Use Of Forest Species Research Articles

Tropical agricultural wooded land uses support high site use of forest birds

Agricultural expansion has been responsible for the large-scale modification of forest ecosystems globally. In many regions, this has resulted in the creation of heterogenous landscapes comprised of cleared agricultural lands, and semi-natural and natural wooded land uses such as agroforests and secondary forests. These wooded land uses can play an important role in supporting forest biodiversity. In a tropical agricultural landscape of Northeast India, we investigate how wooded land uses affect site use by forest specialist, forest generalist and open-country bird species, in comparison to a protected area. We also investigate the effects of site vegetation characteristics, surrounding forest cover and distance to the protected area. Using multi-species occupancy models, we found that wooded land uses support high site use of the three forest specialization groups. We attribute the high site use of forest species in wooded land uses to the similarity in site vegetation characteristics between these land uses and the protected area. In addition, high forest cover at, and neighbouring, our sampling sites, and habitat connectivity also contributed towards supporting high site use of forest species. However, for some species across the three groups, a few site vegetation characteristics and surrounding forest cover had a subtle influence. Our study showcases the supplementary role of low-intensity agricultural landscapes as habitat for forest birds, provided that wooded land uses outside protected areas are well maintained. In so doing, it contributes valuable insights into land management practices that support biodiversity in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes.

Energy Properties of 22 Timber Species from Oaxaca, Mexico

The potential use of forest species as fuels depends on their energy quality. However, in rural communities in developing countries, fuelwood is still an energy source without any technical study evaluating its energetic characteristics. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the energetic characteristics of 22 forest species from four communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The basic wood density, proximal analysis, and high heating value were evaluated. As a result of the analysis, the fuel number (FN) is proposed as a measure of the energy quality of biomass fuels in the form of firewood. FN considers the basic wood density, the fixed carbon, and the high heating value of each species. Wood basic density ranged from 0.472 g·cm-1 for Pinus pseudostrobus to 0.814 g·cm-3 for Dodonaea viscosa, fixed carbon ranged from 4.74% to 21.27% for Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus rugosa, respectively, and high heating value from 18.33 MJ·kg-1 to 22.07 MJ·kg-1 for Liquidambar styraciflua and Pinus leiophylla, respectively. Classifying wood according to FN, in decreasing order, Quercus rugosa stands out as the best wood (66.97%), followed by Liquidambar styraciflua (39.52%). Regarding the fuel value index, the nine pine species showed the highest values (27.32 to 77.76). The FN provides a measure of the quality of biomass fuels in the form of firewood, and can be evaluated by easily measured variables.

Forest biotechnology: economic aspects and conservation implications

The importance of forest ecosystems for ecological balance and as a reservoir of genetic heritage and biodiversity is evident, the need for conservation is further exalted by the great anthropic pressure suffered by these ecosystems due to the increasing demand of the forest sector. The possibility of using biotechnological practices to combine conservation with sustainable economic development emerges as a promising alternative for the recovery and use of forest species, especially those threatened with extinction. The aims of the article is to demonstrate the main aspects of Forest Biotechnology with regard to conservation and the continuity of the supply of the demand of the economic sector. The central role of wood in economic development has led to the intense exploitation of forest ecosystems, which has resulted in the loss of biodiversity and reduced capacity to meet the demands of the sector. The tools of forest biotechnology, when employed in the optimization of conservation, allow a compatibilization with commercial production, acting as instruments of sustainable development. Forestry Biotechnology acts as an instrument to reconcile conservation with economic development, including forests at the heart of a strategy for a sustainable future.

A probabilistic model for tropical tree seed desiccation tolerance and storage classification

Knowledge of seed desiccation tolerance is fundamental for conservation and use of forest species. The protocol used for classification of seed desiccation tolerance and storage is time consuming and many times limited by the lack of information about optimum conditions for seed germination and treatments to overcome seed dormancy. This study evaluated 66 Brazilian tree species aiming to correlate seed characteristics with desiccation tolerance. For this purpose, a model was established to explain the relationship of tegument/seed mass ratio (SCR), seed mass, and water content of embryo + endosperm with desiccation tolerance. The principal component analysis showed the establishment of two groups, indicating the interaction between desiccation tolerance and seed characteristics. Recalcitrant seeds are more often associated with the water content of embryo + endosperm and water content of tegument + endocarp, while orthodox seeds are more associated with SCR and number of seeds per kilogram. The classification found using the model proposed was significantly correlated with desiccation tolerance and storage, with 92% confidence for the analyzed species. Seeds morphological characteristics can be used for prediction of desiccation tolerance and storage behavior; however, the use of a model that combines more variables increases the chance of accurate classification.

Potential medicinal use of forest species of the Deciduous Seasonal Forest from Atlantic Forest Biome, South Brazil

The current paper focuses on potential medicinal use of forest species from Deciduous Seasonal Forest in central region of Rio Grande do Sul State, South Brazil. Floristic and phytosociological surveys were carried out in 2011 and 2012. Results were compared with the available information in scientific literature about popular knowledge and biological/pharmacological evidences. Each species was classified in use categories to diseases, symptoms our disorders based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). In 2011, we found a total of 31 species, 77,4% of them with medicinal use. In 2012, we found 33 species,72,7% of them with medicinal use. The species most frequently mentioned were Casearia sylvestris, Eugenia uniflora, Cabralea canjerana, Luehea divaricata, Parapiptadenia rigida and Vitex megapotamica. The main species with biological/pharmacological properties were C. sylvestris, E. uniflora, L. divaricata, V. megapotamica and Zanthoxylum rhoifolium. We concluded that there is a considerable potential for medicinal purposes to forest species from Deciduous Seasonal Forest in the study region. We recommend further studies mainly about the species Prunus myrtifolia, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium, Cabralea canjerana and Casearia sylvestris which presented references to antitumoral properties.

Atividade alelopática em folhas de Tachigali myrmecophyla (Leg. - Pap.)

O uso de espécies florestais com atividade alelopática pode assegurar aos sistemas agroflorestais maior estabilidade, notadamente em relação à redução das espécies de plantas daninhas. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram isolar e identificar substâncias químicas produzidas pelo Tachigali myrmecophyla (tachi-preto) e caracterizar a atividade alelopática sobre a germinação de sementes e o crescimento de plântulas de duas espécies de plantas daninhas. Os bioensaios foram realizados em condições controladas de 25 ºC e fotoperíodos de 12 horas para germinação e de 25 ºC e fotoperíodo de 24 horas para o desenvolvimento de radícula e hipocótilo. Os extratos brutos e as frações foram analisados em concentração de 1,0 e 0,5%, e a substância, em concentrações de 5, 10, 15 e 20 mg L-1. O processo de isolamento permitiu a identificação da substância química 4,5-diidroblumenol A. Essa substância evidenciou atividade alelopática, cujos efeitos variaram em função da concentração, da espécie de planta daninha e do parâmetro da planta analisado. A intensidade dos efeitos alelopáticos esteve positivamente associada à concentração, com os efeitos mais intensos observados na concentração de 20 mg L-1. Independentemente do parâmetro analisado, os efeitos foram de maior magnitude na planta malícia. Comparativamente, o desenvolvimento da radícula se mostrou mais sensível aos efeitos da substância que o desenvolvimento do hipocótilo e a germinação das sementes.