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Rationalization and optimization of work is becoming increasingly important in the European forestry sector. In this study a tool for modeling three different precommercial thinning approaches in young beech mountain stands was developed based on several field studies. The simulation examines three primary types of precommercial thinning: selective thinning and two types of situational thinning. We studied the impact of the number of candidates/crop trees and the impact of harvesting intensity on the structure and consumption of productive time. We found that in terms of costs situational precommercial thinning is more rational than selective precommercial thinning, that harvesting intensity has a significant impact on time consumption and that the number of candidates or crop trees has a significant impact on time consumption as well as on the relationships between main and auxiliary productive time. The modeling has shown that situational thinning is an alternative to selective thinning and that, in addition to requiring smaller and more efficient harvesting machines, it offers a cost-effective and ergonomic option (more walking, less chainsaw operation) for the pre-commercial thinning of young forest.

Regional climate change projections for Europe agree in predicting a statistically significant warming in all seasons. The most significant climate change effect is its impact on water cycle through altering precipitation patterns and evapotranspiration processes at multiple scales. The anticipated changes in the distribution and precipitation amounts together with continuously increasing temperatures may induce a higher rate of water consumption in plants, which can generate changes in soil moisture, groundwater, and the water cycle. Thus, climate change can cause changes in the water balance equations structure. A Thornthwaite-type monthly step water balance model was established to compare the water balance in three different surface land cover types: (i) a natural forested area; (ii) a parcel with mixed surface cover; (iii) an agricultural area. The key parameter of the model is the water storage capacity of the soil. Maximal rooting depth of the given area is also determinable during the calibration process using actual evapotranspiration (AET) and soil physical data. The locally calibrated model was employed for assessing future AET and soil moisture of selected land cover types using data from four bias-corrected regional climate models. The projections demonstrate increasing actual evapotranspiration values in each surface cover type at the end of the 21st century. Regarding the 10th percentile minimum soil moisture values, the forested area displayed an increasing trend, while the agricultural field and mixed parcel showed a strong decrease. The 30-year monthly means of evapotranspiration shows the maximum values in June and July, while the minimum soil moisture in September. Water stress analysis indicates water stress is expected to occur only in the agricultural field during the 21st century. The comparison of the three surface covers reveals that forest has the greatest soil water storage capacity due to the highest rooting depth. Thus, according to the projections for 21st century, less water stress is predicted to occur at the forested area compared to the other two surface covers which shows shallow rooting depth.

Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) has been cultivated since centuries in Mediterranean areas for its products and economic benefits, including edible pine nuts, timber, mushrooms, firewood, and grazing. However, current management objectives of stone pine stands also include recreational use, biodiversity conservation, protection from soil erosion, and CO2 fixation. Stone pine stands are considered to be among the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change, and the current increase in drought frequency in the Mediterranean Basin has been shown to negatively impact their long-term establishment. Understanding the effects of climate change on the distribution, tree-ring growth and water use of stone pine forests can help assessing the adaptive capacity of the species, and developing management programs aimed at its conservation. This paper reviews the impacts of climate change on stone pine in the Mediterranean region. The high sensitivity of stone pine to climate change has been widely demonstrated in that: (i) climatic models predict the loss of suitable habitats and the shift of its geographical distribution in the next future; (ii) tree-ring analysis showed that winter and spring rainfalls have positive effects on growth, whereas high spring temperature has a negative effect; (iii) the strategy of stone pine to cope with water deficit affects the processes regulating its growth, including wood formation, leading to peculiar tree-ring anatomical features such as intra-annual density fluctuations. The silvicultural interventions and the most effective management strategies for stone pine forests are reviewed and discussed in the context of current climate change in the Mediterranean Basin.

With increasing concern for forest water use and anthropogenic alteration of forest structures, understanding the effects of structural changes in forests on transpiration is important. Our aim is to develop a stand transpiration model relating canopy conductance with stand sapwood area (SA) and environmental conditions for assessing the interannual variation in stand transpiration. The stand transpiration model is developed based on multiplicative empirical Gc estimations at eight Korean pine stands with different SAs. The model integrated the response of stomatal conductance to various environmental variables as vapor pressure deficit (D), photosynthetic active radiation (Q), air temperature (Ta), and soil water content (θ). The reference Gc (Gc at D=1kPa) and stomatal sensitivity to D was found to have a significant relationship with the SA, whereas other parameters like stomatal sensitivity to Q or Ta did not show significant relationships with it. The Gc model successfully reproduced changes in stand transpiration with changes in SA and climatic conditions. As this model uses SA, a simple and easily measurable structural variable, it can be easily applied to other Korean pine forests and can help estimate the spatial and temporal variations in stand transpiration.

The paper presents the results of assessing pyrogenic emissions of carbon compounds in Russian forests for 2020 using remote monitoring methods. The area of forests damaged by fires was 6.5 mln ha, whereas the amount of carbon emissions was 36.5 MtC. Although the total area of damage is higher than the average annual values, the amount of pyrogenic carbon emissions is lower than the average annual ones. In absolute terms, the year corresponds to 2016. We registered an increase in annual carbon emissions from fires since the abnormal 2012. A preliminary analysis of the entire observation period for fires suggests that 2021 may be the next abnormal year after the years of 2003 and 2012 in terms of forest fires and direct pyrogenic carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

The article is devoted to the description of the web-GIS for mapping fire regimes in the Pechora-Ilych reserve and its environs. The main purpose of the resource is to provide the results of mapping fire regimes in the designated area to a wide range of researchers in an accessible form. Web-GIS allows organizing and storing the received thematic spatial data. The resource performs research and educational functions. The structure of the web-GIS includes the following sections: the study area, fire frequency indicators, fire regimes, fire regime condition class, and fire cycles. The web GIS was created using the ArcGIS StoryMaps tool on the ArcGIS Online platform. All sections use data from the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. Web-GIS allows receiving reference information about the indicators of fire frequency, fire cycles and regimes, as well as their deviations within the boundaries of the Pechora-Ilych nature reserve, district forestries, and spatial units. In particular, the results of a retrospective statistical analysis of forest fire indicators within spatial units (fire frequency, mean fire interval, etc.) are available for users.

The use of wood ash as a soil amendment in afforestation and reforestation efforts is increasing. While most studies suggest benefits or neutral results on tree growth and survival, a few studies indicate adverse effects. Hybrid larch, jack pine and white spruce were studied at three northwestern Quebec plantation sites after they received wood ash at two application rates. Soil chemical properties, foliar nutrients and seedling growth and mortality were monitored over a period of eight years. The response of soil to ash application was mostly observed in the forest floor and was more pronounced in year 3 than year 8, likely due to the acidifying nature of the boreal soils studied. Jack pine growth increased linearly with wood ash application rates, white spruce growth showed an inconsistent and delayed positive response under the higher application rate, and hybrid larch growth and survival were either increased or decreased under the lower application rate depending of site but decreased at all sites under the higher application rate. The divergence in growth response between tree species underlines a trade-off between species with rapid acquisition of resources (e.g., pine, larch) to species that use more conservative strategies and store nutrients in their tissues for longer periods (e.g., spruce). In the case of hybrid larch, it accumulated larger amounts of Mn in its needles under the higher application rate and thus, the high bioavailability of Mn appears to have been detrimental to its survival and growth. Its higher sensitivity to Mn addition from ash is likely due to its highly acquisitive (nutrients) nature compared to other coniferous species as well as the initial levels of available Mn levels in the soil. The contrasted growth responses reported here under similar growing conditions highlight the importance of identifying suitable species, sites and application rates to maximize the benefits of wood ash amendments for future tree plantations in the boreal forest.

Soil carbon pool in the block of the European-Ural part of Russia was assessed on a topological basis of lands categories adopted in State Forest Inventory (21 biotopes in total). The published data on 675 soil profiles were linked to biotopes and forest regions through coordinates and descriptions of profiles (13). The total carbon stock in the soils in forest regions of the European-Ural part were 19.3*109 t C for a depth of 0–30 cm, 26.6*109 t C for a depth of 0–50 cm, and 34.2*109 t C for a depth of 0–100 cm. Forest area in the European part of Russia for these forest regions is estimated at 181.13*106 ha. Aggregated data are presented both for biotopes of the entire region and for forest regions. We compared the results obtained on top basis of dominant tree species and non-forest lands with the estimates of other authors obtained for various soil types.

The article provides an overview of Russian and foreign studies on assessment of the composition of atmospheric fallout and soil waters in forest ecosystems. The conclusion was made that little attention is given to the transformation of precipitation chemical composition by forest ecosystems, taking into account the influence of the species composition of the stand and the mosaic structure of the biogeocenosis (areas below the crowns, between the crowns, and open sites). European studies usually look at long-term development of the composition of atmospheric fallout and lysimetric waters, detecting long-term trends in composition changes of atmospheric and soil waters and identifying the factors driving these changes. In Russia, no such long-term (lasting for more than 10 years) continuous observations on the effect of man-made pollution on the composition and properties of atmospheric and soil waters were carried out. This task is very relevant for Russia and, especially, for its industrial regions.

In this study, cone production, altitude and growth characteristics (height, diameter at breast height and crown diameter) were related, and also some genetics parameters were estimated. The data were collected from 150 individual trees of three natural populations sampled altitudinal (P1 260 m, P2 740 m, P3 1100 m) of Brutian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) in Mugla-Fethiye district in 2020. Fertility variation based on cone production was found to be 1.91 for one old cones and 1.77 for two old cones in all populations. Genetic relatedness was estimated at 0.006 for one year cones and 0.005 for two year old cones in all populations. The number of effective parents was found to be 78 and 84 for one year and two year cones, respectively. As a result of the correlation analysis applied, statistically significant (p

This study investigates the physiological responses and subjective perceptions of touching wood. In particular, it focuses on their respective relationships with the amount of heat transfer across the hand–material interface during contact. The study participants included 55 university students (20 females and 35 males) who gave written informed consent. The participants’ blood pressure, pulse rate, and cerebral blood hemoglobin concentrations were measured continuously for 90 s while they gently held vertical bar-shaped specimens of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), Japanese oak (Quercus crispula), polyethylene, and aluminum. The specimens also included wood with a surface coating. We measured subjective warmth and comfort as well as the heat flux between the palm and the surface of the material. The wooden materials were rated as significantly warmer compared to aluminum and polyethylene, regardless of the wood species (cypress or oak) or its coating; this result corresponds with smaller heat transfers in the wooden materials. Additionally, the wooden materials were more comfortable to hold as compared to the aluminum bar. Based on the changes in blood pressure, touching Japanese cypress and uncoated Japanese oak were interpreted to induce less physiological stress. Therefore, we can conclude that wood, with lower thermal conductivity, feels warm, and it causes relatively smaller physiological changes compared to other materials with higher thermal conductivity. Thus, they may present less physiological burdens when touched.

Humus forms are good indicators of environmental conditions and thus important in forest ecological processes. Altitudinal gradients are considered as natural laboratory for evaluating soil ecological processes and humus form distribution. The objective of this study was to evaluate the macromorphology of humus forms along an altitudinal gradient (0-2000 m a.s.l.) covered with plain forest, mixed and pure forests and forest-grassland ecotone, in Alborz Mountains in northern Iran. In total, 225 humus profiles were evaluated. Forest stand variables including tree density, basal area, crown density, and height, forest floor and soil physico-chemical properties along with biological features were measured. We found that altitudinal gradients influence both humus forms distribution and soil properties but with different mechanisms. While soil properties (i.e., temperature, pH, CaCO3, soil N content, soil C/N and microbial biomass N) were significantly correlated with altitude, the forest floor properties were more influenced by tree species composition. Particularly, the abundance of Mull was decreased in plain mixed forests compared to mountain pure forests, whereas the frequency of Amphi was increased. Moreover, Oligomull and Leptoamphi were abundant in mixed beech forests, while Eumacroamphi, Eumesoamphi and Pachyamphi were only observed in pure beech forests. Such a distribution influenced soil fertility where higher values of nitrogen (N), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and pH were observed at lower altitudes under mixed forests compared to pure forests at higher altitudes.

We propose a method to classify priority sites for Atlantic Rainforest restoration aiming to increase basin streamflows. The Rainfall Forest to Water Production (RFWP) method uses multicriteria analysis supported by GIS techniques and hydrological modeling. The method was applied to the Itapemirim River Basin, southeastern Brazil. The application of RFWP provided a map of areas with different priority for forest restoration by overlapping standardized numerical criteria with different weights (climatological, soil type/land use, and relief). The results indicated the influence of the wide distribution of the restoration sites on the streamflows. The RFWP proved to be suitable for the spatial analysis of the effect of different restoring areas on streamflows. Based on simulated scenarios, an increase in the native forest cover by restoration up to 27.6% of the basin area is expected to significantly enhance water production. The priority areas where forest restoration could better contribute to increase streamflows were delineated, especially at high altitude and in pastures, which are mostly in degraded conditions.

Old-growth forests have an important role in maintaining animal and plant diversity, are important carbon (C) reservoirs and are privileged sites to study long-term plant physiological responses, long-term forest dynamics and climate change impact on forest ecosystems. Several studies have highlighted how old-living trees undergo age-related declines with hydraulic limitations and reduction in photosynthesis, though some recent works have suggested that such a decline is not always observed. Our study aims at understanding the role of atmospheric CO2 increase on tree C uptake and stomatal conductance (gs) in old-living trees by analysing the long-term patterns of tree growth and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) in three old-growth forests in the Balkans (Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro), using dendrochronology and isotopic analysis. We hypothesised a long-term increase in iWUE in the studied old-growth forests, mostly related to enhanced photosynthesis rather than reduced stomatal conductance. Tree cores were sampled from dominant silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) trees in each forest. Tree-ring widths were measured and basal area increments (BAI) were assessed for each sampled tree and, from the six longest chronologies, five decades were chosen for cellulose extraction, its isotopic analysis (δ13C, δ18O), iWUE and leaf water 18O evaporative enrichment above the source water (Δ18OL) determination. We observed a continuous and significant increase in iWUE from 1800 to 2010 in the sampled dominant trees at all the three old-growth forests. Our BAI data and our estimates of Δ18OL across the study period support the idea that enhanced photosynthesis rather than reduced stomatal conductance is the major driver of the measured iWUE increase. Thus, our results support some recent findings challenging the hypothesis that iWUE in forests is primarily the result of a CO2-induced reduction in stomatal conductance as well as the so called hydraulic limitation hypothesis.

Wood quality results from the interaction between the genotype of trees and the silvicultural conditions to which they were subjected. Based on this interaction, research on the factors that add value to the woody raw material has an impact on the production of various forest products. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different planting spacings (3×1, 3×2, 3×3 and 3×4 m) on the wood properties of three 4-year-old Eucalyptus clones. The wood of each clone was evaluated based on basic density, dry mass, anatomy, structural chemical composition, ash content and higher heating value. For at least one of the three clones studied, the planting spacing explained the variations in the basic density, dry mass, diameter and frequency of vessels and wall thickness of the wood fibers. Regardless of the eucalyptus clone, the area of vessels, the length and fraction of the fiber wall, as well as the contents of extractives, lignin, ash and the higher heating value of the wood were not influenced by the planting spacing. In summary, the change in the useful area alters the properties of wood in eucalyptus genetic materials in different ways and intensities at 4 years old.

The Tuscan Region (Central Italy) spends about 12 million euros every year in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. In this context, this study aims to analyse the economic and environmental benefits derived from fire suppression activities. Starting from a case study of a real fire event in Tuscany, we simulated three hypothetical scenarios (with different fire durations) without fire extinction activities planned by using the open source software FARSITE. Benefits derived from fire extinction activities can be quantified as the avoided damage, which has been calculated through the estimation of the total economic value of forests not destroyed by fire thanks to the extinction action. The avoided damage is represented by the difference between values of forest areas burned by the real fire event and those burned by simulated fire. By providing an economic estimation of avoided damages, our results confirm that forest fire services and forest management have a high impact on both the economy and the environment.

Understanding how and why species abundance distributions (SADs) vary with sampling scale has been a long-standing issue in ecology. By fitting various SAD models with observations collected in three large forest field plots, the objective of this study is to explore how the shape of SADs and the predictive ability of SAD models vary with sampling scales. Based on a large dataset collected in the Changbaishan, Jiaohe and Liangshui forests in northeastern China, observed SADs were compared with SADs estimated using five different models (log-normal, broken stick, Zipf, niche preemption and neutral model) at four sampling scales (10 × 10 m, 30 × 30 m, 60 × 60 m and 90 × 90 m). The results show that the studied SADs are scale dependent. Niche-based models provided a better fit at small sample sizes, the predictive ability decreasing with increasing sampling scale. The neutral model performed better at large sample sizes, the predictive ability increasing with increasing sampling scale. We identify the models that provided the best fit to observed species abundance distributions across spatial scales, and conclude that there is not one best SAD model for all spatial scales. Future studies should consider the scale effects on the species abundance distribution.

This study aims to determine the impact of forest harvesting machinery on the temporarily moist soil of spruce forests (Picea abies Karst.) during the summer. For research purposes, we investigated 23 sites of the boreal forest in the European North of Russia (Arkhangelsk region) where logging operations had been carried out using harvesters and forwarders (CTL, cut-to-length harvesting). In the 15 years after logging, the sites were monitored for changes in physical soil properties and the depth/width of ruts and vegetation. In freshly cut areas, the depth of the ruts was linked to the amount of logging residue that had been used to strengthen skidding trails. After 15 years, the ruts were smooth but had not disappeared entirely. The average depth of the ruts decreased from 36 cm to 18 cm during the period under review. At a depth of 0-10 cm, the soil bulk density of the section between the control area and the wheel track increased by 19-27% within the first two years. At a depth of 10-20 cm, the soil bulk density only increased by 16-17% within the two-year period. After 15 years, the soil bulk density had decreased to the extent that there were no signs of heavy machinery movement. The natural restoration of vegetation in the ruts was affected by the presence of stagnant water in the initial post-logging period. Ruderal species and species with broad ecological amplitude to environmental factors grew over the skid trails. 15 years after logging, this overgrowth had stabilised, with the biodiversity level in the control area approaching its pre-logging state. Primarily, the renewal of the cutting areas occurred through species such as birch (Betula pendula Roth.) and aspen (Populus tremula L.). The highest amount of undergrowth (more than 30.000 ha-1) was detected 6-8 years after logging. This then decreases in areas that were cut down earlier. There are environmental consequences of clear-cutting (using the CTL system) on temporarily moist soil. To prevent the formation of deep ruts, it is recommended to leave 15-20 kg m-2 of felling residue.

The need to develop and implement innovative forms of reforestation to obtain highly productive tree stands actualize the topic of the article. The purpose of the work is to study and analyze foreign experience and research on the production of softwood containerized planting stock for reforestation and compare it with the practice of greenhouse complexes in the Arkhangelsk region. We used the international bibliographic and abstract database «Scopus», which indexes scientific journals, materials from conferences and publications to search for information. A review of publications has been completed over more than a 20-year period (1999-2019). The world experience study and the results of studies on the cultivation of forest containerized seedlings, in particular, Finland, Sweden, Norway, countries similar in terms of the growth of woody vegetation and the range of tree species to the conditions of the European north of Russia made it possible to highlight current research directions. The treatment of seedlings with a short or long light day; frost resistance of the seedlings; influence of drought, excessive moisture; issues of seedling storage; diseases, pests of seedlings and control of them, as well as problems of selection and seed production; seed quality and their impact on plant growth; influence of cultivation technology and types of planting stock on the effectiveness of planting refers to them. The use of foreign plants for growing ball-rooted planting stock implies a similar technology for the production of forest seedlings in our region. However, climatic features and the availability of various consumables, such as peat, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., necessitate the adaptation of Scandinavian technologies to local conditions and the development of additional techniques. One of the main production tasks is the achievement of standard indicators by seedlings. It is not always possible to achieve the desired results in harsh taiga conditions, therefore it is necessary to use foreign experience in growing ball-rooted planting stock, which allows to increase the production of standard seedlings without compromising their quality. This is a whole range of measures, including work on breeding and seed production, the formation of a plant substrate, lighting, moisture, observing the temperature regime, storage of seedlings, combating diseases and pests, etc., which ultimately are the components of the success of artificial reforestation

Biomass estimation of secondary forests is required to support the emission reduction of carbon dioxide through an enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Commonly, forest biomass is indirectly estimated using tree biomass allometric models that are developed based on a destructive sampling of sample trees. The availability of biomass allometric models for secondary forests in Indonesia is still limited, particularly for secondary forest ecosystems in eastern Indonesia. This study aimed to develop allometric biomass models for mixed-species trees in a secondary forest of East Halmahera, North Maluku, and to compare their accuracies with some other allometric biomass models that commonly used for estimating biomass of secondary forests. The tree biomass measurement was conducted by using a destructive sampling of 18 mixed-species trees (with diameter range of 5,4 – 36,9 cm) in a secondary forest. The samples of each tree component (stem, branch, twig, and leaf) were analyzed in a laboratory to determine the biomass of each sample tree. Allometric models were developed by using a non-linear regression analysis, which were then compared with other allometric models. This study revealed that the biomass of mixed-species trees in the study area could be estimated accurately using the M7 model that used diameter, height, and wood density variables. Such local allometric model was more accurate than other allometric models commonly used for estimating tropical forest biomass. Alternatively, the M3 model that used diameter and height variables could also be used when wood density data was not available. The local allometric models from this study can enrich the availability of biomass allometric models for secondary forest ecosystems in eastern Indonesia. Keyword: allometric model, destructive sampling, mixed-species, REDD+ , secondary forest

For effective response to forest fires, the period of time necessary for the firefighting team to reach the fire site should not exceed the critical response time, where the fire is more likely to be taken under control. For this reason, the optimum route that allows the team to reach the fire site by a fire truck within the shortest time possible should be determined. Computer-aided methods such as the road network analysis are widely used in the solution of such transportation problems that require the shortest path analysis. In this study, the locations of the existing road networks and firefighting team were examined using GIS techniques in order to determine the optimum route that will provide the promptest access to the fire site. The study was carried out in the Adana Forest Enterprise Directorate, where first degree fire-sensitive forests are located. There are three firefighting teams located in the boundaries of the study area. The sites in the study area where previously occurred forest fires (15), which burned 1 ha or more forest areas, were evaluated as potential fire sites. The analysis results showed that 64,12% of the forest areas in the study area was reached by the firefighting teams within 20 minutes, which is the critical response time for first degree fire sensitive forests. It was found that the teams could reach 12 potential fire sites within the critical response time. This result revealed the necessity to establish new firefighting teams in the study area. In addition, it is thought that improving the road network density in the study area by building new roads or increasing the truck travel speed by improving the conditions of existing roads will help to solve the problem.

Perubahan penggunaan lahan memiliki dampak terhadap sifat fisik tanah maupun proses hidrologi daerah aliran sungai. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membandingkan sifat fisik tanah pada penggunaan lahan agroforestri dan hutan lahan kering sekunder di Sub-DAS Wuno, Kabupaten Sigi. Metode penelitian menggunakan metode survei dilanjutkan dengan pengambilan sampel untuk bahan analisis di Laboratorium. Analisis tanah dilakukan di Laboratorium Ilmu Tanah, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Tadulako. Penentuan lokasi pengambilan sampel tanah ditentukan secara sengaja untuk mendapatkan 6 titik sampel. Pengambilan sampel tanah dilakukan 3 kali untuk setiap penggunaan lahan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tekstur tanah pada lahan agroforestri memiliki fraksi pasir 79,8%, kemudian fraksi debu 19,1%, dan fraksi liat 1,1%, sedangkan hutan lahan kering sekunder memiliki fraksi pasir 62%, fraksi debu 37,2%, dan fraksi liat 0,8%. Permeabilitas tertinggi pada kedalaman 0-20 cm ditemukan di lahan agroforestri 10,44 cm/jam, dan terendah di hutan lahan kering sekunder adalah 2,29 cm/jam. Bobot isi pada lahan agroforestri adalah 1,41 g/cm3, hutan lahan kering sekunder adalah 1,64 g/cm3. Porositas tanah lahan agroforestri adalah 40,85%, sedangkan hutan lahan kering sekunder adalah 22,90%. Bahan organik tanah pada lahan agroforestri adalah 4,23%, sedangkan hutan lahan kering sekunder adalah 3,81%. Tidak terdapat perbedaan yang cukup siginfikan terhadap parameter sifat fisik tanah diantara kedua penggunaan lahan baik pada tekstur tanah, bobot isi, dan bahan organik, namun demkian nilai porositas tanah dan permeabilitas pada lahan agroforestri lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan hutan lahan kering sekunder.

This paper examines the identification of key indicators that could be used to measure the success of reclamation plants in post-exploration oil and gas mining areas. The main objective of this research was to find key indicators or variables for evaluating the level success of reclamation results in the post-mining of oil and gas area. In this study, 44 environmental variables of the physical, biological, soil, water and air indicators were analyzed from 70 field plots of 6 reclamation and 2 natural forest sites. The analysis methods included (1) cluster analysis using the Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering method with the Ward's method, and (2) quadratic discriminant analysis. The results of the clustering analysis showed that there were some clusters due to variation of biomass, water, soil and air conditions. The three clusters developed based on water and/or air variables provided high cophenetic correlation (0.80) with low within-cluster (14.5%) and high between-cluster variations (85.5%). Based on the multicollinearity analysis, average vector difference test, variance matrix variance test, unidimensional test of each variable and quadratic discriminant function, this study found that there were 3 key indicators determining variations of the quality of the reclamation plantations within the study sites, namely, biological indicator of biomass volume (Bio_B); soil indicator of P content in the soil (Tnh_P), saturation base of soil (Tnh_Kb), Manganese (Mn) content in the soil (Tnh_Mn), Sulfur content in the soil (Tnh_S), percentage of ash in the soil (Tnh_Ab), percentage of clay in the soil (Tnh_Li), and water indicator of chloride content in the surface water (Air_Cl). The examination on four classes of the reclamation quality showed that the classes were successfully classified having excellent cross-validation error matrix with overall accuracy more than 90%.

A better understanding of the distribution of suitable habitats of Larix kaempferi and its environmental constraints is crucial to know how global climate change will affect its growth and future dynamics. We simulated global suitable distribution areas of L. kaempferi under current and future climates, using different representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios, to evaluate the main factors affecting its geographical distribution. The results showed that under current climate conditions the suitable distribution areas of L. kaempferi are concentrated in Europe and Asia, followed by North America. The “Germany-Sweden-Britain” (19.42% of the total worldwide area) and “China-Japan-North Korea” (43.11%) regions are the cores for L. kaempferi distribution. The suitable distribution area for L. kaempferi is large in China (33.75% of the total area). The suitable distribution areas in Asia, Europe, and China decreased and shifted northward in the RCP scenarios. The main climatic factors affecting the distribution of L. kaempferi were the annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual mean precipitation, and precipitation in the driest month. L. kaempferi could adapt or move to higher latitudes/altitudes to cope with climate change. Our results contribute to the introduction, cultivation, and management of L. kaempferi and potentially of other deciduous gymnosperms.

An understanding of variations in water availability to plantation forests on a spatial and temporal scale is essential when designing risk averse and site-specific silvicultural management regimes. Various indices of site water availability were compared to each other and to an independent, unbiased estimate of stand productivity potential, namely site index, across the Tsitsikamma, Knysna and Boland forestry regions of South Africa. This was done to find the balance between water availability indices requiring intensive data inputs (that may be very accurate) and indices with lower input data requirements (but may sacrifice some accuracy). The following indices of water availability (in order from low to higher input data requirements) were tested: Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP); Aridity Index (AI), i.e., MAP as a fraction of mean annual potential evapotranspiration (Ep); Moisture Growing Season (MGS), i.e., the Julian days where long-term MAP exceeds 0.3 times Ep; Water Deficit (WD), an estimate based on a rudimentary water balance with relatively low data inputs. The first three estimates use only climatic variables while the WD incorporates soil water storage capacity to run a water balance calculation. Results showed that both regional climatic variability and soil properties significantly affected the level of water availability, and hence also the potential productivity of pine stands. The shallow and sandy soils from the Knysna and Boland regions exhibited rapid water depletion during periods of decreased precipitation and seasonal shifts, however, the large WD’s (up to 345 mm year-1) observed in several of these sites rapidly changed to surplus values following only one month of high precipitation. Sites from the Tsitsikamma region had significantly larger water retention capabilities and this was attributed to the regional soil properties and climatic conditions. Temporal variations in the WD were also quantified. The WD estimates correlated significantly (r = -0.80, p

The analysis of the Concept of the draft Federal Law “Forest Code of the Russian Federation” proposed for discussion has shown that it is necessary to consider in detail the problems of organizing forest fire protection. In our opinion, the provisions of clause 3.7.7. The concepts require discussion of two important aspects of this activity. The first aspect concerns the implementation of forest fire protection in the territories provided for forestry on the basis of a license agreement and an agreement on the trust management of protective forests to legal entities and individuals. The second is the definition of the basic principles and criteria, based on which, the forests will be classified according to the methods of monitoring fire hazard and the use of fire extinguishing forces and means. The need to discuss the issue of consolidating the function of forest protection from fires for state specialized organizations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the federal body responsible for the general management of the forest protection system is revealed. The study showed that with the modern organization of fire detection and extinguishing, the approach to zoning and methodological support for making a decision on the advisability of carrying out fire extinguishing work in hard-to-reach forests requires a more thorough justification. At the same time, the development of a methodology should proceed from the zoning goal to reduce damage from fires. When calculating, it is important to take into account not only economic losses, but also negative consequences in the social sphere and in the environmental situation.

The urban environment is one of the most complicated man made systems, which condition and status are hard to define, but it is essential for the survival of humans. Among the methods of the urban environment condition evaluation bioindication is one of the most simple and able to provide valuable dose-response information for efficient management of environmental safety. Being such a useful method, the bioindication has a range of disadvantages, due to dependence on single species response, which can lie within the acceptable amplitude of living fluctuations or is conditioned by factors other than human activity. Most of the researches of such type stick to one single species and attempt to build clear impact-response dependencies for specific conditions. The paper considers the possibility to combine bioindicators from different taxonomic groups in one study to receive more reliable vision of the environment status. The typical combination offered in the study is phytoindication and lichen indication, which relies on measuring plants morphological parameters and lichen diversity and distribution. The research was conducted in the city of Kherson, previously considered relatively unpolluted. The territory of the city was analyzed to define the most affecting sources of environment pollution. The background area was chosen to verify the changes in the parameters of bioindicators. The results showed that the level of anthropogenic pressure within the urban territory is considerable and demands mitigation actions, aimed at improvement of air pollution control, waste management, traffic organization and implementation of remediation activities at decommissioned facilities. The deviations between the results of lichen indication and phytoindication gave possibility to infer the possible sources and composition of pollution, thus providing basis for efficient environment protection solutions to be implemented. The paper also presents the recommendations on the combination of bioindicators to be used in various studies, depending on the purpose and type of the ecosystem under investigation. The sequence of the data processing must include the comparative analysis of the information obtained to use the differences between the results provided by different organisms for clarification of the human impacts parameters.

Екологічна небезпека шахтних породних відвалів в умовах урбанізованого середовища є високою. Для її оцінювання у кожному конкретному випадку потрібно проводити екологічний моніторинг для розроблення природоохоронних заходів з мінімізації негативних їх чинників. Наголошено на чинниках, які призводять до самозаймання вугільних відвалів, та на підставі наукових джерел детально описано хімізм досліджуваних процесів. Окиснення і горіння породних відвалів супроводжується значним виділенням водяної пари, яка є мінералоутворюючим середовищем для більшої частини мінералів: сульфатів, гідрокарбонатів, карбонатів, фосфатів, арсенатів. Окрім цього, внаслідок окиснення виділяється вуглекислота, нітроген оксид (IV), який з водою утворює нітратну кислоту. У разі нестачі кисню в осередках горіння в парогазових викидах міститися сірководень, вуглеводні, амоніак, оксид карбону (II). Акцентовано увагу на тому, що важливе значення в процесах окиснення належить сірці. Окиснення вугілля посилюється на дрібних частинках, через збільшення площі поверхні, що доступна для окиснення. Висвітлено, що найнадійнішим способом захисту від самозаймання вугільних відвалів є створення на їх поверхні рослинного покриву. Процес формування рослинного покриву є дуже важливим, адже при цьому відбувається як накопичення важких металів у рослинах, так і зв'язування субстрату їхніми коренями й кореневищами, що зменшує процес вивітрювання та вимивання породи, яка містить велику кількість важких металів. Встановлено показники температури займання та самозаймання зразків деревних порід відвалів вугільних шахт згідно з ДСТУ8829:2019. Дослідження показників займання та самозаймання твердих речовин і матеріалів здійснювали у весняний та літній періоди. Досліджуваними об'єктами були проби листя та деревина з терикону шахти Нововолинського гірничопромислового району (Волинська область, м. Нововолинськ). Встановлено, що для сосни звичайної температура займання становить: +225 °C, а самозаймання +475 °C. Температура займання берези повислої +260 °C, дуба звичайного +275 °C, козячої верби +280 °C, температура самозаймання – берези повислої +470 °C, дуба звичайного +475 °C, верби козячої +473 °C. Температура займання берези повислої, дуба звичайного, верби козячої ніж сосни звичайної робить їх перспективними породами дерев для запобігання самозайманню вугільних відвалів.

The paper describes the experience of restoration of the lands disturbed by the mining industry by applying proper water management of worked-out quarries reclamation. The necessity of works on regular maintenance of the anthropogenic techno-ecosystem and artificial reservoirs is highlighted. Water quality is considered to be one of the most important characteristics of water resources that determine the possibility of their rational use. Most artificial lakes are characterized by high water content of sulfate ions. Oxygen is one of the most important dissolved in water gases. The dynamics of its content is determined by physicochemical and biological processes, and the uneven vertical distribution of oxygen in the lake is accompanied by the formation of products of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia.The use of aeration systems in the world allows considering aeration as an effective tool in conditions that are critical for hydroecosystems. Aeration methods can enrich water with oxygen and improve the ecological condition of the artificial lake. The paper shows the environmental advantages of using wind energy compared to the energy generated by burning different types of fuel. In the course of research calculations were made for the operation of a water pulverizing aerator designed by Podsyadlovsky in the location of Yavoriv artificial lake (Western Ukraine). The location of the lake is favourable for tourism development as it can provide various types of recreation for both local and transit holidaymakers.The environmental advantages of the wind drive of the water pulverizing aerator designed by S. Podsiadlowski for reclamation of Yavoriv artificial lake are mathematically determined and analyzed. The environmental effect is related to the benefits of replacing the energy obtained by burning fossil fuels at a power plant with wind energy. The environmental effect, which is determined in the process of mathematical calculations and on the basis of regression equations, complements modern knowledge in the field of bottom water aeration with the use of a water pulverizing aerator based on the Podsiadlowskis concept.

The economic mechanism of environmental management from the standpoint of environmental safety provides for compensation for environmental damage from pollution of components of the natural environment. In Ukraine, the determination of economic damage from pollution is carried out in cases of violation of environmental legislation by business entities and to assess the consequences of man-made and natural emergencies. To eliminate misunderstanding in the amount of damage from land pollution, calculated using various methods, it is necessary to determine one effective method. It is known that economic damage from pollution is formed by the factors of influence, perception and condition. Influence and perception factors form environmental damage. The effectiveness of the methodology is determined by the ability to calculate quickly the damage using the most informative indicators of the factors of the formation of environmental damage. In the methodology for calculating damage from land pollution for violations of environmental legislation by business entities, a direct approach was used applying the most informative indicators of factors in the formation of environmental damage from land pollution. In the methods for calculating damage from land pollution to assess the consequences of man-made and natural emergencies, an indirect approach is used which applies indicators describing the consequences of secondary land pollution, namely, groundwater pollution. According to the research results, the methodology for calculating damage from land pollution for violations of environmental legislation by business entities is more effective compared to methods for calculating damage from land pollution caused by technogenic and natural emergencies. To assess the economic damage from land pollution in Ukraine, it is recommended to use one, the most effective methodology designed to calculate damage from land pollution for violations of environmental legislation by business entities.

Estimation of forest floor loading is important for many forest management applications, especially those related to fire management and carbon balance. We quantified the physical properties (depth, fuel load, bulk density) and carbon stocks of endemic Dalmatian black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold subsp. dalmatica [Vis.] Franco) forest floor layers. We also examined how these properties differ with stand age and layer. Forest floor depths ranged from 1.5 cm to 11.5 cm and forest floor fuel (FFF) loads ranged from 11.9 Mg ha-1 in the young stand to 197.3 Mg ha-1 in the old stand. Forest floor carbon (FFC) stocks ranged from 6.4 Mg C ha-1 in the young stand to 85.8 Mg C ha-1 in the old stand. We developed regression equations that can be used to convert the investigated forest floor depth into load in each layer individually and across all layers. These equations, together with the organic carbon (OC) concentration determined here for individual forest floor layers, simplify quantification of carbon stocks in the forest floor. Bulk density (BD) values reported here can also be used to convert depth measurements to loads for each layer and the entire forest floor. The results presented here are suitable for rapid estimation of FFF loads and FFC stocks based solely on forest floor depth, without the need to sample and analyze large amounts of forest floor fuels. Similarly, spatial distribution in FFF loads and carbon stocks can be assessed simply by measuring forest floor depths.

Cempaka wasian is a type of woody tree which has a substantial historical value associated with the local culture of the Minahasan people. The improvement of cempaka wasian plantation is essential due to their enormous importance and usage. This study aims to discover the impacts of duration, storage room, and containers used for the appropriate storage of cempaka wasian seeds. The design used in this study is entirely randomized design organized with a factorial pattern which consists of 3 factors; 1) storage duration, 2) storage room and 3) storage containers. Duration of storage was 2, 3, 4, and 5 months; meanwhile, storage rooms comprised of refrigerators, chambers, and air-conditioned room. Moreover, storing containers consisted of calico cloth, aluminium foils, and plastic bags. The study finding indicates that the seeds of cempaka wasian could still germinate if stored for five months by using plastics bags inside refrigerators. A significant provision of seeds and suitable timing are closely related to the proper seed storage techniques.

CO2 emission to the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming. The impacts of land-use changes for agriculture and urbanisation, deforestation, and fire disturbance are attributed to the increase in CO2 emissions. Soil respiration, largely due to microbial activity, is one of the CO2 sources being released to the atmosphere. In this regard, several soil parameters related with carbon cycle, including organic matter, total N, C/N ratio, CO2 efflux, microbial biomass C (Cmic), the Cmic/Corg ratio, the metabolic quotient qCO2, and β-D glucosidase activity, were determined in a burned (harvested, H; non-harvested, NH), and its adjacent unburned (UB), mixed oak-pine forest to estimate the effects of burning and removal of residual woods. The Cmic increased gradually with burning and harvesting after Month 9, and sharp increases were observed in all areas, likely due to the abundant rainfall after Month 12. CO2 efflux decreased in the burned areas at Months 4 and 6; however, this reversed in Month 9. In spite of non-significant differences, we detected higher CO2 efflux values in the unburned areas compared to the burned ones, probably as a result of the drought effect observed in the burned areas up to Months 9 and 12 due to the increased soil heat. There was no significant difference between the H and NH burned areas, while both areas were different from the unburned areas in all soil parameters, except CO2 efflux and qCO2. The harvesting effect was not significant compared to the fire effect with regard to the considered soil variables, likely due to the management and protection of the burned area which allowed a fast vegetation recover. The abundance of the microbial biomass was independent of the changes in CO2 efflux and showed a negative correlation with β-D glucosidase activity. This might be related to the variation in substrate quality, microbial composition and abundance after burning and harvesting.

National Forest Inventories are important primary data sources for large-scale forest resource surveys, in which volume estimates of sampled trees are essential for quantitative analysis. Volume prediction models in natural forests are scarce in Brazil due to legal restrictions for cutting trees, especially in the Atlantic Forest. This study aimed to fit volume models for the main forest types and timber species of the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro state, considering two hypotheses: (I) generic volume models provide greater generalizability of estimates; however, (II) they may reduce the accuracy of forest type- and species-specific predictions. Four linear models with logarithmic transformation of variables were evaluated to fit volume models for generic and specific datasets, which correspond to the main forest types and timber species. Goodness-of-fit statistics were calculated to compare the accuracy and efficiency of the models, and selected models were validated through leave-one-out cross-validation procedures. The estimates obtained by generic and specific models were compared by non-parametric hypothesis tests. Generic models showed similar predictions to the specific models for forest types and timber species, with similar potential for stem and total volume predictions. Therefore, generic models can be used for Atlantic Forests in Rio de Janeiro state, while specific models are recommended to obtain more detailed local estimates.

Pinus greggii is a species of socio-economic importance in terms of wood production and environmental services in Mexico, though it is restricted by particular environmental conditions to the Sierra Madre Occidental. Species distribution models are geospatial tools widely used in the identification and delineation of species’ distribution areas and zones susceptible to climate change. The objectives of this study were to: (i) model and quantify the environmentally suitable area for Pinus greggii in Mexico, and possible future distributions under four different scenarios of climate change; (ii) identify the most relevant environmental variables that will possibly drive changes in future distribution; and (iii) to propose adequate zones for the species’ conservation in Mexico. Some 438 records of Pinus greggii from several national and international databases were obtained, and duplicates were discarded to avoid overestimations in the models. Climatic, edaphic, and topographic variables were used and 100 distribution models for current and future scenarios were generated using the Maxent software. The best model had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 and 0.93 for model training and validation, respectively, a partial ROC of 1.94, and a significant Z test (p

Gelibolu Yarımadası’nın güneyinde vejetasyon yapısının yetişme ortamı özelliklerine göre değişimiHalim Şahin , Yasin KaratepeÖzet: Bu çalışmada, Gelibolu Yarımadası’nın güney kesiminde (Eceabat-Kabatepe karayolunun güneyi), yetişme ortamı özelliklerine göre vejetasyon yapısının nasıl şekillendiğinin ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla 100 adet 400 m2 büyüklüğünde örnek alan alınmıştır. Örnek alanlarda ağaç, çalı ve çok yıllık bitkilerin sahadaki oranları Braun-Blanquet yöntemine göre değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma alanının genel toprak özelliklerini belirleyebilmek için 51 örnek alanın 0–30 cm derinlik kademesinden üst toprak örnekleri alınmış ve anakaya belirlenmiştir. Toprak örneklerinde, toprak reaksiyonu (pH), kireç, organik karbon, toplam azot ve tekstür analizleri yapılmıştır. Ayrıca her bir örnek alanda koordinat, yükselti, bakı ve eğim tespit edilmiştir. Değerlendirmeler için coğrafi özellikler, özellikle topoğrafik yapı göz önüne alınarak çalışma alanı 6 farklı yöreye ayrılmış ve vejetasyon yapısı bu 6 yöre ölçeğinde irdelenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda 61 adet farklı bitki türü tespit edilmiş olup bu türlerin dağılımında, özellikle topoğrafik yapı ve konuma bağlı olarak bakının oldukça etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bakının etkisi, hem güneşlenme, hem de maruz kalınan rüzgâr tiplerini etkilemesi sebebiyle arazinin nemliliği üzerindeki etkin rolü ile açıklanabilir. Ayrıca bu çalışma ile türlerin rüzgâra açık sahalarda, özellikle deniz kıyısına yakın sahalardaki fertlerinin, rüzgâra korunaklı sahalara göre genel olarak daha kısa boylu ve deforme olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu ise Akdeniz ikliminin hakim olduğu sahada, şiddetli rüzgarın transpirasyonu tetiklemesine bağlı olarak, bitkilerin fizyolojik kuraklığa maruz kalmaması için toprak üstü kısımlarını küçültmesi ile açıklanabilmektedir.Anahtar kelimeler: Gelibolu florası, Tür çeşitliliği, Yetişme ortamı faktörleri

The results of the analysis of the environmental efficiency of chimneys of boiler plants with systems for the deep heat recovery of exhaust gases are presented in the paper. These systems used heat-recovery equipment designed to heat the boiler's return heating water by cooling the boiler exhaust gases, chimneys of various types using special materials, the thermal method of protecting gas-exhaust ducts by bypassing part of the hot gases from the boiler through the specified equipment. Chimneys were considered in the manufacture of their casing from anticorrosive materials or when mounted in a brick (or other pipe with improved thermal insulation properties) gas exhaust trunks from these materials. Condensation is allowed in such pipes, which reduces the heat consumption for the implementation of thermal protection of chimneys from corrosion due to condensation. Computational investigation and analysis of the results concerned only the dispersion indicators of harmful substances contained in the flue gases of gas-fired boiler plants of municipal heat power engineering and subject to the design values of the boiler load. The use of the bypass method is designed to ensure the absence of moisture loss in the gas-ducts leading to the chimney and the required temperature level of the flue gases at the chimney outlet to obtain standard indicators for the dispersion of harmful emissions into the environment by this chimney. The calculations were carried out in accordance with regulatory methods for determining environmental indicators for single chimneys with the indicated design features. The results of the maximum concentrations and patterns of dispersion in the environment adjacent to the chimney of the most harmful emissions resulting from the combustion of natural gas are presented. The concentrations of carbon oxide CO and nitrogen oxides NOx were studied, depending on the operation mode of the boilers according to the heat schedule of the boiler room. The necessary bypass fractions of hot gases from the boiler for anticorrosive protection of the gas-ducts leading to the chimney are determined. It is shown that by using of modern heat recovery technologies, the dispersion of CO and NOx emissions in the environment is realized according to modern regulatory requirements for the chimneys under consideration, by observing the recommended modes of operation of the boilers with a decrease in their number according to the temperature chart of boiler plant.

Описано власні експериментальні дослідження та проаналізовано наукові праці інших дослідників, що, в підсумку, дає розуміння необхідності дослідити деревний попіл (отриманий за технологією біочару) як унікального й водночас універсального засобу ремедіації порушених, деградованих територій, підвищення ефективності лісокористування. Особливо актуальними майбутні дослідження можуть бути для територій, що зазнали радіоактивного забруднення. Протирадіаційна ефективність деревного вугілля або біочару мало досліджена, оскільки на момент написання статті, не вдалось знайти жодної інформації про подібні роботи. У цьому дослідженні визначено добрива (KCl, деревний попіл, деревне вугілля, біочар), які покращують або можуть покращити фітосанітарний стан лісів, а також протидіяти міграції радіонуклідів у системі ґрунт – рослина. Оцінено ступінь впливу таких добрив на лісову флору. Описано досвід застосування деревного вугілля та біочару (ці поняття іноді можуть бути синонімами) для покращення якості ґрунту та відновлення лісових екосистем. Експериментально перевірено та порівняно вплив калійного добрива, "чистого" деревного попелу та "забрудненого 137Cs" деревного попелу на перехід радіоцезію із ґрунту в лісові рослини. Результати досліду вказують на те, що внесення чистого або забрудненого деревного попелу у лісові (підкислені) ґрунти є ефективнішим контрзаходом, ніж внесення KCl. Основна перевага деревного попелу – відсутність хлору. Деревне вугілля ж за низкою параметрів має переваги над деревним попелом і, відповідно, може бути ще ефективнішим контрзасобом. З'ясовано, що деревне вугілля покращує якість ґрунту на тривалий термін (сотні – тисячі років), сприяє лісовідновленню та лісозбереженню, може бути одним з найперспективніших контрзаходів на радіоактивно забруднених територіях. Ми припускаємо, що весь корисний потенціал деревного вугілля досі не розкрито, а подальші його дослідження сприятимуть ефективнішому використанню. Застосування деревного вугілля у лісових екосистемах, на нашу думку, дасть змогу пом'якшити негативний вплив глобального потепління і техногенних змін, підвищити стійкість екосистем, сприятиме відновленню порушених фітоценозів та зменшенню концентрації деяких парникових газів (СО2, сполуки азоту) у повітрі.

The environment has recently been under significant anthropogenic pressure which is one of the main reasons for the increase of ecologically dependent diseases and requires mandatory and constant environmental as well as medical monitoring for operational control of the environmental situation. 700 children of different genders living in the villages Golinchyntsi, Dzhuryn and Rahny Lisovi of Sharhorod District in Vinnytsia Region were examined with the help of functional-vegetative electropuncture diagnostics by the method of V.G. Makats. Moreover, the coefficient of the autonomic nervous system (vegetative) was also determined as a result of the ratio of the indicators sum of the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems. The children were divided into 3 groups according to the following coefficient: those with parasympathetic activity, vegetative-functional balance and sympathetic activity. The number of examined children in the group shown in % indicates the ecological condition of compact settlement and is the basis of functional and ecological expertise (FEE). In addition, it forms criteria for the zones of the ecological control. As a result of the research, we have found for the first time that a decrease in the number of examined children in the vegetative-functional balance zone and an increase in parasympathetic activity are the main characteristics that reflect the negative impact of environmental factors (in this case anthropogenic radiation contamination). The results of FEE of the children living in the villages Golinchyntsi, Dzhuryn and Rahny Lisovi of Sharhorod District in Vinnytsia Region coincide with the results of the state radioecological monitoring of these settlements. Accordingly, this testifies to the efficiency and accuracy of the FEE. FEE can be used to assess the impact of any environmental factor on the human body or group of people. Bioindication methods, which include FEE, can qualitatively and quantitatively assess the biological effects of environmental factors in ecosystems. The use of the human body as a test object is considered to be the advantage of FEE usage which guarantees greater information and allows not only for an integrated assessment of environmental factors and but also to identify the rate of the change occurring in areas of compact settlements. Consequently, FEE will help to regulate the allowable loads on ecosystems that differ in their resistance to the damaging factor and will also allow making appropriate correlations regarding the possible impact of environmental factors on human health.

The effects of hot-cold bio-oil treatment on properties of wood material from pine species are not known. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of hot-cold bio-oil treatment on oil uptake, density and moisture content properties of Brutia pine wood. This study used castor oil (Ricinus communis L.), flaxseed oil (Oleum linii), mixtured oil (castor oil + flaxseed oil) and Brutian pine sapwood (Pinus brutia Ten.). The wood samples were treated with hot oil (110 ºC ± 2 ºC) for 6 hours before cold oil (23 ºC ± 2 ºC) for 2 hours. Then, the oil uptake, density and moisture content of treated and untreated wood samples were measured. The data were analyzed by SPSS statistical program (p0.05). The results showed that hot-cold bio-oil treatment had a significant effect on oil uptake, density and moisture content of Brutia pine wood; and there were significant differences among these effects at 95% confidence level. Such treatment increased the treated wood density between 40.38% - 78.85% compared to untreated wood, while it reduced the moisture content between 93.44% - 96.72%. It was measured the highest density in linseed oil treatment, and the lowest density in castor oil treatment. Flaxseed oil treatment gave the lowest moisture content, while the highest moisture content was measured in mixed oil treatment. Mixed oil treatment increased the moisture content compared to others; increased the density compared to castor oil; reduced compared to flaxseed oil. Accordingly, the moisture diffusion may have been prevented. Because the porosity and penetration in Brutia wood have been limited with reduced the moisture content and increased the density., Sıcak-soğuk biyo-yağ işleminin yerli çam türü ağaç malzemenin özellikleri üzerine etkileri bilinmemektedir. Bu çalışmada sıcak-soğuk biyo-yağ işleminin kızılçam odunundan hazırlanan ağaç malzemede yağ alımı, yoğunluk ve rutubet miktarı üzerine etkisinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada, hint yağı (Ricinus communis L.), keten yağı (Oleum linii), karma yağ (hint yağı + keten yağı) ve kızılçam (Pinus brutia Ten.) diri odunu kullanılmıştır. Odun örnekleri 6 saat sıcak (110 ºC ± 2 ºC) yağ ile muamele edildikten sonra 2 saat soğuk (23 ºC ± 2 ºC) yağ ile muamele edilmiştir. Test ve kontrol örneklerinin yağ alımı, yoğunluk ve rutubet miktarları ölçülmüştür. Elde edilen veriler, SPPS istatistik programı yardımıyla analiz edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, sıcak-soğuk biyo-yağ işleminin kızılçam odununda yağ alımı, yoğunluk ve rutubet miktarını istatistiksel anlamda önemli derecede etkilediğini, bu etkiler arasında %95 güvenle önemli farklılıklar olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu uygulama ile test örneklerinin kontrole kıyasla yoğunluğu %40.38-%78.85 artarken, rutubet miktarı %93.44-%96.72 oranında azalmıştır. En yüksek yoğunluk keten yağı işleminde, en düşük yoğunluk ise hint yağı işleminde ölçülmüştür. Keten yağı muamelesi en düşük rutubet miktarını verirken en büyük rutubet miktarı karma yağ muamelesinde ölçülmüştür. Sıcak-soğuk karma yağ işlemi, diğerlerine göre rutubet miktarını yükseltirken, yoğunluğu hint yağına göre arttırmış, keten yağına göre azaltmıştır. Buna göre, denge rutubeti azalıp yoğunluğu artan kızılçam diri odununda porozite ve penetrasyon sınırlandığından rutubet difüzyonu engellenmiştir.

Проаналізовано результати модельних проектів із розведення швидкозростаючих порід дерев для виробництва відновлюваної сировини в короткому циклі у лісових насадженнях та на рекультивованих після добування бурого вугілля землях Східної Німеччини. Особливу увагу звернено на робінію звичайну, оскільки її рекомендують вирощувати на малопродуктивних і порушених землях, а не за рахунок площі корінних листяних насаджень. На дев'яти дослідних територіях Бранденбурга (Східна Німеччина) проводять випробування нових концепцій культивування робінії звичайної для енергетичного використання деревини. Розробляють шляхи мобілізації раніше невикористаних, але стабільно доступних запасів деревини робінії відповідно до "Національного плану дій щодо біомаси для Німеччини" (2009). Перевагу надають економічно обґрунтованому поводженню з наявними лісовими культурами робінії на малопродуктивних і рекультивованих землях. Встановлено придатність робінії звичайної для вирощування з метою енергетичного використання на малопродуктивних землях із невеликою кількістю опадів. Оцінено потенціал біомаси робінії звичайної у Бранденбурзі, який можна мобілізувати вирощуванням робінії в короткому плантаційному циклі. Інтенсивність росту робінії звичайної була високою вже в перший рік вирощування. Дослідження підтверджують важливість властивостей ґрунту, зокрема води, доступної рослинам, аерації ґрунту та глибини кореневмісного шару для продуктивного росту й розвитку саджанців робінії звичайної. Висока інтенсивність коренепаросткового відтворення робінії є сприятливою для її вирощування з енергетичною метою. Застосування відповідної технології лісозаготівлі для невеликих площ та невеликий річний приріст за діаметром основи робінієвого пагона (на висоті зрізання приблизно 5 см) ускладнюють технологічний процес. Для його оптимізації потрібні короткі транспортні маршрути до споживача та можливості сушіння деревини. Висока щільність деревини робінії зумовлює високу теплоту згоряння її тріски. Робінія звичайна на малопродуктивних землях в умовах низької кількості опадів має високий приріст біомаси у перші п'ять років.

This paper describes the assessment of the SWAT hydrological model to reproduce continuous daily streamflow and simulate scenarios of forest management for a small catchment under tropical climate in Aracruz, Brazil. The main land use of the catchment consisted of eucalyptus cultivation. The SWAT parameters were calibrated and validated using daily hydrologic and meteorological data from 1997 to 2004. The statistical indices of SWAT validation (NS = 0.74, PBIAS = -14.34%, RSR = 0.51) show that SWAT performance was satisfactory in this application. Different land use and forest management scenarios were simulated with the aim of assessing their influence over the streamflow. The scenarios were: catchment under eucalyptus cultivation with three different forest managements and catchment under the native forest (Atlantic Rainforest). The scenarios simulations did not show significant changes in the long-term average streamflow. Minimum, maximum, and average annual streamflows were higher for eucalyptus scenarios compared to the native forest scenario. These results should be carefully applied to other watersheds as they reflect soil, landscape, and climate characteristics, as well as the geographic location, size, and use of water of the plantings and other vegetation.

Short rotation coppices (SRCs) are a relatively new type of crop stand that is usually established on agricultural land in intensively used landscapes. However, SRCs also offer services other than the production of renewable energy. We evaluated the more complex significance of SRCs by including the other important potential ecosystem services of these stands. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the ecosystem services and disservices of SRCs by inductive (bottom-up) methods moving from the species-level to the ecosystem services on the basis of the spontaneous vascular plants diversity in SRCs. We also compared the plant-diversity-based potential ecosystem services and disservices of field SRCs, crops and forests in the same landscape in southwestern Slovakia. It was found that SRCs had an intermediate vascular plants species composition between those of forest ecosystems and agroecosystems. Among the ten evaluated ecosystem services and disservices, considering the sum of the positive and negative evaluations, SRCs had an intermediate position between the forests and arable-land vegetation. When comparing the ecosystem services of the SRCs with those of the forest ecosystems and agroecosystems, the SRCs achieved the best rating for species richness, remediation and collectables. SRCs had the worst rating for providing pasture and had the highest proportion of toxic and allergenic plants. Interestingly, SRCs achieved positive values in ecosystem services and mainly recorded the worst values in the ecosystem disservices. The direct utilization of these services and the economic balance of ecosystem services and disservices require further study.

Our objective was to use Sentinel-2A multispectral data in order to cost-effectively detect change in forest cover in Georgia (the Caucasus). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to fit forest cover measures to Sentinel-2A spectral band values modified using different topographic correction methods. Canopy closure (calculated from upward-looking fisheye photographs taken beneath forest canopy) was the best forest cover measure accounted for by the Sentinel-2 spectral data that were topographically corrected using the Minnaert Correction (R2 = 0.882). Spectral bands best explaining canopy closure were Band 3 (Green), Band 8 (NIR) and Band 12 (SWIR). Our model is able to reasonably detect spatial and temporal changes in canopy closure, even in highly rugged terrain and diverse vegetation cover, and it has potential to be improved to the extent that it can be applied by managers of natural resources. Based on free open source applications in combination with cheap gadgets our approach might play an important role in monitoring the forests of countries with low economic indicators.

Lucrarea tratează impactul diferitelor tehnici de exploatare a lemnului asupra parametrilor solului din pădurile de molid din Carpații Orientali - România. Experimentele au fost făcute pe soluri formate pe două substraturi geologice (șisturi cristaline și fliș) și arată schimbările produse asupra densității aparente, a umidității solului și asupra timpului de infiltrare a coloanei de apă de 100 mm, în cazul a două modalități de recoltare a lemnului: cu ajutorul tractoarelor grele și exploatare forestieră cu cai. Măsurătorile efectuate cu metode standardizate arată creșterea densității aparente a solurilor până la adâncimea de 30-40 cm. Pe solurile argilo-nisipoase densitatea aparentă crește de la 0,6 g/cm3 la 1,15 g/cm3 în primii 15 cm. Pe solurile dezvoltate pe fliș, densitatea aparentă crește în primii 5 cm de la 0,6 g/cm3 la 0,84 g/cm3. Timpul de infiltrare al unei coloane de apă de 100 mm crește de 10-15 ori, în principal pe solurile dezvoltate pe fliș la 1-10 cm. La 20 cm în sol, timpul de infiltrare crește de 3-3,6 ori pe drumurile de tractor și de 1-1,2 ori sub drumurile de exploatare cu caii. Sunt discutate consecințele compactării solului asupra solurilor și pădurilor și sunt propuse unele măsuri pentru reducerea impactului.

Forests in Mongolia yield low productivity and are vulnerable to disturbances from drought, fire, pests, and illegal logging. Such forests can quickly lose their ecological balance. Logging activities in these areas are limited in monitoring and controls. This study assesses two different logging operations for their natural regeneration capacity by comparing the composition of the soil, soil organisms, physical and chemical properties, and forest cover change after the completion of logging operations. The logging operations were analyzed in two different regions, the Khartsai and Tariakhtai threshold in Selenge soum, Bulgan province. A skyline logging operation was undertaken on Khartsai threshold in 1983 and a tractor logging operation (clear-cutting) on Tariakhtai threshold in 1987. After the completion of the logging, the forests were naturally regenerated. In 2002, soil samples were collected and soil organisms and physical and chemical properties were examined. Satellites images were also used to evaluate forest cover changes after the end of the logging operations. Significant differences in the naturally regenerated tree species in the skyline logging, tractor logging, and natural forest areas were observed. Average tree ring growth was 0.9 mm in the skyline logging site, 0.6 mm in the tractor logging site, and 1.2 mm in the natural forest. Based on forest cover changes observed in satellite images, the density of naturally regenerated tree species in the natural forest area was higher than that in the skyline logging area. In contrast, the latter recorded a higher density than that in the tractor logging area. Therefore, processing of satellite images of forest cover changes with high-resolution data provides valuable information for the local forest community and helps decision-makers in their further actions.

The estimation of tree biomass serves as a parameter of forest productivity; in addition, it is a method to estimate carbon fixation and storage. Studies on total biomass that include the belowground component for the Pinus genus are scarce in Mexico due to the difficulty and high costs for its quantification. In this study, allometric models were fitted to estimate the total biomass of Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham., from the pine-oak forest of Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, for which a destructive analysis was made of 25 trees distributed in five diameter classes, classifying the biomass by components (root, stem, branches and foliage). With the component biomass data, different models were fitted by nonlinear regression techniques, using the diameter at breast height (D, cm) and the total height (TH, m) as independent variables. The model with the best fit was an exponential type In this study, it was observed that the studied species stores 22.62% of the biomass in the root, 69.61% in the stem, 5.67% in the branches and 2.11%, in the foliage. The models proposed in this study allow the estimation of total biomass and by structural component independently and additively. Its use is recommended in trees of P. patula, in the range of 5 to 25 cm of diameter at breast height, in forests with similar growing conditions.

WOS:000543720500006 The main goal of this study was to assess the effect of coppice forest removal on soil moistuie and temperature (e.g., maximum, minimum and mean daily temperatures) along with some selected soil poperties. The study was conducted in the Belgrad Forest in Istanbul. A coppice forest plot was selected in the forestland. Half of the plot was cleared as a treatment site while other half was left as a control plot. the plots were 100 in by 100 m in size. Soil moisture and temperature values were recorded at hourly intervals at 1 m and 50 cm soil depths, respectively. Soil samples in disturbed and undisturbed areas were collected at 0-5 cm soil depth and analyzed for saturation capacity (SC), hydraulic conductivity (HC), bulk density (BD), particle density (PD), total porosity (TP), sand silt and clay contents, electrical conductivity (EC). pH. loss on ignition (LOI), and organic matter content (OM). Two-tailed paired student t-test were used to compare means at an alpha level of 0,05. Results revealed that daily soil moisture significantly increased from 32% to 3796, daily temperature from 14.5 degrees C to 159 degrees C, daily maximum temperature from 14,6 degrees C to 16.2 degrees C, and daily minimum temperature 14.4 degrees C to 15.7 degrees C following coppice forest clearance. Clear-cutting of woody vegetation did riot ailed the soil sand, sill and clay contents, HD, PD, pH, and K values in the soil; however, it caused a significant increase from 1.3 g/cm(3) to 1.5 g/cm(3) in the BD and decreases from 6% to 3% in the OM content, from 17% to 8% in the 1.01, from 52% to 46% in the TP, from 51 an/min to 32 cm/min in the HC, and from 33% to 24% in the SC of the soil. Scientific Research Project Unit (BAP) of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa [49755] The authors declared that this study received financial support from the Scientific Research Project Unit (BAP) of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa with grant number of 49755.

As a result of afforestation of the Crimean mountain plateaus in the middle of the last century, about 3 thousand hectares of forest plantations were created on their surface. Studies on the influence of these plantations on the properties of mountain-meadow soils (Phaeozems) have shown that under the forest vegetation there were an enlargement of structural aggregates, a decrease in humus content, and an increase in acidity compared to soils under meadow vegetation, which could also affect other soil properties, including the mobility of some metals. The purpose of this research is a comparative analysis of the content of mobile forms of Pb, Mn, Cu and Zn (1 M ammonium acetate) in the soils under mountain meadows, natural beech forest and artificial forest plantations. According to the results obtained, mobile Pb, Mn, and Cu were accumulated in forested mountain-meadow soils relative to adjacent areas of mountain meadows. So, in the soil layer of 0-10 cm under stands of pine (Pinus kochiana Klotzsch ex K. Koch), the average Pb content in comparison with soil under meadow vegetation was more than 1.6 times, Mn – 1.2 times, Cu – in 1.2 times. Under the birch (Betula pendula Roth), Pb was 2.5 times more, Mn was 1.5 times more, and Cu was 1.2 times more. Under larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb), Pb was 2.2 times higher, Mn was 2.4 times higher, and Cu was 1.5 times higher. In comparison with the meadow, the soil under maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) contained 1.9 times more Pb, 1.1 – Mn, and 1.3 – Cu. Differences between forested and meadow soils in the content of these elements in most cases were reliable, except for the content of Zn, signs of accumulation of which under artificial plantings were not revealed. The content of Pb, Mn and Cu in the brown forest soil (Luvisols) under the beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) corresponded to their concentration under the larch, and Zn was significantly higher compared to the soil under all tree species. The main reason for increasing the mobility of a number of elements under tree stands is their transformation from low mobility forms under the influence of increased acidity of forested soils. Leaf litter due to the low content or complete absence of trace elements in its composition cannot be a source of their accumulation in the upper layer of the soil.

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang menghambat pertumbuhan tanaman bawang merah. Penelitiaan ini dilaksanakan di Kecamatan Pargi Kabupaten Muna. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode survey bebas dengan pendekatan Satuan Penggunaan Lahan (SPL). SPL diperoleh dengan cara overlay peta tematik dengan penggunaan software PC ArcGIS 10.4. Pengolahan data dilakukan dengan metode pembandingan (matching) antara karakteristik lahan pada setiap SPL dengan kriteria kelas kesesuaian lahan tanaman bawang merah. Hasil penelitiaan menunjukan bahwa faktor menghambat tanaman bawang merah dilokasi penelitiaan yaitu retensi hara untuk SPL 1,2,3 dan 5. SPL 2 memiliki faktor penghambat penghambat temperatur, ketersediaan air, lereng dan bahaya erosi, SPL 7 dan 8 memiliki faktor penghambat temperatur, ketersediaan air dan retensi hara, SPL 6 memiliki faktor penghambat temperatur, dan ketersediaan air.