Dead Palms Research Articles

High performance adsorptive removal of emerging contaminant paracetamol using a sustainable biobased mesoporous activated carbon prepared from palm leaves waste

In this work, a novel bio-based carbon material was prepared via a facile pyrolysis method using chemically activated dead palm leaves as a sustainable and efficient carbon precursor. The as-prepared activated carbon with KOH activation (AC-KOH) was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, and BET analysis. The AC-KOH was used for the adsorption of paracetamol (PCT) from aqueous solutions and the effect of experimental conditions such as contact time (0.08–30 hours), pH (2.96–12.1), initial drug concentration (1–50 mg L−1), adsorbent dosage (0.12–1.2 g L−1), and temperature (25–45 °C) was investigated. The system achieved equilibrium in 4 hours and PCT uptake was highly dependent on solution pH. A maximum removal efficiency was achieved at a pH of around 5.86. Kinetic model analysis indicated that the uptake follows the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.989). The maximum monolayer capacity of the developed AC for PCT was found to be 87.87 mg g−1 at time of equilibrium (4 hours), solution pH of 5.86, adsorbent dose of 0.2 g L−1, concentration of 1–50 mg L−1 and temperature of 25 °C. The PCT uptake process was feasible, spontaneous (ΔG0 < 0), and endothermic (ΔH0 > 0) according to the thermodynamics evaluation. The mechanism of PCT adsorption primarily involved pore-filling, π-π interaction, and H-bonding. The adsorbent exhibited reasonable reusability towards PCT adsorption up to two regeneration cycles. The results of this work support that the dead palm leaves are efficient, cheap, and sustainable feedstock for producing activated carbon adsorbent to be used for an efficient removal of PCT from real wastewater samples.

Identification of Edible Mushroom Species in the City of Lodja and Its Surrounding (Sankuru Province) in Democratic Republic of Congo

The study was carried out in order to constitute a database necessary for the valorization of edible mushroom in the city of Lodja and it’s surrounding by the identification of the different species of mushrooms, the types of substrates on which grow as well as their natural habitats. The result obtained show that 20 species of edible mushrooms have been identified, 70% of which grow during the rainy season compared to 30% in the dry season. Concerning the habitat, 60% of mushrooms are harvested in forests, 25% are multipurpose and 15% are harvested on grassy formations. Regarding the specificity of substrates, 40% of species grow on land, 30% colonize dead palm trees, 15% use either dead palm tree and trees or dead wood, 10% grow on dead wood and only 4% evolve on plant detritus. In terms of abundance, 50% are abundant, 30% are less abundant and 20% are rare in the environment. Finally, 4 species (20%) namely: Ntelia amanitalosis, Lentinus tigrinus, Cantharellus rufopunetatus and Marasmius oreades, present potential for mushroom cultivation. Hence, the need to domesticate them in order to study their performance and diversify local production.

Morpho-molecular analyses reveal a novel species, Xenoanthostomella thailandica (Gyrothricaceae, Xylariales), from northern Thailand

ABSTRACT An anthostomella-like fungus associated with dead palm rachis (Arecaceae) was collected in Nang Lae Village, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is characterised by solitary, scattered ascomata beneath a clypeus, centric ostioles, pedicellate, unitunicate asci, and dark, olivaceous-brown ascospores. Multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS-LSU-rpb2-tub2) revealed that our isolates formed a distinct clade in Xenoanthostomella (Gyrothricaceae, Xylariales), sister to X. chromolaenae, X. cycadis, X. olivacea, and X. parvispora. Based on its distinct morphology compared with related taxa having semi-immersed ascomata, cylindrical and short pedicellate asci, oblong to narrow ellipsoid ascospores with a straight germ slit, and multigene phylogeny, a new anthostomella-like taxon is introduced as Xenoanthostomella thailandica. A comprehensive description and illustrations of the new taxon, a synopsis of morphological characteristics and illustrations of anthostomella-like genera accepted in Xylariomycetidae are provided.

A promising palm leaves waste-derived biochar for efficient removal of tetracycline from wastewater

Tetracycline (TC) is among the most commonly used antibiotics on the market today. As a result, huge amounts of TC-contaminated water enter the aquatic environment. This drug is considered an emerging pollutant and can cause acute problems for flora and fauna. Therefore, an efficient adsorbent is needed to remove TC from water bodies. Plant-based biochar can be a promising way to remove TC from water. In this work, a biochar (PLB) is made from dead palm leaves (PL), as a novel, eco-friendly, and effective adsorbent. The surface morphology and structural properties of the prepared adsorbent were confirmed by different characterization techniques. The results confirmed that the PLB has a higher surface area and more mesoporous hierarchical structure compared to raw PL. TC Adsorption experiments were carried out under different environmental conditions including contact time, solution pH, initial concentration of TC, adsorbent dose, and temperature. The adsorption kinetics data corroborated a pseudo-second order (PSO) model while the monolayer uptake capacity was found to be 13.71 mg/g and 6.52 mg/g for PLB and PL, respectively. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorbent exhibited regeneration capabilities for at least three consecutive cycles. The H-bonding, π-π interaction, electrostatic interaction, and pore-filling played a dominant role in TC adsorption. According to the study's findings, inexpensive biochar adsorbent is effective at removing TC and may also be used to potentially remove other toxins from vast amounts of wastewater samples.

On Coming Home

On Coming Home

Automatic Detection of Oil Palm Growth Rate Status with YOLOv5

Oil palm plantations are essential for Indonesia as a source of foreign exchange and a provider of employment opportunities. However, large-scale land clearing is considered a cause of deforestation, which harms the environment and society. So, it is necessary to manage plantations that are sustainable and still maintain the preservation of forests and biodiversity. One solution is to apply remote sensing technology. The research was conducted to develop a multi-class detection method for the growth rate of oil palm trees, with five categories: healthy palm, dead palm, yellowish palm, mismanaged palm, and smallish palm. The deep learning-based object detection method, YOLO Version 5 (YOLOv5), is used. This study compares the YOLOv5 network models, namely YOLOv5s, YOLOv5m, YOLOv5l, and YOLOv5x. Parameter setting is also carried out in the BCE (Binary Cross Entropy) with Logits Loss Function to handle the problem of unbalanced data distribution in each class. The YOLOv5 model with the highest mAP value is the YOLOv5l and YOLOv5x, the YOLOv5x requires longer training time. In this study, hyperparameter optimization was also carried out using hyperparameter evolution techniques. However, it has yet to provide increased results because the experiments conducted in this study are still limited.

Will Brazilian City Dwellers Actively Engage in Urban Conservation? A Case Study with the Charismatic Neotropical Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)

The Blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) is a charismatic and easily recognized species. While they are classified as being of “least concern” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, their populations are declining. In Brazil, the accelerated destruction of one of its key habitats, the Cerrado biome, is a principal cause of their decreasing abundance. As with other species affected by loss of the Cerrado, active conservation measures are required. While usually rare in urban ecosystems, Ara ararauna occurs and breeds in small numbers in the city of Rondonópolis, a medium-sized city located in Mato Grosso, Central-West Region of Brazil. Blue-and-yellow macaw pairs nest in the tops of dead palm trees, but as the macaws are nest-site limited and suitable dead trees are scarce in urban areas, the installation of artificial nest sites in domestic backyards could help that urban population to thrive. To investigate whether local people would be willing to engage with conservation efforts and in particular to support macaw conservation, we surveyed the attitudes of Rondonópolis residents to measure: (1) citizens’ preferences among the bird species that occur in the city; (2) the average area of their yards, and (3) the willingness of residents to: (a) plant fruit trees to attract macaws to their yards and (b) to install artificial nests in their yards. Larger and more colorful birds (Ara ararauna, the Red-and-green macaw Ara chloropterus and Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco) were the bird species most valued across all socio-economic groups, suggesting that the charismatic species would be more likely to be supported by urbanites. Overall, people had good biodiversity knowledge, with respondents being able to identify half of our sample of local bird species, on average, and almost half had seen a nest site. The great majority were willing to plant fruit trees (78%) and provide nest sites (70%) for macaws. This willingness to engage was not affected by socioeconomic differences. These data indicate that a municipal macaw conservation program could be successful in Rondonópolis, and we argue that macaws could be a flagship species which would benefit wider efforts to engage Brazilian urbanites in active engagement with nature.

Can Mathematical Models Describe Spear Rot Progress in Oil Palm Trees? A Five-Year Black Weevil-Disease Assessment from Ecuador

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacquin) tree yields may be negatively affected by biotic factors such as Black weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum L.; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Spear rot (Fusarium spp.). This study aimed to identify, model the temporal progress, and correlate Black weevil (BW) and Spear rot (SR) in the highly susceptible varieties INIAP-Tenera and IRHO, under field conditions in Ecuador between 2016 and 2020. Morphological analysis of BW and morphomolecular study of the causal agent of SR allowed us to identify Rhynchophorus palmarum and Fusarium solani, respectively, as biotic factors that affect oil palm trees in Ecuador. The number of adults increased in both genotypes over the years, but much more in INIAP-Tenera (in 2017 and 2019). The logistic model, having a smaller mean square of the residue, was the non-linear model that best explained the SR epidemic in both susceptible genotypes. The incidence of dead palms was higher in INIAP-Tenera trees compared to those of IRHO in the year 2020. Dead plants and the number of insects, and these with the fresh fruit bunches, were correlated significantly. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the positive correlation between dead plants (%) by SR and BW, and the study of both biotic factors in Ecuador.

Summer Roosting Ecology of the Northern Yellow Bat and Tri-Colored Bat in Coastal South Carolina

Lasiurus intermedius (Northern Yellow Bat) and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat) are species of conservation concern in South Carolina and are threatened by loss of roosting habitat. To better understand summer roost selection, we radio-tracked individuals to roost trees during May through August of 2018 and 2019. We characterized roost trees, sites surrounding roost trees, and unused but available trees for each roost occasion. We used discrete-choice models to test hypotheses of factors influencing roost-site selection. Tri-colored Bats used foliage and Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss) in hardwood trees and selected trees with high densities of Spanish Moss. Northern Yellow Bats used dead palm fronds in Sabal palmetto (Cabbage Palm Trees) or Spanish Moss in trees with high densities of Spanish Moss. Our results suggest that conservation of maritime and bottomland forests with trees that have high densities of important roost structures like Spanish Moss and dead palm fronds would benefit these species.

Tainiasoma gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Salpingidae), a new genus from the Australo‐Pacific region inhabiting palm fronds, with description of the Australian species Tainiasoma palmarum sp. nov. and its larva

AbstractThe Australo‐Pacific genus Tainiasoma gen. nov. and the north‐eastern Queensland species Tainiasoma palmarum sp. nov. adult and larva are described and illustrated. Tainiasoma palmarum inhabits the rachises of dead palms (Arecaceae), including the Australian fan palm Licuala ramsayi F. Muell. and the Black Palm Normanbya normanbyi (W. Hill) L. H. Bailey. The relationship of the new genus to other members of the family Salpingidae is briefly discussed.

Growing status observation for oil palm trees using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images

For both the positive economic benefit and the negative ecological impact of the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations in tropical developing countries, it is significant to achieve accurate detection for oil palm trees in large-scale areas. Especially, growing status observation and smart oil palm plantation management enabled by such accurate detections would improve plantation planning, oil palm yield, and reduce manpower and consumption of fertilizer. Although existing studies have already reached a high accuracy in oil palm tree detection, rare attention has been paid to automated observation of each single oil palm tree’s growing status. Nowadays, with its high spatial resolution and low cost, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has become a promising tool for monitoring the growing status of individual oil palms. However, the accuracy is still a challenging issue because of the extreme imbalance and high similarity between different classes. In this paper, we propose a Multi-class Oil PAlm Detection approach (MOPAD) to reap both accurate detection of oil palm trees and accurate monitoring of their growing status. Based on Faster RCNN, MOPAD combines a Refined Pyramid Feature (RPF) module and a hybrid class-balanced loss module to achieve satisfying observation of the growing status for individual oil palms. The former takes advantage of multi-level features to distinguish similar classes and detect small oil palms, and the latter effectively resolves the problem of extremely imbalanced samples. Moreover, we elaborately analyze the distribution of different kinds of oil palms, and propose a practical workflow for detecting oil palm vacancy. We evaluate MOPAD using three large-scale UAV images photographed in two sites in Indonesia (denoted by Site 1 and Site 2), containing 363,877 oil palms of five categories: healthy palms, dead palms, mismanaged palms, smallish palms and yellowish palms. Our proposed MOPAD achieves an F1-score of 87.91% (Site 1) and 99.04% (Site 2) for overall oil palm tree detection, and outperforms other state-of-the-art object detection methods by a remarkable margin of 10.37–17.09% and 8.14%-21.32% with respect to the average F1-score for multi-class oil palm detection in Site 1 and Site 2, respectively. Our method demonstrates excellent potential for individual oil palm tree detection and observation of growing status from UAV images, leading to more precise and efficient management of oil palm plantations.

Type of shelter and first description of the echolocation call of disk-winged bat (Thyroptera devivoi)

Abstract: Thyropteridae is a family of bats endemic to the Neotropical region, and Thyroptera devivoi is the only species in the family that occurs exclusively in forest patches within savannas of northern South America and north of the Brazilian Cerrado. Primary data on the species are still scarce. Therefore, in this study our objective was to fill knowledge gaps on geographical distribution, roost-use, and echolocation for the species. We observed a T. devivoi colony of 15 individuals living under a dead palm leaf. The bats used the leaf as a roost for at least four days. After capturing one individual, we confirmed the species identification via skull size and the oblong shape of the adhesive disk. The new record reinforces the association of this species with non-forested formations, and its occurrence mainly in savannas. Echolocation calls of T. devivoi are consistent with those known for the genus, with multiharmonic, low intensity and high frequency pulses. Despite these new data, more studies are certainly needed to enhance distribution data for the species, as well as to clarify the biological and ecological requirements of the species.

Typology and varietal biodiversity of date palm farms in the North-East of Algerian Sahara

In Algerian desert, oases are characterized by the presence of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) as a dominant species. This plant gives fruit but also creates a favourable microclimate for other crops. The date palm is essential for the oasis agro-ecosystem equilibrium, the latter being a group of small family farms, has been the subject of serious damages in recent years, it’s blossoming. Two cultivars are dominated redarding to their economic importance in local market with 96% (Ghars and Deglet Nour). Recently, a clear degradation of oases was noticed due to the lack of interest from growers to replace old and dead palms. These palm grove have aged palm, high height and a fragile stamina which limiting the cultural operations and affecting grimly the production. Actually, the old palm groves in the North-east of Algerian Sahara are divided into types: “Bour” and “Old palm groves”.

SENSING OF VEGETATION STATUS USING ORTOPHOTOS IMAGE GENERATED WITH UAV

Indonesia's growing area of cultivation and agriculture requires a monitoring system of growingvegetation on it. By using images captured from the top (orthophotos), the result was processedusing algorithms of digital image processing combined with machine learning in order to get theaccurate information of vegetation status. The long-term goal of this program is the establishment ofan independent business unit engaged in the field of orthophotos image sensing for the purposes ofutilization in agriculture, health, territorial mapping, mining, and industrial and governanceindustries requiring sensing results taken from the upper side of the object. For applicationdevelopment, agile methodology is used, while business-side planning use business model canvasand SWOT analysis. With the geospatial orthophotos, it is possible to identify which part of theplantation land is fertile for planted crops, means to grow perfectly. It is also possible furthermoreto identify less fertile in terms of growing but not perfect, and also part of plantation field that is notgrowing at all. This information can be easily known quickly with the use of UAV photos. Theresulting orthophotos image were processed using Matlab including classification of fertile,infertile, and dead palm oil plants by using Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) method.From the results of research conducted with 30 image samples, it was found that the accuracy of thesystem can be reached by using the features extracted from the matrix as parameters Contrast,Correlation, Energy, and Homogeneity.

Image processing analysis of geospatial uav orthophotos for palm oil plantation monitoring

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is one of the tools that can be used to monitor palm oil plantation remotely. With the geospatial orthophotos, it is possible to identify which part of the plantation land is fertile for planted crops, means to grow perfectly. It is also possible furthermore to identify less fertile in terms of growth but not perfect, and also part of plantation field that is not growing at all. This information can be easily known quickly with the use of UAV photos. In this study, we utilized image processing algorithm to process the orthophotos for more accurate and faster analysis. The resulting orthophotos image were processed using Matlab including classification of fertile, infertile, and dead palm oil plants by using Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) method. The GLCM method was developed based on four direction parameters with specific degrees 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135°. From the results of research conducted with 30 image samples, it was found that the accuracy of the system can be reached by using the features extracted from the matrix as parameters Contras, Correlation, Energy, and Homogeneity.

&lt;htm&gt;&lt;I&gt;Xylaria&lt;/I&gt; (Xylariaceae, Ascomycota) in the Parque Estadual de São Camilo, Paraná, Brazil &lt;/HTM&gt;

Xylaria is the type genus of Xylariaceae (STADLER et al., 2013). Xylaria species produce dark carbonaceous stromata, perithecial ascomata, cylindrical asci with an apical ring and pigmented ascospores with a germ slit (ROGERS & SAMUELS, 1986). Members of Xylaria grow mainly on wood, but also on litter, fruits, dead palm leaves, seeds, dung and even on ant nests (HSIEH et al., 2010; ROGERS et al., 2005). Xylaria species are widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and also in temperate zones (ROGERS et al., 2005). In Brazil, many taxa has been described or reported – for an historical summary of the knowledge about Xylaria in Brazil see TRIERVEILER-PEREIRA et al. (2009). From the State of Parana 22 species of Xylaria were reported by (MEIJER, 2006) especially in Curitiba and Coastal regions of the State. In order to improve the knowledge about Xylariaceae from Western region of Parana State, a survey of the family was carried (CRUZ & CORTEZ, 2015), and in this contribution are presented the results dealing with the genus Xylaria.

Pathogenicity bioassays of isolates of Beauveria bassiana on Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

The control of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), the main palm pest in the Mediterranean Basin, is problematic because of its biology and the current restrictions in many European countries on the use of chemical insecticides in urban areas. Entomopathogenic fungi have been studied as potential biological control agents, but information on their natural incidence is limited. Strains of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin were isolated from symptomatic insects collected on dead palms, and their pathogenicity against different instars of R. ferrugineus was evaluated in the laboratory. The overall percentage of infected insects found in Canary palms was 7%. In laboratory bioassays, hatching of eggs treated with three different isolates of B. bassiana was 41.2, 26.8 and 29.9%, significantly lower than the control (62.4%). Larvae and adults were treated with a single isolate in two ways: spraying each insect with a conidial suspension or feeding them with fruit portions previously immersed in the same conidial suspension. At the end of the two trials, the mortality of treated larvae was 88 and 92%, and the mean survival time was 10.4 and 11.8 days, significantly different from the control, where no insect died during the trials. Mortality and survival time recorded in either trial on adults did not significantly differ between treatment and control. This study shows that the pathogenicity of wild isolates of B. bassiana differs among the tested R. ferrugineus instars. The low mortality of treated adults supports their use as vectors of B. bassiana as a potential tool for reducing R. ferrugineus populations.

Evolucion geomorfologica y vegetacion costera de playa Palmeras, Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona, Pacifico Colombiano

A study of the geomorphology and vegetation in Palmeras Beach was conducted from a digital elevation model, systematic measurements of beach profiles for 15 months, analysis of equilibrium shape and measurements of vegetation, electric conductivity of the floodwater and granulometry at 15 parcels established along the beach. The beach can be divided into two sectors. The NE is characterized by a concave shape, beach cusps, steeper slope, higher elevation, wider dry zone, greater variability of the shape in plan and profile, greater tendency for accretion and herbaceous vegetation dominated by Rhynchospora polystachys. The SW sector has a convex shape, lower elevation, minimal dry zone width, lower variability of the plan and profile, its shape tends to erosion. The herbaceous vegetation is dominated by Sphagneticola trilobata and it has a higher proportion of dead palms. Although the length of the observations limits the conclusions on the seasonal and interannual variability of the beach, in the wet season there is loss of sand and the sea level rises. Also during El Nino years increased wave energy, which could be associated with coastal erosion was evident. In the long term, there is evidence of a change in wave direction and a tilting of the beach with accretion to the NE and erosion to the SW.

Reproductive parameters in the critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw: limits to the recovery of a parrot under intensive management.

Rediscovered in the wild twenty years ago, the breeding biology of wild Blue-throated Macaws remains largely unexplored, yet is essential to its effective conservation and recovery. Here, we analyse reproductive parameters in an intensively managed wild population of Blue-throated Macaws, providing the first data on the breeding biology of this critically endangered species. During the six-year study period, 2007–2012, the number of active breeding pairs either remained constant or decreased, depending on the site, and no new breeding pairs were discovered despite extensive searching. We documented nesting attempts in natural cavities in dead palms or live hardwoods, and artificial nest boxes. Egg-laying was concentrated during the end of dry season and the beginning of the wet season, August through December. Hatching failure was the greatest cause of egg losses. Half of the breeding attempts of Blue-throated Macaws produced at least one fledging, on average two, after a 85 days nestling period. An average of 4.3 nestlings per year fledged from all known wild nests combined. Each pair lost roughly 65% of its initial reproductive investment at each nesting attempt. In most successful nesting attempts of individualized pairs, a new nesting attempt was not detected the following year. All monitored breeding pairs showed high nest site fidelity, reusing hardwood-tree cavities and nest boxes. Our findings will aid conservation efforts by refining current actions and prompting new approaches towards the conservation and recovery of the Blue-throated Macaw.

A new population of the globally Endangered Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys unusually breeding in palms

SummaryThe Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys is endemic to Bolivia, where it is listed as “Critically Endangered” due to its reduced population size and persisting threats. This species is known to breed exclusively on steep cliffs in arid inter-Andean valleys. However, during a survey of the whole distribution, we noted a previously overlooked population breeding in stands of the also endemic and globally endangered palm Parajubaea torallyi. We observed five adult pairs and confirmed at least three active nests. Nests were in holes 14–20 m above the ground in dead palms, at 2,580–2,700 m asl. The scarcity of breeding habitat and current nest poaching were identified as the major threats for this population. This discovery broadens our understanding of the breeding ecology and widens the scope of action for the monitoring and conservation of the species.