Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and community structure associated with cork oak in different landscapes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, Francisca; Valdiviesso, Teresa; Varela, Carolina; Tavares, Rui M; Baptista, Paula; Lino-Neto, Teresa

2018-05-01

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) forests play an important ecological and economic role. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) are key components for the sustainability and functioning of these ecosystems. The community structure and composition of ECMF associated with Q. suber in different landscapes of distinct Mediterranean bioclimate regions have not previously been compared. In this work, soil samples from cork oak forests residing in different bioclimates (arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, and humid) were collected and surveyed for ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tips. A global analysis performed on 3565 ECM root tips revealed that the ECMF community is highly enriched in Russula, Tomentella, and Cenoccocum, which correspond to the ECMF genera that mainly contribute to community differences. The ECMF communities from the rainiest and the driest cork oak forests were distinct, with soils from the rainiest climates being more heterogeneous than those from the driest climates. The analyses of several abiotic factors on the ECMF communities revealed that bioclimate, precipitation, soil texture, and forest management strongly influenced ECMF structure. Shifts in ECMF with different hyphal exploration types were also detected among forests, with precipitation, forest system, and soil texture being the main drivers controlling their composition. Understanding the effects of environmental factors on the structuring of ECM communities could be the first step for promoting the sustainability of this threatened ecosystem.

Germination of hyphal bodies of Pythium spiculum isolated from declining cork oaks at Doñana National Park (Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PAOLO DE VITA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Pythium spiculum, a recently described new taxon, has been isolated from declining cork oaks (Quercus suber L. at Doñana National Park (south-western Spain. The microorganism can infect and cause root disease in Quercus, but currently it is unknown whether its hyphal bodies can germinate and infect host trees. These hyphal bodies, regardless of shape, have been shown to be able to germinate, producing long germ tubes, sometimes ramified. Zoospore production was not recorded, but hyphal bodies are potential host infective structures in dry soil conditions.

Ultrastructural observations reveal the presence of channels between cork cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Pereira, Helena

2009-12-01

The ultrastructure of phellem cells of Quercus suber L. (cork oak) and Calotropis procera (Ait) R. Br. were analyzed using electron transmission microscopy to determine the presence or absence of plasmodesmata (PD). Different types of Q. suber cork samples were studied: one year shoots; virgin cork (first periderm), reproduction cork (traumatic periderm), and wet cork. The channel structures of PD were found in all the samples crossing adjacent cell walls through the suberin layer of the secondary wall. Calotropis phellem also showed PD crossing the cell walls of adjacent cells but in fewer numbers compared to Q. suber. In one year stems of cork oak, it was possible to follow the physiologically active PD with ribosomic accumulation next to the aperture of the channel seen in the phellogen cells to the completely obstructed channels in the dead cells that characterize the phellem tissue.

A carbon footprint simulation model for the cork oak sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demertzi, Martha; Paulo, Joana Amaral; Arroja, Luís; Dias, Ana Cláudia

2016-01-01

In the present study, a simulation model for the calculation of the carbon footprint of the cork oak sector (CCFM) is developed for the first time. A life cycle approach is adopted including the forest management, manufacturing, use and end-of-life stages. CCFM allows the user to insert the cork type used as raw material and its respective quantity and the distances in-between the various stages. The user can choose among different end-of-life destination options for the used cork products. The option of inserting different inputs, allows the use of the present simulation model for different cork oak systems, in different countries and with different conditions. CCFM allows the identification of the stages and products with the greatest carbon footprint and thus, a better management of the sector from an environmental perspective. The Portuguese cork oak sector is used as an application example of the model. The results obtained showed that the agglomeration industry is the hotspot for the carbon footprint of the cork sector mainly due to the production of the resins that are mixed with the cork granules for the production of agglomerated cork products. The consideration of the biogenic carbon emissions and sequestration of carbon at the forest in the carbon footprint, resulted to a great decrease of the sector's carbon footprint. Future actions for improvement are suggested in order to decrease the carbon footprint of the entire cork sector. It was found that by decreasing by 10% the emission factor of the agglomeration and transformation industries, substituting the transport trucks by more recent ones and by decreasing by 10% the cork products reaching the landfilling end-of-life destinations (while increasing the quantities reaching incineration and recycling), a decrease of the total CF (excluding the biogenic emissions and sequestration) of the entire cork industry by 10% can be achieved. - Highlights: • A carbon footprint simulation model (CCFM) for the

A carbon footprint simulation model for the cork oak sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demertzi, Martha, E-mail: marthademertzi@ua.pt [Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Paulo, Joana Amaral, E-mail: joanaap@isa.ulisboa.pt [Center of Forest Studies (CEF), Superior Institute of Agronomy (ISA), Tapada da Ajuda, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisbon (Portugal); Arroja, Luís, E-mail: arroja@ua.pt [Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal); Dias, Ana Cláudia, E-mail: acdias@ua.pt [Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro (Portugal)

2016-10-01

In the present study, a simulation model for the calculation of the carbon footprint of the cork oak sector (CCFM) is developed for the first time. A life cycle approach is adopted including the forest management, manufacturing, use and end-of-life stages. CCFM allows the user to insert the cork type used as raw material and its respective quantity and the distances in-between the various stages. The user can choose among different end-of-life destination options for the used cork products. The option of inserting different inputs, allows the use of the present simulation model for different cork oak systems, in different countries and with different conditions. CCFM allows the identification of the stages and products with the greatest carbon footprint and thus, a better management of the sector from an environmental perspective. The Portuguese cork oak sector is used as an application example of the model. The results obtained showed that the agglomeration industry is the hotspot for the carbon footprint of the cork sector mainly due to the production of the resins that are mixed with the cork granules for the production of agglomerated cork products. The consideration of the biogenic carbon emissions and sequestration of carbon at the forest in the carbon footprint, resulted to a great decrease of the sector's carbon footprint. Future actions for improvement are suggested in order to decrease the carbon footprint of the entire cork sector. It was found that by decreasing by 10% the emission factor of the agglomeration and transformation industries, substituting the transport trucks by more recent ones and by decreasing by 10% the cork products reaching the landfilling end-of-life destinations (while increasing the quantities reaching incineration and recycling), a decrease of the total CF (excluding the biogenic emissions and sequestration) of the entire cork industry by 10% can be achieved. - Highlights: • A carbon footprint simulation model (CCFM) for

Short Communication. Effect of the health status and geographical origin on the cork production characteristics of Western Algeria cork oak stands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Dahane

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: To analyze the effect of health status on cork production, analyzing if this influence is uniform or is affected by site conditions.Area of study: Two Western Algerian cork tree forests have been studied: M’Sila located in the coastal plains under semiarid climate, and Zarieffet, located in the mountainous interior under sub-humid climate.Material and Methods: 40 trees were selected in each forest and classified according to their health status as healthy, weakened, or decaying. A sample of cork from each tree has been obtained to measure the key variables related to cork production. A two-way ANOVA was performed considering two factors: site and health status.Main results: Quercus suber L. productivity is affected by the vitality of trees in the same way in both sources, showing values between 5.96 ± 7.1 kg • m-2 (coast, weakened trees and 8.13 ± 0.45 kg • m-2 (mountain, healthy trees. The health status also affects the number and area of pores, especially in the cork oak groves of the coast, where the coefficient of porosity ranges from 3.79 ± 0.84% (healthy trees to 8.11 ± 1.91% (decaying trees. The variables where the site has presented a stronger effect are those related to the amount of cork produced by the phellogen (density -kg·l-1, p<0.000- and productivity -kg·m-2, p=0.001-, and pore density (1·cm-2, p=0.001. Scrap thickness (mm and porosity (% show a smaller effect although still representative (p=0.041 and 0.038 respectively. Porosity and pore density show interaction site*health status. They all have higher values in the mountain (Zarieffet than in the coast (M’Sila. The effect of tree vitality on the formation of pores in the cork oak phellogen is lower in the mountain than in the coast. No significant effects were found for any of the two factors neither on the annual growth rate nor on the thickness of the cork.Research highlights: Results lead to the conclusion that the effect of health status on

Environmental analysis of raw cork extraction in cork oak forests in southern Europe (Catalonia--Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Rives, Jesús; Fernandez-Rodriguez, Ivan; Rieradevall, Joan; Gabarrell, Xavier

2012-11-15

Cork oak grows endemically in a narrow region bordering the western Mediterranean, and especially in the Iberian Peninsula. The importance of cork agro-forestry systems lies in the fact that a natural and renewable raw material - cork - can be extracted sustainably without endangering the tree or affecting biodiversity. This paper describes an environmental analysis of the extraction of raw cork in cork oak forests in Catalonia, using data from five representative local forest exploitations. The evaluation was carried out using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, and all the forestry management required to obtain a tonne of raw cork was included. The aim of the study was to evaluate the environmental impacts - in terms of global warming, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, and so on - caused by cork extraction and determine the carbon dioxide balance of these forestry systems, with a tree lifespan of about 200 years. During the life cycle extraction of cork in Catalonia, 0.2 kg of CO(2) eq. was emitted per kg of raw cork extracted. Moreover, cork cannot be extracted without the tree, which will be fixing carbon dioxide throughout its technological useful life (200 years), despite the fact that the bark is removed periodically: every 13-14 years. If the emission from extraction and the carbon contained in the material is discounted, the carbon dioxide balance indicates that 18 kg of CO(2) are fixed per kg of raw cork extracted. Therefore, cork is a natural, renewable and local material that can replace other non-renewable materials, at local level, to reduce the environmental impacts of products, and particularly to reduce their carbon footprint. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cork Containing Barks - a review

Science.gov (United States)

Leite, Carla; Pereira, Helena

2016-12-01

Tree barks are among the less studied forest products notwithstanding their relevant physiological and protective role in tree functioning. The large diversity in structure and chemical composition of barks makes them a particularly interesting potential source of chemicals and bio-products, at present valued in the context of biorefineries. One of the valuable components of barks is cork (phellem in anatomy) due to a rather unique set of properties and composition. Cork from the cork oak (Quercus suber) has been extensively studied, mostly because of its economic importance and worldwide utilization of cork products. However, several other species have barks with substantial cork amounts that may constitute additional resources for cork-based bioproducts. This paper makes a review of the tree species that have barks with significant proportion of cork and on the available information regarding their bark structural and chemical characterization. A general integrative appraisal of the formation and types of barks and of cork development is also given. The knowledge gaps and the potential interesting research lines are identified and discussed, as well as the utilization perspectives.

A carbon footprint simulation model for the cork oak sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Demertzi, Martha; Paulo, Joana Amaral; Arroja, Luís; Dias, Ana Cláudia

2016-10-01

In the present study, a simulation model for the calculation of the carbon footprint of the cork oak sector (CCFM) is developed for the first time. A life cycle approach is adopted including the forest management, manufacturing, use and end-of-life stages. CCFM allows the user to insert the cork type used as raw material and its respective quantity and the distances in-between the various stages. The user can choose among different end-of-life destination options for the used cork products. The option of inserting different inputs, allows the use of the present simulation model for different cork oak systems, in different countries and with different conditions. CCFM allows the identification of the stages and products with the greatest carbon footprint and thus, a better management of the sector from an environmental perspective. The Portuguese cork oak sector is used as an application example of the model. The results obtained showed that the agglomeration industry is the hotspot for the carbon footprint of the cork sector mainly due to the production of the resins that are mixed with the cork granules for the production of agglomerated cork products. The consideration of the biogenic carbon emissions and sequestration of carbon at the forest in the carbon footprint, resulted to a great decrease of the sector's carbon footprint. Future actions for improvement are suggested in order to decrease the carbon footprint of the entire cork sector. It was found that by decreasing by 10% the emission factor of the agglomeration and transformation industries, substituting the transport trucks by more recent ones and by decreasing by 10% the cork products reaching the landfilling end-of-life destinations (while increasing the quantities reaching incineration and recycling), a decrease of the total CF (excluding the biogenic emissions and sequestration) of the entire cork industry by 10% can be achieved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quercus kelloggii Newb., California black oak

Science.gov (United States)

P.M. McDonald

1990-01-01

California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) exceeds all other California oaks in volume, distribution, and altitudinal range. Yet this deciduous hardwood has had little sustained commercial use and almost no management, even though its wood closely resembles that of its valuable, managed, and heavily used counterpart-northern red oak (...

Morphological characterization of Kielmeyera coriacea Mart. cork from brazilian cerrado

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Polliana D`Angelo Rios

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Kielmeyera coriacea Mart., known as “pau-santo”, is mentioned in the literature as the main tree species which produces cork of the Brazilian Cerrado. The purpose of this study was to describe the morphological aspect of Kielmeyera coriacea (“pau-santo” cork cells through its microscopic structure and to compare it with the cellular morphology of Quercus suber (cork oak, which is the main cork producing species worldwide. The bark from three trees of the species Kielmeyera coriacea Mart. was collected randomly at points 1.30 m above the ground, with four repetitions per sample. Samples came from native stands situated in the region of Luminárias - MG, Brazil. The study of morphological characteristics was conducted by counting the number of sides of the cells, and measuring the dimensions of the cells from images obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. Images were analyzed using the LEOUIF software. The distribution in faces and edges of cork cells from Kielmeyera coriacea, was observed to have from 4 to 8 sides, with a predominance of hexagonal cells, similar to Quercus suber. The averages of height and thickness of the cell walls were 40 to 70 µm and 1.5 to 2.0 µm respectively, indicating cells from an early growth season. Both height and thickness were observed to be greater than those present in Quercus suber

Pathways for resilience in Mediterranean cork oak land use systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Acácio, V.C.; Holmgren, M.

2014-01-01

Context Loss of woodlands and degradation of vegetation and soil have been described for all Mediterranean-type ecosystems worldwide. In the Western Iberian Peninsula, overexploitation of evergreen cork oak land use systems has led to soil erosion, failures in oak recruitment, and loss of forests.

New tools for extracting cork from Quercus suber L.: increasing productivity and reducing damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesus Beira Davila

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: The aim of this study is to test new tools designed to debark cork oak trees: mechanized tools to perform cutting operations (IPLA-Morell, Stihl MC200 and COVELESS and manual tools to separate and extract the cork (cork pincers, MIJURO.Area of study: Southwestern Spain.Material and methods: One of the longstanding problems affecting the sector is the shortage of skilled labor to perform debarking due to the difficulty of handling axes and the temporary nature of the work. To overcome these problems, four debarking systems using the new tools were designed according to the morphological properties of cork oak. The viability of the debarking systems were evaluated based on productivity (kg · person–1 · hour–1, production costs (€ · t1 and percentage of pieces smaller than 400 cm2 (%, and compared with the traditional system. Debarking quality and operator experience were also evaluated. A total of 204 trees were debarked.Main results: The new systems obtain better results: productivity is higher, the percentage of pieces is slightly lower and production costs are reduced, except for one system. Debarking quality improves with the new tools as cork is extracted in a more precise and cleaner manner, thus permitting cork manufacturers to obtain higher yields from the cork planks.Research highlights: Semi-skilled operators using the new tools obtain very similar results to skilled operators using axes. This would therefore resolve the problem of the lack of skilled labor, while improving the working conditions of operators. The results demonstrate that the new tools are viable for cork debarking and can bring potential benefits to the sector.Key words: Q. suber L.; cork debarking; mechanization; productivity; cork stripping damage; axe; IPLA_Morell, Sthil MC 200, COVELESS.

Cork Oak Vulnerability to Fire: The Role of Bark Harvesting, Tree Characteristics and Abiotic Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Catry, Filipe X.; Moreira, Francisco; Pausas, Juli G.; Fernandes, Paulo M.; Rego, Francisco; Cardillo, Enrique; Curt, Thomas

2012-01-01

Forest ecosystems where periodical tree bark harvesting is a major economic activity may be particularly vulnerable to disturbances such as fire, since debarking usually reduces tree vigour and protection against external agents. In this paper we asked how cork oak Quercus suber trees respond after wildfires and, in particular, how bark harvesting affects post-fire tree survival and resprouting. We gathered data from 22 wildfires (4585 trees) that occurred in three southern European countries (Portugal, Spain and France), covering a wide range of conditions characteristic of Q. suber ecosystems. Post-fire tree responses (tree mortality, stem mortality and crown resprouting) were examined in relation to management and ecological factors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that bark thickness and bark harvesting are major factors affecting resistance of Q. suber to fire. Fire vulnerability was higher for trees with thin bark (young or recently debarked individuals) and decreased with increasing bark thickness until cork was 3–4 cm thick. This bark thickness corresponds to the moment when exploited trees are debarked again, meaning that exploited trees are vulnerable to fire during a longer period. Exploited trees were also more likely to be top-killed than unexploited trees, even for the same bark thickness. Additionally, vulnerability to fire increased with burn severity and with tree diameter, and was higher in trees burned in early summer or located in drier south-facing aspects. We provided tree response models useful to help estimating the impact of fire and to support management decisions. The results suggested that an appropriate management of surface fuels and changes in the bark harvesting regime (e.g. debarking coexisting trees in different years or increasing the harvesting cycle) would decrease vulnerability to fire and contribute to the conservation of cork oak ecosystems. PMID:22787521

Cork oak vulnerability to fire: the role of bark harvesting, tree characteristics and abiotic factors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipe X Catry

Full Text Available Forest ecosystems where periodical tree bark harvesting is a major economic activity may be particularly vulnerable to disturbances such as fire, since debarking usually reduces tree vigour and protection against external agents. In this paper we asked how cork oak Quercus suber trees respond after wildfires and, in particular, how bark harvesting affects post-fire tree survival and resprouting. We gathered data from 22 wildfires (4585 trees that occurred in three southern European countries (Portugal, Spain and France, covering a wide range of conditions characteristic of Q. suber ecosystems. Post-fire tree responses (tree mortality, stem mortality and crown resprouting were examined in relation to management and ecological factors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that bark thickness and bark harvesting are major factors affecting resistance of Q. suber to fire. Fire vulnerability was higher for trees with thin bark (young or recently debarked individuals and decreased with increasing bark thickness until cork was 3-4 cm thick. This bark thickness corresponds to the moment when exploited trees are debarked again, meaning that exploited trees are vulnerable to fire during a longer period. Exploited trees were also more likely to be top-killed than unexploited trees, even for the same bark thickness. Additionally, vulnerability to fire increased with burn severity and with tree diameter, and was higher in trees burned in early summer or located in drier south-facing aspects. We provided tree response models useful to help estimating the impact of fire and to support management decisions. The results suggested that an appropriate management of surface fuels and changes in the bark harvesting regime (e.g. debarking coexisting trees in different years or increasing the harvesting cycle would decrease vulnerability to fire and contribute to the conservation of cork oak ecosystems.

Cork oak vulnerability to fire: the role of bark harvesting, tree characteristics and abiotic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Catry, Filipe X; Moreira, Francisco; Pausas, Juli G; Fernandes, Paulo M; Rego, Francisco; Cardillo, Enrique; Curt, Thomas

2012-01-01

Forest ecosystems where periodical tree bark harvesting is a major economic activity may be particularly vulnerable to disturbances such as fire, since debarking usually reduces tree vigour and protection against external agents. In this paper we asked how cork oak Quercus suber trees respond after wildfires and, in particular, how bark harvesting affects post-fire tree survival and resprouting. We gathered data from 22 wildfires (4585 trees) that occurred in three southern European countries (Portugal, Spain and France), covering a wide range of conditions characteristic of Q. suber ecosystems. Post-fire tree responses (tree mortality, stem mortality and crown resprouting) were examined in relation to management and ecological factors using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Results showed that bark thickness and bark harvesting are major factors affecting resistance of Q. suber to fire. Fire vulnerability was higher for trees with thin bark (young or recently debarked individuals) and decreased with increasing bark thickness until cork was 3-4 cm thick. This bark thickness corresponds to the moment when exploited trees are debarked again, meaning that exploited trees are vulnerable to fire during a longer period. Exploited trees were also more likely to be top-killed than unexploited trees, even for the same bark thickness. Additionally, vulnerability to fire increased with burn severity and with tree diameter, and was higher in trees burned in early summer or located in drier south-facing aspects. We provided tree response models useful to help estimating the impact of fire and to support management decisions. The results suggested that an appropriate management of surface fuels and changes in the bark harvesting regime (e.g. debarking coexisting trees in different years or increasing the harvesting cycle) would decrease vulnerability to fire and contribute to the conservation of cork oak ecosystems.

Effects of fire temperature on the physical and chemical characteristics of the ash from two plots of Cork oak (Quercus Suber)

Science.gov (United States)

Ubeda, X.; Pereira, P.; Outeiro, L.; Martin, D.A.

2009-01-01

Cork oak, (Quercus suber) is widely distributed in the Mediterranean region, an area subject to frequent fires. The ash produced by burning can have impacts on the soil status and water resources that can differ according to the temperature reached during fire and the characteristics of the litter, defined as the dead organic matter accumulated on the soil surface prior to the fire. The aim of this work is to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of ash produced in laboratory experiments to approximate conditions typical of fires in this region. The litter of Quercus suber collected from two different plots on the Iberian Peninsula, Mas Bassets (Catalonia) and Albufeira (Portugal), was combusted at different temperatures for 2h. We measured Mass Loss (ML per cent), ash colour and CaCO3 content, pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and the major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+) released from ash slurries created by mixing ash with deionized water. The results showed that ML per cent is higher at all temperatures in Albufeira samples compared to Mas Bassets samples, except at 550??C, and the rate of loss increases faster with temperature than the Mas Bassets samples. At 150??C the ash colour is yellowish, becoming reddish at 200- 250??C and black at 300??C. Above 400??C the ash is grey/white. This thermal degradation is mostly observed in Albufeira litter. The formation of CaCO3 was identified at a lower temperature in Albufeira litter. At temperatures fire. Low intensity prescribed fire can be a useful tool to land management in these sites, due to the reduced effects of fire temperatures on the physical and chemical properties of surface litter, and can reduce the risk of high temperature wildland fires by reducing fuel loadings. From the perspective of water resources, lower fire temperatures produce fewer impacts on the chemistry of overland flow and there is less probability that the soil surface will be eroded. Copyright ?? 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soil carbon storage as influenced by tree cover in the Dehesa cork oak silvopasture of central-western Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Howlett, David Scott; Moreno, Gerardo; Mosquera Losada, Maria Rosa; Nair, P K Ramachandran; Nair, Vimala D

2011-07-01

The extent of carbon (C) stored in soils depends on a number of factors including soil characteristics, climatic and other environmental conditions, and management practices. Such information, however, is lacking for silvopastoral systems in Spain. This study quantified the amounts of soil C stored at various depths (0-25, 25-50, 50-75, and 75-100 cm) under a Dehesa cork oak (Quercus suber L.) silvopasture at varying distances (2, 5, and 15 m) to trees. Soil C in the whole soil and three soil fractions (silvopastoral systems. The results also demonstrate the use of soil aggregate characteristics as better indicators of soil C sequestration potential and thus a tool for environmental monitoring.

The taxonomic status of the Mexican oak Quercus undata (Fagaceae, Quercus, Section Quercus El estatus taxonómico del encino mexicano Quercus undata (Fagaceae, Quercus, Sección Quercus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey R. Bacon

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Quercus undata Trel. (Fagaceae, Quercus, Section Quercus has a complex taxonomic and nomenclatural history. Intensive sampling of oaks at the type locality of Q. undata Trel. in Durango, Mexico and evaluation of herbarium specimens and plants in the field indicate that Q. undata represents variation in Quercus chihuahuensis Trel. in white oak communities where introgressive hybridization among Q. chihuahuensis, Q. grisea Liebm., and a third white oak, Q. arizonica Sarg. made species identification difficult. Endlich's type specimen of Q. undata, as designated by Trelease, was apparently destroyed in bombing raids on Berlin during World War II, and we propose herein as lectotype the Trelease illustration of the type. An epitype is also designated in support of the lectotype, given that some features cannot be critically observed on the illustration. The long peduncles of the specimen illustrated by Trelease indicate a close relation to Q. chihuahuensis.Quercus undata Trel. (Fagaceae, Quercus, Section Quercus tiene una compleja historia taxonómica y de nomenclatura. Un muestreo intensivo de los encinos en la localidad tipo de Q. undata en Durango, México y análisis de ejemplares en herbario y en el campo indican que Q. undata representa variación en Q. chihuahuensis Trel. en los sitios donde la hibridación introgresiva entre Q. chihuahuensis, Q. grisea Liebm., y un tercer encino blanco, Q. arizonica Sarg., dificultan la identificación de especies. El ejemplar tipo designado por Trelease aparentemente fue destruido en el bombardeo de Berlín durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, por lo que se propone como lectotipo a la ilustración del tipo en la obra de Trelease. Se designa también un epitipo dado que algunos rasgos no pueden ser críticamente observados en la ilustración. Los largos pedúnculos del espécimen ilustrado por Trelease indican la relación cercana a Q. chihuahuensis.

Management and long term storage of cork-oak acorns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, S.P.C.; Tesnier, K.

2002-01-01

Cork-oak trees can have unpredictable reproduction patterns, with some trees producing seeds only one every 2 to 5 years. The problem of the irregularity of mast-years is complicated by dormancy-related heterogeneity in germination of freshly harvested acorns. The long time taking by acorn to

Life-cycle assessment of typical Portuguese cork oak woodlands.

Science.gov (United States)

González-García, Sara; Dias, Ana Cláudia; Arroja, Luis

2013-05-01

Cork forest systems are responsible for making an important economic contribution to the Mediterranean region, especially Portugal where the cork oak woodlands or montados contain about 32% of the world's area. The environmental profile derived from reproduction cork production and extraction in two Portuguese regions (Tagus valley and Alentejo) representative of the Portuguese sector were assessed in detail using the Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology from a cradle-to-gate perspective. The production line was divided into four stages considering all the processes involved: stand establishment, stand management, cork stripping and field recovery. According to the environmental results, there were remarkable differences between the two production scenarios mainly due to the intensity and repetition of forest activities even though the cork yield was reported to be the same. The management system in the Alentejo region presented the worse environmental profile in almost all the impact categories under assessment, mainly due to the shorter cycle duration of the mechanical cleaning and pruning processes. Cork stripping was identified in both scenarios as the production stage with the highest contribution to the environmental profile due to the cleaning and pruning processes. A sensitivity assessment concerning the cork yield was performed since the average production yields in the Portuguese montados are lower than the ones used in this study. Thus, if the cork yield is reduced, the environmental profile in both scenarios gets worse since almost all the forest activities involved are the same. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quercus Suber L. Cork Extracts Induce Apoptosis in Human Myeloid Leukaemia HL-60 Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bejarano, Ignacio; Godoy-Cancho, Belén; Franco, Lourdes; Martínez-Cañas, Manuel A; Tormo, María A

2015-08-01

Quercus suber L. cork contains a diversity of phenolic compounds, mostly low molecular weight phenols. A rising number of reports support with convergent findings that polyphenols evoke pro-apoptotic events in cancerous cells. However, the literature related to the anti-cancer bioactivity of Q. suber L. cork extractives (QSE) is still limited. Herein, we aim to describe the antitumor potential displayed by cork extractives obtained by different extraction methods in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cells. In order to quantify the effects of QSE on cancer cells viability, phosphatidylserine exposure, caspase-3 activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell cycle were evaluated. The results indicated that the QSE present a time-dependent and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cells. Such a noxious effect leads these leukaemia cells to their death through apoptotic processes by altering the mitochondrial outer membrane potential, activating caspase-3 and externalizing phosphatidylserine. However, cells cycle progression was not affected by the treatments. This study contributes to open a new way to use this natural resource by exploiting its anti-cancer properties. Moreover, it opens new possibilities of application of cork by-products, being more efficient in the sector of cork-based agriculture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Statistical sampling and modelling for cork oak and eucalyptus stands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paulo, M.J.

2002-01-01

This thesis focuses on the use of modern statistical methods to solve problems on sampling, optimal cutting time and agricultural modelling in Portuguese cork oak and eucalyptus stands. The results are contained in five chapters that have been submitted for publication

Sap-flow velocities and distribution of wet-wood in trunks of healthy and unhealthy Quercus robur, Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris oak trees in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenyvesi, A.; Béres, C.; Raschi, A.; Tognietti, R.; Ridder, H.W.; Molnár, T.; Röfler, J.; Lakatos, T.; Csiha, I.

1998-01-01

Sap-flow of Quercus robur, Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris oak trees were studied. 43 K radioisotope tracing, the heat pulse velocity technique and the Granier-method were employed. Numerous intense pulses were observed in healthy Quercus petraea superposing onto the usual diurnal change. Only a few pulses were observed in unhealthy Quercus petraea, in healthy Quercus cerris and healthy and unhealthy Quercus robur trees. Proportion of wet-wood assessed by γ- and X-ray computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging was significantly less in healthy Quercus petraea trees than in healthy Quercus cerris trees. Proportion of wet-wood was higher in healthy trees than unhealthy trees of both species. (author)

Transcriptional profiling of cork oak phellogenic cells isolated by laser microdissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Fortes, Ana Margarida; Bai, Hua; Pinheiro, Carla; Pereira, Helena

2018-02-01

The phenylpropanoid pathway impacts the cork quality development. In cork of bad quality, the flavonoid route is favored, whereas in good quality, cork lignin and suberin production prevails. Cork oaks develop a thick cork tissue as a protective shield that results of the continuous activity of a secondary meristem, the cork cambium, or phellogen. Most studies applied to developmental processes do not consider the cell types from which the samples were extracted. Here, laser microdissection (LM) coupled with transcript profiling using RNA sequencing (454 pyrosequencing) was applied to phellogen cells of trees producing low- and good quality cork. Functional annotation and functional enrichment analyses showed that stress-related genes are enriched in samples extracted from trees producing good quality cork (GQC). This process is under tight transcriptional (transcription factors, kinases) regulation and also hormonal control involving ABA, ethylene, and auxins. The phellogen cells collected from trees producing bad quality cork (BQC) show a consistent up-regulation of genes belonging to the flavonoid pathway as a response to stress. They also display a different modulation of cell wall genes resulting into a thinner cork layer, i.e., less meristematic activity. Based on the analysis of the phenylpropanoid pathway regulating genes, in GQC, the synthesis of lignin and suberin is promoted, whereas in BQC, the same pathway favors the biosynthesis of free phenolic compounds. This study provided new insights of how cell-specific gene expression can determine tissue and organ morphology and physiology and identified robust candidate genes that can be used in breeding programs aiming at improving cork quality.

Water stress assessment of cork oak leaves and maritime pine needles based on LIF spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Lavrov, A.; Utkin, A. B.; Marques da Silva, J.; Vilar, Rui; Santos, N. M.; Alves, B.

2012-02-01

The aim of the present work was to develop a method for the remote assessment of the impact of fire and drought stress on Mediterranean forest species such as the cork oak ( Quercus suber) and maritime pine ( Pinus pinaster). The proposed method is based on laser induced fluorescence (LIF): chlorophyll fluorescence is remotely excited by frequency-doubled YAG:Nd laser radiation pulses and collected and analyzed using a telescope and a gated high sensitivity spectrometer. The plant health criterion used is based on the I 685/ I 740 ratio value, calculated from the fluorescence spectra. The method was benchmarked by comparing the results achieved with those obtained by conventional, continuous excitation fluorometric method and water loss gravimetric measurements. The results obtained with both methods show a strong correlation between them and with the weight-loss measurements, showing that the proposed method is suitable for fire and drought impact assessment on these two species.

Soil properties and understory herbaceous biomass in forests of three species of Quercus in Northeast Portugal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Castro

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: This paper aims to characterize some soil properties within the first 25 cm of the soil profile and the herbaceous biomass in Quercus forests, and the possible relationships between soil properties and understory standing biomass.Area of study: Three monoespecific Quercus forests (Q. suber L., Q. ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam. and Q. pyrenaica Willd in NE Portugal.Material and methods: During 1999 and 2000 soil properties (pH-KCl, total soil nitrogen (N, soil organic carbon (SOC, C/N ratio, available phosphorus (P, and available potassium (K and herbaceous biomass production of three forest types: Quercus suber L., Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam. and Quercus pyrenaica Willd were studied.Main results: The results showed a different pattern of soil fertility (N, SOC, P, K in Quercus forests in NE of Portugal. The C/N ratio and the herbaceous biomass confirmed this pattern. Research highlights: There is a pattern of Quercus sp. distribution that correlates with different soil characteristics by soil characteristics in NE Portugal. Q. pyrenaica ecosystems were found in more favoured areas (mesic conditions; Q. rotundifolia developed in nutrient-poor soils (oligotrophic conditions; and Q. suber were found in intermediate zones.Keywords: fertility; biomass; C/N ratio; cork oak; holm oak; pyrenean oak.

Effects of a low severity prescribed fire on water-soluble elements in ash from a cork oak (Quercus suber) forest located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Paulo; Ubeda, Xavier; Martin, Deborah; Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Guerrero, César

2011-02-01

Wildfire is the major disturbance in Mediterranean forests. Prescribed fire can be an alternative to reduce the amount of fuel and hence decrease the wildfire risk. However the effects of prescribed fire must be studied, especially on ash properties, because ash is an important nutrient source for ecosystem recovery. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a low severity prescribed fire on water-soluble elements in ash including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), silica (SiO(2)) and total sulphur (TS). A prescribed fire was conducted in a cork oak (Quercus suber) (Q.S) forest located in the northeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Samples were collected from a flat plot of 40×70m mainly composed of Q.S and Quercus robur (Q.R) trees. In order to understand the effects of the prescribed fire on the soluble elements in ash, we conducted our data analysis on three data groups: all samples, only Q.S samples and only Q.R samples. All three sample groups exhibited a significant increase in pH, EC (pfire induced a higher variability in the ash soluble elements, especially in Q.S samples, that at some points burned with higher severity. The increase of pH, EC, Ca, Mg, Na and K will improve soil fertility, mainly in the study area where soils are acidic. The application of this low severity prescribed fire will improve soil nutrient status without causing soil degradation and thus is considered to be a good management strategy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growth of Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana)

Science.gov (United States)

Peter J. Gould; Constance A. Harrington; Warren D. Devine

2011-01-01

Many land managers are interested in maintaining or restoring plant communities that contain Oregon white oak (OWO, Quercus garryana), yet there is relatively little information available about the species' growth rates and survival to guide management decisions. We used two studies to characterize growth (over multi-year periods and within...

Evaluation of fire severity via analysis of photosynthetic pigments: Oak, eucalyptus and cork oak leaves in a Mediterranean forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Soler, M; Úbeda, X

2018-01-15

Few studies to date have examined the effect of the high temperatures attained during wildfire events on the pigments present in forest foliage. Here, we seek to analyse the main photosynthetic pigments in the leaves of the oak, cork oak and eucalyptus following a wildfire. We also subject leaves of these last two species to a range of contact temperatures (100-500 °C) in the laboratory using a muffle furnace. The samples were left in the muffle for two hours at 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 and 500 °C, in line with other soil study models (Úbeda et al., 2009; Düdaite et al., 2013). At temperatures above 250 °C, chromatography fails to detect any pigments. A minimal increase in temperature degrades chlorophyll, the process being more rapid in eucalyptus than in cork oak, while it increases pheophytin concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, susceptibility and response to goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, injury in southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Tom W. Coleman; Nancy E. Grulke; Miles Daly; Cesar Godinez; Susan L. Schilling; Philip J. Riggan; Steven J. Seybold

2011-01-01

Oak mortality is often associated with a complex of decline factors. We describe the morphological and physiological responses of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Née, in California to an invasive insect, the goldspotted oak borer (GSOB), Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and evaluate drought as a...

Sessile oak (Quercus petraea agg. Ehrendorfer 1967) rare ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sessile oak ( Quercus petraea agg. Ehrendorfer 1967) genetic variability in Serbia was estimated applying cpDNA universal primer pairs. Five different haplotypes were detected in the analyzed sample material from populations in Serbia. The areas in West and Southwest Serbia, with all their specificities, represent an ...

Molecular characterization of Quercus suber MYB1, a transcription factor up-regulated in cork tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Tânia; Menéndez, Esther; Capote, Tiago; Ribeiro, Teresa; Santos, Conceição; Gonçalves, Sónia

2013-01-15

The molecular processes associated with cork development in Quercus suber L. are poorly understood. A previous molecular approach identified a list of genes potentially important for cork formation and differentiation, providing a new basis for further molecular studies. This report is the first molecular characterization of one of these candidate genes, QsMYB1, coding for an R2R3-MYB transcription factor. The R2R3-MYB gene sub-family has been described as being involved in the phenylpropanoid and lignin pathways, both involved in cork biosynthesis. The results showed that the expression of QsMYB1 is putatively mediated by an alternative splicing (AS) mechanism that originates two different transcripts (QsMYB1.1 and QsMYB1.2), differing only in the 5'-untranslated region, due to retention of the first intron in one of the variants. Moreover, within the retained intron, a simple sequence repeat (SSR) was identified. The upstream regulatory region of QsMYB1 was extended by a genome walking approach, which allowed the identification of the putative gene promoter region. The relative expression pattern of QsMYB1 transcripts determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that both transcripts were up-regulated in cork tissues; the detected expression was several times higher in newly formed cork harvested from trees producing virgin, second or reproduction cork when compared with wood. Moreover, the expression analysis of QsMYB1 in several Q. suber organs showed very low expression in young branches and roots, whereas in leaves, immature acorns or male flowers, no expression was detected. These preliminary results suggest that QsMYB1 may be related to secondary growth and, in particular, with the cork biosynthesis process with a possible alternative splicing mechanism associated with its regulatory function. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of extractive content in Albanian white oak ( Quercus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

, have an important impact on wood properties and its utilization. The study was carried on extractives content of white oak (Quercus petraea Liebl). Eighteen sawdust samples were taken from cuts in six different heights of three trees.

Development of tree hollows in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)

OpenAIRE

Ranius, Thomas; Niklasson, Mats; Berg, Niclas

2009-01-01

Many invertebrates, birds and mammals are dependent on hollow trees. For landscape planning that aims at persistence of species inhabiting hollow trees it is crucial to understand the development of such trees. In this study we constructed an individual-based simulation model to predict diameter distribution and formation of hollows in oak tree populations. Based on tree-ring data from individual trees, we estimated the ages when hollow formation commences for pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) ...

El estatus taxonómico del encino mexicano Quercus undata (Fagaceae, Quercus, Sección Quercus)

OpenAIRE

Bacon, Jeffrey R.; Dávila-Aranda, Patricia Dolores; Spellenberg, Richard; González-Elizondo, M. Socorro

2011-01-01

Quercus undata Trel. (Fagaceae, Quercus, Section Quercus) has a complex taxonomic and nomenclatural history. Intensive sampling of oaks at the type locality of Q. undata Trel. in Durango, Mexico and evaluation of herbarium specimens and plants in the field indicate that Q. undata represents variation in Quercus chihuahuensis Trel. in white oak communities where introgressive hybridization among Q. chihuahuensis, Q. grisea Liebm., and a third white oak, Q. arizonica Sarg. made species identifi...

Defense pattern of Chinese cork oak across latitudinal gradients: influences of ontogeny, herbivory, climate and soil nutrients

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao-Fei; Liu, Jian-Feng; Gao, Wen-Qiang; Deng, Yun-Peng; Ni, Yan-Yan; Xiao, Yi-Hua; Kang, Feng-Feng; Wang, Qi; Lei, Jing-Pin; Jiang, Ze-Ping

2016-06-01

Knowledge of latitudinal patterns in plant defense and herbivory is crucial for understanding the mechanisms that govern ecosystem functioning and for predicting their responses to climate change. Using a widely distributed species in East Asia, Quercus variabilis, we aim to reveal defense patterns of trees with respect to ontogeny along latitudinal gradients. Six leaf chemical (total phenolics and total condensed tannin concentrations) and physical (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and dry mass concentration) defensive traits as well as leaf herbivory (% leaf area loss) were investigated in natural Chinese cork oak (Q. variabilis) forests across two ontogenetic stages (juvenile and mature trees) along a ~14°-latitudinal gradient. Our results showed that juveniles had higher herbivory values and a higher concentration of leaf chemical defense substances compared with mature trees across the latitudinal gradient. In addition, chemical defense and herbivory in both ontogenetic stages decreased with increasing latitude, which supports the latitudinal herbivory-defense hypothesis and optimal defense theory. The identified trade-offs between chemical and physical defense were primarily determined by environmental variation associated with the latitudinal gradient, with the climatic factors (annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month) largely contributing to the latitudinal defense pattern in both juvenile and mature oak trees.

Container volume and subirrigation schedule influence Quercus variabilis seedling growth and nutrient status in the nursery and field

Science.gov (United States)

Qiaoyu Sun; R. Kasten Dumroese; Yong Liu

2018-01-01

Container volume and irrigation management affect seedling growth in the nursery and field. We evaluated the effects of container volumes (D40, 656 ml; D60, 983 ml) and subirrigation schedules (85%, 75%, 65%, and 55% of 100% total substrate moisture content, TSMC) on seedling growth in a greenhouse and outplanting performance of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis...

Genetic diversity and population structure of Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, a fungus associated with oak mortality in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

M. -S. Kim; P. A. Hohenlohe; K. -H. Kim; S. -T. Seo; Ned Klopfenstein

2016-01-01

Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae is a fungus associated with oak wilt and deemed to cause extensive oak mortality in South Korea. Since the discovery of this fungus on a dead Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) in 2004, the mortality continued to spread southwards in South Korea. Despite continued expansion of the disease and associated significant impacts on forest...

Draft genome sequence of the fungus associated with oak-wilt mortality in South Korea, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae KACC44405

Science.gov (United States)

Jongbum Jeon; Ki-Tae Kim; Hyeunjeong Song; Gir-Won Lee; Kyeongchae Cheong; Hyunbin Kim; Gobong Choi; Yong-Hwan Lee; Jane E. Stewart; Ned B. Klopfenstein; Mee-Sook Kim

2017-01-01

The fungus Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae is the causal agent of Korean oak wilt, a disease associated with mass mortality of oak trees (e.g., Quercus spp.). The fungus is vectored and dispersed by the ambrosia beetle, Platypus koryoensis. Here, we present the 27.0-Mb draft genome sequence of R. quercus-mongolicae strain KACC44405.

Effects of a low severity prescribed fire on water-soluble elements in ash from a cork oak (Quercus suber) forest located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, P.; beda, X.; Martin, D.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Guerrero, C.

2011-01-01

Wildfire is the major disturbance in Mediterranean forests. Prescribed fire can be an alternative to reduce the amount of fuel and hence decrease the wildfire risk. However the effects of prescribed fire must be studied, especially on ash properties, because ash is an important nutrient source for ecosystem recovery. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of a low severity prescribed fire on water-soluble elements in ash including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), silica (SiO2) and total sulphur (TS). A prescribed fire was conducted in a cork oak (Quercus suber) (Q.S) forest located in the northeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Samples were collected from a flat plot of 40??70m mainly composed of Q.S and Quercus robur (Q.R) trees. In order to understand the effects of the prescribed fire on the soluble elements in ash, we conducted our data analysis on three data groups: all samples, only Q.S samples and only Q.R samples. All three sample groups exhibited a significant increase in pH, EC (p<0.001), water-soluble Ca, Mg, Na, SiO2 and TS and a decrease in water-soluble Mn, Fe and Zn. Differences were identified between oak species for water-soluble K, Al and Fe. In Q.S samples we registered a significant increase in the first two elements p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively, and a non-significant impact in the third, at p<0.05. In Q.R data we identified a non-significant impact on water-soluble K and Al and a significant decrease in water-soluble Fe (p<0.05). These differences are probably due to vegetation characteristics and burn severity. The fire induced a higher variability in the ash soluble elements, especially in Q.S samples, that at some points burned with higher severity. The increase of pH, EC, Ca, Mg, Na and K will improve soil fertility, mainly in the study area where soils are acidic. The application of this low severity prescribed

Growth overcompensation against O3 exposure in two Japanese oak species, Quercus mongolica var. crispula and Quercus serrata, grown under elevated CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitao, Mitsutoshi; Komatsu, Masabumi; Yazaki, Kenichi; Kitaoka, Satoshi; Tobita, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

To assess the effects of elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) on the growth of two mid-successional oak species native to East Asia, Quercus mongolica var. crispula and Quercus serrata, we measured gas exchange and biomass allocation in seedlings (initially 1-year-old) grown under combinations of elevated CO 2 (550 μmol mol −1 ) and O 3 (twice-ambient) for two growing seasons in an open-field experiment in which root growth was not limited. Both the oak species showed a significant growth enhancement under the combination of elevated CO 2 and O 3 (indicated by total dry mass; over twice of ambient-grown plants, p < .05), which probably resulted from a preferable biomass partitioning into leaves induced by O 3 and a predominant enhancement of photosynthesis under elevated CO 2 . Such an over-compensative response in the two Japanese oak species resulted in greater plant growth under the combination of elevated CO 2 and O 3 than elevated CO 2 alone. - Highlights: • Quercus mongolica var. crispula and Quercus serrata were grown under elevated CO 2 and O 3 . • O 3 induced a preferable biomass allocation into leaves. • Photosynthesis was predominantly enhanced under elevated CO 2 exceeding O 3 impacts. • Combination of elevated CO 2 and O 3 enhanced the growth of two oak species. - O 3 -induced carbon allocation into leaves and CO 2 -enhanced photosynthesis result in a significant growth enhancement in Japanese oak species under the combination of gases.

In vitro propagation of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.)

Science.gov (United States)

G. Vengadesan; Paula M. Pijut

2009-01-01

In vitro propagation of northern red oak (Quercus rubra) shoots was successful from cotyledonary node explants excised from 8-wk-old in vitro grown seedlings. Initially, four shoots per explant were obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 4.4 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), 0.45 ...

Regeneration of red oak (Quercus rubra L.) using shelterwood systems: Ecophysiology, silviculture and management recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; William C. parker

1996-01-01

There is considerable interest in developing relaible methods for regenerating red oak (Quercus rubra) in Ontario. Traditional silviculture methods have not been successful in maintaining the curent levels of oak growing stock. In this paper, we review the ecology, physiology and reproductive biology of red oak. This discussion stresses the...

Interspecific variation in functional traits of oak seedlings (Quercus ilex, Quercus trojana, Quercus virgiliana) grown under artificial drought and fire conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiatante, D; Tognetti, R; Scippa, G S; Congiu, T; Baesso, B; Terzaghi, M; Montagnoli, A

2015-07-01

To face summer drought and wildfire in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, plants adopt different strategies that involve considerable rearrangements of biomass allocation and physiological activity. This paper analyses morphological and physiological traits in seedlings of three oak species (Quercus ilex, Quercus trojana and Quercus virgiliana) co-occurring under natural conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate species-specific characteristics and the response of these oak seedlings to drought stress and fire treatment. Seedlings were kept in a growth chamber that mimicked natural environmental conditions. All three species showed a good degree of tolerance to drought and fire treatments. Differences in specific biomass allocation patterns and physiological traits resulted in phenotypic differences between species. In Q. ilex, drought tolerance depended upon adjustment of the allocation pattern. Q. trojana seedlings undergoing mild to severe drought presented a higher photosystem II (PSII) efficiency than control seedlings. Moreover, Q. trojana showed a very large root system, which corresponded to higher soil area exploitation, and bigger leaf midrib vascular bundles than the other two species. Morphological and physiological performances indicated Q. trojana as the most tolerant to drought and fire. These characteristics contribute to a high recruitment potential of Q. trojana seedlings, which might be the reason for the dominance of this species under natural conditions. Drought increase as a result of climate change is expected to favour Q. trojana, leading to an increase in its spatial distribution.

Microsatellite Primer Development for Post Oak, Quercus stellata (Fagaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Warren B. Chatwin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Premise of the study: The American Cross Timbers forest ecosystem runs from southeastern Kansas to Central Texas and is primarily composed of post oak (Quercus stellata. This old-growth forest currently occupies only about 2% of its ancestral range. To facilitate genetic research on this species, we developed microsatellite primers specific to post oak from reduced genomic libraries. Methods and Results: Two Q. stellata individuals, sampled from the northern and southern range of the post oak forest, were subject to genomic reduction and 454 pyrosequencing. Bioinformatic analysis identified putative microsatellites from which 12 polymorphic primer sets were screened on three populations. The number of alleles observed ranged from five to 20 across all populations, while observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.05 to 0.833 and 0.236 to 0.893, respectively, within individual populations. Conclusions: We report the development of microsatellite markers, specific to post oak, to aid the study of genetic diversity and population structure of extant forest remnants.

Structure of herbivore communities in two oak (Quercus spp.) hybrid zones.

Science.gov (United States)

Boecklen, William J; Spellenberg, Richard

1990-11-01

We examined patterns of density and species diversity for leaf-mining Lepidopterans and gall-forming Hymenopterans in two oak (Quercus spp.) hybrid zones: Quercus depressipes x Q. rugosa and Q. emoryi x Q. coccolobifolia. In both species complexes, hybrid hosts typically supported significantly lower densities and species diversity of parasites than did parental types. This contradicts the findings of Whitham (1989) that suggested that hybrid hosts may act as parasite sinks both in ecological and evolutionary time. We discuss features of hybrid zones that are likely to influence patterns of herbivory.

Effects of the goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, on the health of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, in southern California before and after treatment with two systemic insecticides

Science.gov (United States)

Yigen Chen; Mary L. Flint; Tom W. Coleman; Joseph J. Doccola; Donald M. Grosman; David L. Wood; Steven J. Seybold

2015-01-01

The invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is threatening the health and survival of oak trees in San Diego County, California (Flint and others 2013). The primary oak species colonized and killed in this area include coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (...

Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation in leaf ecophysiological traits of 13 contrasting cork oak populations under different water availabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Valiente, Jose Alberto; Sánchez-Gómez, David; Aranda, Ismael; Valladares, Fernando

2010-05-01

Plants distributed across a wide range of environmental conditions are submitted to differential selective pressures. Long-term selection can lead to the development of adaptations to the local environment, generating ecotypic differentiation. Additionally, plant species can cope with this environmental variability by phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we examine the importance of both processes in coping with environmental heterogeneity in the Mediterranean sclerophyllous cork oak Quercus suber. For this purpose, we measured growth and key functional traits at the leaf level in 9-year-old plants across 2 years of contrasting precipitation (2005 and 2006) in a common garden. Plants were grown from acorns originated from 13 populations spanning a wide range of climates along the distribution range of the species. The traits measured were: leaf size (LS), specific leaf area (SLA), carbon isotope discrimination (Delta(13)C) and leaf nitrogen content per unit mass (N(mass)). Inter-population differences in LS, SLA and Delta(13)C were found. These differences were associated with rainfall and temperature at the sites of origin, suggesting local adaptation in response to diverging climates. Additionally, SLA and LS exhibited positive responses to the increase in annual rainfall. Year effect explained 28% of the total phenotypic variance in LS and 2.7% in SLA. There was a significant genotype x environment interaction for shoot growth and a phenotypic correlation between the difference in shoot growth among years and the annual mean temperature at origin. This suggests that populations originating from warm sites can benefit more from wet conditions than populations from cool sites. Finally, we investigated the relationships between functional traits and aboveground growth by several regression models. Our results showed that plants with lower SLA presented larger aboveground growth in a dry year and plants with larger leaf sizes displayed larger growth rates in both

Growth overcompensation against O3 exposure in two Japanese oak species, Quercus mongolica var. crispula and Quercus serrata, grown under elevated CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitao, Mitsutoshi; Komatsu, Masabumi; Yazaki, Kenichi; Kitaoka, Satoshi; Tobita, Hiroyuki

2015-11-01

To assess the effects of elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3) on the growth of two mid-successional oak species native to East Asia, Quercus mongolica var. crispula and Quercus serrata, we measured gas exchange and biomass allocation in seedlings (initially 1-year-old) grown under combinations of elevated CO2 (550 μmol mol(-1)) and O3 (twice-ambient) for two growing seasons in an open-field experiment in which root growth was not limited. Both the oak species showed a significant growth enhancement under the combination of elevated CO2 and O3 (indicated by total dry mass; over twice of ambient-grown plants, p CO2. Such an over-compensative response in the two Japanese oak species resulted in greater plant growth under the combination of elevated CO2 and O3 than elevated CO2 alone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The phenolic extractives in southern red oak (Quercus falcata Michx. var. falcata)

Science.gov (United States)

Seiji Ohara; Richard W. Hemingway

1989-01-01

The bark of southern red oak (Quercus falcala Michx. var. falcala) is a rich source of quercitrin (quercetin-3-rhamnoside). It contains only low concentrations of (+)-catechin and no significant amounts of epicatechin or gallocatechin. The three major dimeric proanthocyanidins present are epicatechin-(4β→8)-...

The effect of soil on cork quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Pestana, Miguel N; Gomes, Alberto A

2014-01-01

The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers. Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro) located in the Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal in southern Tagus River region. The samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistocene. In each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius and five trees per plot with same stripping conditions determined by: dendrometric features (HD- height stipping, PBH- perimeter at breaster height), trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree); stand features (density, percentage canopy cover); site conditions (soil type and orientation). In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil. Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm(2) and cork boards thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound, and soil horizons) and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro, and micronutrients availability). Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1) high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity, and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2) the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm(2) and magnesium soil content; (3) the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity, and the number of pores per cm(2).

Sensory-directed identification of taste-active ellagitannins in American (Quercus alba L.) and European oak wood (Quercus robur L.) and quantitative analysis in bourbon whiskey and oak-matured red wines.

Science.gov (United States)

Glabasnia, Arne; Hofmann, Thomas

2006-05-03

Aimed at increasing our knowledge on the sensory-active nonvolatiles migrating from oak wood into alcoholic beverages upon cooperaging, an aqueous ethanolic extract prepared from oak wood chips (Quercus alba L.) was screened for its key taste compounds by application of the taste dilution analysis. Purification of the compounds perceived with the highest sensory impacts, followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry as well as one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR experiments, revealed the ellagitannins vescalagin, castalagin, and grandinin, the roburins A-E, and 33-deoxy-33-carboxyvescalagin as the key molecules imparting an astringent oral sensation. To the best of our knowledge, 33-deoxy-33-carboxyvescalagin has as yet not been reported as a phytochemical in Q. alba L. In addition, the sensory activity of these ellagitannins was determined for the first time on the basis of their human threshold concentrations and dose/response functions. Furthermore, the ellagitannins have been quantitatively determined in extracts prepared from Q. alba L. and Quercus robur L., respectively, as well as in bourbon whiskey and oak-matured red wines, and the sensory contribution of the individual compounds has been evaluated for the first time on the basis of dose/activity considerations.

Artificial regeneration of major oak (Quercus) species in the eastern United States - a review of the literature

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; Douglass Jacobs; Ken McNabb; Gary W. Miller; V. Baldwin; G. Foster

2008-01-01

Although natural regeneration is often the best method for establishing new oak (Quercus spp.) stands, there are increasingly more situations in which high potential for oak regeneration failure dictates the use of artificial regeneration including direct seeding and planting seedlings. Additionally, afforestation planting programs frequently...

Purification of a new isoform of laccase from a Marasmius quercophilus strain isolated from a cork oak litter (Quercus suber L).

Science.gov (United States)

Farnet, A M; Criquet, S; Pocachard, E; Gil, G; Ferre, E

2002-01-01

A new isoform of laccase from Marasmius quercophilus is described in this study. The strain of this white-rot fungus was isolated for the first time on a cork oak litter. This isoform exhibited certain common properties of laccases (a molecular weight of 65 Kda, an optimum pH of 6.2 with syringaldazine). But this laccase has also particularly novel features: the best activity measured was observed at high temperatures (80 C) and this isoform was not inhibited with EDTA. Furthermore, this induced laccase was able to transform most of the aromatic compounds tested without the addition of mediators to the reaction mixture, and the transformation of certain chlorophenols (2-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol) by a laccase isoform from M. quercophilus is reported here for the first time. We also demonstrate the importance of 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) as a mediator since it allowed veratryl alcohol and p-hydroxybenzoic acid transformation. Moreover, new products of transformation were observed using the combination of ABTS with this isoform of laccase.

Temporal dynamics of spectral bioindicators evidence biological and ecological differences among functional types in a cork oak open woodland

Science.gov (United States)

Cerasoli, Sofia; Costa e Silva, Filipe; Silva, João M. N.

2016-06-01

The application of spectral vegetation indices for the purpose of vegetation monitoring and modeling increased largely in recent years. Nonetheless, the interpretation of biophysical properties of vegetation through their spectral signature is still a challenging task. This is particularly true in Mediterranean oak forest characterized by a high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. In this study, the temporal dynamics of vegetation indices expected to be related with green biomass and photosynthetic efficiency were compared for the canopy of trees, the herbaceous layer, and two shrub species: cistus ( Cistus salviifolius) and ulex ( Ulex airensis). coexisting in a cork oak woodland. All indices were calculated from in situ measurements with a FieldSpec3 spectroradiometer (ASD Inc., Boulder, USA). Large differences emerged in the temporal trends and in the correlation between climate and vegetation indices. The relationship between spectral indices and temperature, radiation, and vapor pressure deficit for cork oak was opposite to that observed for the herbaceous layer and cistus. No correlation was observed between rainfall and vegetation indices in cork oak and ulex, but in the herbaceous layer and in the cistus, significant correlations were found. The analysis of spectral vegetation indices with fraction of absorbed PAR (fPAR) and quantum yield of chlorophyll fluorescence ( ΔF/ Fm') evidenced strongest relationships with the indices Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI)512, respectively. Our results, while confirms the ability of spectral vegetation indices to represent temporal dynamics of biophysical properties of vegetation, evidence the importance to consider ecosystem composition for a correct ecological interpretation of results when the spatial resolution of observations includes different plant functional types.

Phenolic compounds and sensorial characterization of wines aged with alternative to barrel products made of Spanish oak wood (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.).

Science.gov (United States)

Gallego, L; Del Alamo, M; Nevares, I; Fernández, J A; Fernández de Simón, B; Cadahía, E

2012-04-01

Wood of Quercus pyrenaica has suitable properties for the wine ageing process. However, the forest available for the barrel making from this particular type of tree is very limited. Nevertheless, it is highly advisable to use this kind of wood in order to manufacture alternative oak products. This study presents the results of ageing the same red wine using different pieces of wood (chips and staves) of Spanish oak (Q. pyrenaica), American oak (Quercus alba) and French oak (Quercus petraea) in conjunction with small, controlled amounts of oxygen. In addition, the phenolic parameters, colour and sensory analysis point out that wines aged with Q. pyrenaica pieces have similar enological characteristics to those aged with American or French oak pieces of wood (chips and staves). Furthermore, the total oxygen consumed and its relation with sensory properties also has been studied in this article in order to know how the oxygen behaves in these processes. Besides, it is going to put forward the fact that chips and staves from Q. pyrenaica oak are suitable for the ageing of red wines and better considered than American or French ones, showing higher aromatic intensity, complexity, woody, balsamic and cocoa. Finally, the tasters valued highly the wines with staves, pointing out its flavour and roundness in mouth.

The effect of soil on cork quality

Science.gov (United States)

Pestana, Miguel; Gomes, Alberto

2014-10-01

The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers. Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro) located in different Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal and Carbonic shistes from paleozoic periods in Saw Grândola, both in southern Tagus River region The samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands located in “Península de Setúbal”, south of the River Tagus, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistocene In each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius. Five trees with same stripping conditions determined by the dendrometric features: HD (height stipping, PBH (perimeter at breaster height), and percentage canopy cover, trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree) stand features (density), and site conditions (soil type and orientation). In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil of each plot sampling. Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm 2 and thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound and soil horizons) and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro and micronutrients availability). Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1) high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, caption exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2) the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm2 and magnesium; (3) the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity and the number of pores per cm2.

The effect of soil on cork quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Nugent Pestana

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers.Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro located in different Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal and Carbonic shistes from paleozoic periods in Saw Grândola, both in southern Tagus River regionThe samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands located in Península de Setúbal, south of the River Tagus, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistoceneIn each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius. Five trees with same stripping conditions determined by the dendrometric features: HD (height stipping, PBH (perimeter at breaster height, and percentage canopy cover, trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree stand features (density, and site conditions (soil type and orientation. In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil of each plot sampling.Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm 2 and thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound and soil horizons and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro and micronutrients availability.Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1 high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, caption exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2 the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm2 and magnesium; (3 the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity and the number of pores per cm2.

Influence of Soil Type and Drainage on Growth of Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus Michauxii Nutt.) Seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Donald D. Hook

1969-01-01

Swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii Nutt.) seedlings were grown for 2 years in five soil types in drained and undrained pots. First-year height growth was related to soil type and pot drainage, but second-year height growth was related only to soil type. Results suggest that swamp chestnut oak is site-sensitive. But slow growth, a maximum of 2...

Ectomycorrhizal inoculation with Pisolithus tinctorius reduces stress induced by drought in cork oak.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastiana, Mónica; da Silva, Anabela Bernardes; Matos, Ana Rita; Alcântara, André; Silvestre, Susana; Malhó, Rui

2018-04-01

We investigated whether the performance of cork oak under drought could be improved by colonization with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius. Results show that inoculation alone had a positive effect on plant height, shoot biomass, shoot basal diameter, and root growth. Under drought, root growth of mycorrhizal plants was significantly increased showing that inoculation was effective in increasing tolerance to drought. In accordance, mycorrhizal plants subjected to drought showed less symptoms of stress when compared to non-mycorrhizal plants, such as lower concentration of soluble sugars and starch, increased ability to maintain fatty acid content and composition, and increased unsaturation level of membrane lipids. After testing some of the mechanisms suggested to contribute to the enhanced tolerance of mycorrhizal plants to drought, we could not find any by which Pisolithus tinctorius could benefit cork oak, at least under the drought conditions imposed in our experiment. Inoculation did not increase photosynthesis under drought, suggesting no effect in sustaining stomatal opening at low soil water content. Similarly, plant water status was not affected by inoculation suggesting that P. tinctorius does not contribute to an increased plant water uptake during drought. Inoculation did increase nitrogen concentration in plants but it was independent of the water status. Furthermore, no significant mycorrhizal effect on drought-induced ROS production or osmotic adjustment was detected, suggesting that these factors are not important for the improved drought tolerance triggered by P. tinctorius.

Foliar nutrients explain goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, adult feeding preference among four California oak species

Science.gov (United States)

Yigen Chen; Tom. W. Coleman; Michael. I. Jones; Mary. L. Flint; Steven. J. Seybold

2013-01-01

Adults of the invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), consumed foliar weight in no-choice feeding tests of, in descending order, California black oak Quercus kelloggii Newb., Engelmann oak, Quercus engelmannii Greene, coast live oak, Quercus...

In vitro and in vivo assessment of anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant effects of Oak leaves (Quercus convallata and Quercus arizonica) infusions and fermented beverages.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamboa-Gómez, Claudia I; Simental-Mendía, Luis E; González-Laredo, Rubén F; Alcantar-Orozco, Esteban J; Monserrat-Juarez, Victor H; Ramírez-España, Julio C; Gallegos-Infante, Jose Alberto; Moreno-Jiménez, Martha R; Rocha-Guzmán, Nuria E

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant effects of oak leaves infusions and fermented beverages from Quercus convallata and Q. arizonica in vitro and in vivo. Female C57BL/6 mice fed with high saturated fat and fructose diet-induced obesity were treated with oak leaves beverages (200 μL/per day equivalent to 15mg of lyophilized sample/Kg of body weight for infusions and 31mg of lyophilized sample/Kg of body weight for fermented beverages) for 3months and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. Blood plasma was obtained for determination of glucose, lipid profile, and oxidative stress markers (ABTS, nitric oxide, and ORAC assays). Insulin resistance was estimated using the product of triglycerides and glucose (TyG). Oak leaves infusions and fermented beverages exhibited exerted inhibition of α-amylase (8-15% and 5-9%, respectively) and α-glucosidase (98% and 99%, respectively) enzymes. After OGTT, the groups treated with either oak leaves infusions or fermented beverages showed lower glucose levels compared with the obesity control group (18%) and a similar glucose tolerance to healthy control group. On long-term evaluation, intervention groups showed a significant reduction in fasting glucose concentrations (41-50% for oak leaves infusions and 52-66% for fermented beverages) and TyG index (4.2-4.6% for oak leaves infusions and 5.9-7.5% for fermented beverages) compared with the obese control group. Oak leaves infusions and fermented beverages had antioxidant potential in vitro and scavenging activity for radicals such as peroxyl and peroxynitrite anions. Our results suggest anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant effects of beverages prepared with leaves of Quercus species in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of overstory density on ecophysiology of red oak (Quercus rubra) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings in central Ontario shelterwoods

Science.gov (United States)

William C. Parker; Daniel C. Dey

2008-01-01

A field experiment was established in a secondgrowth hardwood forest dominated by red oak (Quercus rubra L.) to examine the effects of shelterwood overstory density on leaf gas exchange and seedling water status of planted red oak, naturally regenerated red oak and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings during the first...

How does vegetation structure influence woodpeckers and secondary cavity nesting birds in African cork oak forest?

Science.gov (United States)

Segura, Amalia

2017-08-01

The Great Spotted Woodpecker provides important information about the status of a forest in terms of structure and age. As a primary cavity creator, it provides small-medium size cavities for passerines. However, despite its interest as an ecosystem engineer, studies of this species in Africa are scarce. Here, spatially explicit predictive models were used to investigate how forest structural variables are related to both the Great Spotted Woodpecker and secondary cavity nesting birds in Maamora cork oak forest (northwest Morocco). A positive association between Great Spotted Woodpecker and both dead-tree density and large mature trees (>60 cm dbh) was found. This study area, Maamora, has an old-growth forest structure incorporating a broad range of size and condition of live and dead trees, favouring Great Spotted Woodpecker by providing high availability of foraging and excavating sites. Secondary cavity nesting birds, represented by Great Tit, African Blue Tit, and Hoopoe, were predicted by Great Spotted Woodpecker detections. The findings suggest that the conservation of the Maamora cork oak forest could be key to maintaining these hole-nesting birds. However, this forest is threatened by forestry practises and livestock overgrazing and the challenge is therefore to find sustainable management strategies that ensure conservation while allowing its exploitation.

Phenology, dichogamy, and floral synchronization in a northern red oak (Quercus rubra) seed orchard

Science.gov (United States)

Lisa W. Alexander; Keith E. Woeste

2016-01-01

We developed a novel scoring system to assess spring phenology in a northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) clonal seed orchard. The system was used to score from 304 to 364 ramets for three reproductive seasons and to place clones into early, intermediate, and late phenology classes. Although the absolute number of clones in each phenological class...

Analysis of Valonia Oak (Quercus aegylops Acorn Tannin and Wood Adhesives Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soliman Abdalla

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The coupling of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR is a suitable method for examining the composition of hydrolysable tannins and has been applied to the investigation of valonia oak (Quercus aegylops acorn tannin extract. Such methods can determine the extract’s structural aspects and other characteristics. It was determined that valonia oak acorn tannin extract is composed of mainly pentagalloylglucose structures; their rearrangement structures, vescalagin/castalagin (with linkages to flavogallonic acid and vescalin/castalin; ellagic acid and vescavaloneic/castavaloneic acid; and free gallic acid and glucose. Traces of catechin gallate were also observed in this tannin extract. The tannin from acorns of valonia oak was used to substitute up to 50% of the phenol used in the preparation of phenolic resins as adhesives for wood particleboard. These phenol-tannin-formaldehyde resins showed comparable performance to phenol-formaldehyde resins.

Triterpenoid Components from Oak Heartwood (Quercus robur) and Their Potential Health Benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Andy J; Pecio, Łukasz; Kowalczyk, Mariusz; Kontek, Renata; Gajek, Gabriela; Stopinsek, Lidija; Mirt, Ivan; Oleszek, Wiesław; Stochmal, Anna

2017-06-14

For centuries oak wood (Quercus robur) has been used in aging of wines and spirits, which is based on pleasant flavors given to beverages by phenolics transferred to the liquid during the maturation process. Other metabolites, such as triterpenoids, can also be released. Searching for extractable triterpenoids in oak heartwood, 12 new, 1-12, and five known, 13-17, oleanane types were isolated and characterized. Their cytotoxicities were tested against cancer cells (PC3 and MCF-7) and lymphocytes. Breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were the most affected by triterpenoids, with roburgenic acid, 4, being the most active compound (IC 50 = 19.7 μM). Selectivity was observed for compounds 1-3, 8, 9, and 16, exhibiting an IC 50 > 200 μM against lymphocytes, while active against cancer cells. A galloyl unit attached to the triterpenoid moiety was established as the key feature for such effect. These results highlight the occurrence of triterpenoids in oak heartwood and their relevance for chemoprevention of breast cancer.

Using a ceptometer to validate a visual evaluation of the degree of defoliation of holm and cork oak trees

Science.gov (United States)

Margarida Tome; Maria Vasconcelos

2000-01-01

The study presented in this paper is part of a project to monitor the defoliation degree of cork and holm oak trees in stands with signs of "decline," alter application of different amounts of Aliette, a product specific for Phytophotora cinnamonii, one of the possible causes of the "decline". The specific objective was to...

Impact of Climate Trends and Drought Events on the Growth of Oaks (Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea (Matt. Liebl. within and beyond Their Natural Range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Perkins

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Due to predicted climate change, it is important to know to what extent trees and forests will be impacted by chronic and episodic drought stress. As oaks play an important role in European forestry, this study focuses on the growth response of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt. Liebl. and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur (L. under contrasting climatic conditions. Analyses cover both site conditions of their natural occurrence (Southern Germany and Northeast Italy and site conditions beyond their natural range (South Africa. The sites beyond their natural range represent possible future climate conditions. Tree-ring series from three different sites were compared and analysed using dendrochronological methods. The long-term growth development of oak trees appears to be similar across the sites, yet the growth level over time is higher in the drier and warmer climate than in the temperate zone. When compared with previous growth periods, growth models reveal that oak trees grew more than expected during the last decades. A recent setback in growth can be observed, although growth is still higher than the model predicts. By focusing on the short-term reactions of the trees, distinct drought events and periods were discovered. In each climatic region, similar growth reactions developed after drought periods. A decline in growth rate occurred in the second or third year after the drought event. Oaks in South Africa are currently exposed to a warmer climate with more frequent drought events. This climatic condition is a future prediction also for Europe. In view of this climate change, we discuss the consequences of the long- and short- term growth behaviour of oaks grown in the climate of South Africa for a tree species selection that naturally occurs in Europe.

Origin and incidence of 2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyrazine, a compound with a "fungal" and "corky" aroma found in cork stoppers and oak chips in contact with wines.

Science.gov (United States)

Chatonnet, Pascal; Fleury, Antoine; Boutou, Stéphane

2010-12-08

This study identifies a previously isolated bacterium as Rhizobium excellensis, a new species of proteobacteria able to form a large quantity of 2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyrazine (MDMP). R. excellensis actively synthesizes MDMP from L-alanine and L-leucine and, to a lesser extent, from L-phenylalanine and L-valine. MDMP is a volatile, strong-smelling substance detected in wines with cork stoppers that have an unpleasant "corky", "herbaceous" (potato, green hazelnut), or "dusty" odor that is very different from the typical "fungal" nose of a "corked" wine that is generally due to 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA). The contamination of cork by MDMP is not correlated with the presence of TCA. It appears possible that R. excellensis is the microorganism mainly responsible for the presence of this molecule in cork bark. However, other observations suggest that MDMP might taint wine through other ways. Oak wood can also be contaminated and affect wines with which it comes into contact. Nevertheless, because 93% of the MDMP content in wood is destroyed after 10 min at 220 °C, sufficiently toasted oak barrels or alternatives probably do not represent a major source of MDMP in most of the cases. Due to MDMP's relatively low detection threshold estimated at 2.1 ng/L, its presence in about 40% of the untreated natural cork stoppers sampled at concentrations above 10 ng/cork suggests that this compound, if extracted from the stoppers, may pose a risk for wine producers.

Environmental and microbial factors influencing methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in Mediterranean cork oak woodlands: trees make a difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Shvaleva, Alla; Siljanen, Henri M P; Correia, Alexandra; Costa E Silva, Filipe; Lamprecht, Richard E; Lobo-do-Vale, Raquel; Bicho, Catarina; Fangueiro, David; Anderson, Margaret; Pereira, João S; Chaves, Maria M; Cruz, Cristina; Martikainen, Pertti J

2015-01-01

Cork oak woodlands (montado) are agroforestry systems distributed all over the Mediterranean basin with a very important social, economic and ecological value. A generalized cork oak decline has been occurring in the last decades jeopardizing its future sustainability. It is unknown how loss of tree cover affects microbial processes that are consuming greenhouse gases in the montado ecosystem. The study was conducted under two different conditions in the natural understory of a cork oak woodland in center Portugal: under tree canopy (UC) and open areas without trees (OA). Fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide were measured with a static chamber technique. In order to quantify methanotrophs and bacteria capable of nitrous oxide consumption, we used quantitative real-time PCR targeting the pmoA and nosZ genes encoding the subunit of particulate methane mono-oxygenase and catalytic subunit of the nitrous oxide reductase, respectively. A significant seasonal effect was found on CH4 and N2O fluxes and pmoA and nosZ gene abundance. Tree cover had no effect on methane fluxes; conversely, whereas the UC plots were net emitters of nitrous oxide, the loss of tree cover resulted in a shift in the emission pattern such that the OA plots were a net sink for nitrous oxide. In a seasonal time scale, the UC had higher gene abundance of Type I methanotrophs. Methane flux correlated negatively with abundance of Type I methanotrophs in the UC plots. Nitrous oxide flux correlated negatively with nosZ gene abundance at the OA plots in contrast to that at the UC plots. In the UC soil, soil organic matter had a positive effect on soil extracellular enzyme activities, which correlated positively with the N2O flux. Our results demonstrated that tree cover affects soil properties, key enzyme activities and abundance of microorganisms and, consequently net CH4 and N2O exchange.

Drought-induced photosynthetic inhibition and autumn recovery in two Mediterranean oak species (Quercus ilex and Quercus suber).

Science.gov (United States)

Vaz, M; Pereira, J S; Gazarini, L C; David, T S; David, J S; Rodrigues, A; Maroco, J; Chaves, M M

2010-08-01

Responses of leaf water relations and photosynthesis to summer drought and autumn rewetting were studied in two evergreen Mediterranean oak species, Quercus ilex spp. rotundifolia and Quercus suber. The predawn leaf water potential (Ψ(lPD)), stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (A) at ambient conditions were measured seasonally over a 3-year period. We also measured the photosynthetic response to light and to intercellular CO₂ (A/PPFD and A/C(i) response curves) under water stress (summer) and after recovery due to autumn rainfall. Photosynthetic parameters, Vc(max), J(max) and triose phosphate utilization (TPU) rate, were estimated using the Farquhar model. RuBisCo activity, leaf chlorophyll, leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf carbohydrate concentration were also measured. All measurements were performed in the spring leaves of the current year. In both species, the predawn leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate peaked in spring, progressively declined throughout the summer and recovered upon autumn rainfall. During the drought period, Q. ilex maintained a higher predawn leaf water potential and stomatal conductance than Q. suber. During this period, we found that photosynthesis was not only limited by stomatal closure, but was also downregulated as a consequence of a decrease in the maximum carboxylation rate (Vc(max)) and the light-saturated rate of photosynthetic electron transport (J(max)) in both species. The Vc(max) and J(max) increased after the first autumnal rains and this increase was related to RuBisCo activity, leaf nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll concentration. In addition, an increase in the TPU rate and in soluble leaf sugar concentration was observed in this period. The results obtained indicate a high resilience of the photosynthetic apparatus to summer drought as well as good recovery in the following autumn rains of these evergreen oak species.

Effects of tornado damage, prescribed fire, and salvage logging on natural oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration in a xeric southern USA Coastal Plain oak/pine forest

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffery B. Cannon; J. Stephen Brewer

2013-01-01

Due in large part to fire exclusion, many oak-dominated (Quercus spp.) forests, woodlands, and savannas throughout eastern North America are being replaced by less diverse forest ecosystems. In the interior coastal plain of the southern United States, these forests are dominated in the mid- and understory by mesophytic species such as Acer...

Effect of Drying Method on the Permeability Coefficient of Oak Wood (Quercus infactoria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuboo Salehpour

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, the effect of drying method on the permeability coefficient of the oak wood (Quercus infectoria Oliv was studied. Freshly-cut logs of oak were prepared from Oureman, the east area of Kourdistan in Iran. Then, boards with nominal thickness of 6 cm were cut. The boards were dried using two methods. In the first method, the boards were air dried to the moisture content close to FSP for 45 days and then they were kiln dried using T5-D1 schedule. In the second method, the boards were dried from green condition to the final moisture content of 10% using T5-D1 schedule. Then, the permeability coefficient in the transverse and longitudinal directions in both heartwood and sapwood regions was measured, separately. Results showed that the permeability of oak boards dried by kiln drying method both in the transverse and longitudinal directions and also in the heartwood and sapwood regions was greater than that of those dried by the combined method (air drying + kiln drying.

Comparative gas-exchange in leaves of intact and clipped, natural and planted cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Brian R. Lockhart; John D. Hodges

2005-01-01

Gas-exchange measurements, including C022-exchange rate (net photosynthesis), stomatal conductance, and transpiration, were conducted on intact and clipped cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) seedlings growing in the field and in a nursery bed. Seedlings in the field, released from midstory and understory woody competition,...

Conservation biogeography of red oaks (Quercus, section Lobatae) in Mexico and Central America.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres-Miranda, Andrés; Luna-Vega, Isolda; Oyama, Ken

2011-02-01

Oaks are dominant trees and key species in many temperate and subtropical forests in the world. In this study, we analyzed patterns of distribution of red oaks (Quercus, section Lobatae) occurring in Mexico and Central America to determine areas of species richness and endemism to propose areas of conservation. Patterns of richness and endemism of 75 red oak species were analyzed using three different units. Two complementarity algorithms based on species richness and three algorithms based on species rarity were used to identify important areas for conservation. A simulated annealing analysis was performed to evaluate and formulate effective new reserves for red oaks that are useful for conserving the ecosystems associated with them after the systematic conservation planning approach. Two main centers of species richness were detected. The northern Sierra Madre Oriental and Serranías Meridionales of Jalisco had the highest values of endemism. Fourteen areas were considered as priorities for conservation of red oak species based on the 26 priority political entities, 11 floristic units and the priority grid-cells obtained in the complementarity analysis. In the present network of Natural Protected Areas in Mexico and Central America, only 41.3% (31 species) of the red oak species are protected. The simulated annealing analysis indicated that to protect all 75 species of red oaks, 12 current natural protected areas need to be expanded by 120000 ha of additional land, and 26 new natural protected areas with 512500 ha need to be created. Red oaks are a useful model to identify areas for conservation based on species richness and endemism as a result of their wide geographic distribution and a high number of species. We evaluated and reformulated new reserves for red oaks that are also useful for the conservation of ecosystems associated with them.

Function of defensive volatiles in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) is tricked by the moth Tortrix viridana.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghirardo, Andrea; Heller, Werner; Fladung, Matthias; Schnitzler, Jörg-Peter; Schroeder, Hilke

2012-12-01

The indirect defences of plants are comprised of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that among other things attract the natural enemies of insects. However, the actual extent of the benefits of HIPV emissions in complex co-evolved plant-herbivore systems is only poorly understood. The observation that a few Quercus robur L. trees constantly tolerated (T-oaks) infestation by a major pest of oaks (Tortrix viridana L.), compared with heavily defoliated trees (susceptible: S-oaks), lead us to a combined biochemical and behavioural study. We used these evidently different phenotypes to analyse whether the resistance of T-oaks to the herbivore was dependent on the amount and scent of HIPVs and/or differences in non-volatile polyphenolic leaf constituents (as quercetin-, kaempferol- and flavonol glycosides). In addition to non-volatile metabolic differences, typically defensive HIPV emissions differed between S-oaks and T-oaks. Female moths were attracted by the blend of HIPVs from S-oaks, showing significantly higher amounts of (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) and (E)-β-ocimene and avoid T-oaks with relative high fraction of the sesquiterpenes α-farnesene and germacrene D. Hence, the strategy of T-oaks exhibiting directly herbivore-repellent HIPV emissions instead of high emissions of predator-attracting HIPVs of the S-oaks appears to be the better mechanism for avoiding defoliation. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Recalcitrant Behavior of Cherrybark Oak Seed: An FT-IR Study of Desiccation Sensitivity in Quercus pagoda Raf. Acorns

Science.gov (United States)

Sharon Sowa; Kristina F. Connor

2003-01-01

The recalcitrant behavior of cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) acorns was examined in terms of effects of moisture content on seed storage longevity and (short term) seed germination. Seed samples collected over two consecutive years were fully hydrated, then subjected to drying under ambient conditions of temperature and relative humidity on the...

A method to quantify infection and colonization of holm oak (Quercus ilex roots by Phytophthora cinnamomi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruiz-Gómez Francisco J

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands. is an important root rot pathogen widely distributed in the north hemisphere, with a large host range. Among others diseases, it is known to be a principal factor in the decline of holm oak and cork oak, the most important tree species in the “dehesa” ecosystem of south-western Spain. Previously, the focus of studies on P. cinnamomi and holm oak have been on molecular tools for identification, functional responses of the host, together with other physiological and morphological host variables. However, a microscopic index to describe the degree of infection and colonization in the plant tissues has not yet been developed. A colonization or infection index would be a useful tool for studies that examine differences between individuals subjected to different treatments or to individuals belonging to different breeding accessions, together with their specific responses to the pathogen. This work presents a methodology based on the capture and digital treatment of microscopic images, using simple and accessible software, together with a range of variables that quantify the infection and colonization process.

The macrofungal diversity and community of Atlantic oak (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) forests in Ireland

OpenAIRE

Harrington, Thomas J.; O’Hanlon, Richard

2012-01-01

The oak species Quercus petraea and Q. Robur are dominant canopy tree species of native deciduous forests in Ireland and coastal regions of Western Europe. These forests are typically plant species-rich, and can also have a rich fungal flora. This survey examined macrofungi found in five native oak sites across Ireland over three years. Overall, 94 macrofungal species belonging to 39 genera were discovered with Mycena, Lactarius, Russula and Cortinarius the most species-rich genera. The speci...

A Decision Support System for Assessing Trade-Offs between Ecosystem Management Goals: An Application in Portugal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Garcia-Gonzalo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Cork oak (Quercus suber L. and holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia ecosystems are characteristic of Mediterranean forestry in Portugal. Even though cork is the most valuable product, these ecosystems provide multiple products and services. Assessing trade-offs between multiple goals is thus critical for the effectiveness of oak ecosystem management planning. This paper focuses on the development of a decision support system for oak ecosystems’ scenario analysis including multiple criteria. It includes an innovative decision support systems (DSS functionality to assess trade-offs between the criteria that may support negotiation and consensus building between decision-makers and forest stakeholders. Specifically, a module that encapsulates the Feasible Goals Method/Interactive Decision Maps (FGM/IDM technique is developed for interactive visualization of the Pareto frontier. The Pareto frontier illustrates the degree to which improving one particular criterion requires accepting sacrifices in the achievements of others. It thus provides information about trade-offs between competing decision-makers’ preferences. Results are discussed for a large-scale application encompassing over 1 million ha of cork and holm oak forest ecosystems in Southern Portugal. This study demonstrates the potential of the new DSS functionality to enhance multi-objective forest planning, namely by facilitating participation by stakeholders and providing transparency to the decision-making processes.

Severe dry winter affects plant phenology and carbon balance of a cork oak woodland understorey

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, A. C.; Costa-e-Silva, F.; Dubbert, M.; Piayda, A.; Pereira, J. S.

2016-10-01

Mediterranean climates are prone to a great variation in yearly precipitation. The effects on ecosystem will depend on the severity and timing of droughts. In this study we questioned how an extreme dry winter affects the carbon flux in the understorey of a cork oak woodland? What is the seasonal contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem productivity? We used closed-system portable chambers to measure CO2 exchange of the dominant shrub species (Cistus salviifolius, Cistus crispus and Ulex airensis), of the herbaceous layer and on bare soil in a cork oak woodland in central Portugal during the dry winter year of 2012. Shoot growth, leaf shedding, flower and fruit setting, above and belowground plant biomass were measured as well as seasonal leaf water potential. Eddy-covariance and micrometeorological data together with CO2 exchange measurements were used to access the understorey species contribution to ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP). The herbaceous layer productivity was severely affected by the dry winter, with half of the yearly maximum aboveground biomass in comparison with the 6 years site average. The semi-deciduous and evergreen shrubs showed desynchronized phenophases and lagged carbon uptake maxima. Whereas shallow-root shrubs exhibited opportunistic characteristics in exploiting the understorey light and water resources, deep rooted shrubs showed better water status but considerably lower assimilation rates. The contribution of understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP was lower during summer with 14% and maximum during late spring, concomitantly with the lowest tree productivity due to tree canopy renewal. The herbaceous vegetation contribution to ecosystem GPP never exceeded 6% during this dry year stressing its sensitivity to winter and spring precipitation. Although shrubs are more resilient to precipitation variability when compared with the herbaceous vegetation, the contribution of the understorey vegetation to ecosystem GPP can

Tree species richness, diversity, and regeneration status in different oak (Quercus spp. dominated forests of Garhwal Himalaya, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushma Singh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Himalayan forests are dominated by different species of oaks (Quercus spp. at different altitudes. These oaks are intimately linked with hill agriculture as they protect soil fertility, watershed, and local biodiversity. They also play an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability. This work was carried out to study the diversity and regeneration status of some oak forests in Garhwal Himalaya, India. A total of 18 tree species belonging to 16 genera and 12 families were reported from the study area. Species richness varied for trees (4–7, saplings (3–10, and seedlings (2–6. Seedling and sapling densities (Ind/ha varied between 1,376 Ind/ha and 9,600 Ind/ha and 167 Ind/ha and 1,296 Ind/ha, respectively. Species diversity varied from 1.27 to 1.86 (trees, from 0.93 to 3.18 (saplings, and from 0.68 to 2.26 (seedlings. Total basal area (m2/ha of trees and saplings was 2.2–87.07 m2/ha and 0.20–2.24 m2/ha, respectively, whereas that of seedlings varied from 299 cm2/ha to 8,177 cm2/ha. Maximum tree species (20–80% had “good” regeneration. Quercus floribunda, the dominant tree species in the study area, showed “poor” regeneration, which is a matter of concern, and therefore, proper management and conservation strategies need to be developed for maintenance and sustainability of this oak species along with other tree species that show poor or no regeneration.

Evidence for hybridization and introgression within a species-rich oak (Quercus spp. community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Finkeldey Reiner

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Analysis of interspecific gene flow is crucial for the understanding of speciation processes and maintenance of species integrity. Oaks (genus Quercus, Fagaceae are among the model species for the study of hybridization. Natural co-occurrence of four closely related oak species is a very rare case in the temperate forests of Europe. We used both morphological characters and genetic markers to characterize hybridization in a natural community situated in west-central Romania and which consists of Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens, and Q. frainetto, respectively. Results On the basis of pubescence and leaf morphological characters ~94% of the sampled individuals were assigned to pure species. Only 16 (~6% individual trees exhibited intermediate morphologies or a combination of characters of different species. Four chloroplast DNA haplotypes were identified in the study area. The distribution of haplotypes within the white oak complex showed substantial differences among species. However, the most common haplotypes were present in all four species. Furthermore, based on a set of 7 isozyme and 6 microsatellite markers and using a Bayesian admixture analysis without any a priori information on morphology we found that four genetic clusters best fit the data. There was a very good correspondence of each species with one of the inferred genetic clusters. The estimated introgression level varied markedly between pairs of species ranging from 1.7% between Q. robur and Q. frainetto to 16.2% between Q. pubescens and Q. frainetto. Only nine individuals (3.4% appeared to be first-generation hybrids. Conclusion Our data indicate that natural hybridization has occurred at relatively low rates. The different levels of gene flow among species might be explained by differences in flowering time and spatial position within the stand. In addition, a partial congruence between phenotypically and genetically intermediate individuals was

Sudden Oak Death - Eastern (Pest Alert)

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph O' Brien; Manfred Mielke; Steve Oak; Bruce Moltzan

2002-01-01

A phenomenon known as Sudden Oak Death was first reported in 1995 in central coastal California. Since then, tens of thousands of tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus), coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), and California black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) have been killed by a newly identified fungus, Phytophthora ramorum. On these hosts, the fungus causes a bleeding canker on...

Catalytic copyrolysis of cork oak and bio-oil distillation residue

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Yejin; Oh, Daejun; Kim, Young-Min; Jae, Jungho; Jung, Sang-Chul; Jeon, Jong-Ki; Kim, Sang Chai; Park, Young-Kwon

2018-01-01

The atmospheric distillation residue (ADR) of cork oak (CO) pyrolysis oil was used as the co-feeding material for the catalytic pyrolysis of CO over HZSM-5 catalysts to improve the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Although the non-catalytic copyrolysis of CO and ADR did not improve the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons, the catalytic copyrolysis of CO and ADR promoted the synergistic formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. HZSM-5(30), having a lower SiO2/Al2O3(30), showed better performance for the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons than HZSM-5(80) because of its higher acidity. The catalytic copyrolysis of CO and ADR also decreased the formation of coke. The largest quantity of aromatic hydrocarbons was obtained from the catalytic copyrolysis of CO and ADR over HZSM-5 (30) at 600 °C, whereas the lowest coke yield was achieved at 700 °C. When the catalyst to sample ratio was increased from 2:1 to 5:1, the synergistic formation of aromatic hydrocarbons was limited, resulting in a lower experimental yield of aromatic hydrocarbons than the theoretical yield. A lower coke yield was also achieved at a high catalyst to sample ratio (5:1).

Water-use strategies in two co-occurring Mediterranean evergreen oaks: surviving the summer drought.

Science.gov (United States)

David, T S; Henriques, M O; Kurz-Besson, C; Nunes, J; Valente, F; Vaz, M; Pereira, J S; Siegwolf, R; Chaves, M M; Gazarini, L C; David, J S

2007-06-01

In the Mediterranean evergreen oak woodlands of southern Portugal, the main tree species are Quercus ilex ssp. rotundifolia Lam. (holm oak) and Quercus suber L. (cork oak). We studied a savannah-type woodland where these species coexist, with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms of tree adaptation to seasonal drought. In both species, seasonal variations in transpiration and predawn leaf water potential showed a maximum in spring followed by a decline through the rainless summer and a recovery with autumn rainfall. Although the observed decrease in predawn leaf water potential in summer indicates soil water depletion, trees maintained transpiration rates above 0.7 mm day(-1) during the summer drought. By that time, more than 70% of the transpired water was being taken from groundwater sources. The daily fluctuations in soil water content suggest that some root uptake of groundwater was mediated through the upper soil layers by hydraulic lift. During the dry season, Q. ilex maintained higher predawn leaf water potentials, canopy conductances and transpiration rates than Q. suber. The higher water status of Q. ilex was likely associated with their deeper root systems compared with Q. suber. Whole-tree hydraulic conductance and minimum midday leaf water potential were lower in Q. ilex, indicating that Q. ilex was more tolerant to drought than Q. suber. Overall, Q. ilex seemed to have more effective drought avoidance and drought tolerance mechanisms than Q. suber.

Sudden oak death disease progression in oaks and tanoaks

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; Sylvia R. Mori; David L. Wood; Andrew J. Storer; Pavel Svihra; N. Maggi Kelly; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

In March 2000, we established twenty disease progression plots in Marin County to monitor the progress of sudden oak death symptoms in coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) (McPherson and others 2005). Plots were located to encompass a...

Methodology for cork plank characterization (Quercus suber L.) by near-infrared spectroscopy and image analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Prades, Cristina; García-Olmo, Juan; Romero-Prieto, Tomás; García de Ceca, José L.; López-Luque, Rafael

2010-06-01

The procedures used today to characterize cork plank for the manufacture of cork bottle stoppers continue to be based on a traditional, manual method that is highly subjective. Furthermore, there is no specific legislation regarding cork classification. The objective of this viability study is to assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology for characterizing cork plank according to the following variables: aspect or visual quality, porosity, moisture and geographical origin. In order to calculate the porosity coefficient, an image analysis program was specifically developed in Visual Basic language for a desktop scanner. A set comprising 170 samples from two geographical areas of Andalusia (Spain) was classified into eight quality classes by visual inspection. Spectra were obtained in the transverse and tangential sections of the cork planks using an NIRSystems 6500 SY II reflectance spectrophotometer. The quantitative calibrations showed cross-validation coefficients of determination of 0.47 for visual quality, 0.69 for porosity and 0.66 for moisture. The results obtained using NIRS technology are promising considering the heterogeneity and variability of a natural product such as cork in spite of the fact that the standard error of cross validation (SECV) in the quantitative analysis is greater than the standard error of laboratory (SEL) for the three variables. The qualitative analysis regarding geographical origin achieved very satisfactory results. Applying these methods in industry will permit quality control procedures to be automated, as well as establishing correlations between the different classification systems currently used in the sector. These methods can be implemented in the cork chain of custody certification and will also provide a certainly more objective tool for assessing the economic value of the product.

Methodology for cork plank characterization (Quercus suber L.) by near-infrared spectroscopy and image analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prades, Cristina; López-Luque, Rafael; García-Olmo, Juan; Romero-Prieto, Tomás; García de Ceca, José L

2010-01-01

The procedures used today to characterize cork plank for the manufacture of cork bottle stoppers continue to be based on a traditional, manual method that is highly subjective. Furthermore, there is no specific legislation regarding cork classification. The objective of this viability study is to assess the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology for characterizing cork plank according to the following variables: aspect or visual quality, porosity, moisture and geographical origin. In order to calculate the porosity coefficient, an image analysis program was specifically developed in Visual Basic language for a desktop scanner. A set comprising 170 samples from two geographical areas of Andalusia (Spain) was classified into eight quality classes by visual inspection. Spectra were obtained in the transverse and tangential sections of the cork planks using an NIRSystems 6500 SY II reflectance spectrophotometer. The quantitative calibrations showed cross-validation coefficients of determination of 0.47 for visual quality, 0.69 for porosity and 0.66 for moisture. The results obtained using NIRS technology are promising considering the heterogeneity and variability of a natural product such as cork in spite of the fact that the standard error of cross validation (SECV) in the quantitative analysis is greater than the standard error of laboratory (SEL) for the three variables. The qualitative analysis regarding geographical origin achieved very satisfactory results. Applying these methods in industry will permit quality control procedures to be automated, as well as establishing correlations between the different classification systems currently used in the sector. These methods can be implemented in the cork chain of custody certification and will also provide a certainly more objective tool for assessing the economic value of the product

Fire effects on Gambel oak in southwestern ponderosa pine-oak forests

Science.gov (United States)

Scott R. Abella; Peter Z. Fulé

2008-01-01

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is ecologically and aesthetically valuable in southwestern ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. Fire effects on Gambel oak are important because fire may be used in pine-oak forests to manage oak directly or to accomplish other management objectives. We used published literature to: (1) ascertain...

Rooting stem cuttings of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) utilizing hedged stump sprouts formed on recently felled trees

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew H. Gocke; Daniel J. Robinson

2010-01-01

The ability to root stem cuttings collected from hedged stump sprouts formed on recently felled trees was evaluated for 26 codominant northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) trees growing in Durham County, NC. Sprouting occurred, the same year as felling, on 23 of the 26 tree stumps and sprout number was significantly and positively correlated with stump diameter. The...

ESTIMATION OF CORK PRODUCTION USINGAERIAL IMAGERY1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Surovy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Inventory and prediction of cork harvest over time and space is important to forest managers who must plan and organize harvest logistics (transport, storage, etc.. Common field inventory methods including the stem density, diameter and height structure are costly and generally point (plot based. Furthermore, the irregular horizontal structure of cork oak stands makes it difficult, if not impossible, to interpolate between points. We propose a new method to estimate cork production using digital multispectral aerial imagery. We study the spectral response of individual trees in visible and near infrared spectra and then correlate that response with cork production prior to harvest. We use ground measurements of individual trees production to evaluate the model’s predictive capacity. We propose 14 candidate variables to predict cork production based on crown size in combination with different NDVI index derivates. We use Akaike Information Criteria to choose the best among them. The best model is composed of combinations of different NDVI derivates that include red, green, and blue channels. The proposed model is 15% more accurate than a model that includes only a crown projection without any spectral information.

Fragmentation patterns of evergreen oak woodlands in Southwestern Iberia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Costa, A.; Madeira, M.; Lima Santos, J.

2014-01-01

Mediterranean evergreen oak woodlands (composed of Quercus suber L. and Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) are becoming increasingly fragmented in the human-modified landscapes of Southwestern Portugal and Spain. Previous studies have largely neglected to assess the spatial changes of oak woodlands...... patterns of oak recruitment and therefore, its study may be helpful in highlighting future baselines for the sustainable management of oak woodlands....

Variation in flood tolerance of container-grown seedlings of swamp white oak, bur oak, and white oak

Science.gov (United States)

Michael P. Walsh; J.W. Van Sambeek; Mark V. Coggeshall

2008-01-01

How much variation in flood tolerance exists among seedlings within oak species, given the flood frequency of sites from which acorns are collected, has been largely unexplored. Our studies examined initial growth and flood tolerance for seedlings of swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor Willd.), bur oak (Q. macrocarpa L.), and white...

Evaluation of spectral light management on growth of container-grown willow oak, nuttall oak and summer red maple

Science.gov (United States)

Plant response to blue, red, gray or black shade cloth was evaluated with willow oak (Quercus phellos L.), Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palmer, Nuttall) and Summer Red maple (Acer rubrum L. ‘Summer Red’) liners. Light transmitted through the colored shade cloth had no influence on germination of ...

Properties of Hungarian oak(quercus conferta Kit. wood from the Hilandar Monastery forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović Zdravko

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the study results of the basic physical and strength properties of Hungarian oak (Quercus conferta Kit. wood from the Kakovo Monastery forests of Hilandar Monastery in Greece. Wood properties were analyzed in detail, as an indispensable proof of wood quality and its use for joinery, interiors and wooden floors. The basic physical properties of wood (moisture content at the time of tree felling, density and volume porosity and the basic strength properties (compressive strength, bending strength and module of elasticity were researched. The results are presented in Tables and in Diagrams with statistical parameters and compared to the literature data. The correlation of the study properties of wood was also analyzed.

Seasonal abundance and biology of sporophagous thrips and notes on other thrips (Insecta, Thysanoptera) on the Mediterranean oak, Quercus rotundifolia L. in Navarra (N Spain)

OpenAIRE

Goldarazena, A.; Mound, L. A.

1999-01-01

This paperrecords the seasonal abundance of four species of sporophagous thrips collected on the Mediterranean oak, Quercus rotundifolia L., in the Mediterranean area of Navarra (N Spain). The life cycles of Cornpsothrips albosignatus (Reuter), Priesneriella clavicornis (Knechtel); Megalothrips bonannii Uzel and Cryptohrips nigripes (Reuter) are reported, and notes given about habitat specificity and wing development. Notes about host specific Terebrantia thrips of the Mediterranean oak are a...

Assessing Methods to Protect Susceptible Oak and Tanoak Stands from Sudden Oak Death

Science.gov (United States)

Tedmund Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2010-01-01

Landowners and managers have been seeking ways to protect susceptible oak (Quercus) species and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) from sudden oak death (SOD) caused by Phytophthora ramorum. Because disease epidemiology differs between tanoaks and susceptible oaks, we are testing different control strategies...

Genetic structure of a natural oak community in central Italy: Evidence of gene flow between three sympatric white oak species (Quercus, Fagaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaby Antonecchia

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Incomplete reproductive barriers between species, especially in sympatric areas where several species coexist, may result in hybridization and an increase in genetic diversity. Here we assessed the amount of genetic diversity in a community of three interfertile and sympatric European oaks (Quercus frainetto Ten., Q. petraea Liebl. Matt. and Q. pubescens Willd. situated in central Italy. We used 11 microsatellite markers derived from Expressed Sequence Tag (EST-SSRs and we implemented a Bayesian clustering analysis to assign individuals to species or hybrids. All genotyped loci were polymorphic for all the species and three genetic clusters corresponding to each species were detected. Significant differences and a higher level of gene flow were observed between the three oak species. Occurrence of hybrids varied markedly within the studied area: hybrids between Q. petraea and Q, pubescens were the most frequent, while hybrids between Q. petraea and Q. frainetto were particularly rare. Q. pubescens and Q. petraea showed the highest number of alleles compared to Q. frainetto,which was characterized by a low number of private, but highly frequent, alleles. However, Q. frainetto showed a lower genetic diversity and a stronger reproductive isolation from the other two oak species.

Climate change effect on Betula (birch) and Quercus (oak) pollen seasons in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yong; Bielory, Leonard; Georgopoulos, Panos G.

2014-07-01

Climatic change is expected to affect the spatiotemporal patterns of airborne allergenic pollen, which has been found to act synergistically with common air pollutants, such as ozone, to cause allergic airway disease (AAD). Observed airborne pollen data from six stations from 1994 to 2011 at Fargo (North Dakota), College Station (Texas), Omaha (Nebraska), Pleasanton (California), Cherry Hill and Newark (New Jersey) in the US were studied to examine climate change effects on trends of annual mean and peak value of daily concentrations, annual production, season start, and season length of Betula (birch) and Quercus (oak) pollen. The growing degree hour (GDH) model was used to establish a relationship between start/end dates and differential temperature sums using observed hourly temperatures from surrounding meteorology stations. Optimum GDH models were then combined with meteorological information from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, and land use land coverage data from the Biogenic Emissions Land use Database, version 3.1 (BELD3.1), to simulate start dates and season lengths of birch and oak pollen for both past and future years across the contiguous US (CONUS). For most of the studied stations, comparison of mean pollen indices between the periods of 1994-2000 and 2001-2011 showed that birch and oak trees were observed to flower 1-2 weeks earlier; annual mean and peak value of daily pollen concentrations tended to increase by 13.6 %-248 %. The observed pollen season lengths varied for birch and for oak across the different monitoring stations. Optimum initial date, base temperature, and threshold GDH for start date was found to be 1 March, 8 °C, and 1,879 h, respectively, for birch; 1 March, 5 °C, and 4,760 h, respectively, for oak. Simulation results indicated that responses of birch and oak pollen seasons to climate change are expected to vary for different regions.

Biomorphous SiC ceramics prepared from cork oak as precursor

Science.gov (United States)

Yukhymchuk, V. O.; Kiselov, V. S.; Valakh, M. Ya.; Tryus, M. P.; Skoryk, M. A.; Rozhin, A. G.; Kulinich, S. A.; Belyaev, A. E.

2016-04-01

Porous ceramic materials of SiC were synthesized from carbon matrices obtained via pyrolysis of natural cork as precursor. We propose a method for the fabrication of complex-shaped porous ceramic hardware consisting of separate parts prepared from natural cork. It is demonstrated that the thickness of the carbon-matrix walls can be increased through their impregnation with Bakelite phenolic glue solution followed by pyrolysis. This decreases the material's porosity and can be used as a way to modify its mechanical and thermal characteristics. Both the carbon matrices (resulted from the pyrolysis step) and the resultant SiC ceramics are shown to be pseudomorphous to the structure of initial cork. Depending on the synthesis temperature, 3C-SiC, 6H-SiC, or a mixture of these polytypes, could be obtained. By varying the mass ratio of initial carbon and silicon components, stoichiometric SiC or SiC:C:Si, SiC:C, and SiC:Si ceramics could be produced. The structure, as well as chemical and phase composition of the prepared materials were studied by means of Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

Investigating Aspergillus nidulans secretome during colonisation of cork cell walls.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Isabel; Garcia, Helga; Varela, Adélia; Núñez, Oscar; Planchon, Sébastien; Galceran, Maria Teresa; Renaut, Jenny; Rebelo, Luís P N; Silva Pereira, Cristina

2014-02-26

Cork, the outer bark of Quercus suber, shows a unique compositional structure, a set of remarkable properties, including high recalcitrance. Cork colonisation by Ascomycota remains largely overlooked. Herein, Aspergillus nidulans secretome on cork was analysed (2DE). Proteomic data were further complemented by microscopic (SEM) and spectroscopic (ATR-FTIR) evaluation of the colonised substrate and by targeted analysis of lignin degradation compounds (UPLC-HRMS). Data showed that the fungus formed an intricate network of hyphae around the cork cell walls, which enabled polysaccharides and lignin superficial degradation, but probably not of suberin. The degradation of polysaccharides was suggested by the identification of few polysaccharide degrading enzymes (β-glucosidases and endo-1,5-α-l-arabinosidase). Lignin degradation, which likely evolved throughout a Fenton-like mechanism relying on the activity of alcohol oxidases, was supported by the identification of small aromatic compounds (e.g. cinnamic acid and veratrylaldehyde) and of several putative high molecular weight lignin degradation products. In addition, cork recalcitrance was corroborated by the identification of several protein species which are associated with autolysis. Finally, stringent comparative proteomics revealed that A. nidulans colonisation of cork and wood share a common set of enzymatic mechanisms. However the higher polysaccharide accessibility in cork might explain the increase of β-glucosidase in cork secretome. Cork degradation by fungi remains largely overlook. Herein we aimed at understanding how A. nidulans colonise cork cell walls and how this relates to wood colonisation. To address this, the protein species consistently present in the secretome were analysed, as well as major alterations occurring in the substrate, including lignin degradation compounds being released. The obtained data demonstrate that this fungus has superficially attacked the cork cell walls apparently by

Physiological Responses to Prolonged Drought Differ Among Three Oak (Quercus) Species

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, C. E.; Moore, G. W.; Vogel, J. G.; Muir, J. P.

2015-12-01

The physiological response of plants to water stress provides insights into which species may survive in exceptional drought conditions. This study conducted on a remnant post oak savanna site in College Station, Texas, examined how drought affected the physiology of three native oak species. In June 2014, after a period of equal watering, we subjected three year old Quercus shumardii (Shumard oak; SO), Q. virginiana (live oak; LO), and Q. macrocarpa (bur oak; BO) saplings to one of two watering treatments: 1) watered, receiving the equivalent of theaverage precipitation rate and 2) droughted, receiving a 100% reduction in precipitation. We measured predawn (ΨPD) and midday (ΨMD) leaf water potential; midday gas exchange (MGE) parameters including photosynthesis (Al), transpiration (T), stomatal conductance (gsw); and leaf soluble (SS) and non-soluble sugar (NSS) concentrations monthly between June and October 2014. Drought stress responses were evident after only one month of induced drought. Droughted saplings showed reduced ΨPD, ΨMD, and MGE (P ≤ 0.05) in comparison to watered saplings of the same species. LO saplings exhibited greater MGE (P ≤ 0.05) while maintaining similar LWP to their respective watered and droughted BO and SO counterparts. Droughted LO exhibited MGE rates similar to those of watered BO and SO (P ≤ 0.05), while watered LO adjusted its MGE rates to changes in water availability better than BO and LO during short-term drought. Compared to water saplings, droughted saplings had greater leaf SS (P = 0.08) and lower NSS concentrations (P = 0.10), possibly due to the conversion of NSS to SS and other simple compounds and reduced consumption of SS for growth by the droughted saplings. Although SO and BO exhibited similar photosynthesis rates, leaf total sugar (SS+NSS) concentration was greater in SO (P ≤ 0.05). By displaying the greatest average photosynthesis rate (P ≤ 0.05), LO should have accumulated the greatest amount of carbon

Relative importance of various regeneration mechanisms in different restoration stages of Quercus variabilis forest after selective logging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaoqin Xue

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: Quercus variabilis (Chinese cork oak reproduces asexually and sexually. This study aimed to determine the status and growth of asexual and sexual recruits of Q. variabilis in different forest recovery stages.Area of study: Three selective logged stands and one unlogged stand in Q. variabilis forest, Shaanxi Province, China.Material and Methods: Origin, number, basal diameter, height and size structure of Q. variabilis shoots (height ≤200 cm were investigated in the plots of 5, 10, and 20-years post-logging stands and unlogged stand. Effects of recovery stage on the density and growth of the three original recruits (stump sprouts, stem base sprouts and true seedlings were analysis by One-way ANOVA.Main results: Sprouts dominated logged stands, whereas true seedlings dominated unlogged stand, stem base sprouts only existed in 20-years post-logging and unlogged stands. Stump sprout density and sprout number per stump both declined with extended post-logging time. True seedlings density increased from 7 to 20 shoots/100 m2 as the postlogging time extended, and peaked in unlogged stand (94 shoots/100 m2. An ongoing size structure was observed in true seedlings in all stands. Stump sprouts were taller and greater than true seedlings.Research highlights: Stump sprouts contributed more to Q. variabilis forest recovery in the early stage after disturbance. The contribution of true seedlings was limited in the same stage, but they were beneficial for population long-term development. Stem base sprouts were most likely to be a survival strategy rather than a reproductive strategy.Key words: asexual reproduction; true seedling; post-logging time; Chinese cork oak.

Holm Oak (Quercus ilex L.) canopy as interceptor of airborne trace elements and their accumulation in the litter and topsoil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantozzi, Federica; Monaci, Fabrizio; Blanusa, Tijana; Bargagli, Roberto

2013-01-01

We investigated the role of urban Holm Oak (Quercus ilex L.) trees as an airborne metal accumulators and metals' environmental fate. Analyses confirmed Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn as a main contaminants in Siena's urban environment; only Pb concentrations decreased significantly compared to earlier surveys. Additionally, we determined chemical composition of tree leaves, litter and topsoil (underneath/outside tree crown) in urban and extra-urban oak stands. Most notably, litter in urban samples collected outside the canopy had significantly lower concentrations of organic matter and higher concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn than litter collected underneath the canopy. There was a greater metals' accumulation in topsoil, in samples collected under the tree canopy and especially near the trunk (‘stemflow area’). Thus, in urban ecosystems the Holm Oak stands likely increase the soil capability to bind metals. -- Highlights: ► Of the main metal contaminants only leaf Pb concentrations decreased in the period 1994–2011. ► Leaf Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were higher in urban than in extra urban park. ► In urban park litter, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations were higher outside than underneath the tree crown. ► Conversely, in urban park soil, Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations were lower outside the crown. ► Soil therefore behaves as a sink for metal contaminants such as Cu, Pb and Cd. -- Quercus ilex leaves are efficient interceptors of airborne trace elements in urban environments and we found an increased accumulation of metals in topsoil under the tree canopy

Assessment of exposure to the Penicillium glabrum complex in cork industry using complementing methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Viegas, Carla; Sabino, Raquel; Botelho, Daniel; dos Santos, Mateus; Gomes, Anita Quintal

2015-09-01

Cork oak is the second most dominant forest species in Portugal and makes this country the world leader in cork export. Occupational exposure to Chrysonilia sitophila and the Penicillium glabrum complex in cork industry is common, and the latter fungus is associated with suberosis. However, as conventional methods seem to underestimate its presence in occupational environments, the aim of our study was to see whether information obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a molecular-based method, can complement conventional findings and give a better insight into occupational exposure of cork industry workers. We assessed fungal contamination with the P. glabrum complex in three cork manufacturing plants in the outskirts of Lisbon using both conventional and molecular methods. Conventional culturing failed to detect the fungus at six sampling sites in which PCR did detect it. This confirms our assumption that the use of complementing methods can provide information for a more accurate assessment of occupational exposure to the P. glabrum complex in cork industry.

Risk analysis and guidelines for harvest activities in wisconsin oak timberlands to minimize oak wilt threat

Science.gov (United States)

Jennifer Juzwik; Jane Cummings-Carlson; Kyoko Scanlon

2010-01-01

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are an important species group in the forests of Wisconsin. The State’s timberland typed as oak-hickory forest was estimated at 2.9 million acres in 1996. Growing stock volume for red oak was estimated at 2.4 billion cubic feet, whereas select white oak volume was estimated to be 927 million cubic feet. Oak wilt, the oak disease...

Drivers of radial growth and carbon isotope discrimination of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.) across continental gradients in precipitation, vapour pressure deficit and irradiance

Science.gov (United States)

Steven L. Voelker; Frederick C. Meinzer; Barbara Lachenbruch; J. Renee Brooks; Richard P. Guyette

2014-01-01

Tree-ring characteristics are commonly used to reconstruct climate variables, but divergence from the assumption of a single biophysical control may reduce the accuracy of these reconstructions. Here, we present data from bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.) sampled within and beyond the current species bioclimatic envelope to identify the primary...

The macrofungal diversity and community of Atlantic oak (Quercus petraea and Q. robur forests in Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harrington, Thomas J.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The oak species Quercus petraea and Q. Robur are dominant canopy tree species of native deciduous forests in Ireland and coastal regions of Western Europe. These forests are typically plant species-rich, and can also have a rich fungal flora. This survey examined macrofungi found in five native oak sites across Ireland over three years. Overall, 94 macrofungal species belonging to 39 genera were discovered with Mycena, Lactarius, Russula and Cortinarius the most species-rich genera. The species accumulation curve did not show signs of levelling off, indicating that more sampling would reveal more new species. Species richness estimation using the Chao2 estimator indicated that up to 135 species may be present across all of our plots, with individual plots receiving estimates from 19 to 61 species per plot. Sampled-based rarefaction analysis showed no significant differences in macrofungal species richness between our plots. The five most common species were Laccaria amethystina, L. laccata, Stereum hirsutum, Armillaria mellea and Cortinarius flexipes. Comparisons of the results with results from oak forests in similar regions found that the communities in Great Britain were most similar to those found in Ireland. There were some key oak forest distinguishing fungal species from the family Boletaceae lacking from Irish oak forests. It is hypothesised that the historic deforestation of Ireland, caused a reduction of suitable habitats for Irish oak associated macrofungi, leading to the unspecific mycota found in the oak forests of this study. The threats to Atlantic oak forests in Ireland are briefly discussed.Las especies de Quercus petraea y Q. Robur se encuentran en bosques de Irlanda y regiones de influencia atlántica de Europa Occidental. Estos bosques, típicamente ricos en especies de plantas, presentan una abundante micobiota. Este estudio examina la diversidad de macromicetes en cinco bosques naturales de roble en Irlanda durante un

The Hibernation of the oak Mildew

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerling, L.C.P.

1966-01-01

The oak mildew invaded Western Europa in the years 1908 and 1909. Since then this parasite, Microsphaera alphitoides Griff. & Maubl. (syn. M. quercina (Schw.) Burr.) has occurred regularly in the Netherlands on oak seedlings and oak coppice, mainly Quercus pedunculata Ehr. (syn. Q. robur L. ). After

Analysis of oak tannins by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Mämmelä, P; Savolainen, H; Lindroos, L; Kangas, J; Vartiainen, T

2000-09-01

Extractable tannins were analysed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry in two oak species, North American white oak (Quercus alba) and European red oak (Quercus robur). They mainly included various glucose gallic and ellagic acid esters. The structures were partially determined, and they included grandinin/roburin E, castalagin/vescalagin, gallic acid, valoneic acid bilactone, monogalloyl glucose, digalloyl glucose, trigalloyl glucose, ellagic acid rhamnose, quercitrin and ellagic acid.

Removal of acorns of the alien oak Quercus rubra on the ground by scatter-hoarding animals in Belgian forests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Merceron, NR.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Description of the subject. Quercus rubra L. is considered an invasive species in several European countries. However, little is known about its dispersal in the introduced range. Objectives. We investigated the significance of animal dispersal of Q. rubra acorns on the ground by vertebrates in its introduced range, and identified the animal species involved. Method. During two consecutive autumns, the removal of acorns from Q. rubra and from a native oak was assessed weekly in forest sites in Belgium. We used automated detection camera traps to identify the animals that removed acorns. Results. Quercus rubra acorns were removed by wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus L., red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris L., rats (Rattus sp., and wild boars (Sus scrofa L.. The two former are scatter-hoarding rodents and can be considered potential dispersers. Conclusions. Dispersal of Q. rubra acorns in Western Europe by scatter-hoarding animals may help the species increasingly colonize forest ecosystems.

Pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur L. survey in the Ticino Regional Park (Italy by remote sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossini M

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur L. in the Ticino Regional Park (Italy show sensible damage conditions due to different environmental stresses: insect attacks, summer drought and air pollution. Knowing whether oaks are healthy or stressed can provide useful information in order to conserve the forest ecosystems and avoid the lost of valuable natural resources. Environmental stresses can affect tree biochemical and structural variables, such as the concentration, composition and efficiency in light harvesting of foliar pigments, and the Leaf Area Index (LAI. Interest in the use of these variables for forest condition assessment has recently increased because they can be indirectly estimated from remote observations at leaf and canopy level. In particular, in this research we found that total chlorophyll (Chl concentration, a biochemical variable related to crown discoloration rate, was the most suitable variable for the detection of pedunculate oak decline in the Ticino Park. A regression analysis between Chl concentration and optical indices computed from hyperspectral MIVIS data was performed in order to estimate Chl concentration from remote observations. The good correlation between field measurements of Chl concentration and MIVIS optical indices allowed the development of a model to map Chl concentration across the Ticino Park forested area. Promising results demonstrated that remotely sensed data can provide an accurate estimation of Chl concentration and indicated the potential of this technique for forest condition monitoring.

Do chestnut, northern red, and white oak germinant seedlings respond similary to light treatments? II. Gas exchange and chlorophyll responses

Science.gov (United States)

Joanne Rebbeck; Amy Scherzer; Kurt. Gottschalk

2012-01-01

Understanding differences in physiological and growth strategies in low-light environments among upland oak species may help managers address the challenges of oaks' poor regeneration. Gas exchange and chlorophyll content were measured for northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.), and white oak (...

Genetic stability evaluation of quercus suber l. somatic embryogenesis by rapd analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, P.; Costa, A.; Rocha, A.C.C.; Santos, C.

2011-01-01

A reliable protocol for adult Quercus suber L. somatic embryogenesis (SE) was developed recently. To evaluate the potential use of this protocol in cork oak forest breeding programs, it is essential to guarantee somatic embryos/emblings genetic stability. Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is currently used to assess somaclonal variation providing information on genetic variability of the micropropagation process. In this work, SE was induced from adult trees by growing leaf explants on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D and zeatin. Embling conversion took place on MS medium without growth regulators. DNA from donor tree, somatic embryos and emblings was used to assess genetic variability by RAPD fingerprinting. Fourteen primers produced 165 genetic loci with high quality and reproducibility. Despite somatic embryos originated some poor quality PCR-profiles, replicable and excellent fingerprints were obtained for both donor plant and embling. Results presented no differences among regenerated emblings and donor plant. Hence, the SE protocol used did not induce, up to moment, any genetic variability, confirming data previously obtained with other molecular/genetic techniques, supporting that this protocol may be used to provide true-to-type plants from important forestry species. (author)

Climatic origins predict variation in photoprotective leaf pigments in response to drought and low temperatures in live oaks (Quercus series Virentes).

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Valiente, Jose A; Koehler, Kari; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine

2015-05-01

Climate is a major selective force in nature. Exploring patterns of inter- and intraspecific genetic variation in functional traits may explain how species have evolved and may continue evolving under future climate change. Photoprotective pigments play an important role in short-term responses to climate stress in plants but knowledge of their long-term role in adaptive processes is lacking. In this study, our goal was to determine how photoprotective mechanisms, morphological traits and their plasticity have evolved in live oaks (Quercus series Virentes) in response to different climatic conditions. For this purpose, seedlings originating from 11 populations from four live oak species (Quercus virginiana, Q. geminata, Q. fusiformis and Q. oleoides) were grown under contrasting common environmental conditions of temperature (tropical vs temperate) and water availability (droughted vs well-watered). Xanthophyll cycle pigments, anthocyanin accumulation, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and leaf anatomical traits were measured. Seedlings originating from more mesic source populations of Q. oleoides and Q. fusiformis increased the xanthophyll de-epoxidation state under water-limiting conditions and showed higher phenotypic plasticity for this trait, suggesting adaptation to local climate. Likewise, seedlings originating from warmer climates had higher anthocyanin concentration in leaves under cold winter conditions but not higher de-epoxidation state. Overall, our findings suggest that (i) climate has been a key factor in shaping species and population differences in stress tolerance for live oaks, (ii) anthocyanins are used under cold stress in species with limited freezing tolerance and (iii) xanthophyll cycle pigments are used when photoprotection under drought conditions is needed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of Different Binders on the Roughness, Adhesion Strength, and Other Properties of Mortars with Expanded Cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnat-Hunek, Danuta; Widomski, Marcin K; Szafraniec, Małgorzata; Łagód, Grzegorz

2018-03-01

The aim of the research that is presented in this paper was to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of heat-insulating mortars with expanded cork aggregates and different binders. In this work, the measurements of surface roughness and adhesion strength, supported by determination of basic mechanical and physical parameters, such as density, bulk density, open porosity, total porosity, absorbability, thermal conductivity coefficient, compressive strength, flexural strength, and frost resistance of mortars containing expanded oak cork, were performed. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations demonstrated the microstructure, contact zone, and distribution of pores in the heat-insulating mortars containing expanded cork. The results indicated that the addition of expanded cork and different binders in heat-insulating mortars triggers changes in their roughness and adhesion strength. The SEM research confirmed the very good adhesion of the paste to the cork aggregate.

Mutagenicity assessment of aerosols in emissions from wood combustion in Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, B; Alves, C A; Gonçalves, C; Pio, C; Gonçalves, F; Pereira, R

2012-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) extracts of fine particles (PM(2.5)) collected from combustion of seven wood species and briquettes were tested for mutagenic activities using Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. The woods were Pinus pinaster (maritime pine), Eucalyptus globulus (eucalypt), Quercus suber (cork oak), Acacia longifolia (golden wattle), Quercus faginea (Portuguese oak), Olea europea (olive), and Quercus ilex rotundifolia (Holm oak). Burning experiments were done using woodstove and fireplace, hot start and cold start conditions. A mutagenic response was recorded for all species except golden wattle, maritime pine, and briquettes. The mutagenic extracts were not correlated with high emission factors of carcinogenic PAHs. These extracts were obtained both from two burning appliances and start-up conditions. However, fireplace seemed to favour the occurrence of mutagenic emissions. The negative result recorded for golden wattle was interesting, in an ecological point of view, since after confirmation, this invasive species, can be recommended for domestic use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogeographical variation of chloroplast DNA in holm oak (Quercus ilex L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Lumaret, R; Mir, C; Michaud, H; Raynal, V

2002-11-01

Variation in the lengths of restriction fragments (RFLPs) of the whole chloroplast DNA molecule was studied in 174 populations of Quercus ilex L. sampled over the entire distribution of this evergreen and mainly Mediterranean oak species. By using five endonucleases, 323 distinct fragments were obtained. From the 29 and 17 cpDNA changes identified as site and length mutations, respectively, 25 distinct chlorotypes were distinguished, mapped and treated cladistically with a parsimony analysis, using as an outgroup Q. alnifolia Poech, a closely related evergreen oak species endemic to Cyprus where Q. ilex does not grow. The predominant role of Q. ilex as maternal parent in hybridization with other species was reflected by the occurrence of a single very specific lineage of related chlorotypes, the most ancestral and recent ones being located in the southeastern and in the northwestern parts of the species' geographical distribution, respectively. The lineage was constituted of two clusters of chlorotypes observed in the 'ilex' morphotyped populations of the Balkan and Italian Peninsulas (including the contiguous French Riviera), respectively. A third cluster was divided into two subclusters identified in the 'rotundifolia' morphotyped populations of North Africa, and of Iberia and the adjacent French regions, respectively. Postglacial colonization probably started from three distinct southerly refugia located in each of the three European peninsulas, and a contact area between the Italian and the Iberian migration routes was identified in the Rhône valley (France). Chlorotypes identical or related to those of the Iberian cluster were identified in the populations from Catalonia and the French Languedoc region, which showed intermediate morphotypes, and in the French Atlantic populations which possessed the 'ilex' morphotype, suggesting the occurrence of adaptive morphological changes in the northern part of the species' distribution.

Visitor preferences of thinning practice in young even-aged stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petucco, Claudio; Jensen, Frank Søndergaard; Meilby, Henrik

2018-01-01

This study compared visitor preferences of forestry professionals across six European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Austria, Romania and Portugal) using a questionnaire survey. The 598 interviewees were asked to rank photographs depicting recently thinned experimental plots in a 13......-year old stand of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) according to the criterion: “Which forest environment do you prefer as a visitor?” The plots represented five different residual stem densities: 7000 (no thinning, very high stem density), 5300 (heavy thinning, high stem density), 1000 (very heavy...... rows, indicating a preference for scenes offering perspective and accessibility. The results indicate a variation of visitor preferences among forestry professionals for different silvicultural regimes. We interpret this in the context of national traditions and forestry paradigms that influence...

Use of forest species associated to oak forests (Quercus humboldtii Bonpl.) for energetic purposes, in three villages of the Encino municipality in Santander

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Silva, Monica Rocio de las Mercedes

2010-01-01

We surveyed the firewood consumption for energetic purposes from the oak forest of the Patios Altos and Canada villages in Encino-Santander. Tools used to collect data were: structured surveys, open interviews and participant observation to those families dependent upon forest resources. Twenty-one species for domestic use were recorded, from which seven were related to the oak for est. The most preferred and used tree species was the Oak (Quercus humboldtii Bonpl) followed by the Laurel (Morella pubescens (Humb. and Bonpl. ex Willd.) Wilbur). Results show that 98% of the population uses only firewood and firewood alternated with gas, which suggests the importance of firewood to the community. Firewood consumption per person is 3.6 + - 1.35 kg per day, while annual consumption of the whole group (54 families) is the 354.78 kg per year. This usage corresponds to native tree species (78.2%), native shrubs 12.4%) and exotics (9.3%). Firewood usage represents savings to local inhabitants, corresponding to 33% of their monthly earnings, approximate Oak forest, Colombia, wood demand, native forest species, firewood, domestic use of wood.

Development, succession, and stand dynamics of upland oak forests in the Wisconsin Driftless Area: Implications for oak regeneration and management

Science.gov (United States)

Megan L. Buchanan; Kurt F. Kipfmueller; Anthony W. D' Amato

2017-01-01

Throughout the deciduous forests of the eastern United States, oak (Quercus) regeneration has declined in stands historically dominated by oak species. In the Wisconsin Driftless Area, the level of decline in oak regeneration is variable and influenced by stand structural development, historical disturbance regime, abiotic site characteristics, and...

An ecologically based approach to oak silviculture: a synthesis of 50 years of oak ecosystem research in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; Alejandro A. Royo; Patrick H. Brose; Todd F. Hutchinson; Martin A. Spetich; Scott H. Stoleson

2010-01-01

Oak (Quercus L.) is an abundant and widely distributed genus in eastern North America. A history of periodic fire, grazing, canopy disturbance and timber harvesting has favored oak's dominance. But, changes in this regime toward much less fire or complete fire suppression, and selective cutting are causing the successional replacement of oak....

Forecasting the future of coast live oak forests in the face of sudden oak death

Science.gov (United States)

Letty B. Brown; Barbara Allen-Diaz

2006-01-01

Little is known about the potential short- and long-term impacts of sudden oak death (SOD) on forest structure and composition. This study began in 2002 to evaluate the effects of SOD on coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) - California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) forests over a gradient of Phytophthora ramorum...

A meta-analysis of the fire-oak hypothesis: Does prescribed burning promote oak reproduction in eastern North America

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick H. Brose; Daniel C. Dey; Ross J. Phillips; Thomas A. Waldrop

2013-01-01

The fire-oak hypothesis asserts that the current lack of fire is a reason behind the widespread oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration difficulties of eastern North America, and use of prescribed burning can help solve this problem. We performed a meta-analysis on the data from 32 prescribed fire studies conducted in mixed-oak forests to test whether they...

The epidemiology of sudden oak death in Oregon forests

Science.gov (United States)

Ebba K. Peterson

2011-01-01

The phytopathogen Phytophthora ramorum (Werres, DeCock & Man in't Veld), causal agent of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) of oaks (Quercus spp.) and tanoaks (Notholithocarpus densiflorus syn. Lithocarpus densiflorus...

Responses of northern red oak seedlings to lime and deer exclosure fencing in Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

Robert P. Long; Patrick H. Brose; Stephen B. Horsley

2012-01-01

In Pennsylvania, two hypotheses compete to explain the chronic oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration problem: excessive deer browsing and soil cation depletion. We tested these hypotheses by evaluating the effect of forest liming and deer exclosure fencing on northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedling growth and nutrition in five...

Amplification of North American Red Oak Microsatellite Markers in European White Oaks and Chinese Chestnut

Science.gov (United States)

P. R. Aldrich; M. Jagtap; C. H. Michler; J. Romero-Severson

2003-01-01

We examined the cross-species amplification success of thirty microsatellite markers developed from North American northern red oak (Quercus rubra) in other members of the family Fagaceae. Sixteen of these markers are newly developed and we report primer sequences and amplification conditions here. Twelve of the thirty (40.0%) red oak markers...

Sessile oak (Quercus petraea agg. Ehrendorfer 1967) rare ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-09-01

Sep 1, 2009 ... African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 8 (17), pp. ... Liebl.), Balkan (Quercus dalechampii Ten.) and .... west Serbia; that is on the mountains Goč and Zlatibor. (Map 1 ... supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and.

Influence of the prunnig of trees on the volume and distribution of the rain on the floor in dehesa ecosystem; Influencia de la poda del arbolado en el volumen y distribucion de la lluvia sobre el suelo en el ecosistema dehesa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mateos Rodriguez, A. B.; Schnabel, S.

2009-07-01

Dehesas are dominant ecosystems in the region of Extremadure (SW Spain), being Quercus species, mainly holm and cork oaks the dominant tree species. Those species undertake a very important role on the dehesa landscapes as essential elements for the adequate functioning of the systems. Among other issues, tree cover affects the spatial distribution of rainfall. (Author) 4 refs.

Influence of the prunnig of trees on the volume and distribution of the rain on the floor in dehesa ecosystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mateos Rodriguez, A. B.; Schnabel, S.

2009-01-01

Dehesas are dominant ecosystems in the region of Extremadure (SW Spain), being Quercus species, mainly holm and cork oaks the dominant tree species. Those species undertake a very important role on the dehesa landscapes as essential elements for the adequate functioning of the systems. Among other issues, tree cover affects the spatial distribution of rainfall. (Author) 4 refs.

Bird communities of gambel oak: a descriptive analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Andreas Leidolf; Michael L. Wolfe; Rosemary L. Pendleton

2000-01-01

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) covers 3.75 million hectares (9.3 million acres) of the western United States. This report synthesizes current knowledge on the composition, structure, and habitat relationships of gambel oak avian communities. It lists life history attributes of 183 bird species documented from gambel oak habitats of the western...

In Situ Dark Adaptation Enhances the Efficiency of DNA Extraction from Mature Pin Oak (Quercus palustris Leaves, Facilitating the Identification of Partial Sequences of the 18S rRNA and Isoprene Synthase (IspS Genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Csengele E. Barta

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Mature oak (Quercus spp. leaves, although abundantly available during the plants’ developmental cycle, are rarely exploited as viable sources of genomic DNA. These leaves are rich in metabolites difficult to remove during standard DNA purification, interfering with downstream molecular genetics applications. The current work assessed whether in situ dark adaptation, to deplete sugar reserves and inhibit secondary metabolite synthesis could compensate for the difficulties encountered when isolating DNA from mature leaves rich in secondary metabolites. We optimized a rapid, commercial kit based method to extract genomic DNA from dark- and light-adapted leaves. We demonstrated that in situ dark adaptation increases the yield and quality of genomic DNA obtained from mature oak leaves, yielding templates of sufficiently high quality for direct downstream applications, such as PCR amplification and gene identification. The quality of templates isolated from dark-adapted pin oak leaves particularly improved the amplification of larger fragments in our experiments. From DNA extracts prepared with our optimized method, we identified for the first time partial segments of the genes encoding 18S rRNA and isoprene synthase (IspS from pin oak (Quercus palustris, whose full genome has not yet been sequenced.

Phytophthora ramorum infection in coast live oaks and Shreve's oaks treated with insecticide to prevent beetle colonization

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; David L. Wood; David M. Rizzo; Pavel Svihra; Steve Tjosvold; Andrew J. Storer; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

As the name implies, sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, kills many, if not most of the coast live oaks, Quercus agrifolia, that become infected (McPherson and others, 2005). Several genera of ambrosia and bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) colonize bleeding (infected) trees and are suspected to hasten tree death....

Responses of oaks and tanoaks to the sudden oak death pathogen after 8 y of monitoring in two coastal California forests

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; Sylvia R. Mori; David L. Wood; Maggi Kelly; Andrew J. Storer; Pavel Svihra; Richard B. Standiford

2010-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, is widely established in mesic forests of coastal central and northern California. In 2000, we placed 18 plots in two Marin County sites to monitor disease progression in coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), California black oaks (Q. kelloggii), and tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus), the species that are most...

[Effects of fire recurrence on fire behaviour in cork oak woodlands (Quercus suber L.) and Mediterranean shrublands over the last fifty years].

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffhauser, Alice; Pimont, François; Curt, Thomas; Cassagne, Nathalie; Dupuy, Jean-Luc; Tatoni, Thierry

2015-12-01

Past fire recurrence impacts the vegetation structure, and it is consequently hypothesized to alter its future fire behaviour. We examined the fire behaviour in shrubland-forest mosaics of southeastern France, which were organized along a range of fire frequency (0 to 3-4 fires along the past 50 years) and had different time intervals between fires. The mosaic was dominated by Quercus suber L. and Erica-Cistus shrubland communities. We described the vegetation structure through measurements of tree height, base of tree crown or shrub layer, mean diameter, cover, plant water content and bulk density. We used the physical model Firetec to simulate the fire behaviour. Fire intensity, fire spread, plant water content and biomass loss varied significantly according to fire recurrence and vegetation structure, mainly linked to the time since the last fire, then the number of fires. These results confirm that past fire recurrence affects future fire behaviour, with multi-layered vegetation (particularly high shrublands) producing more intense fires, contrary to submature Quercus woodlands that have not burnt since 1959 and that are unlikely to reburn. Further simulations, with more vegetation scenes according to shrub and canopy covers, will complete this study in order to discuss the fire propagation risk in heterogeneous vegetation, particularly in the Mediterranean area, with a view to a local management of these ecosystems. Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Long-term trends in coast live oak and tanoak stands affected by Phytophthora ramorum canker (Sudden Oak Death)

Science.gov (United States)

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt

2010-01-01

Permanent plots were established in 2000 to examine how tree and site factors affect risk of Phytophthora ramorum stem canker (sudden oak death [SOD]) and determine how affected stands change over time due to disease. P. ramorum canker was prevalent in the sampled coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) or...

Genetic hitch-hiking extends the range of coast live oak

Science.gov (United States)

Richard S. Dodd; Zara Afzal-Rafii; Wasima Mayer

2006-01-01

The northernmost range of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) is reported from the Ukiah Valley (Mendocino County, California). Here, field observations suggest that hybridization with interior live oak (Q. wislizeni) is important. Elsewhere in northern California, morphology of coast live oak can be highly variable (particularly...

Determining seed moisture in Quercus

Science.gov (United States)

F. T. Bonner

1974-01-01

The air-oven method with drying times 7 to 8 hours shorter than those now prescribed in the ISTA rules proved adequate for determining moisture contents in acorns of several North American oaks. Schedules of 8 hours at 105°C for Quercus muehlenbergii and 9 hours at 105°C for Q.shumardii and Q.nigra gave moisture contents within three percentage points of those obtained...

A field guide to insects and diseases of California oaks

Science.gov (United States)

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth A. Bernhardt

2006-01-01

California has more than twenty-five native species, natural hybrids, and varieties of oaks (Quercus species). The form of these oaks ranges from large trees, up to about 25 m tall, to shrubs no taller than about 1.5 m. California's native oaks include representatives of three oak subgroups or subgenera (Table 1). Hybridization only occurs...

Mexican oaks as a potential non-timber resource for Kombucha beverages

OpenAIRE

Vázquez-Cabral, Blanca D.; Moreno-Jiménez, Martha R.; Rocha-Guzmán, Nuria E.; Gallegos-Infante, José A.; González-Herrera, Silvia M.; Gamboa-Gómez, Claudia I.; González-Laredo, Rubén F.

2016-01-01

Abstract: Oaks (Quercus spp.) are some of the world's most important and abundant trees in nearly all temperate forests of the northern hemisphere. There are two diversity centers for this genus: one is in Southeast Asia, and the other is in Mexico. Studies on the use of oak have mainly highlighted its timber applications. However, its non-timber value is still unappreciated. Ethnobotanical tradition shows infusions from Quercus leaves, alone or in combination with other plants, which have an...

Seed production differences of the Andean oak Quercus Humboldtii Bonpl. in two Andean forests of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Melo, Andres; Parrado Rosselli Angela

2010-01-01

Knowledge of mechanisms of tree species reproduction under natural situations including fruit and seed production patterns is very important for forest management strategies. Considering the influence of abiotic factors such as soil characteristics, humidity and rainfall on fruiting phenology, we studied fruit production patterns of the Andean oak (Quercus humboldtii: Fagaceae) in two forest sites of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (Cachalu and Patios Altos), under contrasting environmental conditions. At both sites, we monitored monthly fruit production of 15 trees in Cachalu and 11 in Patios Altos using fruit/seed traps placed under the tree crowns. In each site soil cores were extracted below the litter layer 20 cm depth, and soil characteristics and nutrients were analyzed. In general, trees in Cachalu produced more fruits than in Patios Altos, as well as mean fruit mass (wet and dry weight) was significantly higher in Cachalu. At both sites, oak fruiting peaked from April to May, when the highest rainfall occurs. We found positive correlations between fruit production and rainfall one month prior. High phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) were the main variables for explaining the high production. In contrast, high aluminum (Al) contents explained the low production found in Patios Altos. We discuss the importance of including fruit production for oak management strategies, such as restoration and reforestation programs.

Variation of Oriental Oak (Quercus variabilis Leaf δ13C across Temperate and Subtropical China: Spatial Patterns and Sensitivity to Precipitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baoming Du

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The concentration of the carbon-13 isotope (leaf δ13C in leaves is negatively correlated with the mean annual precipitation (MAP atlarge geographical scales. In this paper, we explain the spatial pattern of leaf δ13C variation for deciduous oriental oak (Quercus variabilis Bl. across temperate and subtropical biomes and its sensitivity to climate factors such as MAP. There was a 6‰ variation in the leaf δ13C values of oak with a significant positive correlation with latitude and negative correlations with the mean annual temperature (MAT and MAP. There was no correlation between leaf δ13C and altitude or longitude. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that leaf δ13C decreased 0.3‰ per 100 mm increase in MAP. MAP alone could account for 68% of the observed variation in leaf δ13C. These results can be used to improve predictions for plant responses to climate change and particularly lower rainfall.

Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde emissions from residential wood combustion in Portugal

Science.gov (United States)

Cerqueira, Mário; Gomes, Luís; Tarelho, Luís; Pio, Casimiro

2013-06-01

A series of experiments were conducted to characterize formaldehyde and acetaldehyde emissions from residential combustion of common wood species growing in Portugal. Five types of wood were investigated: maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), cork oak (Quercus suber), holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia) and pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica). Laboratory experiments were performed with a typical wood stove used for domestic heating in Portugal and operating under realistic home conditions. Aldehydes were sampled from diluted combustion flue gas using silica cartridges coated with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The average formaldehyde to acetaldehyde concentration ratio (molar basis) in the stove flue gas was in the range of 2.1-2.9. Among the tested wood types, pyrenean oak produced the highest emissions for both formaldehyde and acetaldehyde: 1772 ± 649 and 1110 ± 454 mg kg-1 biomass burned (dry basis), respectively. By contrast, maritime pine produced the lowest emissions: 653 ± 151 and 371 ± 162 mg kg-1 biomass (dry basis) burned, respectively. Aldehydes were sampled separately during distinct periods of the holm oak wood combustion cycles. Significant variations in the flue gas concentrations were found, with higher values measured during the devolatilization stage than in the flaming and smoldering stages.

Fungi associated to Platypus cylindrus Fab. (Coleoptera: Platypodidae in cork oak Fungos associados ao insecto Platypus cylindrus Fab. (Coleoptera: Platypodidae em sobreiro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana Henriques

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Platypus cylindrus is a pest that since the 80’s of the last century has been considered a cork oak mortality agent in Portugal. It is an ambrosia beetle that establishes complex symbioses with fungi whose role in the insect-fungus-host interaction has not been completely clarified. In order to characterize P. cylindrus associated micoflora in Portugal, fungi were isolated from different beetle organs and from its galleries in cork oak trees. Fungi of the genera Acremonium, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Botrytis, Chaetomium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Gliocladium, Nodulisporium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Raffaelea, Scytalidium, Trichoderma and of the order Mucorales were identified. An actinomycete of the genus Streptomyces was also identified. Some of these genera were related for the first time to this interaction. In the present work the isolated fungi are characterized and their contribution for beetle population establishment and tree weakness is discussed.Platypus cylindrus é uma praga que desde os anos 80 do século passado tem sido referida como agente de mortalidade do sobreiro em Portugal. É um insecto ambrósia que estabelece simbioses complexas com fungos cujo papel não está completamente esclarecido na interacção insecto-fungo-sobreiro. Com o objectivo de caracterizar a micoflora associada a P. cylindrus em Portugal foram efectuados isolamentos a partir de diferentes órgãos do insecto e suas galerias em sobreiro. Identificaram-se fungos dos géneros Acremonium, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Botrytis, Chaetomium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Gliocladium, Nodulisporium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Raffaelea, Scytalidium, Trichoderma e da ordem Mucorales. Foi igualmente identificado um actinomiceta do género Streptomyces. Alguns destes géneros são referidos pela primeira vez nesta interacção. No presente trabalho caracterizam-se os fungos isolados e discute-se a sua contribuição para o estabelecimento das populações do insecto e

Development of a robust chromatographic method for the detection of chlorophenols in cork oak forest soils.

Science.gov (United States)

McLellan, Iain; Hursthouse, Andrew; Morrison, Calum; Varela, Adélia; Pereira, Cristina Silva

2014-02-01

A major concern for the cork and wine industry is 'cork taint' which is associated with chloroanisoles, the microbial degradation metabolites of chlorophenols. The use of chlorophenolic compounds as pesticides within cork forests was prohibited in 1993 in the European Union (EU) following the introduction of industry guidance. However, cork produced outside the EU is still thought to be affected and simple, robust methods for chlorophenol analysis are required for wider environmental assessment by industry and local environmental regulators. Soil samples were collected from three common-use forests in Tunisia and from one privately owned forest in Sardinia, providing examples of varied management practice and degree of human intervention. These provided challenge samples for the optimisation of a HPLC-UV detection method. It produced recoveries consistently >75% against a soil CRM (ERM-CC008) for pentachlorophenol. The optimised method, with ultraviolet (diode array) detection is able to separate and quantify 16 different chlorophenols at field concentrations greater than the limits of detection ranging from 6.5 to 191.3 μg/kg (dry weight). Application to a range of field samples demonstrated the absence of widespread contamination in forest soils at sites sampled in Sardinia and Tunisia.

Managing an oak decline crisis in Oakville, Ontario: lessons learned

Science.gov (United States)

Peter A. Williams; John W. McNeil; Kurt W. Gottschalk; Robert A. Haack

2013-01-01

The town of Oakville, Ontario, is located along the north shore of Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton. In the fall of 2002, significant oak (Quercus spp.) mortality was observed at Oakville's Iroquois Shoreline Woods Park, an environmentally significant forest remnant noted for its oak-dominated forests. Investigations suggested that oak...

An investigation on forage yield capacity of kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) and grazing planning of Mediterranean maquis scrublands for traditional goat farming.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolunay, Ahmet; Adıyaman, Elif; Akyol, Ayhan; İnce, Duygu; Türkoğlu, Türkay; Ayhan, Veysel

2014-01-01

This study investigated grazing capacities of maquis scrubland and preparation principles of grazing management in forest resources. Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.), which is widespread as a main shrub species in maquis vegetation in Turkey, and pure hair goats (Capra hircus L.) feeding on shoots and leaves of this shrub were selected for study. The study was conducted in two stages. Green leaf and shoot samples were taken from kermes oaks in the first stage and the amount of green herbage yield (g ∗ m(-1)) and dry matter yield (kg ∗ ha(-1)) that may be obtained per unit area from these samples was identified. The considered amount of dry matter consumed by pure hair goats daily and the number of goats being fed within 1 year on land of 1 ha according to different land coverage rates of kermes oaks (goat head ∗ ha ∗ yr) were calculated. In the second stage, grazing capacities of sample areas where kermes oak spread were identified and compared with the grazing plan prepared by the forestry administration for this area. Forage yield variance according to land coverage rates of maquis scrublands should be considered when determining optimum animal numbers for grazing per area for sustainable goat farming.

An Investigation on Forage Yield Capacity of Kermes Oak (Quercus coccifera L. and Grazing Planning of Mediterranean Maquis Scrublands for Traditional Goat Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Tolunay

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated grazing capacities of maquis scrubland and preparation principles of grazing management in forest resources. Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L., which is widespread as a main shrub species in maquis vegetation in Turkey, and pure hair goats (Capra hircus L. feeding on shoots and leaves of this shrub were selected for study. The study was conducted in two stages. Green leaf and shoot samples were taken from kermes oaks in the first stage and the amount of green herbage yield (g*m−1 and dry matter yield (kg*ha−1 that may be obtained per unit area from these samples was identified. The considered amount of dry matter consumed by pure hair goats daily and the number of goats being fed within 1 year on land of 1 ha according to different land coverage rates of kermes oaks (goat head*ha*yr were calculated. In the second stage, grazing capacities of sample areas where kermes oak spread were identified and compared with the grazing plan prepared by the forestry administration for this area. Forage yield variance according to land coverage rates of maquis scrublands should be considered when determining optimum animal numbers for grazing per area for sustainable goat farming.

Impact of the goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, on the health of coast live oak before and after treatment with two systemic insecticides

Science.gov (United States)

Yigen Chen; Mary L. Flint; Tom W. Coleman; Joseph J. Doccola; Donald M. Grosman; David L. Wood; Steven J. Seybold

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, is threatening the health and survival of oak trees in San Diego County, California. From two sites in the core area of the infestation, we report a 2.5 year investigation of the impact of A. auroguttatus on coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, before and after treatment with two systemic...

Elemental concentrations in foliage of red maple, red oak, and white oak in relation to atmospheric deposition in Pennsylvania

Science.gov (United States)

D. D. Davis; J. M. Skelly; B. L. Nash

1995-01-01

Foliage was sampled in June and late August-early September in 1988 and 1989 from the outer crowns of codominant red maple (Acer rubrum L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and white oak (Q. alba L.) trees in forest stands along an atmospheric deposition gradient in north-central Pennsylvania. Leaf samples...

Consequences of Phytophthora ramorum infection in coast live oaks

Science.gov (United States)

Brice McPherson; David L. Wood; Sylvia R. Mori; Pavel Svihra; Richard B. Standiford; N. Maggi. Kelly

2008-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, has infected and killed large numbers of oaks (Quercus spp.) and tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus) in California since the mid 1990s. Since March 2000 we have been investigating the interactions between patterns of disease progression and...

Attack pattern of Platypus koryoensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodidae) in relation to crown dieback of Mongolian oak in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Jung-Su Lee; Robert A. Haack; Won Il. Choi

2011-01-01

The ambrosia beetle, Platypus koryoensis (Murayama), vectors the Korean oak wilt (KOW) pathogen, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae K.H. Kim, Y.J. Choi, & H.D. Shin, in Korea, which is highly lethal to Mongolian oak, Quercus mongolica Fisch., and is considered a major threat to forest ecosystem health. We...

Molecular diversity among Turkish oaks ( QUERCUS ) using random ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Turkey is one of the most important region of the world according to oak species number and variation. In this study, species belonging to evergreen oaks in Turkey were investigated to solve taxonomic problems and to design the limit of taxa by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data. Here, three species of ...

Population structure and post-glacial migration routes of Quercus robur and Quercus petraea in Denmark, based on chloroplast DNA analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joehnk, N.; Siegismund, H.R. [The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural Univ., Hoersholm (Denmark). The Arboretum

1997-07-01

Populations of Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea [Matt.] Liebl. were shown previously to be fixed for the same chloroplast DNA marker in western Europe and for another form of this marker in eastern Europe. Application of this marker to 17 Danish populations of Q. robur showed significant population differentiation (G{sub ST} 0.6). Restricted gene flow, low effective population size, restricted colonization ability of oak in dense forest and historical data might explain this. In addition, the genetic structure in eastern and western Denmark was quite different. In Jutland the populations were homogeneous for the western marker, in eastern Denmark, significant population differentiation and high diversity within populations were found. Post-glacial migration is likely to explain the geographical structure. Oaks have immigrated to Jutland from the west, whereas eastern Denmark was colonized from both east and west, forming a hybrid zone where immigrants met. Data from three populations of Q. petraea and from two hybrid populations also support this. 22 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs

Cork boiling wastewater treatment and reuse through combination of advanced oxidation technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponce-Robles, L; Miralles-Cuevas, S; Oller, I; Agüera, A; Trinidad-Lozano, M J; Yuste, F J; Malato, S

2017-03-01

Industrial preparation of cork consists of its immersion for approximately 1 hour in boiling water. The use of herbicides and pesticides in oak tree forests leads to absorption of these compounds by cork; thus, after boiling process, they are present in wastewater. Cork boiling wastewater shows low biodegradability and high acute toxicity involving partial inhibition of their biodegradation when conventional biological treatment is applied. In this work, a treatment line strategy based on the combination of advanced physicochemical technologies is proposed. The final objective is the reuse of wastewater in the cork boiling process; thus, reducing consumption of fresh water in the industrial process itself. Coagulation pre-treatment with 0.5 g/L of FeCl 3 attained the highest turbidity elimination (86 %) and 29 % of DOC elimination. Similar DOC removal was attained when using 1 g/L of ECOTAN BIO (selected for ozonation tests), accompanied of 64 % of turbidity removal. Ozonation treatments showed less efficiency in the complete oxidation of cork boiling wastewater, compared to solar photo-Fenton process, under the studied conditions. Nanofiltration system was successfully employed as a final purification step with the aim of obtaining a high-quality reusable permeate stream. Monitoring of unknown compounds by LC-QTOF-MS allowed the qualitative evaluation of the whole process. Acute and chronic toxicity as well as biodegradability assays were performed throughout the whole proposed treatment line.

Population-Level Differentiation in Growth Rates and Leaf Traits in Seedlings of the Neotropical Live Oak Quercus oleoides Grown under Natural and Manipulated Precipitation Regimes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose A. Ramírez-Valiente

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Widely distributed species are normally subjected to spatial heterogeneity in environmental conditions. In sessile organisms like plants, adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity of key functional traits are the main mechanisms through which species can respond to environmental heterogeneity and climate change. While extended research has been carried out in temperate species in this regard, there is still limited knowledge as to how species from seasonally-dry tropical climates respond to spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions. In fact, studies of intraspecific genetically-based differences in functional traits are still largely unknown and studies in these ecosystems have largely focused on in situ comparisons where environmental and genetic effects cannot be differentiated. In this study, we tested for ecotypic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity in leaf economics spectrum (LES traits, water use efficiency and growth rates under natural and manipulated precipitation regimes in a common garden experiment where seedlings of eight populations of the neotropical live oak Quercus oleoides were established. We also examined the extent to which intraspecific trait variation was associated with plant performance under different water availability. Similar to interspecific patterns among seasonally-dry tropical tree species, live oak populations with long and severe dry seasons had higher leaf nitrogen content and growth rates than mesic populations, which is consistent with a “fast” resource-acquisition strategy aimed to maximize carbon uptake during the wet season. Specific leaf area (SLA was the best predictor of plant performance, but contrary to expectations, it was negatively associated with relative and absolute growth rates. This observation was partially explained by the negative association between SLA and area-based photosynthetic rates, which is contrary to LES expectations but similar to other recent

Coarse woody debris metrics in a California oak woodland

Science.gov (United States)

William D. Tietje; Michael A. Hardy; Christopher C. Yim

2015-01-01

Little information is available on the metrics of coarse woody debris (CWD) in California oak woodland, most notably at the scale of the stand and woodland type. In a remote part of the National Guard Post, Camp Roberts, that has not burned in over a half century, we tallied 314 pieces of CWD in a blue oak (Quercus douglasii)-coast live oak (

Responses of evergreen and deciduous Quercus species to enhanced ozone levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calatayud, Vicent; Cervero, Julia; Calvo, Esperanza; Garcia-Breijo, Francisco-Jose; Reig-Arminana, Jose; Sanz, Maria Jose

2011-01-01

Plants of one evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) and three deciduous oaks (Q. faginea, with small leaves; Q. pyrenaica and Q. robur, with large leaves) were exposed both to filtered air and to enhanced ozone levels in Open-Top Chambers. Q. faginea and Q. pyrenaica were studied for the first time. Based on visible injury, gas exchange, chlorophyll content and biomass responses, Q. pyrenaica was the most sensitive species, and Q. ilex was the most tolerant, followed by Q. faginea. Functional leaf traits of the species were related to differences in sensitivity, while accumulated ozone flux via stomata (POD 1.6 ) partly contributed to the observed differences. For risk assessment of Mediterranean vegetation, the diversity of responses detected in this study should be taken into account, applying appropriate critical levels. - Ozone tolerance overlapped with leaf traits in four Quercus species.

Responses of evergreen and deciduous Quercus species to enhanced ozone levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calatayud, Vicent, E-mail: calatayud_viclor@gva.e [Instituto Universitario CEAM-UMH, Charles R. Darwin 14, Parc Tecnologic, 46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Cervero, Julia; Calvo, Esperanza [Instituto Universitario CEAM-UMH, Charles R. Darwin 14, Parc Tecnologic, 46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Garcia-Breijo, Francisco-Jose [Laboratorio de Anatomia e Histologia Vegetal ' Julio Iranzo' , Jardin Botanico, Universitat de Valencia, c/Quart 80, 46008 Valencia (Spain); Departamento de Ecosistemas Agroforestales, Escuela Tecnica Superior del Medio Rural y Enologia, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez 21, 46010 Valencia (Spain); Reig-Arminana, Jose [Departamento de Ecosistemas Agroforestales, Escuela Tecnica Superior del Medio Rural y Enologia, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibanez 21, 46010 Valencia (Spain); Sanz, Maria Jose [Instituto Universitario CEAM-UMH, Charles R. Darwin 14, Parc Tecnologic, 46980 Paterna, Valencia (Spain)

2011-01-15

Plants of one evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) and three deciduous oaks (Q. faginea, with small leaves; Q. pyrenaica and Q. robur, with large leaves) were exposed both to filtered air and to enhanced ozone levels in Open-Top Chambers. Q. faginea and Q. pyrenaica were studied for the first time. Based on visible injury, gas exchange, chlorophyll content and biomass responses, Q. pyrenaica was the most sensitive species, and Q. ilex was the most tolerant, followed by Q. faginea. Functional leaf traits of the species were related to differences in sensitivity, while accumulated ozone flux via stomata (POD{sub 1.6}) partly contributed to the observed differences. For risk assessment of Mediterranean vegetation, the diversity of responses detected in this study should be taken into account, applying appropriate critical levels. - Ozone tolerance overlapped with leaf traits in four Quercus species.

Specific polyphenols and tannins are associated with defense against insect herbivores in the tropical oak Quercus oleoides.

Science.gov (United States)

Moctezuma, Coral; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Heil, Martin; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Méndez-Alonzo, Rodrigo; Oyama, Ken

2014-05-01

The role of plant polyphenols as defenses against insect herbivores is controversial. We combined correlative field studies across three geographic regions (Northern Mexico, Southern Mexico, and Costa Rica) with induction experiments under controlled conditions to search for candidate compounds that might play a defensive role in the foliage of the tropical oak, Quercus oleoides. We quantified leaf damage caused by four herbivore guilds (chewers, skeletonizers, leaf miners, and gall forming insects) and analyzed the content of 18 polyphenols (including hydrolyzable tannins, flavan-3-ols, and flavonol glycosides) in the same set of leaves using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Foliar damage ranged from two to eight percent per region, and nearly 90% of all the damage was caused by chewing herbivores. Damage due to chewing herbivores was positively correlated with acutissimin B, catechin, and catechin dimer, and damage by mining herbivores was positively correlated with mongolinin A. By contrast, gall presence was negatively correlated with vescalagin and acutissimin B. By using redundancy analysis, we searched for the combinations of polyphenols that were associated to natural herbivory: the combination of mongolinin A and acutissimin B had the highest association to herbivory. In a common garden experiment with oak saplings, artificial damage increased the content of acutissimin B, mongolinin A, and vescalagin, whereas the content of catechin decreased. Specific polyphenols, either individually or in combination, rather than total polyphenols, were associated with standing leaf damage in this tropical oak. Future studies aimed at understanding the ecological role of polyphenols can use similar correlative studies to identify candidate compounds that could be used individually and in biologically meaningful combinations in tests with herbivores and pathogens.

Conservation and fruit biology of Sichou oak (Quercus sichourensis, Fagaceae – A critically endangered species in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Xia

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Several conservation programs have been started for the critically endangered Sichou oak (Quercus sichourensis since 2007. These programs include detailed field investigations, seedling cultivation and research on the fruit biology of the species. In this study, we first report on the five mature individual trees found in our 9-year field investigation. Thus far, a total of 10 mature individuals have been recorded. All Q. sichourensis trees are healthy and most produce healthy acorns. Acorns of Q. sichourensis are large with dry masses of 8.0–14.0 g. These acorns had high moisture contents at collection and died shortly after (7–28 d when dried with silica gel. Characteristics of Q. sichourensis acorns varied between populations. Compared with the acorns from Funing, the acorns collected from Ceheng were bigger, more viable (germination percentage was up to 96%, less sensitive to desiccation, and germinated faster. Q. sichourensis occurs in regions with a distinct 5–6 month dry season. Habitat degradation is largely responsible for the rareness of Quercus sichorensis, but desiccation sensitivity of the acorns may also limit the regeneration of the species and potentially lead to its continued rareness. As a species with extremely small populations (PSESP, Q. sichourensis is facing high risk of extinction and should be defined as a Critically Endangered species in the global IUCN Red List.

Chemical ecology of sudden oak death/ambrosia beetle interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Frances S. Ockels; Pierluigi Bonello; Brice McPherson; David L. Wood

2006-01-01

Coast live oaks, Quercus agrifolia, infected with Phytophthora ramorum in California produce a characteristic sequence of symptoms and signs. Ambrosia beetles consistently tunnel into the bark of bleeding cankers in naturally infected trees. In field monitoring conducted since 2000, every bleeding coast live oak that subsequently...

The alpha-tocopherol content of leaves of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)--variation over the growing season and along the vertical light gradient in the canopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Ute; Schneiderheinze, Jenny; Stadelmann, Simone; Rank, Barbara

2003-01-01

This study was performed in order to investigate whether the actual requirement for defence against photo-oxidative stress is reflected by the alpha-tocopherol (alpha-Toco) content in leaves of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.). Antioxidants and pigments were quantified in leaves that were collected on six days between May and September 2000 in a mixed pine/oak forest at canopy positions differing in light environment. Pools of hydrophilic antioxidants and photo-protective xanthophyll cycle pigments (V + A + Z) reflected the anti-oxidative demand, as these pools increased with the average light intensity to which the leaves were acclimated. The photo-protective demand was not the determinant of the alpha-Toco content of oak leaves, as (1) foliage of a young oak, exposed to low light levels in the understorey, contained higher amounts of this lipophilic antioxidant than leaves sampled from semimature oaks at canopy positions with a similar light environment, and (2) a strong increase in the alpha-Toco content over the growing season was detected at each investigated crown position, whereas the V + A + Z pool did not show a concomitant accumulation during leaf ageing. The rate of alpha-Toco accumulation differed distinctly between samples taken at different canopy positions.

The role of large container seedlings in afforesting oaks in bottomlands

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; John M. Kabrick; Michael Gold

2006-01-01

We planted large container (RPM®) and 1-0 bareroot seedlings of pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchh.) and swamp white oak (Q. bicolor Willd.) in crop fields in the Missouri River floodplain. We also evaluated the benefits of soil mounding and a grass (Agrostis gigantea Roth) cover crop. RPM®) oak seedlings had significantly greater...

Diagnosis and Management of Phytophthora ramorum canker in canyon live oak, an atypical bole canker host

Science.gov (United States)

Tedmund J. Swiecki; Elizabeth Bernhardt; Kamyar Aram; David Rizzo

2013-01-01

Diagnosis of sudden oak death (SOD) in tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Manos, Cannon & S.H. Oh) and susceptible red/black oak species (coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Née; Shreve oak, Q. parvula Greene var. shrevei (C.H. Mull.) Nixon; California...

Heritability of first-order lateral root number in Quercus: implication for artificial regeneration of stands

Science.gov (United States)

Paul P. Kormanik; Shi-Jean S. Sung; Taryn L. Kormanik; Stanley L. Zarnoch; Scott Schlarbaum

2000-01-01

Natural regeneration of oak (Quercus) species in the USA has been easy to obtain on the lower quality xeric sites (site index less than or equal to 20 m at age 50) by developing advanced oak reproduction before stands are harvested. This approach has not been successful with Q. rubra, Q. pagoda, or Q. alba...

Predicting oak density with ecological, physical, and soil indicators

Science.gov (United States)

Callie Jo Schweitzer; Adrian A. Lesak; Yong Wang

2006-01-01

We predicted density of oak species in the mid-Cumberland Plateau region of northeastern Alabama on the basis of basal area of tree associations based on light tolerances, physical site characteristics, and soil type. Tree basal area was determined for four species groups: oaks (Quercus spp.), hickories (Carya spp.), yellow-poplar...

Regeneration of native California oaks in the forest zone [Abstract

Science.gov (United States)

P.M. McDonald

1999-01-01

The two native California oaks in the forest zone of California are California black oak (Quercus kelloggii Newb.) and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus [Hook. and Arn.] Rehd.). Both are ancient species with many adaptations to withstand California's Mediterranean climate, but some weaknesses as well. Both sprout vigorously...

Effects of disking, bedding, and subsoiling on survival and growth of three oak species in central Mississippi

Science.gov (United States)

J. Paul Jeffreys; Emily B. Schultz; Thomas G. Matney; W. Cade Booth; Jason M. Morris

2010-01-01

A replicated split-plot design experiment to evaluate the effects of three site preparation methods (disking, bedding, and subsoiling plus bedding) on survival and growth of three oak species (cherrybark, Quercus pagoda Raf.; Shumard, Quercus shumardii Buckl.; and Nuttall, Quercus texana Buckl.) was established...

Ecology and management of oak woodlands and savannas in the southwestern Borderlands Region

Science.gov (United States)

Gerald J. Gottfried; Peter F. Ffolliott

2013-01-01

Management of the Madrean oak woodlands and the less dense and ecologically different oak savannas must be based on sound ecological information. However, relatively little is known about the Madrean oak ecosystems in spite of the fact that they cover about 80,000 km2 in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Emory oak (Quercus emoryi), the dominant tree...

Evidence of the dynamic response of housing values to a sudden oak death infestation

Science.gov (United States)

Kent F. Kovacs; Thomas P. Holmes; Jeffrey E. Englin; Janice. Alexander

2010-01-01

Sudden oak death (SOD), caused by the non-indigenous forest pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, causes substantial mortality in coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other oak species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Quasi-experimental hedonic models examine the effect of SOD on property...

Top-down control of herbivory by birds and bats in the canopy of temperate broad-leaved oaks (Quercus robur.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan M Böhm

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The intensive foraging of insectivorous birds and bats is well known to reduce the density of arboreal herbivorous arthropods but quantification of collateral leaf damage remains limited for temperate forest canopies. We conducted exclusion experiments with nets in the crowns of young and mature oaks, Quercus robur, in south and central Germany to investigate the extent to which aerial vertebrates reduce herbivory through predation. We repeatedly estimated leaf damage throughout the vegetation period. Exclusion of birds and bats led to a distinct increase in arthropod herbivory, emphasizing the prominent role of vertebrate predators in controlling arthropods. Leaf damage (e.g., number of holes differed strongly between sites and was 59% higher in south Germany, where species richness of vertebrate predators and relative oak density were lower compared with our other study site in central Germany. The effects of bird and bat exclusion on herbivory were 19% greater on young than on mature trees in south Germany. Our results support previous studies that have demonstrated clear effects of insectivorous vertebrates on leaf damage through the control of herbivorous arthropods. Moreover, our comparative approach on quantification of leaf damage highlights the importance of local attributes such as tree age, forest composition and species richness of vertebrate predators for control of arthropod herbivory.

Single-tree harvesting reduces survival and growth of oak stump sprouts in the Missouri Ozark Highlands

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; Randy G. Jensen; Michael J. Wallendorf

2008-01-01

Regeneration and recruitment into the overstory is critical to the success of using uneven-aged systems to sustain oak forests. We evaluated survival and growth of white oak (Quercus alba L.), black oak (Q. velutina Lam.), and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea Muenchh.) stump sprouts 10 years after harvesting Ozark...

New Cork-Based Materials and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Gil

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This review work is an update of a previous work reporting the new cork based materials and new applications of cork based materials. Cork is a material which has been used for multiple applications. The most known uses of cork are in stoppers (natural and agglomerated cork for alcoholic beverages, classic floor covering with composite cork tiles (made by the binding of cork particles with different binders, and thermal/acoustic/vibration insulation with expanded corkboard in buildings and some other industrial fields. Many recent developments have been made leading to new cork based materials. Most of these newly developed cork materials are not yet on the market, but they represent new possibilities for engineers, architects, designers and other professionals which must be known and considered, potentially leading to their industrialization. This paper is a review covering the last five years of innovative cork materials and applications also mentioning previous work not reported before.

New Cork-Based Materials and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Luís

2015-01-01

This review work is an update of a previous work reporting the new cork based materials and new applications of cork based materials. Cork is a material which has been used for multiple applications. The most known uses of cork are in stoppers (natural and agglomerated cork) for alcoholic beverages, classic floor covering with composite cork tiles (made by the binding of cork particles with different binders), and thermal/acoustic/vibration insulation with expanded corkboard in buildings and some other industrial fields. Many recent developments have been made leading to new cork based materials. Most of these newly developed cork materials are not yet on the market, but they represent new possibilities for engineers, architects, designers and other professionals which must be known and considered, potentially leading to their industrialization. This paper is a review covering the last five years of innovative cork materials and applications also mentioning previous work not reported before. PMID:28787962

New Cork-Based Materials and Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Luís

2015-02-10

This review work is an update of a previous work reporting the new cork based materials and new applications of cork based materials. Cork is a material which has been used for multiple applications. The most known uses of cork are in stoppers (natural and agglomerated cork) for alcoholic beverages, classic floor covering with composite cork tiles (made by the binding of cork particles with different binders), and thermal/acoustic/vibration insulation with expanded corkboard in buildings and some other industrial fields. Many recent developments have been made leading to new cork based materials. Most of these newly developed cork materials are not yet on the market, but they represent new possibilities for engineers, architects, designers and other professionals which must be known and considered, potentially leading to their industrialization. This paper is a review covering the last five years of innovative cork materials and applications also mentioning previous work not reported before.

Isolation and characterization of repeat elements of the oak genome and their application in population analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fluch, S.; Burg, K.

1998-01-01

Four minisatellite sequence elements have been identified and isolated from the genome of the oak species Quercus petraea and Quercus robur. Minisatellites 1 and 2 are putative members of repeat families, while minisatellites 3 and 4 show repeat length variation among individuals of test populations. A 590 base pair (bp) long element has also been identified which reveals individual-specific autoradiographic patterns when used as probe in Southern hybridisations of genomic oak DNA. (author)

QsMYB1 expression is modulated in response to heat and drought stresses and during plant recovery in Quercus suber.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Tânia; Pinto, Glória; Correia, Barbara; Santos, Conceição; Gonçalves, Sónia

2013-12-01

Cork oak is an economically important forest species showing a great tolerance to high temperatures and shortage of water. However, the mechanisms underlying this plasticity are still poorly understood. Among the stress regulators, transcription factors (TFs) are especially important since they can control a wide range of stress-inducible genes, which make them powerful targets for genetic engineering of stress tolerance. Here we evaluated the influence of increasing temperatures (up to 55 °C) or drought (18% field capacity, FC) on the expression profile of an R2R3-MYB transcription factor of cork oak, the QsMYB1. QsMYB1 was previously identified as being preferentially expressed in cork tissues and as having an associated alternative splicing mechanism, which results in two different transcripts (QsMYB1.1 and QsMYB1.2). Expression analysis by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed that increasing temperatures led to a gradual down-regulation of QsMYB1 transcripts with more effect on QsMYB1.1 abundance. On the other hand, under drought condition, expression of QsMYB1 variants, mainly the QsMYB1.2, was transiently up-regulated shortly after the stress imposition. Recovery from each stress has also resulted in a differential response by both QsMYB1 transcripts. Several physiological and biochemical parameters (plant water status, chlorophyll fluorescence, lipid peroxidation and proline content) were determined in order to monitor the plant performance under stress and recovery. In conclusion, this report provides the first evidence that QsMYB1 TF may have a putative function in the regulatory network of cork oak response to heat and drought stresses and during plant recovery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Relationship between resistance to Phytophthora ramorum and constitutive phenolic chemistry in coast live oaks and northern red oaks

Science.gov (United States)

Annemarie M. Nagle; Matteo Garbelotto; Brice McPherson; David L. Wood; Pierluigi. Bonello

2010-01-01

Phytophthora ramorum causes lethal canker diseases and extensive mortality in coast live oak (CLO) (Quercus agrifolia) and tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus). No practical controls are available for this disease in non-urban environments. Therefore, characterization of natural resistance is highly...

Development of northern red oak rooted cutting and enrichment planting systems

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew H. Gocke; Jamie Schuler; Daniel J. Robison; Barry Goldfarb

2005-01-01

Enrichment planting may provide an efficient means to establish elite northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) genotypes in recently harvested natural forests. However, planting northern red oak (NRO) seedlings into natural stands has proven difficult in the past, especially when competition and other stress factors are not controlled.

Evolution of ellagitannins in Spanish, French, and American oak woods during natural seasoning and toasting.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadahía, E; Varea, S; Muñoz, L; Fernández De Simón, B; García-Vallejo, M C

2001-08-01

The evolution of tannins in Spanish oak heartwood of Quercus robur L., Quercus petraea Liebl.,Quercus pyrenaica Wild., and Quercus faginea Lam. was studied in relation to the processing of wood in barrel cooperage. Their evolution was compared with that of French oak of Q. robur (Limousin, France) and Q. petraea (Allier, France) and American oak of Quercus alba L. (Missouri), which are habitually used in cooperage. Two stages of process were researched: the seasoning of woods during 3 years in natural conditions and toasting. Total phenol and total ellagitannin contents and optical density at 420 nm of wood extracts were determined. The ellagitannins roburins A-E, grandinin, vescalagin, and castalagin were identified and quantified by HPLC, and the molecular weight distribution of ellagitannins was calculated by GPC. During the seasoning process the different ellagitannin concentrations decreased according to the duration of this process and in the same way as those in French and American woods. The toasting process also had an important influence on the ellagitannin composition of wood. Roburins A-E, grandinin, vescalagin, and castalagin decreased during this process in the Spanish wood species, in the same proportion as in the French and American ones. Also, the seasoning and toasting processes lead to qualitative variations in the structure of ellagitannins, especially in the molecular weight distribution, as was evidenced by GPC analysis of their acetylated derivatives.

Myxomycetes from the bark of the evergreen oak Quercus ilex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wrigley de Basanta, Diana

1998-06-01

Full Text Available The results of 81 moist chamber cultures of bark from living Quercus ilex trees are reponed. A total of 37 taxa are cited, extending the number of species found on this substrate to 55. The presence of Licea deplanata on the Iberian Península is confirmed. Seven new records are included for the province of Madrid. Some data are contributed on species frequency and incubation times.Se presentan los resultados de 81 cultivos en cámara húmeda de corteza de Quercus ilex vivo. Se citan 37 táxones, que amplían a 55 el número de especies de mixomicetes encontrados sobre este sustrato. Se confirma la presencia en la Península Ibérica de Licea deplanata, y se incluyen siete nuevas citas para la provincia de Madrid. Se aportan datos sobre frecuencia de aparición y tiempos de incubación de algunas especies.

Blue Oak Canopy Effect on Seasonal Forage Production and Quality

Science.gov (United States)

William E. Frost; Neil K. McDougald; Montague W. Demment

1991-01-01

Forage production and forage quality were measured seasonally beneath the canopy of blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and in open grassland at the San Joaquin Experimental Range. At the March and peak standing crop sampling dates forage production was significantly greater (p=.05) beneath blue oak compared to open grassland. At most sampling dates, the...

Antioxidant Characterization of Oak Extracts Combining Spectrophotometric Assays and Chemometrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris M. Popović

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Antioxidant characteristics of leaves, twigs, and acorns from two Serbian oak species Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea L. from Vojvodina province (northern Serbia were investigated. 80% ethanol (in water extracts were used for antiradical power (ARP determinations against DPPH•, NO•, and O2∙- radicals, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP, total phenol, tannin, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin contents. Permanganate reducing antioxidant capacity (PRAC was determined using water extracts. Beside, mentioned parameters, soluble proteins, lipid peroxidation (LP, pigments and proline contents were also determined. The data of different procedures were compared and analyzed by multivariate techniques (correlation matrix calculation and principal component analysis (PCA. PCA found that investigated organs of two different oak tree species possess similar antioxidant characteristics. The superior antioxidant characteristics showed oak leaves over twigs and acorns and seem to be promising source of antioxidants with possible use in industry and pharmacy.

The status of oak and hickory regeneration in forests of Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Anita K. Rose

2008-01-01

Evidence suggests that eastern U.S. forests dominated by oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) may be shifting to more maple- (Acer spp.) and mixed-species dominated forests. Data from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program were used to describe the status of oak and hickory...

Analysis of cyclitols in different Quercus species by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Sánchez, Sonia; Ruiz-Matute, Ana I; Alañón, María Elena; Pérez-Coello, María Soledad; de Julio-Torres, Luis F; Morales, Ramón; Martínez-Castro, Isabel

2010-08-15

The carbohydrate profile of some woods used for aging wines and spirits has been recently studied using a pressurized liquid extraction method, the main differences found being related to cyclitol content. The aim of this study was to perform a detailed study of these compounds in woods of different Quercus species in order to identify two unknown compounds which appeared in the extracts and to verify whether the obtained profile was homogeneous for other Quercus species. Besides the known monosaccharides and five cyclitols previously described, three deoxy-inositols (epi-, vibo- and scyllo-quercitol) were identified. The presence of these eight cyclitols was confirmed in all subgenera and species of Quercus analyzed, allowing a characteristic cyclitol profile. Three deoxy-inositols (quercitols) have been identified in the carbohydrate profile of oak wood. All examined Quercus species displayed a common profile consisting of four inositols and four quercitols, which represent a good dataset for characterization of this genus. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

The dynamic response of housing values to a forst invasive disease: evidence from a sudden oak death infestation

Science.gov (United States)

Kent Kovacs; Thomas P. Holmes; Jeffrey E. Englin; Janice Alexander

2011-01-01

"Sudden Oak Death" (Phytophthora ramorum) is a non-indigenous forest pathogen which causes substantialmortality of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other oak tree species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. We estimated the time path of residential property values subject to oak mortality using a...

Effects of fire and browsing on regeneration of blue oak

Science.gov (United States)

James W. Bartolome; Mitchel P. McClaran; Barbara H. Allen-Diaz; Jim Dunne; Lawrence D. Ford; Richard B. Standiford; Neil K. McDougald; Larry C. Forero

2002-01-01

Blue oaks (Quercus douglasii) are not regenerating well over much of California. The roles of fire and browsing in regeneration are probably significant, but poorly understood. We burned two foothill blue oak woodland sites which contained significant numbers of small trees between 40 and 70 cm tall, then compared height growth over 14 years among 48...

Diffusion of oxygen in cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Lequin, Sonia; Chassagne, David; Karbowiak, Thomas; Simon, Jean-Marc; Paulin, Christian; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2012-04-04

This work reports measurements of effective oxygen diffusion coefficient in raw cork. Kinetics of oxygen transfer through cork is studied at 298 K thanks to a homemade manometric device composed of two gas compartments separated by a cork wafer sample. The first compartment contains oxygen, whereas the second one is kept under dynamic vacuum. The pressure decrease in the first compartment is recorded as a function of time. The effective diffusion coefficient D(eff) is obtained by applying Fick's law to transient state using a numerical method based on finite differences. An analytical model derived from Fick's law applied to steady state is also proposed. Results given by these two methods are in close agreement with each other. The harmonic average of the effective diffusion coefficients obtained from the distribution of 15 cork wafers of 3 mm thickness is 1.1 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1) with a large distribution over four decades. The statistical analysis of the Gaussian distribution obtained on a 3 mm cork wafer is extrapolated to a 48 mm cork wafer, which length corresponds to a full cork stopper. In this case, the probability density distribution gives a mean value of D(eff) equal to 1.6 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1). This result shows that it is possible to obtain the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen through cork from short time (few days) measurements performed on a thin cork wafer, whereas months are required to obtain the diffusion coefficient for a full cork stopper. Permeability and oxygen transfer rate are also calculated for comparison with data from other studies.

Photosynthesis and xanthophyll cycle-mediated photoprotection in leaves of Quercus rubra and Q. alba seedlings of different light environments

Science.gov (United States)

Shi-Jean S. Sung; Dianpeng Xu; Paul P. Kormanik; Clanton C. Black

1997-01-01

Two and three years after the outplanting of 1-0 northern red oak (Quercus rubra, NRO) and white oak (Q. alba, WO) nursery stocks, the highest net photosynthetic rates (Amax) were observed from seedlings growing on a clearcut site, followed by those under a pine stand. Both NRO and WO...

Phytophthora ramorum in coast live oak: search for resistance and mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

B.A. McPherson; D.L. Wood; S.R. Mori; A. Conrad; P. Bonello

2013-01-01

Despite the presence of Phytophthora ramorum in northern and central California forests since at least 1994, asymptomatic coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia Née) still remain in heavily infested stands. Coast live oak infection and mortality rates of 5 percent y-1 and 3 percent y-1, respectively, observed in long-term...

Herbivory and the cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in isolated California oak trees

Science.gov (United States)

David Y. Hollinger

1986-01-01

Nitrogen and phosphorus flow in litterfall and throughfall were studied in two California Quercus species (the evergreen Q.agrifolia and deciduous Q. lobata) before, during, and after an outbreak of the California oak moth, Phryganidia californica. All of the foliage of both oak species was...

The Influence of Epiphytic Lichens on the Nutrient Cycling of a Blue Oak Woodland

Science.gov (United States)

Johannes M. Knops; Thomas H. H. Nash III; William H. Schlesinger

1997-01-01

We evaluated the importance of epiphytic lichens in the nutrient cycling of a blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland in California. Each oak tree contained an average of 3.8 kg lichen biomass, totaling 590 kg per ha. For comparison, oak leaf biomass was 958 kg per ha. We compared tree growth, volume and composition of throughfall (rainfall falling...

Risk factors of oak decline and regional mortality patterns in the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas and Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Martin A. Spetich; Zhaofei Fan; Xiuli Fan; Hong He; Stephen R. Shifley; W. Keith Moser

2011-01-01

Since the late 1970s, oak decline and mortality have plagued Midwestern-upland oak-hickory forests, particularly species in the red oak group (Quercus Section Lobatae) across the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma (Dwyer and others 1995). Drought is a common inciting factor in oak decline, while advanced tree age is considered a...

Using a down-scaled bioclimate envelope model to determine long-term temporal connectivity of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) habitat in western North America: implications for protected area planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Pellatt, Marlow G; Goring, Simon J; Bodtker, Karin M; Cannon, Alex J

2012-04-01

Under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA), Garry oak (Quercus garryana) ecosystems are listed as "at-risk" and act as an umbrella for over one hundred species that are endangered to some degree. Understanding Garry oak responses to future climate scenarios at scales relevant to protected area managers is essential to effectively manage existing protected area networks and to guide the selection of temporally connected migration corridors, additional protected areas, and to maintain Garry oak populations over the next century. We present Garry oak distribution scenarios using two random forest models calibrated with down-scaled bioclimatic data for British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon based on 1961-1990 climate normals. The suitability models are calibrated using either both precipitation and temperature variables or using only temperature variables. We compare suitability predictions from four General Circulation Models (GCMs) and present CGCM2 model results under two emissions scenarios. For each GCM and emissions scenario we apply the two Garry oak suitability models and use the suitability models to determine the extent and temporal connectivity of climatically suitable Garry oak habitat within protected areas from 2010 to 2099. The suitability models indicate that while 164 km(2) of the total protected area network in the region (47,990 km(2)) contains recorded Garry oak presence, 1635 and 1680 km(2) of climatically suitable Garry oak habitat is currently under some form of protection. Of this suitable protected area, only between 6.6 and 7.3% will be "temporally connected" between 2010 and 2099 based on the CGCM2 model. These results highlight the need for public and private protected area organizations to work cooperatively in the development of corridors to maintain temporal connectivity in climatically suitable areas for the future of Garry oak ecosystems.

Response of Advance Cherrybark Oak Reproduction to Midstory Removal and Shoot Clipping

Science.gov (United States)

Brian R. Lockhart; John D. Hodges; Emile S. Gardiner

2000-01-01

A Midstory competition control and shoot clipping have been proposed to increase the vigor and height of advance bottomland oak reproduction. Results from a study in east-central Mississippi showed that advance cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf) released from midstory competition had greater survival than nonreleased seedlings, 64% and 48%,...

Agrilus auroguttatus exit hole distributions on Quercus agrifolia boles and a sampling method to estimate their density on individual trees

Science.gov (United States)

Laurel J. Haavik; Tom W. Coleman; Mary Louise Flint; Robert C. Venette; Steven J. Seybold

2012-01-01

In recent decades, invasive phloem and wood borers have become important pests in North America. To aid tree sampling and survey efforts for the newly introduced goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), we examined spatial patterns of exit holes on the boles (trunks) of 58 coast live oak, Quercus...

Dendrochronological analysis of white oak growth patterns across a topographic moisture gradient in southern Ohio

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander K. Anning; Darrin L. Rubino; Elaine K. Sutherland; Brian C. McCarthy

2013-01-01

Moisture availability is a key factor that influences white oak (Quercus alba L.) growth and wood production. In unglaciated eastern North America, available soil moisture varies greatly along topographic and edaphic gradients. This study was aimed at determining the effects of soil moisture variability and macroclimate on white oak growth in mixed-oak forests of...

Bat activity at remnant oak trees in California Central Coast vineyards

Science.gov (United States)

William D. Tietje; Ted Weller; Christopher C. Yim

2015-01-01

During 1990 to 2013, the area planted with wine grapes increased nearly 4.5 times in San Luis Obispo County. Much of this development occurred on open oak savanna with scattered oak (Quercus spp.) trees. Remnant trees are retained in some vineyards, but their value to biodiversity retention has not been quantified. During April to September 2014,...

Suitability of native and ornamental oak species in California for Agrilus auroguttatus

Science.gov (United States)

L.J. Haavik; A.D. Graves; T.W. Coleman; F.L. Flint; R.C. Venette; S.J. Seybold

2014-01-01

Goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a new invasive species in southern California, USA. The extent of the host range of this insect is not known, but this knowledge will have a major impact on assessment of the risks that this pest poses to oaks [Quercus spp. (Fagaceae)]. We...

Recent advances in the control of oak wilt in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Dan A. Wilson

2005-01-01

Oak wilt, caused by Ceratocystis fagacearum (T.W.Bretz) J. Hunt, is probably the most destructive disease of oak trees (Quercus species) in the United States, and is currently causing high morality at epiphytotic proportions in central Texas. The serious potential for damage pro,pted an increase in federal funding within the past...

Comparative Studies Of Oak (Quercus Petraea L. Reservations Within Cluj Forestry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian FUSTOS

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In Romania it is necessary a sustained effort to extend the forest areas through artificial regeneration. The purpose of this study is to show the correlation between the heights and diameters of Quercus petraea trees from seed reserves and their seed production. They were chosen 80 trees situated in four Quercus petraea seed reserves of Cluj County. The trees selected were located at a distance of 30 meters from each other. It has been found that the two measured variables (core diameter and trees height are direct positive correlated, in the sense that increasing the value of a variable and thus leads to an increase in the other. Choosing trees with special qualities have great importance when it comes to transmitting genetic gain new generations. Comprehensive analysis of stationary and vegetation characteristics result in reproductive material with significant values as seeds quality and adaptability.

Monitoring and management of Cerambyx cerdo in the Mediterranean region – a review and the potential role of citizen science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Casula

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Great Capricorn beetle, Cerambyx cerdo, and Mediterranean oak habitats (Quercus ilex – 9340 and Quercus suber – 9330 are protected by the Habitats Directive (HD. However, in the Mediterranean basin, these habitats are also traditionally used for animal, wood, and cork productions. Cerambyx cerdo feeds into the wood of trees and can be perceived by forest practitioners as an umbrella species or as a pest, depending on the context. Monitoring programmes involving forest practitioners could thus focus on assessing: 1 the conservation status of the Great Capricorn beetle and habitats (distribution and abundance of insects and reproductive sites or colonised trees, 2 pest status, and 3 management options to achieve both conservational and economic benefits. Considering that Cerambyx cerdo and Cork and Holm oak forests are not priority species or habitats under the HD, targeted funding is likely to be limited for monitoring. In this context, citizen science could gather important information on the target species useful for the monitoring programmes and management. To address management questions, the citizen science based programme for Cerambyx cerdo monitoring and habitat conservation should be seen not only as citizens collecting good data sets, but also as a deeper collaboration amongst different knowledge bodies and perspectives within a community – based environmental monitoring and learning network.

Metabolite profiling to predict resistance to Phytophthora ramorum in natural populations of coast live oak

Science.gov (United States)

A. Conrad; B. Mcpherson; D. Wood; S. Opiyo; S. Mori; P. Bonello

2013-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by the invasive oomycete pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, continues to shape the dynamics of coastal populations of oak (Quercus spp.) and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Manos, Cannon & S.H. Oh) in California and tanoak in southwestern Oregon. Over the...

Field test of foliar-spray herbicides to control mountain laurel in mature mixed-oak forests in western Maryland

Science.gov (United States)

Gary W. Miller; Patrick H. Brose; Jeffrey D. Kochenderfer; James N. Kochenderfer; Kurt W. Gottschalk; John R. Denning

2016-01-01

Successful oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration requires the presence of competitive sources of oak reproduction before parent oaks are harvested. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in the understory of many Appalachian forests prevents new oak seedlings from receiving adequate sunlight to survive and grow into competitive size classes. This study examined the efficacy of...

A neighborhood analysis of the consequences of Quercus suber decline for regeneration dynamics in Mediterranean forests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Ibáñez

Full Text Available In forests, the vulnerable seedling stage is largely influenced by the canopy, which modifies the surrounding environment. Consequently, any alteration in the characteristics of the canopy, such as those promoted by forest dieback, might impact regeneration dynamics. Our work analyzes the interaction between canopy neighbors and seedlings in Mediterranean forests affected by the decline of their dominant species (Quercus suber. Our objective was to understand how the impacts of neighbor trees and shrubs on recruitment could affect future dynamics of these declining forests. Seeds of the three dominant tree species (Quercus suber, Olea europaea and Quercus canariensis were sown in six sites during two consecutive years. Using a spatially-explicit, neighborhood approach we developed models that explained the observed spatial variation in seedling emergence, survival, growth and photochemical efficiency as a function of the size, identity, health, abundance and distribution of adult trees and shrubs in the neighborhood. We found strong neighborhood effects for all the performance estimators, particularly seedling emergence and survival. Tree neighbors positively affected emergence, independently of species identity or health. Alternatively, seedling survival was much lower in neighborhoods dominated by defoliated and dead Q. suber trees than in neighborhoods dominated by healthy trees. For the two oak species, these negative effects were consistent over the three years of the experimental seedlings. These results indicate that ongoing changes in species' relative abundance and canopy trees' health might alter the successional trajectories of Mediterranean oak-forests through neighbor-specific impacts on seedlings. The recruitment failure of dominant late-successional oaks in the gaps opened after Q. suber death would indirectly favor the establishment of other coexisting woody species, such as drought-tolerant shrubs. This could lead current

Densities of Agrilus auroguttatus and Other Borers in California and Arizona Oaks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurel J. Haavik

2014-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated within-tree population density of a new invasive species in southern California, the goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, with respect to host species and the community of other borers present. We measured emergence hole densities of A. auroguttatus and other borers on the lower stem (bole of naïve oaks at 18 sites in southern California and on co-evolved oaks at seven sites in southeastern Arizona. We sampled recently dead oaks in an effort to quantify the community of primary and secondary borers associated with mortality—species that were likely to interact with A. auroguttatus. Red oaks (Section Lobatae produced greater densities of A. auroguttatus than white oaks (Section Quercus. On red oaks, A. auroguttatus significantly outnumbered native borers in California (mean ± SE of 9.6 ± 0.7 versus 4.5 ± 0.6 emergence holes per 0.09 m2 of bark surface, yet this was not the case in Arizona (0.9 ± 0.2 versus 1.1 ± 0.2 emergence holes per 0.09 m2. In California, a species that is taxonomically intermediate between red and white oaks, Quercus chrysolepis (Section Protobalanus, exhibited similar A. auroguttatus emergence densities compared with a co-occurring red oak, Q. kelloggii. As an invasive species in California, A. auroguttatus may affect the community of native borers (mainly Buprestidae and Cerambycidae that feed on the lower boles of oaks, although it remains unclear whether its impact will be positive or negative.

The most significant fungi: Agents of wood decay in oak forests of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milijašević Tanja

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The most widely distributed oak species in Serbia are Q. petrea (sessile oak, Q. cerris (Turkey oak and Q. frainetto (Hungarian oak and Quercus robur (common oak, and lignicolous fungi are the major agents of wood decay in natural and coppice oak forests. In this research, 33 species of fungi were identified. Eleven species were described, among which the most significant are: Armillaria mellea, Fomes fomentarius, Hypoxylon deustum Laetiporus sulphureus, Lenzites quercina and Phellinus robustus. This paper presents the morphological characteristics of the most significant identified fungi, their distribution, host plants and significance.

Predicting the economic costs and property value losses attributed to sudden oak death damage in California (2010-2020)

Science.gov (United States)

Kent Kovacs; Tomas Václavík; Robert G. Haight; Arwin Pang; Nik J. Cunniffe; Christopher A. Gilligan; Ross K. Meentemeyer

2011-01-01

Phytophthora ramorum, cause of sudden oak death, is a quarantined, non-native, invasive forest pathogen resulting in substantial mortality in coastal live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other related tree species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. We estimate the discounted cost of oak treatment, removal, and...

Moldable cork ablation material

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

A successful thermal ablative material was manufactured. Moldable cork sheets were tested for density, tensile strength, tensile elongation, thermal conductivity, compression set, and specific heat. A moldable cork sheet, therefore, was established as a realistic product.

Nuttall Oak Volume and Weight Tables

Science.gov (United States)

Bryce E. Schlaegel; Regan B. Willson

1983-01-01

Volume and weight tables were constructed from a 62-tree sample of Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palmer) taken in the Mississippi Delta. The tables present volume, green weight, and dry weight of bole wood, bole wood plus bark, and total tree above a one-foot stump as predicted from the nonlinear model Y = 0Db

Sorption of chrysoidine by row cork and cork entrapped in calcium alginate beads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria M. Nurchi

2014-01-01

The influence on the sorption of pH, initial dye concentration, and particle size, as well as the efficiency of the entrapment, have been investigated. The maximum sorption was found for cork samples of fine particle size (FC, in both row and entrapped forms, at pH 7; conversely, at pH 4 the difference is significant (0.12 mmol/g for row cork and 0.20 mmol/g for entrapped cork, evoking a cooperation of alginate in binding the positively charged chrysoidine molecule.

Hyperdiversity of ectomycorrhizal fungus assemblages on oak seedlings in mixed forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

John F. Walker; Orson K. Miller; Jonathan L. Horton

2005-01-01

Diversity of ectotrophic mycobionts on outplanted seedlings of two oak species (Quercus rubra and Quercus prinus) was estimated at two sites in mature mixed forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains by sequencing nuclear 5.8S rRNA genes and the flanking internal transcribed spacer regions I and II (ITS). The...

Leaf gas exchange of mature bottomland oak trees

Science.gov (United States)

Rico M. Gazal; Mark E. Kubiske; Kristina F. Connor

2009-01-01

We determined how changes in environmental moisture affected leaf gas exchange in Nuttall (Quercus texana Buckley), overcup (Q. lyrata Walt.), and dominant and codominant swamp chestnut (Q. michauxii Nutt.) oak trees in Mississippi and Louisiana. We used canopy access towers to measure leaf level gas...

High-light acclimation in Quercus robur L.seedlings upon over-topped a shaded environment

Science.gov (United States)

Anna M. Jensen; Emile S. Gardiner; Kevin C. Vaughn

2012-01-01

High developmental plasticity at the seedling-level during acclimation to the light environment may be an important determinant of seedling establishment and growth in temperate broadleaf forests, especially in dense understories where spatial light availability can vary greatly. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) seedlings were raised beneath a...

Twenty-nine years of development in planted cherrybark oak-sweetgum mixtures: implications for future mixed-species hardwood plantations

Science.gov (United States)

Brian Roy Lockhart; Andrew W. Ezell; John D. Hodges; Wayne K. Clatterbuck

2012-01-01

Results from a long-term planted mixture of cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) showed sweetgum taller in height and larger in diameter than cherrybark oak early in plantation development. By age 17, cherrybark oak was similar in height and diameter with sweetgum and by age 21 was taller...

The Insect Guild of White Oak Acorns: Its Effect on Mast Quality in the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Alex C. Mangini; Roger W. Perry

2004-01-01

Abstract - Hardwood regeneration, especially of oaks, is an essential component of ecosystem management in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. In addition, oak mast is an important wildlife food. Several species of insects inhabit and consume acorns. Data on the insect guild inhabiting white oak (Quercus alba L.) acorns...

Permeability of cork to gases.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, David P; Fonseca, Ana L; Pereira, Helen; Teodoro, Orlando M N D

2011-04-27

The permeability of gases through uncompressed cork was investigated. More than 100 samples were assessed from different plank qualities to provide a picture of the permeability distribution. A novel technique based on a mass spectrometer leak detector was used to directly measure the helium flow through the central area of small disks 10 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick. The permeability for nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases was measured by the pressure rise technique. Boiled and nonboiled cork samples from different sections were evaluated. An asymmetric frequency distribution ranging 3 orders of magnitude (roughly from 1 to 1000 μmol/(cm·atm·day)) for selected samples without macroscopic defects was found, having a peak below 100 μmol/(cm·atm·day). Correlation was found between density and permeability: higher density samples tend to show lower permeability. However, boiled cork showed a mean lower permeability despite having a lower density. The transport mechanism of gases through cork was also examined. Calculations suggest that gases permeate uncompressed cork mainly through small channels between cells under a molecular flow regime. The diameter of such channels was estimated to be in the range of 100 nm, in agreement with the plasmodesmata size in the cork cell walls.

Modeling the effectiveness of tree planting to mitigate habitat loss in blue oak woodlands

Science.gov (United States)

Richard B. Standiford; Douglas McCreary; William Frost

2002-01-01

Many local conservation policies have attempted to mitigate the loss of oak woodland habitat resulting from conversion to urban or intensive agricultural land uses through tree planting. This paper models the development of blue oak (Quercus douglasii) stand structure attributes over 50 years after planting. The model uses a single tree, distance...

Attraction of ambrosia and bark beetles to coast live oaks infected by Phytophthora ramorum

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; Nadir Erbilgin; David L. Wood; Pavel Svihra; Andrew J. Storer; Richard B. Standiford

2008-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum (Werres, de Cock & Man in?t Veld), has killed thousands of oaks (Quercus spp.) in coastal California forests since the mid-1990s. Bark and ambrosia beetles that normally colonize dead or severely weakened trees selectively tunnel into the bleeding cankers that are the first...

Change in oak abundance in the eastern United States from 1980 to 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Songlin Fei; Ningning Kong; Kim C. Steiner; W. Keith Moser; Eric B. Steiner

2011-01-01

Although oaks (Quercus spp.) have historically dominated much of the forest land in eastern North America, a great deal of fragmentary and sometimes anecdotal evidence suggests that they have been yielding dominance in recent decades to other, typically more shade-tolerant species. Using FIA data, our work formally quantifies the change in oak abundance in the eastern...

The dynamic response of housing values to a forest invasive disease: evidence from a sudden oak death infestation

Science.gov (United States)

Kent Kovacs; Thomas P Holmes; Jeffrey E Englin; Janice Alexander

2011-01-01

“Sudden Oak Death” (Phytophthora ramorum) is a non-indigenous forest pathogen which causes substantial mortality of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other oak tree species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. We estimated the time path of residential property values subject to oak mortality using a dataset that spans more than two decades—including...

Study of the sap-flow and related quantities of oak trees in field experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanalas, P.; Olah, V.; Szoelloesi, E.; Meszaros, I.; Ander, I.; Fenyvesi, A.

2009-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Climatology model calculations for the next decades in the Carpathian Basin predict more frequent occurrence of meteorological extremes and, especially, longer droughts with elevated average temperatures during the growing season. A drift of the transition zone between the wooden steppe and the forest regions is predicted, too, resulting in significant reduction and alteration of the climazonal forest communities in the mountainous regions. The aim of our project is obtaining information on the climatic sensitivity of the tree species in the sessile oak - Austrian oak forest stand of the Sikfoekut Project Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) area (Buekk Mountains, NE Hungary). 'Campaign-like' complex field measurements have been performed in contrasting vegetation seasons of 2007 and 2008. As a function of time, stomatal conductance and intensity of sap-flow and stem diameter of Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris trees were measured simultaneously with photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), atmospheric pressure, temperature and relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) of air, precipitation and soil moisture. It was found that the two oak species of forest stand exhibit similar daily course of stomatal conductance in rainy periods. However, during drought stomatal conductance of Quercus cerris was higher, and after a transitional decrease around midday it exhibited a second maximum in late afternoon. In dry days after a maximum of stomatal conductance at early morning the stomatal closure of Quercus petraea was permanent which might result in 'carbon starvation' of trees if drought is too long. During rainy periods, sap-flow of both species changed in correlation with VPD. In dry period this correlation weakened especially in case of Quercus petraea but a stronger correlation of sap-flow maximum appeared with the decreasing soil moisture content. Quercus cerris showed smaller stem radial variation, than Quercus

Differentiation and genetic variability in cork oak populations (Quercus suber L.)

OpenAIRE

Costa, Joana Seabra Pulido Neves da

2011-01-01

Tese de mestrado. Biologia (Biologia Humana e Ambiente). Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2011 O ano 2011 foi designado como “O Ano Internacional das Florestas” pela Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas, na tentativa de despertar o interesse público e promover a sustentabilidade da gestão e conservação florestal para o benefício das gerações futuras. Estimativas da FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) para o ano de 2010 demonstraram que 31% da superfície terrestre ainda está...

Mutagenicity assessment of aerosols in emissions from wood combustion in Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, B.; Alves, C.A.; Gonçalves, C.; Pio, C.; Gonçalves, F.; Pereira, R.

2012-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) extracts of fine particles (PM 2.5 ) collected from combustion of seven wood species and briquettes were tested for mutagenic activities using Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. The woods were Pinus pinaster (maritime pine), Eucalyptus globulus (eucalypt), Quercus suber (cork oak), Acacia longifolia (golden wattle), Quercus faginea (Portuguese oak), Olea europea (olive), and Quercus ilex rotundifolia (Holm oak). Burning experiments were done using woodstove and fireplace, hot start and cold start conditions. A mutagenic response was recorded for all species except golden wattle, maritime pine, and briquettes. The mutagenic extracts were not correlated with high emission factors of carcinogenic PAHs. These extracts were obtained both from two burning appliances and start-up conditions. However, fireplace seemed to favour the occurrence of mutagenic emissions. The negative result recorded for golden wattle was interesting, in an ecological point of view, since after confirmation, this invasive species, can be recommended for domestic use. - Highlights: ► Both woodstove and fireplace, either with a cold or hot start, produce emissions with mutagenic potential. ► The high level of carcinogenic PAHs in combustion emissions was not correlated with mutagenicity. ► The golden wattle, an invasive species, produced no mutagenic emissions. - Wood smoke from fireplace burning of dominant forest species displayed strong mutagenic activity without a significant correlation with carcinogenic PAHs emission factors.

Relationship between field resistance to Phytophthora ramorum and constitutive phenolic chemistry of coast live oak

Science.gov (United States)

A.M. Nagle; B.A. McPherson; D.L. Wood; M. Garbelotto; A.O. Conrad; S. Opiyo; P. Bonello

2012-01-01

Sudden oak death, caused by Phytophthora ramorum, has resulted in high levels of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Nee (CLO) mortality. However, some CLO survive in areas with high disease pressure and may thus be resistant. We tested the hypothesis that such field resistant trees contain constitutively higher levels of...

Thematic Mapper Analysis of Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) in Central California

Science.gov (United States)

Paul A. Lefebvre Jr.; Frank W. Davis; Mark Borchert

1991-01-01

Digital Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data from September 1986 and December 1985 were analyzed to determine seasonal reflectance properties of blue oak rangeland in the La Panza mountains of San Luis Obispo County. Linear regression analysis was conducted to examine relationships between TM reflectance and oak canopy cover, basal area, and site topographic variables....

Sympatric parallel diversification of major oak clades in the Americas and the origins of Mexican species diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hipp, Andrew L; Manos, Paul S; González-Rodríguez, Antonio; Hahn, Marlene; Kaproth, Matthew; McVay, John D; Avalos, Susana Valencia; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine

2018-01-01

Oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae) are the dominant tree genus of North America in species number and biomass, and Mexico is a global center of oak diversity. Understanding the origins of oak diversity is key to understanding biodiversity of northern temperate forests. A phylogenetic study of biogeography, niche evolution and diversification patterns in Quercus was performed using 300 samples, 146 species. Next-generation sequencing data were generated using the restriction-site associated DNA (RAD-seq) method. A time-calibrated maximum likelihood phylogeny was inferred and analyzed with bioclimatic, soils, and leaf habit data to reconstruct the biogeographic and evolutionary history of the American oaks. Our highly resolved phylogeny demonstrates sympatric parallel diversification in climatic niche, leaf habit, and diversification rates. The two major American oak clades arose in what is now the boreal zone and radiated, in parallel, from eastern North America into Mexico and Central America. Oaks adapted rapidly to niche transitions. The Mexican oaks are particularly numerous, not because Mexico is a center of origin, but because of high rates of lineage diversification associated with high rates of evolution along moisture gradients and between the evergreen and deciduous leaf habits. Sympatric parallel diversification in the oaks has shaped the diversity of North American forests. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Impact of stereoide fungi on decomposition of oak wood and possibility of its protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirić Milenko

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Four stereoide fungi, causers of decay of oak wood, have been investigated as follows: Stereum hirsutum, Chondrostereum purpureum, Stereum rugosum and Xylobolus frustulatus. The field tests have been undertaken in order to determine the influence of the stereoide fungi on the wood of Sessile oak (Quercus petraea and Austrian oak (Quercus robur. Artificial inoculations with mycelia have been provoked in vital standing trees, as well as in laying trunks. The appearance of dying back symptoms, the rate of mycelia spread through the stem, speed of wound callusing and appearance of fruit bodies or decay symptoms, have been observed. The protection possibility of trunks has been tested as well by using preservatives based on chromo-cupric boron salts, dichlorfluanide and chlorinepyriphos, cupric naphtenates, as well as with antiseptic paste. Microscopically analysis of attacked oak wood has been performed by utilizing of scanning electron (SEM and standard optical microscope providing normal, fluorescence, polarized and UV light, so that anatomical changes of the wood structure elements influenced by fungal activity have been noted.

The effects of host age and spatial location on bacterial community composition in the English Oak tree (Quercus robur).

Science.gov (United States)

Meaden, S; Metcalf, C J E; Koskella, B

2016-04-27

Drivers of bacterial community assemblages associated with plants are diverse and include biotic factors, such as competitors and host traits, and abiotic factors, including environmental conditions and dispersal mechanisms. We examine the roles of spatial distribution and host size, as an approximation for age, in shaping the microbiome associated with Quercus robur woody tissue using culture-independent 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. In addition to providing a baseline survey of the Q. robur microbiome, we screened for the pathogen of acute oak decline. Our results suggest that age is a predictor of bacterial community composition, demonstrating a surprising negative correlation between tree age and alpha diversity. We find no signature of dispersal limitation within the Wytham Woods plot sampled. Together, these results provide evidence for niche-based hypotheses of community assembly and the importance of tree age in bacterial community structure, as well as highlighting that caution must be applied when diagnosing dysbiosis in a long-lived plant host. © 2016 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Long-term effects of single prescribed fires on hardwood regeneration in oak shelterwood stands

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick H. Brose

2010-01-01

One of the arguments against using prescribed fire to regenerate oak (Quercus spp.) forests is that the improvement in species composition of the hardwood regeneration pool is temporary and multiple burns are necessary to achieve and maintain oak dominance. To explore this concern, I re-inventoried a prescribed fire study conducted in the mid-1990s...

Climate change impact on a mixed lowland oak stand in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dejan Stojanović

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Climatic changes and bad environmental conditions may lead to forests vitality loss and even mortality. This is the reason why increased sanitary felling operations were performed in mixed oak forests in northern Serbia in 2013 in order to solve the severe dieback which affected some Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L. and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L. stands, after the very dry years 2011 and 2012.Dendrochronological techniques were applied to both these oak species collected in a stand, to examine the impact of temperature, precipitation and ground water level on forest growth and investigate the potential causes of the dieback.Differences in tree-ring patterns between surviving and dead trees were not significant according to t-value (from 5.68 to 14.20 and Gleichläufigkeit coefficient (from 76% to 82%, this meaning no distinctive responses of the two ecologically different oak species. As for radial increment, pedunculate and Turkey oak trees showed a similar response to environmental variables in this mixed stand. The Simple Pearson’s correlation analysis, which was conducted, showed that among three basic environmental variables (the mean monthly air temperature, the monthly sum of precipitation and the mean monthly water level, proxy of ground water level, the water level of Danube river in May and the temperature in April were statistically related to the growth of the four tree groups: (i pedunculate oak vital, (ii pedunculate oak dead, (iii Turkey oak vital and (iv Turkey oak dead trees, for the period 1961-2010 (p<0.05, n=60. Similar phenomena had already been observed in the Sava River basin for the growth of pure pedunculate oak forests. The long-term decline of the Danube River water level may be related to climate variations and to the changes of water management, river bed, as well as land-use. Together with the increase of temperature, this decline of the water level, and its potential unavailability in the soil, represents a

Oak regeneration and overstory density in the Missouri Ozarks

Science.gov (United States)

David R. Larsen; Monte A. Metzger

1997-01-01

Reducing overstory density is a commonly recommended method of increasing the regeneration potential of oak (Quercus) forests. However, recommendations seldom specify the probable increase in density or the size of reproduction associated with a given residual overstory density. This paper presents logistic regression models that describe this...

A multi-century analysis of disturbance dynamics in pine-oak forests of the Missouri Ozark Highlands

Science.gov (United States)

Chad King; Rose-Marie. Muzika

2013-01-01

Using dendrochronology and growth release approaches, we analyzed the disturbance history of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mich.) white oak (Quercus alba L.) forests in the Missouri Ozark Highlands. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify growth release events using living and remnant shortleaf pine and white oak, (2)...

Fragmentation patterns of evergreen oak woodlands in Southwestern Iberia: identifying key spatial indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Augusta; Madeira, Manuel; Lima Santos, José; Plieninger, Tobias; Seixas, Júlia

2014-01-15

Mediterranean evergreen oak woodlands (composed of Quercus suber L. and Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) are becoming increasingly fragmented in the human-modified landscapes of Southwestern Portugal and Spain. Previous studies have largely neglected to assess the spatial changes of oak woodlands in relation to their surrounding landscape matrix, and to characterize and quantify woodland boundaries and edges. The present study aims to fill this gap by analyzing fragmentation patterns of oak woodlands over a 50-year period (1958-2007) in three landscapes. Using archived aerial imagery from 1958, 1995 and 2007, for two consecutive periods (1958-1995 and 1995-2007), we calculated a set of landscape metrics to compare woodland fragmentation over time. Our results indicated a continuous woodland fragmentation characterized by their edge dynamics. From 1958 to 2007, the replacement of open farmland by shrubland and by new afforestation areas in the oak woodland landscape surrounding matrix, led to the highest values for edge contrast length trends of 5.0 and 12.3, respectively. Linear discriminant analysis was performed to delineate fragmented woodland structures and identify metric variables that characterize woodland spatial configuration. The edge contrast length with open farmland showed a strong correlation with F1 (correlations ranging between 0.55 and 0.98) and may be used as a proxy for oak woodland mixedness in landscape matrix. The edge dynamics of oak woodlands may result in different patterns of oak recruitment and therefore, its study may be helpful in highlighting future baselines for the sustainable management of oak woodlands. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First discovery of Quercus feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in Central America.

Science.gov (United States)

Stonis, Jonas R; Diškus, Arūnas; Remeikis, Andrius; Schuster, Jack

2013-11-18

Despite the high taxonomic diversity of oaks in Mexico and Central America, no Quercus feeding Nepticulidae have ever been recorded from the region. Here, we present seven species whose larvae are leaf-miners of Quercus (section Lobatae) in Guatemala. Except Stigmella nigriverticella (Chambers 1875), which was previously known from the United States, all other discovered species are new. We describe and name five new species (Stigmella jaguari Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. lauta Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. sublauta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. aurifasciata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. guatemalensis Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.); the remaining new species is described but left unnamed because of lack of adults (i. e. moths and genitalia are described from developed pupae). All seven treated species are illustrated with photographs of the leaf-mines, adults, and genitalia.

Vegetation Change in Blue Oak Woodlands in California

Science.gov (United States)

Barbara A. Holzman; Barbara H. Allen-Diaz

1991-01-01

A preliminary report of a statewide project investigating vegetation change in blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands in California is presented. Vegetation plots taken in the 1930s, as part of a statewide vegetation mapping project, were relocated and surveyed. Species composition, cover and tree stand structure data from the earlier study were...

Changes in the Chemical Composition of Plum Distillate During Maturation with Oak Chips under Different Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Balcerek, Maria; Pielech-Przybylska, Katarzyna; Dziekońska-Kubczak, Urszula; Patelski, Piotr; Strąk, Ewelina

2017-09-01

This study investigates the effect of ageing on the qualitative and quantitative composition of plum distillate in contact with oak wood chips. Maturation was performed with lightly toasted French oak ( Quercus sessiflora and Quercus robur ) chips or oak chips made from fragments of empty barrels that had been used for ageing cognac. The effects of oak chip dose, process temperature, ageing system (static or circulatory) and ultrasound treatment were assessed. Maturation of plum distillate samples with oak chips resulted in higher levels of extractable organics (including tannins) and colour changes, which were correlated with the type and dose of oak chips, and the conditions of maturation. The content of sugars such as glucose, xylose and arabinose also increased, depending on the conditions and type of oak chips. Degradation of lignin resulted in liberation of sinapaldehyde, syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and vanillin, with intensities depending on the applied parameters. In terms of volatiles, decreases in the concentration of higher alcohols and aliphatic aldehydes were observed in the majority of maturation experiments, while concentrations of furanic aldehydes increased depending on the type and dose of oak chips, as well as on the conditions of maturation. The quantities of esters such as ethyl acetate decreased in the majority of experimental variants, whereas concentrations of ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate and ethyl caprate increased gradually. Some phenols and lactones were detected in all matured samples, with the lowest levels found in the samples aged with oak chips made from cognac barrels.

Estimate of biomass and carbon pools in disturbed and undisturbed oak forests in Tunisia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zribi, L.; Chaar, H.; Khaldi, A.; Henchi, B.; Mouillot, F.; Gharbi, F.

2016-07-01

Aim of the study. To estimate biomass and carbon accumulation in a young and disturbed forest (regenerated after a tornado) and an aged cork oak forest (undisturbed forest) as well as its distribution among the different pools (tree, litter and soil). Area of study. The north west of Tunisia. Material and methods. Carbon stocks were evaluated in the above and belowground cork oak trees, the litter and the 150 cm of the soil. Tree biomass was estimated in both young and aged forests using allometric biomass equations developed for wood stem, cork stem, wood branch, cork branch, leaves, roots and total tree biomass based on combinations of diameter at breast height, total height and crown length as independent variables. Main results. Total tree biomass in forests was 240.58 Mg ha-1 in the young forest and 411.30 Mg ha-1 in the aged forest with a low root/shoot ratio (0.41 for young forest and 0.31 for aged forest). Total stored carbon was 419.46 Mg C ha-1 in the young forest and 658.09 Mg C ha-1 in the aged forest. Carbon stock (Mg C ha-1) was estimated to be113.61(27.08%) and 194.08 (29.49%) in trees, 3.55 (0.85%) and 5.73 (0.87%) in litter and 302.30 (72.07%) and 458.27 (69.64%) in soil in the young and aged forests, respectively. Research highlights. Aged undisturbed forest had the largest tree biomass but a lower potential for accumulation of carbon in the future; in contrast, young disturbed forest had both higher growth and carbon storage potential. (Author)

Comparing single-tree selection, group selection, and clearcutting for regenerating oaks and pines in the Missouri Ozarks

Science.gov (United States)

Randy G. Jensen; John M. Kabrick

2008-01-01

In the Missouri Ozarks, there is considerable concern about the effectiveness of the uneven-aged methods of single-tree selection and group selection for oak (Quercus L.) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) regeneration. We compared the changes in reproduction density of oaks and pine following harvesting by single-tree...

Self-bioremediation of cork-processing wastewaters by (chloro)phenol-degrading bacteria immobilised onto residual cork particles.

Science.gov (United States)

del Castillo, I; Hernández, P; Lafuente, A; Rodríguez-Llorente, I D; Caviedes, M A; Pajuelo, E

2012-04-15

Cork manufacturing is a traditional industry in Southern Europe, being the main application of this natural product in wine stoppers and insulation. Cork processing begins at boiling the raw material. As a consequence, great volumes of dark wastewaters, with elevated concentrations of chlorophenols, are generated, which must be depurated through costly physicochemical procedures before discarding them into public water courses. This work explores the potential of bacteria, isolated from cork-boiling waters storage ponds, in bioremediation of the same effluent. The bacterial population present in cork-processing wastewaters was analysed by DGGE; low bacterial biodiversity was found. Aerobic bacteria were isolated and investigated for their tolerance against phenol and two chlorophenols. The most tolerant strains were identified by sequencing 16S rDNA. The phenol-degrading capacity was investigated by determining enzyme activities of the phenol-degrading pathway. Moreover, the capacity to form biofilms was analysed in a microtitre plate assay. Finally, the capacity to form biofilms onto the surface of residual small cork particles was evaluated by acridine staining followed by epifluorescence microscopy and by SEM. A low-cost bioremediation system, using phenol-degrading bacteria immobilised onto residual cork particles (a by-product of the industry) is proposed for the remediation of this industrial effluent (self-bioremediation). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of damage surveys and field inventories to evaluate oak and sugar maple health in the northern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Randall S Morin; Christopher W. Woodall; Jim Steinman; Charles H. Perry

2009-01-01

Oak species (Quercus spp.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are substantial components of the forest ecosystems in the 24-state region spanning the northern U.S. During recent decades, both damage surveys and forest inventories have documented declines of sugar maple and oak health. In order to more fully assess the status of oak and sugar maple health, we examined...

Monitoring Genetic Stability in Quercus serrata Thunb. Somatic Embryogenesis Using RAPD Markers

OpenAIRE

Ramesh C., Thakur; Susumu, Goto; Katsuaki, Ishii; S. Mohan, Jain; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; Fukuoka Prefecture Forest Research and Extension Center; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; University of Helsinki

1999-01-01

Genetic stability of propagules regenerated via somatic embryogenesis is of paramount importance for its application to clonal forestry. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to determine the genetic stability in somatic embryogenesis of Quercus serrata Thunb. (Japanese white oak). Forty samples from an embryogenic line, consisting of regenerated plantlets, somatic embryos, and embryogenic calli, were examined using 54 decanucleotide primers. A total of 6520 clear reproduc...

Permeability of cork for water and ethanol.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Ana Luisa; Brazinha, Carla; Pereira, Helena; Crespo, Joao G; Teodoro, Orlando M N D

2013-10-09

Transport properties of natural (noncompressed) cork were evaluated for water and ethanol in both vapor and liquid phases. The permeability for these permeants has been measured, as well as the sorption and diffusion coefficients. This paper focuses on the differences between the transport of gases' relevant vapors and their liquids (water and ethanol) through cork. A transport mechanism of vapors and liquids is proposed. Experimental evidence shows that both vapors and liquids permeate not only through the small channels across the cells (plasmodesmata), as in the permeation of gases, but also through the walls of cork cells by sorption and diffusion as in dense membranes. The present study also shows that cork permeability for gases was irreversibly and drastically decreased after cork samples were exposed to ethanol or water in liquid phase.

Assessment of Virulence of Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae and Raffaelea spp. Isolates by Artificial Inoculation of Quercus mongolica Logs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su-Yeon Son

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the virulence of geographically different isolates of oak wilt pathogen, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae and other Raffaelea species. In this study, mature trees of Quercus mongolica were inoculated with the various isolates of Raffaelea spp. and their virulence was evaluated by measuring the extent of sapwood discoloration resulting from the inoculation. The average length of discolored sapwood in a lateral direction was longest in the trees inoculated with the isolates from Korea (8.69 cm followed by R. quercivora (7.51 cm and the other Raffaelea spp. (3.35 cm. The lateral length of discolored sapwood caused by the inoculation with Korean strains varied from 4.71 to 14.90 cm indicating their differences in virulence. The area of discolored sapwood caused by the inoculation with Raffaelea spp. varied from 1.57 to 8.42 cm2 indicating their differences in virulence. Based on the length and area of the discolored sapwoods, isolated YY and wj43 appeared to have the highest virulence among all the Raffaelea isolates tested. Each of the two isolates was obtained from Gangwon Province and Jeonbuk Province, respectively.

Field performance of Quercus bicolor established as repeatedly air-root-pruned container and bareroot planting stock

Science.gov (United States)

J.W." Jerry" Van Sambeek; Larry D. Godsey; William D. Walter; Harold E. Garrett; John P. Dwyer

2016-01-01

Benefits of repeated air-root-pruning of seedlings when stepping up to progressively larger containers include excellent lateral root distribution immediately below the root collar and an exceptionally fibrous root ball. To evaluate long-term field performance of repeatedly air-root-pruned container stock, three plantings of swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor...

A time and a place for everything: phylogenetic history and geography as joint predictors of oak plastome phylogeny

Science.gov (United States)

Kasey K. Pham; Andrew L. Hipp; Paul S. Manos; Richard C. Cronn

2017-01-01

Owing to high rates of introgressive hybridization, the plastid genome is poorly suited to fine-scale DNA barcoding and phylogenetic studies of the oak genus (Quercus, Fagaceae). At the tips of the oak plastome phylogeny, recent gene migration and reticulation generally cause topology to reflect geographic structure, while deeper branches reflect...

Evaluation of antimicrobial properties of cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Filipa; Correia, Patrícia; Silva, Susana P; Almeida-Aguiar, Cristina

2016-02-01

Cork presents a range of diverse and versatile properties making this material suitable for several and extremely diverse industrial applications. Despite the wide uses of cork, its antimicrobial properties and potential applications have deserved little attention from industry and the scientific community. Thus, the main purpose of this work was the evaluation of the antibacterial properties of cork, by comparison with commercially available antimicrobial materials (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate copolymer and a currently used antimicrobial commercial additive (ACA)), following the previous development and optimization of a method for such antimicrobial assay. The AATCC 100-2004 standard method, a quantitative procedure developed for the assessment of antimicrobial properties in textile materials, was used as reference and optimized to assess cork antibacterial activity. Cork displayed high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with a bacterial reduction of almost 100% (96.93%) after 90 minutes of incubation, similar to the one obtained with ACA. A more reduced but time-constant antibacterial action was observed against Escherichia coli (36% reduction of the initial number of bacterial colonies). To complement this study, antibacterial activity was further evaluated for a water extract of cork and an MIC of 6 mg mL(-1) was obtained against the reference strain S. aureus. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of Tree Phenology on LiDAR Measurement of Mediterranean Forest Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Simonson

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Retrieval of forest biophysical properties using airborne LiDAR is known to differ between leaf-on and leaf-off states of deciduous trees, but much less is understood about the within-season effects of leafing phenology. Here, we compare two LiDAR surveys separated by just six weeks in spring, in order to assess whether LiDAR variables were influenced by canopy changes in Mediterranean mixed-oak woodlands at this time of year. Maximum and, to a slightly lesser extent, mean heights were consistently measured, whether for the evergreen cork oak (Quercus suber or semi-deciduous Algerian oak (Q. canariensis woodlands. Estimates of the standard deviation and skewness of height differed more strongly, especially for Algerian oaks which experienced considerable leaf expansion in the time period covered. Our demonstration of which variables are more or less affected by spring-time leafing phenology has important implications for analyses of both canopy and sub-canopy vegetation layers from LiDAR surveys.

Changes in the Chemical Composition of Plum Distillate During Maturation with Oak Chips under Different Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Balcerek

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the eff ect of ageing on the qualitative and quantitative composition of plum distillate in contact with oak wood chips. Maturation was performed with lightly toasted French oak (Quercus sessifl ora and Quercus robur chips or oak chips made from fragments of empty barrels that had been used for ageing cognac. The eff ects of oak chip dose, process temperature, ageing system (static or circulatory and ultrasound treatment were assessed. Maturation of plum distillate samples with oak chips resulted in higher levels of extractable organics (including tannins and colour changes, which were correlated with the type and dose of oak chips, and the conditions of maturation. The content of sugars such as glucose, xylose and arabinose also increased, depending on the conditions and type of oak chips. Degradation of lignin resulted in liberation of sinapaldehyde, syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and vanillin, with intensities depending on the applied parameters. In terms of volatiles, decreases in the concentration of higher alcohols and aliphatic aldehydes were observed in the majority of maturation experiments, while concentrations of furanic aldehydes increased depending on the type and dose of oak chips, as well as on the conditions of maturation. The quantities of esters such as ethyl acetate decreased in the majority of experimental variants, whereas concentrations of ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate and ethyl caprate increased gradually. Some phenols and lactones were detected in all matured samples, with the lowest levels found in the samples aged with oak chips made from cognac barrels.

Impact of straw and rock-fragment mulches on soil moisture and early growth of holm oaks in a semiarid area

Science.gov (United States)

M. N. Jimenez; J. R. Pinto; M. A. Ripoll; A. Sanchez-Miranda; F. B. Navarro

2017-01-01

Planted seedlings and saplings usually exhibit low survival and growth rates under dry Mediterranean environments, especially late-successional species such as Quercus. In this work, we studied the effects of straw and rock fragment mulches on the establishment conditions of holm oak (Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Def.) Samp.) in SE Spain. Soil moisture was...

The Response of Basal Area Increment in Old Sprout-origin Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt. Liebl. Trees During Their Conversion to a Coppice-with-standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdeněk Adamec

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses the response of adult sprout-origin sessile oaks (Quercus petraea (Matt. Liebl. to a strong release. Our research plot was established at the Training Forest Enterprise of Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republic at the turn of 2008/2009. The plot is situated on a plateau with mesotrofic soil in a beech-oak forest vegetation zone at an altitude of 410 m above sea level. Tree responses were monitored using precise girth measurements. During the first year after the release, the basal area increment showed a positive correlation with only the tree diameter. During the second and third year, the basal area increment was also correlated with the release intensity. During the third year, the basal area increment was explained by the tree diameter, the crown shape, and the release intensity as well as individual types of epicormic shoot occurrence. The occurrence of epicormic shoots in the lower part of the trunks and umbel-shaped crowns increased the basal area increment. In the first, second and third year after thinning, the model explained 11.79%, 11.25% and 28.99%, respectively, of the basal area increment variability. Adult trees of sprout origin responded to a strong release very early (within two years after felling.

Assessment of oak wilt threat to habitat of the golden-cheeked warbler, an endangered species, in central Texas

Science.gov (United States)

David N. Appel; Kim S. Camilli

2010-01-01

A major epidemic of oak wilt, caused by Ceratocystis fagacearum (Bretz) Hunt, has been killing trees in Central Texas for at least 40 years. This has created large and expanding canopy gaps in the vast, homogenous live oak woodlands (Quercus fusiformis Small) in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas. The changes in stand...

Penicillium cecidicola, a new species on cynipid insect galls on Quercus pacifica in the western United States

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seifert, K.A.; Hoekstra, E.H.; Frisvad, Jens Christian

2004-01-01

A synnematous species of Penicillium subgenus Biverticillium was found inside emergence tunnels from insect galls (Cynipidae, Hymenoptera, the so-called gall wasps) on scrub oaks (Quercus pacifica Nixon & C.H. Muller) collected in the western United States. The fungus produces synnemata with white...... isolates exposed to light after 10 days. The fungus produces the extrolite apiculide A and a series of unidentified extrolites also produced by P. panamense. The oak gall species is described here as Penicillium cecidicola and compared with similar species. An ITS phylogeny suggests that P. cecidicola...

Direct Seeding Scarlet Oak in the North Carolina Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Earl R. Sluder

1965-01-01

Seedling establishment rates varied from 0 to 50 percent in a direct seeding study with scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Muenchh.) on the Bent Creek Experimental Forest near Asheville, North Carolina. Acorns planted 2 inches deep in the spring with screen protection produced the most seedlings; those surface sown without screens in the spring or fall...

Phenological responses of juvenile pecan and white oak on an upland site

Science.gov (United States)

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) and white oak (Quercus alba) produce multiple products and wildlife values, but their phenological responses to N fertilization have not been well characterized in an mixed species agroforestry practice. We compared tree height at planting and for six consecutive growing ...

TESTING BAYESIAN ALGORITHMS TO DETECT GENETIC STRUCTURE IN TWO CLOSELY RELATED OAK TAXA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Mihai Enescu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to test the Bayesian algorithm implemented in the software STRUCTURE in order to detect the number of clusters, by using microsatellite data from four oak species. Several assignment models, with or without a priori grouping of individuals to species, were proposed. Better results were obtained by using the sampling location information and when only two taxa were analyzed. Particularly, pedunculate oak and sessile oak formed distinct clusters whatever the assignment model we use. By contrast, no separation between the two oaks from series Lanuginosae was observed. This can be explained, on one hand, by the small sampling size for Italian oak, or by the genetic similarities of the two pubescent oaks, namely Quercus pubescens and Q. virgiliana, on the other hand. Our findings support the hypothesis according which Italian oak is an intraspecific taxonomic unit of pubescent oak.

Use of cork as absorbent material

Science.gov (United States)

Trematerra, Amelia; Lombardi, Ilaria; D'Alesio, Andrea

2017-07-01

Cork is a green and sustainable material. At the end of its useful life, it can be disposed of into the environment without causing any damage. It can be used to improve the acoustics inside environments, as a system for the reduction of reverberation time. Sound absorption systems consist of cork panels mounted at a distance onto a rigid wall. The thickness of the cork panels considered are 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. While the distances considered from the rigid wall are 3 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm. The absorption coefficient of the samples was measured in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 2,000 Hz with an impedance tube (tube of Kundt). Furthermore, the problems relating to the realization of sound-absorption systems composed of cork panels are also discussed.

Multiple recruitment limitation causes arrested succession in mediterranean cork oak systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Acacio, Vanda; Holmgren, Milena; Jansen, Patrick A.; Schrotter, Ondrej

2007-01-01

Lack of tree regeneration and persistency of species-poor shrublands represent a growing problem across Mediterranean evergreen oak forests. What constrains forest regeneration is poorly understood, and restoration attempts have been largely unsuccessful. We assessed the contribution of four

Elevated CO2 compensates for water stress in northern red oak

Science.gov (United States)

Patricia T. Tomlinson; Paul D. Anderson

1996-01-01

Global climate change models predict decreased rainfall in association with elevated CO2 in the western Lakes States region. Currently, the western edge of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) distribution coincides with the most xeric conditions of its ecological range. Decreased rainfall and water availability could alter...

Disking and mid- and understory removal following an above-average acorn crop in three mature oak forests in southern Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald A. Rathfon; Nathanael I. Lichti; Robert K. Swihart

2008-01-01

We disked using small-scale equipment in the understory of three mature upland oak (Quercus) forests in southern Indiana immediately following acorn dispersal in an aboveaverage seed crop year as a means of improving oak seedling establishment. Three different mid- and understory removal treatments were also applied to create favorable light...

Air pollution effects on Quercus Ilex plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavone, P.; Salmeri, C.; Spampinato, G.; Fallico, R.; Ferrante, M.

1996-01-01

To test air pollution effects on natural forest vegetation, the soil chemistry and the floristic composition of two Quercus ilex L. woods in the Hyblean region (S-E Sicily), unequally exposed to air pollutants are compared. Acidification phenomena are investigated by the soil chemical changes between the trunk base areas, affected by stem flow water, and the surrounding soil, only influenced by canopy drip. Soil chemical changes, floristic poorness and direct damage to the Q. ilex leaves are only detected in the Climiti Mountains holm-oak woods, located near the Siracusa petrochemical complex, while they do not appear at Cava d'Ispica, sited far from any industry and seldom exposed to winds carrying pollutants

Whole-tree silvic identifications and the microsatellite genetic structure of a red oak species complex in an Indiana old-growth forest

Science.gov (United States)

Preston R. Aldrich; George R. Parker; Charles H. Michler; Jeanne Romero-Severson

2003-01-01

The red oaks (Quercus section Lobatae) include important timber species, but we know little about their gene pools. Red oak species can be difficult to identify, possibly because of extensive interspecific hybridization, although most evidence of this is morphological. We used 15 microsatellite loci to examine the genetic...

Development of Molecular Markers for Determining Continental Origin of Wood from White Oaks (Quercus L. sect. Quercus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilke Schroeder

Full Text Available To detect and avoid illegal logging of valuable tree species, identification methods for the origin of timber are necessary. We used next-generation sequencing to identify chloroplast genome regions that differentiate the origin of white oaks from the three continents; Asia, Europe, and North America. By using the chloroplast genome of Asian Q. mongolica as a reference, we identified 861 variant sites (672 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; 189 insertion/deletion (indel polymorphism from representative species of three continents (Q. mongolica from Asia; Q. petraea and Q. robur from Europe; Q. alba from North America, and we identified additional chloroplast polymorphisms in pools of 20 individuals each from Q. mongolica (789 variant sites and Q. robur (346 variant sites. Genome sequences were screened for indels to develop markers that identify continental origin of oak species, and that can be easily evaluated using a variety of detection methods. We identified five indels and one SNP that reliably identify continent-of-origin, based on evaluations of up to 1078 individuals representing 13 white oak species and three continents. Due to the size of length polymorphisms revealed, this marker set can be visualized using capillary electrophoresis or high resolution gel (acrylamide or agarose electrophoresis. With these markers, we provide the wood trading market with an instrument to comply with the U.S. and European laws that require timber companies to avoid the trade of illegally harvested timber.

Warm-cold colonization: response of oaks to uplift of the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Hong-Hu; Su, Tao; Gao, Xiao-Yang; Li, Jie; Jiang, Xiao-Long; Sun, Hang; Zhou, Zhe-Kun

2017-06-01

Clarifying the relationship between distribution patterns of organisms and geological events is critical to understanding the impact of environmental changes on organismal evolution. Quercus sect. Heterobalanus is now distributed across the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (HHM) and warm lowland in East China, yet how the distribution patterns of this group changed in response to the HHM uplift remains largely unknown. This study examines the effect of tectonic events in the HHM region on the oaks, providing a biological perspective on the geological history of this region. Fifty-six populations of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus were genotyped using four chloroplast DNA regions and nine nuclear simple sequence repeat loci to assess population structure and diversity, supplemented by molecular dating and ancestral area reconstructions. The underlying demographic dynamics were compared using ecological niche models of the species distributions during the last glacial maximum and the present. These analyses illustrate that Quercus sect. Heterobalanus diversified as the HHM uplifted and climatic cooling during the mid-Miocene, colonizing the cold habitats from warm broadleaf mixed forests. Lineages in cold highlands and warm lowlands have diverged as a consequence of local adaptation to diverging climates since the late Miocene. Our results suggest that continuous uplift of the HHM in the late Miocene to early Pliocene accompanied by simultaneous cooling triggered the differentiation of oaks. The biogeography of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus illuminates the geological events responsible for the modern-day HHM. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of tree cover on herbaceous layer development and carbon and water fluxes in a Portuguese cork-oak woodland

Science.gov (United States)

Dubbert, Maren; Mosena, Alexander; Piayda, Arndt; Cuntz, Matthias; Correia, Alexandra Cristina; Pereira, Joao Santos; Werner, Christiane

2014-08-01

Facilitation and competition between different vegetation layers may have a large impact on small-scale vegetation development. We propose that this should not only influence overall herbaceous layer yield but also species distribution and understory longevity, and hence the ecosystems carbon uptake capacity especially during spring. We analyzed the effects of trees on microclimate and soil properties (water and nitrate content) as well as the development of an herbaceous community layer regarding species composition, aboveground biomass and net water and carbon fluxes in a cork-oak woodland in Portugal, between April and November 2011. The presence of trees caused a significant reduction in photosynthetic active radiation of 35 mol m-2 d-1 and in soil temperature of 5 °C from April to October. At the same time differences in species composition between experimental plots located in open areas and directly below trees could be observed: species composition and abundance of functional groups became increasingly different between locations from mid April onwards. During late spring drought adapted native forbs had significantly higher cover and biomass in the open area while cover and biomass of grasses and nitrogen fixing forbs was highest under the trees. Further, evapotranspiration and net carbon exchange decreased significantly stronger under the tree crowns compared to the open during late spring and the die back of herbaceous plants occurred earlier and faster under trees. This was most likely caused by interspecific competition for water between trees and herbaceous plants, despite the more favorable microclimate conditions under the trees during the onset of summer drought.

Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, José D.; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D.; Durão, Vera

2016-01-01

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards. PMID:28773516

Insulation Cork Boards-Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, José D; Pargana, Nuno; de Brito, Jorge; Pinheiro, Manuel D; Durão, Vera

2016-05-20

Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB) are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A "cradle-to-cradle" environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows ( i.e. , uptakes and emissions), including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage-the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation-the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date "cradle-to-cradle" environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

Insulation Cork Boards—Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of an Organic Construction Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José D. Silvestre

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Envelope insulation is a relevant technical solution to cut energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts in buildings. Insulation Cork Boards (ICB are a natural thermal insulation material whose production promotes the recycling of agricultural waste. The aim of this paper is to determine and evaluate the environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life processing of ICB. A “cradle-to-cradle” environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA was performed according to International LCA standards and the European standards on the environmental evaluation of buildings. These results were based on site-specific data and resulted from a consistent methodology, fully described in the paper for each life cycle stage: Cork oak tree growth, ICB production, and end-of-life processing-modeling of the carbon flows (i.e., uptakes and emissions, including sensitivity analysis of this procedure; at the production stage—the modeling of energy processes and a sensitivity analysis of the allocation procedures; during building operation—the expected service life of ICB; an analysis concerning the need to consider the thermal diffusivity of ICB in the comparison of the performance of insulation materials. This paper presents the up-to-date “cradle-to-cradle” environmental performance of ICB for the environmental categories and life-cycle stages defined in European standards.

Preliminary work in developing sawbolt grading systems for white oak

Science.gov (United States)

Everette D. Rast; Everette D. Rast

1971-01-01

This paper is principally a description of one technique used in the development of white oak (Quercus alba L.) sawbolt grades--not a final sawbolt grading system for the species over its range. This technique can be used by anyone in developing other bolt-grade specifications or in refining the system presented in this paper.

Establishment of northern red oak genetic tests with nursery-graded seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

S. A. Lay; M. A. Remaley; S. E. Schlarbaum; P. P. Kormanik; T. Tibbs; R. A. Cox; T. LaFarge; A. M. Saxton

1997-01-01

Artificial regeneration of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has had variable success over time. Current nursery practices generally involve the growth of seedlings to a standardized height and form with little regard to seed source, seedling quality, or subsequent field performance. Additionally, there is not an accepted culling criteria for...

Effects of Cardinal Direction on Distribution and Populational Dynamism of Oak Leaf Roller (Tortrix viridana L. on Quercus infectoria Oliv. and Q. libani Lindl.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mohammadreza zargaran

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Various pests attack oak trees and in most cases heavily damage them. The European oak leaf roller is one of the important oak pests in some provinces of the Zagros, and it is an important pest of oak forests in some European and North African countries, as well as in Iraq and other regions of Iran. In Iran, it is scattered in the Zagros oak forests, especially in Kohkiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Lorestan, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Fars, and West Azarbaijan Provinces. Repeated removal of oak leaves, particularly by herbivores such as T. viridana in spring, reduces stored photosynthates in trees leading to their decreased diametrical growth. Materials and Methods The Ghabre-Hossein region (Piranshahr was selected as the field operations region because it is one of the most important infestation centers of the European oak leaf roller in the oak forests of West-Azerbaijan. The research was carried out in two consecutive years. Samples of larval instars were taken in early May. Since the sample plot in sampling methods can be points or lines (transects, the four cardinal directions were selected in this study and transects at 100 m intervals were located in each direction.To reduce sampling error, Aleppo (Quercus infectoria and Lebanon (Q. libani oak trees were selected for measurements that were similar in appearance and almost uniform with crowns or trunks aligned along the transects. In each studied tree, four suitable branches were selected (one in each cardinal direction, and the number of larvae from the tip of each branch to a length of 50 cm inwards was counted and recorded in forms prepared beforehand. Considering studies that were carried out regarding the biology of the pest, the larvae were counted in mid-May when all larvae were in their last (fifth instar. In all, 30 Aleppo and 30 Lebanon oak trees were selected in each cardinal direction, and four branches in each direction of these trees were measured. The survey method

The influence of cultural treatments of the long-term survival and growth of planted Quercus rubra

Science.gov (United States)

James J. Zaczek; Kim C. Steiner

2011-01-01

A northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) plantation testing 20 nursery stock and planting methods was used to evaluate treatments 3, 6, 10, and 17 years after planting. Survival over all treatments was 92 percent at age 3 and declined to 74 percent, 56 percent, and 39 percent at ages 6, 10, and 17, respectively. At age 17, survival was highest for...

Reduced translocation of current photosynthate precedes changes in gas exchange for Quercus rubra seedlings under flooding stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, Joshua L; Islam, M Anisul; Jacobs, Douglass F

2016-01-01

Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings are frequently planted on suboptimal sites in their native range in North America, subjecting them to environmental stresses, such as flooding, for which they may not be well adapted. Members of the genus Quercus exhibit a wide range of responses to flooding, and responses of northern red oak to flooding remain inadequately described. To better understand the physiological effects of root system inundation in post-transplant northern red oak seedlings and the effects of flooding on endogenous patterns of resource allocation within the plant, we observed the effects of short-term flooding initiated at the linear shoot growth stage on net photosynthetic rates, dark respiration, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and translocation of (13)C-labeled current photosynthate. Downward translocation of current photosynthate declined after 4 days of flooding and was the first measured physiological response to flooding; net photosynthetic rates decreased and dark respiration rates increased after 7 days of flooding. Short-term flooding did not affect maximal potential efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm). The finding that decreased downward translocation of (13)C-labeled current photosynthate preceded reduced net photosynthesis and increased dark respiration during flooding suggests the occurrence of sink-limited photosynthesis under these conditions. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Microevolution of European temperate oaks in response to environmental changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremer, Antoine

2016-01-01

This review reconstructs microevolutionary processes that allowed long-lived species as temperate oaks (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) to cope with climate change since the last glacial maximum, by assembling insights from complementary synchronic and allochronic approaches. Paleobotanical and genetic investigations show that oaks migrated at larger velocities than expected, thanks to long-distance rare events and most likely human interferences. Hybridization was a key mechanism accelerating migration and enhancing species succession. Common garden experiments and genome wide association studies demonstrated that diversifying selection across large environmental gradients contributed to rapid local adaptation. Finally the review explores how lessons taken from past evolutionary scenarios may help to predict future responses of oaks to ongoing climate change. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Is deciduousness a key to climate resilience among iconic California savanna oak species? Relating phenological habits to seasonal indicators of tree physiological and water stress across field, hyperspectral, drone (UAS)-based multispectral and thermal image data

Science.gov (United States)

Mayes, M. T.; Caylor, K. K.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Greenberger, R. N.; Estes, L. D.

2017-12-01

In California (CA) savannas, oak trees (genus Quercus) play keystone roles in water and nutrient cycling, support biodiversity and many land-use activities. Declines in oak basal area of up to 25% from the 1930s-2000s, which have occurred alongside climate trends such as increasing variability of rainfall and prevalence of hotter droughts, threaten the services and ecological functions these trees provide. It is particularly unclear how climate relates to productivity and stress across oak species. Past work has found that seedling recruitment has varied inversely with "deciduousness." That is, evergreen oaks (e.g. Quercus agrifola. Coast Live Oak) are reproducing more successfully than drought-deciduous (e.g. Quercus douglassi, Blue Oak), which in turn are more successful than fully deciduous species (e.g. Quercus lobata, Valley Oak). However, there is poor understanding of how these ecological trends by species, corresponding with phenological habit, relate to physiological and ecohydrological processes such as carbon assimilation, water or nutrient use efficiency in mature tree stands. This limits predictive capability for which species will be most resilient to harsher future growing conditions, and, how to monitor stress and productivity in long-lived mature oak communities across landscapes via tools including remotely sensed data. This project explores how ecophysiological variables (e.g. stomatal conductance) relate to phenological habits across three oak species (Coast Live, Blue and Valley) over a seasonal dry-down period in Santa Barbara County, CA. Our goal is to probe if deciduousness is a key to resilience in productivity and water stress across iconic oak species. We test relationships between leaf and canopy-level field data, and indicators from multiple new sources of remotely sensed data, including ground hyperspectral, drone (UAS)-based multi-spectral and thermal image data, as means of monitoring tree physiological and water stress from scales

About the Role of the Bottleneck/Cork Interface on Oxygen Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagorce-Tachon, Aurélie; Karbowiak, Thomas; Paulin, Christian; Simon, Jean-Marc; Gougeon, Régis D; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2016-09-07

The transfer of oxygen through a corked bottleneck was investigated using a manometric technique. First, the effect of cork compression on oxygen transfer was evaluated without considering the glass/cork interface. No significant effect of cork compression (at 23% strain, corresponding to the compression level of cork in a bottleneck for still wines) was noticeable on the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen. The mean value of the effective diffusion coefficient is equal to 10(-8) m(2) s(-1), with a statistical distribution ranging from 10(-10) to 10(-7) m(2) s(-1), which is of the same order of magnitude as for the non-compressed cork. Then, oxygen transfer through cork compressed in a glass bottleneck was determined to assess the effect of the glass/cork interface. In the particular case of a gradient-imposed diffusion of oxygen through our model corked bottleneck system (dry cork without surface treatment; 200 and ∼0 hPa of oxygen on both sides of the sample), the mean effective diffusion coefficient is of 5 × 10(-7) m(2) s(-1), thus revealing the possible importance of the role of the glass/stopper interface in the oxygen transfer.

Organic compounds in PM 2.5 emitted from fireplace and woodstove combustion of typical Portuguese wood species

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, Cátia; Alves, Célia; Fernandes, Ana Patrícia; Monteiro, Cristina; Tarelho, Luís; Evtyugina, Margarita; Pio, Casimiro

2011-09-01

The aim of this study is the further characterisation of PM 2.5 emissions from the residential wood combustion of common woods grown in Portugal. This new research extends to eight the number of biomass fuels studied and tries to understand the differences that the burning appliance (fireplace versus woodstove) and the combustion temperature (cold and hot start) have on emissions. Pinus pinaster (Maritime pine), Eucalyptus globulus (eucalypt), Quercus suber (cork oak), Acacia longifolia (Golden wattle), Quercus faginea (Portuguese oak), Olea europea (Olive), Quercus ilex rotundifolia (Holm oak) and briquettes produced from forest biomass waste were used in the combustion tests. Determinations included fine particle emission factors, carbonaceous content (OC and EC) by a thermal-optical transmission technique and detailed identification and quantification of organic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fine particle emission factors from the woodstove were lower than those from the fireplace. For both combustion appliances, the OC/EC ratio was higher in "cold start" tests (1.56 ± 0.95 for woodstove and 2.03 ± 1.34 for fireplace). These "cold start" OC/EC values were, respectively, for the woodstove and the fireplace, 51% and 69% higher than those obtained in "hot start" experiments. The chromatographically resolved organics included n-alkanes, n-alkenes, PAHs, n-alkanals, ketones, n-alkanols, terpenoids, triterpenoids, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, alcohols, n-alkanoic acids, n-di-acids, unsaturated acids and alkyl esters of acids. The smoke emission rate and composition varied widely depending on fuel type, burning appliance and combustion temperature.

Long-term above-ground biomass production in a red oak-pecan agroforestry system

Science.gov (United States)

Agroforestry systems have widely been recognized for their potential to foster long-term carbon sequestration in woody perennials. This study aims to determine the above-ground biomass in a 16-year-old red oak (Quercus rubra) - pecan (Carya illinoinensis) silvopastoral planting (141 and 53 trees ha-...

The response of saprotrophic beetles to coast live oaks infected with Phytophthora ramorum

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; Nadir Ebilgin; David L. Wood; Pavel Svihra; Andrew J. Storer; Richard B. Standiford

2006-01-01

Saprotro phic ambrosia and bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) tunnel into the bark overlying cankers caused by Phytophthora ramorum in coast live oaks, Quercus agrifolia. These insects are characteristically reported to colonize freshly dead or moribund trees (Furniss and Carolin, 1977). However, the initial attacks by these...

Wine absorption by cork stoppers research in foods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez-Adrados, J. R.; Gonzalez-Hernandez, F.; Garcia de Ceca, J. L.; Caceres-Esteban, M. J.; Garcia-Vallejo, M. C.

2008-07-01

To evaluate the magnitude of wine absorption by cork under conditions as close to reality as possible and its evolution in time, ready-to-use natural cork stoppers and ''1+1'' cork stoppers were used to close bottles filled with red wine. Stoppers were removed after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of contact to determine absorption of liquid and liquid progression along the lateral surface of the cork stopper.Variation of absorption with contact time was studied by adjusting the model Absorption = a {radical} t(R{sup 2}: 82.19 - 93.63%). A scheme of the evolution of wine absorption with time is proposed, differentiating liquid flow along cork-glass interface, diffusion in cell walls and liquid flow through the cell lumens. In conditions of use, a value of 4.48.10{sup 1}3 m{sup 2} s{sup -}1 was obtained for non-radial diffusion coefficient (D). (Author) 13 refs.

Phenological responses of juvenile pecan and white oak on an upland site

Science.gov (United States)

D. M. Burner; D. K. Brauer; J. L. Snider; C. A. Harrington; P. A. Moore

2014-01-01

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) and white oak (Quercus alba) produce multiple products and wildlife values, but their phenological responses to N fertilization have not been well characterized. We compared tree growth at planting and for six consecutive growing seasons during establishment (2003–2008, Test 1), and determined if...

The efforts for cork oak forest management and their effects on soil conservation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laouina, A.; Aderghal, M.; Al Karkouri, J.; Antari, M.; Chaker, M.; Laghazi, Y.; Machmachi, I.; Machouri, N.; Nafaa, R.; Naimi, K.; Nouira, A.; Sfa, M.

2010-07-01

The Shoul oak grove is a forested ecosystem inherited from a Holocene phase of ecological optimum; its evolution, through the double geologic and human temporality, and in relation with several processes of degradation, led to the progressive loss of its environmental equilibrium and further to the reduction of its economic contributions. The fragility of these forests is the consequence of the convergence of two main factors, i) the intrinsic fragility of the forested environment based on an unstable balance between the tree, the leached soils and their moisture content ; ii) the anthropological action on the forest environment and its degradation with the change of its floristic composition. During the colonization the new context was at the origin of the new social and economic relation between the forest and the surrounding populations. The current use of this oak grove is in a classic scheme of the reports society / forest in Morocco. The population is especially of pastoral main activity in the bordering communes. But the oak groves of Mamora-Sehoul are integrated into the area of influence of several cities, what exposes the forest to the risks of uncontrolled urbanization. These oak groves are thus in the centre of interest of several stake holders with opposite behaviour and a new paradigm of relation rural/urban. Through a double approach, environmental and socio-economic, this paper will try to bring elements of answer by analyzing the interactions between a forest which reached an alarming threshold of degradation and a society affected by important changes in its modes of intervention and exploitation. (Author) 28 refs.

Root desiccation and drought stress responses of bareroot Quercus rubra seedlings treated with a hydrophilic polymer root dip

Science.gov (United States)

Kent G. Apostol; Douglass F. Jacobs; R. Kasten Dumroese

2009-01-01

Root hydrogel, a hydrophilic polymer, has been used to improve transplanting success of bareroot conifer seedlings through effects on water holding capacity. We examined mechanisms by which Terra-sorb Fine Hydrogel reduces damage that occurs when roots of 1-year old, dormant northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) were subjected to shortterm (1, 3, and 5...

Spatial modeling and inventories for prioritizing investment into oak-hickory restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Louis R. Iverson; Matthew P. Peters; Jarel L. Bartig; Joanne Rebbeck; Todd F. Hutchinson; Stephen N. Matthews; Susan Stout

2018-01-01

Oak (Quercus spp.) and hickory (Carya spp.) forests in the eastern United States provide a host of ecosystem services as their mast are prized by wildlife, the timber is a valued commodity, and they are generally more tolerant of extreme weather events under a changing climate. They are, however, undergoing a severe decline in...

Planting northern red oak: a comparison of stock types

Science.gov (United States)

J.J. Zaczek; K.C. Steiner; T.W. Bowersox

1991-01-01

Height and survival values of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) were compared three years after outplanting as functions of: stock types (direct-seeded, 1-0, 2-0, 1-1, 2-1, and 2-year-old seedlings grown in 7.9-liter pots), presence or absence of undercutting in the nursery, and presence or absence of top-clipping when field planting. In all, 33 or...

High-Performance Field Emission from a Carbonized Cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeong Seok; Lee, Hak Jun; Yoo, Jae Man; Kim, Taewoo; Kim, Yong Hyup

2017-12-20

To broaden the range of application of electron beams, low-power field emitters are needed that are miniature and light. Here, we introduce carbonized cork as a material for field emitters. The light natural cork becomes a graphitic honeycomb upon carbonization, with the honeycomb cell walls 100-200 nm thick and the aspect ratio larger than 100, providing an ideal structure for the field electron emission. Compared to nanocarbon field emitters, the cork emitter produces a high current density and long-term stability with a low turn-on field. The nature of the cork material makes it quite simple to fabricate the emitter. Furthermore, any desired shape of the emitter tailored for the final application can easily be prepared for point, line, or planar emission.

CHANGES IN VOLATILE COMPOSITION AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF VUGAVA WINES AGED IN CROATIA OAK BARRELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanka HERJAVEC

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Vugava musts were fermented in medium-toasted Croatian barrique barrels (225 L made from Quercus petrea and Q. robur oak wood. The oak species used in this research infl uenced the specifi c change of the aroma structure of Vugava wines. During the age period the increase in the concentration of cis and trans oaklactons, guaiacol, eugenol, furfural and 5-methylfurfural was noted. Wines fermented and aged in Q. petrea barrels have higher concentrations of most volatile phenols compared to wines from Q. robur oak wood. From the organoleptic point of view this study suggested that fermentation and on the lees ageing production method in Croatian oak barrels positively infl uenced the quality of Vugava wines where best results were achieved by use of Q. petrea oak wood.

High rates of gene flow by pollen and seed in oak populations across Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerber, S.; Chadoeuf, J.; Gugerli, F.; Lascoux, M.; Buiteveld, J.; Cottrell, J.; Dounavi, A.; Fineschi, S.; Forrest, L.; Fogelqvist, J.; Goicoechea, P.G.; Jensen, J.S.; Salvini, D.; Vendramin, G.G.; Kremer, A.

2014-01-01

Gene flow is a key factor in the evolution of species, influencing effective population size, hybridisation and local adaptation. We analysed local gene flow in eight stands of white oak (mostly Quercus petraea and Q. robur, but also Q. pubescens and Q. faginea) distributed across Europe. Adult

Thinning to improve growth, bole quality, and forest health in an Inonotus hispidus-infected, red oak-sweetgum stand in the Mississippi Delta: 10-year results

Science.gov (United States)

James S. Meadows; Theodor D. Leininger; David Montwé; T. Evan Nebeker

2013-01-01

A 55-year-old red oak-sweetgum (Quercus spp.- Liquidambar styraciflua) stand on the Delta National Forest in western Mississippi was subjected to a combination of low thinning and improvement cutting in 1997. Special emphasis was placed on removing all red oaks infected with Inonotus hispidus, a canker decay...

Sorption equilibria of ethanol on cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Lequin, Sonia; Chassagne, David; Karbowiak, Thomas; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2013-06-05

We report here for the first time a thermodynamic study of gaseous ethanol sorption on raw cork powder and plate. Our study aims at a better understanding of the reactivity of this material when used as a stopper under enological conditions, thus in close contact with a hydroethanolic solution, wine. Sorption−desorption isotherms were accurately measured by thermogravimetry at 298 K in a large range of relative pressures. Sorption enthalpies were determined by calorimetry as a function of loading. Sorption−desorption isotherms exhibit a hysteresis loop probably due to the swelling of the material and the absorption of ethanol. Surprisingly, the sorption enthalpy of ethanol becomes lower than the liquefaction enthalpy as the filling increases. This result could be attributed to the swelling of the material, which would generate endothermic effects. Sorption of SO₂ on cork containing ethanol was also studied. When the ethanol content in cork is 2 wt %, the amount of SO₂ sorbed is divided by 2. Thus, ethanol does not enhance the sorption rate for SO₂ but, on the contrary, decreases the SO₂ sorption activity onto cork, probably because of competitive sorption mechanisms.

Ozone risk assessment in three oak species as affected by soil water availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoshika, Yasutomo; Moura, Barbara; Paoletti, Elena

2018-03-01

To derive ozone (O 3 ) dose-response relationships for three European oak species (Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens, and Quercus robur) under a range of soil water availability, an experiment was carried out with 2-year-old potted seedlings exposed to three levels of water availability in the soil and three levels of O 3 pollution for one growing season in an ozone free-air controlled exposure (FACE) facility. Total biomass losses were estimated relative to a hypothetical clean air at the pre-industrial age, i.e., at 10 ppb as daily average (M24). A stomatal conductance model was parameterized with inputs from the three species for calculating the stomatal O 3 flux. Exposure-based (M24, W126, and AOT40) and flux-based (phytotoxic O 3 dose (POD) 0-3 ) dose-response relationships were estimated and critical levels (CL) were calculated for a 5% decline of total biomass. Results show that water availability can significantly affect O 3 risk assessment. In fact, dose-response relationships calculated per individual species at each water availability level resulted in very different CLs and best metrics. In a simplified approach where species were aggregated on the basis of their O 3 sensitivity, the best metric was POD 0.5 , with a CL of 6.8 mmol m -2 for the less O 3 -sensitive species Q. ilex and Q. pubescens and of 3.5 mmol m -2 for the more O 3 -sensitive species Q. robur. The performance of POD 0 , however, was very similar to that of POD 0.5 , and thus a CL of 6.9 mmol m -2 POD 0 and 3.6 mmol m -2 POD 0 for the less and more O 3 -sensitive oak species may be also recommended. These CLs can be applied to oak ecosystems at variable water availability in the soil. We conclude that POD y is able to reconcile the effects of O 3 and soil water availability on species-specific oak productivity.

COENOTICAL CHAINS OF ACER PLATANOIDES AND QUERCUS ROBUR IN THE FORESTS OF NOVGOROD-SEVERSKOYE POLESYE

OpenAIRE

Skliar V. G.

2012-01-01

We summarized information on association of small undergrowth of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.) under the canopy of the forest with plants that form the grass-shrub layer within Novgorod-Severskoye Polesye. We founded that the association at certain extent depends on the type of population behavior of undergrowth and grasses. Small undergrowth of A. platanoides being the tolerant species according to the type of population behavior demonstrates negati...

Root morphology and growth of bare-root seedlings of Oregon white oak

Science.gov (United States)

Peter J. Gould; Constance A. Harrington

2009-01-01

Root morphology and stem size were evaluated as predictors of height and basal-area growth (measured at groundline) of 1-1 Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook.) seedlings planted in raised beds with or without an additional irrigation treatment. Seedlings were classified into three root classes based on a visual assessment of the...

Cesium-137 contamination of oak (Quercus petrae Liebl.) from sub-mediterranean zone in South Bulgaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhiyanski, Miglena, E-mail: zhiyanski@abv.b [Forest Ecology Department, Forest Research Institute, BAS, 132 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria); Sokolovska, Maria [Forest Ecology Department, Forest Research Institute, BAS, 132 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria); Bech, Jaume [Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 645 Diagonal Blvd., Barcelona (Spain); Clouvas, Alexandros [Nuclear Technology Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Penev, Ilia [Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Badulin, Viktor [National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Ministry of Health, 132 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria)

2010-10-15

This study focuses on the cesium-137 ({sup 137}Cs) contamination in grass and in different compartments of oak trees growing in ecosystems, located in the zone with sub-mediterranean climate in South Bulgaria, characterized with high summer temperatures, low precipitation and often periods of drought. In 2008, three experimental sites - PP1, PP2, PP3 - were sampled in oak ecosystems from Maleshevska Mountain at 900 m above sea level. Samples from grass species and oak tree leaves, branches with different diameter, wood disks and bark were analyzed for {sup 137}Cs activity with {gamma}-spectrometry. The soil-to-plant transfer factor (TF) values for {sup 137}Cs were estimated differentiating different tree compartments. Our findings showed relatively high activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs in oak trees even 22 years after the Chernobyl accident. The grass under oak was less contaminated compared with the oak trees. The different organs of oak trees could be distinguished according to the {sup 137}Cs contamination as follows: bark > branches (d < 1 cm) > leaves > branches (d > 3 cm) > wood. The relatively higher contamination of bark compared with the new-formed biomass suggested that a significant part of {sup 137}Cs was accumulated as a result of direct adsorption at the time of the main contamination event. The TF values obtained and the presence of {sup 137}Cs in the branches, leaves and in the wood formed after 1986 confirmed that 22 years after the contamination, the main mechanism of {sup 137}Cs entrance in tree biomass was the root uptake.

The Vallarta Botanical Garden's advancements in conserving the diversity of native Mexican oaks and magnolias

Science.gov (United States)

N.A. Gerlowski; M.A. Muñiz-Castro

2017-01-01

Mexico is both an oak (Quercus) biodiversity hotspot (over 160 described species) and the western hemisphere's leader in magnolia (Magnolia) diversity (36 described species). In the face of myriad threats to these groups, including climate change, habitat loss/fragmentation, overharvesting, and plant pests/pathogens, the...

Predicting root biomass of burned and unburned white oak advance reproduction from diameter and height

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin O. Knapp; G. Geoff Wang; David H. Van Lear; Joan L. Walker

2006-01-01

The size, especially the root size, of advance oak (Quercus spp.) reproduction provides the best indication of the growth potential after release or top-kill. This study examined the relationship between the size of the root system and various diameter height measurements for small (

Fungal biodegradation of anthracene-polluted cork: A comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jové, Patrícia; Olivella, Maria À; Camarero, Susana; Caixach, Josep; Planas, Carles; Cano, Laura; De Las Heras, Francesc X

2016-01-01

The efficiency of cork waste in adsorbing aqueous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been previously reported. Biodegradation of contaminated cork using filamentous fungi could be a good alternative for detoxifying cork to facilitate its final processing. For this purpose, the degradation efficiency of anthracene by three ligninolytic white-rot fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Irpex lacteus and Pleurotus ostreatus) and three non-ligninolytic fungi which are found in the cork itself (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium simplicissimum and Mucor racemosus) are compared. Anthracene degradation by all fungi was examined in solid-phase cultures after 0, 16, 30 and 61 days. The degradation products of anthracene by P. simplicissimum and I. lacteus were also identified by GC-MS and a metabolic pathway was proposed for P. simplicissimum. Results show that all the fungi tested degraded anthracene. After 61 days of incubation, approximately 86%, 40%, and 38% of the initial concentration of anthracene (i.e., 100 µM) was degraded by P. simplicissimum, P. chrysosporium and I. lacteus, respectively. The rest of the fungi degraded anthracene to a lesser extent (cork itself, could be used as an efficient degrader of PAH-contaminated cork.

Between-Site Differences in the Scale of Dispersal and Gene Flow in Red Oak

Science.gov (United States)

Emily V Moran; James S. Clark

2012-01-01

Background: Nut-bearing trees, including oaks (Quercus spp.), are considered to be highly dispersal limited, leading to concerns about their ability to colonize new sites or migrate in response to climate change. However, estimating seed dispersal is challenging in species that are secondarily dispersed by animals, and differences in...

Relationship between precipitation and tree mortality levels in coastal California forests infested with sudden oak death

Science.gov (United States)

Brent Oblinger; Zachary Heath; Jeffrey Moore; Lisa Fischer

2013-01-01

Phytophthora ramorum has caused extensive oak (Quercus) and tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus (Hook. & Arn.) Manos, Cannon & S.H. Oh) mortality in portions of the central and north coasts of California. In conjunction with stream and terrestrial surveys, aerial detection surveys have played a...

Restoration of Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Sand Barrens via Three Different Habitat Management Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Kriska, David John

Disturbance regimes, i.e. frequent fires, historically maintained oak barrens until European settlement patterns, and eventually, Smoky the Bear and the fire suppression campaign of the U.S. Forest Service snuffed out the periodic flames. In the absence of a disturbance regime, ground layer floral composition at many historical oak sand barrens will change predominantly because of a buildup of leaf litter and shading of the soils. Termed mesophication, this process of ecological succession will drive Black Oak Sand Barrens to an alternate steady state. A survey conducted on Singer Lake Bog in Green, Ohio, demonstrated that succession shifted the community to red maple-black cherry woodlands more typical of a dry southern forest. In an attempt to revive disturbance, three restoration techniques were applied at ten degraded northeast Ohio oak barrens to contrast their effectiveness in restoring black oak sand barren flora. The three restoration treatments were select canopy tree reduction favoring 5% to 30% tree canopy cover, forest floor leaf litter removal, and prescribed fire. Vegetation responses to manipulations were monitored prior to and following treatment applications, and were compared against both baseline data from before-treatment surveys and paired control sites adjacent treated areas. Imposing disturbance successfully increased species diversity and abundance above that found across Singer Lake Bog compared to sampling made prior to and adjacent to treated areas. Select canopy tree removal exhibited the largest floral responses from targeted barrens species, i.e. graminoids. A forest floor invertebrate family (Carabidea: Coleoptera) was measured for species richness and abundance pre and post treatment, where a noticeable shift occurred away from woodland obligate ground beetles toward open grassland species. Replicating oak barren structure, prior to replicating disturbance processes, is the first step in the ecological restoration of these systems.

Adaptability of black walnut, black cherry, and Northern red oak to Northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Philip M. McDonald

1987-01-01

When planted in sheltered sites in northern California, only 49% of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and 58% of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) survived for 15 years, and 20% of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) survived for 10 years. The black walnut trees averaged 0.6 inches diameter at breast...

Acorn fall and weeviling in a northern red oak seedling orchard

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel R. Miller; Scott E. Schlarbaum

2005-01-01

In 2000, we determined levels of damage by acorn weevils (Curculio spp.) and patterns of acorn fall in a northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedling orchard in eastern Tennessee. The mean (±SE) production of acorns among 43 selected trees was 5,930 ± 586 acorns per tree with a maximum production level of 16,969 acorns for one tree...

Coast Live Oak Thinning Study in the Central Coast of California

Science.gov (United States)

Norman H. Pillsbury; Michael J. DeLasaux; Timothy R. Plumb

1987-01-01

Abstract: Along-term thinning study was established in ten stands of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia N in the Central Coast of California. Information about diameter, basal area, and volume growth and yield is being obtained from unthinned control plots and from plots thinned to 50 and 100 square feet of basal area per acre. Descriptive information was also collected...

Epicormic branching of California black oak: effect of stand and tree characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Philip M. McDonald; Martin W. Ritchie

1994-01-01

Young California black oak (Quercus kelloggii Newb.) stands usually require thinning to increase production of acorns and wood products, but epicormic branches, which yield no acorns and constitute a serious lumber degrade. often result. A crown thinning in 60-year-old hardwood stands on a south exposure at the Challenge Experimental Forest in thenorthern Sierra Nevada...

Oak protein profile alterations upon root colonization by an ectomycorrhizal fungus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sebastiana, Mónica; Martins, Joana; Figueiredo, Andreia

2017-01-01

in the roots. Consistent with the results of the biochemical analysis, the proteome analysis of the mycorrhizal roots suggests a decreasing utilization of sucrose for the metabolic activity of mycorrhizal roots which is consistent with an increased allocation of carbohydrates from the plant to the fungus...... to ectomycorrhizae formation using a proteomics approach complemented by biochemical analysis of carbohydrate levels. Comparative proteome analysis between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal cork oak plants revealed no differences at the foliar level. However, the protein profile of 34 unique oak proteins was altered...... in order to sustain the symbiosis. In addition, a promotion of protein unfolding mechanisms, attenuation of defense reactions, increased nutrient mobilization from the plant-fungus interface (N and P), as well as cytoskeleton rearrangements and induction of plant cell wall loosening for fungal root...

Impacts of Phytophthora ramorum on oaks and tanoaks in Marin County, California forests since 2000

Science.gov (United States)

Brice A. McPherson; David L. Wood; Maggi Kelly; Sylvia R. Mori; Pavel Svihra; Andrew J. Storer; Richard B. Standiford

2010-01-01

The forests of Marin County were among the first in coastal California to be affected by the Phytophthora ramorum epidemic. Although initially observed in 1994 in tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus) and 1995 in coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia), it is evident from studies of disease progression that the...

Chloroplast DNA variation of oaks in western Central Europe and genetic consequences of human influences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

König, A.O.; Ziegenhagen, B.; Dam, van B.C.; Csaikl, U.M.; Coart, E.; Degen, B.; Burg, K.; Vries, de S.M.G.; Petit, R.J.

2002-01-01

Oak chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) variation was studied in a grid-based inventory in western Central Europe, including Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the northern parts of Upper and Lower Austria. A total of 2155 trees representing 426 populations of Quercus robur

Characterization of volatile constituents in commercial oak wood chips.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández de Simón, Brígida; Muiño, Iria; Cadahía, Estrella

2010-09-08

The volatile composition of the different oak wood pieces (chips of Quercus spp.) that can be found on the market to be used as alternatives to barrels for aging wines, as well as of chips of Quercus pyrenaica which are being introduced, was studied, evaluating the contents of volatile phenols, lactones, furanic compounds, pyranones, phenolic aldehydes, phenolic ketones, and others. In regard to the overall results, the volatile composition of these products varies widely and has not been clearly laid out according to either the oak species or the wood toasting intensity. Taking into account that the different characteristics of alternatives to barrel products are reflected in the wine treated with them and that an oenological profile based on these variables (origin and toasting level) cannot be defined, only an appropriate chemical analysis would reveal the quality of alternative-to-barrel products and allow us to attempt to foresee its effects on the chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the wines treated with them. On the other hand, the Q. pyrenaica alternative products are very similar to those of other species, with some aromatic particularities, such as their high levels of furanic compounds, eugenol, Furaneol, and cis-whiskylactone, and low levels of vanillin.

Changes in Gambel oak densities in southwestern ponderosa pine forests since Euro-American settlement

Science.gov (United States)

Scott R. Abella; Peter Z. Fulé

2008-01-01

Densities of small-diameter ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees have increased in southwestern ponderosa pine forests during a period of fire exclusion since Euro-American settlement in the late 1800s. However, less well known are potential changes in Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) densities during this period in these forests....

Adsorption behavior of alpha -cypermethrin on cork and activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Domingues, Valentina F; Priolo, Giuseppe; Alves, Arminda C; Cabral, Miguel F; Delerue-Matos, Cristina

2007-08-01

Studies were undertaken to determine the adsorption behavior of alpha -cypermethrin [R)-alpha -cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl(1S)-cis-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate, and (S)-alpha-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1R)-cis-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate] in solutions on granules of cork and activated carbon (GAC). The adsorption studies were carried out using a batch equilibrium technique. A gas chromatograph with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD) was used to analyze alpha -cypermethrin after solid phase extraction with C18 disks. Physical properties including real density, pore volume, surface area and pore diameter of cork were evaluated by mercury porosimetry. Characterization of cork particles showed variations thereby indicating the highly heterogeneous structure of the material. The average surface area of cork particles was lower than that of GAC. Kinetics adsorption studies allowed the determination of the equilibrium time - 24 hours for both cork (1-2 mm and 3-4 mm) and GAC. For the studied alpha -cypermethrin concentration range, GAC revealed to be a better sorbent. However, adsorption parameters for equilibrium concentrations, obtained through the Langmuir and Freundlich models, showed that granulated cork 1-2 mm have the maximum amount of adsorbed alpha-cypermethrin (q(m)) (303 microg/g); followed by GAC (186 microg/g) and cork 3-4 mm (136 microg/g). The standard deviation (SD) values, demonstrate that Freundlich model better describes the alpha -cypermethrin adsorption phenomena on GAC, while alpha -cypermethrin adsorption on cork (1-2 mm and 3-4 mm) is better described by the Langmuir. In view of the adsorption results obtained in this study it appears that granulated cork may be a better and a cheaper alternative to GAC for removing alpha -cypermethrin from water.

Genetic Structure and Evolutionary History of Three Alpine Sclerophyllous Oaks in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and Adjacent Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Li; Zheng, Qi-Jian; Qian, Zeng-Qiang; Yang, Jia; Zhang, Yan-Ping; Li, Zhong-Hu; Zhao, Gui-Fang

2016-01-01

The East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains (EH-HM) region has a high biodiversity and harbors numerous endemic alpine plants. This is probably the result of combined orographic and climate oscillations occurring since late Tertiary. Here, we determined the genetic structure and evolutionary history of alpine oak species (including Quercus spinosa, Quercus aquifolioides , and Quercus rehderiana ) using both cytoplasmic-nuclear markers and ecological niche models (ENMs), and elucidated the impacts of climate oscillations and environmental heterogeneity on their population demography. Our results indicate there were mixed genetic structure and asymmetric contemporary gene flow within them. The ENMs revealed a similar demographic history for the three species expanded their ranges from the last interglacial (LIG) to the last glacial maximum (LGM), which was consistent with effective population sizes changes. Effects of genetic drift and fragmentation of habitats were responsible for the high differentiation and the lack of phylogeographic structure. Our results support that geological and climatic factors since Miocene triggered the differentiation, evolutionary origin and range shifts of the three oak species in the studied area and also emphasize that a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular markers, ENMs and population genetics can yield deep insights into diversification and evolutionary dynamics of species.

Cork Design : A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mestre, A.C.C.M.

2014-01-01

The study Cork Design: A Design Action Intervention Approach Towards Sustainable Product Innovation comprises the systematic implementation of sustainable product innovation within the Portuguese cork sector, through action research. Cork is a natural, recyclable, non-toxic, and renewable resource,

Ethanol attracts scolytid beetles to Phytophthora ramorum cankers on coast live oak [Abstract

Science.gov (United States)

Rick G. Kelsey; Maia Beh; Dave Shaw; Daniel K. Manter

2013-01-01

Successful infection of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia Née) stems by Phytophthora ramorum results in the formation of a canker visible initially at the bark surface by the release of a dark red to black colored exudate referred to as "bleeding." Bark and ambrosia beetles are often attracted to diseased trees within...

Applying Hotspot Detection Methods in Forestry: A Case Study of Chestnut Oak Regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fei, S.

2010-01-01

Hotspot detection has been widely adopted in health sciences for disease surveillance, but rarely in natural resource disciplines. In this paper, two spatial scan statistics (SaT Scan and Cluster Seer) and a non spatial classification and regression trees method were evaluated as techniques for identifying chestnut oak (Quercus Montana) regeneration hotspots among 50 mixed-oak stands in the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States. Hotspots defined by the three methods had a moderate level of conformity and revealed similar chestnut oak regeneration site affinity. Chestnut oak regeneration hotspots were positively associated with the abundance of chestnut oak trees in the over story and a moderate cover of heather species (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia spp.) but were negatively associated with the abundance of hay scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and mountain laurel (Kalmia latiforia). In general, hotspot detection is a viable tool for assisting natural resource managers with identifying areas possessing significantly high or low tree regeneration.

Applying Hotspot Detection Methods in Forestry: A Case Study of Chestnut Oak Regeneration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Songlin Fei

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Hotspot detection has been widely adopted in health sciences for disease surveillance, but rarely in natural resource disciplines. In this paper, two spatial scan statistics (SaTScan and ClusterSeer and a nonspatial classification and regression trees method were evaluated as techniques for identifying chestnut oak (Quercus Montana regeneration hotspots among 50 mixed-oak stands in the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States. Hotspots defined by the three methods had a moderate level of conformity and revealed similar chestnut oak regeneration site affinity. Chestnut oak regeneration hotspots were positively associated with the abundance of chestnut oak trees in the overstory and a moderate cover of heather species (Vaccinium and Gaylussacia spp. but were negatively associated with the abundance of hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula and mountain laurel (Kalmia latiforia. In general, hotspot detection is a viable tool for assisting natural resource managers with identifying areas possessing significantly high or low tree regeneration.

O factor de coberto vegetal, para árvores e Arbustos, em modelos de erosão hídrica The vegetation cover factor, for tree and bush canopies, in models of water erosion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Rolo Antunes

2011-07-01

Full Text Available O objectivo primordial do presente trabalho consiste na análise do comportamento de cobertos arbóreos e arbustivos, em termos do processo de intercepção da precipitação, designadamente, retenção e gotejo, e no estabelecimento de uma componente a incluir em modelos de erosão, que permita quantificar o factor de coberto vegetal em caso de ocupação do solo por estes cobertos, associados a culturas arvenses, em subcoberto, particularmente, na Equação Universal da Perda de Solo Revista (RUSLE. O trabalho experimental utilizou um simulador de chuva, tendo-se obtido valores do diâmetro das gotas (gotejo das folhas de espécies características dos sistemas de uso do solo mais comuns no Sul de Portugal, nomeadamente sobreiro (Quercus suber L., azinheira (Quercus ilex L. ssp. rotundifolia Lam e carrasco (Quercus coccifera L., e quantificado valores de retenção nas folhas. A partir dos resultados obtidos estimou-se a energia cinética para diferentes alturas de queda e, consequentemente, valores correctivos a aplicar aos valores de C tradicionalmente considerados, relativos às culturas agrícolas.The main objective of this work consists on the analyzes of tree and bush canopies behavior, in terms of the rainfall interception process, namely, leave retention, and dripping, and the establishment of a erosion model component to include in to quantify the cover factor (C of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE for mixed land covered systems with arable crops, in association with trees and bushes. In the experimental work a rainfall simulator was used and the characteristic values for the diameter of the dripping drops and retention of the leaves from characteristic species of the more common mixed land-use systems in Southern of Portugal, particularly with Cork oak (Quercus suber L., Holm or evergreen oak (Quercus ilex L. ssp. rotundifolia Lam and Kermes or wild oak (Quercus coccifera L., were obtained. From the obtained results

A new genus of oak gallwasp, Cyclocynips Melika, Tang & Sinclair (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with descriptions of two new species from Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Melika, George; Tang, Chang-ti; Sinclair, Frazer; Yang, Man-miao; Lohse, Konrad; Hearn, Jack; Nicholls, James A; Stone, Graham N

2013-01-01

A new genus of cynipid oak gallwasp-Cyclocynips Melika, Tang, & Sinclair (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with two new species--C. uberis and C. tumorvirgae--reared from galls on oaks of the Quercus subgenus Cyclobalanopsis is described from Taiwan. Descriptions of asexual generation adults and their diagnostic characters are presented. The likelihood of yet undiscovered sexual generations and the evolution of host-plant associations in these species are discussed.

Mass loss and nutrient concentrations of buried wood as a function of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control in a regenerating oak-pine forest

Science.gov (United States)

Felix Ponder; John M. Kabrick; Mary Beth Adams; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Marty F. Jurgensen

2017-01-01

Mass loss and nutrient concentrations of northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and white oak (Q. alba) wood stakes were measured 30 months after their burial in the upper 10 cm of soil in a regenerating forest after harvesting and soil disturbance. Disturbance treatments were two levels of organic matter (OM) removal (only...

Development of molecular markers for determining continental origin of wood from White Oaks (Quercus L. sect. Quercus)

Science.gov (United States)

Hilke Schroeder; Richard Cronn; Yulai Yanbaev; Tara Jennings; Malte Mader; Bernd Degen; Birgit Kersten; Dusan Gomory

2016-01-01

To detect and avoid illegal logging of valuable tree species, identification methods for the origin of timber are necessary. We used next-generation sequencing to identify chloroplast genome regions that differentiate the origin of white oaks from the three continents; Asia, Europe, and North America. By using the chloroplast genome of Asian Q. mongolica...

Cork is used to make tooling patterns and molds

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, F. J.

1965-01-01

Sheet and waste cork are cemented together to provide a tooling pattern or mold. The cork form withstands moderately high temperatures under vacuum or pressure with minimum expansion, shrinkage, or distortion.

Predicting stump sprouting and competitive success of five oak species in southern Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Dale R. Weigel; Chao-Ying Joanne Peng

2002-01-01

We measured 2188 oak trees (Quercus spp.) on the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana before and 1, 5, and 10 years after clear-cutting to determine the influence of parent tree age, diameter breast height, and site index on the probability that there was one or more living sprouts per stump: (i) 1 year after clear-cutting (sprouting...

Influence of pericarp, cotyledon and inhibitory substances on sharp tooth oak (Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata germination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Liu

Full Text Available In order to explore the mechanism of delayed and uneven germination in sharp tooth oak (Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata (STO, mechanical scarification techniques were used to study STO root and shoot germination and growth. The techniques used were: removing cup scar (RS, removing the pericarp (RP, and cutting off 1/2 (HC and 2/3 (TC cotyledons. Germination percentage and root and shoot length for Chinese cabbage (Beassica pekinensis seeds (CCS were also investigated for CCS cultivated in a Sanyo growth cabinet watered by distilled water and 80% methanol extracts from the acorn embryo, cotyledon and pericarp with concentrations of 1.0 g, 0.8 g, 0.6 g and 0.4 g dry acorn weight per ml methanol. The results showed that the majority of roots and shoots from acorns with RP and HC treatment emerged two weeks earlier, more simultaneously, and their total emergencies were more than 46% and 28% higher, respectively. TC accelerated root and shoot emergence time and root length, but root and shoot germination rate and shoot height had no significant difference from the control. Positive consequences were not observed on all indices of RS treatment. The germination rates of CCS watered by 1.0 g · ml(-1 methanol extracts from the embryo and cotyledon were significantly lower than those from the pericarp, and all concentrations resulted in decreased growth of root and shoot. Methanol extracts from pericarp significantly reduced root length of CCS, but presented little response in germination percentage and shoot length. The inhibitory effect was gradually increased with the increasing concentration of the methanol extract. We conclude that both the mechanical restriction of the pericarp and the presence of germination inhibitors in the embryo, cotyledon and pericarp are the causes for delayed and asynchronous germination of STO acorns.

Within-population variation in response of red oak seedlings to herbivory by gypsy moth larvae

Science.gov (United States)

T. Scott Byington; Kurt W. Gottschalk; James B. McGraw

1994-01-01

The potential for an evolutionary response to gypsy moth (Lymantna dispar L.) herbivory was investigated in red oak (Quercus rubra L.), a preferred host. Seedlings of nine open-pollinated families were grown in a greenhouse and experimentally defoliated by fourth instar larvae in the summer of 1991 to assay for intraspecific...

Effects of Mechanical Site Preparation on Growth of Oaks Planted on Former Agricultural Fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John D. Hodges

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Mechanical site preparation is frequently proposed to alleviate problematic soil conditions when afforesting retired agricultural fields. Without management of soil problems, any seedlings planted in these areas may exhibit poor growth and survival. While mechanical site preparation methods currently employed in hardwood afforestation are proven, there is a substantial void in research comparing subsoiling, bedding, and combination plowing treatments. A total of 4,320 bare-root Nuttall oak (Quercus texana Buckley, Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii Buckley, and swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii Nutt. seedlings were planted in February 2008 on three Mississippi sites. All sites were of comparable soils and received above average precipitation throughout the three-year duration of the study. Four site preparation treatments were replicated at each site, with 480 seedlings planted in each of nine replications, and a total of 1,440 seedlings per species planted across all sites. Mechanical treatments were installed using 3.1 m row centers, with treatments as follows: control, subsoiling, bedding, and combination plowing. Treatment effects on seedling height, groundline diameter (GLD, and survival were analyzed. Seedlings exhibited greater height in bedded and combination plowed areas (79.7 cm to 102.7 cm and 82.6 cm to 100.1 cm, respectively compared to subsoiled or control areas (70.4 cm to 84.6 cm and 71.4 cm to 86.9 cm, respectively. Greater GLD was observed in bedded and combination plowed areas (11.9 mm to 18.4 mm and 12.2 mm to 18.3 mm, respectively compared to subsoiled or control areas (10.2 mm to 14.6 mm and 10.5 mm to 15.6 mm, respectively. Survival was high for this study (94.%, and no differences were detected among treatments.

Approaches to restoration of oak forests on farmed lowlands of the Mississippi River and its tributaries

Science.gov (United States)

Emile S. Gardiner; Daniel C. Dey; John A. Stanturf; Brian Roy. Lockhart

2010-01-01

The lowlands associated with the Mississippi River and its tributaries historically supported extensive broadleaf forests that were particularly rich in oak (Quercus spp.) species. Beginning in the 1700s, deforestation for agriculture substantially reduced the extent of the original forest, and fragmented the remainder into small parcels. More...

Exo-metabolome of some fungal isolates growing on cork-based medium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barreto, M. C.; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

2011-01-01

are produced by the studied fungal species, both in cork medium or in cork medium added with C. sitophila extracts. However, the addition of C. sitophila extract to the cork medium enhanced the growth of the other studied fungal isolates and altered the respective exo-metabolome profile, leading...... they can be dependent of the remains of former colonizers. In fact, the production of the exo-metabolites by the studied fungal isolates suggests that, under the used experimental conditions, they appear to play an important role in fungal interactions amongst the cork mycoflora....

An analysis of phenotypic selection in natural stands of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffery W. Stringer; David B. Wagner; Scott E. Schlarbaum; Daniel B. Houston

1995-01-01

Comparison of growth and stem quality parameters of 19-year-old progeny from superior and comparison trees indicates that rigorous phenotypic selection of trees in natural stands may not be an efficient method of parent tree selection for Quercus rubra L. Total tree height, dbh, number of branches in the butt log, fork height, and number of mainstem...

Can prescribed fires be used to promote the recruitment of white oak (Quercus alba) seedlings?

Science.gov (United States)

G. Geoff Wang; David H. Van Lear; William L. Bauerie

2006-01-01

Widespread oak replacement by mesophytic tree species, especially on good quality sites, has been occurring across the Eastern United States, because advance oak reproduction is severely limited by the development of heavy midstory and understory. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the development of heavy midstory and understory coincides with the implementation of a...

Spring temperature responses of oaks are synchronous with North Atlantic conditions during the last deglaciation

Science.gov (United States)

Steven L. Voelker; Paul-Emile Noirot-Cosson; Michael C. Stambaugh; Erin R. McMurry; Frederick C. Meinzer; Barbara Lachenburch; Richard P. Guyette

2012-01-01

Paleoclimate proxies based on the measurement of xylem cell anatomy have rarely been developed across the temperature range of a species or applied to wood predating the most recent millennium. Here we describe wood anatomy-based proxies for spring temperatures in central North America from modern bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.). The strong...

Blue oak plant communities of southern San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties, California

Science.gov (United States)

Mark I. Borchert; Nancy D. Cunha; Patricia C. Krosse; Marcee L. Lawrence

1993-01-01

An ecological classification system has been developed for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service. As part of that classification effort, blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodlands and forests of southern San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara Counties in Los Padres National Forest were classified into I3 plant communities using...

TEL4Health research at University College Cork (UCC)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drachsler, Hendrik

2013-01-01

Drachsler, H. (2013, 12 May). TEL4Health research at University College Cork (UCC). Invited talk given at Application of Science to Simulation, Education and Research on Training for Health Professionals Centre (ASSERT for Health Care), Cork, Ireland.

Characterization of Atypical Off-Flavor Compounds in Natural Cork Stoppers by Multidimensional Gas Chromatographic Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Slabizki, Petra; Fischer, Claus; Legrum, Charlotte; Schmarr, Hans-Georg

2015-09-09

Natural cork stoppers with sensory deviations other than the typical cork taint were subgrouped according to their sensory descriptions and compared with unaffected control cork stoppers. The assessment of purge and trap extracts obtained from corresponding cork soaks was performed by heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry (MDGC-O). The identification of compounds responsible for atypical cork taint detected in MDGC-O was further supported with additional multidimensional GC analysis in combination with mass spectrometric detection. Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol were mainly found in cork stoppers described as moldy and cellarlike; 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine and 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine were found in cork stoppers described with green attributes. Across all cork subgroups, the impact compound for typical cork taint, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), was present and is therefore a good marker for cork taint in general. Another potent aroma compound, 3,5-dimethyl-2-methoxypyrazine (MDMP), was also detected in each subgroup, obviously playing an important role with regard to the atypical cork taint. Sensory deviations possibly affecting the wine could be generated by MDMP and its presence should thus be monitored in routine quality control.

Growth and mortality of pin oak and pecan reforestation in a constructed wetland: analysis with management implications

Science.gov (United States)

D.E. Henderson; P. Botch; J. Cussimanio; D. Ryan; J. Kabrick; D. Dey

2009-01-01

Pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchh.) and pecan (Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch) trees were planted on reforestation plots at Four Rivers Conservation Area in west-central Missouri. The study was conducted to determine survival and growth rates of the two species under different production methods and environmental variables....

Sapwood area as an estimator of leaf area and foliar weight in cherrybark oak and green ash

Science.gov (United States)

James S. Meadows; John D. Hodges

2002-01-01

The relationships between foliar weight/leaf area and four stem dimensions (d.b.h., total stem cross-sectional area, total sapwood area, and current sapwood area at breast height) were investigated in two important bottomland tree species of the Southern United States, cherrybark oak (Quercus falcata var. pagodifolia ...

Growth-Climate Response of Young Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris L. Coppice Forest Stands along Longitudinal Gradient in Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Merita Stafasani

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L. is the most widespread species in Albania and less investigated from dendroclimatological point of view. Previous studies have reported that Q. cerris is sensitive to the environment when growing at different latitudes and ecological conditions. Based on this fact we have explored the response of different Q. cerris populations located along the longitudinal gradient. Materials and Methods: The stem discs were sampled from six sites (Kukes, Diber, Rreshen, Ulez, Elbasan, Belsh along longitudinal gradient ranging from north-east to central Albania. All oak forests stands grow under the influence of specific local Mediterranean climate. Tree-ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.001 mm using a linear table, LINTAB and the TSAP-Win program. Following the standard dendrochronological procedures residual tree-ring width chronologies were built for each site. Statistical parameters commonly used in dendrochronology were calculated for each site chronology. Relations between the tree-ring chronologies were explored using Hierarchical Factor Classification (HFC and Principal Component Analysis (PCA, while the radial growth-climate relationship was analyzed through correlation analysis using a 19-month window from April in the year prior to tree-ring formation (year t - 1 until October in the year of growth (year t. Results and Conclusions: The length of the site chronologies ranged from 16 to 36 years, with the Elbasan site chronology being the longest and the Belsh site chronology the shortest one. Trees at lower elevation were younger than trees at higher elevation. Statistical parameters (mean sensitivity (MS and auto correlation (AC of site chronologies were different among them and lower values of AC1 showed a weaker dependence of radial growth from climatic conditions of the previous growing year. Principal component analysis showed that Belsh, Rreshen and Elbasan site chronologies were

Oak conservation and restoration on private forestlands: negotiating a social-ecological landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Knoot, Tricia G; Schulte, Lisa A; Rickenbach, Mark

2010-01-01

In the midwestern United States, oak (Quercus spp.) forests are considered critical habitat for conserving biodiversity and are a declining resource. Ecological conditions, such as deer herbivory and competition from more mesic broad-leaved deciduous species, have been linked to poor oak regeneration. In the Midwest, where up to 90% of forestland is privately owned, a greater understanding of social dimensions of oak regeneration success is especially critical to designing effective restoration strategies. We sought to determine factors that serve as direct and indirect constraints to oak restoration and identify policy mechanisms that could improve the likelihood for restoration success. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 32 natural resource professionals working in the Midwest Driftless Area. We found that most professionals anticipate that oak will remain only a component of the future forest. Furthermore, they identified the general unwillingness of landowners to adopt oak restoration practices as a primary driving force of regional forest change. The professionals pointed to interdependent ecological and social factors, occurring at various scales (e.g., economic cost of management, deer herbivory, and exurban residential development) as influencing landowner oak restoration decisions. Professionals emphasized the importance of government cost-share programs and long-term personal relationships to securing landowner acceptance of oak restoration practices. However, given finite societal resources, ecologically- and socially-targeted approaches were viewed as potential ways to optimize regional success.

"Cork taint" responsible compounds. Determination of haloanisoles and halophenols in cork matrix: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarasov, Andrii; Rauhut, Doris; Jung, Rainer

2017-12-01

Analytical methods of haloanisoles and halophenols quantification in cork matrix are summarized in the current review. Sample-preparation and sample-treatment techniques have been compared and discussed from the perspective of their efficiency, time- and extractant-optimization, easiness of performance. Primary interest of these analyses usually addresses to 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which is a major wine contaminant among haloanisoles. Two concepts of TCA determination are described in the review: releasable TCA and total TCA analyses. Chromatographic, bioanalytical and sensorial methods were compared according to their application in the cork industry and in scientific investigations. Finally, it was shown that modern analytical techniques are able to provide required sensitivity, selectivity and repeatability for haloanisoles and halophenols determination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Origin, development, and impact of mountain laurel thickets on the mixed-oak forests of the central Appalachian Mountains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick H. Brose

2016-01-01

Throughout forests of the northern hemisphere, some species of ericaceous shrubs can form persistent understories that interfere with forest regeneration processes. In the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) may interfere in the regeneration of mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) forests. To...

Winter season corticular photosynthesis in Cornus florida, Acer rubrum, Quercus alba, and Liriodendron tulipifera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coe, J.M.; McLaughlin, S.B.

1980-01-01

Winter season corticular photosynthesis was studied in four species of deciduous trees: dogwood (Cornus florida), red maple (Acer rubrum), white oak (Quercus alba), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Techniques included measuring CO 2 uptake at varying light intensities, relating the apparent photosynthetic capacities to seasonal changes in chlorophyll content of twigs and determining the fate of assimilated carbon over time. Dogwood was the most photosynthetically active of the four species studied; however, gross photosynthesis did not exceed respiration in any of the four species. Photosynthetic activity of dogwood twigs was estimated at 10% of that of dogwood leaves on a weight basis and 85% on a surface area basis. Photosynthetic activity was generally related to shade tolerance ranking and was on the order of dogwood much greater than red maple much greater than white oak approx. = yellow-poplar. Little change in chlorophyll content occurred over the January-April 1979 study interval

Assemblages of saproxylic beetles on large downed trunks of oak.

Science.gov (United States)

Milberg, Per; Bergman, Karl-Olof; Sancak, Kerem; Jansson, Nicklas

2016-03-01

Old living oaks (Quercus robur) are known as a very species-rich habitat for saproxylic beetles, but it is less clear to what extent such veteran trees differ from an even rarer feature: downed trunks of large oaks. In this study, we set out to sample this habitat, using window traps, with two aims: (1) to describe the variation of assemblages among downed trunks of different type and (2) to compare beetles on downed oaks with data from veteran standing trees. The results showed that trunk volume and sun exposure better explained assemblages as well as species numbers on downed trunks than did decay stage. Furthermore, species classified as facultative saproxylic species showed weak or no differentiation among downed trunks. Species with different feeding habits showed no apparent differentiation among downed trunks. Furthermore, species composition on dead, downed oak trunks differed sharply from that of living, veteran oaks. Wood or bark feeders were more common on veterans than downed trunks, but there was no difference for those species feeding on fungi or those feeding on insects and their remains. In conclusion, for a successful conservation of the saproxylic beetle fauna it is important to keep downed oak trunks, and particularly large ones, in forest and pastures as they constitute a saproxylic habitat that differs from that of living trees.

Leaf area compounds height-related hydraulic costs of water transport in Oregon White Oak trees.

Science.gov (United States)

N. Phillips; B. J. Bond; N. G. McDowell; Michael G. Ryan; A. Schauer

2003-01-01

The ratio of leaf to sapwood area generally decreases with tree size, presumably to moderate hydraulic costs of tree height. This study assessed consequences of tree size and leaf area on water flux in Quercus garryana Dougl. ex. Hook (Oregon White Oak), a species in which leaf to sapwood area ratio increases with tree size. We tested hypotheses that...

Red Oak Research and Demonstration Area in Phelps Township, North Bay, Ontario-2004 to 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Dave Deugo; Andrée Morneault; Dianne Othmer; Megan Smith; Al Stinson; Murray Woods; Ian Kovacs; Ian Aho; Bill Parker; Rob Baker; Marinus Verwey; Guylaine Thauvette; Don Willis; Jeff Dech

2006-01-01

In July 2004, a large stand of red oak (Quercus rubra) was harvested in Phelps Township, North Bay District, North Bay, Ontario using the uniform shelterwood system. Most of the stand was harvested to retain 40 percent crown closure, while a very small portion was harvested to retain 70 percent crown closure. During tree marking, an active Northern...

A dendrochronological analysis of a disturbance-succession model for oak-pine forests of the Appalachian Mountains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick H. Brose; Thomas A. Waldrop

2010-01-01

Disturbance-succession models describe the relationship between the disturbance regime and the dominant tree species of a forest type. Such models are useful tools in ecosystem management and restoration, provided they are accurate. We tested a disturbance-succession model for the oak-pine (Quercus spp. - Pinus spp.) forests of the...

Word-wide meta-analysis of Quercus forests ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity reveals southwestern Mexico as a hotspot.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Guzmán, Olimpia Mariana; Garibay-Orijel, Roberto; Hernández, Edith; Arellano-Torres, Elsa; Oyama, Ken

2017-11-01

Quercus is the most diverse genus of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) host plants; it is distributed in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, from temperate to tropical regions. However, their ECM communities have been scarcely studied in comparison to those of conifers. The objectives of this study were to determine the richness of ECM fungi associated with oak forests in the Cuitzeo basin in southwestern Mexico; and to determine the level of richness, potential endemism and species similarity among ECM fungal communities associated with natural oak forests worldwide through a meta-analysis. The ITS DNA sequences of ECM root tips from 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. In total, 1065 species of ECM fungi have been documented worldwide; however, 812 species have been only found at one site. Oak forests in Europe contain 416 species, Mexico 307, USA 285, and China 151. Species with wider distributions are Sebacinaceae sp. SH197130, Amanita subjunquillea, Cenococcum geophilum, Cortinarius decipiens, Russula hortensis, R. risigallina, R. subrubescens, Sebacinaceae sp. SH214607, Tomentella ferruginea, and T. lapida. The meta-analysis revealed (1) that Mexico is not only a hotspot for oak species but also for their ECM mycobionts. (2) There is a particularly high diversity of ECM Pezizales in oak seasonal forests from western USA to southwestern Mexico. (3) The oak forests in southwestern Mexico have the largest number of potential endemic species. (4) Globally, there is a high turnover of ECM fungal species associated with oaks, which indicates high levels of alpha and beta diversity in these communities.

Effect of directed-spray glyphosate applications on survival and growth of planted oaks after three growing seasons

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew B. Self; Andrew W. Ezell; Josh L. Moree; Rory O. Thornton

2013-01-01

Thousands of acres of oak (Quercus spp.) plantations are established across the South annually. Survival and growth of these plantings have been less than desirable. Several techniques have been utilized in attempts to achieve improved success in these areas. One such technique that has been recommended is the application of directed-spray herbicide...

Behavioral assumptions of conservation policy: conserving oak habitat on family-forest land in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

A. Paige Fischer; John C. Bliss

2008-01-01

Designing policies that harness the motivations of landowners is essential for conserving threatened habitats on private lands. Our goal was to understand how to apply ethnographic information about family-forest owners to the design of conservation policy for Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) in the Willamette Valley, Oregon (U.S.A.). We examined...

Phenotypic variation in California populations of valley oak (Quercus lobata Née) sampled along elevational gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Ana L. Albarrán-Lara; Jessica W. Wright; Paul F. Gugger; Annette Delfino-Mix; Juan Manuel Peñaloza-Ramírez; Victoria L. Sork

2015-01-01

California oaks exhibit tremendous phenotypic variation throughout their range. This variation reflects phenotypic plasticity in tree response to local environmental conditions as well as genetic differences underlying those phenotypes. In this study, we analyze phenotypic variation in leaf traits for valley oak adults sampled along three elevational transects and in...

Enzymatic functionalization of cork surface with antimicrobial hybrid biopolymer/silver nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Francesko, Antonio; Blandón, Lucas; Vázquez, Mario; Petkova, Petya; Morató, Jordi; Pfeifer, Annett; Heinze, Thomas; Mendoza, Ernest; Tzanov, Tzanko

2015-05-13

Laccase-assisted assembling of hybrid biopolymer-silver nanoparticles and cork matrices into an antimicrobial material with potential for water remediation is herein described. Amino-functional biopolymers were first used as doping agents to stabilize concentrated colloidal dispersions of silver nanoparticles (AgNP), additionally providing the particles with functionalities for covalent immobilization onto cork to impart a durable antibacterial effect. The solvent-free AgNP synthesis by chemical reduction was carried out in the presence of chitosan (CS) or 6-deoxy-6-(ω-aminoethyl) aminocellulose (AC), leading to simultaneous AgNP biofunctionalization. This approach resulted in concentrated hybrid NP dispersion stable to aggregation and with hydrodynamic radius of particles of about 250 nm. Moreover, laccase enabled coupling between the phenolic groups in cork and amino moieties in the biopolymer-doped AgNP for permanent modification of the material. The antibacterial efficiency of the functionalized cork matrices, aimed as adsorbents for wastewater treatment, was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus during 5 days in conditions mimicking those in constructed wetlands. Both intrinsically antimicrobial CS and AC contributed to the bactericidal effect of the enzymatically grafted on cork AgNP. In contrast, unmodified AgNP were easily washed off from the material, confirming that the biopolymers potentiated a durable antibacterial functionalization of the cork matrices.

Environmental Assessment for the Aeromedical Evacuation Formal Training Unit, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

pennsylvanica), White Ash (Fraxinus americana), Shingle Oak (Quercus imbricaria), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra...American Elm (Ulmus americana), Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Post Oak (Quercus

Use of cork powder and granules for the adsorption of pollutants: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pintor, Ariana M A; Ferreira, Catarina I A; Pereira, Joana C; Correia, Patrícia; Silva, Susana P; Vilar, Vítor J P; Botelho, Cidália M S; Boaventura, Rui A R

2012-06-15

Cork powder and granules are the major subproducts of the cork industry, one of the leading economic activities in Portugal and other Mediterranean countries. Many applications have been envisaged for this product, from cork stoppers passing through the incorporation in agglomerates and briquettes to the use as an adsorbent in the treatment of gaseous emissions, waters and wastewaters. This paper aims at reviewing the state of the art on the properties of cork and cork powder and their application in adsorption technologies. Cork biomass has been used on its original form as biosorbent for heavy metals and oils, and is also a precursor of activated carbons for the removal of emerging organic pollutants in water and VOCs in the gas phase. Through this literature review, different potential lines of research not yet explored can be more easily identified. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Restoring sand shinnery oak prairies with herbicide and grazing in New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Zavaleta, Jennifer C.; Haukos, David A.; Grisham, Blake A.; Boal, Clint W.; Dixon, Charles

2016-01-01

Sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) prairies are increasingly disappearing and increasingly degraded in the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico. Restoring and managing sand shinnery oak prairie can support biodiversity, specific species of conservation concern, and livestock production. We measured vegetation response to four treatment combinations of herbicide (tebuthiuron applied at 0.60 kg/ha) and moderate-intensity grazing (50% removal of annual herbaceous production) over a 10-year period in a sand shinnery oak prairie of eastern New Mexico. We compared the annual vegetation response to the historical climax plant community (HCPC) as outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Ecological Site Description. From 2 to 10 years postapplication, tebuthiuron-treated plots had reduced shrub cover with twice as much forb and grass cover as untreated plots. Tebuthiuron-treated plots, regardless of the presence of grazing, most frequently met HCPC. Tebuthiuron and moderate-intensity grazing increased vegetation heterogeneity and, based on comparison of the HCPC, successfully restored sand shinnery oak prairie to a vegetation composition similar to presettlement.

Real-time monitoring of corks' water absorption using laser speckle temporal correlation

Science.gov (United States)

Nassif, Rana; Abou Nader, Christelle; Pellen, Fabrice; Le Jeune, Bernard; Le Brun, Guy; Abboud, Marie

2015-08-01

Physical and mechanical properties of cork allow it solving many types of problems and make it suitable for a wide range of applications. Our objective consists into studying cork's water absorption by analyzing the dynamic speckle field using the temporal correlation method. Experimental results show that the medium was inert at first with the absence of activity, and as the cap cork was more and more immersed into water, the presence of the activity becomes more significant. This temporal parameter revealed the sensibility of biospeckle method to monitor the amount of absorbed water by cork caps.

Estimating mast production: an evaluation of visual surveys and comparison with seed traps using white oaks

Science.gov (United States)

Roger W. Perry; Ronald E. Thill

1999-01-01

Perry and Thill compared five types of visual mast surveyed with seed trap data from 105 white oaks (Quercus alba L.) during 1996-1997 in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. They also evaluated these visual survey methods for their usefulness in detecting differences in acorn density among areas. Indices derived from all five methods were highly...

Response of northern red oak, black walnut, and white ash seedlings to various levels of simulated summer deer browsing

Science.gov (United States)

Robert C. Morrissey; Douglass F. Jacobs; John R. Seifert

2008-01-01

Understanding the response of tree seedlings to browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) is critical to the management of high value hardwood plantations in the Central Hardwood Forest Region. One-year-old black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and white ash...

Occurrence of Phytophthora plurivora and other Phytophthora species in oak forests of southern Poland and their association with site conditions and the health status of trees

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Jankowiak, R.; Stepniewska, H.; Bilanski,, P.; Kolařík, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 6 (2014), s. 531-542 ISSN 0015-5632 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : DECLINING OAK * QUERCUS-ROBUR * ROOT-ROT Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2014

Efficacy of Systemic Insecticides for Control of the Invasive Goldspotted Oak Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Tom W; Smith, Sheri L; Jones, Michael I; Graves, Andrew D; Strom, Brian L

2017-10-01

From 2009 to 2013, we tested four systemic insecticide formulations and five application methods against the invasive goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in California. The insecticides were evaluated in three experiments: 1) 2009 remedial applications of emamectin benzoate (stem-injection) and imidacloprid (stem-injection and soil-injection); 2) 2009-2012 emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid initially applied at different times during the dormant season with varying injection technologies; and 3) 2013 dinotefuran applied to several tree diameter size classes. Adult leaf-feeding bioassays were used to assess the impact of systemic treatments against A. auroguttatus, whereas enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays determined the quantity of the active ingredient of insecticide residues in foliage. Imidacloprid (experiment 1) persisted at elevated levels in foliage of coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia Née, for 1.5 yr following stem injections. Stem injections of emamectin benzoate (experiment 2) sometimes significantly decreased survival in adults fed foliage from treated Q. agrifolia, and both the emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid treatments reduced adult feeding in some trials. Imidacloprid residues in Q. agrifolia and California black oak, Quercus kelloggii Newb., foliage remained at elevated levels (>10 µg/g) ∼2 yr postapplication. In 2013 (experiment 3), dinotefuran residues were highest in foliage collections 2 wk postapplication and greatest in smaller diameter oaks, but insecticide treatment had no effect on survival or frass production by adults fed foliage from treated trees. Systemic injections of emamectin benzoate and imidacloprid applied during the dormant season to uninfested or lightly infested oaks can reduce adult A. auroguttatus survival and maturation feeding. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2017. This work is written by (a) US Government employee

An evaluation of seven methods for controlling mountain laurel thickets in the mixed-oak forests of the central Appalachian Mountains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick H. Brose

2017-01-01

In the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) thickets in mixed-oak (Quercus spp.) stands can lead to hazardous fuel situations, forest regeneration problems, and possible forest health concerns. Therefore, land managers need techniques to control mountain laurel thickets and limit...

Estudio cariológico de Quercus humboldtti Bonpl Caryological study of Quercus humboldtii Bonpl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarado de Coral Cecilia

1989-12-01

Full Text Available Se comprobó que la especie del roble Ouercus humboldtii Bonpl. tiene 2 n= 24 cromosomas, al igual que la mayoría de las especies estudiadas de Quercus. Utilizando pretratamiento y tinción con orceina lactopropiónica fue posible obtener el cariotipo e ideograma.Using lactopropionic orceine for a previus tintion we obtained the Caryotype and ideogram of Quercus humboldtii Bonpl. and we observed that it has 2 n = 24 chromosomes as most studied species of Quercus do.

Sap flow measurements combining sap-flux density radial profiles with punctual sap-flux density measurements in oak trees (Quercus ilex and Quercus pyrenaica) - water-use implications in a water-limited savanna-

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, J. Leonardo; Lubczynski1, Maciek W.

2010-05-01

measurements using the HFD-measured radial profiles. The standard TDP daily mean of sap-flux density was 95% higher than the 2cm equivalent of the HFD for Q. ilex and 70% higher for Q. pyrenaica. NTG-corrected TDP daily mean of sap-flux density was 34% higher than HFD for Q. ilex and 47% lower for Q. pyrenaica. Regarding sap flow measurements, the standard TDP sap flow was 81% higher than HFD sap flow for Q. ilex and 297% for Q. pyrenaica. The NTG-corrected TDP sap flow was 24% higher than HFD sap flow for Q. ilex and 23% for Q. pyrenaica. The radial correction, for TDP-NTG-corrected sap-flux density, produced sap-flow measurements in well agreement with HFD, just slightly lower (-3% Q.i. and -4% Q.p.). The TDP-HFD sap flow data acquired in dry season over the savanna type of sparsely distributed oak trees (Q. ilex & Q. pyrenaica) showed that the TDP method must be corrected for NTG and for radial variability of sap flux density in trees with sapwood thicker than 2 cm. If such corrections are not taken into consideration, the amount of accounted water used by the trees is prone to overestimation, especially for Quercus pyrenaica. The obtained results indicate also that the combination of HFD and TDP leads to an efficient and accurate operational sap flow measurement schema that is currently in the optimization stage.

Stand-level growth and yield component models for red oak-sweetgum forests on Mid-South minor stream bottoms

Science.gov (United States)

Emily B. Schultz; J. Clint Iles; Thomas G. Matney; Andrew W. Ezell; James S. Meadows; Theodor D. Leininger; al. et.

2010-01-01

Greater emphasis is being placed on Southern bottomland hardwood management, but relatively few growth and yield prediction systems exist that are based on sufficient measurements. We present the aggregate stand-level expected yield and structural component equations for a red oak (Quercus section Lobatae)-sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) growth and yield model....

Phylogeography of Quercus variabilis Based on Chloroplast DNA Sequence in East Asia : Multiple Glacial Refugia and Mainland-Migrated Island Populations

OpenAIRE

Chen, Dongmei; Zhang, Xianxian; Kang, Hongzhang; Sun, Xiao; Yin, Shan; Du, Hongmei; Yamanaka, Norikazu; Gapare, Washington; Wu, Harry X.; Liu, Chunjiang

2012-01-01

The biogeographical relationships between far-separated populations, in particular, those in the mainland and islands, remain unclear for widespread species in eastern Asia where the current distribution of plants was greatly influenced by the Quaternary climate. Deciduous Oriental oak (Quercus variabilis) is one of the most widely distributed species in eastern Asia. In this study, leaf material of 528 Q. variabilis trees from 50 populations across the whole distribution (Mainland China, Kor...

Acorn selection by the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus: a semi-controlled experiment in a Mediterranean environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosalino, Luís Miguel; Nóbrega, Filomena; Santos-Reis, Margarida; Teixeira, Generosa; Rebelo, Rui

2013-09-01

Fruits are highly important food resources for mammals in Mediterranean Europe, and due to the dominance of oaks (Quercus sp.), acorns are among those used by a vast array of species, including rodents. The metabolic yield of acorn intake may determine a selection pattern: preference for fat, carbohydrate, and consequently energy-rich fruits; or avoidance of fruits containing high concentrations of secondary chemical compounds (e.g., tannic acid). We studied the acorn feeding selection pattern of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) inhabiting a mixed oak woodland, southwest Portugal, using an experiment conducted in an open-air enclosure. We tested which variables associated with the wood mouse (e.g., sex) and acorns (e.g., size and nutrient content) from three oak species (holm Q. rotundifolia, Portuguese Q. faginea and cork Q. suber oak) could be constraining acorn consumption. Our results indicate that wood mice are selecting acorns of the most common oak species (Q. suber), probably due to their previous familiarization with the fruit due to its dominance in the ecosystem but probably also because its chemical characteristics (sugar contents). Rodent gender and acorn morphology (width) are also influential, with females more prone to consume acorns with smaller width, probably due to handling limitation. This selective behaviour may have consequences for dispersion and natural regeneration of the different oak species.

Oak Tree Canker Disease Supports Arthropod Diversity in a Natural Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Bok Lee

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Microorganisms have many roles in nature. They may act as decomposers that obtain nutrients from dead materials, while some are pathogens that cause diseases in animals, insects, and plants. Some are symbionts that enhance plant growth, such as arbuscular mycorrhizae and nitrogen fixation bacteria. However, roles of plant pathogens and diseases in natural ecosystems are still poorly understood. Thus, the current study addressed this deficiency by investigating possible roles of plant diseases in natural ecosystems, particularly, their positive effects on arthropod diversity. In this study, the model system was the oak tree (Quercus spp. and the canker disease caused by Annulohypoxylon truncatum, and its effects on arthropod diversity. The oak tree site contained 44 oak trees; 31 had canker disease symptoms while 13 were disease-free. A total of 370 individual arthropods were detected at the site during the survey period. The arthropods belonged to 25 species, 17 families, and seven orders. Interestingly, the cankered trees had significantly higher biodiversity and richness compared with the canker-free trees. This study clearly demonstrated that arthropod diversity was supported by the oak tree canker disease.

Volatile compounds in samples of cork and also produced by selected fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto, M C; Vilas Boas, L; Carneiro, L C; San Romão, M V

2011-06-22

The production of volatile compounds by microbial communities of cork samples taken during the cork manufacturing process was investigated. The majority of volatiles were found in samples collected at two stages: resting after the first boiling and nontreated cork disks. Volatile profiles produced by microbiota in both stages are similar. The releasable volatile compounds and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) produced in cork-based culture medium by five isolated fungal species in pure and mixed cultures were also analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).The results showed that 1-octen-3-ol and esters of fatty acids (medium chain length C8-C20) were the main volatile compounds produced by either pure fungal species or their mixture. Apparently, Penicillium glabrum is the main contributor to the overall volatile composition observed in the mixed culture. The production of releasable TCA on cork cannot be attributed to any of the assayed fungal isolates.

Improved malignant melanoma prognosis at a consultant-delivered multidisciplinary pigmented lesion clinic in Cork.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, S; Deady, S; Fitzgibbon, J; Murphy, M; Comber, H

2010-02-01

Early detection and excision is the only effective treatment for malignant melanoma. To assess the effect of a consultant-delivered, rapid-access pigmented lesion clinic (PLC) established at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), we analyzed melanoma tumour-stage prior to (1998-2002) and after (2003-2007) the advent of the PLC. Patients attending SIVUH had a greater proportion of early-stage tumours (65.3%) compared to the rest of Cork (51.2%), County Cork as a whole (56.7%) and all of Ireland (57.4%). The proportion of SIVUH males with early-stage tumours was statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 11.23, P 50y with early-stage tumours was also statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 18.88, P Cork (chi2 = 7.84, P Cork melanoma patients is at least partly due to the PLC.

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole in cork bark.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivella, M Àngels; Caixach, Josep; Planas, Carles; Oliveras, Anna; Jové, Patrícia

2012-02-01

Organochlorine pesticides are persistent lipophilic organic pollutants and tend to accumulate in growing plants. During growth, cork is in contact with the open air for long periods (9-12 years). Owing to the previous widespread use of organochlorine pesticides and their high persistence in the environment, there is a risk that residues of such pesticides may be present in cork. In this study, the concentrations of 14 organochlorine pesticides-all of which are indicators of environmental pollution-were analyzed in cork bark samples from three regions in Spain and one in Portugal. In addition, the concentrations of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) were also analyzed. Our results show only very low concentrations of lindane, γ-HCH (cork sample from Extremadura (0.1 ng g(-1)) and p,p'-DDE was present at a maximum concentration of 2.9 ng g(-1) in a cork sample from Castile-La Mancha. However, all concentrations were well below the legal limit established by Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 (10 ng g(-1) in foodstuffs). We can conclude, therefore, that the cork samples we studied complied with food safety standards. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

( Quercus spp. ) using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quercus is one of the most important woody genera of the Northern hemisphere and considered as one of the main forest tree species in Iran. In this study, genetic relationships in the genus Quercus, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was examined. Five species, including: Quercus robur, Quercus ...

Effect of cork loading on mechanical and thermal properties of silica-Ethylene-propylene-diene monomer composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, J.; Mirza, S.

2011-01-01

Ethylene-propylene diene ter-monomer (EPDM) filled with asbestos are widely used as thermal insulation in space vehicles because of its low specific gravity, low temperature flexibility, high ozone and oxygen resistant, superior thermal and ablation characteristics. However, asbestos has been banned worldwide because of its carcinogenic nature. This study was aimed to replace asbestos by environmental friendly and low specific gravity filler, cork in thermal insulation for space vehicles. Various batches of cork filled EPDM were obtained by compounding 0, 10, 20, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 100 Phr (parts per hundred parts of rubber) of cork powder with EPDM in Two-roll-mill in presence of other necessary compounding ingredients. The resulted vulcanizates were characterized for mechanical, thermal and ablation performances. It was observed that cork loadings significantly enhanced tensile strength and hardness of EPDM. However, elongation at break of EPDM decreased with the increase of cork concentration. Moreover, no significant reduction in density of EPDM was obtained instead of compounding with lower specific gravity cork powder. Temperatures cures in Thermo-gravimetric analysis shifted to lower temperature with increasing of cork percentage in the formulation. Furthermore, char formation of the EPDM composites decreased with the increase of cork Phr in the composition which was the indication of degrading thermal stability of EPDM by cork powders. It can be concluded that on the basis of mechanical properties asbestos can be replaced by cork powder however, cork filled EPDM exhibited inferior thermal properties as compared to asbestos filled EPDM. (author)

Oxidized Xanthan Gum and Chitosan as Natural Adhesives for Cork

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Paiva

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Natural cork stopper manufacturing produces a significant amount of cork waste, which is granulated and combined with synthetic glues for use in a wide range of applications. There is a high demand for using biosourced polymers in these composite materials. In this study, xanthan gum (XG and chitosan (CS were investigated as possible natural binders for cork. Xanthan gum was oxidized at two different aldehyde contents as a strategy to improve its water resistance. This modification was studied in detail by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR, and the degree of oxidation was determined by the hydroxylamine hydrochloride titration method. The performance of the adhesives was studied by tensile tests and total soluble matter (TSM determinations. Xanthan gum showed no water resistance, contrary to oxidized xanthan gum and chitosan. It is hypothesized that the good performance of oxidized xanthan gum is due to the reaction of aldehyde groups—formed in the oxidation process—with hydroxyl groups on the cork surface during the high temperature drying. Combining oxidized xanthan gum with chitosan did not yield significant improvements.

Effects of Drought Stress and Ozone Exposure on Isoprene Emissions from Oak Seedlings in Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Madronich, M. B.; Harte, A.; Schade, G. W.

2014-12-01

Isoprene is the dominant hydrocarbon emitted by plants to the atmosphere with an approximate global emission of 550 Tg C yr-1. Isoprene emission studies have elucidated plants' isoprene production capacity, and the controlling factors of instantaneous emissions. However, it is not yet well understood how long-term climatic factors such as drought and increasing ozone concentrations affect isoprene emission rates. Drought reduces photosynthetic activity and is thus expected to reduce isoprene emission rate, since isoprene production relies on photosynthates. On the other hand, ozone is also known to negatively affect photosynthesis rates, but can instead increase isoprene emissions. These apparent inconsistencies and a lack of experimental data make it difficult to accurately parameterize isoprene emission responses to changing environmental conditions. The objective of this work is to reduce some of these uncertainties, using oak seedlings as a study system. Our project focuses on isoprene emission responses of oak trees to typical summer drought and high ozone conditions in Texas. We report on experiments conducted using a laboratory whole-plant chamber and leaf-level data obtained from greenhouse-grown seedlings. The chamber experiment studied the effects of ozone and drought on isoprene emissions from >3 year old oak seedlings under controlled conditions of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), temperature, soil-moisture and the chamber's air composition. Stress in plants was induced by manipulating potted soil-moisture and ozone concentration in the chamber. The greenhouse study focused on understanding the effects of drought under Texas climatic conditions. For this study we used two year old seedlings of water oak (Quercus nigra) and post oak (Quercus stellata). Temperature, humidity and light in the greenhouse followed local conditions. Leaf-level conductance, photosynthesis measurements and isoprene sampling were carried out under controlled leaf

Molecular and morphological characterization of Xiphinema chambersi population from live oak in Jekyll Island, Georgia, with comments on morphometric variations

Science.gov (United States)

Zafar A Handoo; Lynn K. Carta; Andrea M. Skantar; Sergei A. Subbotin; Stephen W. Fraedrich

2016-01-01

A population of Xiphinema chambersi from the root zone around live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.) trees on Jekyll Island, GA, is described using both morphological and molecular tools and compared with descriptions of type specimens. Initially, because of a few morphological differences, this nematode was thought to represent...

Use of Nested and Real-Time PCR for the Detection of Ceratocystis fagacearum in the Sapwood of Diseased Oak Species in Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

A. Yang; J. Juzwik

2017-01-01

Oak wilt caused by Ceratocystis fagacearum is a significant disease of Quercus spp. in the eastern United States. Early and accurate detection of the pathogen is particularly important when disease control is planned. Nested and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods utilizing fungal DNA extracted from sapwood drill...

Cork quality estimation by using Compton tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunetti, Antonio; Cesareo, Roberto; Golosio, Bruno; Luciano, Pietro; Ruggero, Alessandro

2002-01-01

The quality control of cork stoppers is mandatory in order to guarantee the perfect conservation of the wine. Several techniques have been developed but until now the quality control was essentially related to the status of the external surface. Thus possible cracks or holes inside the stopper will be hidden. In this paper a new technique based on X-ray Compton tomography is described. It is a non-destructive technique that allows one to reconstruct and visualize the cross-section of the cork stopper analyzed, and so to put in evidence the presence of internal imperfections. Some results are reported and compared with visual classification

Cork quality estimation by using Compton tomography

CERN Document Server

Brunetti, A; Golosio, B; Luciano, P; Ruggero, A

2002-01-01

The quality control of cork stoppers is mandatory in order to guarantee the perfect conservation of the wine. Several techniques have been developed but until now the quality control was essentially related to the status of the external surface. Thus possible cracks or holes inside the stopper will be hidden. In this paper a new technique based on X-ray Compton tomography is described. It is a non-destructive technique that allows one to reconstruct and visualize the cross-section of the cork stopper analyzed, and so to put in evidence the presence of internal imperfections. Some results are reported and compared with visual classification.

Evaluating small mammal response to natural disturbance and restoration in oak ecosystems in the Mississippi alluvial valley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith Carl G; Hamel Paul B; Fuzaro Gullo, Manoelle

2010-01-01

Oak species form a conspicuous and often dominant component of bottom land forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. The extent of these forests has been drastically reduced as a result of clearing for agriculture in the past two centuries. Patterns of clearing have reduced the distribution of remaining forest patches to a much more flood-prone subset of the landscape than was historically the case, reducing the diversity of oak species currently present on the landscape. Intensive harvesting has further changed the composition of the remaining stands. Small remnant patches of primary forest continue to exist as Research Natural Areas on the Delta National Forest in Sharkey County, Mississippi. In particular, the Over cup Oak (Quercus lyrata) and Redgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Research Natural Areas pres ent substantial components of the trees for which the areas were named, as well as Quercus nuttallii and smaller components of other species. Recent interest in afforestation has produced a resurgence of interest in restoration of oak forest to abandoned farmland in the region. We have studied small mammal response to restoration on an extensive experiment near the Delta National Forest since 1995. We have also examined small mammal response to a tornado that disturbed approximately half of the Over cup Oak Research Natural Area in 2008. We use these studies to demonstrate how population estimates of small mammals can be obtained from capture-recapture studies, employing different designs, and utilizing Program Capture for population estimation. Small mammal communities in these stands are more species-rich in early succession than in primary forest. The study of response to tornado damage to the Over cup Oak Research Natural Area is complicated by the fact that this particular forest type is very flood-prone, creating obstacles to colonization by small mammals. Analysis of capture-recapture data with robust methods illustrated in this study permits extraction

Bud burst and flowering phenology in a mixed oak forest from Eastern Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ecaterina Nicoleta Chesnoiu

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Bud burst and flowering phenology have been observed in year 2008 in a natural white oak species complex situated in eastern Romania. A total of 300 mature individuals was mapped and identified based on leaf morphology. The community consists of four oak species: Quercus pedunculiflora, Q. robur, Q. pubescens and Q. petraea. A set of 28 individuals could not be unambiguously classified to one or another species. Data on bud burst showed a normal distribution and the differences among species were small. The "very late" flushing was recorded on 15th of April, three weeks later when compared to early flushing individuals. The time period between the bud burst and the complete development of leaves was nearly the same in all oak species, varying on average, between 18.4 and 20.6 days. The spatial distribution of phenological groups within the complex appears to be non-randomly, because in many parts of the study plot exist groups in which most of the trees belong to the same phenological category. Our results indicate an overlap in flowering time for all oak species which occur in the area. The data support the hypothesis that interspecific gene flow is possible between closely related oak species.

Bud burst and flowering phenology in a mixed oak forest from Eastern Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ecaterina Nicoleta Chesnoiu

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Bud burst and flowering phenology have been observed in year 2008 ina natural white oak species complex situated in eastern Romania. A total of 300 mature individuals was mapped and identified based on leaf morphology. The community consists of four oak species: Quercus pedunculiflora, Q. robur, Q. pubescens and Q. petraea. A set of 28 individuals could not be unambiguously classified to one or another species. Data on bud burst showed a normal distribution and the differences among species were small. The "very late" flushing was recorded on 15th of April, three weeks later when compared to early flushing individuals. The time period between the bud burst and the complete development of leaves was nearly the same in all oak species, varying on average, between 18.4 and 20.6 days. The spatialdistribution of phenological groups within the complex appears to be non-randomly, because in many parts of the study plot exist groups in which most of the trees belong to the same phenological category. Our results indicate an overlap in flowering time for all oak species which occur in the area. The data support the hypothesis that interspecific gene flow is possible between closely related oak species.

Dry deposition of sulfate to Quercus rubra and Liriodendron tulipifera foliage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandenberg, J.J.

1987-01-01

Estimates were made of the rate of dry deposition to red oak (Quercus rubra) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) foliage. In the laboratory, radioactive ammonium sulfate aerosols were generated in an exposure chamber. These aerosols were dry deposited onto leaves that were sequentially washed to examine the efficacy of washing procedures in removal of surface deposits. Over 90% of dry deposited sulfate was removed after a 30 second wash duration. Laboratory procedures also estimated the magnitude of foliar sulfur that leached into leaf wash solutions. The majority of laboratory leaves demonstrated no leaching of sulfur from the internal pool. However, some leaves showed significant sulfur leaching. It was concluded that leaching of internal sulfur was highly leaf specific. This indicated that each leaf used in field experiments needed to be individually examined for leaching

Molecular and morphological characterization of Xiphinema chambersi population from live oak in Jekyll Island, Georgia, with comments on morphometric variations

Science.gov (United States)

Zafar A. Handoo; Lynn K. Carta; Andrea M. Skantar; Sergei A. Subbotin; Stephen Fraedrich

2016-01-01

A population of Xiphinema chambersi from the root zone around live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.) trees on Jekyll Island, GA, is described using both morphological and molecular tools and compared with descriptions of type specimens. Initially, because of a few morphological differences, this nematode was thought to represent an undescribed species. However, on further...

Ultraviolet-B radiation influences the abundance and distribution of phylloplane fungi on pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newsham, K.K.; Low, M.N.R.; McLeod, A.R.; Greenslade, P.D.; Emmett, B.A.

1997-01-01

The effects of u.v.-B radiation (280-315 nm) on the fungi occurring on the lammas leaves of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) were examined using saplings that were exposed at an outdoor facility to supplemental levels of u.v.-B radiation under treatment arrays of cellulose diacetate-filtered fluorescent lamps, which also produce u.v.-A radiation (315-400 nm). Saplings were also exposed to u.v.-A radiation alone under control arrays of polyester-filtered lamps, and to ambient levels of solar radiation under arrays of unenergized lamps. The u.v.-B treatment corresponded to a 30% elevation above the ambient level of erythemally-weighted u.v.-B radiation. The fungi were examined weekly over a 4-month-period in summer and autumn 1995 using two techniques, the spore fall and leaf impression methods, which differentiated between those fungi occurring on the upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) surfaces of the leaves. The abundances of Aureobasidium pullulans (De Bary) Arnaud and Sporobolomyces roseus Kluy. et van Niel, two leaf yeasts which had adaxial:abaxial ratios of < 1 under ambient levels of u.v.-B radiation, were negatively correlated with increasing ambient levels of u.v.-B radiation and were significantly reduced on adaxial leaf surfaces by supplemental levels of u.v.-B. There were few effects of supplemental u.v.-B radiation on the abundances of these yeasts on abaxial leaf surfaces. The abundances of the dematiaceous hyphomycetes, Cladosporium spp. and Epicoccum nigrum Link., species with adaxial:abaxial ratios of ⩾ 1 under ambient levels of u.v.-B radiation, were not correlated with ambient levels of u.v.-B radiation, nor were they usually affected on either leaf surface by supplemental u.v.-B radiation. Alternaria spp. and Microdochium nivale (Fr.) Samuels & Hallet showed consistent responses on adaxial leaf surfaces to u.v.-A radiation applied under control and treatment arrays. Our results suggest that current levels of shortwave radiation already

Wood anatomical parameters of lowland European oak and Scots pine as proxies for climate reconstructions

Science.gov (United States)

Balanzategui, Daniel; Heußner, Karl-Uwe; Wazny, Tomasz; Helle, Gerd; Heinrich, Ingo

2017-04-01

Tree-ring based temperature reconstructions from the temperate lowlands worldwide are largely missing due to diffuse climate signals so far found in tree-ring widths. This motivated us to concentrate our efforts on the wood anatomies of two common European tree species, the European oak (Quercus robur) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). We combined core samples of living trees with archaeological wood from northern Germany and Poland. We measured approx. 46,000 earlywood oak vessels of 34 trees covering the period AD 1500 to 2016 and approx. 7.5 million pine tracheid cells of 41 trees covering the period AD 1300 to 2010. First climate growth analyses indicate that both oak earlywood vessel and pine tracheid parameters contain climate signals which are different and more significant than those found in tree-ring widths. Preliminary results will be presented and discussed at EGU for the first time.

A new model for cork weight estimation in Northern Portugal with methodology for construction of confidence intervals

Science.gov (United States)

Teresa J.F. Fonseca; Bernard R. Parresol

2001-01-01

Cork, a unique biological material, is a highly valued non-timber forest product. Portugal is the leading producer of cork with 52 percent of the world production. Tree cork weight models have been developed for Southern Portugal, but there are no representative published models for Northern Portugal. Because cork trees may have a different form between Northern and...

Endangered Species Management Plan for Fort Hood, Texas: FY06-10

Science.gov (United States)

2007-05-01

Texas red oak, post oak, Texas ash (Fraxinus texensis), shin oak, blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), cedar elm ...by Ashe juniper and Texas oak. Other important tree species included live oak, cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia), Lacey oak (Quercus laceyi), Arizona...0.83 m (Cimprich 2005). Nest substrates include shin oak, Texas red oak, Texas redbud, Ashe juniper, Texas ash, Plateau live oak, cedar elm , rusty

Improved malignant melanoma prognosis at a consultant-delivered multidisciplinary pigmented lesion clinic in Cork.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Field, S

2012-02-01

Early detection and excision is the only effective treatment for malignant melanoma. To assess the effect of a consultant-delivered, rapid-access pigmented lesion clinic (PLC) established at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), we analyzed melanoma tumour-stage prior to (1998-2002) and after (2003-2007) the advent of the PLC. Patients attending SIVUH had a greater proportion of early-stage tumours (65.3%) compared to the rest of Cork (51.2%), County Cork as a whole (56.7%) and all of Ireland (57.4%). The proportion of SIVUH males with early-stage tumours was statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 11.23, P < 0.05). The proportion of patients > 50y with early-stage tumours was also statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 18.88, P < 0.05), the whole of County Cork (chi2 = 7.84, P < 0.05) and all of Ireland (chi2 = 9.67, P < 0.05). We believe that the early detection and improved prognosis of Cork melanoma patients is at least partly due to the PLC.

Improved malignant melanoma prognosis at a consultant-delivered multidisciplinary pigmented lesion clinic in Cork.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Field, S

2010-02-01

Early detection and excision is the only effective treatment for malignant melanoma. To assess the effect of a consultant-delivered, rapid-access pigmented lesion clinic (PLC) established at the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), we analyzed melanoma tumour-stage prior to (1998-2002) and after (2003-2007) the advent of the PLC. Patients attending SIVUH had a greater proportion of early-stage tumours (65.3%) compared to the rest of Cork (51.2%), County Cork as a whole (56.7%) and all of Ireland (57.4%). The proportion of SIVUH males with early-stage tumours was statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 11.23, P < 0.05). The proportion of patients > 50y with early-stage tumours was also statistically significantly higher than the rest of County Cork (chi2 = 18.88, P < 0.05), the whole of County Cork (chi2 = 7.84, P < 0.05) and all of Ireland (chi2 = 9.67, P < 0.05). We believe that the early detection and improved prognosis of Cork melanoma patients is at least partly due to the PLC.

Partitioning of current photosynthate to different chemical fractions in leaves, stems, and roots of northern red oak seedlings during episodic growth

Science.gov (United States)

Richard E. Dickson; Patricia T. Tomlinson; J. G. Isebrands

2000-01-01

The episodic or flushing growth habit of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.,) has a significant influence on carbon fixation, carbon transport from source leaves, and carbon allocation within the plant; however, the impact of episodic growth on carbon parciprioning among chemical fractions is unknown. Median-flush leaves of the first and second flush...

Mechanical properties of cork under contact stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parralejo, A. D.; Guiberteau, F.; Fortes, M. A.; Rosa, M. E.

2001-01-01

In this work our interest is focussed on the mechanical behaviour of natural cork under contact stresses. Many of the applications of this curious material are related with its mechanical response under such a stress field, however this topic has not been still sufficiently considered in the scientific literature. For this purpose, we proposed the use of Hertzian indentation tests. By using this mythology we have investigated the cork structure influence on the corresponding mechanical properties. Our results reveal a clear mechanical anisotropy effect. Moreover, the elastic modulus corresponding to specific directions have been estimated. Several are the main advantages of this specific test mythology versus traditional uniaxial compression tests, specially simplicity and local character. (Author) 9 refs

The negative impact of intentionally introduced Quercus rubra L. on a forest community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Woziwoda

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Some alien woody species used in commercial forestry become invasive and, as invaders, cause major problems in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. However, the deliberate introduction of aliens can bring unintended negative changes also within areas of their cultivation. This paper presents the effects of the intentional introduction of the North-American Quercus rubra in European mixed Scots pine-Pedunculate oak forests (POFs: Querco roboris-Pinetum (W. Mat. 1981 J. Mat. 1988. Phytosociological data from field research combined with GIS data analysis of the current distribution of Northern Red oak in the studied habitat were used to determine the composition and structure of forest communities in plots with and without Q. rubra participation.  The results show that Q. rubra significantly reduces native species richness and abundance, both in old-growth and in secondary (post-agricultural forests. Not one resident vascular plant benefits from the introduction of Northern Red oak and only a few are able to tolerate its co-occurrence. The natural restocking of all native woody species is also strongly limited by this alien tree.  The introduction of Northern Red oak significantly limits the environmental functions of the POF ecosystem and weakens its economic and social aspects. However, its further cultivation is justified from an economic point of view, as the essential function of the studied forests is commercial timber production, and the introduction of this fast growing alien tree supports the provisioning ecosystem services. A clear description of the level of trade-off between the accepted negative and positive effects of the introduction of Q. rubra on forest ecosystem services requires further interdisciplinary studies.

Oak Bark Allometry and Fire Survival Strategies in the Chihuahuan Desert Sky Islands, Texas, USA

OpenAIRE

Schwilk, Dylan W.; Gaetani, Maria S.; Poulos, Helen M.

2013-01-01

Trees may survive fire through persistence of above or below ground structures. Investment in bark aids in above-ground survival while investment in carbohydrate storage aids in recovery through resprouting and is especially important following above-ground tissue loss. We investigated bark allocation and carbohydrate investment in eight common oak (Quercus) species of Sky Island mountain ranges in west Texas. We hypothesized that relative investment in bark and carbohydrates changes with tre...

Impacts of elevated atmospheric CO2 on litter quality, litter decomposability and nitrogen turnover rate of two oak species in a Mediterranean forest ecosystem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fayez Raiesi Gahrooee,

1998-01-01

Elevated CO2 may affect litter quality of plants, and subsequently C and N cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, but changes in litter quality associated with elevated CO2 are poorly known. Abscised leaf litter of two oak species (Quercus cerris L., and Q. pubescens Willd.) exposed to long-term

Characterization of Quercus species distributed in Jordan using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2013-03-20

Mar 20, 2013 ... improving conservation, restoration and reforestation strategies of Quercus in Jordan. Key words: Quercus spp., genetic ..... High variation leads to develop- ment of subspecies and varieties (Zohary, 1962). .... genetic diversity and differentiation of Quercus crispula in the. Chichibu Mountains, central Japan.

El ciclo del potasio en dehesas de Quercus rotundifolia y Quercus pyrenaica

OpenAIRE

Escudero Berián, Alfonso; García Criado, Balbino; Alonso Peloche, Herminio

1985-01-01

Hemos estudiado el ciclo del potasio en dehesas de Quercus rotundifolia Lam. y Quercus pyrenaica Willd. de la provincia de Salamanca. El potasio es el elemento que se transfiere en mayores proporciones a través de frutos y de material herbáceo, que son materias altamente digestibles. Por ello, su transferencia al subsistema herbívoro es mayor que para los restantes nutrientes. El potasio es también el macronutriente más intensamente extraído de los tejidos vegetables por el ...

Characterization of Quercus species distributed in Jordan using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2013-03-20

Mar 20, 2013 ... improving conservation, restoration and reforestation strategies of Quercus in Jordan. Key words: Quercus spp., genetic ... ciation of the Mediterranean sclerophyllous broad-leaf forests (Schiller et al., 2004a). ..... genetic diversity and differentiation of Quercus crispula in the. Chichibu Mountains, central ...

The influence of tree age and microhabitat quality on the occurrence of crustose lichens associated with old oaks

OpenAIRE

Ranius, Thomas; Johansson, Per; Berg, Niclas; Niklasson, Mats

2008-01-01

Questions: How do tree age, microhabitat characteristics and epiphytic competitors affect the occurrence of crustose lichens associated with old oaks? How do microhabitat characteristics and microclimate affect the cover of competitors (bryophytes and macrolichens)? How do microhabitat characteristics cor¬relate with microclimatic variables? Location: Southeast Sweden. Methods: Eight crustose lichen species were surveyed on 165 Quercus robur trees, 17-478 years old, at three study sit...

Combustion of cork waste in a circulating fluidized bed combustor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gulyurtlu, I.; Boavida, D.; Miranda, M.; Cabrita, I. [Dept. de Tecnologias de Combustao, ITE-INETI, Lisboa (Portugal); Abelha, P. [Coaltec e Ambiente, Lisboa (Portugal)

1999-07-01

There is currently an ongoing joint project between Portugal and Spain, which is being funded by the FAIR programme. The principal objective of the FAIR project is to investigate the application of the fluidised bed combustion (FBC) technology to burn cork wastes with the aim of overcoming the difficulties currently experienced in the cork processing industries. The combustion studies at INETI were carried out using the 300 kW{sub th} circulating fluidised bed facility. The combustor is square in cross section with each side being 0.3 m long. The combustor height is 5 m. The temperatures in the bed, the riser and that of the flue gases leaving the reactor were continuously monitored. The combustion gases leaving the reactor passed through the recycling cyclone first to capture most of particulates elutriated out of the combustor. The solid particles were intermittently collected for analysis to determine the amount of carbon present, which helped the combustion efficiency to be calculated. Instantaneous measurements of O{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, N{sub 2}O and SO{sub 2} present levels in the flue gases were also carried out. The combustion tests were done with both the cork waste dust and granular virgin cork. The difference is that cork dust gets contaminated during the process due to the use of various additives. Most of the combustion took place in the riser where the temperature was at times up to 523 K above that of the bed. The unburned carbon level was low ranging from about 1.5 to 2.% suggesting that most of the particles burned to completion in the riser. (orig.)

Final Environmental Assessment of Military Housing Privatization Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

2006-01-01

loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), pecan ( Carya illinoensis ), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), red oak (Quercus sp...blackjack oak (Q. marilandica), mockernut hickory ( Carya tomentosa), pignut hickory (C. glabra), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), winged elm (Ulmus alata

Flood vulnerability of critical infrastructure in Cork, Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Bruijn Karin M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recent flood events in Ireland and particularly in County Cork have caused significant disruption to health service provisions, interruption of water and power supplies, and damage to roads and other transportation infrastructure, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people over a prolonged period of weeks. These events clearly reveal- the vulnerability of the critical infrastructure to flooding and the dependence of society on critical infrastructure. In order to reduce the flood vulnerability and increase the resilience of the critical infrastructure networks in the future, detailed evidence-based analysis and assessment is essential. To this end a case study has been carried out on Cork City which analyses this vulnerability as it was in 2009, and as it is currently, and identifies adaptation options to reduce the future vulnerability of critical infrastructure to flooding and to build a more resilient society. This paper describes the storyline approach and CIrcle tool and their application to Cork City which focused on the analysis of the flood vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the impacts of failure of the infrastructure for other critical functions and on society.

INFLUENCE OF TORREFACTION ON SOME CHEMICAL AND ENERGY PROPERTIES OF MARITIME PINE AND PEDUNCULATE OAK

OpenAIRE

Floran Pierre; Giana Almeida; José Otavio Brito; Patrick Perré

2011-01-01

This study investigated the influence of heat treatment on the chemical composition and energy properties of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). Samples were treated in a new experimental device at 220, 250, or 280 degrees C for 1 or 5 hours. Chemical and energy analyses were performed using standard methods. Our results clearly demonstrated an increased degradation of the material due to the combined effects of temperature and treatment duration. This mass los...

Environmental Impact Assessment Sandia Laboratories, New Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

1977-05-01

awn (Aristida divaricata) 45. Arizona three-awn (Aristida arizonica ) 46. Purple three-awn (Aristida purpurea) 47. Wright’s three-awn (Aristida wrightii...californica) Willow Family *102. Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) Beech Family *103. Gambel oak ( Quercus gambelii) *104. Gray oak ( Quercus grisea...105. Shrub live oak ( Quercus turbinella) Elm Family *106. Siberian elm or Chinese elm (Ulmus pumila) 107. Netlead hackberry (Celtis reticulata) Nist

The Role of Tree Mortality in Vitality Assessment of Sessile Oak Forests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imre Berki

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: The drought-induced vitality loss of sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt. Liebl. has been continuously observed in Hungary for more than three decades. The decrease in stand density as a consequence of drought-induced mortality has not been taken into consideration in most of the monitoring methods. Materials and Methods: Forest stands without any forest intervention during the last 30 years were selected. Quadrats were designated for the analysis in 18 sessile oak stands along a climatic transect in which foliage transparency and stand density were measured. Drought stress was defined by the water balance approach. By combining the foliage transparency and the relative stand density, a new cumulative assessment method of stand level vitality was introduced to get a more realistic picture about the effects of long-term drought (lasting for several decades on the sessile oak forests in South-East Europe. Results: The calculated health status (100% - vital; 0% - dead of the sessile oak stands was between 70-90% in the moist South-West Hungary and below 50% close to its xeric limit. The individual tree-based vitality assessment method gave considerably higher values on 17 out of 18 sites. Conclusions: Forest monitoring should also consider stand level-based tree mortality in oak forests while assessing health condition especially close to its xeric limit. The proposed new method provides a more realistic picture about the effects of climate change on sessile oak stands particularly for forest managers interested in changing in the wood stock of forests.

Changes in understory species occurrence of a secondary broadleaved forest after mass mortality of oak trees under deer foraging pressure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroki Itô

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The epidemic of mass mortality of oak trees by Japanese oak wilt has affected secondary deciduous broadleaved forests that have been used as coppices in Japan. The dieback of oak trees formed gaps in the crown that would be expected to enhance the regeneration of shade-intolerant pioneer species. However, foraging by sika deer Cervus nippon has also affected forest vegetation, and the compound effects of both on forest regeneration should be considered when they simultaneously occur. A field study was conducted in Kyôto City, Japan to investigate how these compound effects affected the vegetation of the understory layer of these forests. The presence/absence of seedlings and saplings was observed for 200 quadrats sized 5 m ×5 m for each species in 1992, before the mass mortality and deer encroachment, and in 2014 after these effects. A hierarchical Bayesian model was constructed to explain the occurrence, survival, and colonization of each species with their responses to the gaps that were created, expanded, or affected by the mass mortality of Quercus serrata trees. The species that occurred most frequently in 1992, Eurya japonica, Quercus glauca, and Cleyera japonica, also had the highest survival probabilities. Deer-unpalatable species such as Symplocos prunifolia and Triadica sebifera had higher colonization rates in the gaps, while the deer-palatable species Aucuba japonica had the smallest survival probability. The gaps thus promoted the colonization of deer-unpalatable plant species such as Symplocos prunifolia and Triadica sebifera. In the future, such deer-unpalatable species may dominate gaps that were created, expanded, or affected by the mass mortality of oak trees.

Analysis of Pelletizing of Granulometric Separation Powder from Cork Industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Montero

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Cork industries generate a considerable amount of solid waste during their processing. Its management implies a problem for companies that should reconsider its reuse for other purposes. In this work, an analysis of pelletizing of granulometric separation powder, which is one of the major wastes in cork industries and which presents suitable properties (as an raw material for its thermal use, is studied. However, its characteristic heterogeneity, along with its low bulk density (which makes its storage and transportation difficult are restrictive factors for its energy use. Therefore, its densified form is a real alternative in order to make the product uniform and guarantee its proper use in boiler systems. Thus, the cork pellets (from granulometric separation powder in the study met, except for ash content specification, the specifications in standard European Norm EN-Plus (B for its application as fuel for domestic use.

Analysis of Pelletizing of Granulometric Separation Powder from Cork Industries.

Science.gov (United States)

Montero, Irene; Miranda, Teresa; Sepúlveda, Francisco José; Arranz, José Ignacio; Nogales, Sergio

2014-09-18

Cork industries generate a considerable amount of solid waste during their processing. Its management implies a problem for companies that should reconsider its reuse for other purposes. In this work, an analysis of pelletizing of granulometric separation powder, which is one of the major wastes in cork industries and which presents suitable properties (as an raw material) for its thermal use, is studied. However, its characteristic heterogeneity, along with its low bulk density (which makes its storage and transportation difficult) are restrictive factors for its energy use. Therefore, its densified form is a real alternative in order to make the product uniform and guarantee its proper use in boiler systems. Thus, the cork pellets (from granulometric separation powder) in the study met, except for ash content specification, the specifications in standard European Norm EN-Plus (B) for its application as fuel for domestic use.

Comparison of good- and bad-quality cork: application of high-throughput sequencing of phellogenic tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Fortes, Ana Margarida; Pinheiro, Carla; Pereira, Helena

2014-09-01

Cork is one of the most valuable non-wood forest products and plays an important role in Mediterranean economies. The production of high-quality cork is dependent on both genome and environment, posing constraints on the industry because an ever-growing amount of bad-quality cork (BQC) development has been observed. In order to identify genes responsible for production of cork of superior quality we performed a comparative analysis using the 454 pyrosequencing approach on phellogenic tissue of good- and bad-quality samples. The transcriptional profiling showed a high number of genes differentially expressed (8.48%) from which 78.8% displayed annotation. Genes more highly represented in BQC are involved in DNA synthesis, RNA processing, proteolysis, and transcription factors related to the abiotic stress response. Putative stomatal/lenticular-associated genes which may be responsible for the disadvantageous higher number of lenticular channels in BQC are also more highly represented. BQC also showed an elevated content of free phenolics. On the other hand, good-quality cork (GQC) can be distinguished by highly expressed genes encoding heat-shock proteins. Together the results provide valuable new information about the molecular events leading to cork formation and provide putative biomarkers associated with cork quality that can be useful in breeding programmes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Review of thromboembolic prophylaxis in patients attending Cork University Hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Stephen; Weaver, Daniel Timothy

2013-06-01

Although preventable, venous thromboembolism remains a common cause of hospital acquired morbidity and mortality. Guidelines, such as the one produced by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), are aimed at reducing hospital associated venous thromboemboli. Unfortunately the majority of studies have revealed inadequate adherence to these guidelines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis at Cork University Hospital. Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland. Data from the patient's chart, drug kardex and laboratory results were recorded during April 2010. A Caprini score, a venous thromboembolism risk factor assessment tool, was subsequently calculated for each patient based on data collected. Appropriate prophylaxis was determined after examining data collected, Caprini score and prophylactic regime according to the ACCP 8th edition guidelines. Primary outcome was to analyse adherence to VTE prophylaxis guidelines. A total of 394 patients met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed, of which, 60% (n = 236) were medical and 37% (n = 146) were surgical patients. In total 63% of patients received some form of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Furthermore, 54% of medical and 76% of surgical patients received prophylaxis. However only 37% of the patients studied received appropriate thromboprophylaxis according to the ACCP 8th edition guidelines (Geerts et al. in chest 133(6 Suppl):381S-453S, 2008). Additionally 51% of surgical and 27% of medical patients received appropriate prophylaxis. Data collected from Cork University Hospital revealed poor adherence to international venous thromboembolism prophylaxis guidelines. As stated in the ACCP 8th edition guidelines, every hospital should develop a formal strategy for venous thromboembolism prevention (Geerts et al. in chest 133(6 Suppl):381S-453S, 2008). In order to improve adherence to guidelines, Cork University Hospital should develop, implement and

Accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr in wood and bark of various types of oak and black alder plantings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perevolotskij, A.N.; Bulavik, I.M.; Perevolotskaya, T.V.; Paskrobko, L.A.; Andrush, S.N.

2008-01-01

Results of the evaluation of the influence of types of habitat edaphic conditions on 137Cs and 90Sr transition coefficients and their accumulation by wood and bark of English oak (Quercus robur L.) and black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn) were presented. There was observed the particular influence of edaphic conditions on 137Cs and 90Sr accumulation by wood and bark of English oak. Lowering of 137Cs transition coefficients for the studied elements of phytomass was noted in the conditions of soil fertility increasing. Influence of soil moistening on 137Cs transition into wood and bark of oak trees was stated only in wood-sorrel and glague types of forests. Differences in accumulation of 90Sr by wood and bark of English oak in the studied range of edaphotopes were not proved. There was not found any differences in accumulation of both radionuclides by black alder trees in the typical for them edaphic conditions

Land change in eastern Mediterranean wood-pasture landscapes: the case of deciduous oak woodlands in Lesvos (Greece).

Science.gov (United States)

Schaich, Harald; Kizos, Thanasis; Schneider, Stefan; Plieninger, Tobias

2015-07-01

In Mediterranean Europe, wood-pasture landscapes with oak woodlands as emblematic ecosystems are undergoing rapid land-use change, which may threaten their legacy as hotspots of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. The objective of this study was to quantify land cover changes and transitions as well as the dynamics of oak woodland patterns and densities over 50 years in two municipalities at the center and edges of Quercus macrolepis distribution in Northern Lesvos (Greece). We used aerial photographs from 1960 and WorldView-2 satellite images from 2010 to process land cover maps and metrics, and to calculate oak canopy cover with a point-grid sampling approach. Spatiotemporal dynamics of land cover change were generally high--especially between oak woodlands and grass- and shrub-lands, resulting in a more heterogeneous and fragmented landscape in 2010. Surprisingly, oak woodland area remained stable with marginal losses in one study site and gains in the other one. Oak canopy cover increased by 8 and 9%. Spatial hotspots of change were mountainous and peripheral phrygana areas with expanding oak stands, as well as river valleys and near urban areas with expanding olive groves and grass- and shrublands in former complex cultivation and oak stands. We conclude that the parallel processes of abandonment of crop cultivation and intensification of livestock grazing have been less detrimental to oak woodlands than supposed. To ensure long-term persistence of oak woodlands in the face of ongoing rural depopulation and land-use intensification, environmental and agricultural policies should better address their specificities as anthropogenic habitats.

Land Change in Eastern Mediterranean Wood-Pasture Landscapes: The Case of Deciduous Oak Woodlands in Lesvos (Greece)

Science.gov (United States)

Schaich, Harald; Kizos, Thanasis; Schneider, Stefan; Plieninger, Tobias

2015-07-01

In Mediterranean Europe, wood-pasture landscapes with oak woodlands as emblematic ecosystems are undergoing rapid land-use change, which may threaten their legacy as hotspots of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and cultural heritage. The objective of this study was to quantify land cover changes and transitions as well as the dynamics of oak woodland patterns and densities over 50 years in two municipalities at the center and edges of Quercus macrolepis distribution in Northern Lesvos (Greece). We used aerial photographs from 1960 and WorldView-2 satellite images from 2010 to process land cover maps and metrics, and to calculate oak canopy cover with a point-grid sampling approach. Spatiotemporal dynamics of land cover change were generally high—especially between oak woodlands and grass- and shrub-lands, resulting in a more heterogeneous and fragmented landscape in 2010. Surprisingly, oak woodland area remained stable with marginal losses in one study site and gains in the other one. Oak canopy cover increased by 8 and 9 %. Spatial hotspots of change were mountainous and peripheral phrygana areas with expanding oak stands, as well as river valleys and near urban areas with expanding olive groves and grass- and shrublands in former complex cultivation and oak stands. We conclude that the parallel processes of abandonment of crop cultivation and intensification of livestock grazing have been less detrimental to oak woodlands than supposed. To ensure long-term persistence of oak woodlands in the face of ongoing rural depopulation and land-use intensification, environmental and agricultural policies should better address their specificities as anthropogenic habitats.

Comparison of the autoecology of Quercus robur L. and Q. petraea (Mattuschka Liebl. stands in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Rodriguez-Campos

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present work is to characterize the functioning of the ecosystems of semideciduous and deciduous Atlantic oaks in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The studied species were: Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea (Mattuschka Liebl. To advance in the knowledge of the autecology of these species it is necessary to descend at the regional level and describe in detail the variability of the environment to determine their potential, and to decide the silvicultural treatments to be applied to preserve them and to analyze future actuations in order to a possible expansion. The analysis of the results allows knowing differences in continentality and site conditions, with more precipitation, soil variability and humidification in Q. petraea forests respect to Q. robur. These information represent appropriate measures for the sustainable and multifunctional management of these forests, useful as indicators environmental and forestry parameters as well as the conservation status of these formations.

Comparison of the autoecology of Quercus robur L. and Q. petraea (Mattuschka Liebl. stands in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Rodriguez-Campos

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present work is to characterize the functioning of the ecosystems of semideciduous and deciduous Atlantic oaks in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The studied species were: Quercus robur L. and Quercus petraea (Mattuschka Liebl. To advance in the knowledge of the autecology of these species it is necessary to descend at the regional level and describe in detail the variability of the environment to determine their potential, and to decide the silvicultural treatments to be applied to preserve them and to analyze future actuations in order to a possible expansion. The analysis of the results allows knowing differences in continentalityand site conditions, with more precipitation, soil variability and humidification in Q. petraea forests respect to Q. robur. These information represent appropriate measures for the sustainable and multifunctional management of these forests, useful as indicators environmental and forestry parameters as well as the conservationstatus of these formations.

Phytosociological studies of the forests with sessile oak and Norway spruce from South-Eastern Transylvania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Indreica

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The forests with sessile oak (Quercus petraea and Norway spruce (Picea abies from south-eastern Transylvania represent a peculiar type of phytocenoses, rather unusual for the present-day vegetation of Romania’s territory. Aim of the study is to provide a detailed description of the vegetation and to identify the phytosociological and typological units to which it could belong. Beside this, stand structure and regeneration status of the main tree species are illustrated. The studied area is located around Carpathian intermountain depressions Braşov and Ciuc, where vegetation had a peculiar history and today sessile oak forests on high altitude exists, interfering with spruce forests. The hypothesis of the process naturalness is supported by vegetation history in the area, climate, stand structure and peculiarities of herb layer composition (the mixture of relic of both mountain-boreal origin and south-European origin, like Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Pyrola rotundifolia and respectively Potentilla micrantha, Lathyrus venetus respectively. Sintaxonomically, studied phytocenoses with sessile oak and spruce belong mainly to acidophilus oak forests (Luzulo luzuloidis-Quercetum petraeae, but some of them resemble oak-hornbeam forests (Carici pilosae-Carpinetum, indicating a more recent change in stand structure and suggesting that not the soil, but the climate is the driving force of succession. Regeneration of sessile oak is at least satisfactory, but the expansion of spruce in such stands could seriously restrict the survival of sessile oak. A new typological unit will be appropriate,for a better management of sessile oak forests with spruce admixture.

Phytosociological studies of the forests with sessile oak and Norway spruce from South-Eastern Transylvania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Indreica

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The forests with sessile oak (Quercus petraea and Norway spruce (Picea abies from south-eastern Transylvania represent a peculiar type of phytocenoses, rather unusual for the present-day vegetation of Romania’s territory. Aim of the study is to provide a detailed description of the vegetation and to identify the phytosociological and typological units to which it could belong. Beside this, stand structure and regeneration status of the main tree species are illustrated. The studied area is located around Carpathian intermountain depressions Brasov and Ciuc, where vegetation had a peculiar history and today sessile oak forests on high altitude exists, interfering with spruce forests. The hypothesis of the process naturalness is supported by vegetation history in the area, climate, stand structure and peculiarities of herb layer composition (the mixture of relic of both mountain-boreal origin and south-European origin, like Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Pyrola rotundifolia and respectively Potentilla micrantha, Lathyrus venetus respectively. Sintaxonomically, studied phytocenoses with sessile oak and spruce belong mainly to acidophilus oak forests (Luzulo luzuloidis-Quercetum petraeae, but some of them resemble oak-hornbeam forests (Carici pilosae-Carpinetum, indicating a more recent change in stand structure and suggesting that not the soil, but the climate is the driving force of succession. Regeneration of sessile oak is at least satisfactory, but the expansion of spruce in such stands could seriously restrict the survival of sessile oak. A new typological unit will be appropriate, for a better management of sessile oak forests with spruce admixture.

Natural cork agglomerate employed as an environmentally friendly solution for quiet sandwich composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Sargianis, James; Kim, Hyung-ick; Suhr, Jonghwan

2012-01-01

Carbon fiber-synthetic foam core sandwich composites are widely used for many structural applications due to their superior mechanical performance and low weight. Unfortunately these structures typically have very poor acoustic performance. There is increasingly growing demand in mitigating this noise issue in sandwich composite structures. This study shows that marrying carbon fiber composites with natural cork in a sandwich structure provides a synergistic effect yielding a noise-free sandwich composite structure without the sacrifice of mechanical performance or weight. Moreover the cork-core sandwich composites boast a 250% improvement in damping performance, providing increased durability and lifetime operation. Additionally as the world seeks environmentally friendly materials, the harvesting of cork is a natural, renewable process which reduces subsequent carbon footprints. Such a transition from synthetic foam cores to natural cork cores could provide unprecedented improvements in acoustic and vibrational performance in applications such as aircraft cabins or wind turbine blades.

Macromycetes of oak-lime-hornbeam woods in the Niepołomice Forest near Kraków (S Poland - monitoring studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Władysława Wojewoda

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In the years 1994-1996 studies on macromycetes of the Niepołomice Forest near Kraków were made in four plots designated in deciduous forests (Tilio-Carpinetum stachyetosum with a population of Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur and Tilia cordata (the size of each plot was 1000 m2. The observations were made through an international project "Mycological monitoring in European oak forests". As many as 274 species were recorded, including 234 saprobic, 33 mycorrhizal, and 7 parasitic fungi. Moreover, 15 species of fungi are connected with oak, 24 species of fungi are threatened, and 16 species are new to Poland.

Response of two populations of holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia Lam.) to sulfur dioxide.

Science.gov (United States)

García, D; Rodríguez, J; Sanz, J M; Merino, J

1998-01-01

Experiments were carried out with seedlings of Quercus rotundifolia Lam., an evergreen schlerophyllous tree typical of the Spanish Mediterranean climate environments. Fruits were collected in two distant (800 km) populations located in the center (southern Spain) and northern border (northern Spain) of the area of distribution of the species. One-month-old potted plants were grown for 130 days in an enriched atmosphere of SO2 (0.23 ppm, 14 h/day) in controlled (growth chamber) conditions. Both northern and southern plants underwent a significant decrease in growth rate as a consequence of the treatment. Even so, plants appear to be quite resistant to SO2 compared with either more temperate or more productive species. The southern population was more sensitive to the treatment, as reflected by the bigger decrease in both growth and photosynthetic rates. Differences in resistance appear to be related to the biogeographic origin of the populations studied, which underlines the importance of biogeographic aspects in studies of resistance to air pollutants.

Comparisons of NDT Methods to Inspect Cork and Cork filled Epoxy Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Lingbloom, Mike

2007-01-01

Sheet cork and cork filled epoxy provide external insulation for the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) on the Nation's Space Transportation System (STS). Interest in the reliability of the external insulation bonds has increased since the Columbia incident. A non-destructive test (NDT) method that will provide the best inspection for these bonds has been under evaluation. Electronic Shearography has been selected as the primary NDT method for inspection of these bond lines in the RSRM production flow. ATK Launch Systems Group has purchased an electronic shearography system that includes a vacuum chamber that is used for evaluation of test parts and custom vacuum windows for inspection of full-scale motors. Although the electronic shearography technology has been selected as the primary method for inspection of the external bonds, other technologies that exist continue to be investigated. The NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) NDT department has inspected several samples for comparison with electronic shearography with various inspections systems in their laboratory. The systems that were evaluated are X-ray backscatter, terahertz imaging, and microwave imaging. The samples tested have some programmed flaws as well as some flaws that occurred naturally during the sample making process. These samples provide sufficient flaw variation for the evaluation of the different inspection systems. This paper will describe and compare the basic functionality, test method and test results including dissection for each inspection technology.

Drivers of radial growth and carbon isotope discrimination of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.) across continental gradients in precipitation, vapour pressure deficit and irradiance.

Science.gov (United States)

Voelker, Steven L; Meinzer, Frederick C; Lachenbruch, Barbara; Brooks, J Renée; Guyette, Richard P

2014-03-01

Tree-ring characteristics are commonly used to reconstruct climate variables, but divergence from the assumption of a single biophysical control may reduce the accuracy of these reconstructions. Here, we present data from bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.) sampled within and beyond the current species bioclimatic envelope to identify the primary environmental controls on ring-width indices (RWIs) and carbon stable isotope discrimination (Δ(13) C) in tree-ring cellulose. Variation in Δ(13) C and RWI was more strongly related to leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit (VPD) at the centre and western edge of the range compared with the northern and wettest regions. Among regions, Δ(13) C of tree-ring cellulose was closely predicted by VPD and light responses of canopy-level Δ(13) C estimated using a model driven by eddy flux and meteorological measurements (R(2)  = 0.96, P = 0.003). RWI and Δ(13) C were positively correlated in the drier regions, while they were negatively correlated in the wettest region. The strength and direction of the correlations scaled with regional VPD or the ratio of precipitation to evapotranspiration. Therefore, the correlation strength between RWI and Δ(13) C may be used to infer past wetness or aridity from paleo wood by determining the degree to which carbon gain and growth have been more limited by moisture or light. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Overstory density affects field performance of underplanted red oak (Quercus rubra L.) in Ontario

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel C. Dey; William C. Parker

1997-01-01

Red oak seedlings were underplanted in a closed-canopy mature northern hardwood stand and an adjacent shelterwood in central Ontario. Overstory density effects on seedling survival and growth were assessed 2 yr after planting. After 2 yr, seedling survival was 90% in the uncut stand and over 99% in the shelterwood. Seedlings in the uncut stand experienced negligible or...

Assessing the Cost of an Invasive Forest Pathogen: A Case Study with Oak Wilt

Science.gov (United States)

Haight, Robert G.; Homans, Frances R.; Horie, Tetsuya; Mehta, Shefali V.; Smith, David J.; Venette, Robert C.

2011-03-01

Economic assessment of damage caused by invasive alien species provides useful information to consider when determining whether management programs should be established, modified, or discontinued. We estimate the baseline economic damage from an invasive alien pathogen, Ceratocystis fagacearum, a fungus that causes oak wilt, which is a significant disease of oaks ( Quercus spp.) in the central United States. We focus on Anoka County, Minnesota, a 1,156 km2 mostly urban county in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region. We develop a landscape-level model of oak wilt spread that accounts for underground and overland pathogen transmission. We predict the economic damage of tree mortality from oak wilt spread in the absence of management during the period 2007-2016. Our metric of economic damage is removal cost, which is one component of the total economic loss from tree mortality. We estimate that Anoka County has 5.92 million oak trees and 885 active oak wilt pockets covering 5.47 km2 in 2007. The likelihood that landowners remove infected oaks varies by land use and ranges from 86% on developed land to 57% on forest land. Over the next decade, depending on the rates of oak wilt pocket establishment and expansion, 76-266 thousand trees will be infected with discounted removal cost of 18-60 million. Although our predictions of removal costs are substantial, they are lower bounds on the total economic loss from tree mortality because we do not estimate economic losses from reduced services and increased hazards. Our predictions suggest that there are significant economic benefits, in terms of damage reduction, from preventing new pocket establishment or slowing the radial growth of existing pockets.

Isoprenoid emission response to changing light conditions of English oak, European beech and Norway spruce

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Van Meeningen, Ylva; Schurgers, Guy; Rinnan, Riikka

2017-01-01

and stomatal conductance on three common European tree species, namely English oak (Quercus robur), European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and two provenances of Norway spruce (Picea abies) in Taastrup, Denmark. Leaf scale measurements were performed on the lowest positioned branches of the tree in July 2015. Light......, whereas other compounds, like camphene, had no significant emission response to light for most of the measured trees. English oak and European beech showed high light-dependent emission fractions from isoprene and sabinene, but other emitted compounds were light independent. For the two provenances...... be valid for a wider range of tree species. This information could be of importance when improving emission models and to further emphasize the discussion regarding light or temperature dependencies for individual compounds across species. Light is an important environmental factor controlling biogenic...

Chromatographic analysis of natural pigments L. and quercus infectoria oliv: produced from datisca cannabina plants and their antimicrobial activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deveoglu, O.; Muhammed, A.; Fouad, A.; Torgan, E.; Karadag, R.

2012-01-01

In this study, natural pigments from the hemp (Datisca cannabina L.) and dyer's oak ). 12H/sub 2/O (alum) mordant. A (Quercus infectoria Oliv.) dye plants were prepared by using KAl(SO/sub 4)/sub 2/ reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) method was used in the identification of dyes in the natural pigments. The dye extractions from the natural pigments were carried out with 37% HCl/MeOH/H/sub 2/O (2:1:1 v/v/v) mixture. Also, antimicrobial activity of crude extracts of plants and pigments were investigated. (author)

Experimental minimum threshold for Phytophthora cinnamomi root disease expression on Quercus suber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Socorro SERRANO

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Quercus suber seedlings were potted in soils infested with increasing concentrations of Phytophthora cinnamomi chlamydospores and submitted to weekly flooding for 3 months to favour root infections. Increasing quantities of chlamydospores led to an exponential increase in their ability to germinate. Root symptoms (necrosis and/or absence of feeder roots were significantly more severe than those recorded in uninfested soil only for plants potted in soils infested with 61 cfu g-1 or more. Although generated using potting mix, this minimum threshold represents a tool for checking the potential infectivity of infested soils or to assess the effectiveness of some control methods to reduce soil inoculum. However, a low level of root infection was recorded even at 3 cfu g-1. Therefore, long-term disease risk may be present whenever the pathogen is detectable in oak forest soils.

Predicting the economic costs and property value losses attributed to sudden oak death damage in California (2010-2020).

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacs, Kent; Václavík, Tomáš; Haight, Robert G; Pang, Arwin; Cunniffe, Nik J; Gilligan, Christopher A; Meentemeyer, Ross K

2011-04-01

Phytophthora ramorum, cause of sudden oak death, is a quarantined, non-native, invasive forest pathogen resulting in substantial mortality in coastal live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and several other related tree species on the Pacific Coast of the United States. We estimate the discounted cost of oak treatment, removal, and replacement on developed land in California communities using simulations of P. ramorum spread and infection risk over the next decade (2010-2020). An estimated 734 thousand oak trees occur on developed land in communities in the analysis area. The simulations predict an expanding sudden oak death (SOD) infestation that will likely encompass most of northwestern California and warrant treatment, removal, and replacement of more than 10 thousand oak trees with discounted cost of $7.5 million. In addition, we estimate the discounted property losses to single family homes of $135 million. Expanding the land base to include developed land outside as well as inside communities doubles the estimates of the number of oak trees killed and the associated costs and losses. The predicted costs and property value losses are substantial, but many of the damages in urban areas (e.g. potential losses from increased fire and safety risks of the dead trees and the loss of ecosystem service values) are not included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community composition of root-associated fungi in a Quercus-dominated temperate forest: “codominance” of mycorrhizal and root-endophytic fungi

Science.gov (United States)

Toju, Hirokazu; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Sato, Hirotoshi; Tanabe, Akifumi S; Gilbert, Gregory S; Kadowaki, Kohmei

2013-01-01

In terrestrial ecosystems, plant roots are colonized by various clades of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi. Focused on the root systems of an oak-dominated temperate forest in Japan, we used 454 pyrosequencing to explore how phylogenetically diverse fungi constitute an ecological community of multiple ecotypes. In total, 345 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of fungi were found from 159 terminal-root samples from 12 plant species occurring in the forest. Due to the dominance of an oak species (Quercus serrata), diverse ectomycorrhizal clades such as Russula, Lactarius, Cortinarius, Tomentella, Amanita, Boletus, and Cenococcum were observed. Unexpectedly, the root-associated fungal community was dominated by root-endophytic ascomycetes in Helotiales, Chaetothyriales, and Rhytismatales. Overall, 55.3% of root samples were colonized by both the commonly observed ascomycetes and ectomycorrhizal fungi; 75.0% of the root samples of the dominant Q. serrata were so cocolonized. Overall, this study revealed that root-associated fungal communities of oak-dominated temperate forests were dominated not only by ectomycorrhizal fungi but also by diverse root endophytes and that potential ecological interactions between the two ecotypes may be important to understand the complex assembly processes of belowground fungal communities. PMID:23762515

Anaerobic co-digestion of cork based oil sorbent and cow manure or sludge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cavaleiro, A.J.; Neves, T.M.; Guedes, A.P.; Alves, M.M.; Pinto, P.; Silva, S.P.; Machado de Sousa, Diana

2015-01-01

Cork, a material with great economic, social and environmental importance in Portugal, is also a good oil sorbent that can be used in the remediation of oil spills. The oil-impregnated cork can be easily removed, but requires further treatment. In the case of vegetable oil spills, anaerobic

Using Paleoecology to Inform Land Management as Climates Change: An Example from an Oak Savanna Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Jessica D.; Brunelle, Andrea; Hepola, Tim

2017-12-01

Oak savanna, a transitional ecosystem between open prairie and dense oak forest, was once widespread in Minnesota. Upon European settlement much of the oak savanna was destroyed. Recently, efforts to restore this ecosystem have increased and often include the reintroduction of fire. Though fire is known to serve an important role within oak savannas, there are currently few studies which address fire regimes on timescales longer than the last century. This research presents a paleoecological history of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in MN, USA, spanning the last 8000 years. The objectives of this study were to use charcoal, pollen, and magnetic susceptibility of lake sediments collected from Johnson Slough (JS) within the refuge to evaluate the natural range of variability and disturbance history of the oak savanna within the refuge, assess the success of current restoration strategies, and add to the regional paleoecological history. The mid/late Holocene period of the JS record shows a period of high fire activity from ca. 6500 to 2600 cal year BP, with a shift from prairie to oak savanna occurring over this same period. A (possibly agricultural) disturbance to JS sediments affected the period from ca. 2600 cal year BP to 1963 AD, which includes the time of Euro-American settlement. However, the destruction and subsequent restoration of the oak savanna is evident in a pollen ratio of Quercus:Poaceae, indicating that current restoration efforts have been successful at restoring the oak savanna to within the natural range of variability seen just prior to destruction.

Influence of the botanical origin and toasting level on the ellagitannin content of wines aged in new and used oak barrels.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, María; Kontoudakis, Nikolaos; Gómez-Alonso, Sergio; García-Romero, Esteban; Canals, Joan Miquel; Hermosín-Gutíerrez, Isidro; Zamora, Fernando

2016-09-01

The influence of the botanical origin (French oak: Quercus petraea and American oak: Quercus alba) and different toasting levels (light, medium and heavy) on the ellagitannin content of wines aged in oak barrels has been studied. This took place in two consecutive vintages in order to study what happens after the barrels have been already used for one year with another wine. This study was carried out with two red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon) and with two decolored white wines (Macabeo) from vintages 2012 and 2013 in order to work with a simpler matrix which facilitates chemical analysis. The results show that the botanical origin, toasting level and the number of times that the barrels have been used exert a major influence on the final ellagitannin concentration. In general, the behavior of all the individual ellagitannins was very similar to that described for the total ellagitannins. Briefly, the levels of total ellagitannins concentration in the decolored white wine aged for 12months in new French barrels ranged between 31.2mg/L in the lightly toasted and 4.7mg/L in the heavy toasted. In contrast, these levels were quite lower in American new barrels ranging between 3.6mg/L and 0.9mg/L. Finally, the total ellagitannin concentration decreased an average of 63% in the wines aged in the one year used barrels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using the SUBER model for assessing the impact of cork debarking rotation on equivalent annual annuity in Portuguese stands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulo, J.A.; Tomé, M.

2017-01-01

Aim of study: Use the SUBER model to evaluate the influence of the cork debarking rotation period (CDR) on equivalent annual annuity (EAA) value. Area of study: Nine simulated stands, varying in site index (14.4, 15.6, 17.1) and cork quality characteristics (high, medium, low). Material and methods: EAA values were computed considering CDR periods varying from 9 to 14 years, two contrasting structures of cork prices (high and low cork price scenarios), and three discount rate values (0.5%, 2% and 5%). Main results: For discount rates of 0.5% and 2% the impact of different CDR on the EAA is similar. In stands characterized by high to average site index values or high to medium cork quality characteristics, CDR of 9 and 11 years are associated with similar values of EAA. The variation of the CDR in stands characterized by low site index values and/or low cork quality characteristics did not have a relevant effect on the variation of EAA. For the simulations carried out with a discount rate of 5% the EAA decreases with the increase of CDR, indicating that the minimum legal value of 9 years for CDR should be applied. Research highlights: In stands characterized by high to average site index values or high to medium cork quality characteristics, a delay in the debarking may result in a significant increase of cork thickness and, as a result, of cork price. Detailed knowledge of cork and stand characteristics and updated information on cork prices structure and values are essential for the best usage of management tools such as the SUBER model, which can contribute to the decision-making process concerning the debarking operation.

Using the SUBER model for assessing the impact of cork debarking rotation on equivalent annual annuity in Portuguese stands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paulo, J.A.; Tomé, M.

2017-11-01

Aim of study: Use the SUBER model to evaluate the influence of the cork debarking rotation period (CDR) on equivalent annual annuity (EAA) value. Area of study: Nine simulated stands, varying in site index (14.4, 15.6, 17.1) and cork quality characteristics (high, medium, low). Material and methods: EAA values were computed considering CDR periods varying from 9 to 14 years, two contrasting structures of cork prices (high and low cork price scenarios), and three discount rate values (0.5%, 2% and 5%). Main results: For discount rates of 0.5% and 2% the impact of different CDR on the EAA is similar. In stands characterized by high to average site index values or high to medium cork quality characteristics, CDR of 9 and 11 years are associated with similar values of EAA. The variation of the CDR in stands characterized by low site index values and/or low cork quality characteristics did not have a relevant effect on the variation of EAA. For the simulations carried out with a discount rate of 5% the EAA decreases with the increase of CDR, indicating that the minimum legal value of 9 years for CDR should be applied. Research highlights: In stands characterized by high to average site index values or high to medium cork quality characteristics, a delay in the debarking may result in a significant increase of cork thickness and, as a result, of cork price. Detailed knowledge of cork and stand characteristics and updated information on cork prices structure and values are essential for the best usage of management tools such as the SUBER model, which can contribute to the decision-making process concerning the debarking operation.

New insights into the interactions between cork chemical components and pesticides. The contribution of π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivella, M À; Bazzicalupi, C; Bianchi, A; Fiol, N; Villaescusa, I

2015-01-01

The role of chemical components of cork in the sorption of several pesticides has been investigated. For this purpose raw cork and three cork extracted fractions (i.e. cork free of aliphatic extractives, cork free of all extractives and cork free of all extractives and suberin) were used as sorbent of three ionic pesticides (propazine, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and alachlor) and five non-ionic pesticides (chlorpyrifos, isoproturon, metamitron, methomyl and oxamyl) with a logKow within the range -0.47 to 4.92. The effect of cations on the ionic pesticides, propazine and 2,4-D sorption was also analyzed. Results indicated that the highest yields were obtained for chlorpyrifos and alachlor sorption onto raw cork (>55%). After removal of aliphatic extractives sorption of all pesticides increased that ranged from 3% for propazine to 31% for alachlor. In contrast, removal of phenolic extractives caused a sorption decrease. Low sorption yields were obtained for hydrophobic pesticides such as metamitron, oxamyl and methomyl (cork fractions and extremely low when using raw cork (cork toward aromatic pesticides. Results presented in this paper gain insights into the cork affinities for pesticides and the interactions involved in the sorption process and also enables to envisage sorption affinity of cork for other organic pollutants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Ionizing Radiation on the Cork Wastewater Treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, R.; Madureira, J.; Verde, S. Cabo; Nunes, I.; Santos, P. M.P.; Silva, T.; Leal, J. P.; Botelho, M. L. [Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Sacavém (Portugal)

2012-07-01

In the framework of the CRP on “Radiation treatment of wastewater for reuse with particular focus on wastewaters containing organic pollutants” Portuguese team is been developed studies on the implementation of ionizing radiation technology as a complementary treatment for industrial effluents and increase the added value of these wastewaters. Based on these assumptions, preliminary studies of the gamma radiation effects on the antioxidant compounds present in cork cooking water were carried out. Radiation studies were performed by using radiation between 20 and 50 kGy at 0.4 kGy/h and 2.4 kGy/h. The radiation effects on organic matter content were evaluated by Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The antioxidant activity was measured by Ferric Reducing Power (FRAP) assay. The total phenolic content was studied by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Results point out that gamma radiation increases both the amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of cork cooking water. By the other hand, the radiolytic degradation by ionizing radiation of gallic acid and esculetin as models for recalcitrants were studied. The objective of this study was to find out if radiolytic degradation, followed by microbial degradation could increase the treatment efficiency. A natural cork wastewater bacterium was selected from the irradiated wastewater at 9 kGy. The applied methodology was based on the evaluation of growth kinetics of the selected bacteria by turbidimetry and colony forming units, in minimal salt medium with non-irradiated and irradiated phenolic as substrate. The overall obtained results highlights the potential of this technology for increase the add value of cork waters and raised some issues to explain by new methodological setup on biodegradation studies. (author)

Application of Ionizing Radiation on the Cork Wastewater Treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, R.; Madureira, J.; Verde, S. Cabo; Nunes, I.; Santos, P.M.P.; Silva, T.; Leal, J.P.; Botelho, M.L.

2012-01-01

In the framework of the CRP on “Radiation treatment of wastewater for reuse with particular focus on wastewaters containing organic pollutants” Portuguese team is been developed studies on the implementation of ionizing radiation technology as a complementary treatment for industrial effluents and increase the added value of these wastewaters. Based on these assumptions, preliminary studies of the gamma radiation effects on the antioxidant compounds present in cork cooking water were carried out. Radiation studies were performed by using radiation between 20 and 50 kGy at 0.4 kGy/h and 2.4 kGy/h. The radiation effects on organic matter content were evaluated by Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The antioxidant activity was measured by Ferric Reducing Power (FRAP) assay. The total phenolic content was studied by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Results point out that gamma radiation increases both the amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of cork cooking water. By the other hand, the radiolytic degradation by ionizing radiation of gallic acid and esculetin as models for recalcitrants were studied. The objective of this study was to find out if radiolytic degradation, followed by microbial degradation could increase the treatment efficiency. A natural cork wastewater bacterium was selected from the irradiated wastewater at 9 kGy. The applied methodology was based on the evaluation of growth kinetics of the selected bacteria by turbidimetry and colony forming units, in minimal salt medium with non-irradiated and irradiated phenolic as substrate. The overall obtained results highlights the potential of this technology for increase the add value of cork waters and raised some issues to explain by new methodological setup on biodegradation studies. (author)

Dendrochronological Investigations of Valonia Oak Trees in Western Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Papadopoulos

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Valonia oak (Quercus ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis (Kotschy Hedge & Yalt. is an east Mediterranean endemic, xerothermic and deciduous tree of particular interest in forestry. There has been a growing demand lately to include the species in reforestations in Greece which also increased the interest to investigate its response to climate change. The main purpose of this research is to study valonia oak from a dendrochronological – dendroclimatological point of view within its Mediterranean distribution range. Materials and Methods: Sampling took place in characteristic valonia oak stands where cross sections or tree-cores were taken from 40 trees. The cross sections and the tree-cores were prepared and cross-dated using standard dendrochronological methods and tree-ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.001 mm using the Windendro software program. The ARSTAN program was used to standardize the tree-ring data and to calculate dendrochronological statistical parameters. The inter-annual variability of tree-ring width and the radial growth trend were examined. Finally, tree-ring widths to climate relationships were calculated by orthogonal regression in combination with the bootstrap procedure using master residual chronology and monthly precipitation, temperature data and scPDSI drought index, from October of the n-1 year up to November of the n year. Results: The master chronology of valonia oak trees in Western Greece reaches 365 years, with an average ring width of 0.89 mm and with mean sensitivity being 0.21. The variation of the tree-ring widths indicates the influence of climate and human intervention in the past. Tree-ring to climate relationships show that valonia oak growth is positively affected by precipitations in January and March and by drought reduction during June and July. Conclusions: Valonia oak in Western Greece is a species of great interest for dendrochronological and dendroclimatological studies

Management of Maritime Communities for Threatened and Endangered Species.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-05-01

S) mulletbush (B. halimifolia) (S) American barberry (Berchemia scandens) (L) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) (L) winged sumac...include coastal red cedar {Juniperus silicicola), red bay ( Persea borbonia), live oak (Quercus virginiana) and cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto; Stalter...scattered pines. The canopy is composed of live oak, slash pine, myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia), American olive (Osmanthus americanus), Chapman’s oak

Adaptive and plastic responses of Quercus petraea populations to climate across Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sáenz-Romero, Cuauhtémoc; Lamy, Jean-Baptiste; Ducousso, Alexis

2017-01-01

geographically diverse populations. The tests were planted on 23 field sites in six European countries, in order to expose them to a wide range of climates, including sites reflecting future warmer and drier climates. By assessing tree height and survival, our objectives were twofold: (i) to identify the source......How temperate forests will respond to climate change is uncertain; projections range from severe decline to increased growth. We conducted field tests of sessile oak (Quercus petraea), a widespread keystone European forest tree species, including more than 150 000 trees sourced from 116...... of differential population responses to climate (genetic differentiation due to past divergent climatic selection vs. plastic responses to ongoing climate change) and (ii) to explore which climatic variables (temperature or precipitation) trigger the population responses. Tree growth and survival were modeled...

Molding cork sheets to complex shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Sharpe, M. H.; Simpson, W. G.; Walker, H. M.

1977-01-01

Partially cured cork sheet is easily formed to complex shapes and then final-cured. Temperature and pressure levels required for process depend upon resin system used and final density and strength desired. Sheet can be bonded to surface during final cure, or can be first-formed in mold and bonded to surface in separate step.

Effects of acorn size and mass on seedling quality of northern red oak (Quercus rubra)

Science.gov (United States)

Stacy L. Clark; Scott E. Schlarbaum

2018-01-01

Oaks are not sustainable in many upland temperate forests because of poor recruitment resulting from natural regeneration. Artificial regeneration is an alternative to natural regeneration, but is difficult, in part, due to large variation in seedling quality.  In this study, we examined the effects of acorn size and mass on nursery...

Diffusion of oxygen through cork stopper: is it a Knudsen or a Fickian mechanism?

Science.gov (United States)

Lagorce-Tachon, Aurélie; Karbowiak, Thomas; Simon, Jean-Marc; Gougeon, Régis; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2014-09-17

The aim of this work is to identify which law governs oxygen transfer through cork: Knudsen or Fickian mechanism. This is important to better understand wine oxidation during post-bottling aging. Oxygen transfer through cork wafers is measured at 298 K using a manometric permeation technique. Depending on the mechanism, we can extract the transport coefficients. Increasing the initial pressure of oxygen from 50 to 800 hPa leads to a change in the values of the transport coefficients. This implies that oxygen transport through cork does not obey the Knudsen law. From these results, we conclude that the limiting step of oxygen transport through cork occurs in the cell wall following Fickian law. From the diffusion dependence's coefficients with pressure, we also extract by applying transition state theory an apparent activation volume of 45 ± 4 nm(3). This high value indicates that oxygen molecules also diffuse from one site to another by passing through a gas phase.

Destruction of chloroanisoles by using a hydrogen peroxide activated method and its application to remove chloroanisoles from cork stoppers.

Science.gov (United States)

Recio, Eliseo; Alvarez-Rodríguez, María Luisa; Rumbero, Angel; Garzón, Enrique; Coque, Juan José R

2011-12-14

A chemical method for the efficient destruction of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) and pentachloroanisole (PCA) in aqueous solutions by using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant catalyzed by molybdate ions in alkaline conditions was developed. Under optimal conditions, more than 80.0% TCA and 75.8% PCA were degraded within the first 60 min of reaction. Chloroanisoles destruction was followed by a concomitant release of up to 2.9 chloride ions per TCA molecule and 4.6 chloride ions per PCA molecule, indicating an almost complete dehalogenation of chloroanisoles. This method was modified to be adapted to chloroanisoles removal from the surface of cork materials including natural cork stoppers (86.0% decrease in releasable TCA content), agglomerated corks (78.2%), and granulated cork (51.3%). This method has proved to be efficient and inexpensive with practical application in the cork industry to lower TCA levels in cork materials.

A fast and cost-effective approach to develop and map EST-SSR markers: oak as a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cherubini Marcello

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs are a source of simple sequence repeats (SSRs that can be used to develop molecular markers for genetic studies. The availability of ESTs for Quercus robur and Quercus petraea provided a unique opportunity to develop microsatellite markers to accelerate research aimed at studying adaptation of these long-lived species to their environment. As a first step toward the construction of a SSR-based linkage map of oak for quantitative trait locus (QTL mapping, we describe the mining and survey of EST-SSRs as well as a fast and cost-effective approach (bin mapping to assign these markers to an approximate map position. We also compared the level of polymorphism between genomic and EST-derived SSRs and address the transferability of EST-SSRs in Castanea sativa (chestnut. Results A catalogue of 103,000 Sanger ESTs was assembled into 28,024 unigenes from which 18.6% presented one or more SSR motifs. More than 42% of these SSRs corresponded to trinucleotides. Primer pairs were designed for 748 putative unigenes. Overall 37.7% (283 were found to amplify a single polymorphic locus in a reference full-sib pedigree of Quercus robur. The usefulness of these loci for establishing a genetic map was assessed using a bin mapping approach. Bin maps were constructed for the male and female parental tree for which framework linkage maps based on AFLP markers were available. The bin set consisting of 14 highly informative offspring selected based on the number and position of crossover sites. The female and male maps comprised 44 and 37 bins, with an average bin length of 16.5 cM and 20.99 cM, respectively. A total of 256 EST-SSRs were assigned to bins and their map position was further validated by linkage mapping. EST-SSRs were found to be less polymorphic than genomic SSRs, but their transferability rate to chestnut, a phylogenetically related species to oak, was higher. Conclusion We have generated a bin map for oak