EFFECTS OF HOT PRESSING PARAMETERS ON THE PROPERTIES OF HARDBOARDS PRODUCED FROM MIXED HARDWOOD TREE SPECIES

In this work, wet-process fibreboards (hardboards) were produced in the laboratory using industrial wood fibres of the species European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.) at the total volume of 40%, and white poplar (Populus alba L.) at 60% volume. The effects of hot pressing pressure (varied from 3.3 MPa to 5.3 MPa) and pressing time (from 255 s to 355 s) on the physical and mechanical properties of hardboards were investigated and optimal values of the parameters for fulfilling the European standard requirements were determined. It was concluded that hardboards with acceptable physical and mechanical properties may be produced from 60% poplar wood waste and residues, combined with 40% hardwood raw materials (beech and oak) by regulating the hot pressing regime only, i.e. pressure and pressing time. The following minimum parameters for producing hardboards from mixed hardwood tree species were determined: a pressure of 4.6 MPa and a pressing time of 280 s.

Development of Genomic SSR for the Subtropical Hardwood Tree Dalbergia hupeana and Assessment of Their Transferability to Other Related Species

Dalbergia hupeana Hance (D. hupeana) is a precious hardwood tree of the genus Dalbergia. It is one of the few species widely distributed within subtropical areas and is important for timber production and forest restoration. At present, there is little published genetic information on D. hupeana. Therefore, we performed a genome survey using next generation sequencing (NGS) and developed a set of novel genomic SSR (gSSR) markers from the assembled data, and assessed the transferability of these markers to other Dalbergia species in Asia. The results of the genome survey show the genome size of D. hupeana to be about 664 Mb and highly heterozygous. The assembly of sequencing data produced 2,431,997 contigs, and the initial assembly of the NGS data alone resulted in contig N50 of 393 kb with a total of 720 Mb. A total of 127,742 perfect SSR markers were found in the assembled contigs. A total of 37 highly polymorphic and easily genotyped gSSR markers were developed in D. hupeana, while the majority of gSSR markers could be successfully transferred to nine other Dalbergia species in Asia. The transferability rate of gSSR markers was highest in D. balansae, which is more closely related to D. hupeana. Seven gSSR markers were able to be amplified in all tested species. In addition, a preliminary assessment of the genetic diversity of three tree species in the Dalbergia genus suggested a high level of genetic diversity within populations distributed in the subtropical area in China. However, the determination of the global status of their genetic variation still requires further and more comprehensive assessment. Our findings will enable further studies on the genetic diversity, phylogenetics, germplasm characterization, and taxonomy of various Dalbergia species.

The Never Spoken Poignant Connection Between Cuban Tree Snails and Carpentry/Crafts/Art: the case of Polymita and Liguus

The extinction of endemic Cuban tree snail colonies are shown to be directly caused by habitat fragmentation due to deforestation. Hardwood extraction and exploitation started in the 16 th century and has steadily increased throughout the Cuban archipelago. This article is the first investigation into the connection between overexploitation of natural resources by local communities and the extinction of Cuban tree snail colonies. The authors have compiled a list of 345 hardwood trees species, many of which have been clear cut and over used by Cuban farmers, carpenters, artists and crafts people. Of those hardwood tree species, 84 species are known to be host plants for endemic Cuban Liguus and Polymita tree snails. Since the late 1960s, there has been an accelerated demand for hardwood for traditional craftworks. That demand became more aggressive after the opening of the country to international tourism in the 1990s. This desire for exotic hardwoods has endangered both the precious hardwood tree species and the endemic tree snail species that inhabit them. It is our hope that with the development of field guides on endemic Cuban hardwood tree species that educators can raise awareness of this issue while discouraging unmanaged or uncontrolled harvesting of these hardwoods in Cuba. Encouraging artists and crafts people to create miniature wood sculptures could be an alternative sustainable solution.

Genome sequence and evolution of Betula platyphylla

Betula L. (birch) is a pioneer hardwood tree species with ecological, economic, and evolutionary importance in the Northern Hemisphere. We sequenced the Betula platyphylla genome and assembled the sequences into 14 chromosomes. The Betula genome lacks evidence of recent whole-genome duplication and has the same paleoploidy level as Vitis vinifera and Prunus mume. Phylogenetic analysis of lignin pathway genes coupled with tissue-specific expression patterns provided clues for understanding the formation of higher ratios of syringyl to guaiacyl lignin observed in Betula species. Our transcriptome analysis of leaf tissues under a time-series cold stress experiment revealed the presence of the MEKK1–MKK2–MPK4 cascade and six additional mitogen-activated protein kinases that can be linked to a gene regulatory network involving many transcription factors and cold tolerance genes. Our genomic and transcriptome analyses provide insight into the structures, features, and evolution of the B. platyphylla genome. The chromosome-level genome and gene resources of B. platyphylla obtained in this study will facilitate the identification of important and essential genes governing important traits of trees and genetic improvement of B. platyphylla.

To the methods for actualization of main stands parameters of hardwood tree species of Ukraine

Continuous forest inventory, as one of the methods of forest management of the country, in contrast to the basic inventory, has a number of advantages, which primarily provide the opportunity to obtain the most complete and reliable information about the current state of the forest, as it provides annual updates of main stands parameters of forest found on Ukraine. Hardwood tree species (oak, ash, beech, hornbeam, etc.) occupy a special place among all that grow in Ukraine and occupy almost 44 % of the forest area covered with forest vegetation. According to the latest state forest inventory as of 01.01.2011, hardwood tree species are dominated by oak stands - 62.6 % of the area of all hardwood tree species, forest beech - 20.2 %, hornbeam - 3.2 % and ash ordinary, forming mainly mixed stands with oak. A systematic approach to the effective solution of the problem of continuous forest inventory requires the development of objective methods and mathematical models for updating the main stands parameters of forests. In Ukraine, for actualization main stands parameters, two methods have been developed to forecast their growth. The first is based on modeling the percentage of current increment by average height and wood stock, the second - on the developed dynamic site index curves and yield tables for modal stands. The aim of the work is to improve the methodological approaches to modeling the growth prognosis of the main stands parameters by the second method. To achieve these goals used the method of nonlinear regression using IBM SPSS Statistics. As a result of the conducted researches it was offered to model a new unified ratio of the stands parameter a year ahead to the same stands parameter now multiplied by the age of the stand to model the growth prognosis for all stands parameters. This made it possible during the simulation to describe the changes in growth by the main stands parameters with almost absolute accuracy (the coefficient of determination of the obtained models is 1.0). The equation obtained for growth prognosis has the same form for stands of all tree species, of different origin, composition and site index classes.

PENGEMBANGAN USAHATANI TUMPANGSARI WIJEN DAN PALAWIJA PADA KAWASAN HUTAN

<p>Penelitian pengembangan usahatani tumpangsari wijen dan palawija pada kawasan hutan dilaksanakan di KPH Saradan, Madiun mulai bulan Maret sampai Desember 2001. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode kasus, betujuan untuk memperbaiki dan mengembangkan sistem usahatani tumpangsari wijen dan palawija di kawasan hutan jati seta meningkatkan pendapatan petani penggarap di lahan Perhutani. Penelitian menggunakan areal hutan jati muda yang baru berumur 3 tahun seluas 10 ha milik Perum Perhutani kcrjasama dengan petani penggarap. Jumlah petani binaan (kooperator) sebanyak 36 orang masing-masing memiliki luas garapan 0.25 - 0.5 ha. Lahan garapan petani dibagi menjadi 2 bagian, satu bagian ditanami wijen + ubi kayu, sedangkan sisanya ditanami ubi kayu t jagung. Paket tcknologi yang ditawarkan pada petani terdiri atas penggunaan varietas unggul wijen, benih bcrmutu, tanam tepat waktu, penjarangan disisakan 2 tanaman/lubang, pemberian pupuk tepat jenis, dosis dan saat pemberiannya, serta penyiangan dilakukan sesuai keadaan gulma. Parameter yang diamati meliputi jumlah penggunaan sarana produksi (benih, pupuk dan pestisida) beseta harganya, penggunaan (cnaga kerja keluarga dan luar keluarga beserta tingkat upah, produksi wijen dan palawija beserta harga jualnya. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa : komponen tcknologi yang diterima dan dilaksanakan oleh petani adalah varietas unggul wijen Sumberrejo-1, benih wijen bcrmutu, waktu tanam wijen, dosis dan cara pemupukan serta penyiangan gulma. Teknologi anjuran yang belum diterima petani adalah pemupukan petama bersamaan tanam dan penjarangan tanaman wijen. Pada tumpangsari wijen + ubi kayu diperoleh rata-rata produksi wijen 657 kg dan ubi kayu basah 3 210 kg per ha. Pada tumpangsari jagung + ubi kayu diperoleh produksi jagung I 220 kg pipilan kering dan ubikayu basah 3 350 kg per ha. Pendapatan usahatani wijen + ubi kayu sebesar Rp 1 124 000 per ha dengan B/C ratio 1.40, sedangkan usahatani ubi kayu + jagung mengalami kerugian Rp 424 000 per ha dengan B/C ratio 0.88.</p><p>Kata kunci: Wijen, Sesamum indicum L., pendapatan petani, usahatani</p><p> </p><p><strong>ABSTRACT </strong></p><p><strong>Development of intercropping sesame and palawija in forest area</strong></p><p>Development research of sesame intercropping was conducted in KPH Saradan forest area, Madiun from March to December 2001. The research used 10 ha of 3 years old hardwood tree forest area. There were 36 farmers involved, each of them had 0.25 - 0.5 ha (o work on. The land was divided in(o 2 pats, one pat was planted with sesame and cassava, while the other pat was planted with cassava and com. The technology offered to the farmer consisted of: the use of superior variety, good seed, on schedule plantation, thinning up to 2 plants/hole, proper fetilizer, proper dose and application, and weeding. Parameters observed consisted of production input (i.e. seeds, fetilizer and pesticide) with the price, use of family worker and outside family worker with the salary rate, sesame and palawija production with their selling prices. The result showed that the technology accepted by the farmer was Sumberrejo 1 superior sesame variety, superior sesame seed, schedule of seed planting, fetilizer dossage and application, and weeding. The recommended technology that was not accepted yet by (he farmers was first fertilizer application at planting time and thinning of sesame. Area of sesame intercropped with cassava produced 657 kg of sesame and 3 210 kg of cassava per ha. Area of cassava intercropped with com produced 3 350 kg of cassava and 1 220 kg of com per ha. There was a profit of Rp 1 124 000 per ha in sesame + cassava intercropping with B/C ratio 1.40, while there was a financial lost of Rp 424 000 every ha in cassava + com intercropping with B/C ratio 0.88.</p><p>Key words : Sesame, Sesamum indicum L„ farmer's income, intercropping</p>

The genome of the butternut canker pathogen, Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum shows an elevated number of genes associated with secondary metabolism and protection from host resistance responses

Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum (Oc-j) is a plant pathogenic fungus that causes canker and branch dieback diseases in the hardwood tree butternut, Juglans cinerea. Oc-j is a member of the order of Diaporthales, which includes many other plant pathogenic species, several of which also infect hardwood tree species. In this study, we sequenced the genome of Oc-j and achieved a high-quality assembly and delineated its phylogeny within the Diaporthales order using a genome-wide multi-gene approach. We also further examined multiple gene families that might be involved in plant pathogenicity and degradation of complex biomass, which are relevant to a pathogenic life-style in a tree host. We found that the Oc-j genome contains a greater number of genes in these gene families compared to other species in the Diaporthales. These gene families include secreted CAZymes, kinases, cytochrome P450, efflux pumps, and secondary metabolism gene clusters. The large numbers of these genes provide Oc-j with an arsenal to cope with the specific ecological niche as a pathogen of the butternut tree.

Metagenomic reconstruction of nitrogen and carbon cycling pathways in forest soil: Influence by different hardwood tree species

The soil microbiome plays an essential role in processing and storage of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C), and is influenced by vegetation above-ground through imparted differences in chemistry, structure, mass of plant litter, root physiology, and dominant mycorrhizal associations. We used shotgun metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to quantify the abundance and distribution of gene families involved in soil microbial N and C cycling beneath three deciduous hardwood tree species: ectomycorrhizal (ECM)-associated Quercus rubra (red oak), ECM-associated Castanea dentata (American chestnut), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)-associated Prunus serotina (black cherry). Chestnut exhibited the most distinct soil microbiome of the three species, both functionally and taxonomically, with a general suppression of functional genes in the nitrification, denitrification, and nitrate reduction pathways. These changes were related to low inorganic N availability in chestnut stands as soil was modified by poor, low-N litter quality relative to red oak and black cherry soils.IMPORTANCEPrevious studies have used field biogeochemical process rates, isotopic tracing, and targeted gene abundance measurements to study the influence of tree species on ecosystem N and C dynamics. However, these approaches do not enable a comprehensive systems-level understanding of the relationship between microbial diversity and metabolism of N and C below-ground. We analyzed microbial metagenomes from soils beneath red oak, American chestnut, and black cherry stands and showed that tree species can mediate the abundance of key microbial genes involved in N and (to a lesser extent) C metabolism pathways in soil. Our results highlight the genetic framework underlying tree species’ control over soil microbial communities, and below-ground C and N metabolism, and may enable land managers to select tree species to maximize C and N storage in soils.