Evaluation of the Hitman PH330 acoustic assessment system for harvesters

Reductions in Pinus radiata D. Don. (radiata pine) clearfell age have increased the juvenile wood proportion in sawlogs, increasing the need to segregate low modulus of elasticity (MOE) material early in the supply chain to avoid the costly processing of low-value, non-structural boards. In Australian radiata pine plantations, variability in MOE is greater between trees than between stands, requiring tests of individual trees to identify those with low MOE. Time of flight of a sound wave in a tree or log is known to be well-correlated to its MOE. The trial examined the ability of a newly developed acoustic assessment tool, the Hitman PH330 (PH330) supplied by Fibre-gen Limited, fitted to a harvester head, to identify and segregate low MOE sawlogs during a cut-to-length harvesting operation in a radiata pine plantation. The impact of using the tool on the harvester’s productivity was also examined. There was a reduction in the mean productivity of the harvester when using the PH330 compared with normal operations not using the PH330 but it was not significant. Mechanical MOE testing showed that boards cut from sawlogs which the PH330 identified as structural, had significantly greater mean MOE than boards from non-structural sawlogs, demonstrating the PH330 was able to separate high and low MOE sawlogs.     

Impacts of bucking and delimbing alternatives on pulpwood and energy wood yields in young thinning stands in Finland

The supply of energy wood from young forests could be enhanced by altering the harvesting methods in integrated pulpwood and energy wood thinnings. In this study, effects of different bucking and delimbing options on the biomass division into energy wood, pulpwood and logging residue were estimated in integrated thinnings of young stands dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies) or birches (Betula spp.) in Finland. Thinning options were simulated in the harvestings of model stands created on the basis of forest inventory data. Increasing the minimum top diameter of pulpwood (MTDP) expectedly increased energy wood and decreased pulpwood yields. Depending on tree species, energy wood yield increased by 36–65% when the top diameter was increased from the regular level (6 or 7 cm) to 8 cm in whole-tree harvesting, and was more than doubled when the top diameter was increased to 10 cm. Delimbed energy wood yield was increased by 240–280% when the top diameter was increased to 10 cm. Total harvesting yield in whole-tree thinnings was slightly increased by increasing top diameter. These increments in harvesting yields and reallocations of tree biomass could have an impact on large-scale forest energy potentials.     

Tree reactions and dune movements: Slowinski National Park,Poland

The effects on tree growth of both climatic and non-climatic variables were investigated in relation to dune dynamics at three sites on the Czolpinska dune in the Slowinski National Park, Poland where aeolian sediments are invading a forest of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). We found that where dune advance was relatively rapid, tree vitality declined after stem burial was over 1.9 m, but where advance was under 1 m/yr survival was remarkably increased, one tree survived, albeit with thinning needles, after an estimated 11.4 m burial. Below sand-surface stem discs, cut 0.5 m apart, from a heavily suppressed tree revealed a difference in narrow-ring reactions of up to 2 years over a 2 m burial distance; the discs also showed a time lag of 4 years before compression wood formation. Consequently, when estimating sand-movement rates we discounted compression wood reactions; we also excluded climatic events and pest infestations. The remaining data supplied a sand-advance rate at Site 1 from 2.4 to 3.5 m/yr. At Site 2, rates were from 1.2 to 2.5 m/yr, with a direct measurement of 0.3 m/yr between 2006 and 2007. At Site 3 rates were from 0.3 to 1.2 m/yr, with dune migration here virtually at a standstill over the last seven years. Direct measurement of sand movement (3.03 m/yr) at Site 1 was slower than the lowest rate (3.5 m/yr) previously recorded by Borówka (1980) for the larger dune system.     

A comparative evaluation of Origanum onites essential oil and its four major components as larvicides against the pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni Tams

The pine processionary moth (PPM), Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni Tams. (Lepidoptera: Thaumatopoeidae), is an important forest pest in the Mediterranean area, and urticating hairs of the caterpillars of this species cause allergic reactions on skin of humans and animals. In the present study, the larvicidal activities of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) essential oil and its four major components, carvacrol, gamma-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol and thymol, were evaluated against fourth/fifth-instar larvae of PPM under laboratory conditions. The essential oil was larvicidal to PPM with an LD(50) value of 3800 microL L(-1) when 0.1 mL was applied per larva. Carvacrol was the most toxic component found in the essential oil (LD(50) = 3100 microL L(-1)), followed by thymol (LD(50) = 5500 microL L(-1)). The other two components, gamma-terpinene and terpinen-4-ol, were less effective. The results showed that Turkish oregano essential oil and its two components, carvacrol and thymol, could be potential alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of PPM.     

马尾松N_2热处理材耐腐性能及化学性质的研究

采用均匀设计法探讨氮气(N2)热处理工艺对人工林马尾松木材耐腐性能及化学性质的影响。结果表明,随处理温度升高,保温时间增加,木材耐腐性能提高;N2热处理使其纤维素含量减少0.9%,半纤维素减少6.5%。红外光谱分析(FTIR)表明,N2热处理使木材内部O—H减少。马尾松N2热处理的较佳工艺条件:处理温度220℃,保温时间4 h,升温速率15℃.min-1,此时处理材腐朽后失重率16.4%,已达到Ⅱ级(耐腐)。     

脉冲磁场对松材线虫的影响

研究了脉冲磁场对松材线虫的影响。结果表明:脉冲前沿宽度越大、处理时间越长、脉冲周期的缩短,对松材线虫的影响越大;脉冲前沿宽度在5ms和10ms的情况下,随处理时间的延长,松材线虫的活动性受抑越明显,虫体复原所需时间也越长;脉冲磁场处理后,3、4龄幼虫和雌虫的抗性较强,仍具有较好的迁移能力,但2龄幼虫和雄虫受抑制显著、少有迁出;在脉冲前沿宽度1ms以下、处理时间短于20min时,对松材线虫的繁殖影响很小。     

测土配方施肥对湿地松生长与养分含量及其土壤肥力的影响

选择4年生湿地松优良家系试验林,通过测土配方施肥,研究其对湿地松生长与叶片、枝条养分含量及其土壤肥力的影响。结果表明:施肥后第2年,土壤全P含量与湿地松树高及胸径生长呈现极显著正相关,其数学模型分别为:y=-5.944 4 x+1.318 9、y=-7.500 0 x+2.700 0;施肥后土壤中速效K含量与叶片中全K含量呈现极显著正相关,其数学模型为:y=0.010 8 x-0.163 3;速效K含量与湿地松树高及胸径生长,其数学模型分别为:y=-0.032 8 x+1.513 3、y=-0.047 4 x+3.002 9;土壤中全N增长与湿地松叶片全N含量增长均呈现显著正相关,其数学模型为:y=7.016 1 x+0.162 1。湿地松平均树高与胸径相较于未施肥的对照组增幅分别达11%与13%以上,其差异达到了极显著水平。     

小兴安岭原始红松林降雨截留观测及分段模拟

以小兴安岭原始红松林为研究对象,通过119场降雨的观测,对原始红松林的降雨截留再分配进行系统研究。结果表明:1)研究期内小兴安岭原始红松林的穿透降雨量、树干径流量和冠层截留量依次为636.04、14.62、177.84 mm,分别占林外降雨量的76.77%、1.76%、21.47%;2)原始红松林的穿透雨率、林冠截留率与降雨量之间均呈对数关系(P0.01),而穿透雨量、林冠截留量与降雨量之间均呈线性相关关系(P0.01);3)当降雨量0.5 mm时,原始红松林开始产生树干径流,且树干径流量和树干径流率均与降雨量呈正相关关系(P0.01);4)在原始红松林水文过程中,通过变异系数比较可知,树干径流的变异性最大,穿透雨变异性最小;5)分段模拟和分类回归树的结果显示,林冠截留与降雨量拟合曲线的分割点为2.3和9.8 mm,且与整体回归模型相比较,分雨量段的林冠截留预测模型精度高,更符合林冠截留的生态水文过程。      

油松数量性状间相关及通径分析

通过对陕西省境内秦岭南坡和渭北旱原2个采种区的4个产地,12个天然群体的表型性状及其子代表型性状的相关关系和通径分析,研究了油松表型性状间的关系;并通过对其同工酶和表型性状及环境因子的相关分析,研究了三者之间的关系.