Carpinus Betulus Research Articles

The evaluation of soil detachment capacity induced by vegetal species based on the comparison between natural and planted forests

Planted forests and management operation method can potentially alter the soil properties as a consequence of changes in the characteristics of tree and plant species. However, the effects of planted forest species with different root systems on the soil detachment capacity (Dc) have not well been quantified. This study investigates the effects of plantation practice on the soil detachment capacity of soil with six vegetal species (Quercus castaneifolia, Alnus glutinosa, and Zelkova carpinifolia, as planted forest species) and Carpinus betulus, Parrotia persica, and Pinus taeda (as natural forest species) based on a comparison between natural and planted forests in forestland of the Saqalaksar Park (Northern Iran). To this aim, the soil detachment capacity on samples collected under trees of the studied species was measured in an experimental flume at five slopes (0.26, 0.35, 0.46, 0.57 and 0.69 m m−1) and flow rates (0.037, 0.086, 0.185, 0.285 and 0.376 L m−1 s−1). Moreover, simple prediction equations are suggested to evaluate the soil detachment capacity and rill erodibility (Kr) for studied species. The soils of natural forestland showed the lower soil detachment capacity compared to soils of the planted forestland, due to the different influence of plant root systems. Moreover, the inappropriate management practices in planted forestland could have worsened the soil properties and thus increased the soil detachment rate. The unit stream power was better predictor of Dc compared to other hydraulic parameters in both natural and planted forestlands. The rill erodibility of soils was higher in planted forestland than in natural forestland. According to the results, the natural forestland is able to show higher resistance against soil erosion in comparison with the planted forestland. These findings indicate that for sustainable management of forest ecosystems, the maintenance of natural vegetal species can be an effective practice to reduce the soil erosion.

Multitemporal hyperspectral tree species classification in the Białowieża Forest World Heritage site

Abstract Tree species composition maps derived from hyperspectral data have been found to be accurate but it is still unclear whether an optimal time window exists to acquire the images. Trees in temperate forests are subject to phenological changes that are species-specific and can have an impact on species recognition. Our study examined the performance of a multitemporal hyperspectral dataset to classify tree species in the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest. We classified seven tree species including spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst), pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), alder (Alnus glutinosa Gaertn.), oak (Quercus robur L.), birch (Betula pendula Roth), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) and linden (Tilia cordata Mill.), using Support Vector Machines. We compared the results for three data acquisitions—early and late summer (2–4 July and 24–27 August), and autumn (1–2 October) as well as a classification based on an image stack containing all three acquisitions. Furthermore, the sizes (height and crown diameter) of misclassified and correctly classified trees of the same species were compared. The early summer acquisition reached the highest accuracies with an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 83–94 per cent and Kappa (κ) of 0.80–0.92. The classification based on the stacked multitemporal dataset resulted in slightly higher accuracies (84–94 per cent OA and 0.81–0.92 κ). For some species, e.g. birch and oak, tree size differed notably for correctly and incorrectly classified trees. We conclude that implementing multitemporal hyperspectral data can improve the classification result as compared with a single acquisition. However, the obtained accuracy of the multitemporal image stack was in our case comparable to the best single-date classification and investing more time in identifying regionally optimal acquisition windows may be worthwhile as long hyperspectral acquisitions are still sparse.

Evaluating the effects of forest tree species on rill detachment capacity in a semi-arid environment

The beneficial effects of plant roots in decreasing soil detachment in forest ecosystems exposed to rill erosion are well known. However, these effects vary largely between different plant species. There has been lots of research into the relationship between root-soil systems and rill erodibility with a particular focus on grass species. Conversely, fewer studies are available for tree species, especially in forests of semi-arid or arid environments. Greater knowledge is therefore needed to identify the most effective tree species against rill erosion in these ecosystems, where water availability is the limiting factor for vegetation growth and afforestation is often the only solution to control erosion. To fill this gap, this study evaluates the rill detachment capacity of soils with four tree species (Parrotia persica, Carpinus betulus, Quercus castaneifolia, and Pinus taeda) in a semi-arid forest ecosystem in Northern Iran. These species are typical of these forests, but they also grow in other environmental contexts. The rill detachment was simulated in a laboratory flume at five slope gradients (1% to 5%) and five flow rates (0.22 to 0.69 L m−1 s−1) on soil samples with each of the tree species. The specific goal of the study was to evaluate which tree species with its specific root characteristics is most effective at reducing the rill detachment capacity. Moreover, simple prediction models are proposed to evaluate if it is possible to estimate the rill detachment capacity and rill erodibility (Kr) from the unit stream power for the investigated tree species. The soils with Parrotia persica and Carpinus betulus showed the lowest and the highest rill detachment capacity, respectively. The greater root system biomass of Parrotia persica could have played a binding effect on the soil, thus improving its aggregate stability thanks to the action of plant's root system. Based on these results, Parrotia persica is able to provide a higher soil protection capacity against erosion compared to the other tree species. A logarithmic function was accurate in predicting the rill detachment capacity from the unit stream power at water flow rates over 0.0025 m s−1. By a regression between the rill detachment capacity and the shear stress of the soil, rill erodibility and critical shear stress of soils were estimated for the four tree species; the rill erodibility and critical shear stress are important input parameters for physically-based erosion models. Overall, the results of this study can support land planners in the choice of tree species most indicated for soil conservation as well as in the extensive application of erosion prediction models.

First report of Erysiphe arcuata on Carpinus betulus in Romania

First report of Erysiphe arcuata on Carpinus betulus in Romania

Thinning effects on biomass and element concentrations of roots in adjacent hornbeam and oak stands in Istanbul, Turkey

BackgroundThinning is a commonly used treatment in forest management which affects the tree root systems. The effects of thinning on element concentrations and seasonal change of roots were evaluated in adjacent oak (Quercus frainetto Ten.) and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) stands according to the different root diameter classes.MethodTwo replicated control and thinning plots (50 m × 50 m) were set for each species (hornbeam and oak). Thinning treatments (November 2010) reduced 50% of the basal area in both oak and hornbeam stands. Roots were assessed by seasonal collection over 2 years (from October 2010 to October 2012). The roots were then sorted into diameter classes of 0–2 mm (fine roots), 2–5 mm (small roots) and > 5 mm (coarse roots). C, N, P, K, Ca, Na, Mg, S, Mn, Fe, Al, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu and Cd were analyzed.ResultsExcept coarse roots, the highest root biomasses were determined in April-2011 in all plots. Fine-root biomass in oak was found significantly higher in control plots. In contrast to the oak, the fine-root biomass in the thinned hornbeam plots was higher than in the controls. The small-root biomass did not significantly differ between the thinned and the control plots in both oak and hornbeam stands. However, the coarse-root biomass showed significant differences between the control (1989 g∙m− 2) and thinned plots (1060 g∙m− 2) in oak, while no difference was detected in hornbeam. The concentrations of C, Al, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Mn, Na, K, Mg and P in the fine roots of oak were significantly higher in the thinned plots. However, the concentration of Pb, Cd and Fe in the fine roots was significantly higher in the thinned plots of hornbeam. Significant differences were observed between the species for all elements in the fine roots except for C, N and P. In particular, elements in the fine roots tended to increase in July in the oak. In the hornbeam, all element concentrations in the fine roots (except C, N, and S) in the thinned plots showed a tendency to increase in April. The concentrations of Pb, Ni, Al, Fe, Cu, Ca, Na, K, Mg and P in the hornbeam control plots increased during the April 2011 period.ConclusionThe results indicated that thinning effects on temporal changes and concentrations of elements in the roots could be attributed to species-specific characteristics.

BROADLEAVED TREE TRUNKS CHARRING DURING FOREST FIRES WITHIN THE UKRAINIAN ROZTOCHYA

Introduction. On the territory of Ukrainian Roztochya and Male Polissya (Zhovkva part of Roztochya included) fires often occur in natural ecosystems – forest fires, meadow vegetation burning, stubble, landfills, and peatlands. Such fires, in addition to the destruction of property, cause significant emissions of incomplete combustion products and smoke into the air. Charring of broadleaved species, along with conifers, needs more detailed research, as the territory of the Ukrainian Roztochya is dominated by hornbeam-oak-pine, mixed oak, and beech forests.Aim. The object of the paper is to investigate the degree of tree trunks charring of the main forest-forming species in the Ukrainian Roztochya during forest fires based on experimental data.Research methods. Freshly cut trees were exposed to heating for 10 minutes, at periods of 1 minute, 3, and 5 minutes, checking the degree of damage to the trunk (charring, mm). Repeatability of the experiment – three times. Basing on received data the charring of broadleaved tree trunks in the Ukrainian Roztocze was determined. The flame temperature was measured by a GM1150A non-contact pyrometer. The level of burnout was measured by a ruler made following GOST 17435-72. A stopwatch was used to record the time of burning. Results and discussion. The experiments were performed in the fresh air under close-to-natural conditions. The fire source was an artificial open flame. Freshly cut tree trunks were installed vertically, right in the burning zone. Cutting residues, fallen dry leaves, straw, dry grass was used as flammable material. It was found that the lowest degree of charring is inherent to oak, which has burned by 38 mm during 10 minutes (with log thickness of 124 mm). Species such as hornbeam and maple completely burned out in 10 minutes (in diameters of 129 mm and 140 mm).Conclusions. Investigations of temperature effects on the main forest-forming species of the region have shown that they all differ in charring during forest fires. Three species grown in Ukrainian Roztochya were selected – hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), oak (Quercus robur), and maple (Acer platanoides). To prevent fires in forests, fire lanes should be planned with oak plantations on the edge of the forest.

Development of individual tree growth and yield model across multiple contrasting species using nonparametric and parametric methods in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran

The Hyrcanian forests of Iran contain many species-rich communities that can only be maintained through an understanding of the renewal and development of these forests. Located in the Jojadeh section of the Farim forest in northern Iran, individual tree growth of five distinct species [(Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia Coss. ex J.Gay), Persian maple (Acer velutinum Boiss.), common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) and Caucasian alder (Alnus subcordata C.A.Mey.)] were measured on 313 permanent sample plots (0.1 ha) over a 10-year period (2003–2013). In this analysis, various tree-level predictions were investigated using the available data with application of parametric models and two artificial neural networks [i.e., the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) networks]. Individual tree diameter growth models showed a robust negative relationship with basal area in larger trees, which was relatively consistent across species. A total height model indicated that the examined species did not differ for a given set of covariates. In the survival model, the survival probability of Oriental beech was lower than the other species, while the ingrowth model revealed sapling density of all species increased with greater basal area. The artificial neural network based on the MLP was superior for all models and predicted more accurately than the RBF. Furthermore, the models based on the MLP were also superior to the parametric individual tree models developed using mixed-effect regression. The use of these developed models in forest planning and management is imperative, particularly for uneven-aged stands, but assessment of long-term projection behavior across the contrasting statistical approaches used is warranted despite the general superiority of the nonparametric models.

Differentiation of ecological niches of the forest-forming species in the Caucasus

Adaptations ofAbies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus orientalis, and Carpinus betulusto the abiotic environmental conditions of the study area largely determined their predicted distribution in the Caucasus. The ecological niches of the species mostly coincided in two analyzed complex environmental factors (characteristics of water regime and topographic parameters). The complex humidity factor was the main factor determining the potential distribution the forest-forming species in the Caucasus (65% of the contribution in the Maxent models). Topographic ENVIREM predictors were also significant in the species distribution (20% of the contribution in the models).Abies nordmannianaandFagus orientaliswere the most sensitive to the humidity factor, whilePinus sylvestrisdepended largely on the topographic factors. The similarity of the distribution potential of the studied species in the Caucasus was explained largely by a high degree of overlap of ecological niches (Schoener’s D = 0.55-0.79) and their visual overlap in the orthogonal space of the analyzed ecological factors. The largest Schoener’s D indexes were observed for the pairsPinus sylvestris–Picea orientalis,Abies nordmanniana–Picea orientalis,Fagus orientalis–Picea orientalis, andFagus orientalis–Carpinus betulus.Carpinus betulus,Fagus orientalisandPinus sylvestrishad the widest ecological niches.

Morphological characteristics pf Heifei saffron (Crocus heuffelianus Herb.) in the Podilsky Tovtry national nature park

The article performs the results of the study of morphological parameters of individuals of the population of Crocus heuffelianus Herb on the territory of the nature reserve fund in the conditions of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park. The aim of our research was to study the morphometric parameters of Crocus heuffelianus to establish the adaptive capacity of the species in the study area. The morphometry of 50 generative individuals of Crocus heuffelianus growing in the 10th quarter of the Chemerivtsi environmental scientific-research department was performed.The general characteristic of the dynamics of vegetative cover on the investigated territory is representes basing on the conducted geobotanical descriptions of phytocenoses with the participation of Crocus heuffelianus Herb. Crocus heufellianus grows within 10 quarters in the forest crops Quercus robur L. (twenty-five years old), plantations of Pinus sylvestris L. (forty years old) and in the area with the group of QUERCO-FAGETEA BR.-BL. ET VLIEGER 1937, Fagetalia sylvaticae Pawі. 1928, Carpinion betuli Issler 1931 em. Mayer 1937 where eighty-year-old Carpinus betulus L., Quercus robur L. predominate. The analysis of measurements was carried out in the studied population of the species: plant height together with inflorescence; length and width of leaves. According to the results of our study, it has been found out that the height of plants in the population ranged from 7.6 cm to 14 cm. On average, this figure was 10.3 ± 2.0 cm. The size of the leaves of the predominant number of individuals in the population was characterized by the following anatomical and morphological parameters: width – 0.2-0.7 cm, length – 4.9-10.7 cm. It is shown that the vast majority of individuals of the species have one flower. Crocus heuffelianus has some variability of morphological features in the studied population. This indicates a significant potential for the species to grow in different environmental conditions, which can not be realized under conditions of increased anthropogenic pressure. The unique plain localities of this Montana-Alpine species on the territory of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park have a high sozological and scientific significance and require systematic, long-term monitoring.

Пространственная структура растительного покрова полуострова Абрау (на примере Водопадной щели)

The uniqueness of the Abrau Peninsula (Fig. 1) is determined by a high level of floristic and phytocoenotic diversity and the relict nature of the vegetation cover. Сomplex spatial organization of the vegetation cover is reviled for this mountain territory (Sus­lova, Petrushina, 2007; Ogureeva et al., 2020). It is associated with heterogeneity of ecotopes. In this paper, a cartographic method has been tested to assess the vegetation cover of a mountainous territory through the identification of its spatial structure. Based on the coupled analysis of field data (geobotanical descriptions) and Earth remote sensing materials (multispectral satellite images, digital terrain model) using the classification of spectral features of communities by the maximum likelihood method using etalons and discriminant analysis, a cartographic model of a key area of the Vodopadnaya Shchel valley was obtained (Fig. 3). It reflects the diversity of basic vegetation formations and types of vegetation and the heterogeneous structures formed by their plant communities. The key factors of vegetation cover formation and its connection with the landscape structure of the territory were determined based on the spectral brightness variables of the images and relief features (Kozlov et al., 2008; Rocchini et al., 2013). The calculated relative diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson indices) made it possible to quantify the main factors determining the spatial structure of the vegetation cover of the Abrau Peninsula. The created large-scale (S. 1 : 50 000) inventory vegetation map of the Vodopadnaya Shchel reflects the actual vegetation cover, represented by a diversity of vegetation communities, belonging to hemixerophytic sub-Mediterranean and mesophytic nemoral formations (Fig. 6). The change of background communities along the high-altitude spectrum determines the allocation of two belts. The lower belt of hemixerophytic forests and woodlands is located at altitudes of 0–150 (200) m a. s. l. It is characterized by the development of pistachio-juniper (Juniperus excelsa, Pistacia mutica) forests and woodlands, oak (Quercus pubescens) forests, as well as serial vegetation with shrub and dwarf semi-shrub-herb communities. This belt is characterized by a high level of floristic and phytocoenotic diversity and a complex spatial structure associated with the contrast of ecotopes. The belt of mesophytic broad-leaved forests is located at altitudes of 150 (200)–450 m a. s. l. It is formed by pine-oak (Quercus petraea, Pinus kochiana) and polydominant broad-leaved (Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia, Acer campestre) forests. The spatial structure of the vegetation cover is formed under the influence of the altitudinal gradient and, within the belts – a variety of ecotopic factors under the conditions of seismic-gravity processes (Petrushina, Merekalova, 2017). There is a gradual transition from one belt to another, as a result of which the position of the boundaries of the altitudinal belts varies depending on the type of morphostructures, the steepness and exposure of the slopes. Spatial patterns in the distribution of phytocoenotic diversity within and between altitudinal belts are associated with a complex of conditions, the gradients of which are expressed between different landforms and in connection with changes in morphometric characteristics, as well as the dynamic status of communities. The closest connections were found with the indicators of absolute height, the exposure of slopes, as well as in accordance with the catenary structure of the territory. The closest connections were found with absolute altitude, slope exposure, as well as with different geochemical positions of catena. Cartographic analysis revealed the main gradients of the spatial structure of the vegetation cover of the Abrau Peninsula. They are associated with an integral altitudinal gradient, under the influence of which an increased variety of sub-Mediterranean formations of the lower belt is formed. The increase in moisture supply determines the tendency to increase the diversity from eluvial to accumulative positions of catena in both altitudinal belts (Table 4). The revealed spatial patterns are important in understanding the formation of orobiomes presented on the map “Biomes of Russia” (Biomy …, 2018) and the mountain ecosystems formed by them within the altitudinal belts of vegetation.

Широколиственные леса Северо-Западного Кавказа. I. Порядок Carpinetalia betuli P. Fukarek 1968

Braun-Blanquet classification of the piedmont and mountain broad-leaved forests (formed by Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea/hartwissiana/robur, Fraxinus excelsior) was done basing on 224 relevés collected in 2014–2018 in the North-Western Caucasus (N 43,5–44,8°, E 38,5–41,5°; Fig. 2). DCA-ordination of the data corresponds to their correlation with environment variables (absolute elevation, geographical coordinates, tree canopy density) in Landolt’s ecological scales was carried out. Suballiance Tamo communis–Carpinenion betuli suball. nov. prov. and new lower syntaxa are proposed (Table 1) within the alliance Crataego–Carpinion caucasicae Passarge 1981. Nomenclature type of the suballiance is the ass. Tamo communis–Carpinetum betuli ass. nov. (Table 3, holotypus is relevé 4: author’s number 83, author N. E. Shevchenko, 19.07.2016, N 44.257°, E 39.760°, 352 m above sea level, slope 5°NE) with three variants: typica ­(Table 3: 1–15), Staphylea colchica (Table 3: 16–27) and Festuca drymeja (Table 3: 28–38). Also, there are ass. Aro macu­lati–Carpinetum betuli (Table 4: 1–15; holotypus is relevé 5: author’s number 427, author N. E. Shevchenko, 12.05.2017, N 44.471°, E 40.516°, 455 m above sea level, slope 6°NE) as well as Abies nordmanniana–Carpinus betulus community (Table 4: 16–27) in new suballiance. Not too common in the North-Western Caucasus are ash (Fraxinus excelsior) forests which have no suffiicient floristic peculiarity and are considered as facies in associations Tamo communis–Carpinetum betuli var. typica and Aro maculati–Carpinetum betuli. The specificity of the studied forests in comparison with hornbeam and oak forests in the Central Caucasus (Georgia), North Turkey, the Balkans and the Crimea (Passarge, 1981a; Korzhenevskiy, 1982; Didukh, 1996; Korkmaz et al., 2008; Košir et al. 2013; Çoban, Willner, 2019; Novak et al., 2019) is that the North-­Western Caucasus forest flora includes (Table­ 2), besides European species of temperate broad-leaved forests (Acer campestre, Euonymus europaea, Carex sylvatica, Convallaria majalis, Rubus caesius), also southern European species of thermophilous broad-leaved forests (Acer tataricum, Cornus mas, Ligustrum vulgare, Lonicera caprifolium, Tamus communis, Vincetoxicum scandens, Hedera helix, Festuca drymeja), and reduced set of species which are character for Euxinian and ­Caucasian ­forests (Quercus­­ ­hartwissiana, Tilia begoniifolia, Rhododendron luteum, Daphne caucasica, Staphylea colchica, Smilax excelsa, Paris incompleta, Polygonatum orientale, Lathyrus roseus, Campanula alliariifolia, but without Daphne pontica, Epimedium pubigerum, Erica arborea, Ostrya carpinifolia, Salvia forskahlei, Vaccinium arctostaphylos). DCA-ordination (Fig. 8) showed that the differences in species composition of the broad-leaved ­forest syntaxa are due to both absolute elevation (vector Elev in Fig. 7) and geographic longitude (vector E) of the relevés. So, forests of ass. Aro maculati–Carpinetum betuli and community Abies nordmanniana–Carpinus betulus are situated, in general, at higher positions than forests of ass. Tamo communis–Carpinetum betuli, and the first syntaxon is situated east of the two last ones. Floristic difference between these syntaxa corresponds with parameters assessed by values of Landolt’s scales: soil aeration (vector D), climate continentality (vector K) and light regime (vector L). The lowest α-diversity is in ass. Tamo communis–Carpinetum betuli, and the highest is in the ass. Aro maculati–Carpinetum betuli and community Abies nordmanniana–Carpinus betulus it (Fig. 9). Associations Carpino betuli–Quercetum petraeae Grebenshchikov et al. 1990 and Rhododendro lutei–Quercetum petraeae Grebenshchikov et al. 1990, earlier described on small sets of relevés in the North-Western Caucasus (Grebenshchikov et al. 1990) within the alliance Carpino betuli–Quercion petraeae Grebenshchikov et al. 1990 (now invalid due to absence of stated holotypus), are very close to the new ass. Tamo communis–Carpinetum betuli. Recently described (also on small sets of data) five associations (Akatova, Ermakov, 2020), within the alliance Crataego–Carpinion caucasicae Passarge 1981, are valid. Therefore, further clarification and optimization of the North-Western Caucasus oak-hornbeam forest classification is required, having in mind the final decision on the alliance/suballiance names and diagnosis. Their belonging to the order (Carpinetalia betuli or Rhododendro pontici–Fagetalia orientalis) is also a debatable question, because researchers working in such forests on Balkans, in the Crimea and the North Turkey have come to different conclusions. The analysis of species with constancy 60–80 % in 224 relevés from the studied area reveals 8 diagnostic ones of the order Carpinetalia betuli vs. only 3 diagnostic ones of the order Rhododendro pontici–Fagetalia orientalis, that allows to assign these oak-hornbeam forests to the first order. The Abies nordmanniana–Carpinus betulus community is intermediate between these two orders but after trees from shade-tolerant fir undergrowth become, the canopy mature will be mixed that is character for forests of the order Rhododendro pontici–Fagetalia orientalis.

INFLUENCE OF ROOT SYSTEMS OF DECIDUOUS TREES ON SOIL REINFORCEMENT - A CASE STUDY FROM THE CARPATHIANS, POLAND

Forests play an significant role in the protection of slopes against shallow landslides, and the presence of the tree roots in the soil is considered the most relevant factor increasing its shear strength. Most research on root reinforcement carried out in the European mountains refer to coniferous tree species but there is still not enough information about the root systems of decidous trees and their role in enhancing the slope stability. The aim of this study was to determine root reinforcement of four typical tree species (European hornbeam, common birch, black locust and small-leaved linden) growing in the forests of the Polish Carpathians. The measurements of root systems were performed using the trench wall method and the root reinforcement values were calculated using two fiber-bundle models -RBMw and RBMe, which represented different approaches to tensile force distribution within the root bundle. Studies have shown that the hornbeam roots have the highest, and the black locust roots the lowest values of the tensile strength. Calculations showed that the values of root reinforcement obtained using the RBMw model are 17% higher than the ones calculated using the RBMe model. Root reinforcement values for common birch, black locust and small-leaved linden did not exceed 10 kPa, and in case of hornbeam they were about 20 kPa max. As part of the work, the parameters of the Root Distribution Model were estimated, which after integration with the bundle models allowed to determine the relation between the root reinforcement, the distance from the tree and its diameter.

Comparison of the chemical composition of domestic common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) wood and exotic yakal (Shorea astylosa Foxw.) wood

Comparison of the chemical composition of domestic common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) wood and exotic yakal (Shorea astylosa Foxw.) wood. The study was carried out to compare the chemical composition of domestic hornbeam wood with exotic yakal wood, which is an endemic species occurring in the Philippines. Species of similar structural structure occurring in different areas were studied. Extractives, cellulose (including α-cellulose), holocellulose (including hemicelluloses), lignin and ash contents were analyzed. The obtained results indicated lower content of cellulose, α-cellulose, lignin, extractives and ash in hornbeam wood as compared to yakal wood. On the other hand, a much higher amount of hemicelluloses (by 12 percentage points) was found in hornbeam wood. Probably, the main reason for the differences in the chemical composition of wood were different habitat and climatic conditions, in which the studied species were growing.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the Cultural Significance of Plants in Hungarian Communities in Slovenia

Traditional ecological knowledge of plants is an important aspect of scholarship in relation to land use and contributes to the sustainable use and management of natural resources as well as to the monitoring of changes in the natural environment. The aim of the present paper was to examine traditional ecological knowledge in Hungarian communities in Slovenia in connection with knowledge of the plants growing in the region, their local names, and their uses. We quantified the earlier role of the utilized plant species in order to determine the former significance of certain species. We carried out structured interviews with a total of 20 individuals in three studied settlements. In the Hungarian communities in Slovenia, we uncovered knowledge of a total of 130 folk taxa. Of these, 123 taxa have local names. The majority of the folk taxa can be correlated with a single biological species. A significant proportion of the known species were utilized in some way, most of them as medicinal plants, wild edible plants, or ornamental plants. As in other farming communities, the most important species are mainly woody plants, which include the common hornbeam, the common juniper, and the silver birch. Among the herbaceous plants, utilization of the dandelion, nettle, and bulrush was significant. Members of the older generations living in the Hungarian communities in Slovenia still retain knowledge of plants that were once used on a daily basis, along with their local names and the traditional ecological knowledge connected with their earlier use.

Peculiarities of Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz growth in the field protective forest zones in the surroundings of Kyiv

During the research of naturalization of artificialfield protective forest zones we revealed the location of Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, a rare plantspecies listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. It isa perennial herbaceous plant, 30–100 cm tall, hemicryptophyte, mesophyte, sciophyte. Peculiarities of its population growth, which withstands moderateanthropogenic load well, are given. The habitat ofEpipactis helleborine was found in a field protectiveforest zone aged 80–90 years of common oak (Quercus robur L.) within the Forest-Steppe zone on the surroundings of Kyiv. This population contains about 40 individuals of Epipactis helleborine, which are distributed on an area of 15×7 m. In the studied forest zone, the processes of acquiring natural features in artificially created tree plantations are actively taking place. The group includes a growing number of tree (Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus L., Acer platanoides L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Cerasus avium (L.) Moench) and shrub species (Swida sanquinea (L.) Opiz, Crataegus pseudokyrtostylа Klokov) plants, as well as a wide range of herbaceous plants. The latter reduces the participation of forest weeds (Chelidonium majus L., Urtica dioica L., Impatiens parviflora DC., Geum urbanum L., Galium aparine L., Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm., Solidago canadensis L.) and the number of species characteristic of deciduous forests (Carex muricata L., Poa nemoralis L., Galium odoratum (L.) Scop., Scrophularia nodosa L.) is growing. According to our research, the group belongs to the association Elytrigio repentis-Quercetum robori I. Solomakha etShevchyk 2020, which belongs to the alliance Sambuco nigrae-Quercion robori I. Solomakha et Shevchyk 2020 order Chelidonio-Robinietalia pseudoacaciae Jurko ex Hadač et Sofron 1980 class Robinietea Jurko ex Hadač et Sofron 1980.

Biomass-derived activated carbon material from native European deciduous trees as an inexpensive and sustainable energy material for supercapacitor application

Activated carbons are one of the possible electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs), which are widely used in commercial applications. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a novel activated carbon derived through a cavitation process from the mixture of native European deciduous trees, Birch, Fagaceae, and Carpinus betulus (commonly known as European hornbeam), which was employed as the electrode material in SC. From the morphological and structural characterization, we observed that the prepared sample is a desirable carbon with good porosity and high specific surface area of about 614 m2 g−1. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized material were evaluated with a three-electrode configuration in 1.0 M H2SO4 electrolyte. It was found that in device mode, the carbon material delivers a specific capacitance of 24 F g−1 at 0.25 A g−1 with excellent cycling stability of over 10000 consecutive charge/discharge cycles. Thus, our studies demonstrate the facile synthesis of biomass-derived carbon and its application as a versatile electrode material for SC applications.

Cryphonectria carpinicola sp. nov. Associated with hornbeam decline in Europe

Since the early 2000s, reports on declining hornbeam trees (Carpinus betulus) are spreading in Europe. Two fungi are involved in the decline phenomenon: One is Anthostoma decipiens, but the other etiological agent has not been identified yet. We examined the morphology, phylogenetic position, and pathogenicity of yellow fungal isolates obtained from hornbeam trees from Austria, Georgia and Switzerland, and compared data with disease reports from northern Italy documented since the early 2000s. Results demonstrate distinctive morphology and monophyletic status of Cryphonectria carpinicola sp. nov. as etiological agent of the European hornbeam decline. Interestingly, the genus Cryphonectria splits into two major clades. One includes Cry. carpinicola together with Cry. radicalis, Cry. decipiens and Cry. naterciae from Europe, while the other comprises species known from Asia-suggesting that the genus Cryphonectria has developed at two evolutionary centres, one in Europe and Asia Minor, the other in East Asia. Pathogenicity studies confirm that Car. betulus is a major host species of Cry. carpinicola. This clearly distinguished Cry. carpinicola from other Cryphonectria species, which mainly occur on Castanea and Quercus.

In-situ spectroscopy and shortwave radiometry reveals spatial and temporal variation in the crown-level radiative performance of urban trees

In conventional microclimate environment modelling, and the development of tree planning strategies for urban heat mitigation, tree crown surface albedo for any given species is assumed to be a constant. However, our recent research into urban tree radiative performance at the crown level implied that tree crown surface albedo changes over time. Based on the in-situ spectroscopy protocols established previously to measure tree crown transflectance, variation in the characteristics of tree crown surface albedo was explored combining spectroscopy and solar shortwave radiometry. Three commonly planted native UK tree species, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, and Taxus baccata, were sampled. Spatial distribution profiles of tree crown transflectance measured at fixed solar altitudes were normalised by in-situ spectroradiometry. Tree crown transflectance in the near infrared (NIR) region was found to be proportionally linked to tree crown surface albedo. Within each species, mean tree crown transflectance in the NIR region of 800–900 nm was approximately 2.5 times tree crown surface albedo. It was further found that infrared radiation (700–2500 nm) accounted for more than 90% of the total transflected shortwave radiation from tree crowns. The results demonstrate that tree crown surface albedo linearly increases with momentary solar altitude and the maximum tree crown surface albedo corresponds to maximum solar altitude at solar noon on sunny days in summer. Tree crown surface albedo across species tends to be strongly dependent on leaf size if considering visibly dense crown foliage. Our findings provide important insights into tree radiative shading effects resulting from temporal variation in tree crown surface albedo, with consequences for urban microclimate modelling and the development of urban heat mitigation strategies.

Phytocomplex Influences Antimicrobial and Health Properties of Concentrated Glycerine Macerates.

The purpose of this study was to correlate the chemical composition of four commercial concentrated glycerine macerates (C-GMs), produced through the same extraction method, with their in vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties, in order to evaluate their potential for healing upper airway diseases. C-GMs of Carpinus betulus (CB), Ficus carica (FC), Alnus glutinosa (AG) and Ribes nigrum (RN) were studied. The quality was evaluated using HPLC and IM-SPME/GC-MS systems; anti-oxidant and anti-microbial activities were assessed by the respective DPPH test, and micro-broth dilution test performed against 10 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and 10 probiotic strains. ELISA and MTT tests were used to assess the immunomodulatory activity and the cytotoxicity of C-GMs, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the number of active compounds and the in vitro C-GMs effectiveness. Furthermore, the C-GMs of AG showed the best anti-microbial activity on pathological strains and, together with CB, the best anti-oxidant activity. The ELISA test exhibited a good immunomodulatory activity of RN. In vitro data support the integrated use of C-GMs of CB, AG, and RN in presence of airway diseases, and highlight the importance of standard procedures in cultivation, harvest and post-harvest treatments, as a premise for C-GMs with consistent characteristics.

Tree Species Classification in Mixed Deciduous Forests Using Very High Spatial Resolution Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning Methods

Spatially explicit information on tree species composition is important for both the forest management and conservation sectors. In combination with machine learning algorithms, very high-resolution satellite imagery may provide an effective solution to reduce the need for labor-intensive and time-consuming field-based surveys. In this study, we evaluated the possibility of using multispectral WorldView-3 (WV-3) satellite imagery for the classification of three main tree species (Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L., and Alnus glutinosa (L.) Geartn.) in a lowland, mixed deciduous forest in central Croatia. The pixel-based supervised classification was performed using two machine learning algorithms: random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM). Additionally, the contribution of gray level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) texture features from WV-3 imagery in tree species classification was evaluated. Principal component analysis confirmed GLCM variance to be the most significant texture feature. Of the 373 visually interpreted reference polygons, 237 were used as training polygons and 136 were used as validation polygons. The validation results show relatively high overall accuracy (85%) for tree species classification based solely on WV-3 spectral characteristics and the RF classification approach. As expected, an improvement in classification accuracy was achieved by a combination of spectral and textural features. With the additional use of GLCM variance, the overall accuracy improved by 10% and 7% for RF and SVM classification approaches, respectively.