In the primary spruce-fir-Korean pine forest affected by historical windthrow, soil water-holding capacity shows complex spatial associations with forest microenvironment and soil physicochemical properties. However, its spatial variability and multi-factor hierarchical association pathways remain poorly understood. Taking the primary spruce-fir-Korean pine forest on a historically windthrow-affected site in the Liangshui National Nature Reserve, Xiaoxing’an Mountains, China as the research object, geostatistics and partial least-squares structural equation modeling were used to analyze the spatial pattern of topsoil (0–20 cm) water-holding capacity and its environmental association pathways. The results showed saturated, capillary and field water-holding capacities of topsoil exhibited moderate variability and strong spatial autocorrelation (all nugget to sill ratios < 25%), showing a patchy distribution. No significant direct association was detected between windthrow mechanical disturbance intensity and topsoil water-holding capacity. Bulk density (path coefficient = −0.685, p < 0.001) and soil porosity (path coefficient = 0.273, p < 0.001) had significant direct associations with soil water-holding capacity, whereas soil particle size distribution showed no significant effect (p > 0.05). Canopy structure and understory microclimate exerted indirect associations with soil water-holding capacity via soil structure; litter showed no significant associative effect (p > 0.05). These results indicate that soil water-holding capacity on the historically windthrow-affected site was not randomly distributed, but presented an ordered patchy pattern closely related to in-plot micro-environmental factors.
Zelkova schneideriana Hand.-Mazz. is an ecologically and economically valuable tree species in China, but its sensitivity to low temperature restricts its use in colder regions. To identify genes and pathways associated with chilling responses, we combined physiological screening, full-length transcriptome construction, Illumina RNA-seq, and time-ordered gene co-expression network analysis (TO-GCN). Fifty seedling lines were evaluated after 7 d at 4 °C, and the line with the lowest relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was selected for transcriptome profiling at 0, 3, and 6 d of chilling treatment. RNA-seq detected 5875 differentially expressed genes. Most expression changes occurred by day 3 and were largely maintained on day 6. Pathway reconstruction showed contrasting dynamics between antioxidant-related systems: Flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis were progressively activated, whereas glutathione-related genes, particularly glutathione S-transferase family members, were broadly repressed. TO-GCN highlighted ZeF3H (Ze_transcript_14112) as a late-stage hub associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis and ZeDRT102 (Ze_transcript_44427) as an early-stage hub linked to DNA damage repair and glutathione-associated genes. These results indicate that the chilling response in Z. schneideriana involves activation of flavonoid-based protection together with weakened glutathione-mediated redox regulation, providing candidate genes for functional validation and cold-resistance breeding. These insights provide a critical foundation for molecular breeding strategies that will ultimately facilitate the successful introduction and stable cultivation of this valuable species in northern temperate climates.
Mangrove replantation is widely implemented as a rehabilitation-oriented response to coastal degradation, yet many replanted stands remain poorly assessed after plantation. This study provides a preliminary dry-season post-plantation habitat characterization of an eight-year-old replanted Rhizophora mucronata stand at Sungai Ujung River, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its novelty lies in integrating vegetation structure, surface-active brachyuran taxonomic units, selected surface-water variables, and sediment texture within a single replanted stand where no baseline or long-term monitoring data were available. The final descriptive dataset included seven plots across three transects. Surface-active brachyurans and water-quality variables were recorded across five valid sampling occasions: three spring-tide and two neap-tide occasions. Because tidal period was a sampling-occasion-level condition and temporal replication was limited, spring–neap patterns were interpreted descriptively. Eight surface-active brachyuran taxonomic units comprising 676 individuals were recorded, dominated by Metopograpsus latifrons. Crab abundance, Shannon diversity, and water-quality profiles varied among occasions and plots. All 113 living mangrove individuals were R. mucronata, with established trees, visible seedlings, and scarce poles. Sediment texture ranged from sand-dominated to clay-rich substrates. These findings provide a structured reference point for future monitoring, but do not demonstrate replantation success, recovery trajectory, or functional recovery.
Seedling growth is an essential stage for the future growth of trees, and Paulownia is treated as a rapidly growing hardwood tree species with wide industrial application. There is a knowledge gap in the modeling and analysis of the seedling growth pattern of Paulownia hybrid clones under field nursery conditions. A total of 300 saplings belonging to 25 Paulownia hybrid clones (named PT1–PT25, 12 saplings per clone) were observed 16 times after flat stubble treatment, yielding 4800 records. After accounting for mortality under field nursery conditions, 118 saplings survived, resulting in 1888 valid records for model construction. Seven theoretical growth equations with clone-specific dummy variables were fitted using nonlinear mixed-effects models (NLMM) with an AR(1) correlation structure to account for the hierarchical structure of the repeated measurements. Among the seven candidate models, Hossfeld IV was selected as the optimal model for both ground diameter (AIC = 8250.62, RMSE = 1.47 mm, conditional R2 = 0.9892) and tree height (AIC = 15586.26, RMSE = 10.48 cm, conditional R2 = 0.9916). However, because the Hossfeld IV model lacks an analytical third derivative, the standard logistic model was adopted to calculate the biologically meaningful fast-growing period boundaries. PT24 exhibited the highest growth potential among all clones, with asymptotic maximum values of 86.76 mm for ground diameter and 490.00 cm for tree height. However, its low survival rate (25%, n = 3) limits its practical recommendation. In addition, height-to-diameter (H/D) ratio analysis revealed considerable variation among clones, ranging from 3.89 cm∙mm−1 (PT22) to 8.06 cm∙mm−1 (PT3). The H/D ratio showed no significant correlation with ground diameter A (r = 0.286, p = 0.166), but a significant positive correlation with tree height A (r = 0.660, p < 0.001). PT24 maintained a moderate H/D ratio (6.92) despite its superior growth, indicating favorable stem stability. PT6 (91.67% survival, moderate growth) represents a more robust alternative for breeding programs prioritizing establishment success. This study demonstrates that a dual-model strategy provides a robust framework for evaluating clone-specific growth potential and supports informed breeding decisions in Paulownia improvement programs.
Climate niches define species’ adaptive boundaries, forming a fundamental basis for understanding global patterns of plant diversity. However, existing assessments remain scale-limited or geographically confounded, leaving the complete picture of plant climate niches poorly understood. Here, we systematically evaluate the climate niches of 314,625 extant vascular plant species across a two-dimensional, orthogonal climate space defined by thermal and hydrological gradients, comparing how these niches diverge across plant growth and life forms. Our findings reveal that species richness peaks in warmer, central-to-right regions of climate space, whereas peripheral areas support far fewer species, indicating that few taxa adapt to extreme climatic conditions. Globally, most species exhibit intermediate niche breadths, with very few extreme specialists or broad generalists. Furthermore, both climatic niche breadth and positioning vary substantially across strategies. Across vegetative strategies, self-supporting woody taxa (trees and shrubs) as well as climbers and epiphytes generally maintain broader niches than herbs and subshrubs. In terms of niche positioning, herbs and subshrubs occupy cooler niches and, together with shrubs, show a general shift toward drier environments. Among life forms, annual therophytes and phanerophytes occupy the broadest climate spaces through different strategies. Specifically, phanerophytes and nanophanerophytes dominate warm and humid macroclimates, cold-tolerant hemicryptophytes shift heavily into colder climate space, and annual therophytes display strong drought adaptation by overwhelmingly occupying hyper-arid zones. These marked niche divergences among plant strategies advance our understanding of life-history adaptations and provide a crucial theoretical framework for predicting species vulnerability and guiding biodiversity conservation under future climate change.
Dryland shrub restoration is often assessed by vegetation recovery, yet belowground microbial organization remains less resolved. We analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) from four Caragana korshinskii plantations established 5, 10, 20 and 30 years before sampling. Within each plantation, five shrubs were sampled as within-plantation subsamples. Fine roots and rhizosphere samples were collected at 25–30 cm soil depth, while non-rhizosphere soils were collected at the same depth but 10 or 30 cm horizontally from the sampled root system. A soil-chemistry-matched subset defined a PCA-based edaphic axis (PC1 = 48.4%) that ordered the four sampled plantations and was associated with higher soil water content, lower electrical conductivity and lower total nitrogen and soil organic matter in the older plantations. ASV pools contracted from the soil to the rhizosphere and root compartments, indicating hierarchical filtering. Sample-level Bray–Curtis analyses showed strong microhabitat structuring, particularly for bacteria, while null-model analysis assigned most bacterial turnover to homogeneous selection (91.9%). Fungal turnover more often fell into the dispersal-limitation category (79.4%), but this ITS-based result should be interpreted cautiously. Rhizosphere candidate indicators and exploratory association-network summaries suggested differences among plantation age/site classes, including an apparent increase in retained associations in the 10-year plantation; however, these network comparisons are treated as hypothesis-generating because the network for each plantation age/site class was based on only five samples. Because each plantation age/site class was represented by a single plantation, plantation age is confounded with site, and all age-related patterns are interpreted descriptively within this chronosequence rather than as replicated temporal effects.
As the environmental sustainability of forest management has become an increasingly important consideration, incorporating environmental performance into timber harvesting operations has grown to be correspondingly critical. This shift is reflected in a growing move away from large-scale clear-cutting toward smaller-scale harvesting operations. To conduct such small-scale harvesting efficiently, mechanized systems have increasingly been introduced into practice, yet how these systems affect the soil environment relative to conventional harvesting methods remains insufficiently understood. In the Republic of Korea, where steep, mountainous terrain predominates, this knowledge gap is particularly consequential, as the conventional (chainsaw felling and excavator-based woodgrab extraction) system often produces spatially diffuse and severe surface soil damage. This study compared surface soil disturbances between conventional and small-scale mechanized (SSM) harvesting systems across three slope gradient classes (moderate, <20°; steep, 20–25°; very steep, >25°) at five harvesting units in the Republic of Korea. Disturbance was assessed at total of 2046 systematically distributed grid points using a four-class visual disturbance protocol, with continuous disturbance surfaces derived by inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation. The results indicate that SSM systems shift the pattern of disturbance rather than uniformly reducing it. On moderate slopes, SSM (grapple saw felling and clambunk skidding) reduced the proportion of severe, area-wide disturbance but concentrated deep rutting along fixed skid trails, producing significantly deeper ruts than the conventional system. On the steep slope, the SSM system pairing mechanized felling with swing yarder extraction substantially reduced both the extent and the severity of disturbance relative to the conventional system by eliminating in-stand machine travel during extraction. On the very steep slope, no paired conventional unit was available for comparison, but the SSM system using a small tower yarder resulted in a notably low level of surface disturbance. These findings suggest that the soil-protective benefit of SSM systems may depend on how machine traffic is distributed during felling and extraction, offering evidence to guide slope-specific system selection for environmentally sound timber harvesting.
Brown root rot disease (BRRD), caused by Pyrrhoderma noxium, creates a post-sanitation restoration problem where complete root excavation and soil fumigation are environmentally or operationally impractical. This retrospective observational study reconstructed archival records from an integrated management program at Shimen Reservoir, Taiwan, to characterize the field establishment and growth of Musa spp. as a candidate rapid-establishment component and Bischofia javanica as a potential long-term woody-canopy component. Across 15 management zones, the program planted 1045 B. javanica seedlings in 11 zones and 527 Musa plants in six zones. Four quarterly censuses recorded quarter-specific pooled alive-status proportions of 31.8, 31.1, 29.9, and 29.9% for B. javanica and 72.1, 70.4, 71.0, and 77.8% for Musa. Fixed monitoring cohorts of 95 B. javanica and 50 Musa documented continued growth among measurable individuals. Because plant groups and management zones were non-randomly allocated, no untreated controls were available, and plant-by-plant BRRD status was not systematically diagnosed, these results describe contrasting operational establishment trajectories rather than differential BRRD resistance. The records support ‘outpacing disease’ as a prospective restoration hypothesis—not a demonstrated pathogen-suppression or functional-restoration strategy—in which vegetation establishment may proceed while sanitation, monitoring, and selective woody re-establishment continue.
Mountain catchments integrate environmental gradients, disturbance legacies, and multiscale processes that shape how ecosystem functions vary across space and time. To better understand the role of these spatial processes, we analyzed whether ecosystem-function relationships in Patagonian headwater catchments are organized according to single multifunctionality gradients or are scale-dependent on ecosystem condition and structure. We fitted three expert-constrained Bayesian networks using field-measured ecosystem functions across three spatial resolutions: catchment (n = 12), forest clusters (n = 63), and forest plots (n = 175). Predictive performance varied strongly across scales and functions: at the catchment scale, firewood volume was best predicted (r = 0.79), whereas deadwood carbon stock, tree carbon stock, vascular richness, timber volume, and soil erosion showed negative predictive correlations (r = −0.14, −0.15, −0.33, −0.44, and −0.80, respectively). Specifically, at the forest-cluster scale, firewood volume, live tree carbon stocks, soil erosion, and deadwood carbon stocks were strongly predicted (r = 0.96, 0.81, 0.77, and 0.69). At the plot scale, firewood volume, tree carbon stock, deadwood carbon stock, and understory plant diversity showed the strongest local signal (r = 0.91, 0.67, 0.67, and 0.60). Bayesian networks revealed a recurrent positive wood–carbon structure linking tree carbon stock, firewood volume, deadwood carbon stock, tree carbon sequestration, and some soil responses. In contrast, understory plant diversity was more associated with local drivers such as elevation, canopy cover, slope, and tenure, and erosion control changed direction with scale and forest development stage. Findings show that monitoring should assess carbon- and wood-production-related functions together with biodiversity and soil-related functions across nested spatial scales, because trade-offs and synergies emerge as context- and scale-dependent relationships shaped by shared environmental and management drivers.
This study presents a systematic literature review combined with a bibliometric analysis of ecotourism within geoparks. A dataset of 194 scientific publications was retrieved from seven academic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Dimensions, Nature Journals, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, and CABI, covering the period 2010–2025. The study followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and transparency. Automated procedures were employed, including an integrated R-based approach for bibliographic record merging and deduplication using an automated method, and an automated IF function-based screening process. The results reveal a growing trend in ecotourism-related research within geoparks. The most influential publications primarily focus on visitor motivations and preferences, ecotourism products and visitor experiences, and community-based ecotourism, as well as conservation, environmental education, and sustainable geopark management. While geotourism continues to occupy a central position in geopark development, the findings suggest that ecotourism can complement geotourism by promoting environmental responsibility, conservation awareness, community participation, and the broader sustainable development objectives of geopark territories.
Dieback of Quercus is a serious environmental and economic problem in the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean basin, and the main causal factor is infection by the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands. Reliable and rapid methods for evaluating host susceptibility are needed to support breeding and selection programs. This study developed and evaluated an in vitro pathogenicity assay for screening cork oak (Quercus suber L.) genotypes using both mycelial and zoospore inoculation methods. The effects of inoculum type and dose, symptom development, pathogen establishment, and disease progression were assessed, and the ability of the assay to discriminate among host genotypes was evaluated. Both inoculation methods consistently induced infection, producing characteristic root necrosis followed by aerial symptoms and plant death. Root necrosis became visible within two days after zoospore inoculation, and successful pathogen re-isolation from surface-sterilized roots confirmed tissue colonization within 24 h. Observations suggest that survival time and root necrosis length are useful indicators of disease progression. Genotype-related differences were detected in time-based variables, namely time to first symptoms and time to complete necrosis in the mycelial-suspension assay and survival time in the zoospore assay, whereas early root necrosis and growth variables did not differ significantly among the tested genotypes. Overall, these results support the use of the proposed in vitro protocols as short-term approaches for the preliminary assessment of genotype responses to P. cinnamomi, complementing greenhouse and field evaluations.
In urban green spaces, stand density and pruning jointly modulate canopy structure, plant resource allocation, and leaf physiological traits. However, their interactive effects on the spatial heterogeneity of canopy photosynthetic characteristics remain poorly understood, which hinders the development of low-carbon, high-efficiency management strategies for urban forests. In this study, 50-year-old camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl) plantations with three density gradients were investigated to disentangle the interactive effects between stand density and pruning. The results showed that stand density dominated the resource competition regime within the canopy. In low-density stands, mean canopy leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), chlorophyll concentration (Chl), maximum net photosynthetic rate (Amax), stomatal conductance (gsw), mesophyll conductance (gm), actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (ΦPSII), maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vcmax), and maximum electron transport rate for RuBP regeneration (Jmax), were significantly higher than those in medium- and high-density stands. Most photosynthetic traits increased logarithmically with increasing light intensity in low-density stand, whereas they followed parabolic trends in medium- and high-density stands with depressed values observed in upper sunlit leaves. Pruning triggered a physiological compensatory response in remaining leaves, significantly enhancing canopy C, N, Chl, and photosynthetic parameters such as Amax, gsw, gm, and ΦPSII. Notably, the increments in canopy-averaged N, Chl, ΦPSII and Vcmax/Jmax following pruning were substantially greater in low-density stand than in medium- and high-density stands. Pruning predominantly regulated the spatial distribution of canopy photosynthesis. As stand density increased, pruning compensated for the insufficient photosynthetic capacity in the lower canopy, and decreased photosynthetic heterogeneity across canopy positions, but it failed to achieve targeted enhancements of whole-canopy photosynthetic potential. Concurrently, increasing stand density gradually shifted photosynthetic limitation from mesophyll to stomatal, and pruning further exacerbated stomatal limitation in the upper sunlit leaves of high-density stand. Consequently, high stand density weakened the responsiveness of photosynthetic traits to N. In addition, pruning significantly reduced nitrogen use efficiencies for Amax, gsw, gm, and Jmax, due to N redundancy in the low-density stand. This study advances the mechanistic understanding of how urban forest management optimizes within-canopy photosynthetic resource allocation, and provides scientific support for enhancing the carbon sink function of urban green spaces.
Environmental change can alter aboveground and belowground plant inputs, with consequences for soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling and their coupling. However, how soil C and N respond differently to root and litter removal, and which factors regulate these responses, remain unclear. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify changes in soil C and N following root and aboveground litter (hereafter, litter) removal and to identify the factors associated with these changes. We found that (1) litter removal significantly decreased soil organic C (SOC), dissolved organic C, total N, microbial biomass N, ammonium N concentrations and nitrous oxide emissions by 11%–30%, whereas root removal increased nitrate N concentration by 88%; (2) the response ratios of microbial biomass C and N were not correlated under either root or litter removal, whereas those of total C and N concentrations were positively correlated; (3) the effects of root and litter removal on soil C and N varied with season and soil depth, with the strongest responses occurring in autumn and winter and in the surface soil layer (0–10 cm); and (4) these responses were moderated primarily by leaf type and, to a lesser extent, by ecosystem type, elevation, mean annual precipitation, soil properties and experimental duration. Overall, our results clarify how altered plant inputs affect soil C and N pools and identify the conditions under which these effects are strongest, thereby informing predictions of C and N cycling under global change.
Soil is one of the most important natural resources on Earth; it is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability and human survival [...]
Post-transplant shock is a key barrier to seedling establishment in Mediterranean-type ecosystems, especially when plant species are selected without consideration of functional traits conferring drought resistance. In this study, we investigated the responses to soil water restriction after the planting of six native sclerophyllous species, with growth form and leaf habit of evergreen trees (Lithraea caustica, Quillaja saponaria, Escallonia pulverulenta, Peumus boldus), semideciduous (Colliguaya odorifera), and deciduous shrubs (Vachellia caven), in a Mediterranean-type climate site in Central Chile. Seedlings were outplanted with tree shelters on a fire-disturbed site and subjected to two contrasting watering regimes during summer (2 L−1 week−1 seedling−1 for 5 months versus no watering). We assessed growth, survival, gas exchange, and midday water potential one season after planting. Species differed markedly in their drought response strategies. Deciduous shrubs such as V. caven maintained high stomatal conductance and photosynthesis despite the relatively high water potential, whereas evergreen trees sustained lower water potential through pronounced stomatal closure. The highest survival (>80%) and height increments were observed in V. caven, Q. saponaria, and C. odorifera. In contrast, E. pulverulenta exhibited positive increments in height but medium survival (63%), whereas P. boldus exhibited the poorest survival (33%), indicative of low capacity to survive and successfully establish after dry summers in Mediterranean-type climates. The different strategies of the species to cope with the post-transplant shock and the harsh conditions of the planting site may guide the selection of appropriate species to guarantee the successful seedling establishment and to support the future restoration of degraded sites characterized by long periods of drought.
Climate change drives shifts in forest vegetation zones, and the major tree species of warm–temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests in South Korea are also expected to undergo changes in their potential distributions under future climate conditions. This study applied a Committee Averaging (CA) ensemble species distribution model to Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Quercus glauca, and Castanopsis sieboldii to project changes in their potential distributions under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) across two future periods (2050s and 2090s). To compare interspecific differences in response more clearly, we applied a two-tier threshold scheme that distinguished potential habitat (agreement ≥0.6) from highly suitable habitat (>0.8), and we concurrently conducted a Multivariate Environmental Similarity Surface (MESS) analysis to assess predictive uncertainty arising from extrapolation into future climates. The CA ensemble models showed excellent predictive performance (AUC 0.947–0.989; TSS 0.837–0.943). For Q. acuta, M. thunbergii, and Q. glauca, potential habitat expanded consistently across all SSP scenarios, and highly suitable habitat shifted northward into parts of the central and Gangwon regions. In contrast, both the potential habitat and the highly suitable habitat of C. sieboldii contracted under most future scenarios. These results demonstrate that even species belonging to the same warm–temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest community can respond differently to future climate. The two-tier threshold scheme applied in this study was effective not only for assessing whether distributions expand but also for delineating and evaluating climatically stable core habitats. Although our findings need to be interpreted in light of the uncertainty associated with extrapolation into future climates, they can serve as useful baseline data for establishing climate-change-adaptive forest conservation and species-specific management strategies.
This study employed a mixed-methods design combining a survey of 167 social workers in Seoul and in-depth interviews with three social welfare experts to explore strategies for integrating forest welfare services into the social service system. The survey results showed a high willingness to participate in forest welfare services. Demand was high for psychological and emotional stability (29.3%) and recreation and leisure enhancement (26.0%). Among the expected benefits, stress relief and improvement of psychological health showed the highest response rate (38.9%), while guaranteed participation during working hours was identified as the most important support needed (51.5%). Expert interviews indicated that a legal and institutional foundation, evidence of service effectiveness, professional program development, and cooperation among relevant organizations are necessary for sustained service operation and integration into the social service system. Based on these findings, this study proposes four major strategies for service revitalization: establishing a legal and institutional foundation, securing policy and academic evidence, developing tailored service models reflecting target characteristics, and establishing inter-organizational cooperation. These findings provide baseline information for future pilot implementation, effectiveness evaluation, and institutionalization of forest welfare services for social workers.
The growing demand for sustainable materials has renewed interest in replacing conventional petroleum-based wood adhesives with natural, environmentally friendly alternatives. This study evaluated the bonding performance of a conventional polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive and three natural adhesives—bone glue, fish glue and casein—for bonding European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) wood of Greek origin. Bond quality was assessed according to ISO 6238:2018 by measuring shear strength and wood failure under ambient laboratory conditions (23 ± 2 °C) and after exposure to 50 °C for 15 days, simulating elevated temperatures that may occur in indoor environments. PVAc exhibited the most consistent bonding performance, whereas casein achieved shear strength comparable to that of PVAc, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable alternative for interior wood bonding. In contrast, bone glue and fish glue exhibited lower shear strength, greater variability in bond performance, and practical limitations associated with their shorter working and setting times. The percentage of wood failure generally followed the same trend as shear strength, confirming the relationship between bond quality and adhesive performance. Moderate thermal exposure did not significantly affect shear strength but resulted in lower wood failure percentages for the natural adhesives, whereas PVAc maintained, and slightly improved, its bond strength after thermal exposure. These findings demonstrate the promising performance of casein as a natural wood adhesive while highlighting the influence of moderate thermal exposure on the durability of natural adhesive systems intended for indoor applications.
Ground-based logging operations cause soil compaction that constrains natural regeneration in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran, yet how soil textural properties modulate these effects on endemic tree species remains poorly understood. This study assessed the interactive effects of soil texture and compaction intensity on seedling growth and biomass allocation of Persian honeylocust (Gleditsia caspica Desf.) under controlled conditions. A factorial greenhouse experiment with three soil textures (loam, sandy loam, and silty clay loam) and six compaction levels (0–5 Proctor impacts) was conducted. After a 110-day growing period, morphological traits and biomass partitioning were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Significant soil texture × compaction interactions (p < 0.05) were found for lateral root length, primary and lateral root dry biomass, stem biomass, total biomass, leaf mass ratio, root mass ratio, and the lateral-to-primary root length ratio. In sandy loam, mild compaction (Level 1) increased total biomass by 39% (2.15 g) and lateral root length by 34% (448.5 cm) relative to the controls, indicating a beneficial compaction window. Loam soils exhibited an initial reduction in growth at low compaction levels, followed by recovery at moderate levels, suggesting physiological acclimation. Silty clay loam, with its high compressibility, suppressed root proliferation and aboveground growth across most compaction treatments. Axial traits, including stem length, primary root length, and root collar diameter, remained stable irrespective of treatment, highlighting a conservative developmental strategy. These results reveal that G. caspica employs a hierarchical adaptive strategy involving dynamic modulation of lateral root development and whole-plant carbon partitioning while preserving core axial architecture. The strong texture dependence of these responses highlights the need for texture-specific forest management. For restoration in degraded Hyrcanian landscapes, soil compaction thresholds should be calibrated to the dominant textural class to avoid exceeding the species’ ecological plasticity.
Efficient wood logistics is essential for a sustainable wood supply chain. In Poland, mounting symptoms of inefficiency highlight the need for a systematic and comprehensive performance assessment across the entire supply chain. Previous studies have predominantly focused on individual supply chain segments or specific stakeholder perspectives, but a comprehensive evaluation of wood supply chain efficiency in Poland remains unrealized. The study aimed to assess the efficiency of the timber supply chain at the Regional Directorate of State Forests level. The analysis encompasses the entire process from harvest planning to delivery to wood processing plants. The business-as-usual scenario derived from historical data is compared with improvement scenarios using a simulation–based optimization approach implemented in ArcGIS Pro 3.4.0. The scenarios are structured according to their decision-making impact: strategic logistics, tactical infrastructure, and operational routines. In total, 18 scenarios are developed to assess total operational costs, including environmental costs per m3 of timber. This covers harvesting, extraction, and transport across all feasible equipment combinations in Poland. The model’s performance was verified for timber harvesting and skidding.
