Traditional phytotherapy in Central Italy (Marche, Abruzzo, and Latium)

In this study, the more significant results of extensive ethnopharmacobotanical research carried out by the author in the years 1977-2000 in 175 localities of three regions of Central Italy (Marche, Abruzzo, and Latium) have been reported and compared. The usages of 80 species belonging to 36 families are described, of which 71 were used in human therapy and 29 in veterinary medicine. Uses are suited with the number of localities in which they have been mentioned. Among the wild plant mainly still used, Malva sylvestris, Urtica dioica, and Sambucus nigra are particularly highly considered, while major uses of plants concern these plants in addition to Allium sativum, Rubus ulmifolius, Parietaria diffusa, Cynodon dactylon, and Ficus carica. Unusual phytotherapic uses concern Brassica oleracea, Taraxacum officinale (warts), Ruscus aculeatus, S. nigra (chilblains), Allium cepa (chilblains; to remove thorns and splinters), Juglans regia, R. ulmifolius (burns), and Euphorbia paralias (bites of weevers). Among new uses with only one quotation, we remember Cirsium arvense (intestinal disturbances), Centaurea bracteata (cough), Lupinus albus (calluses), Melittis melissophyllum (eye inflammations, antispasmodic), and Artemisia absinthium (tendon inflammations), while among plants employed in various regions with interesting less-known properties, there are C. arvense (emergency haemostatic), P. diffusa (insect bites), and Scrophularia canina (antiseptic and cicatrizing agent for wounds in bovines and sheep).     

Phyto-chemical and pharmacological applications of Berberis aristata

In the recent years, the interest and research in medicinal plants have increased in a great deal. Ayurvedic medicines and formulations developed from ancient Indian herbal systems are renowned for their various important applications. Berberis aristata - an Indian medicinal plant, which belongs to the family Berberidaceae is an ayurvedic herb used since ancient times. It is also known as Indian berberi, Daruharidra, Daruhaldi, Darvi and Chitra. The plant is useful as anti-pyretic, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-lipidemic agent. B. aristata extracts and its formulations are also useful in the treatment of diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, gynaecological disorders, HIV-AIDS, osteoporosis, diabetes, eye and ear infections, wound healing, jaundice, skin diseases and malarial fever. This review aims to highlight the ethnobotany, pharmacognosy and pharmacological uses of B. aristata which will give insights in developing potentially new bioactives from the plant scaffolds. This review will also highlight the patenting trends, the new compositions developed using the actives from B. aristata and the different assignees involved in filing patents.     

Therapeutic orchids: traditional uses and recent advances — An overview

Orchids have been used as a source of medicine for millennia to treat different diseases and ailments including tuberculosis, paralysis, stomach disorders, chest pain, arthritis, syphilis, jaundice, cholera, acidity, eczema, tumour, piles, boils, inflammations, menstrual disorder, spermatorrhea, leucoderma, diahorrhea, muscular pain, blood dysentery, hepatitis, dyspepsia, bone fractures, rheumatism, asthma, malaria, earache, sexually transmitted diseases, wounds and sores. Besides, many orchidaceous preparations are used as emetic, purgative, aphrodisiac, vermifuge, bronchodilator, sex stimulator, contraceptive, cooling agent and remedies in scorpion sting and snake bite. Some of the preparations are supposed to have miraculous curative properties but rare scientific demonstration available which is a primary requirement for clinical implementations. Incredible diversity, high alkaloids and glycosides content, research on orchids is full of potential. Meanwhile, some novel compounds and drugs, both in phytochemical and pharmacological point of view have been reported from orchids. Linking of the indigenous knowledge to the modern research activities will help to discover new drugs much more effective than contemporary synthetic medicines. The present study reviews the traditional therapeutic uses of orchids with its recent advances in pharmacological investigations that would be a useful reference for plant drug researches, especially in orchids.     

Über Erfahrungen im Einsatz mit propoxur-und dichlorvoshaltigen Insektiziden zur Bekämpfung von Wespenvölkern (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) im städtischen Bereich

IV. Zusammenfassung Die Bek?mpfung von Wespenv?lkern sollte sich nicht allein auf den Einsatz von Insektiziden beschr? nken. Im st?dtischen Bereich w?ren folgende Ma?nahmen vorzunehmen: 1. Fang der Begründerinnen eines Wespenstaates (Im Oktober mit Fangvorrichtungen und zuckerhaltigen K?dern durchzuführen) 2. Einsatz ggf. von schnellwirkenden Insektiziden (Abt?tung der Wespenv?lker im Nest ab Juli) 3. Verhinderung des Nestbaues (Beseitigung schadhafter, den Wespen als Schlupf?ffnung dienender Stellen in Geb?uden. Stets nach erfolgter Bek?mpfung auszuführen) Durch die zwar 100%ige, aber langsam einsetzende Wirkung von St?ubemitteln, auf der Wirkstoffbasis von DDT, Lindan u. a. oder w?sserigen Aufbereitungen derselben sowie durch die Repellentwirkung anderer Stoffe, werden Wespen nicht selten zur Schwarmbildung vor der zum Nest führenden Einschlupf?ffnung veranla?t. In das behandelte Nest eindringende und wieder herauskommende, noch flugf?hige Wespen sind bereits mit dem Insektizid behaftet. Für den Menschen k?nnen diese Tiere gef?hrlich werden, da sich die Giftwirkung eines Einstiches durch Spuren des Insektizids erh?hen und zu unangenehmen Entzündungen führen kann. Nester, die noch für ein bis zwei Tage nach der Bek?mpfung von Wespen beflogen werden, werden h?ufig erneut gemeldet. Eine zweite Behandlung führt dann zur Ausbringung unerwünscht hoher, vermeidbarer Insektizidmengen sowie zur unn?tigen Belastung der bek?mpfenden Institutionen. Die wespenabweisende Wirkung des untersuchten dichlorvoshaltigen Mittels (Aufbereitung als Aerosol) und die langsamere wespenabt?tende Wirkung niedrigprozentiger, propoxurhaltiger Mittel in der Form einer w?sserigen (5%igen) Emulsion und einer (2%igen) Suspension bei einer Aufwandmenge von 1500 cm³/ Nest führt zu der aus hygienischen Gründen unerwünschten Ansammlung erregter Wespen vor der Schlupf?ffnung. Zur schnellen Abt?tung der Wespen im Nest und der anfliegenden Tiere kommt es bei Verwendung einer st?rker konzentrierten, propoxurhaltigen Emulsion (10%ig), Suspension (4%ig) und des propoxurdichlorvoshaltigen, gebrauchsfertigen Sprühmittels. Die wespenabweisende Wirkung dieser Aufbereitungen ist gering. Bei Anwendung gebrauchsfertiger Mittel auf der Basis von Propoxur und Dichlorvos kann die Vernichtung eines Wespenvolkes in wenigen Stunden erzielt werden. Liegen unzug?ngliche Flohlr?ume mit verwinkelten Schlupf?ffnungen vor, so sind hier Aerosole in Druckzerst?uberdosen besonders geeignet.

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Summary Fighting against swarms of wasps should not be limited to the application of insecticides alone. In the city area the following measures should be taken: 1. Capture of the female wasps which create swarms (To be carried out in October with special aquipments for capture and sugar containing baits) 2. Application of insecticides in case with rapid effects (Killing the swarms of wasps in the nest from July) 3. Preventing building of nests (Removal of defective places in houses, serving as hiding places. This must always be done after having destroyed the wasps) Because of the killing effect of dusting or spray products made of DDT, Lindan and other, which are indeed a hundred per cent efficient but act slowly, and because of the repellent effect of some substances wasps are often induced to build swarms in front of the openings leading to the nest. Wasps which enter a treated nest and come out again, are already affected by the insecticides, though they are still able to fly. These insects become dangerous to human beings, since traces of insecticides increase the poisonous effects of a wasp's sting and may cause desagreable inflammations. It has often been reported that some wasps are still flying in the nest one or two days after the treatment. A further treatment would lead to an aplication of undesired high quantities of insecticides, which could be avoided; furthermore, this creates unnecessary work for the institutions in charge with destroying insects. The application of the tested compound containing Dichlorvos (in an aerosol preparation), which has a rejecting effect on wasps as well as the use of compounds with a low percentage of Propoxur in a 5% watery emulsion and in a 2% suspension, in a proportion of 1500 cm³ per nest, killing the wasps slowly causes also a concentration of irritated wasps in front of the opening, which is, of course, undesirable for hygienic reasons. A rapid destruction of the wasps in the nest and the ones flying to the nest can be obtained when using a more concentrated emulsion (10%), or a more concentrated suspension (4%) both of them only containing Propoxur, or sprays ready for use containing Propoxur and Dichlorvos. The rejecting effect of these preparations on wasps is low. Applications of products ready for use containing Propoxur and Dichlorvos can destroy a swarm of wasps within a few hours. In the case of inaccessible cavities and recessed openings of hiding places, aerosol preparations in atomizers are specially suitable.

     

Modelling dimensional growth of three street tree species in the urban forest of the City of Tshwane,South Africa

Tree height, crown height, crown diameter and stem diameter were measured for 282 trees of the indigenous species Combretum erythrophyllum, Searsia lancea and S. pendulina. Growth relationships were modelled using age as explanatory variable for stem diameter and subsequently stem diameter as explanatory variable for tree height, crown height and crown diameter. Coefficients are presented for predicting tree dimensions using a logarithmic function. There were strong correlations for stem diameter and age (r ² ≥ 0.75), and crown diameter and stem diameter (r ² ≥ 0.74) for all three of the species investigated. Correlations were weaker for tree height and stem diameter (r ² ≥ 0.63), and crown height and stem diameter (r ² ≥ 0.60) for S. pendulina but stronger for both C. erythrophyllum (r ² ≥ 0.83) and S. lancea (r ² ≥ 0.70) in both instances. The results can be used in forecasting the physical dimensions of these species as a function of time. The results could also be used in the process of modelling energy use reduction, air pollution uptake, rainfall interception, carbon sequestration and microclimate modification of urban forests such as those found in the City of Tshwane.     

Automated quantification of the impact of the wood-decay fungus Physisporinus vitreus on the cell wall structure of Norway spruce by tomographic microscopy

The visualization and the quantification of microscopic decay patterns are important for the study of the impact of wood-decay fungi in general, as well as for wood-decay fungi and microorganisms with possible applications in biotechnology. In the present work, a method was developed for the automated localization and quantification of microscopic cell wall elements (CWE) of Norway spruce wood such as bordered pits, intrinsic defects, hyphae or alterations induced by white-rot fungus Physisporinus vitreus using high-resolution X-ray computed tomographic microscopy. In addition to classical destructive wood anatomical methods such as light or laser scanning microscopy, this method allows for the first time to compute the properties (e.g., area, orientation and size distribution) of CWE of the tracheids in a sample. This is essential for modeling the influence of microscopic CWE on macroscopic properties such as wood strength and permeability.     

Application of the stock change and the production approach to Harvested Wood Products in the EU-15 countries: a comparative analysis

With the analytical tool: Frankfurt Harvested Wood Products (HWP) Model, carbon stocks and carbon stock changes of HWP, either in USE or in LANDFILLS, have been evaluated from the readily available statistical data base of the FAO, FAOSTAT, on the wood commodities: “Sawnwood and Wood-based Panels” and the paper commodities: “Paper and Paperboard”. Essential differences have been found between the individual 15 EU countries in the comparison of the Stock Change Approach and the Production Approach, as well as in the comparison of the stock changes of HWP with the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) budgets. The stock changes for the HWP in USE within the EU-15 Community have been calculated to be 10.83 Mt C/a (39.71 Mt CO₂/a) based on the Stock Change Approach and 9.81 Mt C/a (35.97 Mt CO₂/a) for the Production Approach, respectively. These numbers can be compared to the total GHG Inventory of the EU-15 of 4,095 Mt CO₂ equivalents, including all six Kyoto gases, which shows that the carbon sequestration of HWP in USE is of the order of 1% relative to GHG Inventory. The GHG balance for the carbon stock changes of HWP in LANDFILLS is of similar magnitude as for the HWP in USE, and therefore a sink when methane outgasing is disregarded. However, when methane outgasing is considered, which is formed as a 1:1 mixture with CO₂ under the prevailing anaerobic conditions the GHG balance results in minus 10.0 Mt C equivalent/a and minus 10.6 Mt C equivalent/a for the Stock Change Approach and the Production Approach under the parameters chosen in this study. Presented in Dublin, October 6–9, 2004, COST-21 Plenary Session.     

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics in topsoils along forest conversion sequences in the Ore Mountains and the Saxonian lowland, Germany

Carbon and nitrogen stocks and their medium-term and readily decomposable fractions in topsoils were compared in relation to soil microbial biomass and activity along sequences from coniferous to deciduous stands. The study was carried out in the Ore Mountains and the Saxonian lowland, representing two typical natural regions in Saxony, Germany. In accordance with current forest conversion practices, the investigation sites represent different stands: mature conifer stands of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) (type A); Norway Scots spruce and pine with advanced plantings of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) or European beech/Common oak (Quercus petreae Liebl.) (type B); and mature deciduous stands of European beech and European beech/Common oak (type C). The investigated forest sites can be grouped into three silvicultural situations according to the development from coniferous stands to advanced plantings and finally mature deciduous forests (chronosequence A–B–C). The organic layer (L, F and H horizons) and uppermost mineral soil (0–10 cm) were analysed for potential C mineralisation, microbial biomass, concentrations of total C and N (TOC and TN) and for medium-term and readily decomposable C and N fractions, obtained by hot- and cold-water extraction respectively. The results showed an increase in organic layer thickness and mass as well as TOC and TN stocks along the forest sequences in the lowland. Yet, underplanted sites with two storeys revealed higher organic layer mass as well as TOC and TN stocks as compared to coniferous and deciduous stands. Stocks of hot- and cold-water-extractable C and N in relation to microbial biomass and its activity revealed a high turnover activity in deeper organic horizons of deciduous forests compared to coniferous stands. The stand-specific differentiation is discussed in relation to microbial biomass, litter quantity and quality and forest structure, but also with respect to the site-specific climatic factors and water budget as well as liming and fly-ash impacts. Results indicate higher dynamics in deciduous stands in the lowland especially during the initial turnover phase. The elevated microbial activity in deeper organic horizons of deciduous litter-influenced sites in spring is discussed as a specific indicator for long-term C sequestration potential as besides C mineralisation organic compounds are humified and thus, can be stored in the organic layer or in deeper soil horizons. Due to liming activities, stand-specific effects on organic matter turnover dynamics have evened out today in the Ore mountain region, but will presumably occur again once base saturation decreases. Here, the stand-specific effect on microbial biomass can currently be seen again as C_mic in the L horizon increased from spruce to beech. Our study sites in the lowland revealed no significant fly-ash impact. Differences between sites were evaluated by calculating the discriminance function. TOC and TN as well as medium-term degradable C and N were defined in this study as indicators for turnover dynamics along forest conversion sites.     

降香黄檀嫁接技术研究

Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen is one of the two most precious tree species naturally distributed in China. The grafting techniques of D. odorifera were studied through comparing grafting methods, grafting seasons, rootstock grades as well as scion buds. The results showed that both "scarf joint grafting" and traditional cleft grafting were feasible for stem grafting. The two-bud "scarf joint grafting" got the best survival rate, while the cleft grafting was easy to operate. The best grafting seasons varied in the light of climate. In the warm southwest of Hainan island, the best grafting season was winter when the survival rate could achieve as high as 99.1%. While in Guangzhou, the best grafting season was the end of fall, and the corresponding survival rate was 94.6%. The quality of rootstock as well as scion bud affected the growth of scion bud directly. The growth of grade I buds/grade I rootstocks were 17 times that of grade III buds/grade III rootstocks. The study was beneficial for the preservation of high quality germplasm resources as well as for clone grafting of D. odorifera.     

Change in the impression of rooms with interior wood finishes arranged differently: questionnaire survey with the use of photographs for the analysis of impressions of rooms concerning living activities

Efforts were made to quantify the impact of visual stimulation from interior wood finishes on the impression of room interiors, using feelings about living activities as indicators. Four types of room interiors with interior wood finishes used in different proportions were simulated. The room interiors were photographed from the same viewpoint. A survey was conducted by interviewing 200 test subjects. As a result of the analysis of principal components, it was found that desires of living activities obtained from the four photographs consisted of two factors: desires for calmness and desires for activities. A great desire for calmness was obtained from photographs showing wood materials. A weak desire for calmness and a strong desire for activities were obtained from a photograph that showed no wood materials. Great desires for both calmness and activities were obtained from a photograph showing wood materials used only as flooring material. As for an evaluation of “living,” the photograph of a room interior without wooden materials was evaluated as a place that test subjects did not feel like living in. The photograph showing wood materials used only as flooring material was evaluated as the place that test subjects most felt like living in, and considered most suitable as a living space.     

Proximity to the forest edge affects the production of sexual offspring and colony survival in the red wood ant Formica aquilonia in forest clear-cuts

Abstract

Red wood ants of the Formica rufa group, as well as their nests, form a vital part of the ecosystems of both European and Siberian boreal and temperate forests. It has been well documented that the nests of red wood ants in clear-cuts do not perform as well as those deeper in the forest. However, clear-cuts may not be a homogeneously poor habitat for such forest-dwelling ants because the distance of the nest site to the edge of the remaining forest may be a significant factor affecting the nest performance. In this study, I compared the probability of nest survival and sexual offspring production between the nests of Formica aquilonia (Yarrow, 1955) in a forest edge zone (distance to the forest edge <9.2 m) and a clear-cut centre zone in 18 different clear-cut areas. Although the nests were generally smaller, the probability of sexual offspring production and nest survival was higher among those nests in the edge compared to the centre zone. Since the proximity to the forest edge increased the performance of a nest, selective logging and smaller scale clear-cuts may not be as harmful to red wood ants as clear-cutting over a large area.     

The intestinal microbiome: A separate organ inside the body with the metabolic potential to influence the bioactivity of botanicals

For many years, it was believed that the main function of the large intestine was the resorption of water and salt and the facilitated disposal of waste materials. However, this task definition was far from complete, as it did not consider the activity of the microbial content of the large intestine. Nowadays it is clear that the complex microbial ecosystem in our intestines should be considered as a separate organ within the body, with a metabolic capacity which exceeds the liver with a factor 100. The intestinal microbiome is therefore closely involved in the first-pass metabolism of dietary compounds. This is especially true for botanical supplements, which are now marketed for various health applications. Being of natural origin, their structural building blocks, such as polyphenols, are often highly recognized by the human and especially the intestinal microbial metabolism machinery. Intensive metabolism results in often low circulating levels of the original products, with the consequence that final health effects of botanicals are often related to specific active metabolites which are produced in the body rather than being related to the product's original composition. Understanding how such metabolic processes contribute to the in situ exposure is therefore crucial for the proper interpretation of biological responses. A multidisciplinary approach, characterizing the food and phytochemical intake as well as the metabolic potency of the gut microbiota, while measuring biomarkers of both exposure and response in target tissues, is therefore of critical importance. With polyphenol metabolism as example, this review describes how the incorporation of microbial metabolism as an important variable in the evaluation of the final bioactivity of botanicals strongly increases the relevance and predictive value of the outcome. Moreover, knowledge about intestinal processes may offer innovative strategies for targeted product development.     

Using the Spectacled Bear as a Conservation Tool in the Condor Bioreserve,Ecuador

Abstract

Conservation organizations in the Condor Bioreserve (CBR) in northern Ecuador use the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) as a surrogate species to focus conservation efforts. However, the utility of single-species management has been questioned in recent scientific literature, making it appropriate to review the spectacled bear's efficacy as a conservation tool. The spectacled bear does not enjoy unqualified public support in CBR and surroundings, suggesting that it may not be appropriate as a flagship species. It may be more effective as a keystone species; its diet and migratory habits suggest that it may have a significant impact on plant community structure through fruit dispersal. However, more research is needed in this arena before drawing any conclusions. The spectacled bear is perhaps most appropriate as an umbrella species because of its large home range, which encompasses at least two ecosystem types: páramo and montane forest. Traditionally, the concept of the umbrella species has stressed minimum area requirements, but the spectacled bear may be a more effective umbrella species if its dispersal requirements and seasonal migration patterns are also addressed. Eco-Ciencia, an Ecuadorian research organization, recently constructed a habitat model for spectacled bear. They are uniquely positioned to address issues of habitat connectivity both within and between the protected areas of CBR. In doing so, they could influence future zoning decisions in and around CBR, an area that is experiencing rapid population growth. This could improve conservation efforts for spectacled bear and other species.     

沟叶结缕草的组织培养和无性系的建立

通过研究不同基本培养基及植物生长调节组合对沟叶结缕草丛生芽诱导、增殖和愈伤组织诱导、分化的影响,建立起沟叶结缕草试管无性系。以地下匍匐根状茎的顶芽为外植株,在MS 6-BA 2 mg.L-1 NAA 0.1 mg.L-1培养基上诱导丛生芽形成,以MS KT 3 mg.L-1 NAA 0.1 mg.L-1作为继代增殖培养基,建立起丛生芽苗→不定芽发生→丛生芽苗速生试管无性系;以丛生芽苗基部为外植体,以MS 2.4-D 4 mg.L-1作为愈伤组织诱导培养基,以MS基本培养基作为愈伤组织分化培养基,建立起丛生苗→愈伤组织→愈伤组织分化→丛生苗试管无性系。试管无性系室外移栽成活率达95%以上。沟叶结缕草试管无性系的建立为细胞工程育种和基因转化的研究奠定了基础。     

Forest management and forest state in southern Sweden before and after the impact of storm Gudrun in the winter of 2005

About three times the annual cut in southern Sweden (Götaland) was damaged by the storm Gudrun in January 2005, i.e. almost as much as the normal annual cut for all of Sweden. To establish any differences in forest management and state before and after the storm, measures such as growing stock volume, age-class distribution, and species composition were analyzed within the damaged area. As a reference the situation before and after the storm within the area in Götaland not damaged by the storm was also analyzed. For all analyses, sample plots from the Swedish National Forest Inventory were used. Results based on mean values for the years 2000–2004/2005–2009 showed that the total growing stock for the damaged area decreased by approximately 30 million m³ after the storm. This was mainly caused by a decrease in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst). Annual growth for pine, spruce, and deciduous trees decreased by 1.8 million m³ in the damaged area. This mainly included stands already thinned and not, as expected, in the stands ready for final felling. Also, the proportional area within each of the age classes 21–40, 41–60, and 61–80 years decreased. The storm led to an increased area in immediate need of precommercial thinning. No changes in choice of species when regenerating could be observed. Furthermore, only marginal adaptation by forest owners to future risk of wind throw could be detected.     

Dielectric relaxation due to the heterogeneous structure of wood charcoal

Delignified hinoki wood and cellulose as well as hinoki and lauan woods were carbonized at 590°C for 1 h. The dielectric properties of these specimens were measured at 20°C in a frequency range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz. Inflection points in the dielectric constant (ε′) versus the logarithm of frequency (log f) curves as well as in the logarithm of the electric conductivity (log σ) versus log f curves for all specimens prepared were recognized. Peaks in the dielectric loss and the imaginary part of the complex conductivity versus the log f curves were detected in the frequency location corresponding to the inflection point in the ε′ and log σ versus log f curves. It was considered that this relaxation was responsible for the interfacial polarization observed in heterogeneous materials because no permanent dipoles existed in the specimens carbonized above 500°C. The Cole–Cole circular arc law was applied to account for this relaxation. Similar average relaxation times were obtained for all specimens. These results suggested that the observed relaxation was ascribed to interfacial polarization at microscopic levels in the cell walls.     

Simulation of the water and nitrogen balances of forests within a catchment in the northeastern German lowlands

The simulation model FOREST-BGC was used to calculate the regional water and nitrogen balances of coniferous and deciduous forests within the Stöbber catchment area over a period of 4 years. This catchment area is located in the northeastern German lowlands. The forest inventory database of the Landesforstanstalt Eberswalde served as a basis for the estimation of initial values of the forest stands and the soil conditions. The mean annual precipitation rate of the calculation period was 560 mm a^–1, the overall mean annual rate of the calculated interception loss was 178 mm a^–1. Furthermore, a mean annual transpiration rate of 329 mm a^–1 and a mean annual soil water discharge of 77 mm a^–1 were calculated by the model. The simulation of nitrogen leaching resulted in a mean annual rate of 7 kg N ha^–1 a^–1. Some simulation results are compared with measurements, and the database used for the estimation of the model initial values as well as for the model calibration is discussed. Additionally, an evaluation of the model performance was carried out for the purposes of our study. Due to the results of this evaluation, the model algorithms of the nitrogen turnover processes, especially in the soil, seem to be too simple and inappropriate for a realistic calculation of the nitrogen budget of forest ecosystems.     

Event analysis of the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the financial performance of the U.S. forest products industry

The U.S. forest products industry has witnessed an unprecedented period of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in recent years. In this study, the impact of 70 M&As from 1990 to 2004 on the financial performance of 85 publicly traded forest firms was evaluated. The examination of abnormal returns revealed that the equity market had responded to these M&As. The average cumulative abnormal returns for all the firms as a group ranged from 1.66% for the 15-day event window to 3.03% for the 3-day event window. From the cross-sectional regressions, the position as a target firm and the relative transaction size explained a large portion of the variations of the individual firms' cumulative abnormal returns. Finally, risk analyses through the Capital Asset Pricing Model showed that the risk for some of the selected 14 acquiring firms had changed after the M&As.