Decay resistance and dimensional stability improvement of wood by low melting point alloy heat treatment

Wood has no inherent natural resistance against agents of biodegradation. We evaluated the effects of metal bath heat treatment(MBHT) on decay resistance and dimensional stability of Chinese parasol(Firmiana simplex) and Chinese fir(Cunninghamia lanceolata) wood. A low melting point alloy was used as heating medium in the treatment of the wood samples at 150, 180, and 210 °C for2, 4, and 8 h. Heat-treated and control samples were exposed to brown rot fungus(Poria placenta) and white rot fungus(Coriolus versicolor) for decay resistance testing and anti-swelling efficiency(ASE). The improved decay resistance with increase temperatures with low mass losses of 7.3 and 7.3% for F. simplex, and 3.9 and 3.6% for C.lanceolata at 210 °C for 8 h against Coriolus versicolor and Poria placenta, respectively. ASE indicated that MBHT contributed to improved dimensional stability of both wood species after treatment. Scanning electron micrograph results indicate that metal bath-treated samples showed strong decay resistance. Therefore, our approach to thermally modify wood should be explored to overcome the energy utilization by using low melting point alloy for the heat treatment of wood.

Perspectives on protected area and wildfire management in the Black Sea region

Protected areas are necessary for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.Wildfires are major threats to forests and other natural areas,because they may cause irreversible damages.The aim of this study was to analyze the perspective of experts(N=284),from six countries of the Black Sea,on the current status and problems of protected areas and wildfires.Understanding their points of view could enhance future management on these issues in the region.Data collection was carried out for 9 months,using a web-based questionnaire.Wildfires were perceived as a serious problem in Turkey,Armenia and Greece but as a substantially less serious problem in Romania,Ukraine and Moldova.In Greece,Armenia,and especially Ukraine,the current designated protected areas are considered sufficient to maintain biodiversity,while in Romania,Turkey,and especially Moldova,more areas should be designated as protected.A major need in all countries(except for Turkey)is the increased use of information and communication technologies for both wildfire suppression and protected area management.Experts were divided on whether wildfire suppression and management of protected areas are interconnected.However,there is growing awareness of the adverse impacts of climate change in protected areas and the frequency of wildfires in the future.The most frequently suggested measures to alleviate these impacts were:changes in forest management and increasing public awareness for wildfire suppression,along with changes in forest management and increased staff training to enhance protected area conservation.

Tin-based metal bath heat treatment: an efficient and recyclable green approach for Pinus massoniana wood modification

Pinus massoniana L. was thermally treated with low melting point alloy as heating medium to investigate the strength properties changes. Contact angle, color and scanning electron microscopy were recorded to assess the effectiveness of the treatment. Samples were pre-treated in a micro-wave for 5 min followed by metal bath heat treatment at 150, 180, and 210 °C for 2, 4, and 8 h,respectively. Strength properties of metal bath treated wood were decreased with increase temperature and time.Density, modulus of rupture, impact bending, modulus of elasticity were reduced for all treatments. Maximum compressive strength slightly increased at 150 °C for 4 h followed by gradual reduction. The Janka hardness was reduced in the tangential and radial directions. Treatment of the wood at 210 °C for 8 h caused the wood to become brittle and rupture. The contact angle was considerably higher after thermal treatment. The color of the wood became darker with increasing temperature of thermal treatment. Micrographs of the heat-treated samples showed damage to the cell wall with increase in temperature. Metal bath heat treatment of wood was carried out successfully and some strength properties were reduced.

Enhancing Sustainability in Forestry Using Material Flow Cost Accounting

Forestry is an applied science related to the sustainable management of natural resources. Many scientific disciplines influence forest science including ecology, economics and other social sciences. In this paper, it is proposed to promote the sustainable management of forest resources using a method coming from the Environmental Management Accounting discipline. The method is Material Flow Cost Accounting, which assists managers to recognize material and energy inefficiencies in production processes and create cost savings for the organization. Through a study of the methodology and using forestry examples, it is shown that Material Flow Cost Accounting can be a useful tool for forest managers, either in Public Forest Service, or other forestry organizations.

Growth responses of seedlings produced by parent seeds from specifi caltitudes

Restoration activities in semi-arid Mediterranean areas like Greece face many obstacles,such as summer droughts that are becoming more intense with climate change,that pose limitations to transplanting success.Seedlings for restoration must be of high quality;a vigorous root system is critical to enable seedlings to tolerate adverse conditions.Here we investigated the eff ects of altitude and source parent for seeds on the growth of subsequent seedlings to determine the best seed sources for obtaining highest-quality,most-tolerant seedlings for restoration eff orts.Seeds of Quercus coccifera L.were collected on an altitudinal gradient of 50 m(200,250 and 300 m a.s.l.)and from specifi c parents at each altitude.Subsequent seedlings were grown for 3 months in a greenhouse with controlled irrigation.The results indicated a strong altitudinal and parental seed eff ect on seedling characteristics.As altitude decreased,biomass of the seedlings increased,and they developed more vigorous roots and more photosynthetic leaf tissue.Thus,altitude and parent are critical factors to consider when producing seed-derived seedling.By collecting seeds from a specifi c altitude and parent,more vigorous and stresstolerant seedlings can be obtained to enhance transplanting success.

Fresh Water Demand Minimization in Residential Urban Buildings

In the last decades, there is a lot of discussion in many scientific fields, about the high importance of water as a basic element for the existence and the maintenance of life, aiming to the right and proper usage of water in our everyday basic water-needs due to its limited resources and the growing demand. This research deals with simple ways and technological systems applicable in urban residential buildings for the better management of domestic fresh water, as far as its maintenance and sustainability. Main aim of the survey is the effective minimization of urban daily water usage. All measurements of water quantities have estimated in the imperial gallon （1 gallon = 4.546 liter）, and in liter （1 liter = 0.2 gallon）.

Spatial Resilience to Wildfires through the Optimal Deployment of Firefighting Resources:Impact of Topography on Initial Attack Effectiveness

Strongly affected by the escalating impacts of climate change,wildfires have been increasing in frequency and severity around the world.The primary aim of this study was the development of specific territorial measures—estimating the optimal locations of firefighting resources—to enhance the spatial resilience to wildfires in the fire-prone region of Chalkidiki Prefecture in northern Greece.These measures focus on the resistance to wildfires and the adaptation of strategies to wildfire management,based on the estimation of burn probability,including the effect of anthropogenic factors on fire ignition.The proposed location schemes of firefighting resources such as vehicles consider both the susceptibility to fire and the influence of the topography on travel simulation,highlighting the impact of road slope on the initial firefighting attack.The spatial scheme,as well as the number of required firefighting forces is totally differentiated due to slope impact.When we ignore the topography effect,a minimum number of fire vehicles is required to achieve the maximization of coverage(99.2%of the entire study area)giving priority to the most susceptible regions(that is,employing 18 of 24 available fire vehicles).But when we adopt more realistic conditions that integrate the slope effect with travel time,the model finds an optimal solution that requires more resources(that is,employing all 24 available fire vehicles)to maximize the coverage of the most vulnerable regions within 27 min.This process achieves 80%of total coverage.The proposed methodology is characterized by a high degree of flexibility,and provides optimized solutions to decision makers,while considering key factors that greatly affect the effectiveness of the initial firefighting attack.