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Aşkun, Tülin (Balikesir Author), Liquidambar orientalis Mill. (Altingiaceae) is known in Turkish as 'sigla' or 'gunluk' due to its gum-like exudate. Its exudate, 'balsam of Liquidambar' (BL), is of great commercial importance because it has pharmaceutical properties and is rich in essential oils and phenolics. In this study, we investigated the phenolic profile of L. orientalis. using HPLC, and 5 compounds from BL-1, (juglone, naringenin, rosmarinic acid, vanillic acid, echinacoside) and 4 compounds from BL-2 (juglone, apigenin-7-glucoside, naringenin, vanillic acid) were reported for the first time. A total of six new flavonoids (juglone, naringenin, rosmarinic acid, echinacoside, vanillic acid, and apigenin-7-glucoside) were identified from BL's by HPLC analysis. According to HPLC analyses, juglone was discovered to be the major flavonoid in both samples (BL-1 and BL-2). In addition to, naringenin, rosmarinic acid (in BL-1), and apigenin-7-glucoside (in BL-2) were found in the methanol extracts of BL. The main compounds of the essential oils of BLs were (E)-ethyl cinnamate (27.5 and 30.6%), torreyol (11.0 and 12.0%), and cinnamyl alcohol (7.2 and 7.9%). We demonstrated that BLs have antimycobacterial effectiveness against four strains of M. tuberculosis using the microplate Presto Blue assay (MPBA). Each BL showed the antimycobacterial activity against four strains of M. tuberculosis. We believe that this study will contribute to phenolic profiles, essential oils, and antimycobacterial activities of the balsam of L. orientalis., Research Foundation of Balikesir University Research Council of Turkey 2012/127

In this study, we conducted a controlled experiment to assess the growth and survival of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) seedlings in response to warming, drought, and elevated CO2, as projected under RCP 8.5 for North America’s Acadian Forest Region. In response to warming, only red spruce increased in height; however, this effect varied by CO2 and soil moisture treatments. Under the drought treatment, red spruce biomass was not affected, but mortality increased by 2%. With warming, increases in balsam fir height growth were only detected under certain soil moisture and CO2 conditions. Balsam fir biomass decreased by 24% under drought, while mortality increased by 5%. Warming did not improve red maple height growth, but it remained 7–50 times greater than that of the conifers and no mortality was observed. Overall, CO2 enrichment increased height growth of droughted seedlings relative to the ambient treatment, demonstrating an amelioration of the negative drought effect. Balsam fir was the least adapted to warming and drought, while red spruce displayed some positive responses. Although growth of red maple seedlings did not increase with warming, they exhibited greater absolute growth and survival, which suggests red maple may outperform both conifers under a warming climate.

Plants under water stress alter their normal morphological and physiological processes. However, biomass allocation and nutrient use efficiency remain largely unknown under the interactive effect of irrigation and fertilization for many economically important conifer species. In this study, we compared biomass allocation and resources use efficiency of two-year-old (plug+1) containerized balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L) Mill.] 'Cooks' and concolor fir [Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. Ex Hildebr.] 'Cibola', and one-year-old bare-root white pine [Pinus strobus L.] transplants grown under variable watering and fertilization conditions. In a controlled greenhouse setting, transplants were submitted to three irrigation levels and two fertilization rates in a factorial experimental design. Fir species, mainly concolor fir, had a greater capacity to utilize water resulting in decreased stem water potential than white pine, leading to increased aboveground growth and shoot-to-root (S/R) ratio. White pine transplants had a higher assimilatory nutrient efficiency, nutrient use efficiency (NUE), root weight ratio, and a lower nitrogen availability index than the two fir species, suggesting a better ability to tolerate water stress. The high rates of fertilization increased nutrient concentration more than growth, suggesting luxury consumption. These results indicate that white pine responds to drought stress by closing their stomata and decreasing their S/R ratio to limit physiological activities, while the two fir species exhibit increased water uptake via expanded fine root networks, increasing the NUE and S/R ratio. However, there was no clear trend for the irrigation and fertilization interaction for NUE for three species, making it difficult to generalize responses. WOS:000717925300001 2-s2.0-85118917644

Impatiens megamalayana is a recently described balsam from the Megamalai hills of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu state. This is a small, annual herb with ridged stem, often distributed in open, wet, rocky grasslands above 1,000 m elevation. The plant considered endemic to the Megamalai hills of Tamil Nadu is recently located in the Urumbikkara hills of Idukki district in Kerala state, which is about 120 km away from its original locality. Urumbikkara is an emerging tourist destination in central Kerala and the newly located populations of the plant are outside protected forest areas and are facing severe threat due to anthrapogenic activities. A detailed description, photographs and distribution maps are provided to facilitate easy identification of the plant in the field. An updated checklist of the genus Impatiens in Kerala state is also furnished for future reference.

We conducted genomic characterization based on SNP and SilicoDArT markers on the invasive Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) plants originating from native and non-native regions of their distribution. When genetic relationships were explored by PCoA using SNP and SilicoDArT marker data, the first, second, and third principal coordinates explained altogether 37.4% and 31.0% of the variability, respectively. Samples from the UK, Canada, and Pakistan were grouped together, while Indian plants were clearly distinct based on SNP markers but relatively close to the UK-Canada-Pakistan group based on SilicoDArT markers. Constructed trees differentiated individuals into clusters resembling the PCoA patterns. The Bayesian BAPS analysis performed for the SNP data revealed that the individuals were distributed in seven clusters, representing samples from each of the four Finnish populations, India, Pakistan, and the combination of the UK and Canada. Similar clustering was visible in the UPGMA tree. The Indian cluster did not display any ancestral gene flow with the others, while the Pakistani cluster showed ancestral gene flow only with the combined UK and Canada cluster. Furthermore, the latter cluster displayed ancestral gene flow with the Finnish populations varying from 0% to 3.1%. The BAPS analyses conducted for the SilicoDArT data differ slightly: The individuals were distributed in nine clusters, and the Indian cluster exhibited ancestral gene flow with the mixed cluster including Canadian, Pakistani, and UK samples, and one Finnish sample. The AMOVA showed that 45% and 26% of variation was present among the I. glandulifera groups/populations and the rest within them based on SNP and SilicoDArT markers, respectively. The Bayesian BAPS analyses and the gene flow networks were the most informative tools for resolving relationships among native and introduced plants. It is notable that the small sample sizes for non-Finnish plant materials may affect the accuracy of the gene flow and other estimates.

Leaf level gas‐exchange measurements can be made on detached foliage to address the challenge of access to the crown of tall trees. However, detachment may impact leaf gas exchange. This necessitates the study of gas‐exchange characteristics of foliage on detached branches to assess the feasibility of using detached branches for gas‐exchange analysis. We compared photosynthetic parameters and stomatal conductance in foliage of attached and detached branches of balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.] during the growing season. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed‐effect model, with fixed and random effects (branch status and measurement month, and tree number, respectively). Branch detachment had no significant effects on: (i) photosynthesis at the current ambient CO2 concentration (400 µmol mol−1, A400); (ii) maximum rates of Ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylation (Vcmax) and regeneration (Jmax); (iii) the ratio of Jmax to Vcmax (i.e., Jmax:Vcmax), and (iv) stomatal conductance (gs) during the study period (p = 0.120–0.335). There was a strong seasonal effect on all gas‐exchange variables (p ≤ 0.001–0.015). Gas‐exchange measurements made on detached foliage during the warm summer months should be performed with care. Reliable gas‐exchange measurements can be obtained using balsam fir foliage on detached branches 50–80 cm in length, in cooler growing‐season months, up to 30 min after detachment.

Impatiens glandulifera, or Himalayan balsam, is a prolific invader of riverine habitats. Introduced from the Himalayas for ornamental purposes in 1839, this annual species has naturalised across Great Britain (GB) forming dense monocultures with negative affects across whole ecosystems. In 2006 a programme exploring biocontrol as an alternative control method was initiated and to date, two strains of the rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae have been released. To better understand the observed differences in susceptibility of GB Himalayan balsam stands to the two rust strains, inoculation studies were conducted using urediniospores and basidiospores. Experiments revealed large variation in the susceptibility of stands to urediniospores of the two rust strains, with some resistant to both. Furthermore, the infectivity of basidiospores was found to differ, with some stands fully susceptible to the urediniospore stage, being immune to basidiospore infection. Therefore, before further rust releases at new sites, it is necessary to ensure complete compatibility of the invasive stands with both urediniospores and basidiospores. However, for successful control across GB it is essential that plant biotypes are matched to the most virulent rust strains. This will involve additional strains from the native range to tackle those biotypes resistant to the strains currently released.

Key message We assessed even-aged stand vertical distributions of LiDAR returns and found that tree species, age, and crown cover each have a distinct pattern that together explains up to 47% of the variation. Abstract Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) provides information on the vertical structure of forest stands enabling detailed and extensive ecosystem study. The vertical structure is often summarized by scalar features and data-reduction techniques that limit the interpretation of results. Instead, we quantified the influence of three variables, species, crown cover, and age, on the vertical distribution of airborne LiDAR returns from forest stands. We studied 5428 regular, even-aged stands in Quebec (Canada) with five dominant species: balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.], paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh), black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP], white spruce (Picea glauca Moench) and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). We modeled the vertical distribution against the three variables using a functional general linear model and a novel nonparametric graphical test of significance. Results indicate that LiDAR returns from aspen stands had the most uniform vertical distribution. Balsam fir and white birch distributions were similar and centered at around 50% of the stand height, and black spruce and white spruce distributions were skewed to below 30% of stand height ($$p$$ p

In this study, we assessed the effect of airborne laser scanning (ALS) scan angle on point cloud metrics and the estimation of forest attributes in balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) dominated forests of western Newfoundland, Canada. We collected calibration data from ground plot locations representing varying scan angles from two flight lines: within 4° of nadir in one flight line, and either 11–20° from nadir (low scan angle plots: L), or 21–30° from nadir (high scan angle plots: H) in an adjacent flight line. We computed three sets of ALS point cloud metrics for each ground plot using ALS data from: individual flight lines (near-nadir and off-nadir) and data from all available flight lines (up to 4) combined (aggregated, as commonly used in an operational inventory context). We generated three sets of models for each of the L and H plots using the ALS metric sets, and applied the models to independent validation data. We analysed the effect of scan angle on both the ALS metrics and performance statistics for area-based models generated using the L and H datasets. Our results demonstrate that off-nadir scan angles significantly affected (P 2 m for balsam fir-dominated forests. This result may provide for operational efficiencies in implementing enhanced forest inventories in this particular forest environment.

The object of research: This study aimed to explore different forms of healthcare practice in Egbejila an Ilorin less city, Nigeria. The investigated problem: Throughout the world, traditional healthcare practice leads the edge with regards to healthcare delivery for humanity. It follows that rural inhabitants marshal various forms of healthcare practice. This study investigated peculiar healthcare practices performed by traditional healthcare practitioners in Egbejila a rural Nigeria. The main scientific results: The research study unveiled different and various dimensions and approaches of healthcare practice that are visualized and sustained as an indispensable component of continuity and survival of human entity. The area of practical use of the research results: The results of this research study gave insight to various traditional healthcare services being sought after by rural inhabitants of variant cultural, religious, socio-political and economic backgrounds aside the orthodox medicine. Scope of the innovative technological product: The study adopted purposive sampling procedure for the selection of key informants. A total of twenty-five (25) key informants were purposively selected. Data obtained through the recorded interviews were transcribed into Microsoft Word and was analyzed by using N-Vivo software

The pattern of change in carbon (C) accumulation with forest ageing can vary greatly amongst different forest types. Documenting how C accumulates in various forest ecosystems in the absence of logging makes it possible to predict what would be the outcome of extending forest rotations or in dedicating more land to conservation on C storage. This study was conducted in boreal balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) forests of Quebec, in eastern Canada. We compared carbon stocks in forest pools (aboveground (live) biomass, deadwood, FH horizon and mineral soil) of mature (70 years after harvest) vs old-growth stands (stands with no signs or history of human disturbance). Total ecosystem C stocks were not significantly different between mature and old-growth stands. However, as mature stands transition to old-growth stage, there appears to be a shift of C from live biomass pools towards deadwood and soil FH horizons. Coarse woody debris in old-growth stands were also found to be at more advanced stages of decay. The variability of C stocks was also high amongst old-growth stands; however, there was no obvious difference in structural diversity between mature and old-growth stands. Results suggest that ageing balsam fir stands through the lengthening of forest rotations (e.g. past the maturity age of 70 years) or by placing them under conservation, while not creating an important C sink, still contributes to maintain large forest C stocks across landscapes. Preserving or increasing the presence of old-growth forests is an important aspect of ecosystem-based forest management; our study concludes that it could also be compatible with sustainable forest carbon management.

Mast year occurrence in trees is often synchronized across large regions. In this study, we used dendrochronological methods based on cone scar characteristics on tree branches in order to reconstruct male and female cone production in balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) during the period 1988–2018. Results indicate that mast years generally occur every second year and can be synchronized across distances >1000 km. The main predictors of current-year cone abundance were cone abundance during the two previous years, which can be considered a proxy for resource availability for cone bud development during the current year, together with relatively warm temperature during cone bud development. Presence of aborted male cones was positively correlated with the occurrence of relatively cold episodes during cone bud development. This finding suggests that the influence of weather on cone crop abundance is at least partly mediated by growth cessation in the developing cone buds. We also suggest that a change in weather patterns before and after the 2005–2010 period is responsible for a switch in mast years from even to uneven calendar years around that time.

The world is astoundingly variable, and organisms – from individuals to whole communities – must respond to variability to survive. One example of nature’s variability is the fluctuations in populations of spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which cycle every 35 years. In this study, we examined how a parasitoid community altered its parasitism of budworm and other caterpillar species in response to these fluctuations. Budworm and other caterpillar species were sampled from balsam fir (Pinaceae) in three plots for 14 years in Atlantic Canada, then were reared to identify any emerging parasitoids. We found that the parasitoid community generally showed an indiscriminate response (i.e., no preference, where frequencies dictated parasitism rates) to changes in budworm frequencies relative to other caterpillar species on balsam fir. We also observed changes in topology and distributions of interaction strengths between the parasitoids, budworm, and other caterpillar species as budworm frequencies fluctuated. Our study contributes to the hypothesis that hardwood trees are a critical part of the budworm–parasitoid food web, where parasitoids attack other caterpillar species on hardwood trees when budworm populations are low. Taken together, our results show that a parasitoid community collectively alters species interactions in response to variable budworm frequencies, thereby fundamentally shifting food-web pathways.

The aim of the study was to produce different types of coatings based on natural dyes obtained from invasive alien plant species and residues after paper production. As a source of dye we used extracts of Rhus typhina, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Canadian and giant goldenrod. The substrates for the application of the coating were the wood of the tree of heaven and the wood of the horse chestnut. The coatings were observed visually, and the hydrophobicity of the coated surfaces was determined by measuring the contact angles of water droplets. In addition to the transparent and brown coloured coatings, we also achieved intense red, yellow, green, and brown and purple colourings. With a combination of different components, the hydrophobic properties of the coated surfaces varied. By combining an extract of giant goldenrod flowers and 3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate, we succeeded in producing a coating with pronounced hydrophobicity. A process for the production of coloured and transparent hydrophobic coatings was developed in this research. Through the presence of various silane-containing molecules and the application of the coating to wooden surfaces, we changed their appearance and improved their hydrophobicity.

The effect of the radial force applied by a ring debarker tip to frozen balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) logs, obtained at three positions on the stem, was studied. A one-armed ring debarker prototype was built, which controlled the radial force, the rake angle, and cutting and feed speeds. Balsam fir logs at −19 °C were debarked at three levels of radial force. The rake angle, tip overlap, tip edge radius, and cutting and feed speeds were kept constant. Debarking quality was evaluated by two criteria: the proportion of bark remaining on log surfaces and the amount of wood fibres in bark residues. Log characteristics (dimensions, eccentricity, bark thickness, and knot features), bark–wood shear strength, and the basic densities of sapwood and bark were also measured. Results showed that the radial force had a significant effect on debarking quality. The proportion of bark remaining on log surfaces increased while the amount of wood fibres in bark residues decreased as radial force decreased. A radial force of 18.5 N·mm−1is suggested for an optimal debarking quality. In contrast, log position on the stem did not affect the debarking quality indicators. Results also showed that the proportion of bark remaining on log surfaces increases as bark–wood shear strength and the proportion of knot surface increase, while the amount of wood fibres in bark residues increases as bark–wood shear strength decreases and logs are more eccentric. The results give useful information to improve the debarking process within the studied range of log diameters and debarking parameters.

Subject. Microorganisms are a fundamental factor in the development of inflammation. The choice of a medicinal composition in the form of a gel can provide a prolonged introduction of dosage forms into the focus of inflammation. For our research, the herbal medicine Gum balm "Forest Balm" was selected. The main components are aloe juice, bisabolol, panthenol and ginger extract, which have an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect; troxerutin, which helps reduce gum bleeding; fir extract, which blocks the growth of pathogenic oral microbiota. Purpose ― to assess the effectiveness of the use of gum balm "Forest Balsam" in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases Methodology. A survey of 30 volunteer patients aged 20 to 22 years was conducted. Dental examinations were performed at the following time intervals: before application, after the 1st application, after 3 days, after 5 days and 7 days of application. The prevalence of the inflammatory process was assessed using the papillary-marginal-alveolar index and the Muhlemann bleeding index (modified by Cowell). Qualitative and quantitative study of microbiological material was performed by measuring the buccal epithelial colonization index to determine the status of local immunity. Results. Changes in the cytological picture in the direction of normocenosis are determined on the third day of applying the gum balm "Forest balm". On the 7th day of application, it eliminates all visible symptoms of gum disease (bleeding, inflammation, swelling). Conclusions. Gum balm "Forest balm" improves the protective function of the oral cavity by activating cellular defense mechanisms, strengthens local immunity, activates its own immune defense of the oral cavity to fight opportunistic microorganisms, increases the colonization resistance of the oral mucosa to opportunistic microorganisms.

Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar orientalis Miller) is an endemic tree species grown in Turkey. The tree grown in Mugla region (Koycegiz, Fethiye) has 4 species in the world. The sweetgum tree is similar in appearance to the plane tree but its leaves are smaller than the sycamore leaf. Trees are long lasting (200-300 years) and have a length of 25-30 meters. The multiplication of the trees is from seed, root and billet shoots. Due to the reasons such as cutting of forests and excessive production, the amount of sweetgum tree forests has declined. Turkish sweetgum balsam is obtained by injuring the tree trunk. Turkish sweetgum balsam, which was once an important export item, lost its importance today. It is brownish yellow and semi-liquid. It has a bitter taste and a similar smell to cinnamic acid. It contains about 35-40% cinnamic acid free and ester. Turkish sweetgum balsam, which has an essential oil of about 1%, also contains about 60% of the triterpene acids called storesin. In our study, Turkish sweetgum balsam was provided from Koycegiz Forestry Administration, Mugla Forest Regional Directorate. Cinnamic acid esters found in balsam were hydrolyzed with alcoholic KOH solution. By hydrolysis, esters were converted into potassium cinnamates and alcohols. Potassium cinnamate was acidified to cinnamic acid then converted to esters in the presence of thionyl chloride with methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol. The alcohols were converted to the acetate derivatives by reacting with acetyl chloride. These formed esters were characterized by various techniques such as 1H NMR, IR and GC/MS.

Pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy of acute viral infections of the respiratory system has been a stumbling block of modern therapeutic approaches for this pathology. Bronhomed Balsam is a combined herbal preparation with pathogenetic and symptomatic action, which is used for colds of the respiratory tract. This preparation has antimicrobial, mucolytic, bronchodilator, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, sedative and diaphoretic effect. This review presents the discussion of the composition of the preparation in the context of therapeutic effects of its components. In the focus of attention is anise oil, which contains such active ingredients as anethole, shikimic acid and lignin-carbohydrate-protein complexes, which have antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Another point discussed is the effect of anise oil on the nitric oxide system and the production of interferon gamma, which are important components of the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action of the preparation. It has been established that the inclusion of the combined herbal preparation Bronchomed Balsam in the complex of treatment of patients with acute respiratory viral infections allows to effectively stop major symptoms of the disease (in the absence of serious side effects), which indicates the therapeutic efficacy of and good tolerance of to the phytobalm. The therapeutic effect of Bronchomed Balsam is due to its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, expectorant and antiseptic action. This allows to reduce the drug load on the patient's body and to optimize the symptomatic and pathogenetic treatment of acute respiratory viral infections. The author declares no conflicts of interest. Key words: Bronchomed Balsam, acute respiratory viral infections, anise oil.

Phenolics are the largest group of phytochemicals ubiquitous in plant species with considerable interest economically. Recently, search of novel polyphenols increasingly becomes an area of intensive pharmacological research due to their multiple bioactive features such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory potentialities. Anthocyanins are flavonoid group of polyphenols, a group predominant in flowers, fruits and vegetables. The flavonoids, perhaps the unique single group of phenolics in foods, comprise a group of over 4200 C15 aromatic molecules with multiple structural patterns. The functions of anthocyanins as medicinal have been well-accepted in folk medicine throughout the world. In fact, these molecules are connected to an amazingly broad-based range of health benefits. In this juncture, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activities of purified anthocyanin from wild balsam species. Initially, anthocyanin was extracted from floral leaves of wild balsam species and purified by chromatographic techniques. Subsequently, it was subjected to NMR and LC MS analysis. The major fractions identified were hesperidin, dimethoxy antirrhinin and trimethoxy antirrhinin. Further, the anthocyanin extracts were subjected to in vitro protocols like 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical cation, DPPH scavenging assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), beta carotene bleaching assay, metal chelating and H2O2 scavenging power. Interestingly, ABTS, FRAP analyzes yielded significant results as compared to others. The data were comparable with that of synthetic antioxidants like ascorbate and catechin. Meanwhile, beta carotene and H2O2 scavenging assay showed moderate results. DPPH and metal chelating protocols displayed the values 71% and 64% respectively at 25 µg/ml concentration. This study provides model systems for the evaluation of natural antioxidants like anthocyanin. Future in vivo clinical studies are warranted to confirm the obtained data.

Widely distributed in Quebec, balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) is highly vulnerable to wind damage. Recently, there has been a trend in forest management to increase the use of partial cuttings in naturally regenerating stands, leaving the remnant trees at increased risk of wind damage. In order to limit wind damage after partial cuttings, it is therefore important to find silvicultural practices that minimize the risk of wind damage in these fir stands. Our main objective was to find balsam fir-specific values of parameters to integrate into the wind risk model ForestGALES, in order to simulate the impact of different types of commercial thinning on wind damage risk, and to determine which practice potentially minimizes the risk in a naturally regenerated stand. An anemometer placed at canopy height and strain gauges attached to the trunks of balsam firs allowed us to measure the wind-induced bending moments experienced by a sample of balsam fir trees. This enabled the calculation of the turning moment coefficients specific to each of the trees in order to compare them with the ForestGALES model predictions and to adapt the model for balsam fir stands. The model was tested first with only tree diameter and height as input variables to calculate the turning moment coefficient, then with the addition of a competition index, and finally with the addition of crown dimensions. Wind climate parameters for prediction of the probability of damage were calculated using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program airflow model. The model with the highest accuracy was then used to simulate two types of thinning and determine the impact on wind damage risk for each tree in the stand. According to the model’s predictions, thinning from below has a reduced risk of wind damage compared with thinning from above.

The effects of temperature (T) and moisture content (MC) on bark/wood shear strength (BWSS) were studied. Fifteen stems of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) logs were selected and cross-cut into three 1.25 m log sections, corresponding to bottom (1.3 m), middle (3.8 m), and top (6.3 m) positions. BWSS was measured at five temperatures, ranging from 10 to − 30 °C, and at five levels of sapwood moisture contents (SMC), obtained by air-drying, from green state to near to the fiber saturation point (FSP). Bark and sapwood properties, MC and basic density (BD) were also determined. Temperature had a significant effect on BWSS for both species. This property was similar between 10 and 0 °C, and significantly increased as temperature decreased below 0 °C. However, the influence of temperature on BWSS depended on SMC and it varied between the two species. For black spruce, for each temperature between 0 and − 20 °C, BWSS showed similar values for SMC between 157 and 62%. At − 30 °C, BWSS showed a tendency to increase with SMC. For balsam fir, the BWSS increase due to the decrease in temperature was more important as the SMC increased. BWSS increased as SMC approached the FSP of wood for both species. Among the studied covariates, inner bark MC and inner and outer bark BDs significantly affected BWSS. Inner bark MC and SMC affected BWSS similarly. Multiple regressions were developed for prediction purposes, which explained 68 and 69% of BWSS variability for black spruce and balsam fir, respectively.

Herbivory alters plant chemistry thereby affecting subsequent palatability for the same or different herbivore species. Balsam fir is an important food for various insect and mammalian herbivores that consume tissues at different times of year. In eastern Canada, intense selective browsing of this tree species by ungulates has impeded natural regeneration of fir-dominated forests. Our objective was to determine whether late-season (simulated) browsing of apical and lateral branches affected the defense chemistry of emerging foliage of balsam fir saplings in the following season. At each of five locations in the vicinity of Gros Morne National Park, western Newfoundland, four browsing treatments were imposed in the late growing season on healthy fir saplings; apical, lateral, apical + lateral, and no browsing. In the following season, newly expanded and previous-year needles were collected shortly after bud break and analyzed for total phenols and condensed tannins. Browsing treatments had no effect on levels of these defense chemicals in either needle age class indicating the lack of an induced chemical response or preferential defense of the apical versus lateral shoots. New foliage appeared to be better defended than previous-year foliage. Neither phenol nor tannin levels were related to canopy closure or height and diameter of saplings; however, foliar phenol concentration was positively related to soil pH for both age classes of fir needle indicating a possible relationship between soil characteristics and plant secondary metabolites. Levels of both phenols and tannins in current-year needles were positively related to those of previous-year needles, whereas the concentration of phenols and tannins were negatively related for previous-year needles only. Our results support the premise that the main antiherbivore strategy of balsam fir is tolerance of intense browsing.

Toughness of leaves is an important defence mechanism of plants against insect herbivores and is generally linked to leaf fibre content. We explored the anatomical basis and the ecological role of needle toughness as a mechanism of defence against feeding initiation by second-instar spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) emerging from diapause. We first aimed at determining relationships between needle physico-chemical traits and toughness [specific leaf area (SLA), nitrogen, carbon, fibre, and water content, and C/N ratio]. Second, we tested the hypothesis that differences in needle toughness between balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and black spruce (Picea mariana) explain differences in the ability of young budworm to mine into a needle, asking whether nitrogen content or toughness is a better predictor of budworm mining success. Our results show first that needle toughness correlates with high cellulose content and that SLA is a good proxy. Second, needle toughness is a stronger predictor of mining success (defined as the number of larvae that entered a needle) of young budworm than nitrogen content. Our results suggest that needle toughness can be an important defensive trait in conifers, as suggested by the low mining rate exhibited by second-instar spruce budworm larvae feeding on 1-year-old black spruce foliage. The foliage of this host is tougher and has higher fibre content than balsam fir foliage. Differences in needle toughness, and associated differences in resistance to folivores, might be an important component in adaptive suites of traits constituting the different life-history strategies of these two sympatric species.

Zinnia and Balsam are flowering plants with high economic importance in floriculture. Inoculation of the planting medium with a beneficial microbial consortium is an innovative approach to produce quality and healthy seedlings in floriculture. In the present study the influence of a microbial consortium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Funneliformis mosseae and a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Bacillus sonorensis on flowering plants Zinnia and Balsam in pro-trays under poly house conditions was investigated. Estimation of various plant growth parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, bio-volume index, vigour index, plant strength, fresh weight, dry weight and nutrient uptake was carried out to analyse the ability of the consortium to improve seedling growth. Microbial parameters such as mycorrhizal root colonization and spore count, and population of PGPR in substrate was also studied. The results suggested that inoculating the substrate in pro trays before sowing the seeds with the consortium increased plant growth significantly compared to the uninoculated plants.

With current trends in global warming, it has been suggested that spruce budworm outbreaks may spread to northern parts of the boreal forest. However, the major constraints for a northward expansion are the availability of suitable host trees and the insect winter survival capacity. This study aimed to determine the effect of larval feeding on balsam fir, white spruce and black spruce on various spruce budworm life history traits of both the parental and the progeny generations. Results indicated that the weight of the overwintering larval progeny and their winter survival were influenced by host tree species on which larvae of the parental generation fed. White spruce was the most suitable host for the spruce budworm, producing the heaviest pupae and the heaviest overwintering larvae while black spruce was the least suitable, producing the smallest pupae and the smallest overwintering progeny. Overwintering larvae produced by parents that fed on black spruce also suffered higher winter mortality than individuals coming from parents that fed on balsam fir or white spruce. With current trends in global warming, spruce budworm is expected to expand its range to northern boreal forests where black spruce is the dominant tree species. Such northern range expansion might not result in outbreaks if low offspring winter survival on black spruce persist.

This article attempts a definition at what constitutes “character acting” in mainstream cinema in the United States and argues that throughout the peak of his film career—roughly, 1957 through 1976--Martin Balsam refined the definition of male character acting in American film, a parameter previously established by such skilled practitioners as Eugene Pallette and Claude Rains. Balsam did this through his ability to portray what can be termed “a man in a hat” portrayals: tartly humorous, reliable, and sometimes authoritative supporting characters, usually wearing a chapeau. This is clearly seen in such performances as the private investigator in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and most interestingly, a partner in an unusual subway hijacking in Joseph Sargent’s The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three (1974).

Different extracts prepared from wastes (barks, branches, needles, or leaves) of different trees (grey alder, balsam fir, American larch, red maple, sugar maple, white spruce, black spruce, jack pine, white pine, quaking aspen, sweet cherry, and northern red oak) were investigated for their potential use as antibacterial agents for the management of lettuce varnish spot and bacterial leaf spot caused by Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle) Stapp and Xanthomonas campestris pv. vitians (Brown) Dye, respectively. Extracts were first screened for their antibacterial activities against P. cichorii and X. campestris pv. vitians using the in vitro disk diffusion assay. Based on the diameter of the inhibition zone, ethanol (95%) extract prepared from sugar maple autumn-shed leaves (SMASL) and aqueous ethanol (50%, v/v) extracts prepared from SMASL and from sugar maple green leaves showed the strongest antibacterial activities. Ethanol (95%) SMASL extract was further investigated for its efficacy to manage bacterial diseases when applied on lettuce plants grown in the greenhouse. Foliar application of ethanol (95%) SMASL extract at a concentration of 3.2 g L−1 was shown to significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduce bacterial leaf spot severity compared with the control without causing phytotoxicity symptoms that could prevent the commercial marketing of the lettuce. Ethanol (95%) SMASL extract (1.6 and 3.2 g L−1) was also shown to significantly reduce varnish spot severity in one experiment out of two. This study identifies for the first time the possibility of exploiting SMASL to manage bacterial diseases affecting horticultural crops.

Impatiens capillipes was found for the first time in Thailand. The population in Thailand has slightly larger leaves and flowers than the population in Myanmar. An expanded description of this species and colour photographs are provided.

The leaf and twig aqueous extracts of Arabian balsam tree (Commiphora gileadensis) were tested to protect against alloxan-induced hyperglycaemia in hypercholesterolemic male rats. The antioxidants, high density lipoproteins, IgE and α-Amylase were decreased, whereas kidney function indices, liver function enzymes, triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoproteins and all immunoglobulins except IgE were increased as a result of alloxan administration. Moreover, the renal, hepatic and pancreatic tissue showed a drastic pathological damage. In G3 and G4, treating the diabetic rats with C. gileadensis leaf and twig extracts, respectively greatly ameliorated all biochemical parameters and the injured tissues and restored them nearly to the normal. In G4, the aqueous extract of C. gileadensis twig was more efficient in treating the diabetic rats than the leaf aqueous extract in G3. Both C. gileadensis leaf and twig aqueous extracts succeeded in adjusting the glucose levels of diabetic rats under hypercholesterolemic condition due to their antioxidant activity.