bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of moose (Alces alces) browsing on paper birch (Betula papyrifera) morphology and potential timber quality
Authors: Rea Roy
Published: March 2014

Although moose browsing effects on the growth and morphology of birch are well studied, effects of moose browsing on potential timber quality of birch have received little attention. Here, an assessment was made of the impacts of moose (Alces alces L.) damage to Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) trees from a 20-year old clear cut area in a sub-boreal spruce forest within the Aleza Lake Research Forest, near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Specifically, differences in overall tree architecture and in the internal characteristics of trees that had been severely damaged and suppressed by moose winter browsing were compared to birch trees that had not been damaged by moose in this way and were considered free-to-grow. The average stem diameter, number of annular growth rings, and height of stem breaks made by moose on suppressed birches at the point of breakage was 17.9 Â± 6.6 mm, 4.6 Â± 1.2, and 141.8 Â± 32.0 cm, respectively. Stem diameters and the heights above-the-ground of stem breaks made by moose during sequential breakage events were not significantly different (all p â¥ 0.05) from one another. Decay was significantly (all p â¤ 0.001) more extensive in trees where branches had been broken off by moose than in trees with no breaks or where breaks were from unknown agents. Suppressed birches were significantly (p = 0.048) more exposed (farther from their nearest tree neighbor) when compared to birches that were free-to-grow. The distance from birch trees to species-specific neighbors (of any species) did not differ (all p â¥ 0.05) between suppressed and free-to-grow birches. Suppressed birches damaged from intense browsing and stem breakage were significantly (â¤ 0.001) farther away from other birches showing signs of slight to moderate browsing than free-to-grow birches were from similar conspecifics. Because moose appear to impact the potential wood quality of birch, forest managers should consider the impacts that browsing and stem breakage can have on birch timber where these trees co-occur with and are eaten by moose.
Comparison of growth responses of Khaya senegalensis seedlings and stecklings to four irrigation regimes
Authors: Ky-Dembele Catherine , Bayala Jules , Savadogo Patrice , Tigabu Mulualem , Odén Per , Boussim Issaka
Published: March 2014

Khaya senegalensis is an important tree species for timber production, native to West Africa, but mahogany shoot borer attacks prevent successful plantations. This research was aimed at comparing the growth of two propagule types, seedlings and stecklings, of Khaya senegalensis subjected to four irrigation regimes, 25, 50, 75 and 100% field capacity in Burkina Faso. The relative growth rate, biomass allocation and intrinsic water use efficiency of the propagules were assessed in a full-factorial pot experiment in block design. Except the relative growth rate of stem basal diameter and specific leaf area, for which mean values were significantly higher for seedlings than stecklings, the two propagule types had similar growth patterns regarding relative growth rates of stem length, leaf, stem, root and the total plant biomass. There was no significant difference between propagule types concerning biomass fraction to total plant biomass of leaf, stem and root, root to stem ratio, leaf area productivity and carbon isotope ratio (Î´C). However, the irrigation regimes significantly affected all parameters. In contrast to 75 and 100% field capacity irrigation regimes, the low water supply of 25 and 50% field capacity resulted in plant stress, which was evident from the significant reduction in plant growth and biomass production and an increase in the root biomass to total plant biomass ratio and Î´C. It can be concluded that seedlings and stecklings have comparable growth patterns, while water stress is a major growth-limiting factor highlighting the need for selecting drought and borer resistant genotypes for successful plantations.1313
Comparison of boom-corridor thinning and thinning from below harvesting methods in young dense Scots pine stands
Authors: Bergström Dan , Bergsten Urban , Nordfjell Tomas
Published: March 2014

At present, only a small proportion of the potential extractable bioenergy from young dense forests in Sweden is utilized. The conventional mechanized first thinning systems used in such stands suffer from low productivity, so the operation is only profitable in stands with bigger trees and high standing volumes. Conventional harvesters are used for this operation equipped with accumulating felling heads designed for handling several trees during each crane cycle. In thinning from below the felling and bunching work requires many time-consuming non-linear crane movements to avoid felling or damaging of future crop trees. However, higher productivity can be achieved when trees between strip roads are harvested in about 1 m-wide corridors with a length corresponding to the reach of the crane. We refer to this operation as boom-corridor thinning. The objective of this study was to compare felling and bunching productivity in young dense stands when employing thinning from below or boom-corridor thinning. Experiments were performed using a randomized block design involving between 4400 and 18 600 trees x ha with a corresponding average tree size of 7.2 and 3.2 cm dbh, respectively. Based on the average tree being removed at a dbh of 5.7 cm, the productivity (ODt x PW-hour) was significant (almost 16%) higher for the boom-corridor thinning than for thinning from below treatment. At the same time, the time taken for the work element âCrane in-betweenâ (the period between the loaded crane starting to move towards a tree and the felling head rapidly slowing down for positioning) was significantly reduced, by almost 17%. The positive results were achieved even though the operator was new to the method. To achieve a significantly higher efficiency during the felling and bunching operation, development of new harvesting equipment and operating techniques seems crucial.-1-1
Moisture content of Norway spruce stump wood at clear cutting areas and roadside storage sites
Authors: Laurila Jussi , Lauhanen Risto
Published: March 2014

Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stump wood is a potential source of bioenergy in Finland. The heating value of stump wood depends on, among other things, the moisture, carbon and ash content of the wood. In this study the moisture content of Norway spruce stump wood was examined immediately after harvesting at the clear cutting area and after different drying times at the roadside storage sites. Immediately after stump harvesting the average moisture content (wet basis) was 53%. The stump wood dried fairly fast during spring and summer. One month after stump harvesting, the average moisture content was about 31%. If the stump wood had dried well once, water absorption became very weak and the moisture content increased only slightly in the late autumn. Each spring and summer the moisture content of the stumps was lower than during the previous year. Annually the lowest moisture content was observed at the beginning of July and the highest at both the beginning and the end of the year. The moisture content of stump wood followed an upwards opening parabola over a one year period and was repeated each year. Three years after harvesting the heating value of the stump wood was still 5.241 MWh/ton. Overall, when harvesting took place in the spring or early summer, the stump wood was combustible after a one month drying period immediately after harvesting.
Analyzing the views of wood harvesting professionals related to the approaches for increasing the cost-efficiency of wood harvesting from young stands
Authors: Oikari Markku , Kärhä Kalle , Palander Teijo , Pajuoja Heikki , Ovaskainen Heikki
Published: March 2014

A lot of viable guidelines are currently available for more cost-effective harvesting of energy wood and industrial roundwood (i.e. pulpwood) from young stands. The study ranked the proposed potential approaches for increasing the cost-efficiency of small-diameter (d1.3 < 10 cm) energy wood and industrial roundwood harvesting from early thinnings. Research data, based on a total of 40 personal interviews, was collected in early 2008. The interviewees were divided into four wood harvesting professional groups: 1) Managers in wood procurement organizations, 2) Forest machine contractors, 3) Forest machine manufacturers and vendors, and 4) Wood harvesting researchers. In the opinion of the respondents, there is great potential to increase the cost-efficiency of wood harvesting through improving harvesting conditions (i.e. effective tending of seedling stands, delaying harvesting operations, and pre-clearance of dense undergrowth). The interviewees also underlined that harvesting methods can be rationalized, e.g. multiple-tree handling in industrial roundwood cuttings, crane scale measurement, integrated wood harvesting, and careful selection of stands for harvesting. The strong message given by the interviewees was that the education of forest machine operators must be made more effective in the future. There would be significant possibilities for cost savings in young stands, if methods and techniques with the most potential were utilized completely in wood harvesting.
Fungal diseases in forest nurseries in Finland
Authors: Lilja Arja , Poteri Marja , Petäistö Raija-Liisa , Rikala Risto , Kurkela Timo , Kasanen Risto
Published: March 2014

Norway spruce (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula pendula) are the major tree species grown in Finnish forest nurseries where 99% of the seedlings are grown in containers first in plastic-covered greenhouses and later outdoors. The main diseases on conifer seedlings are Scleroderris canker (Gremmeniella abietina), Sirococcus blight and cankers (Sirococcus conigenum), snow blights (Herpotrichia juniperi and Phacidium infestans) and needle casts (Lophodermium seditiosum and Meria laricis). Also grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) and birch rust (Melampsoridium betulinum) are among the diseases to be controlled with fungicides. During last years Scleroderris canker has been a problem on Norway spruce, which has been since 2000 the most common species produced in Finnish nurseries. Root die-back (uninucleate Rhizoctonia sp.) on container-grown spruce and pine was a problem in the 1990s. Today the disease has become less common in modern nurseries due to improvements in hygiene and cultivation practice. Since 1991 stem lesions and top dying caused by Phytophthora cactorum has been a problem on birch. The ongoing climate change has already had effect on rusts and powdery mildews as well as other fungi infecting leaves. All diseases, which gain high precipitation and warm and long autumns. For same reasons winter stored seedlings need sprayings against grey mold. Fungal infections are also possible during short-day (SD) treatment, that is necessary for summer and autumn plantings and a beneficial step prior freezing temperatures outside or in freezer storage. Growers are encouraged to use cultural and integrated pest management techniques such as better nursery hygiene, including removing plant debris in nursery growing areas and hot water washing of containers plus removal of diseased, spore-producing seedlings and trees around the nursery.
Segmentation of model localization sub-areas by Getis statistics
Authors: Räty Minna , Kangas Annika
Published: March 2014

Models for large areas (global models) are often biased in smaller sub-areas, even when the model is unbiased for the whole area. Localization of the global model removes the local bias, but the problem is to find homogenous sub-areas in which to localize the function. In this study, we used the eCognition Professional 4.0 (later versions called Definies Pro) segmentation process to segment the study area into homogeneous sub-areas with respect to residuals of the global model of the form height and/or local Getis statistics calculated for the residuals, i.e., G-indices. The segmentation resulted in four different rasters: 1) residuals of the global model, 2) the local G-index, and 3) residuals and the local G-index weighted by the inverse of the variance, and 4) without weighting. The global model was then localized (re-fitted) for these sub-areas. The number of resulting sub-areas varied from 4 to 366. On average, the root mean squared errors (RMSEs) were 3.6% lower after localization than the global model RMSEs in sub-areas before localization. However, the localization actually increased the RMSE in some sub-areas, indicating the sub-area were not appropriate for local fitting. For 56% of the sub-areas, coordinates and distance from coastline were not statistically significant variables, in other words these areas were spatially homogenous. To compare the segmentations, we calculated an aggregate standard error of the RMSEs of the single sub-areas in the segmentation. The segmentations in which the local index was present had slightly lower standard errors than segmentations based on residuals.i*i*i*
The effect of quality management on forest regeneration activities in privately-owned forests in southern Finland
Authors: Kankaanhuhta Ville , Saksa Timo , Smolander Heikki
Published: March 2014

This study describes the effect of quality management on forest regeneration activities in privately-owned forests in southern Finland. The study material consists of two mail surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007. The questionnaires were sent to forestry professionals in Forest Ownersâ Associations (FOAs), who had either participated (participants) or not (non-participants) in the forest regeneration quality management interventions in years 2000â2006. Quality management interventions of the FOAs included field inventories, feedback meetings, and education sessions about quality techniques. The activities of participant and non-participant FOAs were compared in terms of the available resources, the actions taken, and the aspirations for improvement. In the FOAs, which had participated in quality management, the number of excavator contractors had increased by 16% more than in the non-participant FOAs. The contractors had acquired 23% more soil preparation equipment under the supervision of the participant forestry professionals. The soil preparation method used in conjunction with Norway spruce that had most increased in use was patch mounding. Seedlings that were 1.5 years and older were used by participant forestry professionals in the planting of Norway spruce 11% more than by non-participants. The planting workers had attended 14% more educational sessions, while the use of self-control measurements in soil preparation and planting density had been adopted 10% more frequently under the supervision of the forestry professionals participating in the quality management. A greater interest in obtaining feedback by using quality control inventories was also found among forestry professionals who participated in quality management.
Quantifying tree biomass carbon stocks, their changes and uncertainties using routine stand taxation inventory data
Authors: Wutzler Thomas , Profft Ingolf , Mund Martina
Published: March 2014

For carbon (C) trading or any other verifiable C reports, it would be reasonable to identify and quantify continuous changes in carbon stocks at regional scales without high investments into additional C-specific, time- and labor-intensive inventories. Our study demonstrates the potential of using routine stand taxation data from large scale forestry inventories for verifiable quantification of tree biomass C stocks, C stock change rates, and associated uncertainties. Empirical models, parameters, and equations of uncertainty propagation have been assembled and applied to data from a forest management unit in Central Germany (550 000 ha), using stand taxation inventories collected between 1993 and 2006. The study showed: 1) The use of stand taxation data resulted in a verifiable and sufficiently precise (cv = 7%) quantification of tree biomass carbon stocks and their changes at the level of growth-regions (1700 to 140 000Â ha). 2) The forest of the test region accumulated carbon in tree biomass at a mean annual rate of 1.8 (â0.9 to 4.5) tC/ha/yr over the studied period. 3) The taxation inventory data can reveal spatial patterns of rates of C stock changes, specifically low rates of 0.4 tC/ha/yr in the northwest and high rates of 3.0 tC/ha/yr in the south of the study region.
The effect of supply system on the wood paying capability of a kraft pulp mill using Scots pine harvested from first thinnings
Authors: Jylhä Paula , Dahl Olli , Laitila Juha , Kärhä Kalle
Published: March 2014

The efficiencies of wood supply systems based on cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting, the harvesting of loose whole trees, and whole-tree bundling were compared using the relative wood paying capabilities (WPC) of a kraft pulp mill as decisive criteria. The WPCs from mill to stump were calculated for three first-thinning stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) with mean breast-height diameter of the removal of 6, 8, and 12 cm. Pulp price had a strong effect on the WPC, and the CTL system resulted in the highest WPC per m at stump. The savings in procurement costs and gains in energy generation from additional raw material acquired with the harvesting of loose whole trees did not compensate the losses in pulp production. Considering removal per hectare, loose whole trees gave the highest WPCs at stump in the two stands with the smallest trees and the highest proportion of additional raw material. Decrease in pulp price and increase in energy price improved the competitiveness of the whole-tree systems. In the case of whole-tree bundling, savings in transportation costs did not balance the high cutting and compaction costs, and the bundling system was the least competitive alternative.3
The effect of temperature on seed quality and quantity in crosses between European (Populus tremula) and hybrid aspens (P. tremula x P. tremuloides)
Authors: Koivuranta Leena , Latva-Karjanmaa Tarja , Pulkkinen Pertti
Published: March 2014

Hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. Populus tremuloides Michx.) plantations are expanding in Fennoscandia and the Baltic countries; however, the possible effects of plantations on the native European aspen (P. tremula) and the level of gene flow between European and hybrid aspen have not been investigated. We studied seed quantity and quality in intraspecific and interspecific crosses of the European and hybrid aspens over a two year period. In order to study whether elevated temperatures due to climate change would benefit the species differently, we performed the crosses in different temperatures. In both years, interspecific crosses produced more seeds with higher quality than intraspecific crosses. This result was most distinct in crosses between female hybrid aspen and male European aspen. In higher temperatures, relative germination difference between hybrid aspen seeds and seeds from P. tremula P. tremula crosses seems to increase. These results suggest that hybrid aspen may have a significant genetic impact on the European aspen, and this effect may be strengthened by climate warming.
Soil CO2 flux during the first years after stump harvesting in two Swedish forests
Authors: Strömgren Monika , Mjöfors Kristina , Holmström Björn , Grelle Achim
Published: March 2014

One way of increasing the supply of renewable energy, thereby decreasing the use of fossil fuels, is to extract the stumps that remain after final stem harvesting. However, little is known about the environmental consequences of stump harvesting, and how ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, are affected by the practice. In the present paper, the effects on the soil carbon pool during the first months and years after stump harvesting in former Norway spruce stands are presented. The study was performed at two sites in mid- and southern Sweden. At both sites, the soil CO flux was measured on several occasions with a portable respiration system, to compare plots on which stump harvesting had occurred, with reference plots. At one of the sites, CO exchange was also followed continuously by means of eddy-covariance measurements before and after stump harvesting. Since there was no vegetation at the beginning of the study, almost all emitted CO could be assumed to come from heterotrophic sources, and the soil CO flux was measured. This study shows that the effect of stump harvesting on CO flux or soil decomposition processes is small or absent compared to site preparation such as mounding in a short-term perspective of months and years. The long-term consequences of stump harvesting are, however, still uncertain.22222
Fire regime and old-growth boreal forests in central Quebec, Canada: an ecosystem management perspective
Authors: Bélisle Annie , Gauthier Sylvie , Cyr Dominic , Bergeron Yves , Morin Hubert
Published: March 2014

Boreal forest management in Eastern Canada has caused depletion and fragmentation of old-growth ecosystems, with growing impacts on the associated biodiversity. To mitigate impacts of management while maintaining timber supplies, ecosystem management aims to narrow the gap between natural and managed landscapes. Our study describes the fire history and associated natural old-growth forest proportions and distribution of a 5000 km area located in the black spruce-feather moss forest of central Quebec. We reconstructed a stand-origin map using archival data, aerial photos and dendrochronology. According to survival analysis (Cox hazard model), the mean fire cycle length was 247 years for the 1734â2009 period. Age-class distribution modelling showed that old-growth forests were present on an average of 55% of the landscape over the last 275 years. The mean fire size was 10 113 ha, while most of the burned area was attributable to fires larger than 10 000 ha, leading to old-growth agglomerations of hundreds of square kilometres. In regards to our findings, we propose ecosystem management targets and strategies to preserve forest diversity and resilience.2
Spatio-temporal variation of coarse woody debris input in woodland key habitats in central Sweden
Authors: Jönsson Mari , Fraver Shawn , Jonsson Bengt
Published: March 2014

The persistence of many saproxylic (wood-living) species depends on a readily available supply of coarse woody debris (CWD). Most studies of CWD inputs address stand-level patterns, despite the fact that many saproxylic species depend on landscape-level supplies of CWD. In the present study we used dated CWD inputs (tree mortality events) at each of 14 Norway spruce (Picea abies) dominated woodland key habitat sites to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of CWD additions between 1950 and 2002 within a small landscape in central Sweden. We found that inputs were episodic within sites, where local windstorms created pulses in CWD input. Pulses occurred simultaneously in many sites, yielding landscape-level synchrony of CWD input. These synchronous pulses, and importantly, the breaks between pulses, may have negative implications for saproxylic species that are dependent on large volume inputs of freshly killed Norway spruce. In addition, the inherent small size and relative isolation of these sites may further increase extinction risks due to stochastic events. However, background CWD input rates occurring between pulses varied substantially among sites, presumably the result of the sitesâ varied histories and structural characteristics. This finding suggests that the different sites have varied abilities to provide habitat for saproxylic species during periods with low landscape-level input of CWD.
The conservation potential of brook-side key habitats in managed boreal forests
Authors: Selonen Ville , Mussaari Maija , Toivanen Tero , Kotiaho Janne
Published: March 2014

Today, maintaining biodiversity is included in the targets of boreal forest management. A widespread approach in northern Europe is to identify and preserve woodland key habitats within managed forests. Woodland key habitats are expected to be patches that host populations of threatened and declining species, and the preservation of these patches is assumed to enable the persistence of the focal species in the landscape. In Finland, the criteria for selecting woodland key habitats are defined in the Finnish Forest Act, and the selection has been done by forest practitioners. Our objective was to determine whether the surroundings of boreal brooks and rivulets qualified as key habitats are truly different from brook-side habitats not granted the key habitat status, and whether the brook-side habitats of the two types differ from the forest matrix managed for timber production. We found that the two brook-side habitats were in most aspects rather alike but there was a difference in the composition of ground vegetation assemblages. In contrast, the control forests were distinct from the brook-sides in terms of dead wood, species richness and assemblages of polypores, species richness of epiphytic mosses, and the composition of beetle assemblages. We conclude that brook-sides in general provide an important habitat clearly diverging from the surrounding matrix but that the conservation value of the brook-sides granted the key habitat status may not be substantially larger than that of the brook-sides without the status.
Logs and stumps in clearcuts support similar saproxylic beetle diversity: implications for bioenergy harvest
Authors: Jonsell Mats , Hansson Jesper
Published: March 2014

Stumps from clear cuts are increasingly used for bioenergy. Extracting this wood will reduce the habitat available for saproxylic (wood-living) organisms. As little is known about the species assemblages that will be affected, we investigated the diversity of saproxylic beetles in stumps on clear-felled sites and as a reference, we compared it with the diversity in downed logs. Stumps and logs of aspen (Populus tremula L.), birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh. and B. verrucosa Ehrh.[syn. B. pendula Roth]), spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were examined in clear cuts of two different ages: one summer old and 4â5 years old. The beetles were sampled by sieving bark (0.25 m) peeled from the wood. The samples were taken in pairs of one log and one stump situated close together and of the same tree species, age since death and diameter. In total 3348 saproxylic beetles belonging to 124 species were found in 176 samples. The stumps had a similar number of species to the logs both as measured per sample and as an accumulated number. Exceptions were 4â5 years old wood of birch and pine where the number was significantly higher in the stumps. The number of red-listed species was also similar between stumps and logs. Species composition was more different between the stumps and logs of conifers than of deciduous trees. We conclude that clear-felled stumps have a diverse saproxylic insect fauna. This has to be taken into account if large scale extraction of logging stumps is implemented.2
Microsite occupancy and the spatial structure of understorey regeneration in three late-successional Norway spruce forests in northern Europe
Authors: Grenfell Russell , Aakala Tuomas , Kuuluvainen Timo
Published: March 2014

We compared microsite occupancy and three spatial structure of regeneration in three primeval late-successional Norway spruce dominated forests. One area lay in the middle boreal zone in Russia (Dvina-Pinega) where larger-scale disturbance from bark beetles and drought had occurred; the other areas lay in the northern boreal zone, one in Finland (Pallas-YllÃ¤s) had encountered only small-scale disturbance, and one in Russia (Kazkim) had been influenced by fire. We mapped all spruce (Picea abies) and birch (Betula pendula and Betula pubescens) trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) â¥ 10 cm on 40Â m 400Â m plots, and those with DBHÂ < 10 cm on 2Â m or 4Â m 400Â m subplots. On the subplots we also recorded microsite occupancy and estimated microsite availability. At all study areas small seedlings (hÂ < 0.3Â m) of both spruce and birch were found largely on disturbance-related microsites. Birch saplings (h â¥ 1.3Â m, DBHÂ < 10Â cm) disproportionately occupied deadwood-related microsites at Dvina-Pinega. In contrast, spruce saplings at all study areas, and birch saplings at Kazkim and Pallas-YllÃ¤s, showed less, or no, preference. Our results thus confirm the importance of disturbance-related microsites for regeneration establishment, but not necessarily for long-term survival. No spatial segregation between the overstorey (DBH â¥ 10Â cm) and saplings (h â¥ 1.3Â m,Â DBHÂ < 10Â cm) or seedlings (hÂ < 1.3Â m) was found at Pallas-YllÃ¤s or Kazkim, and only three instances of very weak segregation were found at Dvina-Pinega. This suggests that the regeneration gap concept may not be useful for describing the regeneration dynamics of primeval boreal forests.
Protecting forest areas for biodiversity in Sweden 1991–2010: the policy implementation process and outcomes on the ground
Authors: Angelstam Per , Andersson Kjell , Axelsson Robert , Elbakidze Marine , Jonsson Bengt , Roberge Jean-Michel
Published: March 2014

Swedish forest and environmental policies imply that forests should be managed so that all naturally occurring species are maintained in viable populations. This requires maintenance of functional networks of representative natural forest and cultural woodland habitats. We first review the policy implementation process regarding protected areas in Sweden 1991â2010, how ecological knowledge was used to formulate interim short-term and strategic long-term biodiversity conservation goals, and the development of a hierarchical spatial planning approach. Second, we present data about the amount of formally protected and voluntarily set aside forest stands, and evaluate how much remains in terms of additional forest protection, conservation management and habitat restoration to achieve forest and environmental policy objectives in the long-term. Third, a case study in central Sweden was made to estimate the functionality of old Scots pine, Norway spruce and deciduous forest habitats, as well as cultural woodland, in different forest regions. Finally, we assess operational biodiversity conservation planning processes. We conclude that Swedish policy pronouncements capture the contemporary knowledge about biodiversity and conservation planning well. However, the existing area of protected and set-aside forests is presently too small and with too poor connectivity. To bridge this gap, spatial planning, management and restoration of habitat, as well as collaboration among forest and conservation planners need to be improved.
Increasing survival and growth of Scots pine seedlings with selection based on autumn coloration
Authors: Pulkkinen Pertti , Varis Saila , Jaatinen Raimo , Leppänen Aulis , Pakkanen Anne
Published: March 2014

This study evaluates the possibility of using autumn coloration of young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings as an indicator of adaptation to harsh climate conditions. One-year old seedlings from natural stands with different origins and seed orchards were classified as âred/reddishâ and âgreenâ based on the needle color after artificially increased night length in nursery and then measured after 14 years in field trials. In almost all the studied groups seedlings classified as âred/reddishâ had significantly higher survival rate than seedlings classified as âgreenâ. The survival of âred/reddishâ was 14.2% higher than âgreenâ among natural stand seed material and 56.2% among seed orchard material. During the study period the survival difference between âred/reddishâ and âgreenâ seedlings tended to increase. The seedling color had limited connection with the height growth, even though the trees classified as âred/reddishâ were slightly taller than those classified as âgreenâ. However, the total productivity over all field trials, described here as a heightsum, of âred/reddishâ trees was 15% higher than productivity of âgreenâ trees from natural stand material, and 61% higher than those from seed orchard material. It seems that controlled selection based on autumn color can be utilized within seed crops of different types with the aim to increase the adaptability of seed material to different environmental conditions.
Effect of Mn/S Ratio on the Hot Ductility of Eco-friendly Bi-S based Free Cutting Steel
Authors: Liu Haitao , Yu Yanchong , Chen Weiqing , Wang Qingxian , Wang Guangshun
Published: March 2014

The hot ductility of eco-friendly Bi-S based free cutting steels with different Mn/S ratios was studied using a Gleeble-1500 thermal–mechanical simulator. The hot ductility of the steel was found to depend on the Mn/S ratio, and the Mn/S ratio of the steel should be greater than 3.5 for hot rolling of billets without crack development. The low Mn/S ratio would inhibit the occurrence of the dynamic recrystallization and cause the formation of the low melting point sulfide Fe-rich (Fe,Mn)S as secondary phases, which could obviously reduce the strength of the grain boundary and resulted in the formation of cracks along the grain boundary. The higher the Mn/S ratio in the steel, the lower the Fe content in the Fe-rich (Fe,Mn)S phases. When the Mn/S ratio in the steel was high enough, the sulfide phases in the steel were mainly MnS as primary inclusions and the low melting point sulfide phases could be effectively avoided forming. While the Mn/S ratio could influence the hot ductility of the steel over the whole temperature range of 900–1200 °C, the segregation of bismuth along grain boundary could be harmful to the hot ductility in addition to the lower Mn/S ratio for the temperature was no more than 1050 °C.
Morphological and mechanical properties of chemically treated municipal solid waste (MSW)/banana fiber and their reinforcement in polymer composites
Authors: Aseer John Joseph Raj Ronald , Sankaranarayanasamy Krishnasamy , Jayabalan Perumalsamy , Natarajan Ramakrishna , Dasan Keereyadath Priya
Published: March 2014

Municipal solid waste (MSW) generation increased rapidly due to the change in food habits, increasing urbanization and changed lifestyle of people. The aim of the present study was to analyze the possible use of MSW as filler in fiber-reinforced urea formaldehyde composites. The mechanical properties of the composites were investigated as a function of different volume fractions (
Zwischen Naturalismus und Sozialkonstruktivismus
Authors: Schüler Sebastian
Published: March 2014

Naturalistische Religionstheorien basieren auf der grundlegenden Annahme, dass sich Religionen aus den evolutionären und biologischen Merkmalen des Menschen entwickelt haben und somit zur ‚Natur‘ des Menschen gehören. In den letzten Jahren wurden solche Theorien durch den Einfluss der Kognitionswissenschaften weiterentwickelt und stellen mittlerweile ein neues Paradigma in der Religionsforschung dar. Demgegenüber steht das Verständnis einer kulturwissenschaftlich ausgerichteten Religionswissenschaft, die davon ausgeht, dass Religionen soziale Konstrukte beziehungsweise kulturelle Symbolsysteme sind. Der Beitrag stellt neben der klassischen Religionstheorie von Walter Burkert auch neuere Theorien vor und diskutiert, inwiefern solche naturalistischen Ansätze mit einem kulturwissenschaftlichen Verständnis von Religion kompatibel sind und worin deren Mehrwert für die Religionswissenschaft liegen kann.
Rituale und Kognition
Authors: Echtler Magnus
Published: March 2014

In diesem Beitrag diskutiere ich Whitehouses Theorie der Modi der Religiosität, die den imagistischen Modus, basierend auf dem episodischen Gedächtnis, dem doktrinalen Modus, basierend auf dem semantischen Gedächtnis, gegenüber stellt. Anhand von drei Beispielen aus der religiösen Praxis und der Geschichte einer südafrikanischen Kirche – dem sakralen Tanz, dem öffentlichen Zeugnis von persönlichen Heilungserlebnissen sowie der Spaltung der Kirche – zeige ich die Begrenztheit von Whitehouses kognitivem Erklärungsmodell. Dennoch ist Whitehouses Theorie für die säkulare Religionswissenschaft von Nutzen, da er ihren von postkolonialer Kritik in Frage gestellten vergleichenden Ansatz naturalistisch untermauert. Wünschenswert ist dabei die verstärkte Aufmerksamkeit für die vielfältigen Wechselwirkungen zwischen kognitiven, sozialen und kulturellen Faktoren, auch unter Preisgabe der einfachen Klarheit von Whitehouses bipolarem Erklärungsmodell.
Religionsethologie – die biologischen Wurzeln religiösen Verhaltens
Authors: Wunn Ina , Urban Patrick , Klein Constantin
Published: March 2014

Der Artikel skizziert die Grundlagen einer neuen Subdisziplin innerhalb der Religionswissenschaft, der Religionsethologie. Religionsethologie lässt sich letztlich auf Charles Darwin selbst zurückführen, der bereits in seinem Buch
Dental Complications of Rickets in Early Childhood: Case Report on 2 Young Girls
Authors: Davit-Béal Tiphaine , Gabay Julie , Antoniolli Pauline , Masle-Farquhar Jeanne , Wolikow Maryse
Published: March 2014

Vitamin D is an essential hormone for calcium gut absorption. It is also involved in child growth, cancer prevention, immune system responses, and tooth formation. Due to inadequate vitamin D intake and/or decreased sunlight exposure, vitamin D deficiency has resurfaced in developed countries despite known inexpensive and effective preventive methods. Vitamin D deficiency is a common cause of rickets, a condition that affects bone development in children and that can have serious dental complications. Deficiency during pregnancy can cause enamel hypoplasia of primary teeth. Enamel regeneration is currently impossible; hypoplasia is therefore irreversible, and once affected, teeth are prone to fast caries development. Deficiency during early childhood can affect permanent teeth and ensuing caries can sometimes lead to tooth loss at a young age. Oral manifestations of rickets should be diagnosed early by both physicians and dentists to prevent severe dental complications. This case study presents 2 young girls with rickets in early childhood who suffered from subsequent serious tooth decay.
Use of Modified Acute Concussion Evaluation Tools in the Emergency Department
Authors: Zuckerbraun Noel S. , Atabaki Shireen , Collins Michael W. , Thomas Danny , Gioia Gerard A.
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVES:

Accurate recognition of pediatric concussion in the emergency department (ED) is important to ensure appropriate management for safe recovery. The study objective was to determine whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) tools, modified for ED use, improved patient follow-up and post-injury behaviors.

METHODS:

The original ACE tools (ACE, ACE Care Plan) were modified for ED use via Delphi methodology with an expert panel and implemented in 2 urban pediatric EDs for patients aged 5 to 21 years evaluated within 24 hours of a head injury. Pre- (February 2009 to July 2009) and post- (December 2009 to June 2010) implementation, patient phone surveys were conducted 1, 2, and 4 weeks after ED discharge. Reported rates of patient follow-up and recovery measures were analyzed. ED clinician adherence was assessed.

RESULTS:

During the study, 164 patients were enrolled pre-implementation and 190 post-implementation. The mean patient age was 10.6 years (SD, 3.7); 65% were males, 49% were African American, and 46% were Caucasian. Post-implementation, 58% of patients received the modified ACE diagnostic tool and 84% received the modified ACE discharge instructions. Follow-up was improved at all time points (32% vs 61% at week 4; P < .001; odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.1–5.4). Post-implementation, parental recall of discharge instructions was significantly increased, patient’s mean total post-concussion symptom score was significantly higher, and report of return to normal activity was significantly longer.

CONCLUSIONS:

The ACE tools, modified for ED use, were successfully implemented in the pediatric ED. Post-implementation, increased patient follow-up and improved recall of and adherence to ED discharge recommendations was demonstrated.
Thermal and Radiation Stability of Nanomaterials
Authors: Andrievski Rostislav A.
Published: March 2014

The kinetic/thermodynamic stabilization recent results of grain growth in nanomaterials (NMs)-based metals, alloys, and compounds are generalized. Due to their large share of interfaces which can act as the sinks for radiation defects, NMs show improved irradiation resistance such as the resistance to amorphization, hardening and swelling. Radiation defects will tend also to the nanostructure annihilation and transformation into amorphous state. Some unsolved problems are emphasized.
Investigation of Maxillofacial Morphology and Dental Development in Hemifacial Microsomia
Authors: Ahiko Nozomi , Baba Yoshiyuki , Tsuji Michiko , Suzuki Shoichi , Kaneko Tsuyoshi , Kindaichi Junko , Moriyama Keiji
Published: March 2014

Objective

Hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a congenital anomaly characterized by unilateral underdevelopment of the mandible and ear. This study was conducted to characterize maxillofacial morphology and dental development in Japanese patients with HFM.

Design

This is a retrospective hospital-based study.

Patients

The subject population comprised 12 boys and 12 girls (average age, 9.3 years) diagnosed with HFM.

Main Outcome Measures

We used posteroanterior (PA) and lateral cephalograms obtained at the first visit to analyze maxillofacial morphology and orthopantomograms to compare dental development between the affected and unaffected sides. Dental development was graded according to Nolla's stages of tooth calcification.

Results

PA cephalogram analysis showed that the occlusal plane inclined upward on the affected side in each patient. The mandibular body and ramus were smaller on the affected side than on the unaffected side. Lateral cephalogram analysis showed that the patients tended to have steep mandibles, large gonial angles, and a slightly convex facial structure. The affected side/unaffected side ratio of the mandibular body and ramus correlated with SNB, ANB, convexity, and mandibular plane. The difference in dental development between the affected and unaffected sides was significant at the mandibular molars and the mandibular canine.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a correlation between lateral and frontal measurement parameters in patients with HFM. The data also showed delayed calcification in the mandibular molars on the affected side.
Pinning and wetting stability of liquids on superoleophobic textured surfaces
Authors: Zhang Jinlin , Zhao Hong
Published: March 2014

Super water/oil repellency has been a very active research field and could be achieved via combination of surface texturing and chemical treatment. When a droplet is deposited on a superhydrophobic/superoleophobic surface, its contact line can be pinned somewhere on the structured surface instead of fully wetting the substrate, forming a solid–liquid–air composite interface. The focus of this article is to understand the effect of pinning and wetting stability through energy analysis and force balance. Textured surfaces with straight sidewall pillar, wavy sidewall pillar and hoodoo structures are discussed in detail. For the straight sidewall structure, it was found that the top pillar edge is a stable pinning site for water. Meanwhile, hexadecane fully wets the structure without any pinning. On the wavy sidewall structure, the protruding and concave corners are pinning sites for both water and hexadecane. However, the dominant breakthrough pressure comes from the energy barrier against contact line advancing along the re-entrant slope of the wave. On the hoodoo structure, there are two pinning sites (top and bottom corner of the hoodoo cap) for water, but only one pinning site (bottom corner) for hexadecane. The effects of solid area fraction and re-entrant angles on pinning stability are studied with the wavy sidewall structure. This study suggests that Gibbs energy analysis can be a viable approach in designing robust superoleophobic surfaces by enhancing the pinning stability and breakthrough pressure, which is strongly correlated to design parameters, for example solid area fraction, geometrical re-entrant angle and dimensions. This article contains supporting information that is available online.
A mechanistic–bioclimatic modeling analysis of the potential impact of climate change on biomes of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Ye Jian-Sheng , Reynolds James F. , Li Feng-Min
Published: March 2014

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is experiencing high rates of climatic change. We present a novel combined mechanistic–bioclimatic modeling approach to determine how changes in precipitation and temperature on the TP may impact net primary production (NPP) in four major biomes (forest, shrub, grass, desert) and if there exists a maximum rain use efficiency (RUEMAX) that represents Huxman et al.'s “boundary that constrain[s] site‐level productivity and efficiency.” We used a daily mechanistic ecosystem model to generate 40‐yr outputs using observed climatic data for scenarios of decreased precipitation (25–100%); increased air temperature (1°–6°C); simultaneous changes in both precipitation (±50%, ±25%) and air temperature (+1 to +6°C) and increased interannual variability (IAV) of precipitation (+1σ to +3σ, with fixed means, where σ is SD). We fitted model output from these scenarios to Huxman et al.'s RUEMAX bioclimatic model, NPP = α + RUE × PPT (where α is the intercept, RUE is rain use efficiency, and PPT is annual precipitation). Based on these analyses, we conclude that there is strong support (when not explicit, then trend‐wise) for Huxman et al.'s assertion that biomes converge to a common RUEMAX during the driest years at a site, thus representing the boundary for highest rain use efficiency; the interactive effects of simultaneously decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature on NPP for the TP is smaller than might be expected from additive, single‐factor changes in these drivers; and that increasing IAV of precipitation may ultimately have a larger impact on biomes of the Tibetan Plateau than changing amounts of rainfall and air temperature alone.