 mM, wasthe most suitable for enzymatic hydrolysis. As the UV exposure time increased to 2 h, the cellulase activity of the surviving culturewas increased (r = 0.706; p < 0.05). The enzymatic activities of the obtained strains, towards miscanthus cellulose, wood chips, and filter paper, were inferior to those obtained with commercial enzymes (8.6 versus 9.1 IU), in some cases. Under stationary hydrolysis at 37 °C, pH = 4.7, the enzymatic activity of A. niger UV120 + CH30 was 24.9 IU. The enzymatic hydrolysis of secondary raw materials, using treated A. niger strains, was themost effective at 37 °C. Similarly, the most effective treatment of miscanthus cellulose and wood chips occurred at 50 °C. The maximum conversion of cellulose to glucose was observed using miscanthus cellulose (with alkaline pretreatment), and the minimum conversion was observed when using wood chips. The greatest value of cellulase activity was evidenced in the starch-containing raw materials, indicating that A. niger can ferment not only through cellulase activity, but also via an amylolytic one.

scholarly journals Effects of microwave irradiation on the moisture content of various wood chip fractions obtained from different tree species

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Aniszewska ◽  
Krzysztof Słowiński ◽  
Ewa Tulska ◽  
Witold Zychowicz
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Microwave Irradiation ◽  
Microwave Power ◽  
Irradiation Time ◽  
Initial Moisture Content ◽  
Radiant Energy ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Chip Size ◽  
Drying Rates

AbstractThe paper proposes the use of microwave irradiation to lower the initial moisture content of wood chips. The study involved willow and fir chips fractionated by means of a sieve separator and unfractionated ash chips. The wood chips were exposed to a constant microwave power of 800 W for 30 s, 60 s, 120 s and 180 s. The chips were weighed before and after irradiation to measure loss of moisture. It was found that the decline in moisture content increased with wood chip size for a given irradiation time and microwave power. The initial moisture content of wood chips was not found to significantly affect loss of moisture as the drying rates of wood chips with higher and lower moisture content exposed to microwaves were not statistically different. The results showed that irradiation intensity increased with the time of exposure to microwaves and unit radiant energy per unit of evaporated moisture decreased with increasing wood chip size in the 3.15–31.50 mm range.

scholarly journals Electrical Capacitance Characteristics of Wood Chips at Low Frequency Ranges: A Cheap Tool for Quality Assessment

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3494
Author(s):  
Jakub Lev ◽  
Václav Křepčík ◽  
Egidijus Šarauskis ◽  
František Kumhála
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Dissipation Factor ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Electrical Capacitance ◽  
Low Frequencies

Moisture content is one of the most important parameters related to the quality of wood chips that affects both the calorific and economic value of fuel chips. For industrial applications, moisture content needs to be detected quickly. For this purpose, various indirect moisture content measurement methods (e.g., capacitance, NIR, microwave, ECT, X-ray CT, and nuclear MR) have been investigated with different results in the past. Nevertheless, determining wood chip moisture content in real time is still a challenge. The main aim of this article was therefore to analyze the dielectric properties of wood chips at low frequencies (10 kHz–5 MHz) and to examine the possibility of using these properties to predict wood chip moisture content and porosity. A container-type probe was developed for this purpose. The electrical capacitance and dissipation factor of wood chips with different moisture content was measured by an LCR meter at 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, and 5 MHz frequencies. Wood chip porosity was also measured using a gas displacement method. Linear models for moisture content and porosity prediction were determined by backward stepwise linear regression. Mathematical model was developed to better understand the physical relationships between moisture content, porosity, and electrical capacitance. These models were able to predict the moisture content of observed quantities of wood chips with the required accuracy (R2 = 0.9−0.99). This finding opens another path to measuring the moisture content and porosity of wood chips in a relatively cheap and fast way and with adequate precision. In addition, principal component analysis showed that it is also possible to distinguish between individual wood chip fraction sizes from the information obtained.

Direct seeding of PinusSylvestris using microsite preparation and invigorated seed lots of different quality: 2-year results

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Winsa ◽  
Urban Bergsten
Keyword(s):  
Seed Quality ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Humus Layer ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Mean Germination Time ◽  
Better Than

Direct seeding of Pinussylvestris L. is a regeneration method, with potential for development considering scarification, microsite preparation, seed invigoration, and seed quality. Three seed lots of different quality concerning seed weight, germination percent, and mean germination time were used on two sites in northern Sweden. Microsite preparation, 2 cm deep pyramidal indentations, of the mineral soil improved seedling emergence on the two sites by 48 and 62%, respectively, compared with seeding without preparation other than removal of the humus layer. Microsite preparation in combination with invigorated seed, i.e., seed incubated at 30% moisture content for 7 days at 15 °C, resulted in seedling emergence of about 85% for the highest and about 50% for the lowest seed quality at both sites. Noninvigorated seed, seeded without microsite preparation, reached about 55% for the highest and 22% at one and 43% at the other for the lowest seed quality. Without microsite preparation there was no, or a negative, effect of seed invigoration on seedling emergence. Seedling survival after the first winter improved significantly with better seed quality. Survival averaged 92 and 72% at the two sites, with frost heaving causing most mortality. Seedlings from invigorated and redried seed survived better than seedlings from untreated seed. Seedlings from the best seed quality had higher values in seedling height, about 35%, shoot length, about 60%, and needle length, about 30%, after two growing seasons than seedlings from lower seed qualities. Invigoration and microsite preparation had no effect on measured growth characteristics.

scholarly journals Impacts of bracteole removal and seeding rate on seedling emergence of halophyte shrubs: implications for rangeland rehabilitation in arid environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Mounir Louhaichi ◽  
Sawsan Hassan ◽  
Ali Mekki Missaoui ◽  
Serkan Ates ◽  
Steven L. Petersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Treatment ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Seed Processing ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
Positive Effect

Direct seeding techniques often result in unsatisfactory outcomes in rangeland rehabilitation, primarily because of low seedling emergence and poor establishment. Seed processing techniques aimed at improving seedling emergence have gained interest by pasture managers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of bracteole removal and seeding rate on seedling emergence in seven halophytic species: Atriplex halimus, A. canescens, A. leucoclada, A. nummularia, A. lentiformis, Salsola vermiculata and Haloxylon aphyllum under semi-arid conditions in Tel Hadya (Syria). Each of these species was evaluated for seedling emergence under two seed treatments (bracteoles removed and non-removed bracteoles) with three seeding rates (10, 30 and 60 seeds per pot), in a completely randomised block design. The results showed a positive effect of seed treatment on seedling emergence for all studied species. The native A. halimus had the highest emergence percentages whereas the introduced A. mummularia, had the lowest. However, there were no significant effects of seeding rates on seedling emergence. These results showed that bracteole removal could improve germination and seedling emergence, and potentially increase the rate of establishment of the species studied. Therefore, when implementing rangeland rehabilitation projects, bracteole removal needs to be considered. The native S. vermiculata should be recommended for direct seeding in the West Asia and North Africa region given its high seedling emergence, known high palatability, nutritive value, and high auto-regeneration performance.

scholarly journals Changes in botanical composition of alfalfa mixtures depending on the species and N fertilization

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (5-6-2) ◽  
pp. 365-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Nesic ◽  
Z. Tomic ◽  
S. Vuckovic ◽  
V. Krnjaja ◽  
S. Josipovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Present Species ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Forage Plant ◽  
Leguminous Species ◽  
Competitive Abilities ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Forage Mixtures

Alfalfa is the most important forage plant in our country. It is mainly grown as pure crop for livestock nutrition, although it gives very good results when grown in mixture with other plant species. By growing in mixtures many advantages are achieved, the most important are: possibility for alfalfa to be used in grazing and reduced need for fertilization of grassland. In two year trial (2003-2004), changes in botanical composition of alfalfa mixtures depending on the present species in the mixture, i.e. their competitive abilities and fertilization with N, were monitored. Investigations showed that by ageing of crops the share of grasses increases and share of legumes and weeds decreases. Fertilization showed positive effect on strengthening of competitive abilities of grass in relation to leguminous species and increased share of weeds in forage mixtures.

WOOD CHIPS AS A SOIL COVER FOR CONSTRUCTION SITES WITH STEEP SLOPES

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Buchanan ◽  
D. C. Yoder ◽  
H. P. Denton ◽  
J. L. Smoot
Keyword(s):  
Soil Cover ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Steep Slopes

scholarly journals Effects of different levels of mulch and irrigation on growth traits and essential oil content of basil

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Nejatzadeh-Barandozi
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oil ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Wood Chip ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Wood Chips ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Oil Yield ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Essential Oil Yield ◽  
Different Levels

Ocimum basilicum L. is an herbaceous plant from the Labiate family that used fresh, as a spice, and as a medicinal plant. Mulch is technique capable of reducing evaporation from the surface of the soil in basil production systems; it has more impacts on yield and essential oil quality of a basil crop. This research was performed in order to study the effects of different mulch types and irrigation regimes on various growth parameters and the essential oil content of basil. Treatments included two mulch types (black plastic, wood chips, and control) and three irrigation levels (100, 80, and 60% of water requirements, calculated by evaporation pan class A), following a randomised complete block design with four replications. Results showed that the effect of irrigation on fresh weight, dry weight, leaf relative water content, leaf area, and essential oil yield was significant (P<0.05). The effect of mulch on fresh weight, dry weight, leaf area, inter-node distance, number of branches, and essential oil yield was significant (P<0.05). Interaction between irrigation and mulch on inter-node distance, fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area was significant (P<0.05). This study identified wood chips as the best mulch treatment. The highest dry weight yield (38.35 g/plant) and the highest essential oil yield (82.83 L/ha) resulted when wood chip mulch was used in combination with irrigation at 100% of the water requirement. This combination also resulted in the highest water productivity in basil production.   Highlights - Different levels of irrigation alone did not always increase plant growth and yield of basil. - Different levels of mulch alone did not always increase plant growth and yield of basil. - Different levels of irrigation and mulch in combination used, increased, growth and essential oil yield of basil. - This study identified wood chips as the best mulch treatment. - The highest essential oil yield resulted with wood chip mulch and irrigation at 100% of the water requirement.

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