Effects of thinning on the understory light environment of different stands and the photosynthetic performance and growth of the reforestation species Phoebe bournei

Light levels determine regeneration in stands and a key concern is how to regulate the light environment of different stand types to the requirements of the understory.In this study,we selected three stands typical in south China(a Cryptomeria japonica plantation,a Quercus acutissima plantation,and a mixed stand of both)and three thinning intensities to determine the best understory light environ-ment for 3-year-old Phoebe bournei seedlings.The canopy structure,understory light environment,and photosynthe-sis and growth indicators were assessed following thin-ning.Thinning improved canopy structure and understory light availability of each stand;species composition was the reason for differences in the understory light environ-ment.Under the same thinning intensity,the mixed stand had the greatest light radiation and most balanced spectral composition.P.bournei photosynthesis and growth were closely related to the light environment;all three stands required heavy thinning to create an effective and sustained understory light environment.In a suitable understory light environment,the efficiency of light interception,absorption,and use by seedlings was enhanced,resulting in a higher carbon assimilation the main limiting factor was stomatal conductance.As a shade-avoidance signal,red/far-red radia-tion is a critical factor driving changes in photosynthesis and growth of P.bournei seedlings,and a reduction increased light absorption and use capacity and height:diameter ratios.The growth advantage transformed from diameter to height,enabling seedlings to access more light.Our findings suggest that the regeneration of shade-tolerant species such as P.bournei could be enhanced if a targeted approach to thinning based on stand type was adopted.

Date of First Thinning in a Very High-Density Eucalyptus Plantation in the Pointe-Noire Region (Republic of Congo)

Management of the Pointe-Noire Forest requires high-performance tools for simulating tree and stand growth and assessing the sustainability of plantations. Modelling the dynamics of even-aged and mono-species stands is a very active research topic. The approaches adopted by researchers vary according to the objectives and species considered: dendrometrical, Eco physiological or architectural. Thanks to the particular nature of these plantations and the trial set-up, it will be possible to explore the various aspects of production, clearly separating the part linked to genetics (three clones tested) from the part linked to the environment (via fertilisation) and the part associated with competition between trees (via planting densities and thinning regimes). This study will make a major contribution to the applicability of the self-thinning line and the RDI (Reineke Density Index) (Reineke, 1933) to fast-growing plantations. This research work will contribute to two points: 1) product diversification, which is a way of coping with international variations in timber markets, and 2) understanding how ecosystems function in exceptionally poor conditions, which will then enable the environmental impacts of the various recommended silvicultural itineraries to be assessed. The results obtained show that competition between trees in a stand of eucalyptus at very high density (10,000 stems/ha) and in two environments of very contrasting fertility is different depending on the clone. The decision on the date of the first thinning with a view to silviculture for timber and energy wood, which aims to ensure sustained and sustainable production of eucalyptus wood in these soils, should be taken between 12 and 14 months. The competition band is strong between 14 and 17 months, when the RDI = 0.8 is double that observed at 12 months.

Soil properties and not plant factors affect both abundant and rare microbial taxa after thinning in a mixed stand of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sassafras tzumu

Thinning is an effective management step for sustainable forest development,yet less attention is paid to the restoration of soil microbiota after thinning.In this study,both abundant and rare soil microbial communities(i.e.,bacterial,fungal),were evaluated under various thinning treatments in a mixed stand of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sassafras tzumu using Mi Seq sequencing.Thinning did not significantly change either abundant or rare bacterial and fungal community composition,but affected their alpha diversity.The Shannon–Wiener indexes of rare fungal taxa under medium thinning were significantly lower than in the light thinning(P<0.05 level).Xanthobacteraceae dominated the abundant bacterial taxa,and Saitozyma and Mortierlla the abundant fungal taxa.The most common rare bacterial taxa varied;there was no prevalent rare fungal taxa under different thinnings.In addition,soil available nitrogen,total phosphorus,and p H had significant effects on rare bacterial taxa.Nutrients,especially available phosphorus,but not nitrogen,affected abundant and rare soil fungi.The results indicate that soil properties rather than plant factors affect abundant and rare microbial communities in soils of mixed stands.Thinning,through mediating soil properties,influences both abundant and rare bacterial and fungal communities in the mixed C.lanceolata and S.tzumu stand.

Assessment of BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester (Model BRRI WCH2021) for Mechanized Rice Harvesting in Bangladesh

Agricultural mechanization plays a pivotal role in the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with a particular focus on labour-intensive activities like harvesting. This study assesses the operational characteristics of the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester (Model BRRI WCH2021) at the field level. Developed under the SFMRA project, the harvester’s technical performance and loss assessment were conducted during the Boro 2022 and Aman 2022 seasons in farmer fields in Bangladesh’s Rangpur region. The field efficiency of the harvester was determined to be 62.5% and 57.9% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Fuel consumption rates were recorded at 2.77 l/ha and 2.31 l/ha for the Boro and Aman seasons. The total harvesting losses, encompassing cutter bar, shatter, cylinder, and separation loss, averaged 0.56% and 0.48% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Mechanized harvesting with the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester significantly reduced paddy losses by 5.81% compared to manual methods. The field evaluation results indicate the combine harvester’s satisfactory performance, highlighting its potential to alleviate labour demands during peak harvesting. The development of the BRRI WCH offers a sustainable solution for rice harvesting mechanization among progressive farmers. It paves the way for the broader adoption of advanced agricultural technology in Bangladesh.

Long-term thinning decreases the contribution of heterotrophic respiration to soil respiration in subalpine plantations

Interest in the dynamics of soil respiration(R_(S))in subalpine forest ecosystems is increasing due to their high soil carbon density and potential sensitivity to environmental changes.However,as a principal silvicultural practice,the long-term impacts of thinning on R_(S) and its heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration components(R_(h) and Ra,respectively)in subalpine plantations are poorly understood,espe-cially in winter.A 3-year field observation was carried out with consideration of winter CO_(2) efflux in middle-aged sub-alpine spruce plantations in northwestern China.A trench-ing method was used to explore the long-term impacts of thinning on Rs,Rn and R_(a).Seventeen years after thinning,mean annual Rs,Rn and R_(a) increased,while the contribu-tion of R_(h) to R_(s) decreased with thinning intensity.Thinning significantly decreased winter R,because of the reduction in R_(n) but had no significant effect on Ra.The temperature sensitivity(Q_(10))of R_(h) and R_(a) also increased with thinning intensity,with lower Q_(10) values for R_(h)(2.1-2.6)than for Ra(2.4-2.8).The results revealed the explanatory variables and pathways related to R_(n) and R_(a) dynamics.Thinning increased soil moisture and nitrate nitrogen(NO_(3)^(-)-N),and the enhanced nitrogen and water availability promoted R_(h) and R_(a) by improving fine root biomass and microbial activity.Our results highlight the positive roles of NO_(3)^(-)-N in stimulating R_(s) components following long-term thinning.Therefore,applications of nitrogen fertilizer are not recommended while thinning subalpine spruce plantations from the perspective of reducing soil CO_(2) emissions.The increased Q_(10) values of R_(s) components indicate that a large increase in soil CO_(2) emissions would be expected following thinning because of more pronounced climate warming in alpineregions.

Effects of thinning and understory removal on water use efficiency of Pinus massoniana:evidence from photosynthetic capacity and stable carbon isotope analyses

Understanding the relationship between forest management and water use efficiency(WUE)is important for evaluating forest adaptability to climate change.However,the effects of thinning and understory removal on WUE and its key controlling processes are not well understood,which limits our comprehension of the physiological mechanisms of various management practices.In this study,four forest management measures(no thinning:NT;understory removal:UR;light thinning:LT;and heavy thinning:HT)were carried out in Pinus massoniana plantations in a subtropical region of China.Photosynthetic capacity and needle stable carbon isotope composition(δ^(13)C)were measured to assess instantaneous water use efficiency(WUE_(inst))and long-term water use efficiency(WUE_(i)).Multiple regression models and structural equation modelling(SEM)identified the effects of soil properties and physiological performances on WUE_(inst)and WUE_(i).The results show that WUE_(inst)values among the four treatments were insignificant.However,compared with the NT stand(35.8μmol·mol^(-1)),WUE_(i)values significantly increased to 41.7μmol·mol^(-1)in the UR,50.1μmol·mol^(-1)in the LT and 46.6μmol·mol^(-1)in HT treatments,largely explained by photosynthetic capacity and soil water content.Understory removal did not change physiological performance(needle water potential and photosynthetic capacity).Thinning increased the net photosynthetic rate(A_n)but not stomatal conductance(g_s)or predawn needle water potential(ψ_(pd)),implying that the improvement in water use efficiency for thinned stands was largely driven by radiation interception than by soil water availability.In general,thinning may be an appropriate management measure to promote P.massoniana WUE to cope with seasonal droughts under future extreme climates.

Performance enhancement of a viscoelastic bistable energy harvester using time-delayed feedback control

This paper focuses on the stochastic analysis of a viscoelastic bistable energy harvesting system under colored noise and harmonic excitation, and adopts the time-delayed feedback control to improve its harvesting efficiency. Firstly, to obtain the dimensionless governing equation of the system, the original bistable system is approximated as a system without viscoelastic term by using the stochastic averaging method of energy envelope, and then is further decoupled to derive an equivalent system. The credibility of the proposed method is validated by contrasting the consistency between the numerical and the analytical results of the equivalent system under different noise conditions. The influence of system parameters on average output power is analyzed, and the control effect of the time-delayed feedback control on system performance is compared. The output performance of the system is improved with the occurrence of stochastic resonance(SR). Therefore, the signal-to-noise ratio expression for measuring SR is derived, and the dependence of its SR behavior on different parameters is explored.

A viscoelastic nonlinear energy sink with an electromagnetic energy harvester:Narrow-band random response

Nonlinear energy sink is a passive energy absorption device that surpasses linear dampers, and has gained significant attention in various fields of vibration suppression. This is owing to its capacity to offer high vibration attenuation and robustness across a wide frequency spectrum. Energy harvester is a device employed to convert kinetic energy into usable electric energy. In this paper, we propose an electromagnetic energy harvester enhanced viscoelastic nonlinear energy sink(VNES) to achieve passive vibration suppression and energy harvesting simultaneously. A critical departure from prior studies is the investigation of the stochastic P-bifurcation of the electromechanically coupled VNES system under narrowband random excitation. Initially, approximate analytical solutions are derived using a combination of a multiple-scale method and a perturbation approach. The substantial agreement between theoretical analysis solutions and numerical solutions obtained from Monte Carlo simulation underscores the method's high degree of validity. Furthermore, the effects of system parameters on system responses are carefully examined. Additionally, we demonstrate that stochastic P-bifurcation can be induced by system parameters, which is further verified by the steady-state density functions of displacement. Lastly,we analyze the impacts of various parameters on the mean square current and the mean output power, which are crucial for selecting suitable parameters to enhance the energy harvesting performance.

Effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China

To study the effect of thinning intensity on the carbon sequestration by natural mixed coniferous and broad-leaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China,we established six 100 m×100 m experimental plots in Dongfanghong For-est that varied in thinning intensity:plot A(10%),B(15%),C(20%),D(25%),E(30%),F(35%),and the control sample area(0%).A principal component analysis was performed using 50 different variables,including species diversity,soil fertility,litter characteristics,canopy structure param-eters,and seedling regeneration parameters.The effects of thinning intensity on carbon sequestration were strongest in plot E(0.75),followed by D(0.63),F(0.50),C(0.48),B(0.22),A(0.11),and the control(0.06).The composite score of plot E was the highest,indicating that the carbon sequestration effect was strongest at a thinning intensity of 30%.These findings provide useful insights that could aid the management of natural mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.This information has implications for future studies of these forests,and the methods used could aid future ecological assessments of the natural forests in Xiaoxing’an Mountains,China.

电动叶菜收获机速度协同控制系统设计与试验

针对电动叶菜收获机切割、输送和行走三者速度不协调导致的叶菜损伤率高、功耗大和收获效率低等问题,开发了一种电动叶菜收获机速度协同控制系统。系统以可编程逻辑控制器为核心,利用信息传感模块对割刀电机的电流、电压和转速进行数据采集;主控模块根据速度协同控制算法对采集信号进行处理,得到负载信息并协同切割、输送和行走三者速度。田间试验结果表明:系统稳定可靠,能够根据收获情况动态协同各部件速度参数,叶菜损伤率为8.88%;与传统定速控制方法相比,收获机功耗降低了13.1%,收获效率提升了33.4%。

Rheological properties of low consistency TMP from thinning wood of Chinese Fir

The rheological behavior of low consistency thermomechanical pulp of Chinese fir harvested by intermediate thinning was analyzed. The results show that the apparent viscosity of pulp changed along with the beating degree, pulp consistency and shearing velocity. With the increasing of pulp consistency, the apparent viscosity of pulp increased gradually. Beating degree of pulp had an effect on microstructure of pulp. The apparent viscosity of pulp declined as beating degree of pulp increased, and the apparent viscosity of pulp fell along with the shearing velocity increasing. Based on the results, the rheological models are set up. The models showed that the fluid types of the low consistency pulp could be described as pseudoplastics fluids （non-Newtonian fluids）.

柔性条式疏花执行装置试验研究

疏花可以调整果树负载量,是影响果树产量和质量的重要因素。为研究机械疏花效果及其影响因素,采用自主研发的柔性条式疏花机执行装置对桃花进行试验,选取橡胶和尼龙两种材料的疏花条,以疏花条轴向间距、疏花条列数、主轴转速、工作模式为试验因素,以疏花指数来评价疏花效果,并优化了装置的工作参数。结果表明:若采用尼龙疏花,疏花轴转速为400 r/min、疏花条列数为4、工作模式为冠内垂直、疏花条轴向间距为5 cm时效果最优;若采用胶条疏花,疏花轴转速为450 r/min、疏花条列数为4、工作模式为冠外平行、疏花条轴向间距为4 cm时效果最优。经试验验证,设计满足疏花的工作要求,为柔性条式疏花机的研发提供了理论依据。

甘薯秧蔓机械化收获防缠绕割台的设计与试验

为解决甘薯秧蔓相互交错缠绕、难以分离导致收获困难的问题,设计了一种甘薯秧蔓机械化收获防缠绕割台,并对仿垄型拨禾切割机构、伸缩弹齿捡拾机构的作业过程进行受力及运动分析,得到其作业参数范围。为避免仿垄型拨禾切割机构和伸缩弹齿捡拾机构在作业过程中发生缠绕,搭建了甘薯秧蔓机械化收获防缠绕割台的试验台架,进行单因素试验,以此来确定仿垄型拨禾切割机构和伸缩弹齿捡拾机构的最佳转速范围;利用Design-Expert 13.0软件中Box-Behnken试验设计方法,研究前进速度、切割转速、捡拾转速三因素两两交互作用对甘薯秧蔓回收率、缠绕程度、伤薯率的影响,并建立回归模型,进行试验参数优化,得到最优工作参数组合,即前进速度0.995 m/s、切割转速61.043 r/min、捡拾转速100.939 r/min,此时甘薯秧蔓的回收率为94.553%、缠绕程度为2.169%、伤薯率为0.213%。为验证最优参数的可靠性,将最优工作参数组合数据化零为整,作为田间试验的作业参数,进行田间试验验证,结果表明:甘薯秧蔓的薯秧蔓回收率为93.55%,缠绕程度为2.42%,伤薯率为0.38%。

履带式王草收获机驱动系统设计

王草是优质的多年生饲草作物,在我国南方地区广泛种植,具有直立簇生的特征,机械化平茬收获难度大。为此,基于王草机械化收获的技术要求,提出了一种驱动系统技术方案,介绍了其结构组成和工作原理,设计研制了驱动系统。经过理论分析与计算,完成了驱动系统的主要参数匹配,并实现了驱动系统的样机搭载。性能试验表明:样机最高行驶速度可达9.13 km/h,能够在低速挡位内无级变速,直行偏驶率为4.115%,达到了王草机械化收获的作业要求。

Study on the Model of Excessive Staminate Catkin Thinning of Proterandrous Walnut Based on Quadratic Polynomial Regression Equation and BP Artificial Neural Network

The excessive staminate catkin thinning （emasculation） of proterandrous walnut is an important management measure for improving yield. To improve the excessive staminate catkin thinning efficiency, the model of quadratic polynomial regression equation and BP artificial neural network was developed. The effects of ethephon, gibberel in and mepiquat on shedding rate of staminate catkin of pro-terandrous walnut were investigated by modeling field test. Based on the modeling test results, the excessive staminate catkin thinning model of quadratic polynomial regression equation and BP artificial neural network was established, and it was validated by field test next year. The test data were divided into training set, vali-dation set and test set. The total 20 sets of data obtained from the modeling field test were randomly divided into training set （17） and validation set （3） by central composite design （quadric rotational regression test design）, and the data obtained from the next-year field test were divided into the test set. The topological struc-ture of BP artificial neural network was 3-5-1. The results showed that the pre-diction errors of BP neural network for samples from the validation set were 1.355 0%, 0.429 1% and 0.353 8%, respectively; the difference between the predicted value by the BP neural network and validated value by field test was 2.04%, and the difference between the predicted value by the regression equation and validated value by field test was 3.12%; the prediction accuracy of BP neural network was over 1.0% higher than that of regression equation. The effective combination of quadratic polynomial stepwise regression and BP artificial neural network wil not only help to determine the effect of independent parameter but also improve the prediction accuracy.

四履带式甘蔗收割机越障性能仿真与试验

目前,甘蔗主产地有广西、云南等地区,甘蔗主产区以丘陵山地为主。轮式底盘甘蔗收割机通过性差而无法在狭窄、连绵起伏等复杂坡面作业,需要一种能够适应丘陵山区的甘蔗收割机。为此,设计了一款三角履带式甘蔗收割机,底盘是由前三角履带轮和后平履带轮构成的4履带行走系统,后履带偏摆转向。同时,对该机的结构参数、履带底盘在翻越垂直壁和跨越壕沟过程中的越障性能进行分析,得出4履带式甘蔗收割机履带底盘越障性能与其结构参数的内在联系;建立了该机的多体动力学模型,在RecurDyn软件中模拟了该机在不同的参数下的动力学性能,并对样机进行越障试验验证。验证试验表明:车辆能够跨越高为18 cm的固体垂直障碍,与仿真数据相比,实际测得的俯仰角、横摆角和翻滚角的幅值变化符合预期,车辆俯仰角波动幅值超过5°,甘蔗收割机的俯仰现象明显;翻滚角变化幅值达到3°,车辆通过障碍时,需要考虑其他因素导致车辆的俯仰角变化;跨越宽为50 cm、高18 cm壕沟时,安全通过壕沟;车辆的翻滚角变化明显,幅值最大相差2°,说明此时车辆左右两边履带的颠簸较为严重,但车辆总体越障稳定性较好。研究成果可为甘蔗收割机结构设计与改进、增强作业安全性提供关键技术支持,具有重要的参考价值。

Effects of Rice Combine Harvester Application to Harvest Chinese Milk Vetch Seeds

During the test, the seed yield, Iabor efficiency, harvesting costs and eco-nomic benefits were compared and analyzed between mechanical harvesting tech-noIogy and traditional artificial harvesting technoIogy of Chinese miIk vetch seeds to studied the mechanical harvesting technoIogy and appIication effects. The resuIts showed that mechanical harvesting technoIogy increased the yield of 92.7 kg/hm2, reducing the seeds Ioss. It improved the Iabor efficiency and reduced the harvesting cost. For exampIe, a rice combine harvester was the equal of 18-20 person in the harvest quantity in one day, which directIy reduced the Iabor cost of 2 175-3 000 yuan/hm2 and increased the economic income of 3 307-4 099 yuan/hm2. So it wiI pIay an important roIe in soIving the shortage of Chinese miIk vetch seeds and ac-ceIerating the deveIopment of Chinese miIk vetch green manure crop in south China rice region.

基于视觉传达设计的农机操作界面优化研究

近年来,随着农业机械智能化的不断发展与应用,农户对农业机械操控功能性、便捷性、易学性和人机交互的良好体验等提出了更高的要求;但是,目前市场上各类农业机械APP界面出现大量“雷同化”特点,难以满足不同农业机械的田间使用要求。为此,将“人机交互行为”作为设计目标,基于视觉传达技术,以谷物联合收获机操作界面为研究对象开展相关设计。同时,对谷物联合收获机操作界面图形、文字、色彩和设计风格进行分析,结果表明:优化后的农机操作界面能够显著提高操作员的操作效率和工作体验,降低操作错误率和疲劳程度。研究结果可为农业机械智能化操作界面的设计提供可参考的过程设计模型。

基于光电对射阵列下谷物收获流量控制系统的设计

在谷物收获过程中,由于谷物的性质不同及收获机械的工作状态不同,谷物的流量往往会出现波动或过大过小的情况,直接影响谷物的收获效率和质量,甚至会导致收获机械的故障。因此,对谷物的流量进行准确的控制和调节是非常重要的。为此,设计了一种基于光电对射阵列的谷物收获流量控制系统,可通过使用光电对射阵列检测收获机的运动状态和收获物料的流量,进而控制收获机的速度和工作状态,以实现谷物的准确收获和控制流量。试验验证表明:系统具有较高的准确性和稳定性,能够有效地控制谷物的流量,提高收获效率和质量,具有广泛的应用前景。

COUPLED ANALYSIS FOR THE HARVESTING STRUCTURE AND THE MODULATING CIRCUIT IN A PIEZOELECTRIC BIMORPH ENERGY HARVESTER

The authors analyze a piezoelectric energy harvester as an electro-mechanically coupled system. The energy harvester consists of a piezoelectric bimorph with a concentrated mass attached at one end, called the harvesting structure, an electric circuit for energy storage, and a rectifier that converts the AC output of the harvesting structure into a DC input for the storage circuit. The piezoelectric bimorph is assumed to be driven into flexural vibration by an ambient acoustic source to convert the mechanical energies into electric energies. The analysis indicates that the performance of this harvester, measured by the power density, is characterized by three important non-dimensional parameters, i.e., the non-dimensional inductance of the storage circuit, the non-dimensional aspect ratio （length/thickness） and the non-dimensional end mass of the harvesting structure. The numerical results show that： （1） the power density can be optimized by varying the non-dimensional inductance for each fixed non-dimensional aspect ratio with a fixed non-dimensional end mass; and （2） for a fixed non-dimensional inductance, the power density is maximized if the non-dimensional aspect ratio and the non-dimensional end mass are so chosen that the harvesting structure, consisting of both the piezoelectric bimorph and the end mass attached, resonates at the frequency of the ambient acoustic source.