The sustainability of reforesting landscapes with exotic species: a case study of eucalypts in Ethiopia

Eucalypt reforestation has been a common feature of many countries, especially in the developing countries, such as Ethiopia. Farmers in Ethiopia plant large numbers of eucalypts on small areas of land and manage them to yield a variety of products, including leaves and small branches for fuelwood, and poles and posts for house building and other farm uses. Many people in Ethiopia are dependent on eucalypts as a source of fuel and house building material. The use of trees, especially eucalypts, as a living bank account, to be harvested when there is a need for cash, is widespread. This being the reality, the arguments for and against planting eucalypts in Ethiopia has been mounting from time to time, especially associated with water use, soil fertility, soil erosion, allelopathic effects, understory vegetation and plant diversity as well as wild animals. The paradox of reforestation using eucalypts results, mostly, from inappropriate species-site matching and poor management rather than the inherent biological characteristics of the species. Therefore, the debate on eucalypts under the pretext of concern for indigenous species and natural forests should shift to how both plantations established using eucalypts and indigenous species as well as natural forests can help in the enhancement of the socio-economic development and environmental conservation of countries, such as Ethiopia. Despite the claimed negative impacts of eucalypts, farmers in Ethiopia have utilized their traditional knowledge and experience in establishing and managing eucalypt stands. In addition, the available reports in Ethiopia are in favour of planting eucalypts since the authors acknowledge that: (i) the negative impacts can be minimized provided that the choice of species and site as well as the management of the stands are appropriate, (ii) the benefit derived can offset the losses that can occur from such plantations, (iii) no other species seems to replace them to bridge the ever-widening gap between demand and supply of wood and (iv) the profit derived from eucalypt plantations is considerably higher than cultivating crops. However, the choice of eucalypt species should be based on many criteria, for example maximum wood production, ecological sustainability, marketability of the planted species and usefulness of the species to the local populations. All these criteria involve not only a choice of species planted, but also a choice of plantation management methods from initial planting to final cutting of the trees. Careful selection of appropriate species and matching them with appropriate sites must be taken as prerequisite, and the right management practices should be employed.

CONTEMPLATION OF SYMBIOTIC MICROBIAL BIOFILMS IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

State of symbiosis is created among the species that are found in naturally existing biofilms. Biofilm formation provides protection against toxic shocks, mechanical stress, and predation. Biofilm can play an important role in wastewater treatment technologies and on the other hand could also lead to plague water. Biofilm-based treatments have been traditionally used for the treatment of water but the recent development in the stream has boosted the use of biofilm in various strategies of waste water treatment especially for strategies related to BOD and nutrients. However, the blueprint and execution of this idea is still being worked on due to the problems which arise in the implementation such as corroding pipes, increasing head loss, allowing pathogens to persist in distribution systems, and fouling membrane processes. Design for choice of species for biofilm processes in particular techniques is important wastewater treatment. All these data are essential to develop the performance, effectiveness and constancy of biofilm-based wastewater treatment strategies.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FLORA ADMINISTRATION IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF GUARUJÁ (SP), BRAZIL

Objective – The study aimed to map, identify and catalog the tree species present in the municipality of Guarujá, Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista, State of São Paulo, used in the afforestation of the municipality. The criteria for the choice of species by the city were evaluated, aiming through this survey, future proposals for better management in the administration of inclusion of urban flora; inclusion of native species, prioritizing species that are attractive to the region's fauna. Methods - During the study, samples were taken in 5 (five) points of the city of Guarujá, with materials that present an equivalent representation of populations. The studies were carried out following seasonality, in order to observe the environmental influence on the distribution of plants. Results - Twelve families, 28 genera and 29 species were identified in the samples carried out in 117 streets in 5 districts, being 57 streets in the Vila Áurea district, 24 streets in the Jardim Progresso district, 10 streets in the Santa Rosa district, 12 streets in the Pitangueiras district and 10 streets in the Virginia Garden District. Conclusion - The interest in paying attention to plant species used in afforestation in the municipality of Guarujá is due to the fact that inappropriate afforestation is observed, sometimes planted by residents, without guidance and thus without technical criteria, thus creating a future problem, for example, causing problems urban areas such as pavement destruction, changes in the landscape and species that are not always attractive to fauna. Another fact that is also observed is the low diversity of species present, many of them exotic and not native to the region.

Is Domestication Speciation? The Implications of a Messy Domestication Model in the Holocene

Domestication is one of the fundamental process that has shaped our world in the last 12,000 years. Changes in the morphology, genetics, and behavior of plants and animals have redefined our interactions with our environments and ourselves. However, while great strides have been made towards understanding the mechanics, timing, and localities of domestication, a fundamental question remains at the heart of archaeological and scientific modelling of this process—how does domestication fit into a framework of evolution and natural selection? At the core of this is the ontological problem of what is a species? In this paper, the complicated concepts and constructs underlying ‘species’ and how this can be applied to the process of domestication are explored. The case studies of soybean and proto-indica rice are used to illustrate that our choice of ‘species’ definitions carries with it ramifications for our interpretations, and that care needs to be made when handling this challenging classificatory system.

Development of a Component-Level Hydrogen Transport Model with OpenFOAM and Application to Tritium Transport Inside a DEMO HCPB Breeder

This work continues the development of a numerical model to simulate transient tritium transport on the breeder zone (BZ) level for the EU helium-cooled pebble bed (HCPB) concept for DEMO. The basis of the model is the open-source field operation and manipulation framework, OpenFOAM. The key output quantities of the model are the tritium concentration in the purge gas and in the coolant and the tritium inventory inside the BZ structure. New model features are briefly summarized. As a first relevant application a simulation of tritium transport for a single pin out of the KIT HCPB design for DEMO is presented. A variety of scenarios investigates the impact of the permeation regime (diffusion-limited vs. surface-limited), of an additional hydrogen content of 300 Pa H2 in the purge gas, of the released species (HT vs. T2), and of the choice of species-specific rate constants (recombination constant of HT set twice as for H2 and T2). The results indicate that the released species plays a minor role for permeation. Both permeation and inventory show a considerable dependence on a possible hydrogen addition in the purge gas. An enhanced HT recombination constant reduces steel T inventories and, in the diffusion-limited case, also permeation significantly. Scenarios with 80 bar vs. 2 bar purge gas pressure indicate that purge gas volumetric flow is decisive for permeation.

The Ethnobiology of Contemporary British Foragers: Foods They Teach, Their Sources of Inspiration and Impact

Foraging in the British Isles is an increasingly popular activity for both personal consumption and for commercial purposes. While legislation and guidelines exist regulating the sustainable collection of wild edibles, the founding principles of the British foraging movement are not well documented. For this research, 36 of the most active foraging instructors of the Association of Foragers were interviewed to understand their background, species collected, sources of knowledge, and problems faced during collection. Altogether, 102 species of leafy vegetables, fruits, fungi, and seaweeds were mentioned as frequently used, while 34 species of roadkill animals were listed, mostly for personal consumption. Instructors reported learning from wild food guidebooks, other foragers, or personal experience. Frequent contact among foragers has led to the standardisation of knowledge and practices among them forming a “new tradition”, partly based on old British traditions but modified by influences from other countries and cultures, both in terms of choice of species and processing techniques. Contrary to expectations, foragers rarely reported clashes with nature conservation or forestry managers. The authors argue that knowledge and practice developed by the Association of Foragers (AoF) are sustainable and could be integrated into the British food and nature conservation system.

Importance of Trees Outside Forest (TOF) for immediate earthquake response

A study was carried out in Thulosirubari village of Chautara Sangachowkgadi municipality of Sindhupalchok district, Nepal to analyse the importance of TOF for immediate earthquake response and recovery. More than 80% of the households have trees in their own land with species such as Chilaune (Schima wallichii), Kutmiro (Litsea monopetala), Khote Salla (Pinus roxburghii) and Bamboo are common. Among surveyed households (134), more than 75% respondents reported that they used Schima wallichii for pillar (Khaba) to make temporary houses, whereas bamboo was used for all kind of poles (Dada/Vata/Balo) in more than 80% of temporary houses. Both Bamboo and Schima wallichii were either extracted from their own land or from neighbour's land, i.e. TOF which were easily available and collected as required. We could not draw any statistical conclusion in choice of species to construct temporary houses by wealth categories. However, we have observed that people who have sufficient and varieties of trees in own land, have selected strong and hard wood for permanent house construction whereas those who do not have choice, are limited to use any of the available tree species. People were highly aware about importance of trees to cope with disaster; however selection of species was still debatable because of limited knowledge and researches. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2020, 6(1): 9-16

Préférences des femmes et pouvoir calorifique d’essences de bois d’énergie utilisées pour la cuisson de la bière locale et du beurre de karité au Burkina Faso

Objectif : L’objectif de cette étude est d’identifier les espèces utilisées comme bois d’énergie pendant la cuisson de la bière locale et la transformation des amandes de karité en beurre, d’apprécier les niveaux exploitation de ces espèces et de cerner les raisons des préférences d’utilisation de ces espèces. Méthodologie et résultats : Une enquête a été conduite auprès des femmes productrices pour connaître les espèces utilisées prioritairement comme bois énergie. Une estimation du pouvoir calorique des espèces les plus utilisées a été faite au laboratoire. Dix-neuf (19) espèces ligneuses appartenant à onze (11) familles ont été citées comme entrant dans la cuisson de la bière locale et du beurre de karité. Le bois de ces espèces a montré un pouvoir calorifique plus élevé, justifiant les préférences des femmes pour celles-ci. Cependant, la disponibilité des espèces dans les villages reste déterminante pour le choix de leur utilisation. Conclusion et application des résultats : La connaissance des préférences des espèces prioritaires utilisées comme source d’énergie par les femmes constitue une information cruciale pour le choix des espèces à produire pour la restauration du couvert végétal des terroirs villageois. Aussi, la présente étude recommandet-elle ces essences préférées des femmes pour la cuisson de la bière locale et du beurre de karité comme espèces ligneuses à produire par les pépiniéristes pour les campagnes de plantation d’arbres dans les terroirs villageois Mots clés : bois-énergie, pouvoir calorifique, bière locale, beurre de karité, Burkina Faso ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the species used as fuelwood during the cooking of local beer and the processing of shea kernels into butter, to assess the use levels of these species and to identify the reasons for the preferences of these species. Methodology and results: A survey was conducted among women producers to find out the species used mainly as fuelwood. An estimate of the caloric value of the most used species was made in the laboratory. Nineteen (19) woody species belonging to eleven (11) families were cited as being used to cook local beer and shea butter. The wood of these species showed a higher calorific value, justifying the women's Dao et al., J. Appl. Biosci. 2020 Préférences des femmes et pouvoir calorifique d’essences de bois d’énergie utilisées pour la cuisson de la bière locale et du beurre de karité au Burkina Faso 16140 preferences for them. However, the availability of the species in the villages remains a determining factor in the choice of their use. Conclusion and application of results: Knowledge of the preferences of priority species used as energy source by women become crucial information for the choice of species to be produced for the restoration of the vegetation cover of village landscapes. Therefore, the present study recommends these species preferred by women for the cooking of the local bee and the shea butter as woody species to be produced by nurserymen for tree-planting campaigns in the village landscapes. Key words: Fuelwood, calorific value, local beer, shea butter, Burkina Faso

Reference areas and edaphoclimatic variables: support for the choice of tree species in the restoration of riparian forests in Southern Brazil

Identifying factors involved in the choice of species for forest restoration is a great challenge, given the wide range of biotic and abiotic factors that may influence ecosystem trajectories. This review aims to highlight the information from reference areas and edaphoclimatic factors as aids in the choice of forest species to be used in the restoration of riparian forests, especially for the southern of Brazil. Native forest species of natural occurrence in riparian areas offer the potential for recovering these environments, depending on the ecological group and stage of ecological succession where they are naturally present. However, floristic and phytosociological surveys in well-preserved remnant riparian forests with no anthropogenic interference and in areas at different stages of natural succession are needed. This will enable the identification of the most representative species which are adapted to the conditions of local sites. Additionally, information must be correlated with chemical, physical and biological aspects of the soil as well as ecological processes and climatic characteristics, enabling the proper choice of species. Thus, the components of soil-plant-atmosphere system must be incorporated into the degraded environments in order to achieve an integrated recovery of ecological processes.

Selecting tree species for climate change integrated forest restoration and management in the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, Nepal

Climate change will affect forest vegetation communities, and field surveys have already indicated measurable distribution range shifts in some tree species. As forests play an important role in stabilizing steep slopes and provide vital ecological goods and services, the Government of Nepal has been encouraging forest restoration and sustainable management. However, reforestation and afforestation programs should consider the long term survivorship of the trees selected for reforestation to build climate adaptation and resilience. Thus, the choice of species should include species that would be expected to grow within the elevation zone or in the particular habitat under future climate change scenarios. In this analysis, we have assessed the response of 12 important tree species to climate change using the IPCC A2A GHG scenario with GCM-based climate envelopes to provide guidelines and recommendations for climate change-integrated forest restoration and management in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL). The results indicate that several species could exhibit range shifts due to climate change, with an overall trend for species in the lower elevations to move northwards or further up the slopes within the current area of distributions. Analyses such as this, though not perfect, can help to make critical and informed decisions to support long-term forest restoration programs.