Cross-Section Resistivity Detection of Tree (Swietenia Magahoni and Gmelina) Using ERT Method

The existence of trees is very beneficial for humans’ life. There are utilizations of tree such as urban planning and reforestation. However, the tree can be dangerous when the tree is aged and decay because of several factors that might be cause fallen tree. Furthermore, the monitoring activity is needed to know the condition of the tree. One of the methods that can be used to detect hollow in living tree is Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). The ERT is an efficient and nondestructive method that can be potential to estimate resistivity cross section. The measurement of ERT conducted on Swietenia mahagoni and Gmelina with unhealthy and healthy condition visually. The data processed using Res2Dinv and reconstructed for obtaining 2D resistivity cross section. The results shows that the unhealthy Swietenia mahagoni has logarithmic resistivity value range between 0.1-1 Ωm and the healthy Swietenia mahagoni has 1-4 Ωm. Meanwhile, the unhealthy and healthy Gmelina has logarithmic resistivity value range between 0.5-4.5 Ωm and 0.5-3 Ωm, respectively. It is shows that the tree indicated health visually from biological view does not mean the tree is decay. It might be influenced by phenology factor and/or the species of the tree.

Dendrochronology in European Russia in the Early 21st Century: State of the Art

In this review, we have focused on the following key points: (1) living trees in European Russia and their climatic sensitivity. Species suitable for tree-ring analyses, their age limits, spatial distribution of temperature- and drought-sensitive trees, and the available tree-ring chronologies. (2) Extension of the living-tree chronologies using archeological and architectural samples. Dendrochronological dating of archeological and cultural monuments. (3) Tree-ring-based climatic reconstructions in European Russia. European Russia drought atlas. (4) Climatic and environmental reconstructions in the Northern Caucasus. (5) Dendroecology. We also briefly summarized the problems and prospects of tree-ring research in European Russia.

The Living Tree: Kr̥ṣṇā Sobtī’s Pre-Partition Punjab and the “Other History”

Historical fiction covers a wide range of texts and presents a large variety of views on the subject of history. It is often seen as a way of narrating history from a perspective ignored by academic historiography, thus offering an alternative narrative of the past. This other way of writing history, namely by way of literary texts, is not always conscious or openly acknowledged. In her essays on literature, the Hindi writer Kr̥ṣṇā Sobtī (1925–2019) clearly formulates her views on the role of the writer when she commits herself to represent the past, differentiating her role from that of a historian per se. Personally, as a writer, she is primarily interested in the perception of time of the people of a region and their understanding of their own past transmitted through tales, songs and other media; this constitutes what Sobtī calls the “other history”, a notion close to Jan Assmann’s “mnemohistory”. Through the example of Sobtī’s magnum opus, Zindagīnāmā, this paper explores what this specific way of narrating history reveals about the rural society of the pre-Partition Punjab.

Variation in Carbon Content among the Major Tree Species in Hemiboreal Forests in Latvia

This study was designed to estimate the variation in non-volatile carbon (C) content in different above- and belowground tree parts (stem, living branches, dead branches, stumps, coarse roots and small roots) and to develop country-specific weighted mean C content values for the major tree species in hemiboreal forests in Latvia: Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), birch spp. (Betula spp.) and European aspen (Populus tremula L.). In total, 372 sample trees from 124 forest stands were selected and destructively sampled. As the tree samples were pre-treated by oven-drying before elemental analysis, the results of this study represent the non-volatile C fraction. Our findings indicate a significant variation in C content among the tree parts and studied species with a range of 504.6 ± 3.4 g·kg−1 (European aspen, coarse roots) to 550.6 ± 2.4 g·kg−1 (Scots pine, dead branches). The weighted mean C content values for whole trees ranged from 509.0 ± 1.6 g·kg−1 for European aspen to 533.2 ± 1.6 g·kg−1 for Scots pine. Only in Norway spruce was the whole tree C content significantly influenced by tree age and size. Our analysis revealed that the use of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default C content values recommended for temperate and boreal ecological zones leads to a 5.1% underestimation of C stock in living tree biomass in Latvia’s forests. Thus, the country-specific weighted mean C content values for major tree species we provide may improve the accuracy of National Greenhouse Gas Inventory estimates.

Geoecological parameters indicate discrepancies between potential and actual forest area in the forest-steppe of Central Mongolia

Background Forest distribution in the forest-steppe of Mongolia depends on relief, permafrost, and climate, and is highly sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. Forest fires and logging decreased the forest area in the forest-steppe of Mongolia. The intention of this study was to identify the geoecological parameters that control forest distribution and living-tree biomass in this semi-arid environment. Based on these parameters, we aimed to delineate the area that forest might potentially occupy and to analyse the spatial patterns of actual and potential tree biomass. Methods We used a combination of various geographic methods in conjunction with statistical analyses to identify the key parameters controlling forest distribution. In several field campaigns, we mapped tree biomass and ecological parameters in a study area within the Tarvagatai Nuruu National Park (central Mongolia). Forest areas, topographic parameters and vegetation indices were obtained from remote sensing data. Significant correlations between forest distribution and living-tree biomass on one hand, and topographic parameters, climate data, and environmental conditions on the other hand, were used to delineate the area of potential forest distribution and to estimate total living-tree biomass for this area. Results Presence of forest on slopes was controlled by the factors elevation, aspect, slope, mean annual precipitation, and mean growing-season temperature. Combining these factors allowed for estimation of potential forest area but was less suitable for tree-biomass delineation. No significant differences in mean living-tree biomass existed between sites exposed to different local conditions with respect to forest fire, exploitation, and soil properties. Tree biomass was reduced at forest edges (defined as 30 m wide belt), in small fragmented and in large forest stands. Tree biomass in the study area was 20 × 109 g (1,086 km2 forest area), whereas the potential tree biomass would reach up to 65 × 109 g (> 3168 km2). Conclusions The obtained projection suggests that the potential forest area and tree biomass under the present climatic and geoecological conditions is three times that of the present forest area and biomass. Forest fires, which mostly affected large forest stands in the upper mountains, destroyed 43% of the forest area and 45% of the living-tree biomass in the study area over the period 1986–2017.

PENDUGAAN STOK KARBON PADA POLA TANAM AGROFORESTRI SEDERHANA DAN AGROFORESTRI KOMPLEKS DI KPH BATUTEGI, KABUPATEN TANGGAMUS

Global warming is a natural phenomenon that is currently taking place. Natural phenomena occur as a result of changing ecosystem balance. This can be minimized by adding vegetation which acts as an absorber of CO2 to convert CO2 into glucose and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Each type of vegetation has the potential to absorb different carbon, so this can be circumvented by using the right cropping pattern. Therefore, information about the potential for carbon stored in complex and simple agroforestry cropping patterns in KPH Batutegi is important. The purpose of this study was to analyze carbon stocks in agroforestry cropping patterns and to compare carbon stocks in simple and complex agroforestry cropping patterns in KPH Batutegi. Source of living tree biomass, dead tree biomass, understorey biomass, and litter biomass. The results showed that the carbon stored in complex agroforestry cropping patterns fell into the good category according to the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). However, the stored carbon in complex agroforestry cropping patterns is greater than the stored carbon in simple agroforestry cropping patterns, namely 765.61 tonC/ha and 356.21 tonC/ha.

Impact of Storage Conditions on Shear Strength of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.)

The structure of a bark as a component of a living tree is completely different from wood. Different structures significantly influence the physical and mechanical properties of the bark. In the processing of logs, it is in most cases necessary to separate the bark from the wood. Problems can arise mainly in the pulp and paper industry. The research focused on the impact of storage conditions on shear strength, showing that the value of shear strength decreased remarkably due to the storage. A decrease in strength can mainly be explained by the changes in the moisture content of bark, remarkably affected by the surrounding environment (climate). The research showed that three months of storage seemed to be the most appropriate and effective period for removing the bark in the case of beech logs and that a storage time of up to five months was the best in the case of oak logs.

New Reports of Wild Mushroom Diversity from Foothill Region of Uttarakhand

A The present investigation was undertaken in foothill regions of Uttarakhand from July-2016 up to December-2018. A total of thirty four different sites ranging from the roadside areas, grasslands to forests were studied and Mushroom fruiting bodies were collected. A total of One Hundred sixty six fruiting counts were obtained and 68 mushroom genera belonging to 15 orders and 43 families were identified. During collection visits mushroom were apparent from organic debris of diversified habitats ranging from humid soil; grassland; leaf litter; living tree trunk; dead wood log of forest zone. Maximum fruiting bodies (75%) were obtained between July to September and minimum i.e. 6% between November – February. Among the collected mushroom Stereum rugosum, Crepidotus variabilis, Laccaria laccata, Schizophyllum commune, Ganoderma applantum, Cantharellus cibarius were more prevalent. Out of all collected mushroom sample the frequency of Mushroom belonging to order Agaricales was 45.18% followed by Polyporales i.e., 27.7%. The collected mushroom were cultured on PDA medium and their mycelial forms were preserved for further studies.

Separating autotrophic and heterotrophic soil CO₂ effluxes in afforested peatlands

Peatlands are a significant global carbon (C) store, which can be compromised by drainage and afforestation. Quantifying the rate of C loss from peat soils under forestry is challenging, as soil CO2 efflux includes both CO2 produced from heterotrophic peat decomposition and CO2 produced by tree roots and associated fungal networks (autotrophic respiration). We experimentally terminated autotrophic belowground respiration in replicated forest plots by cutting through all living tree roots (trenching), and measured soil surface CO2 flux, litter input, litter decay rate and soil temperature and moisture over two years. Annual peat decomposition (heterotrophic CO2 flux) was 115 ± 16 g C m−2 y−1, representing c. 40 % of total soil respiration. Decomposition of needle litter is accelerated in the presence of an active rhizosphere, indicating a priming effects by labile C inputs from roots. This suggests that our estimates of peat mineralization in our trenched plots are conservative, and underestimate overall rates of peat C loss. Considering also input of litter from trees, our results indicate that the soils in these 30 year-old drained and afforested peatlands are a net sink for C, since substantially more C enters the soil as organic matter, than is decomposed heterotrophically. However, the C balance for these soils should be taken over the lifespan of the trees, in order to determine if the soils under these drained and afforested peatlands are a sustained sink of C, or become a net source over longer periods of forestry.