Response of gas exchange rates in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies firma</Emphasis> seedlings to various additional stresses under chronic acid fog stress

In order to clarify the chronic influence of acid fog on the gas exchange rates of momi fir (Abies firma Sieb. et Zucc.) trees, we exposed them to simulated acid fog (pH 3) for 3 years. The composition of the acid fog was similar to that observed in a region where momi fir trees have been declining, and it contained organic acids. We then treated the firs with various additional stresses, such as drought, low temperature, fine root cutting, ozone exposure, soil acidification, nitrogen load, and rhizosphere aluminum stress. Under chronic exposure to acid fog, the momi fir seedlings exhibited a pattern of stomatal behavior whereby they excessively opened in summer and closed in winter. Furthermore, the stomata of these seedlings tended to open during drought stress, and their needles were visibly injured after ozone exposure. The net photosynthesis rates of the seedlings exposed to acid fog were regulated by their stomatal aperture, rather than directly by acid fog. These results suggest that acid fog exposure disturbs the control of stomatal function in the momi fir seedlings. In addition, we found that chronic acid fog exposure suppressed the decrease in net photosynthesis rate, due to its nitrogen load.     

Effect of soil air volume change on CH4 consumption in brown forest soil

The relationship between soil air volume and CH₄ consumption in brown forest soils was investigated. The CH₄ consumption was negatively affected when the soil air volume decreased in experiments carried out bothin situ and in the laboratory. A strong dependence of the CH₄ consumption on the soil air volume was found in the laboratory experiment. These results indicate the possibility that the soil air volume is the primary rate-limiting factor for the CH₄ consumption in forest soil. Thus our work suggests that the other factors by which CH₄ consumption might be affected should be examined under the same air volume condition in the soil. To obtain accurate data, we need to be careful not to change the air volume by trampling or disturbing during the measurement of the natural methane fluxin situ.     

Distribution of boron in wood treated with aqueous and methanolic boric acid solutions

The distributions of boron in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) sapwood blocks treated with aqueous or methanolic boric acid [B(OH)₃] solutions were explored through Raman spectroscopy and prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA). B(OH)₃ was the sole boron species observed in Raman spectra of the wood blocks treated with either solution. Plots of weight gain of the treated wood blocks versus boron concentration in treatment solutions were found to be linear. The results indicated that the methanolic solution makes it possible to impregnate wood with much larger amounts of boron than the aqueous solution. PGA confirmed that B(OH)₃ was highly enriched near the end grains of the treated wood blocks. Raman measurements suggested that boron content in the bulk of the wood block is not as large as expected from the weight gain of the treated wood blocks when an ordinary air-drying method is used. It was concluded that the aqueous solution impregnates the cell walls of wood with boron more easily than the methanolic solution. Part of this report was presented at the 55th (Kyoto, March 2005) and 56th (Akita, August 2006) Annual Meetings of the Japan Wood Research Society. This article follows the previous rapid communication “Analysis of boron in wood treated with boric acid solutions using Doppler broadening method of prompt gamma-rays.” J Wood Sci (2006) 52:279–281     

Factors affecting forest growth and possible effects of climate change in the Taihang Mountains, northern China

To estimate the possible effects of site factors and climatechange on forest growth in the Taihang Mountains, northern China,we assessed the factors influencing forest growth by using forestinventory data from 712 forest sample plots. Meteorologicaldata from 77 meteorological stations in the region were usedto estimate temperature and precipitation at each site fromelevation and longitude. Analyses showed that temperature, aspect,precipitation and soil thickness all significantly influencedforest growing stock (FGS), i.e. stem volume. When temperaturerose, FGS was reduced, possibly because increasing temperatureincreased evapotranspiration. Precipitation had a positive effecton FGS. The effect of aspect on FGS was perfectly expressedas a cosine function, with south-west- and south-facing slopeshaving the lowest FGS and north-facing slopes having the highest.We developed multifactorial regression models to predict changesin FGS in the Taihang Mountains. Temperature, forest age, forestcover, soil thickness, precipitation and aspect were well relatedto FGS. The effects of a temperature decrease and a precipitationincrease on FGS would be 2.5–8 per cent per degree centigradeand 10 per cent per 100 mm, respectively. The combination oftemperature increase and precipitation changes under futureclimate change is likely to result in a decrease of FGS, thoughthis does not take account the effect of increasing CO₂. Wealso used multifactorial regression models to analyse the effectsof site factors on FGS of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. and Robiniapseudoacacia L., two major species used in afforestation inthe Taihang Mountains. Although site factors had similar effectson FGS, diameter at breast height and tree height of both species,prediction accuracy (regression coefficient) was improved greatlywhen we treated the species separately.     

Chemical changes in steam-pressed kenaf core binderless particleboard

The effects of chemical changes in kenaf core binderless particleboards on the bonding performance and thickness swelling of boards were investigated by chemical and spectroscopic analyses. Mild steam-injection treatments (0.6–1.0MPa) caused significant degradation of hemicelluloses, lignin, and cellulose. Conventional hot pressing caused a lower degree of degradation of the chemical components. The hot-pressed kenaf core board without any binders showed poor bonding performance. Thus, it was found that partial degradation of the three major chemical components of the kenaf core by mild steam-injection treatment increased the bonding performance and dimensional stability of the binderless boards, and gave better quality binderless boards than those made by hot-pressing treatments.Part of this report was presented at the 4th International Wood Science Symposium, Serpong, Indonesia, September 2002; and at the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Japan Wood Research Society, Fukuoka, March 2003     

Probabilistic evaluation of the final moisture content of kiln-dried lumber using the bootstrap method

This paper presents a probabilistic method of evaluating the final moisture content (MC) of lumber obtained at the end of the kiln-drying process. The final MC data of three different drying tests conducted in past studies were analyzed using the bootstrap method. Target MC was tentatively set below 20 % in the analysis. Two characteristic parameters representing the final MC were estimated with bootstrap confidence intervals. These parameters were the standard deviation (SD) and the percentage of the population that met the MC requirement of less than 20 % (P ₂₀). The histograms of the final MC and the subsequent goodness-of-fit tests revealed that the final MC data of two drying tests did not follow any classical probability distributions, including Normal, Log-Normal, Weibull, and Gamma distributions, thus indicating the need for nonparametric statistics. The uncertainty of the final MC could be evaluated with the estimated SD and P ₂₀. After deriving the relationships between P ₂₀ and the corresponding probability that P ₂₀ is not achieved, we demonstrated how such relationships could provide a kiln operator with information to facilitate better decision-making in optimizing a drying schedule.     

Termite repellent sesquiterpenoids from Callitris glaucophylla heartwood

Fractions of methanol and ethanol extracts from the heartwood of white cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla Thompson et Johnson) were investigated for their repellent activity against subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki worker using a two-choice semicircular filter paper test at 0.5% (w/w) concentration. Fraction CY-E2 composed of (−)-citronellic acid, guaiol, α-, β-, and γ-eudesmol isomers as well as an unknown compound, showed the highest statistically significant repellency (97.8% ± 2.2 SEM) of all fractions tested. Bioactivity-guided fractionations using high-performance liquid chromatography led to the isolation of two, oxygenated eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes with α-methylene moieties, both termite-repellent compounds. These compounds were subsequently identified as ilicic acid methyl ester (IAME) and costic acid by means of spectroscopic analyses, electron impact mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We report the isolation of both IAME and costic acid from C. glaucophylla heartwood for the first time. Part of this paper was presented at the 47th Symposium on the Chemistry of Terpenes, Essential Oils, and Aromatics, Tokyo, November 2003     

Effects of chronic acid fog exposure with soil acidification or nitrogen loading on nutrient status in Abies firma seedlings

To clarify the nutrient status in momi fir (Abies firma Sieb. et Zucc.) seedlings under complex stress conditions of acid fog with soil acidification or nitrogen loading, we exposed seedling shoots to simulated acid fog (pH 3) and simultaneously loaded the soil with acid or excess nitrogen for 17 months. Proton and nitrogen loading reduced K concentration in soil, but these treatments had little effect on the nutrient status of fine roots in momi fir seedlings. Acid fog exposure resulted in reduced concentrations of Mg, Al, and Fe in current-year needles and Mg, Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn in 1-year-old needles. The complex effects of acid fog exposure with proton or nitrogen loading on nutrient status were relatively slight. However, elements such as Al and Cu notably reflect the effects of proton loading. These results show that the nutrient status of trace elements, rather than major elements, in needles of momi fir seedlings is sensitive to exposure to acid fog or proton loading.     

Genetic diversity of Populus euphratica populations in northwestern China determined by RAPD DNA analysis

Five Populus euphratica Oliver populations in northwestern China were analyzed using RAPD DNA markers to determine genetic diversity among and within populations. One hundred-and-five polymorphic bands were observed, ranging in size from 250 bp to 1700 bp, using 10 primers. Only one population on the north side of the Tianshern Range had a unique band common to all individuals that was not found in individuals from populations in the Tarim River valley. Intra-population genetic diversity was high in two populations along the Tarim River and low in the other three populations. There was no significant correlation between genetic distances and geographic distances. The result of correspondence analysis shows that the individuals from the three populations with low genetic diversity are isolated from each other. The result of cluster analysis based on genetic distance shows that the population in the Tianshern Range is genetically distant from the other populations. These results suggest that the Tianshern Range population was genetically isolated from the other populations.     

Ligand-binding characteristics of feline insulin-binding immunoglobulin G

Polyclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) G autoantibodies against insulin have been identified in sera of healthy cats. We purified and fractionated insulin-binding IgGs from cat sera by affinity chromatography and analyzed affinity of insulin-binding IgGs for insulin and their epitopes. Following the passing of fraction A, which did not bind to insulin, insulin-binding IgGs were eluted into two fractions, B and C, by affinity chromatography using a column fixed with bovine insulin. Dissociation constant (KD) values between insulin-binding IgGs and insulin, determined by surface plasmon resonance analysis (Biacore™system), were 1.64e⁻⁴ M for fraction B (low affinity IgGs) and 2e⁻⁵ M for fraction C (high affinity IgGs). Epitope analysis was conducted using 16 peptide fragments synthesized in concord with the amino acid sequence of feline insulin by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fractions B and C showed higher absorbance (affinity) of the peptide fragment of 10 amino acid residues at the carboxyl-terminal of the B chain (peptide No. 19), followed by peptide fragments of 6 to 15 amino acid residues of the B chain (peptide No. 8). Fraction C showed a higher absorbance to 7 to 16 amino acid residues of the B chain (peptide No. 5) compared with the absorbance of fraction B. Polyclonal insulin-binding IgGs may form a macromolecule complex with insulin through the multiple affinity sites of IgG molecules. Feline insulin-binding IgGs are multifocal and may be composed of multiple IgG components and insulin.