Pinaceae Species Research Articles

Shifting distribution patterns of an endemic conifer species in the Himalayan region under climate change: Past, present, and future

Species with narrow ranges, particularly rare and endangered ones, are more vulnerable to rapid climate change. The endangered Pinaceae species Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss. (P. smithiana), endemic to the Himalayan region, is of significant economic and ecological importance. Understanding how its distribution responds to climate change is crucial for effective biodiversity conservation. Our research integrates three species distribution models, i.e. MaxEnt, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine, to predict the suitable habitat of P. smithiana in the past, present, and future, and to analyze changes in their spatial distribution patterns. Our study also interprets its geographical distribution patterns through an analysis of multiple environmental factors within its suitable habitat. Our results indicate that, since the last glacial maximum, the suitable habitat of P. smithiana has been shifting towards high latitudes and altitudes, corresponding with its cold tolerance traits. Besides the Himalayan region, suitable habitat of P. smithiana were also predicted in Southwest China, despite a lack of observed occurrences, suggesting possible speciation events linked to the uplift of the Qinghai−Tibetan Plateau. Our study warns that the actual distribution of P. smithiana might be more pessimistic than predictions indicate, with protected areas encompassing less than 27 % of its suitable habitat. This highlights the critical need for intensified conservation and management measures to secure the long-term persistence of P. smithiana.

Caffeic acid: A game changer in pine wood nematode overwintering survival.

Following the invasion by the pine wood nematode (PWN) into north-east China, a notable disparity in susceptibility was observed among Pinaceae species. Larix olgensis exhibited marked resilience and suffered minimal fatalities, while Pinus koraiensis experienced significant mortality due to PWN infection. Our research demonstrated that the PWNs in L. olgensis showed a 13.43% reduction in lipid content compared to P. koraiensis (p < 0.05), which was attributable to the accumulation of caffeic acid in L. olgensis. This reduction in lipid content was correlated with a decreased overwintering survival of PWNs. The diminished lipid reserves were associated with substantial stunting in PWNs, including reduced body length and maximum body width. The result suggests that lower lipid content is a major factor contributing to the lower overwintering survival rate of PWNs in L. olgensis induced by caffeic acid. Through verification tests, we concluded that the minimal fatalities observed in L. olgensis could be attributed to the reduced overwintering survival of PWNs, a consequence of caffeic acid-induced stunting. This study provides valuable insights into PWN-host interactions and suggests that targeting caffeic acid biosynthesis pathways could be a potential strategy for managing PWN in forest ecosystems.

Chemical Composition and In Vitro Bioactivities of Extracts from Cones of P. halepensis, P. brutia, and P. pinea: Insights into Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Potential.

Various parts of the Pinaceae species, a traditional plant, have potential health benefits and exhibit antibacterial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activities. This study aims to investigate the biochemical properties of both petal (P) and core (C) fractions from pinecones of P. halepensis (PA), P. brutia (PB), and P. pinea (PP). Pinecones were manually separated into P and C, which were then milled to investigate maceration with solvents of increasing polarity: cyclohexane (1SV), ethyl acetate (2SV), and methanol (3SV) at 20 °C. Spectrophotometry was utilized to quantify the total phenolic content (TPC) and to assess bioactivities. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed to identify the chemical composition. 3SV extracts demonstrated the highest TPC and a significant anti-oxidant potential. PA-P-3SV exhibited the highest TPC (460.66 mg GAE/g DW) and PP-P-3SV displayed the best IC50 (10.54 µg/mL) against DPPH. 1SV and 2SV extracts showed interesting anticancer activity against Hela and HepG2 cells. No significant toxic effect of P and C extracts from pinecones was observed on HEK-293 cells. GC-MS analysis unveiled 46 volatile compounds, of which 32 were detected for the first time in these species. HPLC analysis identified 38 compounds, of which 27 were not previously detected in these species. This study highlights the significant potential of pinecones as a rich source of bioactive compounds.

Injection-based approaches for controlling Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) invasion in conservation efforts of the Patagonian forest

Abstract Invasion by nonnative woody species poses a major threat to the environment, biodiversity, and economies worldwide. Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina is a protected area for habitat conservation that harbors several invasive Pinaceae species, where Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] is one of the most aggressive and abundant conifer tree invaders. Management of invasions in protected areas must include efficient, easy to deploy, and cost-effective techniques, while reducing the impact on native ecosystems. Because the region has no control measures applied other than conventional felling, we analyzed the effectiveness of two systemic herbicides (glyphosate and aminopyralid + triclopyr) at two different concentrations, applied with the drill and fill method. We then quantified defoliation of P. menziesii trees 6, 12, and 24 mo after application and performed an economic cost analysis to determine profitability. For the application, the trees were grouped into diameter at breast height classes and randomly assigned to one of the four treatments. Herbicide doses were adjusted according to tree size. We found that glyphosate at high concentrations completely defoliated 33% of the trees after 6 mo and 87% after 12 and 24 mo. Glyphosate at low concentrations defoliated almost 30% of the trees after 24 mo, most of which were smaller trees. The aminopyralid + triclopyr treatment did not produce significant defoliation at any of the tested concentrations. When compared with conventional felling, the drill and fill method was found to reduce removal costs by 98%. We observe that differences in costs are mainly due to dead trees that remain standing, decompose slowly, and do not generate costs associated with their removal and debris management. Drill and fill is a suitable method for treating scattered trees in a native forest community, with reduced environmental consequences compared with other removal techniques currently applied within conservation areas of the Patagonian forest.

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Pinaceae Species.

With a widespread distribution throughout the Northern Hemisphere and 11 genera, Pinaceae is the largest family of Gymnosperms in the world. Essential oils are an important chemotaxonomic marker for the species of this family, although the degree of chemical and biological investigation has not been the same for all genera. Essential oils from Abies and Cedrus (from the abietoid clade) or Pinus and Picea (from the pinoid clade) have been more extensively investigated with respect to their chemical composition and biological or pharmacological properties, including their antioxidant effects. Instead, essential oils from the other genera of the family have been less explored in this respect or even have not been investigated at all. This is a narrative review looking into the knowledge acquired up to date, the variability and limitations of the current methods used to estimate antioxidant effects, and multiple comparisons between EOs obtained from different genera, species, and plant parts, as well as potential applications and future directions of research and utilization of essential oils derived from Pinaceae species.

High-density genetic linkage mapping in Sitka spruce advances the integration of genomic resources in conifers.

In species with large and complex genomes such as conifers, dense linkage maps are a useful resource for supporting genome assembly and laying the genomic groundwork at the structural, populational, and functional levels. However, most of the 600+ extant conifer species still lack extensive genotyping resources, which hampers the development of high-density linkage maps. In this study, we developed a linkage map relying on 21,570 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis [Bong.] Carr.), a long-lived conifer from western North America that is widely planted for productive forestry in the British Isles. We used a single-step mapping approach to efficiently combine RAD-seq and genotyping array SNP data for 528 individuals from 2 full-sib families. As expected for spruce taxa, the saturated map contained 12 linkages groups with a total length of 2,142 cM. The positioning of 5,414 unique gene coding sequences allowed us to compare our map with that of other Pinaceae species, which provided evidence for high levels of synteny and gene order conservation in this family. We then developed an integrated map for P. sitchensis and Picea glauca based on 27,052 markers and 11,609 gene sequences. Altogether, these 2 linkage maps, the accompanying catalog of 286,159 SNPs and the genotyping chip developed, herein, open new perspectives for a variety of fundamental and more applied research objectives, such as for the improvement of spruce genome assemblies, or for marker-assisted sustainable management of genetic resources in Sitka spruce and related species.

Characterization of Larix decidua Mill. (Pinaceae) oleoresin's essential oils composition using GC-MS.

Larch oleoresin has been described regarding several biological activities and medicinal applications, such as wound healing and treatment of ulcers, but little is known about its chemical composition. Eight oleoresins from Larix decidua Mill. obtained from four companies and one adulterated control were therefore investigated to determine their content of essential oils and to verify possible differences in their composition in relation to the harvest and manufacturing processes. Essential oils (EOs) were isolated by distillation and the yield was analysed. The yield of EO varied among all samples. The yield of the pure larch samples covered a range of 7.8% to 15.5%. A higher yield (19.0%) was observed for adulterated control, which contained oleoresins from different Pinaceae trees. Age of samples had no impact on yield. However, there was a significant statistical variation (p<0.05) in the yields of the mid-summer oleoresins (>10%) compared to early or late summer (<10%), emphasising the importance of the time of collection. Samples were subsequently analysed by GC-MS. EO samples confirmed the presence of various chemical classes, such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes. α-pinene was the compound with the highest concentrations (>50%), followed by β-pinene (>6%), D-limonene (>2.5%), α-terpineol (>0.9%), β-myrcene (>0.2%), and 3-carene (>0.05%). Samples were grouped using multivariate data analysis (MVDA) with respect to the chemical variation between the oleoresins' EOs. The resulting four clusters were named low (low yield obtained for the samples), mixed (mixed oleoresin from different Pinaceae species, adulteration control), old (old oleoresin kept in the institute), and normal (other oleoresins) samples, each presenting distinct chemical biomarkers. There were considerable differences between site and time of collection. Essential oil yield did not always meet requirements as defined by the German Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. In addition, adulterated or aged samples could be identified as compared to pure and fresh larch oleoresins. We conclude that larch oleoresin used for pharmaceutical applications has to be carefully analysed and standardised to guarantee reproducible product quality.

Comparative Chloroplast Genome Analyses of Six Hemlock Trees in East Asia: Insights into Their Genomic Characterization and Phylogenetic Relationship

Hemlocks (Pinaceae: Tsuga) are widely distributed in North America and East Asia, forming a reticulate evolutionary structure in East Asia with significant ecological importance. To clarify the chloroplast genome characteristics and phylogenetic relationships among Tsuga species, we analyzed the chloroplast genomes of T. chinensis var. tchekiangensis, T. chinensis, T. diversifolia, T. dumosa, T. forrestii, and T. sieboldii, performing associated phylogenetic analyses. The results reveal that the chloroplast genome lengths among the six Tsuga species vary from 120,520 to 121,010 bp, encompassing about 108 to 112 genes, including 35/32 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. A codon usage analysis highlighted a preference for A/U-ending codons, and all six nucleotide types have A/T bases and a prevalence of mononucleotides. Notably, all Tsuga species exhibit inverted repeat (IR) contractions and possess unique hexanucleotides absent in the other species of Pinaceae, potentially making them more susceptible to gene recombination or rearrangement during evolution. While most variations are observed in non-coding regions, particularly in intergenic fragments, substantial variation sites are also present within the genes. The phylogenetic tree, constructed using chloroplast genomes, substantiates the sister taxa relationship between Tsuga and Nothotsuga. Furthermore, it confirms that T. chinensis var. tchekiangensis exhibits a closer relationship with T. forrestii than with T. chinensis. These findings not only provide partial evidence that T. chinensis may not constitute a monophyletic species but also underscore the necessity of reevaluating the taxonomic status of T. chinensis var. tchekiangensis. In addition, while the RSCU cluster analysis is basically consistent with the phylogenetic analysis, it also highlights a distinct differentiation between Nothotsuga and Tsuga. This study not only provides molecular-level phylogenetic classification evidence of Pinaceous genera via chloroplast genome analyses but also offers compelling evidence for further exploring the relationships and species delimitation among the hemlocks of East Asia.

Somatic Embryogenesis in Conifers: One Clade to Rule Them All?

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) in conifers is usually characterized as a multi-step process starting with the development of proembryogenic cell masses and followed by histodifferentiation, somatic embryo development, maturation, desiccation, and plant regeneration. Our current understanding of conifers' SE is mainly derived from studies using Pinaceae species as a model. However, the evolutionary relationships between conifers are not clear. Some hypotheses consider conifers as a paraphyletic group and Gnetales as a closely related clade. In this review, we used an integrated approach in order to cover the advances in knowledge on SE in conifers and Gnetales, discussing the state-of-the-art and shedding light on similarities and current bottlenecks. With this approach, we expect to be able to better understand the integration of these clades within current studies on SE. Finally, the points discussed raise an intriguing question: are non-Pinaceae conifers less prone to expressing embryogenic competence and generating somatic embryos as compared to Pinaceae species? The development of fundamental studies focused on this morphogenetic route in the coming years could be the key to finding a higher number of points in common between these species, allowing the success of the SE of one species to positively affect the success of another.

The diversity and abundance of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of Cathaya argyrophylla are affected by soil physicochemical properties.

Cathaya argyrophylla is an ancient Pinaceae species endemic to China that is listed on the IUCN Red List. Although C. argyrophylla is an ectomycorrhizal plant, the relationship between its rhizospheric soil microbial community and soil properties related to the natural habitat remains unknown. High-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal ITS region sequences was used to survey the C. argyrophylla soil community at four natural spatially distributed points in Hunan Province, China, and functional profiles were predicted using PICRUSt2 and FUNGuild. The dominant bacterial phyla included Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi, and the dominant genus was Acidothermus. The dominant fungal phyla were Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, while Russula was the dominant genus. Soil properties were the main factors leading to changes in rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities, with nitrogen being the main driver of changes in soil microbial communities. The metabolic capacities of the microbial communities were predicted to identify differences in their functional profiles, including amino acid transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, and the presence of fungi, including saprotrophs and symbiotrophs. These findings illuminate the soil microbial ecology of C. argyrophylla, and provide a scientific basis for screening rhizosphere microorganisms that are suitable for vegetation restoration and reconstruction for this important threatened species.

Variation in leaf vein traits of Pinaceae plants on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China.

To explore the adaptative strategies of single-veined plants along the environmental gradient, we collec-ted leaves of 57 Pinaceae species (including Abies, Larix, Pinus and Picea) from 48 sites along a latitudinal gradient (26°58'-35°33' N) on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. By measuring three traits of leaf vein, including vein length per leaf area, vein diameter, and vein volume per unit leaf volume, we analyzed the trade-off between vein traits and their relationship with environmental changes. The results showed no significant difference in vein length per leaf area among different genera, but significant difference in vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume. There was a positive correlation between vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume for all genera. There was no significant correlation of vein length per leaf area with vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume. With the increases of latitude, vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume significantly decreased. In contrast, vein length per leaf area did not show a latitudinal trend. Mean annual temperature was the main factor driving the variation in vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume. The relationships between vein length per leaf area and environmental factors were relatively weak. These results indicated that the single-veined Pinaceae plants have a special adaptative strategy to environmental changes through adjusting vein diameter and vein volume per unit leaf volume, which is quite different from complex vein structures such as reticular veins.

Promoting the application of Pinus thunbergii Parl. to enhance the growth and survival rates of post-germination somatic plantlets

ObjectiveThere is a growing need for nematode resistant Pinaceae species plantlets to cope with the global scale degradation of coniferous forests, due to the prevalence of pine wilt disease. One of the bottlenecks that limits the commercialization of Pinaceae species plantlets is regeneration following their transfer from controlled sterile environments to the field while maintaining high survival rates.MethodsThe growth factors of somatic plantlets (SPs), such as sucrose, media, culture substrate, brassinolide and spectrum were investigated to promote the application of somatic nematode-resistant P. thunbergii plants in afforestation.ResultsThe 1/2 WPM liquid medium, culture substrate (perlite and vermiculite =1:1), and carbohydrate (20 g/L sucrose) were effective in stimulating the growth of rooted SPs. While for unrooted SPs, 1 ug/L of brassinolide enhanced plantlet growth and rooting. And blue light (B) significantly promoted the longitudinal growth of shoots, while red light (R) was beneficial for root growth during the laboratory domestication stage. High quality SPs were obtained at a R/B ratio of 8:2. Following this acclimatization protocol, the P. thunbergii SPs could be directly transplanted to the field with a higher survival rate (85.20 %) in a forcing house.Conclusionthis acclimatization protocol extremely improved the survival rate of P. thunbergii SPs. Moreover, this work will contribute to enhancing the possibilities for somatic plant afforestation with Pinus species.

How does spatial extent and environmental limits affect the accuracy of species richness estimates from ecological niche models? A case study with North American Pinaceae and Cactaceae

Measuring species richness at varying spatial extents can be challenging, especially at large extents where exhaustive species surveys are difficult or impossible. Our work aimed at determining the reliability of species richness estimates from stacked ecological niche models at different spatial extents for taxonomic groups with vastly different environmental dependencies and interactions. To accomplish this, we generated ecological niche models for the species of Cactaceae and Pinaceae that occur within 180 published floras from North America north of Mexico. We overlaid or stacked the resulting species' potential distribution estimates over the bounding boxes representing each of the 180 floras to generate predictions of species richness. In general, our stacked models of Cactaceae and Pinaceae were poor predictors of species richness. The relationships between observed and predicted values improved noticeably with the size of spatial extents. However, the stacked models tended to overpredict the richness of Cactaceae and over- and underpredict the richness of Pinaceae. Cactaceae stacked models showed higher sensitivity and lower specificity than those for Pinaceae. We conclude that stacked ecological niche models may be somewhat poor predictors of species richness at smaller spatial extents and should be used with caution for this purpose. Perhaps more importantly, abilities to compensate for their limitations or apply corrections to their reliability may vary with taxonomic groups.

Pest categorisation of Urocerus albicornis.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Urocerus albicornis (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), the black horntail sawfly, for the territory of the EU. U. albicornis is not listed in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. U. albicornis occurs throughout Canada and continental USA and has established in northern Spain, and probably in southern France (based on two specimens caught in two sites) and Japan (based on one individual caught in one site). It attacks mostly stumps or fallen or weakened trees of at least 20 species of Pinaceae (Abies spp., Larix spp., Picea spp., Pinus spp., Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga spp.) and of Cupressaceae (Thuja plicata). In Spain, the females fly between May and September with a peak in August and September. The eggs are deposited into the sapwood, together with mucus containing a venom and a white-rot wood-decay basidiomycete, either Amylostereum chailletii or A. areolatum. Each fungus is symbiotic with the insect. The larvae feed on wood infected by the fungus. All immature stages live in the host sapwood. In British Columbia, the lifecycle of the pest lasts 2 years but has not been fully characterised elsewhere. The wood of the host trees is impacted by decay due to the fungus, and structurally impaired by the larval galleries. U. albicornis can be carried in conifer wood, solid wood packaging material (SWPM) or plants for planting. Wood from North America is regulated by 2019/2072 (Annex VII) while SWPM is managed according to ISPM 15. The pathway plants for planting is largely closed by prohibition, with the exception of Thuja spp. Climatic conditions in several EU member states are conducive for establishment and the main host plants are widespread in those areas. Further spread and introduction of U. albicornis is likely to decrease the quality of host wood and may influence forest diversity by selectively affecting conifers. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of additional entry and further spread, and there is a potential for biological control. Despite uncertainty regarding potential damage, U. albicornis satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

Fluctuación y Distribución del Género Ips spp.1 y Asociados Capturados con Atrayente en la Cara Noreste del Cofre de Perote

The genus Ips DeGeer (1775) and Pseudips Cognato (2000) were monitored with Lindgren traps in the Cofre de Perote, Veracruz, Mexico. The ecosystems of this mountain provide environmental goods and services to the inhabitants of neighboring communities. It is also home to a wealth of flora. For example, seven species of Pinaceae are found there. The traps were baited with generalist attractants for Ips, Ipsenol, Ipsdienol, and Cis-verbenol. The species captured were Ips bonanseai, I. integer, I. cribricollis, and Pseudips mexicanus, as well as insects associated with pines of the genera Hylastes, Pityophthorus, Gnathotrichus and Hylurgops and natural enemies of the genera Cymatodera, Enoclerus, Elacatis, and the family Staphylinidae. The most abundant species were Ips bonanseai and Pseudips mexicanus from February to May. Ips bonanseai showed a preference at 2,500 m asl, while P. mexicanus showed no preference. The attractant used during the study proved to be attractive to I. bonanseai, P. mexicanus, and associates. The results allow us to know the sites of preference of the species, their fluctuation over time, as well as their predators, which can help in silvicultural management in terms of handling and transport of material to the wood-processing centers.

Floristic Composition and Ecological Characteristics of Tehsil Samar Bagh District Lower Dir

Usually identification of the flora all over the world is considered to be important and necessary because it plays a vital role to reserve National flora. The current study was conducted to explore and asses the floristic composition and ecological characteristics of Samar bagh District Dir lower along with their family, botanical name, habit, life form and leaf size classes. The flora of Tehsil Samar bagh comprises up of 120 species belonging 49 families. These 49 families consist of 6 gymnosperm species of family Pinaceae and Cuperassesceae, 8 monocot species of family Amaryllidaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae and 104 dicot species of 44 different families. As per the plant habit, there are 75 species of herb, 13 species of shrub and 32 species of tree. The leading and well-expressed family was Asteraceae attending 12 taxa, followed by Rosaceae with 10, Solanaceae with 9, papilionaceae with 7, Moraceae and Poaceae with 5, Fagaceae, Brassicaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae and Amaranthaceae contributing 4 plant species. The Life form and leaf size classes were managed by Raunkiaers system which displays that the headmost life form class was therophytes with 47 species, followed by nanophanerophytes with 21 species, chamaephytes with 13, and then by megaphanerophytes, hemicryptophytes, Geophyte and microphanerophytes. In leaf size classes leading class was microphyll representing 38 species followed by mesophyll with 37, nanophyll 24, macrophyll 9, leptophyll 7 and megaphyll with 5 species. Therophytes were observed dominant with high percentage, demonstrating that this area is a part of semi-arid zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah, Pakistan and indigenous people of this area thoroughly and extensively demolish and uproot the plants for burning purposes.

First record of the scale insect Lineaspis striata on Picea glauca “Conica”

Summary The scale insect Lineaspis striata (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) was recorded for the first time infesting a species of the family Pinaceae. Heavily infested ornamental shrubs of Picea glauca “Conica” by pre-ovipostiting and oviposting female adults of L. striata, were found in March 2018 and by a minor population consisting of pre-ovipositing female adults in February 2021, in Attica, Greece. The scale was settled on the base of the needles of the host plant.

Enhancing mummy ‘palaeobiographies’ through the use of multidisciplinary techniques and approaches

Scientific examination of mummies has provided a better understanding of the ancestry, diet, disease, medical practices, mummification processes, culture and society of human populations worldwide and from different epochs. However, many examinations have been invasive and/or destructive, leading to current-day concerns among archaeologists and mummy custodians about this methodology. Multidisciplinary approaches, notably minimally invasive biopsy, endeavour to maximise the amount of data obtained from a sample whilst minimising its size and the effects on the mummy. As an illustration of the wealth of data that can be obtained from non- and minimally invasive image-guided procedures on wrapped mummified bodies, we report here on such a study of Takabuti, an Egyptian woman who lived in Thebes during the first millennium BCE.Multiplanar and 3D reconstructive computerised whole-body tomographic imaging (CT) revealed age at death and confirmed the inscriptional evidence from the coffin regarding sex. A notable finding was ante-mortem damage to the ribs indicative of a blow by a sharp, possibly curved, object from behind, suggesting that Takabuti was murdered. Fifty milligrams of bone and thigh muscle were taken for respectively genomic and proteomic analysis. mtDNA revealed the rare Eurasian H4a1 haplogroup suggestive of the introduction of new gene pools during the Late Period. Identification and quantification of the structural and functional proteins and metabolically important enzymes indicate protracted leg muscle activity in the hours before death. Chemical analysis, microscopy and radiocarbon dating of 20–30 mg needle biopsy samples of the packing material inserted during mummification discovered wood shavings, including imported cedar, and congealed resin. Organic analyses revealed the resin to be largely vegetal in origin including wood and aromatic/preservative oils derived from Pinaceae species, identical to the mummification balm removed from the original bandages. Once the age of the trees from which the sawdust was derived has been taken into account, the packing material’s radiocarbon date indicated mummification in the Third Intermediate Period and in keeping with the previously dated hair and the stylistic dating of the coffin that placed it in the 25th Dynasty.We have shown that CT scanning combined with targeted invasive biopsy needle sampling provides a wealth of scientific information with minimal disturbance to the mummy. Molecular, biochemical and geochemical analytical techniques allow statistically robust replicate sampling but require the removal of only milligram quantities. This approach forms the basis of a generic ‘palaeobiographical’ approach to the examination of naturally and artificially preserved bodies in which both soft tissues and bone are present.

Identification of softwood species using convolutional neural networks and raw near-infrared spectroscopy

ABSTRACT Previous reports have shown that wood species identification result based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was intimately entwined with spectra preprocessing. However, there is no universal recipes for a suitable preprocessing method, and misuse of preprocessing may bring on worse model performance for new species identification. Therefore, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model incorporating a residual connection structure is created aiming at replacing the preprocessing and identifying 21 Pinaceae species at the species level. The model is compared to the other two CNN models on different wavelength range raw transverse section NIR spectra. 12 preprocessing methods are carried out for 780–2440 nm spectra to evaluate the influence of spectra preprocessing on the model. The model outperforms the other two CNN models on raw and preprocessed spectra and provides the highest macro F1 of 0.9787 and 0.9792 for raw and preprocessed spectra at the wavelength range of 780–2440 nm. The model is further compared to three conventional methods. The results indicated that created model is capable to replace the spectra preprocessing and identify 21 wood species at the species level. It is indicated that a suitable CNN structure can replace the multifarious data preprocessing in traditional methods. It potentially provides a generic raw NIR spectra discrimination method for wood species identification.

The Detection of Pine Wilt Disease: A Literature Review.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a global quarantine disease of forests that mainly affects Pinaceae species. The disease spreads rapidly. Once infected, pine trees have an extremely high mortality rate. This paper provides a summary of the common techniques used to detect PWD, including morphological-, molecular-, chemical- and physical-based methods. By comprehending the complex relationship among pinewood nematodes, vectors and host pine trees and employing the available approaches for nematode detection, we can improve the implementation of intervention and control measures to effectively reduce the damage caused by PWD. Although conventional techniques allow a reliable diagnosis of the symptomatic phase, the volatile compound detection and remote sensing technology facilitate a rapid diagnosis during asymptomatic stages. Moreover, the remote sensing technology is capable of monitoring PWD over large areas. Therefore, multiple perspective evaluations based on these technologies are crucial for the rapid and effective detection of PWD.