Elevational Variation and Temporal Dynamics of Needle Moisture Content in Pinus sylvestris L. Seedlings

The postharvest needle retention and moisture characteristics of precut and fresh cut Canaan fir were compared with those of Fraser fir, blue spruce, Douglas-fir, and Scotch pine for a five-week display period. At the end of the display period cumulative percent needle drop of precut trees averaged 1.5 percent, with no significant differences among species; xylem potential averaged −1.42 MPa, with Scotch pine being significantly lower than blue spruce and Douglas-fir; and needle moisture content averaged 142 percent, with no significant differences among species. For fresh cut trees, cumulative percent needle drop averaged 1.15 percent, with the only significant difference among species being Scotch pine lower than Douglas-fir; xylem potential averaged −1.06 MPa, with Scotch pine and Fraser fir significantly lower than blue spruce, Canaan fir, and Douglas-fir; and needle moisture content averaged 140 percent, with Scotch pine significantly lower than all other species except Douglas-fir. At no time during the display period was there a significant difference in percent needle drop between precut and fresh cut trees of the same species. Significant differences in xylem potential existed between precut and fresh cut trees of the same species at the beginning of the display period but disappeared by the end of the first week. Occasional significant differences in needle moisture content between precut and fresh cut trees of the same species were encountered during the display period, but none existed at the end of the display period. Throughout the display period the xylem potential and needle moisture content of all species followed similar patterns, and the trees did not appear to approach the damage threshold or critical moisture content. Results suggest that Canaan fir's postharvest needle retention is acceptable for a Christmas tree and comparable to four other major species commonly grown and marketed in the northeastern United States. Grower experience supports this conclusion for fresh cut trees (choose and cut market), but not for precut trees (wholesale market). Some reasons are discussed.North. J. Appl. For. 22(4):268–274.

Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plants, and some plants are involved in the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to organic form. These plants are capable of nitrogen fixing by bacteria in their roots and are important in alleviating nitrogen deficiency and improving soil. The objective of this research is to determine the growth differences in Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings grown together with some nitrogen-fixing species. The study was conducted in The Research and Application Greenhouse at Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University. Alnus glutinosa, Robinia pseudoacacia and Vicia sativa were selected as nitrogen-fixing species. Seeds were sown, by different sowing combinations, in special sowing crates in November. For 1-year-old scotch pine seedlings after the first growing period, seedling length, root collar diameter and sturdiness quotient were determined. The results indicated that while the average length of Pinus sylvestris seedlings sown alone was 3.36 cm, the average length of the seedlings belonging to Pinus sylvestris+Vicia sativa combination reached 6.84 cm. Similarly, mean root collar diameter was 0.47 mm greater in the Pinus sylvestris+Vicia sativa sowing combination. The use of higher quality seedlings obtained through sowing combination of Pinus sylvestris+Vicia sativa can be advantageous in areas where there is a ground cover problem or the use of quality seedlings is required because of extreme conditions in terms of altitude, climate and soil.

Relationships among percentage of open stomates, transpiration, and needle moisture content in seedlings of loblolly pine of two Texas provenances were studied under changing soil moisture conditions. Needle moisture content correlated very well with transpiration under favorable moisture conditions, and with percentage of open stomates under soil moisture stress. Transpiration and percentage of open stomates were correlated under a wide range of moisture conditions. Foliage moisture content was still relatively high in both ecotypes when stomates closed and transpiration drastically declined. The "Lost Pines" seed source appeared to have superior ability to conserve moisture under droughty conditions by closure of stomates and reduction of transpiration. FOREST SCI. 23: 457-462.

Wind and topography influence the crown growth of Picea jezoensis in a subalpine forest on Mt. Deogyu, Korea

Ilyas BOLAT*, Omer KARA, Melih OZTURK Department of Forest Engineering, Division of Soil Science and Ecology, Faculty of Forestry, Bartin University, Bartin, Turkey Department of Forest Engineering, Division of Watershed Management, Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey Department of Landscape Architecture, Division of Landscape Techniques, Faculty of Forestry, Bartin University, Bartin, Turkey

Population specific methylome remodeling in high and low elevation populations of Indian west Himalayan Arabidopsis thaliana in response to elevated CO2

Türkiye’nin dördüncü üniversitesi Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi (KTÜ), 1955 yılında Trabzon’da kuruldu. İlk dört fakültesinden biri orman fakültesidir. Türkiye’nin ikinci orman fakültesidir ve İlk orman fakültesi olan İstanbul Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesinin desteğiyle 1971 yılında eğitime başladı. Genel Ormancılık Bölümüne 35, Orman ürünleri Sanayi Bölümüne ise 15 öğrencinin kaydı yapıldı. Bölümlerin adları 1974 yılında Orman Mühendisliği ve Orman Sanayi Mühendisliği olarak değiştirildi. Bu bölümler ilk mezunlarını 1975 yılında verdi. Peyzaj Mimarlığı Bölümü 1990, Yaban Hayatı Ekolojisi ve Yönetimi Bölümü ise 2012 yılında eğitim öğretime başladı. Türkiye’deki orman fakültesi sayısı halen 12’dir.

This paper has as aim to discuss the role of higher educational institutions in climate change adaptation in the production of yam and cassava in Cross River State, Nigeria with emphasis on the type and level of skills acquired by lecturers of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management, the roles played and challenges encountered. The paper is based on an empirical study. The University of Calabar was purposively selected to represent higher educational institutions because there is no root and tuber research institute in Cross River State. However, the study can be extended to cover the entire south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria to incorporate the views of the root and tuber research institute in the zone. Results of the study revealed that key technical skills directly linked to climate change adaptation e.g. ability to develop technologies for climate change adaptation; ability to design frameworks for monitoring climate change adaptation projects were acquired by only 40 and 46.7% of the respondents respectively. Regarding the level of skills acquired, results show that 13.3 and 40% of respondents had low and moderate skill levels respectively. The paper reveals that the prominent roles played by respondents were: teaching multidisciplinary professionals and students on climate change issues (4.6); providing opportunities for staff skill development and training on climate change issues (4.4). This paper will provide useful information to all stakeholders in sub Saharan Africa in particular that are concerned with climate change adaptation in the root and tuber crop production sub-sector.

Aim of study: Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a serious threat to the susceptible pine forests. It is caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) (Steiner and Buhrer 1934), Nickle 1970 and transmitted by Monochamus Dejean beetles. In the recent study, we assessed the effects of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) against Monochamus galloprovincialis larvae in Anatolian black pine and Scots pine logs. 
 Area of the study: The experiments were conducted in Duzce University, Faculty of Forestry and in a pine forest at Duzce University campus area. 
 Material and methods: The mean number of eggs per pine logs, and the productivity of S. carpocapsae in M. galloprovincialis larvae were compared under laboratory conditions. The nematode experiments were conducted using oviposited pine logs in the field.
 Main results: The females of M. galloprovincialis oviposited more eggs on Scots pine compared to black pine logs. Both in black pine and in Scots pine, the survival rates of M. galloprovincialis after nematode application was significantly lower than control. 
 Highlihts: As a result of the study, S. carpocapsae can be an efficient biological control agent of this wood-boring insect.

European High Mountain (Alpine) Vegetation and its Suitability for Indicating Climate Change Impacts

This study investigated changes in the germination rate and germination percentage of seeds obtained from closed pine cones (Pinus brutia Ten.) of different ages collected at different altitudes. The seeds used in the study were obtained from closed cones (3/control, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years old) in the lower (0-200 m) and higher (800-1000 m) altitude zones of the Mersin-Anamur region in a section from the sea to the interior. The seeds germinated in the dark at a constant temperature of 20 °C for 28 days. At the end of the germination test, a two-way analysis of variance was performed on the germination percentage data on the 10<sup>th</sup>, 14<sup>th</sup>, and 28<sup>th</sup> days, and the interactions between altitude and cone age were found to be significant (p = 0.05). As a result of the significant interaction between the two groups, the mean separation test (Tukey test) showed that the highest germination rate was 89.0% in the control group, and the lowest was 77.5% in the 7-year-old cones. In the higher altitude zone, the highest germination rate was 74.0% and the lowest was 71.0%, obtained from 5- and 7-year-old seeds, respectively. In general, germination values in the lower altitude zone were higher than those in the higher altitude zone. However, the decrease in germination values from the control to the 7-year-old seeds was greater in the lower altitude zone than in the higher altitude zone. The study found that altitude was more effective than cone age on the germination rate and percentage.

What drives growth of Scots pine in continental Mediterranean climates: Drought, low temperatures or both?

Problematic internet use in terms of gender, attachment styles and subjective well-being in university students

The photosynthetic capacity of frost-hardy and frost-sensitive needles of 3-year-old Scots pines and the allocation and utilization of assimilated carbon was examined during winter and early spring. The photosynthates of the whole trees were labelled by 14CO2 fixation and after chase periods of from 7 days to 4 months under natural climatic conditions, the distribution of radiocarbon in the various tissues of the trees was determined. During winter maximal photosynthetic rates of 1-year-old needles were considerably lower than in summer when calculated on a leaf area basis. However, when related to the chlorophyll content these discrepancies disappeared. The decrease of the photosynthetic capacity upon frost-hardening could be attributed to a two- to three-fold reduction in the chlorophyll content of the needles. The pulse-chase experiments showed that photosynthesis during the cold season preferentially provides substrates for respiration. Half of the assimilated 14C was respired during the first week, and after chase periods of 3 – 4 months the trees contained not more than 10 – 20% of the radiocarbon. The carbon, which was exported by the needles, was translocated basipetally via the twigs and the stem to the roots. Whereas in the axial system incorporation of radiocarbon into storage compounds, like starch, and into cell wall material was almost negligible during the cold season, in the roots one-third of the radiocarbon was recovered from starch 2 months after the 14C-pulse. In contrast to the above-ground parts of the trees, where starch content was very low during winter, in the roots considerable amounts of starch, up to 450 μmol hexose units · g– 1 DW, were found even during mid-winter. In early spring the radiocarbon in the cell wall-, lipid-, and starch-fraction accounted for more than 80% of the 14C recovered at that time from the axial system. Incorporation of minor quantities into the cell wall fraction of the roots during winter and early spring indicate continuous root growth during the cold period as well as in early spring. Whereas during winter the buds did not attract freshly assimilated carbon, in spring just before bud break substantial amounts of carbon were translocated from the needles into the buds. In contrast, remobilization of carbon, which had been assimilated during autumn of the previous year, and import into the sprouting buds could not be demonstrated.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the most widespread pine species in the world. It grows in the largest forest system in the northern hemisphere and, together with birch trees, occupies a major part of the boreal forests. Recently, birch trees have been discovered as important emission sources of terrestrial ice-nucleating macromolecules (INMs) coming from pollen, bark, leaves, petioles, branches, and stem surfaces. It is known that pine pollen nucleate ice; however, the potential of other tree parts releasing INMs and contributing to the emission of ice-active aerosols is unknown. Here, we investigated the distribution of INMs in, on, and around Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) in a laboratory and field study. We collected bark, branch wood, and needle samples from six pine trees in an urban park in Vienna, Austria. The concentration of INMs from aqueous extracts of milled (powder extracts) and intact surfaces (surface extracts) were determined. In addition, we collected rainwater rinsed off from three pines during a rainfall event and analyzed its INM content. All investigated samples contained INMs with freezing onset temperatures ranging from −16 °C to −29 °C. The number concentration of INMs in powder extracts at −25 °C (nINMs−25 °C) ranged from 105 to 109 per mg dry weight. Surface extracts showed concentrations from 105 to 108 INMs per cm2 of extracted surface, with needle samples exhibiting the lowest concentrations. In the rain samples, we found 106 and 107 INMs per cm2 of rain-collector area at −25 °C, with freezing onset temperatures similar to those observed in powder and surface extracts. With our data, we estimate that one square meter of pine stand can release about 4.1 × 109 to 4.6 × 1012 INMs active at −25 °C and higher, revealing pine forests as an extensive reservoir of INMs. Since pines are evergreen and release INMs not only from pollen grains, pines and the boreal forest in general need to be considered as a dominant source of INMs in high latitude and high-altitude locations, where other species are rare and other ice nuclei transported over long distances are diluted. Finally, we propose pine trees as an INM emission source which can trigger immersion freezing events in cloud droplets at moderate supercooled temperatures and therefore may have a significant impact on altering mixed phase clouds.