ALBERT

Beschreibung: Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) has become a promising technology for the production of hydrochar and carbon spheres. Several studies indicate a strong dependency of the reaction conditions on the sphere diameter. The usage of additives, such as salts, is one possibility to increase the size of the spheres. However, the growth mechanism which leads to larger particles is not fully understood. In this work, kinetic studies of HTC with fructose were performed with different salts as additives. The growth of the particles (the increase in size) has been compared to the formation rates (increase in yield) of hydrochar by using the reaction rate constants from the kinetic model. The results indicate that the acceleration of the growth rate is independent of the formation rate. It is therefore assumed that coagulation, as a growth mechanism, took place. With longer reaction times, the particles reached a stable particle size, independently from the added salts; therefore, it was assumed that the particles underwent some sort of solidification. The state of matter can therefore be described as an intermediate state between liquid and solid, similar to mesophase pitch. Experiments with a stirrer resulted in squashed particles, which supports the model, that the particles exhibit emulsion-like behavior.

Beschreibung: Agrivoltaic (AV) systems integrate the production of agricultural crops and electric power on the same land area through the installation of solar panels several meters above the soil surface. It has been demonstrated that AV can increase land productivity and contribute to the expansion of renewable energy production. Its utilization is expected to affect crop production by altering microclimatic conditions but has so far hardly been investigated. The present study aimed to determine for the first time how changes in microclimatic conditions through AV affect selected agricultural crops within an organic crop rotation. For this purpose, an AV research plant was installed near Lake Constance in south-west Germany in 2016. A field experiment was established with four crops (celeriac, winter wheat, potato and grass-clover) cultivated both underneath the AV system and on an adjacent reference site without solar panels. Microclimatic parameters, crop development and harvestable yields were monitored in 2017 and 2018. Overall, an alteration in microclimatic conditions and crop production under AV was confirmed. Photosynthetic active radiation was on average reduced by about 30% under AV. During summertime, soil temperature was decreased under AV in both years. Furthermore, reduced soil moisture and air temperatures as well as an altered rain distribution have been found under AV. In both years, plant height of all crops was increased under AV. In 2017 and 2018, yield ranges of the crops cultivated under AV compared to the reference site were −19 to +3% for winter wheat, −20 to +11% for potato and −8 to −5% for grass-clover. In the hot, dry summer 2018, crop yields of winter wheat and potato were increased by AV by 2.7% and 11%, respectively. These findings show that yield reductions under AV are likely, but under hot and dry weather conditions, growing conditions can become favorable.

Beschreibung: Deciduous seasonal forests (DSFs) have a peculiar floristic composition, with species capable of surviving periods of high water deficit in a year. Our goal was to demonstrate that abiotic filters lead to the assembly of two DSF communities that have high floristic dissimilarity. For this, we characterized the environment of the areas and used the community-weighted mean (CWM), functional richness (FRic) and functional dispersion (FDis) indices for regional recognition of functional patterns. The local assessment of assembly rules was carried out using null models. We found differences in the FRic and FDis between the areas, which was attributed to the different floristic influences exercised on the communities. However, in both, the typical attributes of dry formations were dominant (CWM), indicating that, on the regional scale of study, the dry season acts as a filter in the composition of species in the communities. On a local scale, stochastic dispersion was identified as the most influential mechanism in the assembly of communities. We conclude that deterministic and stochastic processes act in the assembly of the studied communities, and the proportion of each of these depends on the scale, with abiotic filtration predominating on a regional scale and stochastic dispersion events on a local scale. Study Implications With the expansion of agriculture and climate change, tropical dry biomes, such as deciduous seasonal forests, are rapidly changing. In this study, we contribute to the recognition of functional standards and community assembly of this vegetation type to assist in management planning, restoration, and conservation. Understanding the different processes involved in building a community is crucial for anticipating how communities will behave under future environmental scenarios.

Beschreibung: Quantification of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in different land uses holds vital significance because of its implications regarding carbon sequestration as the largest terrestrial carbon pool. The current study was conducted to quantify and compare SOC stocks in forest land, agricultural land, and barren land-use categories in the subtropical ecosystems of the Himalayan foothills in Kashmir. Results showed the highest SOC value in the forest soil (75 ± 11.1 Mg C ha−1) followed by agricultural soil (58 ± 7.0 Mg C ha−1) and barren land (44 ± 6.5 Mg C ha−1). SOC stocks in different land uses showed broad variations with values as high as 106 ± 11.3 Mg C ha−1 (forest soils) and as low as 14.1 ± 7.1 Mg C ha−1 (barren land). The forest SOC values responded significantly to species composition with the highest values in Pinus roxburghii Sarg. pure stands as compared with broad leaved forests. Multivariate ordination analyses revealed that the variations in SOC stocks were significantly correlated with vegetation type, altitude, and soil bulk density. The study has identified anthropogenic disturbances as a major factor deteriorating local SOC stocks and recommends immediate soil restoration efforts to enhance the ecological significance of soils as vital regional carbon sinks. Study Implications The current study was designed to investigate the soil organic carbon (SOC) levels in different land uses of the Kashmir Himalayas, Pakistan. Results revealed forest soils as the major carbon sinks of the region, attributed to diverse species composition having a significant quantity of organic residues, followed by agricultural soils. Barren land-use class exhibited the lowest SOC values due to minimum vegetation cover, erosion, and degradation. Significant correlations of SOC stocks with geographical and edaphic variables were identified by multivariate ordination analysis in the investigated land-use classes. Results validate the significance of forests in enhancing SOC stocks, demanding forest restoration in the area by controlling the forest losses as well as afforestation. This article provides vital information required for better understanding of SOC stocks in different land-use classes in the subtropical ecosystems of the Kashmir region.

Beschreibung: Background Forest restoration has been considered an effective method to increase soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas it remains unclear whether long-term forest restoration will continuously increase SOC. Such large uncertainties may be mainly due to the limited knowledge on how soil microorganisms will contribute to SOC accumulation over time. Methods We simultaneously documented SOC, total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and amino sugars (AS) content across a forest restoration gradient with average stand ages of 14, 49, 70, and 〉 90 years in southern China. Results The SOC and AS continuously increased with stand age. The ratio of fungal PLFAs to bacterial PLFAs showed no change with stand age, while the ratio of fungal AS to bacterial AS significantly increased. The total microbial residue-carbon (AS-C) accounted for 0.95–1.66 % in SOC across all forest restoration stages, with significantly higher in fungal residue-C (0.68–1.19 %) than bacterial residue-C (0.05–0.11 %). Furthermore, the contribution of total AS-C to SOC was positively correlated with clay content at 0–10 cm soil layer but negatively related to clay content at 10–20 cm soil layer. Conclusions These findings highlight the significant contribution of AS-C to SOC accumulation along forest restoration stages, with divergent contributions from fungal residues and bacterial residues. Soil clay content with stand age significantly affects the divergent contributions of AS-C to SOC at two different soil layers.

Beschreibung: Abstract Cellulose utilization at its full potential often requires its dissolution which is challenging. Aqueous NaOH is the solvent of choice due to the rapid, non-toxic, low cost and environmentally friendly dissolution process. However, there are several limitations, such as the required low temperature and cellulose´s moderately low degree of polymerization and concentration. Moreover, there is a tendency for gelation of semidilute solutions with time and temperature. The addition of ZnO aids cellulose dissolution and hinders self-aggregation in the NaOH solution; however, the exact role of ZnO has remained as an open question. In this work, we studied cellulose dissolution in the aqueous NaOH–ZnO system as well as the reactivity of the dissolved cellulose by oxidation with 4-AcNH-TEMPO+ (TEMPO+). Based on Raman spectroscopic studies and the TEMPO+-reactivities, we propose a new structure for cellulose dissolved in aqueous NaOH–ZnO. Graphic abstract

Beschreibung: Production of applicable and homogeneous biochar for soil amendment purposes would benefit from knowledge on how feedstock heterogeneity impacts key biochar pore properties and how the properties are transformed due to pyrolysis. This study aimed (1) to quantify how clonal differences and within-tree heterogeneity of a hybrid aspen feedstock (wood) impact biochar pore properties and (2) to estimate how pore properties of non-pyrolysed wood materials are transformed when pyrolysed into biochar. The study was conducted by collecting samples from a hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × Populus tremuloides Michx.) clonal field trial. Key pore properties of non-pyrolysed and pyrolysed wood samples were quantified with 3D X-ray imaging and quantitative image analyses. The results demonstrated how pyrolysis shifted distinctively bi-modal pore size distributions of the wood samples towards smaller pore size regions. The bi-modal wood tissue structure controlled the pore structure also in the biochars. Due to decreasing cell wall thicknesses, the pyrolysis increased the porosity of the materials. While the thermal process homogenized differences in the wall thicknesses, the thicknesses of the feedstock were also shown to control the resulting thicknesses in the biochars. Mechanisms of biochar pore property formation can be considered important when designing applicable biochars for a chosen purpose. Clonal differences and within-tree heterogeneity had a direct impact only on the wall thicknesses and the pore diameters of vessels. These impacts can be of interest when planning feedstock utilization in biochar production. However, the results suggest that relatively homogeneous biochar can be produced from hybrid aspen feedstocks.

Beschreibung: This study combined an empirically based simulation with an analysis of the trade-off between structural heterogeneity and stand productivity depending on time, spatial scale, and silvicultural management, whereas volume growth and tree species diversity have been examined in detail, the role of forest structure and its interdependencies with stand productivity has only lately become a stronger research focus. We used the growth simulator SILVA to examine the development of stand structural heterogeneity and its trade-off with stand productivity in age-class versus uneven-aged pure and mixed spruce and beech stands at different spatial scales over 100 years. Those stands were based on typical forest types in Bavaria and were representative of forests in Central Europe. We examined how stand structure and its trade-off with productivity were modified by a multifunctional, a production-oriented, and a set-aside management scenario. The production-oriented management scenario applied to uneven-aged stands led to a reduction in structural heterogeneity per unit of productivity over time. In age-class stands, the production-oriented scenario was able to maintain the initial structural heterogeneity. The structural heterogeneity per unit of productivity increased more strongly with increasing spatial scale in age-class stands compared to uneven-aged stands. Combining forest stand simulation with scenario analyses is an exemplary method for testing the effect of silvicultural management alternatives on forest structure. This approach can later be connected to climate models considering long-term changes in growing conditions and support the planning of multifunctional forests.

Beschreibung: In accordance with sustainable economic and social development, Europe supports the use of energy from renewable sources to decrease the use of fossil fuels. Among renewable energy sources, wood, especially production wood waste from the supply chain, represents an exploitable source in line with a circular economy development. In this context, processing of residues produced by wood companies becomes an important resource. This work deals with the possible energy recovery of glued wood wastes. Two solid biofuels were produced from glued wood wastes: pellets and briquettes. They have been produced in collaboration with a local company and analyzed according to the applicable EN ISO international standards. The results were compared with the limits imposed by the standards in order to identify their quality class and their applicability to the current market. The amount of adhesive present in the wood wastes does not negatively affect the intrinsic characteristics of the material that is suitable for the production of solid biofuels. In addition, the amount of wood waste containing cross-linked polyurethane was calculated in order not to compromise the quality of solid biofuels made therefrom.

Beschreibung: Agricultural technology change is required in developing countries to increase the robustness to climate-related variability, feed a growing population, and create opportunities for market-oriented production. This study investigates technological change in the form of adoption of improved wheat, drought-tolerant teff, and cash crops in the semiarid Tigray region in northern Ethiopia. We analyze three rounds of panel data collected from smallholder farms in 2005/2006, 2009/2010, and 2014/2015 with a total sample of 1269 households. Double-hurdle models are used to assess how the likelihood (first hurdle) and intensity of technology adoption (second hurdle) are affected by demographic, weather, and market factors. The results indicate that few smallholders have adopted the new crops; those that have adopted the crops only plant small shares of their land with the new crops, and that there has been only a small increase in adoption over the 10-year period. Furthermore, we found that high population density is positively associated with the adoption of improved wheat, and previous period’s rainfall is positively associated with the adoption of drought-tolerant teff. The adoption of cash crops is positively associated with landholding size and access to irrigation. The policy implications of these results are that the government should increase the improved wheat diffusion efforts in less dense population areas, make sure that drought-tolerant teff seed is available and affordable after droughts, and promote irrigation infrastructure for production of cash crops.

Beschreibung: In this present study, we have successfully fabricated the cellulose fabric with excellent electrical conductivity by depositing the graphene oxide grafted with the modified ferroferric oxide (GOF) upon fabric substrate via layer-by-layer magnetic-field-induced self-assembly apporoach and followed by chemical reduction. The results indicated that the morphologies of graphene oxide nanosheets for three-layer deposited fabrics could form the highly oriented wrinkled structures, which resulted from the synergistic interactions of magnetic induction force on magnetic doublet, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals. The volume resistivity of the three-layer deposited fabric could reach to 64.8 Ω cm compared with that of pure RGO-coated viscose fabrics (137.94 Ω cm) in the previous work, which could be favorable for improving the electrical conductivity and decreasing the graphene oxide consumption. Furthermore, the three-layer deposited fabric possessed excellent washing durability even after twelve times water laundering. Our results suggested that the flexible GOF-coated fabric had great potential in conductive devices for wearable electronics, strain sensors, smart actuators and bioelectrodes and so on.

Beschreibung: This paper reports new hierarchical cementitious composites developed using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), sisal fibers and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the dispersing agent. MCC was dispersed in water without and with CTAB at different concentrations using ultrasonication and the optimum CTAB concentration for achieving homogeneous and stable MCC suspensions was found to be 40%. Hierarchical composites were fabricated using MCC (0.1–1.5 wt% of cement), sisal fibers (20 mm, 0.25% and 0.50 wt% of cement), 40% CTAB and tri-butyl phosphate as the defoaming agent. Mechanical strengths of composites improved significantly at 0.1 wt% MCC, which along with 0.5% sisal fibers improved compressive and flexural strengths by ~ 24% and ~ 18%, respectively. The hybrid reinforcement exhibited a synergistic effect on the fracture behavior of composites improving the fracture energy up to 40%. Hierarchical composites also showed improved fiber-matrix bonding, lower porosity and water absorption, superior hydration, carbonation resistance and durability up to 90 ageing cycles.

Beschreibung: Purpose Non-specific inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. More and more often attention is paid to the possibility of dietary support for inflammatory bowel diseases. Methods The following review article considers the role of dietary components in the treatment of IBD as: pteridines, probiotics, bovine immunoglobulin, vitamin D, omega-3, flavonoids, polyphenols, curcumin and phosphatidylcholine. The article also discusses plant raw materials of arjuna, soy protein and nettles, trying to summarize their effect on quenching the inflammatory process within the intestines. This review focuses on the possibilities of dietary components and supplementation use to improve the pharmacotherapy response as well as the general clinical patients’ condition. Results The mechanism of action of supportive therapy is based on reduction in oxidative stress, maintaining the adequate balance between Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes by affecting cytokines, increasing riboflavin supply for macrophages, increasing expression of vitamin D receptor, regulation by decreasing the expression of NF-κB in liver cells and ability to inhibit the COX2 entrance and inactivate prostaglandins that are involved in the inflammatory process and 12-lipoxygenase pathway inhibition. Conclusion Considering clinical researches, it seems that the use of the above-mentioned ingredients in the diet of patients suffering IBD may positively influence the treatment process and maintenance of remission.

Beschreibung: Crop wild relatives (CWR) are important sources of adaptive diversity for plant breeding programmes. This paper aims to investigate the extent to which the centres of crop origin/diversity are congruent with areas of high CWR diversity. We established the predicted potential CWR distributions for 1,425 CWR species related to 167 crops using 334,527 known distribution locations and generated a global CWR hotspot map. This was then compared to the centres of origin/diversity proposed by Vavilov (amended by Hawkes); Zeven and Zhukovsky’s mega gene centres, Harlan’s centres and non-centres of crop domestication; and crop domestication areas identified using current archaeological evidence proposed by Purugganan and Fuller. Greatest congruence between the global CWR hotspots and other concepts was found with the concept proposed by Vavilov and amended by Hawkes, but there remained significant differences between the CWR hotspots and Vavilov’s concept. This paper concludes that all four centre concepts reviewed have some overlap with CWR diversity but that Vavilov’s original concept has the closest geographic coincidence with CWR hotspots. With the benefit of significant additional global datasets to those used by Vavilov, we were able to suggest amendments to his concept, adding further centres based on CWR hotspots in west and east USA, West Africa, South-east Brazil and Australia. As a result of this study more precise targeting of CWR and crop landrace can be implemented in future, aiding global food and nutritional security.

Beschreibung: Key message Juglans, Fraxinus, Quercus and Pinus species seem to better maximize the carbon–water ratio providing useful indications on species selection for forestry plantations in areas with increasing drought risk. Abstract Maximizing carbon sequestration for a given water budget is extremely important in the contest of climate change in the Mediterranean region, which is characterized by increasing temperatures and rising water stress. This issue is fundamental for plantation stands, where limited water availability during the growing season reduces CO2 assimilation and, consequently, tree growth. In this study, the main objective was to investigate the performances in terms of carbon–water balance of conifer (Pinus halepensis and Cupressus sempervirens) and hardwood (Quercus robur, Juglans regia, Fraxinus excelsior and Populus spp.) mixed plantations. To this aim, we used carbon isotope signatures to evaluate the intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) and the species-specific relationship between basal area increments (BAI) and iWUE. At the species level, the highest iWUE values corresponded to the lowest carbon accumulation in terms of BAI, for water-saving species such as Cupressus. Conversely, Populus had the lowest iWUE and the highest BAI accumulation. Juglans, Fraxinus, and Pinus showed the most balanced ratio between BAI and iWUE. Overall, no clear correlation of iWUE and BAI was evident within all species, except for Populus and Cupressus. Considering projected aridification and increased temperatures that will negatively impact the growth, our data suggest that Pinus, for conifers, and Quercus, Juglans, Fraxinus for hardwood species should be preferred when choosing species for forestry plantation, as they performed better in terms of BAI and iWUE ratio.

Beschreibung: The biodiversity of natural or semi-natural native, old oak woodlands have high conservation importance, especially in landscapes of monocultural forest plantations and arable fields. With a wider variety of microhabitats and foraging sources, such old oak forests can provide essential habitat for native forest bird communities. We conducted a study using bird point counts to compare the forest bird communities of old pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) remnants with native and non-native plantations in central Hungary in a landscape of mostly arable fields, settlements, and monocultural plantations. Avian surveys were carried out in old oak forest remnants, middle-aged oak, white poplar (Populus alba), hybrid poplar (Populus × euramericana), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and pine (Pinus spp.) plantations. Fieldwork has been carried out in nine study sites, where all six habitat types were represented (with a few exceptions), to determine total abundance, species richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity, species evenness, dominant and indicator species, and guild abundances. We found that old oak forest remnants were the most diverse habitats among the studied forest types, while hybrid poplar and pine plantations exhibited the lowest avian biodiversity. The avian guilds most sensitive to the loss of old oak forest remnants were ground foragers, bark foragers, cavity-nesters, residents, and Mediterranean migratory birds. Native habitats were more diverse than non-native plantations. Our results suggest that it is important to conserve all remaining high biodiversity old oak stands and to avoid clear-cutting of monocultural plantations in favour of practices such as mixed-species plantations, longer rotation lengths, or retention forestry.

Beschreibung: Spot fire increase the difficulty of fire-fighting and threaten public safety, and therefore it is important to study ignition probabilities of fuel bed by different firebrands, in order to understand ignition mechanisms and analyze the formation of spot fires. This will provide an important basis for further study to improve the fire-fighting efficiency and reduce casualties. In this study, the ignition probabilities of larch (Larix gmelinii) fuel beds with different moisture levels and packing ratios by diffreent firebrands, including cones and twigs of different sizes, was investigated. Ignition experiments were conducted at different wind speeds generated by fans. The results show that, regardless of moisture content and packing ratio, ignition probability is zero when there is no wind. Both moisture content and wind speed significantly influence ignition probability, while packing ratio has almost no effect. The maximum moisture content at which firebrand ignition occurred was 50%, and ignition probability increased with wind speed and decreased with moisture content. Cones have the highest ignition probability, followed by large twigs and by small twigs. Ignition probability is also affected by firebrand shapes and sizes that determine their potential heat and contact area to the fuel bed. Two empirical models were established to link ignition probability with fuel properties and wind speed. This study will help clarify the mechanism of spot ignition and reduce corresponding losses.

Beschreibung: Periurban farming systems are characterized by the need to adapt the farming practices coping with a modified natural and social environment. Questions are thus posed on the efficient use of the inputs. The purpose of this study is to estimate the technical efficiency and the productivity of periurban farms. To do so, the study employs a data envelopment analysis that properly captures the heterogeneity of the periurban farming system. The sample considered livestock and crop farms, located in the South Milan Agricultural Park, where 50 farms were selected and interviewed. Results show that crop farms are more efficient than livestock farms, but they have a less productive technology. The participation in short food supply chains and the multifunctional agriculture does not affect the levels of technical efficiency of the farms. Policies are thus needed to improve the education level of farmers and to sustain the efficiency of farms that diversify the farm’s economy.

Beschreibung: Aims Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) research has been mostly focused on foliar emissions. In this experiment, the main focus was on rhizosphere BVOC emissions of Scots pine seedlings under changing growth conditions. Methods Soil-growing Scots pines were exposed to increased air (0.5°C) and soil (4.0°C) temperature and N addition (30 kg N ha− 1 yr− 1) for three growing seasons in a field experiment. In addition to these factors, seedlings were exposed to bark herbivory by large pine weevils in two last seasons. Gas-chromatography and mass-spectrometry was used for analyzing the BVOC samples collected from pine rhizosphere. Results Almost 98 % of BVOCs were non-oxygenated monoterpenes (nMTs), 1 % oxygenated monoterpenes (oMTs), 0.5 % sesquiterpenes (SQTs), and 1 % other BVOCs. In both years, there was an interaction of warming, N addition and bark herbivory on rhizosphere BVOC emissions. In 2015, warming and N addition in single exposures decreased oMT emissions, while herbivory in single exposure increased oMT emissions. In 2016, the three-way interaction showed that the effects of warming, N addition and herbivory on BVOCs were mainly detected in single exposures. In 2016, warming decreased nMT, oMT, SQT and other BVOC emissions; N addition decreased oMT and SQT emissions; and herbivory decreased SQT and other BVOC emissions. Conclusions Warming and N addition in single exposures decreased the rhizosphere BVOC emissions. The effect of bark herbivory on BVOC emissions varied between the years from increase to decrease. It seems that under altered growth conditions Scots pine seedlings may reduce carbon investment to rhizosphere BVOCs.

Beschreibung: Considerable genetic differences in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) exist for growth, stem form, and wood quality traits that influence biomass/biofuel production. By planting genetically superior trees with desirable biomass/biofuel traits, it is possible to substantially increase the amount of biomass and potential sawtimber trees produced from plantations. Ten of the fastest growing loblolly pine families from two provenances, Atlantic Coastal Plain and Piedmont, were tested for their biomass potential in North Carolina on a Piedmont site. At this northern Piedmont site at age six years, there were no provenance differences for biomass production or for trees with sawtimber potential. Variation in volume and sawtimber potential was significant at the family level. For biomass plantations, risks can be mitigated because of shorter rotation length, allowing for a higher-risk seed lot to capture greater gains in terms of volume. For a longer-rotation sawtimber stand, a more conservative family deployment strategy should be considered to maintain stem quality at the end of the rotation. Understanding the different seed source families and harvest regimes is essential to ensure profitable returns from pine plantations. Study Implications Landowners in the southeastern United States have more choices than ever before regarding the choice of genetic stock of loblolly pine seedlings they plant, and the family selection should reflect the stand management objectives with regard to growth, stem form, and wood quality traits. In a biomass/biofuel production regime, planting families from nonlocal seed sources for increased growth can potentially increase the amount of biomass and sawtimber produced from the plantation, although risks such as increased susceptibility to winter storm damage must be considered. For biomass plantations, with shorter rotation lengths, risks can be reduced allowing for a higher-risk genotype to capture the greater gains in volume. For a sawtimber stand, genotype selections should be more conservative to ensure stem quality at the end of the rotation. Understanding different genotypes and harvest regimes is essential to maximize profit from plantations.