Forestry Research Institute Research Articles

Enhancing Acoustic Data Mobilization: A User-Friendly Data Platform for the Asian Soundscape Monitoring Network

Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) has emerged as a crucial tool in monitoring efforts to track environmental changes and evaluate conservation measures in response to the biodiversity crisis (Sugai et al. 2018). PAM now offers long-term and continuous insights into biodiversity, using acoustic indices correlating with biodiversity and deep-learning tools to aid in the detection and identification of animal sounds (Sueur et al. 2014, Kahl et al. 2021, Wu et al. 2022). However, managing and mobilizing original recordings remains challenging due to their large size and lack of structure, hindering broader applications of these valuable data. Established in 2014 by Academia Sinica and Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, the Asian Soundscape Monitoring Network has amassed over 20 million minutes of audible and ultrasonic recordings from diverse landscapes, including forests, wetlands, urban parks and farmlands across Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. To enhance data mobilization and utilization, we developed a user-friendly data platform enabling browsing, searching, visualization, exploration and retrieval of the original recordings (Fig. 1), as well as derived data such as acoustic indices and species occurrences, and associated weather records (Fig. 2) The platform also allows users to visualize the temporal dynamics of the soundscape and identify acoustic events at monitoring sites by examining long-term spectrograms and time series of acoustic indices (Fig. 3). Detailed information about the monitoring sites and recorder deployment is provided. Each recording is tagged with a Creative Commons license, and a unique Archival Resource Key is assigned to every data retrieval for persistent identification, facilitating data reuse. Additionally, recordings containing human voices are identified and restricted to protect privacy. Our aim with this data platform is to streamline the mobilization of acoustic data, foster diverse applications, and enhance the overall value of the data.

Seasonal Climatic Variation and Flowering Intensity of Garcinia kola (Heckel) in a Humid Forest Plantation

Aim of study: The study designed to assess seasonal climatic variation and flowering intensity in G. kola in a humid forest plantation. Area of study: The study was conducted in the mono-plantation of Garcinia kola in the Swamp Forest Research station of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Onne, Rivers state, Nigeria. The plantation consists of 103 trees at 5×5m spacing. Material and methods: Climatic data were sourced from meteoblue.com. Flowering intensity was determined by the estimation of the total flower production per tree: total number of flower buds per inflorescence was determined by visual counting and then extrapolated for the total number of inflorescences per twig, total number of twigs per branch and total number of branches per tree to determine the average flowering intensity per tree. A total of 9 trees and twenty-five inflorescences per tree, were sampled. Data was analysed using covariance and analysis of variance. Main results: Rainfall, wind speed, and flowering intensity varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) between seasons; seasonal rainfall variation influence on flowering intensity varied with tree gender. Research highlights: Rainfall is the flowering cue of the plantation; we recommend that farmers target low to moderate rainfall seasons for high fruit and seed yields.

Phytochemical and Antioxidant Analysis of Artocarpus heterophyllus Peel Extracts

BACKGROUND: Plants have a diverse variety of bioactive compounds such as tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates and steroids among many others that can offer significant physiological actions in the human body. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring chemical, biological and active compounds found in plants that are of benefit to human health apart from those that act as macronutrients and micronutrients. A. heterophyllus (Jackfruit) belongs to the family Moraceae. Jackfruit tree is native to India and is popular in several tropical and sub-tropical Countries. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical constituents, antioxidant properties and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) of the fruit peel of A. heterophyllus extracts using three different solvents. METHODS: Artocarpus heterophyllus fruits were collected from University of Ibadan botanical garden, identified at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Oyo State. The peel was extracted and dried at 35 ℃. Qualitative method and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy were used to determine the phytochemical and bioactive compounds present in the plant, whereas¬¬¬¬¬¬ 2, 2, Diphenylpicryl-1-hydrazyl (DPPH) was used for the antioxidant analysis. RESULTS: Secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, steroids, and Terpenoids were present based on the solvents while anthraquinnes were absent. Flavonoid and phenol were abundant in the three extracts while saponin was moderate. Eight chemical compounds were observed in the plant extracts. Major bioactive components with highest and lowest retention peak were (65.55 %) bis(2- ethyl hexyl) phthalate and (6.06 %) Cis- 13(2- ethylhexyl)phthalate respectively. Antioxidant activity increased with increase in concentration of which acetone extract had the highest DPPH (75.00 %) at 100 μg/ml. CONCLUSION: The fundamental means of the usage of medicinal plants for medicine is due to their bioactive properties which are used as substrates for biochemical and enzymatic reactions. Phytochemical derivatives have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antitumor, analgesic and many other properties harbor in them.

First Report of Grovesinia moricola Causing Zonate Leaf Spot on Hernandia nymphaeifolia in Taiwan.

Hernandia nymphaeifolia (C. Presl) Kubitzki, a native tree of Taiwan, is a sea drift plant (Yang and Lu 1996). It is a salt- and wind-tolerant tree (Bezona et al. 2009) and was selected for the afforestation of badlands in coastal areas of Taiwan. In December 2022, all H. nymphaeifolia seedlings at a nursery in Wu-Lai, Taiwan were diseased and wilted with a similar progression. The initial symptom was small zonate white or gray lesions with water-soaked periphery on leaves. Then, expansion and fusion of leaf spots which caused leaf blight and defoliation were observed. Seedlings eventually wilted. Sporophores found on the host were generally hypophyllous, solitary, erect, and easily detachable. The upper portion of the sporophore was considered an individual conidium and consisted of a pyramidal head that was fusiform to ventricose, 206.3 to 501.8 μm (average: 378.0 ± 75.3 μm) long, and 63.6 to 104.5 μm (average: 85.0 ± 16.2 μm) wide at the broadest point (n=30). Branches within the pyramidal head were short, compact, and di- or trichotomously branched. The central stipe was hyaline, broad, septate, tapering toward an acute apex, and sometimes constricted at the basal septum. Sclerotia were gray or black, spherical, and 1.0 to 2.5 mm (n=10) in diameter and observed on older lesions. The fungus was isolated from infected tissue and sporophores and maintained on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 20°C in darkness. Sclerotia were produced on PDA after 4 to 5 weeks and were irregular or spherical, but no sporophore was developed. The fungus was identified as Grovesinia moricola (I. Hino) Redhead based on morphological characteristics (Tomoko et al. 2006). Three DNA samples was obtained from the cultures isolated from the diseased leaf, sporophores and sclerotia. They were then amplified by PCR with primers for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS; primers ITS5/ITS4) and the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (LSU; primers LR0R/LR5) (Cho et al. 2017), and then sequenced respectively. The sequences were deposited into GenBank with accession nos. PP727191 to PP727193 and PP748518 to PP748520. BLAST analysis of the three isolates showed 100% identity to the sequences of G. moricola from Taiwan (OP550202, OP550203) for the ITS region and 99.9% identity to the sequence of G. moricola from the USA (MW013804) for the LSU rRNA gene. The specimens (FS2022-140) and the culture (Asco-0109) in this study were deposited into the herbarium of Taiwan Forestry Research Institute in Taiwan. Koch's postulates were performed by inoculating four 8-month-old, asymptomatic, potted H. nymphaeifolia plants; every plant was inoculated with sporophores from infected leaves on the upper surface of each of five leaves. Four uninoculated plants were kept in separate pots and served as controls. All plants were covered with transparent plastic bags individually and incubated in a growth chamber at 18 to 20°C with 8 h of light. Similar leaf spots and sporophores were observed after 2 to 4 days and 10 days on every inoculated plant but not on uninoculated plants. The pathogen with a similar colony on PDA was reisolated from the leaf spots of the inoculated plants. Molecular identification of the reisolated pathogen by the above method was carried out. The sequences showed 99.9% identity to the sequence of G. moricola, and were deposited into GenBank with accession nos. PQ157896 to PQ157897 (ITS region) and PQ157701 to PQ157702 (LSU rRNA gene). The pathogenicity test was repeated once. G. moricola is known to cause severe defoliation on woody and annual plants, including at least 73 host species and 36 families distributed in the eastern United States and Japan (Trolinger et al. 1978). This is the first report of G. moricola on H. nymphaeifolia in the world. Control of the disease would play an important role in maintaining healthy seedlings for the afforestation in Taiwan.

Hydrological Response of Bamboo Plantations on Soil–Water Dynamics in Humid and Semi-Arid Coastal Region of Kenya

Soils and water are major resources that drive a country’s economy, and therefore should be conserved and utilized sustainably. However, in Kenya, these two resources are facing huge depletion and degradation due to anthropogenic factors and climate change. Bamboo species, especially on large plantations, can significantly alter ecological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes in the long term. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different species of bamboo and tree plantations on important soil–water processes like infiltration, bulk density, runoff, and soil loss in Kenya. The research was conducted at two sites (Gede in Arabuko Sokoke forest and at Baolala, in Kilifi County) managed by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). The Arabuko Sokoke forest has a hot–humid coastal climate, while Baolala is a hot semi-arid area with little precipitation. The study involved measurement of soil–water infiltration rates using infiltrometers, installing runoff plots to quantify surface runoff and sediment loss, and analyzing soil properties like bulk density for growing periods for different bamboo and tree species. At the Gede forest site, the 30-year-old Thyrsostachys siamensis and Bambusa bambos plantations recorded the highest infiltration rates. Mature bamboo plantations of T. siamensis and B. bambos recorded higher infiltration rates compared to mature plantations of E. camaldulensis and G. arborea. It was observed that the bamboo plantations manifested lower soil bulk density compared to bare land, which recorded the highest bulk density. At Boalala, infiltration rates were significantly higher in the bamboo species compared to grassland and bare land. The painted bamboo (B. vulgaris vittata) had a slightly higher water infiltration rate compared to B. vulgaris. Runoff and erosion patterns reinforced the benefits of more mature bamboo plantations as well. There was a significant correlation between amount of runoff and collected soil loss through erosion. The data showed reductions in surface runoff volumes and sediment loss as the bamboo plantations aged compared to younger species. Therefore, by enhancing infiltration and reducing runoff and erosion, well-managed bamboo plantations can protect valuable soil resources, improve water recharge, and support sustainable land use over the long term. In conclusion, this study showed the strong potential of bamboo as a soil and water conservation tool in Kenya.

The utilization of wood samples from xylarium in historical wooden statues: improving the separation accuracy non-destructive measurement for using several algorithms

There are numerous wooden historical artifacts in Kyoto and other parts of Japan, including Buddhist statues or Shinto deities. The identification of wood species in these historical artifact is desirable for both repair and maintenance purposes. The most common method of identifying wood species involves examining samples taken from the artifacts. However, intentional sampling from old cultural artifacts is prohibited in Japan. As a result, we attempted to determine the wood species of old statues non-destructively using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). In this article, we developed the softwood and hardwood separation model using NIRS to compare the prediction accuracy for few algorithms. The model was created based on wood samples stored in the xylarium of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (TWTw). We then applied this model to old Buddhist statues in order to classify them as either softwood or hardwood. These Buddhist statues were housed in Nazenji temple and are believed to have been carved during the Heian period (8th–12th century). For the near-infrared (NIR) measurements, we collected diffuse reflectance spectra from TWTw sample and Buddhist statues using same spectrometer. Initially, we used the soft independent modeling of class analogy method (SIMCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS_DA), and support vector machine to analyze the NIR spectra obtained from the TWTw wood samples. Subsequently, we applied the NIR spectra obtained from several Buddhist statues in Nazenji temple to the aforementioned separation model and determined whether spectra data were classified as the softwood or hardwood. Finally, wood specimens detached naturally from the Buddhist statues over time were observed under microscopic analysis to identify the wood species. As comparing the prediction accuracy of few algorithms, SIMCA had a poor result, but PLS_DA had a good result. PLS_DA had better discrimination because it performed calculations to improve regression from both explanatory variables and objective variables.

Integrated Pest Management Decision Support System (IPM-DSS) a tool to support management of tree diseases in Kenya

Tree diseases have been noted as one of the major causes of abnormalities and malformations on perennial plants. Tree disease research in Kenya has resulted in a list of diseases identified to cause significant losses on forest plantations. The need for management of such diseases have been on the increase. The Decision Support System (DSS) was envisioned to help stakeholders make decisions to manage tree diseases on farm and in tree plantations. Information was collected across Kenya on diseases affecting seed, seedlings, plantations, natural forests and post-harvest products in sawmills. The data was entered into excel sheets and organized for database administration on MySQL software. Over 20 major fungal species were identified and their biology, distribution and management determined. This information was further fed into a query system to allow different groups of stakeholders to access the information for diagnosis and control of tree diseases. Results showed that major tree diseases in Kenya were caused by fungi belonging to the families; Botryosphaeriaceae, Nectriaceae, and Amphisphaeriaceae. The data and information availed through this query system is being used in trend analysis for proactive control and management of tree diseases in Kenya. It will also be used for farmer advisory services through closest match selection of symptom appearance based on the tree species. The query system is an innovation that will also be used for Citizen Science Data Capture to aid Kenya Forestry Research Institute in detecting emerging diseases in real-time for phytosanitary measures. The identification of commonly occurring pathogens in commercial forestry species in the country has led to research towards their control and tree improvement for resistance to tree diseases. Future plantation establishment should be based on resistant species and high-quality germplasm for maximum survival and improved yields. Key words: Advisory services, Botryosphaeriaceae, citizen science, Decision Support System, Integrated Pest Management, tree diseases.

<i>Diospyros</i> <i>crassiflora</i> (HIERN) surface and subsoil leaf litter decomposition pattern along a time gradient in a humid rainforest

Litter decomposition is a crucial bedrock of nutrient recycling, organic matter accumulation, soil physicochemical properties, biodiversity and life support of forest and agroforestry systems. We therefore investigated <i>Diospyros</i> <i>crassiflora</i> surface and subsoil leaf litter decomposition pattern along a duration gradient in a humid rainforest. The study was conducted in the nursery of the humid forest research station of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) in Umuahia, Abia State. One gram (1g) of <i>D.</i> <i>crassiflora</i> fresh leaf litter was placed on the surface and subsoil of 4kg of topsoil contained in 32cm x 20cm polyethene bags; there were a total of 108 bags in a completely randomized experimental design layout and the treatments were the duration gradient of litter decomposition which were: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeks; on each of the duration, litter was collected from nine of the polyethene bags for laboratory analysis and estimate of decomposition rate. The results showed a significantly high initial decomposition rate (3.19±0.13 %day-1; 4.28±0.03 %day-1) in the 2 week duration followed by significant continuous decline until the lowest (0.04±0.00%day-1; 0.28±0.02%day-1) in the 14 week in the surface and subsoil respectively. There was a positive correlation (r=0.80) in decomposition rate between the surface and subsoil leaf litter, which yielded a model with a significant R2 (0.64), for site-specific estimates of decomposition rate <i>D.</i> <i>crassiflora</i> leaf litter. A steeper and smoother subsoil cumulative percentage decomposition curve showed that leaf litter decomposition was significantly faster in the subsoil than surface soil.

Influence of habitat, density, lignin structure, and extraction treatment on thermal-softening properties of water-swollen wood: a study of 87 wood specimens

Abstract This study aims to reveal the diversity of thermal-softening temperatures and identify the factors that determine this temperature. To achieve this, the thermal-softening properties of the radial direction of wood were measured under water-saturated conditions for 15 softwood and 72 hardwood specimens. Wood samples were obtained from the xylarium of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Japan. A dynamic viscoelastic measurement was performed on samples with uniform heating and cooling history because the difference in cooling rate can alter in the mechanical properties of wood. The storage and loss elastic moduli increased linearly as wood density increased, regardless of the wood species. However, the thermal-softening temperature (defined in this study as the peak temperature of loss tangent) was unrelated to the density, anatomical features, species, latitude, and annual rainfall in the habitat. When the relationship between thermal-softening temperature and lignin structure was investigated, a negative correlation was observed between the thermal-softening temperature and the syringyl ratio (syringyl/(syringyl+guaiacyl)) of lignin aromatics. This indicates that the thermal-softening temperature is higher for wood species with denser lignin structures, supporting the prior research showed correlation between thermal-softening temperature and methoxyl group content of wood.

Research on carbon balance in Japan

The article presents an overview of scientific publications on the subject of the study «carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems», made for the territory of Japan and indexed in the Scopus database for the period 2017-2021. Within this theme, the areas with the highest number of articles are highlighted: carbon fluxes in soils, carbon stocks in above ground phytomass (mainly studies of the ecosystems of Hokkaido), features of carbon dioxide sequestration by various plant species typical for Japan, as well as the carbon balance dynamics associated with deforestation, reforestation and natural phenomena such as typhoons. The most active in publishing activity scientific and academic institutions were identified (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; National Agriculture and Food Research Organization; Hokkaido University).

Evaluation of the biomass, carbon sequestered and microbiota in a naturally-growing Bambusa vulgaris. Schrad. Ex J.C. Wendl stand

The world is increasingly facing the conflicting pressures of economic growth and environmental protection, and forests have the capacity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere in large amounts. This study evaluated the biomass, carbon content and microbial activities of a naturally growing Bambusa vulgaris stand at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo state. Three clumps were randomly selected for the study and analyzed to obtain the biomass, carbon content and microbial population. After harvesting, the culm samples were divided into leaf, branch and culm components and their respective fresh weights were taken. All the sub-samples were then oven-dried at 65 °C for 48 h and to get the oven-dried weight, a ratio of oven-dry to fresh weight was calculated. The total stand biomass for B. vulgaris was then determined and computed on a per hectare basis, while the microbiota were determined using standard methods. The B. vulgaris stand stored in total 59.37 t/ha carbon of which 30.55 t/ha were stored in the above-ground biomass (culms, branches and leaves), 1.53 t/ha in the below ground biomass and 24.29 t/ha in the soils. The total biomass stored by the stand was 59.42 t/ha, of which 56.59 t/ha was stored above ground and 2.83 t/ha in the below-ground biomass. Total biomass carbon content in B. vulgaris was 32.08 t/ha. The aboveground carbon storage was much higher in culms (16.69 t/ha) than in branches (8.52 t/ha), leaves (5.32 t/ha), in litter fall (0.02 t/ha) or rhizomes (1.53 t/ha). The total soil carbon content was 24.29 t/ha, of which 8.48 t/ha occurred at 0–15 cm depth, 8.19 t/ha at 15–30 cm, and 7.62 t/ha at 30–45 cm depth. A regression model was developed for future predictions of carbon content of B. vulgaris. About 16 microorganisms were identified in the study (10 bacteria and 6 fungi species) with populations ranging with soil depth. The amount of carbon sequestered and the short time needed for bamboo to grow makes it a good carbon sink, thereby helping to mitigate climate change issues.

Effect of size and additives on the decomposition process and nutrient content of urban organic waste compost

To participate in overcoming the problem of 500 tons of organic waste per day in Makassar City, in 2017-2019 Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute of Macassar conducted research activities to develop community-based organic waste management models for pollution control and urban farming development. One of the activities is making compost from urban litter using a shredding machine to speed up the decomposition process, and mixing household waste rich in N, P, K and micro nutrients to increase the nutrient content of the compost. Observations showed that the litter mincing process significantly accelerated the decomposition process. Furthermore, the addition of nutrient-rich material from household waste into compost material has increased the nutrient content of compost which is higher than the SNI standard, thereby increasing the competitive value of compost against factory-made chemical fertilizers. These two activities have an impact on increasing public interest in managing urban organic waste to reduce pollution while developing urban farming.

Effect of training and development on employees' performance at forestry research institute of Nigeria

Training and development are the major determinants of employees’ job performance which could lead to intentions to quit, absenteeism, low commitment, and productivity in the workplace. The study assessed and tested the impact of training and development on employees’ performance at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The data collected was primary and cross-sectional. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in selecting 226 respondents in the study organization. The results revealed that the mean age of the employees was 40 years while their average annual income was ₦ 1,272,600 and years of work experience was 9.16 years. The descriptive results showed that the perceived benefits of employees’ training and development in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria are high (5.28). The perceived enhanced employees’ competency levels through the training and development in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria are high (5.09). The employees’ perceived contributions of training and development to their job performance in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria is high (5.44) while the employees are high job performers (6.03). The regression results indicated that there was a significant relationship between employees’ job performance and the benefits of employees’ training and development (β = 0.59; p<0.05), enhanced employees’ competency levels through the training and development (β = 0.68; p<0.05) and employees’ perceived contributions of training and development to job performance respectively (β = 0.741; p<0.05). The study concluded that the training and development positively impacted employees’ performance in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. It was recommended that the organization’s management team should reconsider funding and instituting proper training and development programs.

Influence of leadership approaches on workforce performance at forestry research institute of Nigeria

The study examined the influence of leadership approaches on workforce performance at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria. A multi-staged procedure was used in selecting 160 workforces in the organization. Descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used in analysing the data collected. Results showed that the exhibited organizational leadership approaches were democratic (5.08), transformational (4.73), autocratic (4.41) and laisse-faire (3.87) while the workforces in the organization had a very good level of workforce performance (5.62). The organizational leadership approaches exhibited (r = 0.34; p≤0.05) had a positive and significant relationship with workforce performance. The study concluded that the management of the institution endeavour to stimulate the exhibition of these leadership approaches to enhance the managerial influences, workforce performance and the achieving organizational objectives success.

Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Investigations of Tephrosia platycarpa GUILL. & PERR.

Tephrosia genus belongs to the family Fabaceae and plants in this genus have been reported to possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and pesticidal properties, however; there is paucity of information on the chemical and biological activities of Tephrosia platycarpa. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the phytochemical and biological properties of Tephrosia platycarpa. The plant was collected at Ile’gbon, Ibadan, Nigeria and authenticated at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FHI-112653), air-dried and pulverized. Extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol successively. The extracts were screened for phytochemicals, antioxidant, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities. Phytochemical screening of the crude extracts showed that they are rich in secondary metabolites. The antioxidant assay showed that extracts of the stems and leaves have strong activities against free radicals. Cytotoxicity assay revealed that the extracts of the stem are moderately toxic while roots extracts are highly toxic. The extracts displayed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against the organisms tested.

Leadership Styles and Employees’ Job Performance at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria

The study examined leadership styles and employees’ job performance in the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN). A total of 120 employees were chosen at random from among the 900 FRIN employees. Percentages, means, standard deviation and regression were used for the analysis. Results showed that the majority (89.2%) of the employees displayed transformational leadership styles while 87.5% of the employees were democratic in their leadership styles. Indicators of autocratic leadership style include: superiors telling subordinates what to do, how to do it, and when they want it done (x̄ =3.6). Indicators of laissez-faire leadership style include employees responsible for defining his or her own job ( x̄ = 3.01). Aspects of job performance influenced by the leadership styles of employees include: efficiently managing information and data ( x̄ = 4.10) and achieving deadlines ( x̄ = 4.10). Transformational (78.5%) and democratic styles (54.3%) caused (variations in employee job performance. The organization made used of transformational and democratic leadership styles more than other leadership styles. The organisation should encourage the use of the two styles and mix it with other leadership styles where necessary in order to improve the administrative strength and achievement of organisational goals

Increased dimensional stability of Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla ‘GLGU9’ wood through palm oil thermal treatment

Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla ‘GLGU9’ is one of the most commonly planted tree species in South China. It is a new variety created by Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Forestry Research Institute. As a fast-growing species, the poor dimensional stability is one of its main drawbacks, which restricts its applications. Thermal treatment is one of the effective methods to improve the dimensional stability of wood. GLGU9 wood was treated using thermal modification with palm oil. The oil was used as a heating medium and a shielding material at temperatures of 150, 170, 190, 200, and 210 °C, at various treatment durations of 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 h. To investigate the effect of palm oil thermal treatment on dimensional stability, the anti-shrink efficiency (ASE1) and anti-swelling efficiency (ASE2) were examined. The results indicated that the ASE1 and ASE2 were increased by 62.8% and 56.6% at 210 °C for 6 h treatment, respectively.

PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL MONITORING OF DANGEROUS OUTBREAKS DISEASE OF FOREST TREES WITH USE METHOD OF CHANGING RADIAL INCREMENTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE POLISKY NATURE RESERVE

PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL MONITORING OF DANGEROUS OUTBREAKS DISEASE OF FOREST TREES WITH USE METHOD OF CHANGING RADIAL INCREMENTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE POLISKY NATURE RESERVE

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Center for Advanced Materials

Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Center for Advanced Materials

Improving of the transfer of R&D results in the forestry sector. Experience of the Saint Petersburg Forestry Research Institute

Improving of the transfer of R&D results in the forestry sector. Experience of the Saint Petersburg Forestry Research Institute