The rooting, survival and growth of woody species on tailing dumps in the limestone quarry “Lafarge ciment”

The rooting, the survival and dynamics of growths in the height and after the diameter of the seedlings, of a range of woody species, had investigated on the freshly formed sterile dump limestone quarry „Lafarge Ciment”. The seedlings of the woody species had a relatively good rooting (69-99%). A high degree of rooting can be ensured as a result of the maintenance of forest crops. After planting, the young seedlings must be cared for by hoeing as many times as necessary in order to control the weeds and maintain moisture in the soil, which increases the survival of the seedlings. Tree species have been characterized by a different growth rate. Acacia has showed a very rapid increase in height, but the black pine has been characterized by a slow growth. Acacia being a fast-growing species and unpretentious to the mineral elements in the soil can be used to afforest the limestone quarry land. In the fi rst year after planting, the young seedlings, otherwise sensitive to the action of the environmental factors, had an increase in height and in diameter slow and uneven. In the years that followed, the seedlings became more viable and less infl uenced by local and temporal fl uctuations of environmental factors.

Enhancing green open spaces while conserving local genetic resources: Evaluating growth performance of five native tree species

Enhancing green open spaces in cities and their buffer areas has gained increasing recognition. While creating a more sustainable, liveable, and comfortable environment, green spaces could also provide an effort for plant domestication and conservation. We consider the potential urban greening and conservation action by planting five tree species consisting of one highly valuable and slow-growing species Eusideroxylon zwageri trees from four different origins and four fast-growing species of Duabanga moluccana, Anthocephalus macrophyllus, Duabanga grandifolia, and kayu papaya at the water reserve in suburban Ciherang-Bogor. Growth performance on mortality rate and the average height of the 4.5-year-old planted seedlings were observed to evaluate the adaptability and suitability of the species in the area. The results of mortality rate revealed that E. zwageri seedlings were ranged from 35% (from South Kalimantan) to 50% (from Jambi), while the four fast-growing species were ranged from 14% (Kayu papaya) to 83% (Duabanga moluccana) indicated that the mortality rate for the five species of seedlings planted varied. Whereas, the results of average height showed that E. zwageri seedlings were ranged from 196.15 cm (South Kalimantan) to 332.50 cm (Natuna), and four fast-growing species was ranged from 582.35 cm (Duabanga grandiflora) to 1411.10 cm (Anthocephalus macrophyllus) indicated that planting fast-growing trees in the suburban area is suitable to increase land coverage in a relatively short time, while slow-growing species are more suitable for species preservation purposes.

The influence of fast-growing species composition on natural regeneration of coal mine reclamation

Natural regeneration on mine reclamation can be an indicator of reclamation success. Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Samanea saman, Senna siamea, and Paraserianthes falcataria are mostly planted fast-growing species at the beginning of reclamation. Those species bind and enrich nitrogen to improve the natural regeneration of ex-mined land. This research aims to determine fast-growing species and the growth rate of natural regeneration development in the ex-mined site. The research was conducted in mine reclamation areas with different ages: 1 (125.14 ha), 4 (323.76 ha), 6 (199.44 ha), 9 (285.18 ha), and 11-year-old plantation (75.39 ha). The statistical analysis of Multivariate Analysis showed that biological species were mostly grouped with P. falcataria than E. cyclocarpum and S. siamea in the 11-year-old plantation area as well as in the 9-year-old plantation area. Most natural species were grouped with C. cyclocarpum rather than S. saman and S. siamea in a 6-year-old plantation area. In contrast, the biological species had no groups with E. cyclocarpum and S. siamea as fast-growing species in the 1-year-old plantation area. Generally, the most dominant planted fast-growing species were E. cyclocarpum (with the mean total number ± standard deviation, (35 ± 17.1)) and P. falcataria (28 ± 8.3). The number of natural regeneration species and individuals in areas dominated by P. falcataria (5 ± 1.7 and 25 ± 10.5) was greater than in areas with predominance of E. cyclocarpum (4 ± 2.6 and 11 ± 4.8). Thus, species selection is necessary to increase natural regeneration. However, further research is required to measure the tolerability of fast-growing species on other natural regeneration species.

The Natural Durability and Drying Properties of Ganitri Wood (Elaeocarpus sphaericus Schum)

Ganitri (Elaeocarpus sphaericus Schum.) is a fast-growing species that was majority planted in community-based forets in Java. This research aimed to evaluate the natural durability and drying properties of ganitri wood, hence the best uses of the wood can be achieved. The wood durability was tested in laboratory and field scales based on SNI 7207:2014 and ASTM D 1758-02 standards respectively, while the wood treatibilty evaluation used soaking method with 5% borax preservative. The wood drying property was assessed through oven drying at 100°C temperature based on Terazawa method. The resistance of the wood against subterranean termites Coptotermes curvignathus is classified as durability class IV. Ganitri wood was very easy to be preserved with the cold soaking method. Boron retention in ganitri was 22.87 kg.m-³, while its penetration was 27.80 mm or 94.24%. Ganitri had rather poor drying properties, which was prone to surface check. The proper drying for ganitri wood was suggested using initial and final temperatures 53°C and 83°C, respectively, while the initial and final relative humidity were 85% and 30%.

Translation stalling proline motifs are enriched in slow-growing, thermophilic, and multicellular bacteria

Rapid bacterial growth depends on the speed at which ribosomes can translate mRNA into proteins. mRNAs that encode successive stretches of proline can cause ribosomes to stall, substantially reducing translation speed. Such stalling is especially detrimental for species that must grow and divide rapidly. Here we focus on di-prolyl motifs (XXPPX) and ask whether their incidence varies with growth rate. To find out we conducted a broad survey of such motifs in >3000 bacterial genomes across 36 phyla. Indeed, fast-growing species encode fewer motifs than slow-growing species, especially in highly expressed proteins. We also found many di-prolyl motifs within thermophiles, where prolines can help maintain proteome stability. Moreover, bacteria with complex, multicellular lifecycles also encode many di-prolyl motifs. This is especially evident in the slow-growing phylum Myxococcota. Bacteria in this phylum encode many serine-threonine kinases, and many di-prolyl motifs at potential phosphorylation sites within these kinases. Serine-threonine kinases are involved in cell signaling and help regulate developmental processes linked to multicellularity in the Myxococcota. Altogether, our observations suggest that weakened selection on translational rate, whether due to slow or thermophilic growth, may allow di-prolyl motifs to take on new roles in biological processes that are unrelated to translational rate.

Production of essential oils from Ceylon lemongrass (Cymbopogon nardus) in Loumo district (Congo)

The objective was to assess the social, economic and environmental impact of the production of essential oil (ET) of Ceylon citronella in Loumo . A field survey was carried out with 60 EO producers in 9 localities in the Loumo district in Congo. The results show that 73 % of producers are adult men , 37% of whom are between 51 and 60 years old. The schooling rate is 98%, with a predominance of producers with secondary education levels, the majority living in a common-law relationship. The production of EO is a secondary activity to agriculture and commerce. The income generated by this activity is marginal but makes it possible to diversify the income of the actors. This activity is still in the embryonic stage. The low economic performance translates into low annual investments and low annual distillation frequencies, a consequence of the presence of a single EO extractor. The production of 1.75 litre of essential oil requires 140 kg of cooking wood, which has a direct impact on the surrounding forest ecosystems. The promotion of fast-growing species is necessary in view of the development of this sector.

Characterization of microcrystalline cellulose from fast-growing species Artocarpus elasticus

Microcrystalline cellulose is an important derivative of cellulosic material obtained from wood and non-wood sources, and is used for pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and other industries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of various hydrochloric acid concentrations on the characteristics of cellulose microcrystals isolated from terap wood (Artocarpus elasticus). The microcrystalline cellulose was hydrolyzed using hydrochloric acid, at concentrations of 1.5 N, 2.5 N, and 3.5 N for 15 minutes, and within a temperature range of 100-105o C. Thesamples were then analyzed for changes in color and functional groups with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while crystallinity index was evaluated through X-Ray Diffraction Analysis (X-RDF). The FTIR results showed similarity with commercial products, while X-Ray Diffraction confirms the highest crystallinity index in the 2.5 N of cellulose I (69.395 %) and cellulose II (82.73 %).