Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae) grows on aerial roots, which emerge above the water level, giving stands of this tree the characteristic “mangrove” appearance. To produce in situ and ex situ information for genetic conservation programs for this species, we investigated the genetic diversity and mating system of one R. mangle population. We sampled 30 adult trees and a total of 349 seeds in Northern Brazil. We genotyped all adult trees and seeds with four microsatellite loci. The average fixation index was -0.222 for adult trees and 0.030 for seeds. The multilocus outcrossing rate (t m =0.921) was significantly lower than unity (1.0). There was no substantial evidence of null alleles nor genotypic disequilibrium among the loci. The combined power to exclude the first parent probability was 0.921. The average coancestry coefficient (=0.180) was similar to that expected for half-sib progenies (=0.125). Thus, the number of adult trees necessary for seed collection to obtain progeny arrays with an effective size of 150 was estimated to be 62. In conclusion, this study produced important information for the management and conservation of R. mangle and will contribute to conservation and management programs for this species.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT In this study, the effect of papermaking waste sludge (PWS), petrochemical ash, and metakaolin (MK) replacement with portland cement in the manufacturing of fiber-cement composite (FCC) was investigated. Moreover, the toxicity of materials and FCC was evaluated. Modulus of rupture (MOR), (MOE), fracture toughness (FT), internal bonding strength (IB), water absorption after 24h immersion in water (WA24), and density of FCCs were measured. X-ray diffraction patterns were also obtained. According to the main results, Composites produced with 6% PWS content showed superior mechanical properties. Higher contents of PWS resulted in the reduction in fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion, increasing void contents, and hence lower strength properties. Replacing petrochemical ash and MK up to 10% provided optimum combinations and lightweight composites. In addition, X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed pozzolanic reactions of materials. Toxicity investigation showed that concentration of heavy metals in FCC leachate were reduced compared with ash. Pozzolanic reaction of materials had positive influence on solidification and stabilization of heavy metals. In conclusion, FCCs with the highest pozzolanic activity, were considered as the optimum combination. Moreover, successful stabilization and solidification of heavy metals occurred. Therefore, not only PWS and petrochemical ash can be reused in FCC manufacturing, but they also in turn reduced environmental pollution.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Growth and survival of understory seedlings are influenced by their interactions with the environmental variables. The understanding of the relationships between stand density, canopy structure, and understory seedlings’ growth help forest managers conduct successful establishment through natural regeneration. In this study, the influence of stand basal area (BA) (m2.ha-1), photosynthetically active radiation transmitted through canopy (PART), leaf area index (LAI), height-to-crown base (HCB) and aspect on the root-collar diameter (RCD) (mm) growth, height growth (cm) and belowground/aboveground biomass (g) of seedlings is observed in uneven-aged Trojan fir stands. Seedling growth and belowground/aboveground biomass models were developed for five growing seasons after germination. PART, aspect and HCB were found to be the most strongly related to RCD and height growth of Trojan fir seedlings. PART and aspect explained the most variance in belowground/aboveground biomass of the seedlings. The data also showed that the light transmitted through the canopy was the most significant predictor of understory seedlings growth; thus, PART reaching understory can accelerate the development of sub-canopy layers in uneven-aged Trojan fir stands. Although survival of Trojan fir seedlings is usually high under canopy, results suggest that complete canopy closure should be avoided even in stands of shade-tolerant species such as Trojan fir to increase a seedling’s vigor for its successful recruitment into middle and overstory. The findings of this study will be helpful for forest managers to enhance the establishment and recruitment of Trojan fir seedlings in uneven-aged stands.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Soil water saturation requires different adaptative strategies by tree species that live under such conditions. We aimed to study the responses that ensure flooding tolerance by tree species and so provide support for recovery projects with degraded areas subject to flooding. We evaluated the ecophysiology of Cedrela fissilis under different water saturations, including anatomical traits, gas exchange parameters, antioxidant system analysis and growth. We subjected 100 day-old plants to three treatments: Control (FC) where the substrate was kept at field capacity; Flooded Roots (FR), where the substrate remained submerged but with no surface layer of water, and Flooded Stem (FS), with a water layer accumulation of around 3.0 cm over the substrate, flooding part of the stems. The plants were kept under such conditions for 90 days. Plants survived in all treatments due to a marked development of cortical intercellular spaces in flooded plants. However, photosynthesis and other gaseous exchange were limited under FR and FS treatments. In addition, the periderm thickness was reduce by flooding and there was an accumulation of starch grains in the parenchyma cells of the xylem, cortex and pith of the stem. There was also a significant lipid peroxidation on the leaves under FR and FS treatments. The superoxide dismutase activity was decreased, but the activities of the ascorbate perioxidases and catalase in the leaves were increased. We concluded that young Cedrela fissilis plants partially tolerate flooding since they developed ecophysiological changes in order to survive in this condition. Consequently, this species is a good candidate for the reforestation projects in environments where intermittent flooding occurs, such as riverside and riparian forests.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Land-use changes are considered one of the most important factors that affect the water resources. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential impacts of land-use changes on the hydrological behavior of the Upper Grande River Basin, southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil, based on different land-use scenarios using the SWAT model. For this purpose, daily streamflow records from the Macaia gauge station were calibrated and validated under the current land-use. To assess land-use change impacts four land-use scenarios were developed following official environmental planning reports: S1 and S2 - conversion of forest into pasture of 20 and 50%, respectively; S3 and S4 - conversion of pasture into forest of 20 and 50%, respectively. The results have showed that, in general, the deforestation scenarios (S1 and S2) presented an increase in total runoff and peak flow and a decrease in the baseflow and evapotranspiration, whereas the reforestation scenarios (S3 and S4) have showed the opposite. The results showed that the land-use changes can generate positive impacts, such as reduction of surface runoff and increase in the baseflow, as well as negative ones, like the increase of soil erosion and flood risks.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Khaya senegalensis, is a promising species for forest production, as it has excellent timber properties and adapts well to local edaphoclimatic conditions. To achieve better results in plant production and growth, some factors are important, such as nutrients, water and light. Light interferes directly with photosynthesis, plant growth and biomass. This study aims to investigate the morphological response and nutrient accumulation in seedlings of Khaya senegalensis under luminosity levels. An experiment was installed in the forest nursery during 150 days. The seedlings were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments in luminosity levels (full sun, 70%, 50%, 30% and natural shade), and 16 replicates. Height and diameter were measured in 30 days intervals. At the end of the experiment, mass weights (leaf, stem, root and total) were measured, and the root-shoot ratio and seed quality index proposed by Dickson were calculated. The accumulated macro and micronutrient contents were determined from the dry leaf material. The highest plants, diameters and total dry matter were found at levels of 70%, 50%, 30%, respectively. Plants exposed to natural shade grew less, in relation to plants with higher luminosity levels. As for nutrient accumulation, plants under natural shade accumulated higher levels of iron, while plants in the full sun accumulated more nitrogen contents. Plants with partial light conditions (70%, 50%, and 30%) were heavier in total biomass. Thus, the initial growth of Khaya senegalensis in low light conditions is compromised, whereas partial luminosities favor the growth and quality of seedlings.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The aim of our study was to evaluate the dendrometric characteristics of Atlantic Forest trees of 21 years of deployment in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and their influence on topsoil fertility. We evaluated the survival rates, total heights, and diameters at 1.30 m of all trees in the stand. The characterized soil chemical attributes were pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, and organic matter at 0-0.1 m depth. The averages were compared by Student’s test (p<0.05). While Myroxylon peruiferum and Amburana cearensis had lower survival rates than the other species, Plathymenia reticulata had a larger diameter. All tree species showed diameter growth, though it was larger for Dalbergia nigra, Plathymenia reticulata, Schizolobium parahyba, Esenbeckia leiocarpa, and Lecythis Pisonis. All stands showed medium organic matter content, from 3.3 to 4.1%, and low P. The soils under the Dalbergia nigra and Plathymenia reticulata stands are the most acidic and with low Ca, Mg, and K levels. Our study demonstrated differences in growth patterns and that the species influenced the soil chemical characteristics differently.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT This article analyses role of the concept of “public interest” in forest management, governance and conservation in Turkey and seeks to obtain an insight into the “public interest” through exploring the permit process given by the State, and to help better understanding the roots of current issues. An institutional approach will be followed and various formal and informal legislation will be explored in their complex and dynamic interplay, which leads and shapes practices on the ground and resulting outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to bring some new perspectives to the debate about the proper balance between economic development policies and forest protection. It is also hypothesized that the concept of “public interest” could increase and lead deforestation through legislation. It first explains the theoretical framework on resource management, forest policy, and public interest. This general overview is followed by a more in-depth analysis of the role that public interest plays in deforestation via the permit process in the State forests. Turkey has lost irrevocably an area of 654.833 hectares in the State forests via the 94.148 permits granted. This analysis of public interest confirms that it is important to avoid legislation that overreaches. The concept of public interest may exceed implementation capacity (i.e., there may be an imbalance between the activities, procedures and institutional arrangements prescribed by legislation and high court decisions). Re-organization of decision-making mechanisms/process with a more participative approach is an important step toward achieving good governance and sustainability of the forest resources.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The manufacture of forest products with high physical and mechanical properties contribute to the development of the forest industry in obtaining more resistant products with potential in the construction sector. In this context, to contribute to the study of reconstituted panels this article discusses the manufacture of panels reinforced with recycled thermoplastics (WPC), which had as raw material sawdust of Pinus caribaea and as recycled thermoplastics polyethylene terephthalate, low-density polyethylene and polypropylene. The panels were obtained by extrusion and developed in four treatments with different proportions of raw material. Thickness swelling rates of the manufactured WPC were evaluated by immersing them in water at room temperature and monitoring thickness changes for several weeks. A swelling model developed by Saeed Kazemi Najafi was used to study the thickness swelling process of WPC. The WPC were characterized by thickness swelling, apparent density, static blending, longitudinal compression and tensile strength. The treatment with 50% sawdust and blend of all thermoplastics (T5) showed a tendency to reduce the thickness swelling because it absorbs 0.28% of water and maintains the balance of water absorption in 16.2% the apparent density was 1206 kgm-3. For the mechanical properties, the static blending, longitudinal compression and tensile strength are around 24.6, 142.4 and 32.8 MPa, respectively. These characteristics make a treatment the best response. Hence, is suggested this board be used for structural applications, such as interior or exterior walls, since the water absorption index is low and high mechanical properties allow being more resistant.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Cattley guava (Psidium catteyanum Sabine) is a widespread native plant species of South America and constitutes important genetic resources for the improvement of guava trees. Fruits of these species are consumed by wild animals and extracted by local human populations. However, the vegetative propagation of adult plants, which is necessary for fixing desired characteristics, has been inefficient. The objective of this work was to evaluate the rescue of adult plants of P. cattleyanum by herbaceous and semi-hardwood cuttings for the establishment of clonal mini-gardens and to evaluate the rooting potential of mini-cuttings of different genotypes. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme with the treatments being different propagule or propagation techniques (herbaceous and semi-hardwood cuttings from mother plants cultivated in the field and by mini-cuttings), with five repetitions and six propagules per plot. The potential for multiplication by the mini-cutting technique and plant vigor were evaluated for 20 genotypes of cattley guava during three seasons of the year (autumn, winter and summer). The use of semi-hardwood cuttings is feasible for the rescue of adult plants and the establishment of clonal mini-gardens. The mini-cutting technique provided the highest rooting percentage, and was most efficient in summer. The genotypes evaluated varied in rooting percentage and plant vigor.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) on photosynthetic metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activity in seedlings of Calophyllum brasiliense grown under water deficit. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with six treatments: 1) daily irrigation without ABA (I 0 ABA); 2) daily irrigation + ABA 10 µM (I 10 ABA); 3) daily irrigation + ABA 100 µM (I 100 ABA); 4) suspension of daily irrigation without ABA (E 0 ABA); 5) suspension of daily irrigation + ABA 10 µM (E 10 ABA); 6) suspension of daily irrigation + ABA 100 µM (E 100 ABA). According to results, suspending irrigation decreased gas exchange and water potential, affecting negatively the functioning of the photochemical apparatus, increasing antioxidant enzyme activity. The decrease in stomatal conductance was accompanied by a decrease in photosynthetic and transpiration rates, but seedlings treated with 10 µM ABA presented a higher photosynthetic rate than the remaining treatments under water deficit. Seedlings under water restriction showed recovery after reirrigation of all studied parameters until the end of the experiment, to values similar to those of control plants. Intermittent water deficit decreased plant water status and gas exchange, and increases the antioxidant enzyme activity. Application of 10 µM ABA minimizes the effects of water deficit and increases the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the leaves in C. brasiliense seedlings and improve plant recovery after resuming irrigation, preserving the integrity and functioning of photosynthetic apparatus.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Wood is a natural material that presents a great variation of properties. Many treatments have been developed in order to extend the service life of wood products. Nowadays, products with low toxicity and economic viability are a challenge to researchers. Nanotechnology has been indicated as a solution to this issue, since wood preservatives can be utilized in low concentration, promoting satisfactory results in terms of protection with no color changes. The main goal of this review is to present nanotechnology advances on wood protection. Self-cleaning surfaces, scratch and weathering resistance, and biocides properties have been achieved through nanoparticles (NPs) applications. Studies evaluating the performance of NPs from silver (Ag), boron (B), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc borate (B2O6Zn3), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) on wood protections have reported promising findings. Tests performed against termites, rot, mold and stain fungi, and UV degradation have demonstrated that some biocides have their properties improved in nanoscale. Controlled release and encapsulation technologies are another important matter once it can increase the effectiveness of wood treatments. NPs risk assessment for human health and the environment are still incipient. Despite of that, some products as nanozinc oxide (nanoZnO) and titanium dioxide (nanoTiO2) present encouraging potential. NanoZnO and NanoTiO2 have been reported as promising antifungals, antibacterials, and antiviral agents; beyond theirs biocides properties, low ecotoxicity impacts to the environment are expected. Based on this review, we consider that wood treatments based on NPs may play an important role in the next generation of wood protection systems.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The impact of residual effective alkali (REA) and pulp delignification degree on Eucalyptus kraft pulp yield and chemistry was investigated. In this study four types of eucalypt clones were evaluated. The eucalypt woods were cooked to kappa numbers of 14±1, 18±1, 22±1 and 26±1 using two different ranges of REA, namely: low-REA (1-2 g.L-1) and high-REA (8-9 g.L-1). In general, the low-REA cooks lead to pulps of higher yield, viscosity and xylans content and lower brightness and hexenuronic acid (HexA) content, in relation to the high-REA cooks. In addition, the low-REA cooks required about 20% less effective alkali to achieve the target kappa, in spite of demanding about 50% more H-factor. Similar trends were observed for the other woods and kappa values evaluated, but the level of gains varied substantially among woods and delignification degrees. Among the various woods, E. globulus was the easiest to delignify. There was a trend of higher brown pulp yield for the cooks terminated at higher kappa in the range of 14-26, but the lignin-HexA free screen yields were about similar in the kappa range of 18-26 for a given wood type.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Biosolids is a problematic residual issue in Brazil and other developing countries, where it is common to discard this material in landfills and/or open dumps. However, biosolids can be recycled in agricultural and forestry activities, considering they have high contents of organic matter and nutrients. Therefore, their application in substrates to produce forest seedlings can be beneficial. The scope of this study is to evaluate substrates with different proportions of biosolids and coconut fiber in the growth and quality of seedlings of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna, a native species from South America that is largely used for landscaping and forest restoration. There were studied substrates with proportions varying between 25 to 100% of biosolids and 75 to 0% of coconut fiber to produce seedlings in containers (plastic tubes with 280 cm³). At 120 days after sowing, it was measured the growth, biomass and quality of the seedlings. In general aspects, the higher the proportion of biosolids in the substrate, the higher were the growth, biomass and quality. The biosolids favored the growth in shoot height and biomass more than in diameter and root biomass. Considering the positive results and the possibility of recycling biosolids, it is recommended the use of substrates containing from 50 to 100% of biosolids to produce Ceiba speciosa seedlings in 280 cm³ plastic tubes.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The production of quality seedlings coupled with the correct choice of fertilizer doses/sources and the container type are essential in the planting of forest species. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between morphological, physiological and anatomical characteristics and container volume with different fertilizations on Acrocarpus fraxinifolius seeds seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a 2 x 8 factorial scheme (2 volumes of containers and 8 fertilizations), tested in polypropylene tubes of 50 and 110 cm³ and according to different fertilizations: control without fertilization; 4 increasing doses of Osmocote® Plus: 3, 5, 7, 9 kg.per.m³ of substrate, respectively; and 3 split mineral fertilizers with coverings. It was possible to note that the tube with the greatest volume of 110 cm³ presented the best results regarding the morphological characteristics, however, when analyzing the physiological variables it was clear that the 50 cm³ tubes present similar results to those of larger volume when well fertilized. Split fertilization presented better results than slow-release fertilization, and 50 cm³ tubes were more sensitive to fertilization due to the lower volume. Thus, the use of 50 cm³ tubes with fertilization is recommended for producing A. fraxinifolius seedlings, due to presenting physiological quality and economy of inputs in nursery production, transportation and planting.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Development of artificial neural network (ANN) models to estimate stem tapers of individual trees in mixed Fagus orientalis and Abies nordmanniana subsp. Equi-trojani stands distributed in Karabük region of Turkey, and comparison of the ANN models with stem taper equations were aimed in this study. The measurements were obtained from 516 sample trees (238 for Oriental beech and 278 for Kazdağı fir) in mixed stands of Karabük region. The measurements included diameter at breast height, tree height, diameter at stump height, and diameters at intervals of 1 m along the stem. In total, 45 ANN models and four stem taper equations were developed. Estimation performances of ANN models and stem taper equations were compared using relative rankings according to seven goodness-of-fit criteria. As a result, the ANN models were more successful in estimation of stem taper for both tree species. The most successful ANN model structures were (i) the model using logistic function in hidden layer with 10 nodes and hyperbolic tangent function in output layer for Fagus orientalis, and (ii) the model using logistic function in hidden layer with 10 nodes and linear function in output layer for Abies nordmanniana subsp. Equi-trojani.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT We analyzed the rooting of sequoia mini-cuttings from different clones in the four seasons of the year and the use of the logistic model to estimate the time of maximization of rooting in each factor of analysis. Mini-cuttings of five clones grown in clonal mini-garden were placed to root in mini-tunnel in four seasons of the year. Weekly evaluations were performed (from 30 to 93 days) of these variables: survival (%), rooted mini-cuttings (%) and a number of emitted roots. These data were used to adjust the original logistic function. The experiment was set in completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme of 5 (clones) x 4 (seasons), using five replicates of 50 mini-cuttings per experimental unit. During the winter the lowest rooting of mini-cuttings was achieved (85%), with rates higher than 90% in other seasons. In winter, slower rooting also occurred, around 60-70 days, while in other seasons it was between 50-60 days after mini-cutting planting. The rooting process is dependent on the clones. Our data showed that four clones presented rooting greater than 90% and one less than 70%. In general, mini-cuttings can be performed at any time of the year, recommending the period of 90 days in mini-tunnel.