Pine Cone Research Articles

Optimization and Modeling of Bio-coagulation Using Pine Cone as a Natural Coagulant: Jar Test and Pilot-Scale Applications

Optimization and Modeling of Bio-coagulation Using Pine Cone as a Natural Coagulant: Jar Test and Pilot-Scale Applications

Solanapyrone analogues from endophytic Nigrospora sphaerica MZW-A associated with the endangered conifer Pinus wangii

Eight previously undescribed solanapyrone analogues, sphasolanapyrones A–H (1–8), together with four structurally related known compounds (9–12) were obtained from the solid fermentation of Nigrospora sphaerica MZW-A, an endophytic fungus isolated from the fresh branches of the endangered conifer Pinus wangii. This study represents the first investigation on the secondary metabolites of endophytic fungus associated with this precious plant. The structures and absolute configurations of compounds 1–8 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. 1 and 2 are first examples of 3,4-vic diol solanapyrone analogues, whereas 7 and 8 are rare 17-nor-solanapyrones. Among these isolates, 3, 4, 5, and 11 showed weak inhibitory against Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, compound 5 displayed weak cytotoxic effects against several tumor cell lines.

Индивидуальная и географическая изменчивость шишек Picea obovata в российской части ареала в связи с количеством семян в них

The cone length of Picea obovata Ledeb. is closely related to the seeds quantity that causes the importance of full-scale study of this indicator. Studies were carried out in the entire Russian part of the P. obovata range from Murmansk region to Transbaikalia and Yakutia. It was found that geographical variability of cone length is relatively small (44–77 mm) and significantly inferior to individual variability (45–110 mm). The coefficient of a variation is 10 and 14%, respectively. We found that in the total population of Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. and P. obovata determined by their strong introgressive hybridization, cones of P. obovata is the category small and average. It is reasonable to distinguish an additional category of very small cones. The established categories of cones are characterized by the following length: very small 50 (54 mm and less), small 60 (55–64 mm) and medium 70 (65 mm and more). The approximate number of full seeds in them at good yields is 76 (less in extreme conditions of the Far North), 78–92 and 94–108 pieces, respectively. These figures are important for assessing the processes of spruce forest regeneration. Geographical distribution of average cone length in the studied territory it is not clearly expressed. The smallest cones are characteristic of spruce populations along Arctic Circle and in the Polar Regions, while in populations of the southern part of the range they are much larger. The majority of the Russian populations of P. obovata (about 2/3) have cones 65–70 mm long. The content of full seeds in cones is rather small.

Effect of Pine Cone Vinegar on The Survival of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium and Some Physico-Chemical Properties in Raw Beef

Pine cones from pine (Pinus) trees contain various bioactive compounds with antibacterial and antioxidant activity. However, the use of pine cone products as functional foods or food additives is limited and there is a paucity of research in the literature. The objective of this study was the evaluation of pine cone vinegar as a marinade against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium in raw beef. For this purpose, raw beef was marinated with pine cone vinegar at three different levels (25%, 50% and 75%) and three different marination times (2, 6 and 24 hours) and L. monocytogenes, S. typhimurium counts, pH and colour values (L*, a*, b*) were determined. Concentration*time interaction was significant for pH and the lowest pH value was found at 75% x 24 hours interaction. Although the marinating process had a significant effect on the colour values of the meat, the concentration x time interaction was not significant for the a* value (p>0.05). The number of S. typhimurium in pine cone vinegar decreased by 3.7 log10 in 2 hours and by 5.26 log10 in 6 hours (p

Production and characterization of electro-blown nanofibers incorporated with pine pollen for fast-dissolving applications

This study aims to harness the rapid dissolution capability of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a versatile and biocompatible polymer, in conjunction with pine pollen, a natural substance rich in antioxidants and offering nutrient-dense advantages for overall health and vitality, for the development of fast-dissolving tablet applications. Employing the electro-blown spinning method, PVP nanofibers were fabricated with pine pollen dust sourced from male pine cones. Through electro-blown spinning (EBS), Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibrous mats were produced with varying concentrations of Pine pollen (PP) (1,3 and 5 %). Analyses were conducted to assess the characteristics of the produced nanofibers, including morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and surface wettability. Antioxidant tests and α‐glycosidase inhibition activity tests were performed to explore the health benefits of nanofibrous mats. The water solubility of PVP, PVP/1 PP, PVP/3 PP, and PVP/5 PP was measured to be 6.97, 4.74, 3.03, and 6.67 s, respectively. The antioxidant properties and α-glycosidase inhibition activity were preserved in the developed fibers. Notably, the α-glycosidase inhibition activity test demonstrated promising results, suggesting the potential of these fibers in regulating glucose absorption and enhancing glycemic control, highlighting their prospective benefits in diabetes management.

Theoretical study of the herbicide parachlorophenoxyacetic acid molecule and its removal by activated carbon prepared from pine cone

This study focuses on the conversion of pine cones into activated carbon using potassium hydroxide as a chemical activator with a 1:1 impregnation ratio. The resulting material was characterized for volatile matter, ash and moisture content, apparent density, iodine index, Methylene Blue value, Bohem titration, and pHzpc. BET, FTIR, XRD and SEM-EDS analyses were also performed on the activated carbon for specific surface area determination, surface functional groups analysis, crystallographic strucure and morphology study, respectively. The prepared activated carbon had a BET specific surface area of 430 m2 g−1 and a Langmuir surface area of 313.7 m² g−1 with a yield of 72.25 %), carbon content of 67.25 %, and an apparent density of 0.451 g cm3, a moisture content of 2 %, an ash content of 3 %. and a heterogeneous structure. Iodine number, Methylene blue index, and pHzpc reached 666.38 mg g−1, 72.76 mg g−1, and 7.6, respectively. Batch adsorption tests revealed a remarkable ability of the prepared activated carbon to remove the herbicide para-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (P-CPA) from its aqueous solution at an optimized pH of 3.75. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies showed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the experimental data and that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The models of Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin Radushkevich, and Redlish Peterson were found to describe the adsorption process with a removal capacity of 266.5 mg g−1. Monte Carlo calculations highlighted the stability, nucleophilic nature, and strong interactions of P-CPA (C8H7O3Cl) with molecules having a dipole moment (μ) of 3.202 Debye.

Competition between resprouting chaparral and the recruits of a serotinous conifer following stand-replacing fire

In western North America, fire regimes are shifting towards more frequent, larger, and more severe wildfire. There is concern that this will shift the vegetation type in many areas, especially on the lower, drier slopes. In northern California, mature serotinous conifers and resprouting shrub species easily regenerate in severe patches of any size. There is no consensus, however, regarding the effects of shrub competition on conifer recruitment; conifer response to shade varies with shade tolerance and abiotic factors. Many conifers and almost all chaparral shrubs are shade intolerant, and we expect shading to be the main driver of the inter-species competition between these taxa on dry low-elevation, slopes We chose to examine early post-fire regeneration of knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata), a shade intolerant serotinous conifer, because (a) as a serotinous species we could be assured of a high initial density of recruits, and (b) it is mainly found on lower-elevation slopes in a matrix of chaparral. We examined the competitive interactions of the pine and shrubs within the 2018 Carr and Delta fires at the third and fourth post-fire years, as well as at the 2008 Motion Fire at the 14th post-fire year, focusing on two measurements of shrub shading: inter-shrub porosity (% shrub cover) and intra-shrub porosity (species-specific ground-level light availability). Our response variables included recruitment success (recruits per ovulate cone) and growth (height). We only chose stands where knobcone pine was a minor pre-fire component to ensure a high density of vigorously resprouting shrubs. We found (1) there were significantly fewer pine recruits under shrubs, with the bulk of the shrub-induced mortality of knobcone pine occurring before the third growing season; (2) knobcone pine averaged about six established recruits per burned parent tree by the third year following fire; and (3), extrapolating from height reconstruction of post-fire knobcone pine regeneration from the 2008 Motion Fire, the remaining tree recruits are expected to persist and dominate the stand within a decade of the fire. We conclude that competition with shrubs on low elevation sites in northern California does have a negative effect on knobcone pine density but is insufficient to seriously impede a dramatic post-fire increase in conifer density when conifer regeneration arrives promptly following fire.

Co-MoS2@BC catalyzed ultrafast degradation of tetracycline by peroxymonosulfate: Domination of non-radical pathway based on 1O2

Co-MoS2@BC catalysts were prepared using pine cones as biochar source, and the surface morphology and microstructure of the catalysts were analyzed and the successful preparation of the materials was verified by adopting the characterization means such as BET, SEM, XRD, FTIR, TEM, XPS, Raman. At the concentration of tetracycline (TC) in water of 20 mg/L, the reaction system with catalyst participation resulted in 98.88 % pollutant removal and efficient degradation, and the effects of TC concentration, coexisting chemicals, initial pH, catalyst dosage, PMS dosage, and other factors on the catalytic performance of Co-MoS2@BC were investigated. The results of quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) examinations were combined, the reactive substances whose main roles in the reaction process were identified as single linear oxygen (1O2), and the simultaneous presence of electron transfer-mediated non-radical pathways in the Co-MoS2@BC/PMS/TC system was confirmed using Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The reaction process's intermediates were examined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which also offered potential degradation routes.

Dyeing of banana-silk union fabrics with cochineal using different concentrations of bio-mordant

Banana (Musa × paradisiaca L.) is a lignocellulosic natural fiber that can be processed to produce eco-friendly and biodegradable hybrid fabrics when combined with other fibers. Natural-dyed banana fiber can be utilized in the production of sustainable materials for wearable products, household linens, technical textiles, and apparel. In this study, banana-silk union fabrics, pre-treated with bio-mordant at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%, were dyed separately using cochineal insect extract (Dactylopius coccus Costa). To assess the dyeability of the banana-silk union fabric, Anatolian black pine cones (Pinus nigra subsp. pallassiana) were utilized as a bio-mordant, with varying quantities. The CIELab values of the dyeings were measured and compared. Additionally, the chemical composition of the cochineal extract, pinecone mordant, raw fabric, and selected dyed fabrics was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The washing, light, and rubbing fastness properties of the dyed banana-silk union fabrics were also evaluated and compared. This study developed a method for weaving union fabric by blending two distinct natural yarns, namely banana and silk, to reduce dependence on a single fiber and promote the utilization of agricultural waste.

Soil phosphorus cycling microbial functional genes of monoculture and mixed plantations of native tree species in subtropical China.

Transforming coniferous plantation into broadleaved or mixed broadleaved-coniferous plantations is the tendency of forest management strategies in subtropical China. However, the effects of this conversion on soil phosphorus (P) cycling microbial functional genes are still unknown. Soil samples were collected from 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm (topsoil, middle layer, and subsoil, respectively) under coniferous Pinus massoniana (PM), broadleaved Erythrophleum fordii (EF), and their mixed (PM/EF) plantation in subtropical China. Used metagenomic sequencing to examine the alterations of relative abundances and molecular ecological network structure of soil P-cycling functional genes after the conversion of plantations. The composition of P-cycling genes in the topsoil of PM stand was significantly different from that of PM/EF and EF stands (p < 0.05), and total phosphorus (TP) was the main factor causing this difference. After transforming PM plantation into EF plantation, the relative abundances of P solubilization and mineralization genes significantly increased in the topsoil and middle layer with the decrease of soil TP content. The abundances of P-starvation response regulation genes also significantly increased in the subsoil (p < 0.05), which may have been influenced by soil organic carbon (SOC). The dominant genes in all soil layers under three plantations were phoR, glpP, gcd, ppk, and ppx. Transforming PM into EF plantation apparently increased gcd abundance in the topsoil (p < 0.05), with TP and NO3 --N being the main influencing factors. After transforming PM into PM/EF plantations, the molecular ecological network structure of P-cycling genes was more complex; moreover, the key genes in the network were modified with the transformation of PM plantation. Transforming PM into EF plantation mainly improved the phosphate solubilizing potential of microorganisms at topsoil, while transforming PM into PM/EF plantation may have enhanced structural stability of microbial P-cycling genes react to environmental changes.

Investigation of the 5-hydroxymethylyfurfural value and antioxidant properties of Kazdaği Fir cone syrup

Background and aims Cone syrup, unlike cone molasses, is a food product prepared without adding beet sugar. The use of high temperatures in the production of syrups and molasses causes the formation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which causes serious toxic effects on the human body, from glucose, fructose aldose and ketose monosaccharides. Although pine cone syrup is just becoming widespread in our country, it is a new food that is in high demand during the winter months. Therefore, in the study, HMF levels, sugar content, phenolic content and antioxidant levels in Kastamonu local cone syrup prepared without adding beet sugar were experimentally determined. Methods The color intensity resulting from the reaction of hydroxymethylfurfural, paratoluidine and barbituric acid was determined by reading the absorbance at a wavelength of 550 nm with a spectrophotometer. HMF measured spectrophotometrically was detected at very low levels in the syrup. Brix value, phenolic content and antioxidant values of fir syrup were also evaluated. Results Spectrophotometric analysis, the HMF content of traditional fir syrup was found to be very low, 8.1 mg/L. In addition, the total phenolic content value of locally produced fir cone syrup was found to be 6,050 mg GAE/g and the % inhibition value calculated by the DPPH method was 48,553, thus shedding light on its potential nutritional content through antioxidant activity analyses. Conclusions This study is the first to investigate fir syrup. As a result of the study, antioxidant activity analyzes shed light on its potential nutritional content. More importantly, this study was the first to show that fir syrup has a low glycemic index with a % Brix value (2.370±0.058) and that diabetic patients can safely use it instead of molasses.

Carboxymethyl cellulose/activated carbon/hydroxyapatite composite adsorbent for remediation of methylene blue from water media

In the present study, activated carbon (AC), activated carbon/hydroxyapatite (AC/HAp), and carboxymethyl cellulose/activated carbon/hydroxyapatite (CMC/AC/HAp) composite adsorbents were prepared to remediation of methylene blue (MB) from water media. The pyrolysis method used the Pine cone as a natural precursor to synthesize AC. FTIR, XRD, Raman, BET, TEM, and SEM-Dot mapping techniques were applied to characterize synthesized adsorbents. Experimental results demonstrated that the maximum removal efficiency of AC, AC/HAp, and CMC/AC/HAp adsorbents under optimum conditions of pH 8, adsorbent dose 1 g/L, contact time 60 min, initial concentration 10 mg/L, and temperature 25 °C was computed to be 98.75, 98.86, and 98.93 %, respectively. Kinetic and equilibrium data were well-fitted with pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of AC, AC/HAp, and CMC/AC/HAp was determined to be 40, 44.248, and 43.86 mg/g, respectively. FTIR results showed that hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions are the main mechanisms of the adsorption process. Results of the thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. Finally, AC, AC/HAp, and CMC/AC/HAp composite adsorbents can be used as promising adsorbents for the remediation of MB from wastewater.

Enhancing Network Anomaly Intrusion Detection with IoT Data-Driven BOA-CNN-BiGRU-AAM -Net Classification

Network security is one of the key components of cybersecurity anomaly intrusion detection, which is responsible for identifying unusual behaviours or activities within a network that might indicate possible security breaches or threats. In this suggested intrusion detection system (IDS), network traffic data is continuously monitored via anomaly detection. The study makes utilising one of the most recent datasets to spot unusual behaviour in networks connected to the Internet of Things, the IoTID20 dataset, to facilitate this process. The preprocessing stage involves painstaking steps for smoothing, filtering, and cleaning the data. The Pine Cone Optimisation algorithm (PCOA), a novel optimizer inspired by nature, is introduced in this study for the feature selection process. PCOA seeks to increase the effectiveness of feature selection while drawing inspiration from the various ways that pine trees reproduce, such as pollination and the movement of pine cones by animals and gravity. Moreover, IDS is classified using Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit–Additive Attention Mechanism Based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN-BiGRU-AAM), which makes use of deep learning's capabilities for efficient classification tasks. In addition, this work presents the Botox Optimisation Algorithm (BOA) for hyperparameter tuning, which is modelled after the way Botox functions in human anatomy. BOA uses a human-based method to adjust the hyperparameters of the model to attain the best accuracy. The results of the experiments show that the suggested methodologies are effective in improving network anomaly intrusion detection systems, with a maximum accuracy of 99.45%.

Optimization of Torrefaction Parameters Using Metaheuristic Approach

The probabilistic technique was used to optimize the torrefaction parameters that indirectly influence the yield of end-products obtained through the pyrolysis of biomass. In the same pursuit, pine cones underwent thermal pre-treatment at 210 °C, 220 °C, 230 °C, 240 °C, and 250 °C in the presence of N2 gas with a flowing rate of 0.7 L∙s−1, whereas the duration of the pre-treatment process was 5 min, 10 min, and 15 min at each. To facilitate the processing of pine waste, a muffle furnace was improvised for pilot-scale testing. The thermal process used to carry out torrefaction was quasi-static. The average dynamic head of volatile gases inside the chamber was 1.04 m. The criteria for determining the optimal solution were based on calorific value, solid yield, energy consumption during the pre-treatment process, and ash handling. In absolute terms, time and temperature did not influence the statistical deviation in cellulose and hemicellulose decomposition after thermal pre-treatment. While considering ash content as a primal factor, thermal processing should be conducted for 5 min at 210 °C for the bounded operating conditions, which are similar to the operating conditions obtained experimentally. The optimal solid yield would be obtained if the thermal pre-treatment is performed at 250 °C for 5 min. The solution derived through a simulated annealing technique provided a better convergence with the experimental dataset.

A NEW MID-MIOCENE WOOD FROM OCNA DEJ SALT MINE

Ocna Dej is an iconic locality for salt mining in Transylvania, being located in the north - north-western area of the Middle Miocene sedimentary basin of Transylvania. In this salt the fossils are rare and refer strictly to plant remains (fragments of wood, pine cones, etc.). A sample of charred wood collected from the area of Ocna Dej salt deposit of Middle Badenian age (Wielician) was submitted to a microscopic study for a taxonomic assignation. It was identified as Cupressinoxylon sp. aff. Thujoxylon sp. as a remain of the synchronous vegetation. This wood type is found for the first time in Ocna Dej salt and could contributes to the paleo-environmental reconstruction of this area. Obviously, wildfires occurred at that time around the marine sedimentary basin of Transylvania.

Removal of tetracycline from the aquatic environment using activated carbon: A comparative study of adsorption performance based on the activator agents

This research focus endeavour to compare the remediation of tetracycline (TC) through activated carbon (AC), crafted utilizing two distinct chemical activators: zinc chloride (ACZ), and potassium hydroxide (ACK), using pine cone biowaste as an effective carbon precursor, followed by microwave-assisted activation. The impact of TC removal by ACZ and ACK adsorbents was thoroughly examined. The influence of pH, adsorbent mass, adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and inclusive thermodynamics were studied. Our results revealed that the interaction between TC and ACZ or ACK adsorbents aligned well with the model of pseudo-second-order kinetics, whilst the Langmuir model fitted the adsorption isotherm data of ACZ and ACK. The ACZ have a maximum adsorption capacity of 327.87 mg/g compared to that of the ACK (283.29 mg/g). Adsorption of TC was facilitated by the suitable pore volume, abundant microporous, and mesoporous structure of these adsorbents. The ACZ adsorbent is abundant in oxygen-containing functional groups, compared to ACK with minimized reactive sites, in bonding with the TC molecules through hydrogen bonding, for faster removal of TC. Our finding from this work further highlights that the synthesized ACZ from pine cones evidenced significant environmental potentials in the elimination of antibiotics from aqueous solution, to promote clean application perspectives.

Male reproductive structures of Araucaria araucana and Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae, Coniferales) in light of conifer evolution

AbstractPollen cones of Araucaria araucana and Wollemia nobilis were investigated. They consist of hundreds of hyposporangiate microsporangiophores with numerous microsporangia, arranged in up to three abaxial rows. Convincing evidence was found that excludes the widely accepted sporophyll concept of coniferous microsporangiophores. It is shown that the units treated generally as sporophylls in fact represent a complex fusion product of numerous microsporangiophores (= synangia). The vasculature in the microsporangiophore may indicate that the hyposporangiate shape is derived from an ancestral perisporangiate condition. In particular, the bundle strands ending blindly in the tissue in distal parts of the scutellum can only be understood as belonging to aborted microsporangia. Transferring this concept to other conifers with hyposporangiate microsporangiophores a perisporangiate origin seems also highly likely for them. This is well supported by the fact that in usually hyposporangiate taxa occasionally perisporangiate microsporangiophores are developed. Thus, the gained results clearly indicate that each microsporangiophore corresponds to a lateral cone (= flower equivalent structure), and the entire pollen cone to a compound structure (= inflorescence equivalent structure). Thus, the evolutionary pathway of araucariaceous pollen cones fits well to the pseudanthial origin suggested previously for the male reproductive structures in other coniferous groups, e.g., Pinaceae or Taxaceae.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ЭФИРНОГО МАСЛА ШИШЕК КЕДРОВОГО СТЛАНИКА (PINUS PUMILA (PALL.) REGEL)

Cedar elfin Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel of the pine family – Pinaceae is a widespread plant in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Most studies of cedar elfin are devoted to the study of needles and woody greenery. Pine cones remain a poorly studied object, the chemical composition of which requires serious study to determine the prospects for further use. The aim of the work is to study the component composition and essential oil content in pine cones. To study the essential oil, samples of pine cones were harvested on the territory of the Magadan region, the Olsky urban district. The determination of the essential oil content in cones was carried out according to the methods of the State Pharmacopoeia of the XV edition. The component composition of the essential oil was determined using an Agilent 7890A gas chromatograph with a mass-selective detector. As a result of the study, it was found that a Clevenger device should be used to determine the content of essential oil in pine cones. The content of essential oil in cones is highest in July, slightly less in August, and in September there is no essential oil in the raw material. It has been established that July is the most favorable period for harvesting pine cones. The main component of the essential oil of pine cones is limonene. The proportion of the main component of the essential oil of pine cones, limonene, is higher in July, and the proportion of the undesirable component 3–karen increases in essential oil in August. The high content of limonene in the essential oil samples is a good prerequisite for further research and development of finished products.

Forest composition shapes seed‐rodent interactions in a gradient of broadleaves and conifers

Abstract Non‐native tree species and mixed forests have been increasingly employed in forestry practice as a safeguard against climate change and as a tool to foster biodiversity while providing economic benefits. Though these changes in forest composition may affect animal communities and ecosystem processes, they are seldom studied through a plant–animal interaction perspective. Here we investigated how forests with varying proportions of a native broadleaf (Fagus sylvatica) and two conifers (introduced Pseudotsuga menziesii and native Picea abies) affect rodents and their interactions with seeds. We surveyed terrestrial small mammal communities, estimated species' densities, assessed seed preference by rodents, collected data on environmental variables (understory density and tree basal area), measured Fagus sylvatica seed production and tracked 1200 seeds of Fagus sylvatica in 20 different forest plots in northern Germany in a mast and non‐mast year for Fagus sylvatica. Forest composition influenced the interactions between rodents and seeds. In forests with a lower proportion of broadleaves, beech seeds were harvested faster and in greater quantities, had diminished survival and were less often cached. These results are in agreement with three other findings: (a) seed fate responded to the proportion of broadleaves and conifers irrespective of conifer tree identity, (b) rodents preferred nutritious beech seeds over small conifer seeds, and (c) higher proportions of seeds were harvested during the period when beech seeds were scarce (non‐mast year). Synthesis and applications: This work provides evidence of how forest composition can affect plant–animal interactions without necessarily altering animal communities or population densities. Specifically, we found no differences between forests with native and non‐native conifer trees regarding small mammal community, seed‐rodent interactions or seed fate. Furthermore, rodents may provide a service in mixed forests by primarily preying upon seeds of Fagus sylvatica, a superior‐competitive species, and thus mitigate beech dominance over conifer species.

Evaluation of pyrolytic products obtained from pine cone as bituminous binder additives

This research examined the impact of biochar and bio-oil, derived from the pyrolysis process of pine cones, on a bituminous binder. The bituminous binder underwent modification by including biochar at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15%, as well as bio-oil at concentrations of 2%, 4%, and 6%. The penetration, softening point, rotational viscometer (RV), and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests were conducted to examine the physical and rheological characteristics of both natural and modified bituminous binders. The binders' temperature sensitivity and rutting resistance were assessed based on the data acquired from the testing. The study concluded that including pyrolytic materials, namely biochar and bio-oil derived from pine cones, as additives in bituminous binders may effectively reduce the temperature sensitivity of the binder and enhance its resistance to rutting.