Floor Cover Research Articles

POST-FIRE CONDITION AND RESTORATION OF FORESTS ON THE TERRITORY OF KOSTANAY REGION

The results of field studies of post-fire condition and reforestation of Kostanay region are presented. The purpose of the research is to study and analyze the post-fire condition and forest regeneration in the territory of Kostanay region. It was established that the magnitude of post-fire tree declines and their radial growth in stands of the main forest-forming species are determined by the type and intensity of fire. Taking into account the types of forest landscapes using space images, we have identified 7 key and control (background) sites that characterize the disturbed and background undisturbed forest cover. Among them, the most affected by the forest fire are key areas No5 and No7, where a top fire of medium intensity occurred. The forest litter of these key areas was completely burned in a severe fire, the soil seed stock was destroyed, and low intensity of natural regeneration is expected. The average grade of all studied key sites is estimated by us as III and it is connected with untimely harvesting, which resulted in the reduction of annual growth of the plantation. Sanitary condition of plantations in key sites No1, No5, No7 is unsatisfactory in comparison with other sites. Soils of the investigated key sites are not compacted and favorable for growth. In key plot No.1 there was a compacted crust in the surface soil layer. Uneven natural regeneration of common pine after the fire is observed. Predominantly friendly seed sprouting is associated with more moistened lowlands and loosened soil areas. Factors impeding the natural renewal of pine forests include deep burning of the forest floor and soil cover, mechanical effects on the soil and seedlings of the equipment used to develop harems, the mushroom wavy rhizina (Rhizina undulata) which affects the roots of coniferous trees.

THE INFLUENCE OF RECREATION ON THE PROCESSES OF SOIL EROSION IN THE FORESTS OF THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION

The relevance of the topic is determined by the increasing demand for forest recreational resources of the West Kazakhstan region. The forests of the West Kazakhstan region are under the influence of recreational activity, which is growing every year and leads to the transformation of the natural environment. The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of recreation on the processes of soil erosion in the forests of the West Kazakhstan region. An increase in the recreational load and the steepness of the slopes leads to degradation of the forest floor and grassy cover. The remnants of these materials move downhill under the influence of visitors, and the soil surface is compacted. The porosity coefficient of the upper soil layer decreases as recreational loads increase. This leads to a decrease in soil water permeability and an increase in surface water runoff. The study showed that the runoff coefficient, the air-dry mass of the forest floor and the porosity coefficient are closely related. These relationships characterize an increase in the water runoff coefficient with a decrease in the air-dry mass of the forest litter and the porosity coefficient. In the field in 2023, based on the morphological description of the profiles, the degree of soil erosion in the selected woodlands was determined.

Early ecosystem establishment using forest floor and peat cover soils in oil sands reclamation

ABSTRACT Early trends of plant community development provide the basis of ecosystem function and reclamation success of oil sand extraction sites. However, few studies have explicitly investigated species-level interactions with different cover soil types, placement depths, and time since reclamation during early plant community development in boreal forests. We investigated effectiveness of forest floor mineral mix (FMM) and peat mineral mix (PMM) cover soils and placement depths (10 and 20 cm) at four research sites 4 to 13 years after reclamation. Outcomes of this study indicate FMM had a more positive influence on woody plant densities, vegetation cover, and species richness than PMM. Species assemblage, composition, dominance, and types (successional stages, habitat types, competitive-stress tolerant-ruderal strategies) also showed FMM cover soil performed better than PMM. Greater vegetation cover and richness on deeper (20 cm) cover soil placements were evident. However, this effect of cover soil depth would likely decrease with time. Dominant and subdominant species on FMM were native and early to late successional, thus trajectory community development on FMM followed typical early succession of boreal forests (from ruderal and annual to perennial communities), while PMM was dominated by non-native and annual forbs which could slow succession and ecosystem recovery.

Cover crops and a devigorating rootstock can impart substantial agroecosystem services to high-resource vineyards: A multi-year study

In vineyards, cover crops typically grow concurrently with grapevines and can impart a multitude of agroecosystem services; yet concerns over potential disservices might limit adoption. Reductions in yield and vegetative growth are key disservices of concern, but at sites with high soil resources, reducing excessive vegetative growth is often considered beneficial, if the yield is not strongly penalized. To optimize agroecosystem services provided by cover crops, it is crucial to examine above- and belowground plant responses over multiple years. Documentation of the responses of fruit crop root systems to cover crops may clarify potential benefits for long-term agroecosystem services associated with aboveground growth and soil resources. In 2016, we established a perennial grass under young vines (full floor cover) to examine if agroecosystem services imparted by an under-vine cover crop change in the first five years of vineyard production and depend on rootstock vigor. Overall, cover crop reduced grapevine vegetative growth between 13% and 30% across all years and with a trend of more substantial reductions in the first two years. In contrast, yield was reduced in only three of the five years, between 9% and 25%, depending on the rootstock. Furthermore, neither cover crop nor differences in rootstock vigor resulted in relevant or consistent changes in fruit chemistry during the study. Overall, we found that in a relatively fertile, young vineyard, combining a lower vigor rootstock with a perennial, under-vine cover crop imparts substantial agroecosystem services in comparison to the more common practices of using a medium vigor rootstock and spraying herbicide under the vines. These services included improved crop load (ratio of fruit to vegetative mass), increased soil phosphorus availability, increased deep soil water content, and presumably lower labor and other costs associated with vineyard maintenance. Studies on a decadal timescale are needed to further clarify whether these services persist, accumulate with time, or if competition from the cover crop eventually leads to unacceptable decreases in vine nutrient status, growth, and production.

Reviews and syntheses: VOC emissions from soil cover in boreal and temperate natural ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere

Abstract. Plant litter decomposition is a biogeochemical process underlying the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems and between the biosphere and the atmosphere. For the latter, it serves as one of the most important sources of not only carbon dioxide but also volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have not yet been taken into account in atmospheric models for various purposes and scales, from local to regional and global. This review owes its appearance to the growing interest in decaying leaf litter and living forest floor cover as a hitherto unaccounted for source of photochemically active components of the Earth's atmosphere. This interest is understandable if we take into account the size of this source: for terrestrial ecosystems, the global production of litter is 10 × 1016 g dry matter. The living vegetation cover of the soil on the forest floor, mainly comprising mosses and small shrubs, should also be regarded as a potentially significant source of atmospheric VOCs, as its total biomass may be comparable to or even exceed that of canopy foliage, which is considered the main source of these compounds. This implies a need to integrate these sources into biogenic VOC emission models, which in turn requires extensive research on these sources to understand the conditions and factors that influence VOC emissions. The decomposition of leaf litter, accompanied by the release of VOCs, is a very complex process that depends on a number of biological, chemical and physical environmental factors, but little information is currently available on the role each plays. Equally limited is information on the chemical composition and emission rates of VOCs from these sources. The review focuses on the main gaps in our knowledge of the sources of biogenic VOCs under the forest canopy, and we are confident that filling them will make a significant contribution to solving such an important task as closing the global organic carbon budget.

Behavioral changes of sows with changes in flattening rate.

In this study, considering the difficulties for all farms to convert farm styles to animal welfare-based housing, an experiment was performed to observe the changes in the behavior and welfare of sows when the slat floor was changed to a collective breeding ground. Twenty-eight sows used in this study were between the second and fifth parities to minimize the influence of parity. Using a flats floor cover, the flattening rates were treated as 0%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Data collection was the behavior of sows visually observed using a camera (e.g., standing, lying, fighting and excessive biting behaviors, and abnormal behaviors) and the animal welfare level measured through field visits. Lying behavior was found to be higher (p < 0.01) as the flattening rate increased, and sows lying on the slatted cover also increased as the flattening rate increased (p < 0.01). Fighting behavior wasincreased when the flattening rate was increased to 20%, and chewing behavior was increased (p < 0.05) as the flattening rate increased. The animal welfare level of sows, ‘good feeding’, it was found that all treatment groups for body condition score and water were good at 100 (p < 0.05). ‘Good housing’ was the maximum value (100) in each treatment group. As the percentage of floor increased, the minimum good housing was increased from 78 in 0% flattening rate to 96 in 50% flattening rate. The maximum (100) ‘good health’ was achieved in the 0% and 20% flattening rates, and it was 98, 98, and 99 in the 30%, 50%, and 40% flattening rate, respectively. ‘Appropriate behavior’ score was significantly lower than that of other paremeters, but when the flattening ratio was 0% and 20%, the maximum and minimum values were 10. At 40% and 50%, the maximum values were 39 and 49, respectively, and the minimum values were analyzed as 19 for both 40% and 50%. These results will be used as basic data about sow welfare for farmers to successfully transition to group housing and flat floors.

Subjective evaluation of floor impact noise using the tapping machine and a non-standardized source

Assessing the acoustical performance of building floor systems relies on the impact source to be utilized and on the type of floor cover used. Besides that, a reliable assessment should consider the listeners’ judgments of the sounds transmitted through floors or radiated by them. Objective ratings measured can help to foresee tenant satisfaction provided that they are well correlated with the listeners’ judgments. The main objective of this study was to compare objective and subjective evaluations, using two types of impact sources and two types of floor covers, to try and determine which objective variables could be used to predict subject evaluation and to validate the use of an alternative impact source to be used in more realistic measurements. An objective evaluation was carried out employing impact noise insulation measurements according to ISO 10140:2010, evaluating different types of floors, resilient materials, and impact sound sources (a standardized tapping machine and a calibrated tire). In the analysis of the measured samples, several parameters were evaluated according to the sound source used. Simultaneously, "sound samples" were recorded to be used in a subjective evaluation based on the judgments of 29 listeners about the Noise Annoyance and the Loudness Sensation in response to the two impact sources. The magnitude estimation method was used. Results demonstrate that tapping machine measurements correlate very well with the subjective evaluation measurements and the calibrated tire presents well-correlated results in a specific measurement set-up. In addition, linear regression analysis of the objective and subjective variables shows alternative single number quantities for ratings of impact noise insulation

The Bilateral Trans Alar Forehead Flap to Reconstruct the Cocaine Nose: A Case Report

Summary:Isolated circumferential lining contraction of the midvault and nasal floor is a challenging reconstructive problem. In the cocaine nose, extensive loss of mucosal lining, with or without loss of columella, will result in collapse of the nose into the pyriform fossa. Various techniques have been used to provide nasal lining, but when the defect is extensive a free tissue transfer is advocated. The forehead flap is not able to reach the nasal vestibule when the nasal skin is intact. Transecting the ala creates a shortcut route for the forehead flap to provide lining for the nasal vault, nasal floor, and soft tissue cover for the columella. A bilateral trans alar forehead flap was used to reconstruct the nasal lining and columella in a patient with a severely contracted cocaine nose. An L strut cartilage graft was covered with the forehead flaps, which were divided and inset in the nasal vault separately 3 weeks apart. The bilateral trans alar forehead flap is an excellent alternative to microsurgical reconstruction of the nasal lining and columella in the cocaine nose. Secondary thinning of a wide columella may be indicated, but the forehead skin provides a good color match. The scars on the forehead and the alar scars on the border of subunits of the nose heal well and are minor tradeoffs.

Effects of weeding the shrub layer during thinning on surface soil erosion in a hinoki plantation

Unmanaged dense hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantations in Japan tend to suffer from severe surface soil erosion. Thinning plays an important role in soil conservation through development of understory vegetation. To examine the possibility that the weeding conducted during thinning enhances surface soil erosion, we investigated splash detachment, pedestal height, forest floor cover and throughfall for four different experimental treatments, testing thinning and weeding and the combination of thinning and weeding in a hinoki plantation. High splash detachment was observed for weeding treatments. Generalized linear mixed modeling results suggest that weeding increases splash detachment. This increase in splash detachment is caused by clearing shrubs that have a low enough height to decrease the impact of rainfall. For the same treatment type, low forest floor cover was also observed in the first year after weeding due to the decline of litter cover. Broadleaf litter fall was decreased by weeding, although forest floor vegetation cover was similarly low for all treatments in the first year. These results suggest that weeding conducted during thinning promotes splash erosion in hinoki plantations.

Application Analysis and Problem Prevention of Cast-in-Situ Beamless Hollow Floor Construction Technique in Large Deep Foundation Pit

Cast-in-place concrete beamless hollow floor is more and more widely used in engineering, especially in basement engineering, due to its characteristics like increase of the structure height, enhancement of heat preservation, heat insulation, noise reduction, rapid construction speed and others. Based on engineering practice, the application of cast-in-situ beamless hollow floor cover in large deep foundation pit is studied. In order to improve the construction quality, the deformation and stress state of long-span hollow plate are analyzed by finite element simulation. By optimizing and improving the process and comparing the results, the process method which is helpful to improve the quality of finished products of beam-less floor under this condition is extracted.

Autonomous Mowing and Complete Floor Cover for Weed Control in Vineyards

Enhancing vineyards sustainability and reducing herbicides usage is a crucial theme, thus alternative weed management methods are starting to be studied. Cover crops have been shown to provide for several environmental services such as performing an efficient weed control and promoting biodiversity, thus improving the sustainability of the overall management system. However, the use of cover crops is usually confined to the interrow area in order to avoid competition with vines. Under-trellis weed management in vineyards is an important challenge, conventionally fulfilled by cultivation or repeated herbicides applications. Autonomous mowers are small autonomous machines that have shown a great efficiency when employed in agricultural contexts. Due to their reduced size, they can easily prevent the excessive vertical growth of weeds both in the interrows and under trellis without the use of chemical applications. The aim of this trial was to evaluate if the combination of cover crop species and autonomous mowers management could improve vineyard sustainability. Vineyard floor cover that was managed with an autonomous mower had a shorter canopy height and a lower weed dry biomass compared to the conventionally managed vineyard floor cover. Vineyard floor management providing cover crops and autonomous mowing had a significantly lower weed cover percentage compared to conventional floor management, especially under-trellis. The results of this trial suggest that the combination of cover crops and autonomous mowers may be a sustainable and reliable technique to include in vineyards floor management.

The effect of snow at forest floor on boreal forest albedo diurnal and seasonal variation during the melting season

Seasonal snow cover affects markedly the albedo values of the boreal forest zone. It increases the forest albedo values and changes the diurnal variation of albedo compared to snow-free situations. Snow is also a high scatterer in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, and thus the probability of multiple scattering between forest floor and canopy is high. A photon recollision probability based model called PARAS, where multiple scattering components are included, was used to simulate albedo values of needleleaved evergreen forest with and without snow cover on the forest floor. We focused on two example dates representing typical premelt and melting season snow conditions in clear-sky cases, and multiple overcast days over melting season, and compared the diurnal and seasonal variations to estimate the effect of snow cover and multiple scattering. We found that changing the forest floor surface from snow-free to snow-covered changes the diurnal variation characteristics of the clear-sky albedo from U-shaped to W-shaped. In addition, ignoring the effect of the forest floor or multiple scattering leads to relative underestimation of forest albedo values and reflected solar energy, of up to 80% (up to 1.0 kWh/m2) and 30% (up to 0.25 kWh/m2), respectively. The underestimations depend on the forest floor cover type and the season.

In-plane stiffness of precast monolithic floor composite structures

The structural integrity of a steel frame–shear wall structural system with a precast floor cover was experimentally investigated. A test structure with a new precast floor (SJ2) and a test structure with a cast in situ floor (SJ1) were subjected to shaking table tests. It was found that the natural frequencies of both specimens were similar. Under the action of different levels of seismic waves, the new precast monolithic floor and the cast in situ floor maintained the transmission of seismic shearing forces, thereby allowing the lateral-load-resisting members to function co-operatively. The maximum inertial forces and storey shearing forces of SJ2 and SJ1 differed depending on the seismic waveform and seismic loadings and for different storeys of the structure; some were basically the same, but the value of SJ2 was larger than that of SJ1 under some conditions. The difference in the amount of deformation was small, except for the deformation resulting from El Centro 200 cm/s2, for which the SJ2-to-SJ1 ratio of in-plane stiffness was 0.65. Thus, the novel precast structure (SJ2) that meets the requirements of engineering design would be applicable to a multi-storey reinforced concrete structure located in a seismic region.

Study of selecting floor cover by using the value engineering method in the housing project

Value engineering is an attempt to get the lowest possible cost without eliminating the main functions in a product, process, or service. The way is to identify and overcome the factors that cause costs without contribution or effort. Housing projects have a lot of construction work. Floor work is one of the jobs that has high costs and has the possibility to do value engineering. This project is a housing project, located in the South Tangerang area with 118 units. The goal is to get the best material choices for flooring. Alternative flooring materials in this study are vinyl, carpet, laminate wood, and ceramics. Floor materials in the initial design of the project are granite and ceramics. In the process, this research uses value engineering analysis with a value engineering job plan approach that is assisted by an expert choice program. After analyzing the data using expert choice, the result of urutan ranking criteria is material availability by 30.9%, ease of installation by 22.0%, strength by 18.2%, price by 16.5%, and design by 12.5%. While the alternative weight of vinyl is 26.5%, laminate wood 19.4%, ceramics 32.1%, and carpets 22.0%. The construction cost owned by the initial floor work is IDR 3,105,164,536.61, thus saving the initial design cost of IDR 511,533,875.30. It can be stated that vinyl and ceramics are the best alternatives in this two-story housing project.

Spatial variability of forest floor and topsoil thicknesses and their relation to topography and forest stand characteristics in managed forests of Norway spruce and European beech

Soils play a significant role in climate regulation, especially due to soil organic carbon (SOC). The SOC pool is therefore modeled for various environments, and forest floor and topsoil thicknesses are important parameters for most of these models as they store most of the SOC. However, the forest floor and topsoil thicknesses show high spatial variability which is a result of multiple factors which are not agreed upon among scientists. Out of these factors, we choose topography parameters (elevation, slope, and topography wetness index) and forest stand characteristics (stand age, dominant tree species, and forest floor cover), and soil moisture, and we analyzed their relationship to the forest floor and topsoil thicknesses. The study was performed in a managed submontaneous forest in Central Europe dominated by Picea abies (L.) Karsten with small patches of Fagus sylvatica L. or other species. The thicknesses of the O horizons (Oi, Oe, Oa) and topsoil were measured at 221 sampling pits. Geographically weighted regression showed that the spatial variability of the overall forest floor plus topsoil thickness (OA) is responsible for 8% of its variability. The thickness of the OA is the most strongly controlled by forest floor cover explaining approximately 6% of its variability and soil moisture explaining 2–6% of the variability. The Oi + Oe horizon thickness is controlled only by forest floor cover explaining 10.7% of its variability, and the thickness of Oa + A horizon can be explained mainly by soil moisture in mineral horizon explaining 9% of the variability.

The ratio of changes in construction costs and development index of the standard analysis of construction costs for state buildings

Wages rate and material price are an important part of a construction cost. The Construction Cost Index (CCI) that has been developed which applies to a certain area or period a basis for determining the bid price. This index is also very useful to forecasting construction cost which should reflect the comparison of wages rate and material price changes over time. Standard Construction Cost Analysis per m2 is one of the performance budget instruments to assess the budget of a construction project. Surabaya City Government applies that standard in set up government budget. SCC is composed of several Unit Price Analysis with a certain volume that design has been standardized. The composition of the labour and material price index, as a cost driver for Standar Construction Cost Analysis based on time units are expected to be used in the preparative of cost estimates for Building Construction and further research related to the effect of price increases on construction costs. The results obtained from this study are the construction cost change ratio in Surabaya for 2013-2016 increased average 17.3% per year; start from 2016 - 2020 increased not over 6,5% per year. Where as material cost change ratio tends to increase every year, except for 2014 - 2015 which has increase dramatically. In the other hand the labour price index indicate a constant increase because it was related to the Surabaya City Minimum Wage Rates, but in the early year in data (2013-2014) the Minimum Wage Rates significantly increased. In 2017-2018 labour cost change ratio increased more higher and material cost change ratio turn to decreased because the analysis used new guidelines for Analysis of Work Unit Prices for Public Works (Regulation of the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing of the Republic of Indonesia number 28 / PRT / M / 2016). The average component weight of the CCI according to the development of price are labour and foreman (41,3%), stone / brick (10,7%), roof truss and cover (10,4%), cement (8%), floor cover and paint (7,4%), wood (6,8%), iron bar (5,6%), accessories and complement (5,6%) and sand (4,2%). Material cost index tends to increase every year, except for 2018 and 2019 which has decreased. Whereas labour cost index indicated a constant increase because it was related to the UMK (City Minimum Wage) Surabaya. So that the CCI from 2013 to 2020 has increased from 1,00 to 1,93.

An experimental study on airborne particles dispersion in a residential room heated by radiator and floor heating systems

Population growth increasing life level and limitations of energy sources made efficient use of energy sources an inevitable task. The floor heating system has been developed as one of the most energy-efficient systems for heating inside spaces. The adoption of an energy-efficient heating system still requires the provision of acceptable indoor air quality to ensure a healthy environment. In this study, airborne particle distribution inside a space equipped separately with the radiator and floor heating systems is investigated experimentally. The experiments executed in an unoccupied residential room of 3m×4m×3m and sensitivity analyses were performed to unveil the effect of air temperature and floor cover on particle distribution pattern. The room space was divided into eight zones, where the particle concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 are measured by sampling the air. The results reveal that in radiator and floor heating systems, the highest airborne particle concentration is for PM10 and PM2.5 particles, respectively, which are 61% and 39% beyond their maximum allowable limit values. Between PM2.5 and PM10 particles, the concentration pattern of PM2.5 particles is more sensitive to change of both air temperature and floor condition. Also, between the radiator and floor heating system, the sensitivity is the highest in case of using floor heating system. By comparing the total deviation of PM2.5 and PM10 particle concentration from their corresponding allowable limit, the floor heating system is proposed as a more healthy heating system.

Experimental Analysis and Research on New Concrete Multi-ribbed Beam Hollow Floor

The new concrete ribbed beam hollow floor cover based on the two-way ribbed beam is suitable for projects with large loads or large spans on the upper part. This paper mainly introduces the characteristics and composition of concrete ribbed beam hollow floor, collates and analyzes the test data obtained from the static loading test of the floor, obtains the structural performance of the test piece, and obtains the vertical overall displacement of the floor. The vertical displacement of the mid-span and the development of the crack, the ultimate bearing capacity of the hollow slab with the rib beam is obtained through the failure test. Under the normal load, the new ribbed hollow floor has good integrity. It is concluded that the hollow ribbed hollow floor cover has the characteristics of large bearing capacity and good overall rigidity.

Mersin-Gözne Yaylası’nda Istar Dokumacılığı ve Örnekleri

Istar weaving whose history is based on many years ago, is also known as floor cover weaving by Yuruks weaving in the plateaus of Mersin and have been woven for many years. As in all handcrafts, istar weaving woven in Gozne plateau located in Mersin cannot be maintained and has been in danger of extinction. The aim of this study is to create a permanent source about local weaving via examining both istar weaving woven in Gozne plateau located in Mersin and examples survived until today. Winding type looms which are in the group of perpendicular looms are used in the region. Productions such as prayer rug (scatter), sack, saddlebag, ground cloth and corner rug were made by using hair, wool and orlon yarns killama, tirlik for daily use. With this research, twenty different products woven using ‘zili’, ‘cicim’ and plain weaving techniques were examined. In the research, the production date of weaving, purpose of weaving, weaver, dimensions, types of yarn used, colors as well as technical, pattern, composition and motif characteristics of weavings are included. The data were obtained from the source persons by face to face interview technique.

Litter Movement Mechanism on the Beech Forest Floor with a Different Forest Floor Cover Percentage Grazed by Deer

Litter Movement Mechanism on the Beech Forest Floor with a Different Forest Floor Cover Percentage Grazed by Deer