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Highlights We have discovered a novel phenomenon where the pseudocapacitance of flexible MXene supercapacitors changes sensitively in response to bending, leading to the development of Pseudocapacitive Sensors. Pseudocapacitive Sensors repurpose supercapacitors as strain sensors, detecting capacitance changes from shifts between pseudocapacitance and electrical double layer capacitor. These highly sensitive sensors have a gauge factor of about 1200, far exceeding that of conventional strain sensors.

Jalalabad region in the Kyrgyz Republic is home to the world’s largest natural walnut (Juglans regia L.) forests and pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) forests. These nut-fruit forests serve as the primary source of income for local people; however, deforestation has led to a decline in the availability of these resources. Wood from the forest is also used as a crucial energy source for cooking and heating in this region, despite state protection of the walnut forest due to a lack of alternative energy sources. This study aimed to explore solutions to restore nut-fruit forests while providing a fuelwood source and improving the income of local people. Qualitative research methods were employed, including semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires with farmers and central and local government officials. The study investigated the main environmental problem of forest degradation and the challenges of forest management, such as livestock and complicated lease arrangements, and determined possible government support and incentives for local communities to participate in forest rehabilitation, such as planting instead of paying lease fees. The findings indicated that a tree-based farming approach can be a promising alternative land-use solution. Seventy-four percent of local farmers expressed their readiness to plant fruit trees and fast-growing tree species to meet their demand for fuelwood and improve their livelihoods if the government can provide temporary fencing support. The study also highlighted the need for capacity building for farmers to learn proper planting, managing, and harvesting for more sustainable practices. Policymakers need to modify legislation through simplified and incentive-based forest lease arrangements.

Forest resources are a salient and critical issue requiring ongoing attention by the Thai government. Community forest management (CFM) is a practice used to, among other things, resolve land use issues and regulate the extraction and use of non-timber forest product (NTFPs). Managing as a community forest can not only enhance the livelihoods of the local people but also improve their socio-economic condition. This research was conducted at the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest located in Pa Mae Phrik National Forest Reserve in Thailand’s northern province of Lampang. We collected species biodiversity data of the forest’s total area of 3,925 ha using a systematic sampling method, and twenty-five 40 × 40 m (0.16 ha) survey plots were established in the community forest. Interviews of 159 household heads and/or other household representatives were conducted using a designed questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on information regarding the households’ NTFP utilization habits and engagement in CFM processes. A forest survey was conducted which found that there were 197 plant species, 144 genera, and 62 families in the community forest. Of these, 160 plant species were classified as having medicinal uses, 89 were used as food, 37 as extractives, 32 for firewood, and 12 for fibers. This study also revealed that unmonitored over-exploitation of NTFPs may negatively impact forest biodiversity. As surveyed, 68.55% of households depended on NTFPs. The value of the harvested NTFPs was 6.35% of the total community income. A positive correlation between NTFP income and CFM suggests that utilization of NTFPs combined with CFM can create income opportunities and promote participation in CFM. In addition, income earned from NTFPs and participation in CFM were directly related to the socio-economics of identifiable groups in this community. Laborers, merchants, and low-income families utilized NTFPs to a lesser degree. Single people, household heads, those with a bachelor’s degree, and low income families were less likely to participate in CFM while land owners were more likely to do so. This study implies that the harvesting of NTFPs should not go unchecked, especially of species that are threatened or likely to be threatened if over-harvested. Efforts to enhance lower income household utilization, to more equitably distribute the benefits, and to incentivize community involvement should be prioritized as doing so is crucial to maintaining a healthy supply of NTFPs and safeguarding the community forest biodiversity.

This study aimed to investigate the structure of two deciduous forests and assess their above-ground carbon stock in order to promote community forest management (CFM) for REDD+ opportunities in the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest in northern Thailand. A systematic sampling method was used to establish twenty-five sample plots of 40 m × 40 m (0.16 ha) each that were used to survey the entire 3,925 ha area of the community forest. Cluster analysis identified two different forest types: dry dipterocarp forest and mixed deciduous forest. It was determined that the above-ground carbon stock did not vary significantly between them. An analysis of carbon sequestration in the community forest indicates that carbon stock increased under CFM from 2007 to 2018 by an estimated 28,928 t C and participation in the carbon market would have yielded approximately US $339,730.43 or US $8.66 /ha/year to the community for that 10-year period. Projections for 2028 reflect that carbon stock will experience continual growth which indicates that maintaining CFM can increase carbon sequestration and reduce CO2 emissions. However, though further growth of carbon stock in the community forest is expected into 2038, that growth would be at a lesser rate than during the preceding decade. This suggests that CFM management should address forest utilization practices with a focus on maintaining long term carbon stock growth. Additional measures to address the impact of drought conditions and to safeguard against forest fires are required to sustain tree species' growth and expansion in order to increase their carbon accumulation potential. Thailand's community forest involvement in REDD+ and participation in its international carbon market could create more economic opportunities for local communities.

Traditional thermoelectric generators (TEGs) face scalability challenges due to high-temperature, long-duration curing processes and rare-earth/toxic chalcogenides such as bismuth telluride. Additive manufacturing has been investigated as a more time-, energy- and cost-efficient method that offers greater flexibility than traditional manufacturing techniques. Additionally, tetrahedrites are promising thermoelectric materials in high-temperature applications because they are non-toxic and earth-abundant. Herein, this work demonstrates the fabrication of scalable and sustainable Cu12Sb4S13 (CAS) based composite films and flexible TEG devices (f-TEGs) with 2D MXene nanosheets using a low-thermal budget additive manufacturing approach for room temperature applications. 2D MXene nanosheets introduced energy-barrier scattering and nanoscale features to effectively increase the room-temperature ZT to 0.22, 10% higher than bulk CAS, by decoupling electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. CAS and 2D MXenes were found to be environmentally safe through a bacterial viability study. The process is used to create a 5-leg f-TEG device producing a power of 5.3 μW and a power density of 140 μW cm−2 at a ΔT of 25 K. Therefore, this work demonstrates that combining scalable and sustainable materials and methods is an effective strategy for high-performance room-temperature f-TEGs that could potentially harvest the low waste heat energy of the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]