CERNE

CLONAL COMPOSITES AS A STRATEGY FOR MITIGATING THE CLONES × ENVIRONMENTS INTERACTION IN EUCALYPTUS

2022-10-20T00:45:53+00:00

Background: One of the biggest challenges for breeders, especially for perennial plants, is to have strategies to reduce the risk of recommending new clones. One of the alternatives would be to use a mixture of clones, clonal compounds (CC), instead of monoclones (MC). This strategy has not yet been properly proven from experiments involving CC and MC simultaneously in different environments.

Results: The CC's contribution to the interaction was significant, although associated with a high MAI estimate (m³. ha^-1. year^-1). The CC's took better advantage of environmental stimuli than most MC's. The rick estimates in the CC recommendation were, in most situations, lower than those of the different monoclones.

Conclusion: The use of CC proved to be more efficient than the use of MC in mitigating the effects of the interaction of genotypes by environments, in recommending clones for forest exploitation.

Influence of clear-cutting on ground vegetation biomass and dwarf shrubs increment in the Scots pine forests of the European North-East

2022-08-16T20:57:14+00:00

Background: In spite of important functions the ground vegetation performs, the research on global change and human impact on forests has traditionally focused on tree layer. We have analyzed the influence of clear-cuttings on ground vegetation biomass (GVB), fractional structure and annual increment of dwarf shrubs (bilberry and cowberry) shoots. The investigation was carried out at clear-cut areas of the Scots pine forests in the European North-East of Russia.

Results: The GVB value after clear-cutting increased by 1.9−2.4 times. The GVB values at particular technological elements of clear-cuts (apiaries, skidding tracks) were obtained. On skidding tracks, the biomass was by 1.2–1.7 time less than that on apiaries. Among individual species, Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. ex Brid.) and Dicranum polysetum Sw. demonstrated a positive reaction to clear-cutting but mosses of the Sphagnum L. genus reacted negatively. Invasion of Epilobium angustifolium L. and Avenella flexuosa (L.) Drejer increased the grass biomass, especially on skidding tracks. The linear model was applied for describing the relationship between above- and underground dwarf shrub biomass. The clear-cutting had a negative effect on shoot age and mass of both bilberry and cowberry. However, comfortable light conditions raised the role of foliage in biomass and heightened the increments of studied dwarf shrubs by 1.2–1.3 time.

Conclusion: Clear-cutting had a positive effect both on UVB and increment of dwarf shrubs in Scots pine forests on the European North-East.

Change in oleoresin productivity between harvests and variable drillings of a Copaifera reticulata natural population in the Amazon

2023-01-29T23:39:07+00:00

Many gaps in the copaifera oleoresin yield remain unfulfilled, preventing the sustainable management of this valuable non-timber forest product. This work aimed to characterize a natural Copaifera reticulata population in the Amazon rainforest, test different positions and depths in the trees to flow oleoresin, and analyze changes in the productiveness between two harvests ten months-spaced. The study was conducted in a Brazilian rainforest area at the Jari Ecological Station (ESEC) in 2017 and 2018, including 26 trees. The diametric and height distributions evidenced light-demanding and mostly medium-class-diameter trees. The annual increment (0.45 ± 0.003 cm/year) was average, while the occurrence was rare. The area hosts yielding and unyielding trees, providing an average oleoresin production of 603.60 mL/tree. Oleoresin only flowed by reaching the inner heartwood or the pith. Oleoresin was not fully replenished after ten months, but the first drilling stimulated some unyielding trees to deliver it later. Collecting should focus on medium-diameter trees. The growth and distribution behaviors may challenge Copaifera's sustainable management, which depends on the individual tree mechanisms to provide and replenish the oleoresin.

ECOLOGICAL PATTERNS AND CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES WITH CARBON CREDITS IN BRAZIL NUT GROVES: A STUDY-CASE IN THE SOUTHEAST AMAZON

2022-12-22T16:03:52+00:00

Background: Brazil Nuts (BN) tree is a species of high importance in Amazon region. Their continuous use by traditional communities is often related to disturbances that lead to larger degraded areas where this species is commonly found (“BN groves”). Here we aimed to explore the ecological patterns of BN groves vegetation and its relationship with BN trees and evaluate their potential as a source of carbon credits. We sampled 15 circular plots, with Brazilian Nut trees as the center (focal trees) and collected morphometric data from the focal trees. Additionally, we evaluated fruit production for a period of 5 years to obtain annual measurements, which were used as a proxy of the anthropic impact associated with the collection process. Through analysis of the data, we: i) examined the effects of BN trees on the adjacent vegetation; ii) quantified the potential amount of carbon credits in the adjacent vegetation and in the focal trees by converting carbon stock to equivalent CO₂.

Results:The adjacent vegetation structure was influenced by the size of BN trees (focal trees). No important effects of BN trees on the adjacent vegetation floristic composition and functional attributes were found. Additionally, we found that Brazilian Nut groves possess a significant potential for carbon credits that could be leveraged in the future carbon credit market,

Conclusion: The study highlights the potential for carbon credit generation in Brazil nut groves in the Southeast Amazon as a means of supporting conservation and restoration efforts in these environments.

ESTIMATING THE COMMERCIAL VOLUME OF A Pinus taeda L. PLANTATION USING ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SENSORS

2022-10-21T07:14:36+00:00

Background: The objective of this study was to estimate the wood volume of a Pinus taeda L. plantation using variables extracted from the Sentinel-1 active sensor and the Sentinel-2 passive sensor. To do so, data from a forest inventory with rectangular plots of 550 m² were used to estimate the stand volume. We derived and adapted average vegetation indices per plot from images obtained by Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 sensors. The data were then correlated with the volume per plot based on the forest inventory. The Modified Radar Forest Degradation Index (mRDFI) showed the highest correlation for Sentinel-1 data, while the Difference Vegetation-Index (DVI) performed best for Sentinel-2.

Results:The regression models were built using Stepwise modeling, demonstrating that the models fit with only the Sentinel-2 indices performed better than the others (indices adapted for Sentinel-1 and a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data), with an R² adjusted between 0.51 to 0.40 and a standard error (Syx%) of 3.66 to 8.97. According to the statistical analyses, we found no significant differences between the volume estimated by the forest inventory (12.56±1.17) and the remote sensing techniques used (Sentinel-2 with 12.56±1.03 and Sentinel-1 with 12.56±0.94). However, further tests should be conducted with other active sensors operating in different spectral bands and polarization modes for other forest species.

Conclusion: We found no significant differences between the volumetric estimates derived from remote sensing data and forest inventory techniques.

Organic waste and controlled-release fertilizer maximize the growth of Citharexylum montevidense in nursery and in the field

2022-10-20T00:42:13+00:00

Background: The increase in agricultural production requires sustainable alternatives development for reusing the waste generated, such as bovine manure, to obtain ecological, environmental, and economic benefits. In addition, proper fertilization is one of the main steps in the production of forest species seedlings. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the effect of different substrates formulations based on bovine manure and types of fertilizers on the quality of C. montevidense seedlings and verify if the field confirms the nurseries' responses. The treatments consisted of three BM-based substrates combinations (S0 - control, no manure; S30 – 30 % BM; and S60 – 60 % BM) and four types of base fertilizers [Control: no fertilizer, FRF - Fast Release Fertilizer (NPK + fritted trace elements), FRF2 - twice as used in FRF and CRF - Controlled Release Fertilizer]. The substrates quality and the seedlings' morphophysiological attributes were determined 160 days after sowing, then conducting the best treatments to the field.

Results: We verified that the use of bovine manure improved the physical and chemical properties of the substrates. For the C. montevidense cultivation, 30 % BM plus CRF provided the best seedling development. The substrate used in the seedlings production influenced the post-planting performance of C. montevidense, and the bovine manure use allows for more significant plant growth in the field.

Conclusion: For the cultivation of Citharexylum montevidense, it is recommended to use substrates composed of 30 % of bovine manure, associated with 6 g L^-1 of controlled-release fertilizer, as it provides higher quality seedlings in shorter production time in the nursery.

ALLOMETRIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ABOVE-GROUND BIOMASS INCREMENT AND STAND CHARACTERISTICS FOR CRIMEAN PINE IN TAŞKÖPRÜ, TURKEY

2022-12-22T15:49:51+00:00

Background: Biomass increment, one of the main components of net primary production (NPP) in forest ecosystems, plays an important role as well as total biomass in the global carbon cycle. In this study, the changes of increments of the above-ground total, stem and branch biomasses depending on stand characteristics (i.e., stand age, stand density, and site index) were investigated, and these relations were modeled for Crimean pine (Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe) stands in Taşköprü region of Türkiye. Data were obtained from 109 sample trees within 74 sample plots representing the wide range of possible stand characteristics.

Results: The equations developed for above-ground total, stem and branch biomass increments have quite high coefficients of determination (R²=0.784, 0.684 and 0.780, respectively), whereas low root mean square errors (RMSE=0.749, 0.692 and 0.116, respectively). The results indicated that the biomass increment estimates from the allometric equations developed were decreasing with stand age and increasing with stand density and site index and also stand density is the strongest stand characteristic on biomass increment.

Conclusion: The estimates are also consistent with the growth patterns, so the equations can be used for biomass increment estimations and also for carbon storage and NPP projections for Crimean pine stands of the region.