Issues

Abstract

This study aims to determine the oleoresin activity of Baeckea frutescens L. against the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P.Kumm. and to analyse its most active component. The research method used was ethanol solvent maceration extraction, and then fractionation was carried out using successive solvents, namely n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate. Then the P. ostreatus antifungal test, and analysis of the most active compound components using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry were applied. The results showed that B. frutescens oleoresin produced a yield of 11.41 % in ethanol extract. The most active antifungal activity was found in ethanol oleoresin soluble oleoresin with IC(50) = 177 ±02 mg∙L-1. It contains 21 bioactive compounds consisting of 4 antifungal components, namely quinic acid, α-terpineol, linalool, and 2-cyclohexen-1-one.

Received: 30 January 2024 / Accepted: 06 June 2024 / Available online: 14 June 2024

 Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The root endophytic fungi coexist in a mutualistic relationship within their host plants. This study aimed to analyse the complex relationships between these plants and their fungi, revealing insight into the abundance of microbial communities living in the root systems of distinct Pteridophyte species inside this protected environment in the Gunung Tukung Gede Nature Reserve, Indonesia, and explore the potential functional roles of these fungal communities in the ecosystem. The research was carried out between July 2022 and January 2023. The roots of Pteridophyta were sampled randomly from three stations. The environmental variables examined were temperature, soil pH, moisture, and light intensity. The fungi were isolated and cultured in the PDA medium, which could then be identified. There were eight genera of root endophytic fungi: Aspergillus sp., Trichoderma sp., Phoma sp., Phialophora sp., Penicillium sp., Paecilomyces sp., Humicola sp., and Fusarium sp. In the designated conservation zones, this mutualistic connection contributes to the preservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity by being essential to Pteridophyta’s resilience and intake of nutrients.

Received: 10 November 2023 / Accepted: 05 June 2024 / Available online: 11 June 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Abstract

Aboveground litterfall plays a key role in carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. In this study, data are obtained about basic aboveground litterfall parameters and quantity of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Vitinya permanent sample plot for intensive monitoring. The litterfall was sampled and assessed in three individual fractions – foliar fraction (F), wood fraction (W) and fruits and seeds fraction (FS). It was established that annual total biomass of aboveground litterfall varies in wide range from 390 up to 787 g·m-2. The most dynamic fluctuations in the quantity are found in the F fraction of total biomass that falls annually on the soil surface. For 2022, the average amount of F fraction was 363 g·m-2, which represents 59 % of the total biomass of litterfall. The reaction of litterfall in the studied fractions for the observed period remains in the acidic spectrum. In the individual fraction’s concentrations of basic cations, such as calcium and magnesium, are assessed as low. The obtained data show increasing trend of trace elements, such as iron, manganese, copper, and cadmium in F fraction. Very high concentrations of manganese and cadmium were found in all fractions of the aboveground litterfall. For manganese the average value in F fraction was 4373 µg·g-1 and for cadmium in FS fraction – 388 ng·g-1. Both obtained concentrations exceed the upper limit of these elements specified in the ICP Forests Manual for common beech litterfall fractions.

Received: 12 March 2024 / Accepted: 07 May 2024 / Available online: 14 May 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The article analyses the ultrastructure and morphometric characters of cells and stomata on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves in Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh., Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Grey, Populus suaveolens Fisch. and Populus nigra cv. Italica (Du Roi) Moench (Salicaceae). The aim is to identify species-specific and diagnostically significant features at different taxonomic levels under introduction conditions. For the ultrastructure investigation, the middle part of the leaf blade was fixed on brass stubs, coated with a thin layer of gold and examined using a scanning electron microscope. Most important features are shape, size, nature of the leaf surface and the presence of specific structures. The density of epidermal cells and the number of stomata on the adaxial and abaxial surface of the leaf were determined. The hypostomatous leaf type and collenchymatous ultrastructure type were identified in P. trichocarpa and P. suaveolens, while the amphistomatous leaf type and stomato-faveolus ultrastructure type are observed on both leaf surfaces of P. deltoides and on the adaxial leaf surface of P. nigra cv. Italica. Morphometric traits of the leaf surface indicate a higher density of adaxial epidermal cells in P. nigra cv. Italica, P. suaveolens and P. trichocarpa compared to the abaxial surface. Structural organization of the leaf in P. deltoides, P. nigra cv. Italica, P. suaveolens and P. trichocarpa allows to identify these taxa on the basis of micromorphological features and suggests their broad ecological plasticity.

Received: 06 February 2024 / Accepted: 29 April 2024 / Available online: 14 May 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study represents analysis of abiotic forest disturbance in mountainous mixed forest, based on change detection and statistical analysis from C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) multitemporal SAR data, provided from ESA’s Sentinel-1 satellite mission. Statistical means from the backscatter coefficients in both polarisations were calculated, with the dual-pol Radar Vegetation Index (dRVI), applying change detection before and after the disaster event. Study period was the summer of 2020 and 2021. The proposed methodology was tested at the Training and Experimental Forest Range of ‘Petrohan’ hosted by University of Forestry – Sofia. Mean estimates from SAR descriptors with emphasis on dRVI sowed high sensitivity to the forest type. The calculated differential orbit-averaged SAR descriptors utilised in change detection analysis, exhibited correlation with the optical Enhanced Vegetation Index 2 (EVI2), with highest sensitivity being the cross-pol Gamma-Nought (∆γV0H). The conducted statistical analysis has demonstrated significant differences in backscatter mean values, with the highest sensitivity observed among the three differential SAR descriptors again being the (∆γV0H). However, clear identification of the disturbances via SAR descriptors was not possible, primarily due to the mechanism of the disaster event (stem breakage) that resulted in an increased dihedral scattering. Accuracy was also influenced by the geometric distortions due to mountainous relief, which biased the SAR measurements. In conclusion, statistical analysis of multitemporal SAR is well utilised in studying forest disturbances on mixed coniferous mountainous forest. Results suggest need for an in situ data and high-resolution quad-pol POL-SAR measurements in a stem breakage disturbed forest.

Received: 07 December 2023 / Accepted: 29 April 2024 / Available online: 14 May 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Abstract

In the course of coenosis development, changes in the quantitative and species structure took place in certain areas of ‘Dubynka’ historical planting. The aim of the study is to find out possible ways to optimise and propose measures to restore the quantitative structure of Quercus robur in it. The research was carried out by field (continuous inventory), analytical and mathematical, and statistical methods. Throughout the historical development of the coenosis, Carpinus betulus has been the dominant species in the tree stand. The low number of Acer platanoides and Fraxinus excelsior in certain age groups indicates an unbalanced removal of trees during felling. It was proved that the beginning of the decay of the primary planting of Q. robur began 100–118 years after its establishment. A stable tendency to reduce its quantitative indicators in the structure due to the death of trees and weak natural recovery during the last 109–127 years was revealed. The loss of the ability to natural recovery of Q. robur during the last 54–72 years was also revealed. The impracticality of using artificial measures to reduce the mass fraction of dominant species at the planting in favour of self-regeneration of Q. robur has been proven. It was found that under the conditions of this coenosis Ulmus laevis is unpromising. The care strategy for the area of the historical planting, which takes into account the coenotic features of development, has been determined. Recommendations are made for restoring the proportion of Q. robur to return the historic planting to its appropriate status.

Received: 28 December 2023 / Accepted: 18 April 2024 / Available online: 03 May 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse the financial feasibility business of cat’s eye resin in West Coast Regency. The method used in this research was the survey method. Primary and secondary data were collected in this study. Sampling used census sampling. The number of respondents consisted of 60 farmers. The data collection was carried out in June 2023. All financial feasibility criteria, such as NPV, Gross B/C, Net B/C ratio, IRR and Payback Period of cat’s eye resin business in West Coast Regency, are feasible. The results showed that the business is feasible to run based on an analysis of the financial feasibility.

Received: 04 January 2024 / Accepted: 19 April 2024 / Available online: 03 May 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Spring and autumn grafting of Syringa vulgaris L. and its cultivars Charles Joly and Mme Florent Stepman have been researched using chip budding, top wedge graft and splice graft methods. Two-year-old vegetative saplings of Ligustrum ovalifolium Hassk. were used as rootstocks. Chip budding showed the worst results in both spring and summer. Successful bud adhesion reached 56.7 % (‘Charles Joly’) and 70.0 % (‘Mme Florent Stepman’), respectively. It has been established that propagation can be successfully achieved through grafting in both seasons. The graft adhesion reached 76.7 % in spring and 85 % in summer grafting by spice graft. Better growth indicators of the scions were observed during summer grafting. This outlines the recom- mendation to use summer splice grafting.

Received: 26 February 2024 / Accepted: 19 April 2024 / Available online: 26 April 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Abstract

Clonal propagation is a silvicultural method that is often employed due to its advantages in terms of speed and flexibility. This method is typically combined with a reduction in rotation age to enhance the quality of pulp derived from Acacia wood. Therefore, this study aims to determine the basic wood properties, pulp and paper characteristics of a 3-year-old clonal Acacia hybrid (Aha and Ah044 clones) using the kraft process. Obtained samples were cooked using different cooking times, active alkali levels and sulfidity concentrations to obtain the optimum conditions (screened yield > 50 %). Pulp and paper properties were tested at different beating degrees. The result showed that at the optimum conditions of 120 min cooking time, 15 % active alkali and 20 % sulfidity, screened yield and kappa number ranged from 55–59 % and 33–34, respectively. The optimum levels of beating degree were 255–285 mL CSF, which produced handsheets with an average burst index, tear index, tensile index, brightness and opacity of 3.11 kPa∙m2∙g-1, 4.56 mN∙m2∙g-1, 39.26 Nm∙g-1, 23.42 % and 93.66 %, respectively. At the same conditions, the Ah044 clone gave a higher screened yield but lower reject and kappa number values compared to the Aha clone. Although screened yield of clones was higher compared to samples from older trees in previous studies, the paper strength properties were generally poorer, indicating the high proportion of juvenile wood and high kappa number.

Received: 15 February 2024 / Accepted: 03 April 2024 / Available online: 25 April 2024

 Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Gas exchange response of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings to canopy  opening was studied in the ‘Petrohan’ training and experimental forest range in Western Stara Planina Mt. Experimental plots were set on various altitudes (700–1450 m a.s.l.) and were chosen by their different sylvicultural or disturbances histories. The results of this study point out that Europe- an beech saplings show significant acclimation potential to changed post-cutting or windthrow environmental conditions. The light response curves at saplings from the open and the closed sites were typical for the sun and the shade ecotype of European beech leaves. The maximal photosynthesis was higher in more illuminated saplings but, as with light-use efficiency, did not vary significantly with cutting type, disturbance, altitude and air temperature. These physiological indicators rather express the biological characteristics of the European beech more strongly than a common response to environmental changes. In contrast, respiration, transpiration, water-use efficiency and light-compensation points were highly correlated with altitude and temperature.
Especially the respiration and the transpiration varied much less with cutting type and natural disturbance. The light-compensation point was the most sensitive to both the type of stand open- ing and illumination, which can indicate the acclimation response of European beech saplings to stand disturbances of different sizes and causes.

Received: 13 February 2024 / Accepted: 05 March 2024 / Available online: 08 March 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Abstract

The rapid technique for measuring of chlorophyll fluorescence photoinduction is one of mod- ern informative methods for assessing the impact of abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, and environmental light intensity) on physiological traits of photosynthesis responsible for produc- tivity. We explored alterations in activity of different types of chlorophyll fluorescence influenced by above mentioned basic abiotic factors which have been undergoing essential changes in Ukrainian Steppe zone in recent decades. The research object was the black locust, introduced tree species spread widely in the examined region as forest anti-erosion plantings and in the landscaping of industrial towns. To reveal background, stationary, maximum and variable chloro- phyll fluorescence, we used a fluorimeter to measure spectrum of light absorption and reflection by leaves. The output was presented as Kautsky curve that depicted the fluorescence response changes over time. We clarified that the background concentration was minimal at low air tem- perature. With increasing temperature, there was an upward trend in the background fluorescence intensification. The increase in the air humidity caused the opposite effect. With raising tempera- ture, the intensity of maximum fluorescence had the reverse trend compared to the background fluorescence. It decreased when the temperature got higher. Alike the background fluorescence, the stationary fluorescence was minimal at low air temperature, but its rise resulted in the decline in the stationary fluorescence intensity. The research outcomes are methods and mathematical models developed and offered for calculations of different fluorescence types. Statistically signifi- cant relationship between the fluorescence, temperature and light intensity was established. The obtained results allow defining the introduction of Robinia pseudoacacia L. as successful while its resistance to the impact of abiotic environmental factors can be identified as high. It allowed us to specify black locust as the up-to-date species when forming plantings, unless suitable care, management, and control have been fulfilled.

Received: 17 September 2023 / Accepted: 21 February 2024 / Available online: 01 March 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The issue of providing clean water services is fundamental and an important part of the strategy to improve community welfare. Clean water facilities are generally provided by the government, but others are developed and managed by village communities. This research aims to: (1) analyse the supply and consumption of clean water in communities around Wan Abdul Rahman Forest Park (WARFP), (2) identify factors that determine household clean water consumption. This research employs a case study method in a community-based clean water management model around WARFP, in Gedong Tataan Sub-District, Pesawaran District. This research involved 90 ouseholds receiving clean water services. To answer objective 1, data tabulation analysis was used. To answer objective 2 multiple linear regression analysis was used. The study suggests that the clean water received by the community is very abundant, as indicated by the supply of clean water that exceeds household needs. The result also shows that: (1) the average water consumption of people in the study area per capita per day is 189 L with the lowest consumption being 40 L and the highest average consumption being 708 L. There are 29 respondents (32 %) who consume clean water less than the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWPH) standard which is 121 L per capita per day. (2) Factors that influence clean water consumption are water supply, and household revenues. Number of family member and education did not have strong nfluence on water consumption.

Received: 13 October 2023 / Accepted: 02 February 2024 / Available online: 10 February 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Reclamation is an important activity to support ecosystem recovery after mine closure. The success of this effort depends on plant adaptability to environmental pressure, primarily related to high-acidity soil. However, more information about plant adaptability in reclamation sites is needed, although it is required to determine the alternative species for supporting revegetation efforts. Our study investigated the adaptability of multiple tree species used for coal mining reclamation and assessed their essential role in enhancing biodiversity in the degraded ecosystem. An ecological survey was conducted using a transect line method with a sampling plot size of 20×20 m and an interval from each 50 m. This study found that seven species were used to support the reclamation efforts, i.e., Aleurites moluccana, Archindendron pauciflorum, Artocarpus heterophyllus, A. integer, Durio zibethinus, Hevea brasiliensis, and Mangifera casturi. The survival across species was 78.60−89.39 %, with a height of 64.75−133.94 cm and a diameter of 0.59−1.39 cm. The species diversity was low, with a richness of 0.98 and a heterogeneity of 0.84. These species also had an unbalanced distribution pattern with an evenness index of 0.43. These findings showed that the selected plant species had good adaptability to the environmental conditions of the reclamation site. Although their contribution to biodiversity improvement was still low, there was a positive contribution from these species to biodiversity recovery after the mine closure. Further investigation is still required to monitor the long-term benefits of these species on ecosystem recovery in the reclamation area.

Received: 19 October 2023 / Accepted: 04 January 2024 / Available online: 09 January 2024

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Pinus pinaster Aiton (maritime pine) and Pinus radiata D.Don (radiata pine) are both coniferous species not native in Greece, which were artificially installed in Halkidiki, Northern Greece, since the early 1970s. The research was performed to estimate the soil conditions of both conifers in two different areas, where the reforestation has been successful. The best site quality stands were selected, having particularly deep soil. Samples of soil, litter and needles were taken for both species from 16 different sample plots in two sites: Stratoni and Sithonia. From the results, higher concentrations of most soil nutrients, as well as better absorption of P and N by trees, were found in Stratoni for both conifers. Tree dimensions for both conifers are greater in Stratoni, corresponding to the higher nutrient content and an observed higher humidity. The concentrations of nutrients in soil, litter and foliage for each conifer species were assessed according to the literature.

Received: 31 January 2023 / Accepted: 03 January 2024 / Available online: 09 January 2024 

Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Most peatlands in Indonesia have been drained for plantation industries (Oil palm, Acacia) and agricultural purposes in a broad sense. Theoretically, peatlands are extremely sensitive to hydrological changes. The research aimed to elucidate the fact that indigenous farmers avoid deep peatlands for food crop farming. This qualitative and quantitative research has been conducted from 2020 to 2023 in South Sumatra province. It used a field survey method and the data were collected by using a purposive sampling method. There are two main reasons farmers to avoid deep peatlands for cultivating food crops, namely instinctive and latent challenges. The first ones are temporary and technical, so farmers are able to overcome these challenges with a scientific and technological approach. Latent ones are very difficult or impossible to repair and tend to cause the destruction and extinction of peatlands. The government should stop granting concession permits and make deep and very deep peatlands into conservation areas, because of their impact on the environment. Approaches are recommended for sustainable peatland management, namely decentralisation, conservative, protective, and optimal approaches.

Received: 25 October 2023 / Accepted: 03 January 2024 / Available online: 09 January 2024 Open

 Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.