Modeling biomass allocation strategy of young planted Zelkova serrata trees in Taiwan with component ratio method and seemingly unrelated regressions

Trees accumulate biomass by sequestrating atmospheric carbon and allocate it to different tree components. A biomass component ratio is the ratio of biomass in a tree component to total tree biomass. Modeling the ratios for Zelkova serrata, an important native reforestation tree species in Taiwan, helps in understanding its biomass allocation strategy to design effective silvicultural treatments. In this study, we applied Component Ratio Method (CRM) to relate biomass component ratios of main stem, large branch, twig, and foliage to tree attributes of Z. serrata from a 9-year-old plantation. Nonlinear and linear CRM models were fitted with Seemingly Unrelated Regression to account for model correlations. Linear CRM models with dbh as the predictor had the best fit with model correlations as high as 80%. About 46% and 40% of total tree biomass was allocated to main stem and large branch, respectively. However, main stem biomass decreased by 1.9% with every 1-cm increase in dbh, but large branch biomass increased by 2.2% instead. Results suggest that dominant Z. serrata trees tend to branch and fork, while smaller trees invest in larger main stem. An early pruning treatment should focus on dominant trees to maintain crown ratio and ensure wood quality.

Renewable Biomass Utilization: A Way Forward to Establish Sustainable Chemical and Processing Industries

Lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks are promising alternatives to fossil fuels for meeting raw material needs of processing industries and helping transit from a linear to a circular economy and thereby meet the global sustainability criteria. The sugar platform route in the biochemical conversion process is one of the promising and extensively studied methods, which consists of four major conversion steps: pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation, and product purification. Each of these conversion steps has multiple challenges. Among them, the challenges associated with the pretreatment are the most significant for the overall process because this is the most expensive step in the sugar platform route and it significantly affects the efficiency of all subsequent steps on the sustainable valorization of each biomass component. However, the development of a universal pretreatment method to cater to all types of feedstock is nearly impossible due to the substantial variations in compositions and structures of biopolymers among these feedstocks. In this review, we have discussed some promising pretreatment methods, their processing and chemicals requirements, and the effect of biomass composition on deconstruction efficiencies. In addition, the global biomass resources availability and process intensification ideas for the lignocellulosic-based chemical industry have been discussed from a circularity and sustainability standpoint.

Feasibility and Compatibility of a Biomass Capsule System in Self-Healing Concrete

Cracking can facilitate deteriorations of concrete structures via various mechanisms by providing ingress pathways for moisture and aggressive chemicals. In contrast to conventional maintenance methods, self-healing is a promising strategy for achieving automatic crack repair without human intervention. However, in capsule-based self-healing concrete, the dilemma between capsules’ survivability and crack healing efficiency is still an unfathomed challenge. In this study, the feasibility of a novel property-switchable capsule system based on a sustainable biomass component, polylactic acid, is investigated. Capsules with different geometries and dimensions were studied focusing on the compatibility with concrete, including survivability during concrete mixing, influence on mortar and concrete properties, and property evolution of the capsules. The results indicate that the developed elliptical capsules can survive regular concrete mixing with a survival ratio of 95%. In concrete containing 5 vol.% of gravel-level capsules, the compressive strength was decreased by 13.5% after 90 days, while the tensile strength was increased by 4.8%. The incorporation of 2 vol.% of sand-level capsules did not impact the mortar strength. Degradation and switchable properties triggered by the alkaline matrix of cement were observed, revealing the potential of this novel biomass capsule system in achieving both high survivability and self-healing efficiency in concrete.

Genetic differentiation can be predicted from observational data for reproductive but not vegetative traits in a widespread short-lived plant

Phenotypic plasticity can mask population genetic differentiation, reducing the predictability of trait-environment relationships. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their direct impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with global field observations for the short-lived Plantago lanceolata, we 1) disentangled the genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and 2) assessed the utility of trait-environment relationshisps inferred from observational data for predicting genetic differentiation. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that was highly predictable from observational data, but only when correcting traits for differences in their (labile) biomass component. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and contrasting genetic and plastic responses, leading to unpredictable trait patterns. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related with fitness.

Light affects the germination and normal seedling development of Neotropical savanna grasses

The Cerrado is a Neotropical savanna where grasses are a major biomass component in the open vegetation physiognomies. Invasive grasses are widely used as pastures in the Cerrado, and their presence may displace native species. The persistence of native grasses relies also on reproduction via seeds, which is often dependent on seeds found buried in the soil seed bank. The literature about the effects of light availability on the germination of Neotropical savanna grasses is scarce, and germination may lead to abnormal seedlings that develop only the root or the shoot. Germination trials that overlook this fact may overestimate the potential for seedling recruitment. Therefore, we tested the effects of light availability on the germination of nine native and two invasive grasses, addressing the production of normal seedlings. Seeds were germinated in the complete absence or the presence of light (12 h photoperiod under white light) for 30 days. Germination was defined as the sum of normal and abnormal seedlings. Eight species were light-dependent, decreasing the production of normal seedlings in the dark. Two native and one invasive species were non-responsive to the dark treatment, showing no change in germination or production of normal seedlings. Our results suggest that seeds buried in the soil seed bank are likely to show reduced germination and develop abnormal seedlings, reinforcing a bottleneck for the recruitment of native grasses. For invasive species, however, the potential of seedling recruitment was minimally reduced by light, suggesting a competitive advantage for the recruitment of these species.

Effect of age and spacing on biomass production in forest plantations

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the effect of age and plant spacing on biomass production of four forestry tree species: Acacia mearnsii De Wild, Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden, Mimosa scabrella Benth, and Ateleia glazioviana Baill. The following spacings of plants at the ages of 1, 3, and 5 years after planting were considered: 2.0 × 1.0 m, 2.0 × 1.5 m, 3.0 × 1.0 m, and 3.0 × 1.5 m. The study was installed in randomized complete block design. Biomass was determined by weighing different components of the trees after harvesting. Plant spacing affected biomass production of forestry trees at different ages after planting. Dense spacings produced larger quantities of biomass than less dense spacing. The tree species differed in biomass production: Eucalyptus grandis produced the largest quantity (325.1 t ha-1), followed by Acacia mearnsii (239.3 t ha-1), Mimosa scabrella (53.4 t ha-1), and Ateleia glazioviana (32.1 t ha-1). Wood biomass represented the biomass component with the largest production over time, which showed an increasing proportion throughout the age groups, followed branch, leaf, and bark biomass.

Model Pendugaan Biomassa diatas Permukaan Tanah Jenis Eucalyptus Urophylla pada Hutan Tanaman

Although global climate changes issue after which talked a few times ago but worldconcern seriously after Earth High Confrence in Rio de Janeirio Brazil on 1992. Onesalternatives in controlling the carbon concentration is through development of sink program, inwhich organic carbon resulted from fotosyntesis is fixed in biomass of forest vegetation orwoody trees. Indonesia is very potential to develop carbon sink program because have thirdlargest areas of tropical rain forest after Brazil and Zaire.The most indicator to estimating forest potency for sink carbon is biomass. Biomassstudy is very important to studied forest ecosystem characteristic, expecially to analysismanagement system of sustainable principles. This research aim explain to ; 1) Now aboutabove ground biomass component of eucalyptus urophylla (trunk, branch and twigs) fromindustrial forest plantations of PT. Toba Pulp Lestari; 2) to pile up allometric similarity forestimate above ground biomass from industrial forest plantations of TP. Toba Pulp Lestari.Data of this research is collected with inventory of 21 trees sample from 7 age class. Thetrees sample is taken with purposive sampling and cut down. The biomass estimating whichused in this research is non destructive models with pile up al lometric similarity, to find faultcorrelation trees dimency with biomass. Choosing the best allometric similarity based oncriterias determination correlation (R), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Predicted Residual Sumof Square (PRESS) by Drapper et al, (1996).2 The result from this research that; 1) Above ground biomass can be enhanced more byriding age class; 2) Trunck has been the largest biomass proporcy without the biomassproporcy of branch and twigs; 3) The moisture contents can be enhanced by riding age classand 4) Dimencion of trees (dbh and h) is the best parameters for estimate about above groundbiomass.