Adsorbents with three-dimensional porous structures have gained widespread attention due to their unique characteristics,including a large surface area,high porosity,and excellent absorption capacity.One of the produc...Adsorbents with three-dimensional porous structures have gained widespread attention due to their unique characteristics,including a large surface area,high porosity,and excellent absorption capacity.One of the products is the wood sponge.The key to successfully producing wood sponges lies in an optimal multistage delignification process,which is particularly influenced by wood species,solvent,time,and temperature.The aim of this research was to analyze the characteristics of wood sponge derived from sengon wood(Falcataria moluccana Miq.)after multistage delignification.The process involved delignification using NaOH and Na_(2)SO_(3) solutions at 100℃ for 8,9 and 10 h,followed by further delignification in H_(2)O_(2) solution at 100℃ for 1,2,3,and 4 h.The samples were then frozen at -20℃ for 24 h and freeze-dried at -53℃ for 48 h.The results showed that wood sponges treated at 100℃ exhibited lower density,larger pore diameters,brighter color,and superior absorption capacity compared to untreated wood and sponges treated at room temperature for 24 h.FTIR analysis confirmed a decrease in wavelength between 1032–1035 cm^(-1),indicating the degradation of hemicellulose and lignin.XRD analysis revealed that crystallinity increased as amorphous content decreased with prolonged delignification.The wood sponges demonstrated good porosity,with an absorption capacity ranging from 0.65 to 2.24 g/g.The optimal treatment suggested in this research was multistage delignification using NaOH and Na_(2)SO_(3) solution for 10 h,followed by a 1 h treatment with H_(2)O_(2) solution.展开更多
Growing climate change concerns have intensified the focus on agribusiness sustainability,driving an urgent energy transition to improve production efficiency and mitigate environmental harm.The complex interplay betw...Growing climate change concerns have intensified the focus on agribusiness sustainability,driving an urgent energy transition to improve production efficiency and mitigate environmental harm.The complex interplay between energy efficiency and energy consumption highlights the essential role of strategic energy policies in ensuring sustainable development.This study used the Double-Log regression model with bootstrap resampling to examine the rebound effect in the energy transition of agribusiness focusing on five Latin American countries including Brazil,Argentina,Uruguay,Colombia,and Mexico based on the agricultural sector data during 2010–2022.The findings revealed that the rebound effect significantly influences energy transition,with varying degrees of impact across agricultural sectors.This study identified partial rebound effect across all five countries,with elasticity coefficient varying from 9.63%(Colombia’s coffee sector)to 89.12%(Brazil’s livestock sector).In Brazil’s sugarcane sector,nonrenewable energy,agricultural employment,and irrigation efficiency were identified as key factors influencing energy consumption,while in livestock sector,energy consumption was affected by CH_(4)emissions,income and well-being of farmers,water consumption,and water conservation practices.In Mexico’s livestock sector,CH_(4)emissions,nonrenewable energy,and water conservation practices were the key factors affecting energy consumption.In Argentina’s sugarcane sector,pesticides,NO_(2)emissions,renewable energy,and agricultural employment were the key factors affecting energy consumption,while renewable energy,income and well-being of farmers,and water consumption were the key factors affecting energy consumption in livestock sector.In Uruguay’s livestock sector,non-renewable energy,income and well-being of farmers,and irrigation efficiency were the key factors affecting energy consumption.In Colombia’coffee sector,NO_(2)emissions and irrigation efficiency were identified as key factors influencing energy consumption.Finally,this study reinforces the importance of aligning energy transition with Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),ensuring that energy efficiency gains do not inadvertently increase energy consumption or environmental degradation.展开更多
We demonstrate a multi-method approach towards discovering and structuring sustainability transition knowl edge in marginalized mountain regions.By employing reflective thinking,artificial intelligence(AI)-powered tex...We demonstrate a multi-method approach towards discovering and structuring sustainability transition knowl edge in marginalized mountain regions.By employing reflective thinking,artificial intelligence(AI)-powered text summarization and text mining,we synthesize experts’narratives on sustainable development challenges and solutions in Kardüz Upland,Türkiye.We then analyze their alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)using document embedding.Investment in infrastructure,education,and resilient socio-ecological systems emerged as priority sectors to combat poor infrastructure,geographic isolation,climate change,poverty,depopulation,unemployment,low education levels,and inadequate social services.The narratives were closest in substance to SDG 1,3,and 11.Social dimensions of sustainability were more pronounced than environmental dimensions.The presented approach supports policymakers in organizing loosely structured sustainability tran sition knowledge and fragmented data corpora,while also advancing AI applications for designing and planning sustainable development policies at the regional level.展开更多
Testing techniques to reduce weed infestation is a crucial step in developing direct tree seeding systems. The use of pre-emergence herbicides may be an alternative to manual weeding techniques, but so far, informatio...Testing techniques to reduce weed infestation is a crucial step in developing direct tree seeding systems. The use of pre-emergence herbicides may be an alternative to manual weeding techniques, but so far, information on how they affect the seeds of native tree species is scarce. We established a greenhouse experiment to evaluate the effects of four pre-emergence herbicides (atrazine, diuron, isoxaflutole and oxyfluorfen) on weed suppression and seedling emergence and early growth of seven tropical forest tree species (Annona coriacea Mart., Citharexylum myrianthum Cham., Cordia ecalyculata Vell., Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub., Psidium guajava L., Pterogyne nitens Tul. and Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with five treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of a single dose of each pre-emergence herbicide and a control. Throughout the 60 days after sowing we evaluated weed cover and seedling emergence and early growth of tree species. Overall, our results suggest that all tested herbicides reduced weed cover; however, they also negatively affected tree species seedling emergence. Of the four herbicides tested, atrazine and diuron showed the greatest effects on tree seedling emergence, oxyfluorfen was least aggressive towards native species and isoxaflutole was most effective in weed control. Native tree species varied in their responses to herbicides, indicating that future experiments should increase the number of species tested as well as investigate how seed traits can affect the species responses to different herbicides.展开更多
Safeguarding biodiversity is an important component of the REDD+ scheme of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Information on tree species and their distribution is therefore needed for successf...Safeguarding biodiversity is an important component of the REDD+ scheme of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Information on tree species and their distribution is therefore needed for successful implementation of forestry carbon projects. Forest inventory data were collected in four natural forests located in Popa Mountain Park, Myanmar. Based on the data from 4-ha sample plots, average stem density ranges from 1293 trees ha-1 in dry dipterocarp forest to 804 tree ha-1 in dry evergreen forest. According to the Jackknife estimator for species richness (trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm), the highest number of species was recorded in dry mixed deciduous forest—74 species ha-1, and the lowest number of species recorded in dry forest—40 species ha-1. Dry mixed deciduous forest occupied the highest value on the Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson diversity index while the lowest was in dry forest, indicating that dry mixed deciduous forest is the most complex whereas dry forest is the simplest community. Not only does this study provide useful information on the current status of vegetation type but the information is important for designing forestry management systems that could result in biodiversity conservation and carbon emission reductions.展开更多
Patterns of woody regeneration in terms of species composition and diversity were studied in mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF) in Minbyin reserved forest of Lewe Township. A total of ...Patterns of woody regeneration in terms of species composition and diversity were studied in mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF) in Minbyin reserved forest of Lewe Township. A total of 57 plant species of MDF belonging to 28 families and 342 individuals and 25 plant species of DDF consist of 15 families and 285 individuals were identified. Plant species diversity was quantitatively higher in the MDF (H' = 3.68) compared to the DDF (H' = 2.39). Tectona grandis showed the highest density (30), dominance (4.40 m<sup>2</sup>) and IVI (27.01) of MDF and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus also composed the highest density (109), dominance (9.02 m<sup>2</sup>) and IVI (81.87) in DDF. The smallest diameter class (10 - 20 cm) comprised with 29 species, 103 individuals in MDF and 18 species, 85 individuals in DDF. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern. The largest numbers of species were concentrated in the smallest height class in both investigated forests because of height and diameter distribution is closely related. The total densities of seedlings and saplings were 1219 and 531 ha<sup>-1</sup> in MDF and 988 and 444 ha<sup>-1</sup> in DDF respectively. Although soil texture of (40 - 50 cm) and (90 - 100 cm) were sandy clay loam in mixed deciduous forest, the other layers of both investigated forests were sandy loam.展开更多
We investigated the correlation of large fires（[300 ha） from 1992 to 2013 within the borders of the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry using the Keetch–Byram drought index（KBDI）. Daily KBDI values were calc...We investigated the correlation of large fires（[300 ha） from 1992 to 2013 within the borders of the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry using the Keetch–Byram drought index（KBDI）. Daily KBDI values were calculated for each year, and values for the period before the year 2000 differed significantly from those after2000. After 2000（large fires occurred in 2004, 2006, 2007,2008, 2010, and 2013）, when KBDI values increased, the KBDI, but not the number of fires, was inversely correlated with the natural log of the burned area（NLBA）. While there were both high and low KBDI values when the NLBA was small, only high KBDI values were associated with high NLBA values. Particularly for logarithmic values of 4 and higher, KBDI values increased in parallel with increases in NLBA values. On the basis of a Mann–Whitney U test done in addition to a Pearson correlation test, we found that when the burned areas were grouped according to small and large areas, the KBDI could be used to distinguish the two groups. Using a conditional probability analysis, we found that 4th, 5th and 6th class KBDI values may lead to large fires at the 60 % possibility.Similarly, the possibility of large fires greater than the median burned area in any given 6 years was found to be48 %. In addition, while the mean value of KBDI is 390.51 for the period from May to September for these 6 years, it is 359.93 for the other years. Consequently, the area burned also increased as the KBDI classes（Class 0： 0–99, Class 1：100–199, Class 2： 200–299, Class 3： 300–399, Class 4：400–499, Class 5： 500–599, Class 6： 600–699, and Class 7：700–800） increase.展开更多
Understanding the environmental factors that influence tree species composition is essential for successful management of biodiversity and sustainable use of community forest resources.This study aims to assess tree s...Understanding the environmental factors that influence tree species composition is essential for successful management of biodiversity and sustainable use of community forest resources.This study aims to assess tree species composition and distribution in the deciduous Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest in Northern Thailand and to analyze the influence of environmental factors on tree biodiversity in the forest.We conducted a stratified systematic sampling of the forest’s total area of 3925 ha,and twenty-five 0.16 ha survey plots were established in three different stands of the deciduous forests to estimate and characterize the difference in biological diversity among the stands.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA)was used to investigate the environment factors affecting such differences in biodiversity of the stands.The results showed a high diversity of trees in the forest as 197 species,144 genera,and 62 plant families were recorded.The CCA ordination identified the environmental factors—the most important of which were elevation,distance to streams,soil moisture,organic matter,and distance to communities—that signifi-cantly influenced the diversity and distribution of tree species(p<0.05)in the community forest.Our findings indicate that the implementation of drought reduction measures such as building check dams,fire protection,and monitoring community forest-product usage would be recommended to further biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of community forest resources.展开更多
In tropical montane forests,compositional and structural changes are commonly driven by broad-scale altitudinal variation.Here,given the lack of knowledge on small-scale vegetation changes and temporal dynamics,we add...In tropical montane forests,compositional and structural changes are commonly driven by broad-scale altitudinal variation.Here,given the lack of knowledge on small-scale vegetation changes and temporal dynamics,we address the effects of small-scale variations in soil and altitude on tree community structure,temporal dynamics and phylogenetic diversity in a semi-deciduous tropical forest of the Atlantic Forest Domain,southeastern Brazil.In 2010 and 2015 we sampled thirty plots of 400 m^(2),set up along an altitudinal gradient between 1000 and 1500 m a.s.I..In each plot,we collected soil samples for chemical and textural analyses.We fitted linear models to test the effects of altitude and soil on community dynamics and phylogenetic parameters.Altitude and soil explained the spatial variation in number of individuals and phylogenetic diversity metrics.From lower to higher altitudes,we found decreasing fertility,increasing tree density and decreasing phylogenetic diversity.Altitude significantly influenced the increases in total biomass(from 240.9 to 255.4 t ha^(-1))and individual biomass(from 0.15 to 0.17 t)recorded in the interval.And while community temporal dynamics had rates of 1.96%for mortality,1.02%for recruitment,1.61%for biomass loss and 2.81%for biomass gain,none of them were explained by altitude or soil.Temporal species substitution averaged0.1 in the interval.Altogether,these results suggest that the small-scale variations in altitude and soil likely determine the conditions and resources that drive community assembly and structure,which are expressed by spatial variations along the altitudinal gradient.At the same time,temporal patterns were not influenced by altitude-related environmental variation,resulting in a similar dynamic behaviour across the gradient,suggesting that broad-scale factors may play a more important role than local ones.展开更多
Litterfall, which is influenced by physical and biological factors, is a major pathway for carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate monthly litterfall production i...Litterfall, which is influenced by physical and biological factors, is a major pathway for carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate monthly litterfall production in three forests in Jeju Island differentiated by forest composition and precipitation: Cheongsu(Quercus glauca as the dominant species;low precipitation), Seonheulb(Q. glauca as the dominant species;high precipitation), and Seonheulm(Q. glauca and Pinus thunbergii as the dominant species;high precipitation). Litterfall was collected monthly from April to December 2015 and divided into leaf litter, twig, bark, seeds, and unidentified materials.Seasonal patterns of litterfall production varied across stands according to their species composition. However,the amount of leaf litterfall and total litterfall were comparable among stands, ranging from 362 to 375 g m-2 for leaf litter and 524 g m-2 to 580 g m-2 for total litterfall.Oak leaf litter in May was the highest in all stands, while needle litter was the highest in December in Seonheulm.High twig litterfall in July may be attributable to high rainfall with strong winds and storms during the rainy season. Although forest type and climate factor had no influence on litterfall amounts in this study, the pattern of litterfall production was species dependent, suggesting diverse effects on carbon and nutrient cycling in these forests.展开更多
Forest roads require important design specifications to ensure all-season access for various vehicles. Long and heavy log trucks can face serious maneuvering problems on forest roads due to insufficient amount of area...Forest roads require important design specifications to ensure all-season access for various vehicles. Long and heavy log trucks can face serious maneuvering problems on forest roads due to insufficient amount of area to the left for road widening on horizontal curves. In order to provide safe and continuous shipment and transportation,appropriate curve widening areas should be provided for long vehicles along horizontal curves. In this study, a statistical model was developed to provide curve-widening solutions for long trucks（e.g., those with 18 wheels） considering various curve radius and deflection angles. The dynamic curve widening feature of Plateia 2013 program was employed to calculate curve widening for the specified vehicle. During the solution process, nine different horizontal curve diameters from 10 to 50 m（by 5 m intervals）and 17 different deflection angles from 90° to 170°（by 5°intervals） were evaluated to run horizontal curve-widening analysis. Using a multiple regression model, we made suitable predictions about curve widening. The curvewidening areas decrease as the horizontal curve radius increases, while increasing the deflection angle on horizontal curves increases curve widening areas. Clearly, the computer-based dynamic curve widening model developed in this study can be effectively used in determining optimum widening for horizontal curves by evaluating the number of alternatives that fit geometrical specifications and vehicle types.展开更多
Monitoring and understanding the changes in mangrove ecosystems and their surroundings are required to determine how mangrove ecosystems are constantly changing while influenced by anthropogenic, and natural drivers. ...Monitoring and understanding the changes in mangrove ecosystems and their surroundings are required to determine how mangrove ecosystems are constantly changing while influenced by anthropogenic, and natural drivers. Cosistency in high spatial resolution (30 m) satellite and high performance computing facilities are limiting factors to the process, with storage and analysis requirements. With this, we present the Google Earth Engine (GEE) based approach for long term mapping of mangrove forests and their surroundings. In this study, we used a GEE based approach: 1) to create atmospheric contamination free data from 1987-2017 from different Landsat satellite imagery;and 2) evaluating the random forest classifier and post classification change detection method. The obtained overall accuracy for the years 1987 and 2017 was determined to be 0.87 and 0.96, followed by a Kappa coefficient 0.80 and 0.94. The change detection results revealed a significant decrease in the agricultural area, while there was an increase in mangrove forest, shrimp/fish farm, and bareland area. The results suggest that interconversion of land use and land cover is affecting the landscape dynamics within the study area.展开更多
The Forest Department in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India developed Forest Management Information System (FMIS) for achieving organizational goals of improved financial and human resource management, improvement in t...The Forest Department in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India developed Forest Management Information System (FMIS) for achieving organizational goals of improved financial and human resource management, improvement in the management of forests and wildlife, and for achieving responsive administration. This paper, based on field research, presents an assessment of the dynamics of FMIS in organizational context for a better understanding of such systems in forestry organizations. The paper also investigates the success of FMIS in assisting decision makers in achieving organizational goals. Based on the knowledge developed during the course of the study, key learning elements have been highlighted for the benefit of the stakeholders in information systems in forest sector.展开更多
As forests in neotropical regions,particularly in developing countries,are devastated,interventions to restore biodiversity and its ecological functions are needed.Rural producers have thus been encouraged to grow tre...As forests in neotropical regions,particularly in developing countries,are devastated,interventions to restore biodiversity and its ecological functions are needed.Rural producers have thus been encouraged to grow trees for wood production as an economic activity.The objective of this study was to quantify the increment of wood density of four forest species from different successional classes of a mixed system of restoration in a neotropical forest in Brazil.Tree discs were sampled at breast height and analyzed radially by X-ray densitometry to obtain apparent density and basic density.Three trees each of a species from the pioneer,early and late secondary successional stages and of the dominant species in the climax community.The radial profiles indicated increasing density from the pith to bark of trunks,except for some variations due to wood defects and growth.Average density was 0.576 g cm^(-3),0.655 g cm^(-3),0.706 g cm^(-3)and 0.775 g cm^(-3),respectively,for Peltophorum dubium,Schinus terebinthifolius,Cariniana estrellensis and Hymenaea courbaril.Radial profiles indicated higher amplitudes in the apparent densities for slow-growing species.X-ray densitometry generated parameters such as minimum,average and maximum densities,and radial density variations.These parameters are important for understanding the ecological functional role of successional classes of the Atlantic Forest from the Neotropical region.展开更多
The original online version of this article (Noda, I. et al. (2014). Effects of Silvicultural Alternatives on Model-Based Financial Evaluation of Teak (Tectona grandis L.) Farm Forestry Management for Small-Scale Farm...The original online version of this article (Noda, I. et al. (2014). Effects of Silvicultural Alternatives on Model-Based Financial Evaluation of Teak (Tectona grandis L.) Farm Forestry Management for Small-Scale Farmers in Northeast Thailand. Open Journal of Forestry, 4, 558-569. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojf.2014.45060) was published in October. The author wishes to correct Table 5.展开更多
Teak (Tectona grandis L.) plantation management is said to be profitable, but small-scale farmers with teak plantations need to find appropriate and effective choices for plantation management because of their small p...Teak (Tectona grandis L.) plantation management is said to be profitable, but small-scale farmers with teak plantations need to find appropriate and effective choices for plantation management because of their small plots. There have been few studies on how combinations of site quality, rotation and plant spacing affect financial evaluations of teak plantation management quantitatively. In this study, we introduced the yield table for teak plantations in Northeast Thailand, and investigated the effects of site quality with rotation (15-year and 20-year) and spacing (2 m × 4 m and 4 m × 4 m) on the financial evaluation of teak plantation management using discounted cash flow analysis. The equivalent annual incomes (EAI) and benefit/cost ratios (BCR) were negative and <1, respectively, at site indexes (SI) of 14 and 18, but increased ~2 - 3 times as SI rose from 22 (site of medium quality) to 26 and 26 to 30. The 20-year rotation was generally preferable to the 15-year one, especially at SI 22. At SI 30, 2 m × 4 m was more profitable than 4 m × 4 m for both rotations, but at SI 22, 20-year rotation with 4 m × 4 m was the most profitable, followed by 20-year with 2 m × 4 m.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to classify current forest cover types,and to investigate stand development patterns for natural forests in six areas in northern Baekdudaegan,South Korea.Twenty-eight independent forest ...The purpose of this study was to classify current forest cover types,and to investigate stand development patterns for natural forests in six areas in northern Baekdudaegan,South Korea.Twenty-eight independent forest communities were aggregated into eight forest cover types by species composition in the overstory of each forest community.The forest cover types were of mixed mesophytic,‘‘others’ ’ deciduous,Quercus mongolica dominant,Q.mongolica pure,Pinus densiflora–Q.mongolica,P.densiflora,Betula ermanii,and Q.mongolica–P.koraiensis.The ecological information was organized by importance value and species diversity for each forest type.Based on the correlation between species diversity index and the abundance of Q.mongolica plus P.densiflora for corresponding forest cover types,we compared the developmental process and approximate successional pathway between each cover type.The P.densiflora forest cover type changes into the P.densiflora–Q.mongolica cover type,followed by the Q.mongolica dominant cover type through continuous invasion of the oak trees.Furthermore,the Q.mongolica pure cover type would spread toward the Q.mongolica dominant cover type with a mixture of various deciduous tree species.The Q.mongolica dominant cover type progresses through the other deciduous cover types to the mixed mesophytic cover type with diversified composition and structure.On the mid to lower slopes,with loamy soils and good moisture conditions,various deciduous forest types should progress,by ecological succession,toward the mixed mesophytic cover type without any further disturbance.展开更多
Trees create microclimate under their crowns in comparison to the outside ambient atmospheric temperature. Sun is the pivotal source of radiant energy reaching the earth atmosphere of which heat is more important than...Trees create microclimate under their crowns in comparison to the outside ambient atmospheric temperature. Sun is the pivotal source of radiant energy reaching the earth atmosphere of which heat is more important than light. The radiant energy reaches the ground without any barricade whereas the tree crown impedes it in reaching the earth’s surface. During the day, when insolation impinges on tree crown, a portion of it is reflected back to the space, other portion is absorbed by the canopy increasing the temperature of leaves and the remaining part reaches the ground penetrating through the crown. Thus, a significant coolness is experienced under the shade of trees in comparison to open sunshine, with qualitative variations. The cooling produced by trees under their shades varies with species to species due to variation in several anatomical, structural and physiological attributes of the species. Climate is changing more rapidly prominently due to human activities especially indiscriminate felling of trees and it is feared that it will create problems on availability of energy, water and food security. Economic value takes over ecological benefits in selection of species in plantation programmes and this might have been due to the lack of scientific data about varying effectiveness of ecological services bestowed by different species. In the present study, an endeavor has been made to understand as to how a tree is integrated to the effects on atmosphere and responses to changing conditions with respect to differential cooling produced by five selected forestry tree species belonging to different categories. Analysis of data has come out with gradation of the sample species in respect to their cooling effect in the atmosphere in terms of yearly, quarterly, monthly and diurnal basis.展开更多
The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes.The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the g...The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes.The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.There are few studies of invasive species in tropical Brazilian ecosystems.This research examines growth and ecological aspects of Syzygium cumini and Clitoria fairchildiana,two invasive tree species in the Pedra Branca State Park,an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil.Both species were successfully dated,indicating an average age of 58 and 31 years,respectively.A positive relationship between growth and precipitation of the previous growing season suggests an ecological adaptive strategy,which could be facilitating their invasion into the environment.Cumulative growth diameter curves indicate slow and fast growth rates for S.cumini and C.fairchildiana,respectively.Growth release episodes detected in the tree rings indicate increased anthropogenic disturbances over the last 50 years.展开更多
Deforestation of headwater in the Andes of Colombia is a historical process that has its origins in pre-Hispanic communities and in nineteenth and twentieth centuries, intensified by settlers and farmers. These lands ...Deforestation of headwater in the Andes of Colombia is a historical process that has its origins in pre-Hispanic communities and in nineteenth and twentieth centuries, intensified by settlers and farmers. These lands have been intended mainly to pasture cattle. Soil compaction, caused by the trampling of cattle, was evaluated in soils derived from volcanic ash (Andisols), with reference to values found for variables in undisturbed natural forests in the same region. The compared parameters were bulk density (Db), total porosity (α), soil resistance to penetration (Rp) and pore size distribution, analyzed by water retention curves (WRC). The grazed soils had significant differences with respect to the natural forest reference values: Db was 53.7% higher, α was reduced by 11.0% and Rp in the first 7.5 cm of the top soil was more than double, with an average increase of 275.2 to 527.2 kPa. The analysis indicated that compacted soils had relatively uniform reduction in distribution of macro, meso and micropores. It was concluded that deforestation followed by pasture land destination in steep headwaters generates significant compaction processes that can affect the infiltration, percolation and soil water storage, which would have important hydrological implications: augmentation of surface runoff and soil erosion, decreased the base flow and increased direct runoff. For this reasons, it is considered that forest restoration of headwaters is important for the maintenance of hydrological functions of large river systems.展开更多
基金funded by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan(NEDO)—NET ZERO EMISSION TA 2023 BATCH-2—with the Grant Number 28/Ⅲ.5/HK/2023Research Program by Research Organization of Nanotechnology and Materials,National Research and Innovation Agency(Grant Number B-1484/Ⅲ.10/TK.01.00/2/2024)Research Program by Research Assistant,National Research and Innovation Agency(Grant Number B-6932/Ⅱ.5/S1.06.01/9/2023).
文摘Adsorbents with three-dimensional porous structures have gained widespread attention due to their unique characteristics,including a large surface area,high porosity,and excellent absorption capacity.One of the products is the wood sponge.The key to successfully producing wood sponges lies in an optimal multistage delignification process,which is particularly influenced by wood species,solvent,time,and temperature.The aim of this research was to analyze the characteristics of wood sponge derived from sengon wood(Falcataria moluccana Miq.)after multistage delignification.The process involved delignification using NaOH and Na_(2)SO_(3) solutions at 100℃ for 8,9 and 10 h,followed by further delignification in H_(2)O_(2) solution at 100℃ for 1,2,3,and 4 h.The samples were then frozen at -20℃ for 24 h and freeze-dried at -53℃ for 48 h.The results showed that wood sponges treated at 100℃ exhibited lower density,larger pore diameters,brighter color,and superior absorption capacity compared to untreated wood and sponges treated at room temperature for 24 h.FTIR analysis confirmed a decrease in wavelength between 1032–1035 cm^(-1),indicating the degradation of hemicellulose and lignin.XRD analysis revealed that crystallinity increased as amorphous content decreased with prolonged delignification.The wood sponges demonstrated good porosity,with an absorption capacity ranging from 0.65 to 2.24 g/g.The optimal treatment suggested in this research was multistage delignification using NaOH and Na_(2)SO_(3) solution for 10 h,followed by a 1 h treatment with H_(2)O_(2) solution.
文摘Growing climate change concerns have intensified the focus on agribusiness sustainability,driving an urgent energy transition to improve production efficiency and mitigate environmental harm.The complex interplay between energy efficiency and energy consumption highlights the essential role of strategic energy policies in ensuring sustainable development.This study used the Double-Log regression model with bootstrap resampling to examine the rebound effect in the energy transition of agribusiness focusing on five Latin American countries including Brazil,Argentina,Uruguay,Colombia,and Mexico based on the agricultural sector data during 2010–2022.The findings revealed that the rebound effect significantly influences energy transition,with varying degrees of impact across agricultural sectors.This study identified partial rebound effect across all five countries,with elasticity coefficient varying from 9.63%(Colombia’s coffee sector)to 89.12%(Brazil’s livestock sector).In Brazil’s sugarcane sector,nonrenewable energy,agricultural employment,and irrigation efficiency were identified as key factors influencing energy consumption,while in livestock sector,energy consumption was affected by CH_(4)emissions,income and well-being of farmers,water consumption,and water conservation practices.In Mexico’s livestock sector,CH_(4)emissions,nonrenewable energy,and water conservation practices were the key factors affecting energy consumption.In Argentina’s sugarcane sector,pesticides,NO_(2)emissions,renewable energy,and agricultural employment were the key factors affecting energy consumption,while renewable energy,income and well-being of farmers,and water consumption were the key factors affecting energy consumption in livestock sector.In Uruguay’s livestock sector,non-renewable energy,income and well-being of farmers,and irrigation efficiency were the key factors affecting energy consumption.In Colombia’coffee sector,NO_(2)emissions and irrigation efficiency were identified as key factors influencing energy consumption.Finally,this study reinforces the importance of aligning energy transition with Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),ensuring that energy efficiency gains do not inadvertently increase energy consumption or environmental degradation.
基金work conducted under COST Action CA21125-a European forum for revitalisation of marginalised moun-tain areas(MARGISTAR)supported by COST(European Cooperation in Science and Technology)gratefully acknowledges the support received for the research from the University of Ljubljana’s research program Forest,forestry and renewable forest resources(P4-0059).
文摘We demonstrate a multi-method approach towards discovering and structuring sustainability transition knowl edge in marginalized mountain regions.By employing reflective thinking,artificial intelligence(AI)-powered text summarization and text mining,we synthesize experts’narratives on sustainable development challenges and solutions in Kardüz Upland,Türkiye.We then analyze their alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)using document embedding.Investment in infrastructure,education,and resilient socio-ecological systems emerged as priority sectors to combat poor infrastructure,geographic isolation,climate change,poverty,depopulation,unemployment,low education levels,and inadequate social services.The narratives were closest in substance to SDG 1,3,and 11.Social dimensions of sustainability were more pronounced than environmental dimensions.The presented approach supports policymakers in organizing loosely structured sustainability tran sition knowledge and fragmented data corpora,while also advancing AI applications for designing and planning sustainable development policies at the regional level.
基金financially supported by a Scientific Initiation Scholarship from FAPESP(So Paulo Research Council)financially supported by a Research Productivity Fellowship from CNPq(National Council for Research and Technological Development)
文摘Testing techniques to reduce weed infestation is a crucial step in developing direct tree seeding systems. The use of pre-emergence herbicides may be an alternative to manual weeding techniques, but so far, information on how they affect the seeds of native tree species is scarce. We established a greenhouse experiment to evaluate the effects of four pre-emergence herbicides (atrazine, diuron, isoxaflutole and oxyfluorfen) on weed suppression and seedling emergence and early growth of seven tropical forest tree species (Annona coriacea Mart., Citharexylum myrianthum Cham., Cordia ecalyculata Vell., Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub., Psidium guajava L., Pterogyne nitens Tul. and Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with five treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of a single dose of each pre-emergence herbicide and a control. Throughout the 60 days after sowing we evaluated weed cover and seedling emergence and early growth of tree species. Overall, our results suggest that all tested herbicides reduced weed cover; however, they also negatively affected tree species seedling emergence. Of the four herbicides tested, atrazine and diuron showed the greatest effects on tree seedling emergence, oxyfluorfen was least aggressive towards native species and isoxaflutole was most effective in weed control. Native tree species varied in their responses to herbicides, indicating that future experiments should increase the number of species tested as well as investigate how seed traits can affect the species responses to different herbicides.
文摘Safeguarding biodiversity is an important component of the REDD+ scheme of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Information on tree species and their distribution is therefore needed for successful implementation of forestry carbon projects. Forest inventory data were collected in four natural forests located in Popa Mountain Park, Myanmar. Based on the data from 4-ha sample plots, average stem density ranges from 1293 trees ha-1 in dry dipterocarp forest to 804 tree ha-1 in dry evergreen forest. According to the Jackknife estimator for species richness (trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm), the highest number of species was recorded in dry mixed deciduous forest—74 species ha-1, and the lowest number of species recorded in dry forest—40 species ha-1. Dry mixed deciduous forest occupied the highest value on the Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson diversity index while the lowest was in dry forest, indicating that dry mixed deciduous forest is the most complex whereas dry forest is the simplest community. Not only does this study provide useful information on the current status of vegetation type but the information is important for designing forestry management systems that could result in biodiversity conservation and carbon emission reductions.
文摘Patterns of woody regeneration in terms of species composition and diversity were studied in mixed deciduous forest (MDF) and deciduous dipterocarp forest (DDF) in Minbyin reserved forest of Lewe Township. A total of 57 plant species of MDF belonging to 28 families and 342 individuals and 25 plant species of DDF consist of 15 families and 285 individuals were identified. Plant species diversity was quantitatively higher in the MDF (H' = 3.68) compared to the DDF (H' = 2.39). Tectona grandis showed the highest density (30), dominance (4.40 m<sup>2</sup>) and IVI (27.01) of MDF and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus also composed the highest density (109), dominance (9.02 m<sup>2</sup>) and IVI (81.87) in DDF. The smallest diameter class (10 - 20 cm) comprised with 29 species, 103 individuals in MDF and 18 species, 85 individuals in DDF. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern. The largest numbers of species were concentrated in the smallest height class in both investigated forests because of height and diameter distribution is closely related. The total densities of seedlings and saplings were 1219 and 531 ha<sup>-1</sup> in MDF and 988 and 444 ha<sup>-1</sup> in DDF respectively. Although soil texture of (40 - 50 cm) and (90 - 100 cm) were sandy clay loam in mixed deciduous forest, the other layers of both investigated forests were sandy loam.
文摘We investigated the correlation of large fires（[300 ha） from 1992 to 2013 within the borders of the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry using the Keetch–Byram drought index（KBDI）. Daily KBDI values were calculated for each year, and values for the period before the year 2000 differed significantly from those after2000. After 2000（large fires occurred in 2004, 2006, 2007,2008, 2010, and 2013）, when KBDI values increased, the KBDI, but not the number of fires, was inversely correlated with the natural log of the burned area（NLBA）. While there were both high and low KBDI values when the NLBA was small, only high KBDI values were associated with high NLBA values. Particularly for logarithmic values of 4 and higher, KBDI values increased in parallel with increases in NLBA values. On the basis of a Mann–Whitney U test done in addition to a Pearson correlation test, we found that when the burned areas were grouped according to small and large areas, the KBDI could be used to distinguish the two groups. Using a conditional probability analysis, we found that 4th, 5th and 6th class KBDI values may lead to large fires at the 60 % possibility.Similarly, the possibility of large fires greater than the median burned area in any given 6 years was found to be48 %. In addition, while the mean value of KBDI is 390.51 for the period from May to September for these 6 years, it is 359.93 for the other years. Consequently, the area burned also increased as the KBDI classes（Class 0： 0–99, Class 1：100–199, Class 2： 200–299, Class 3： 300–399, Class 4：400–499, Class 5： 500–599, Class 6： 600–699, and Class 7：700–800） increase.
基金supported by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture(SEARCA)-ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry Strategic Response Fund(ASRF)under the ASEANSwiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change and by the R&D Program for Forest Science Technology(Project No.2018113C10-2020-BB01)provided by Korea Forest Service(Korea Forestry Promotion Institute).
文摘Understanding the environmental factors that influence tree species composition is essential for successful management of biodiversity and sustainable use of community forest resources.This study aims to assess tree species composition and distribution in the deciduous Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest in Northern Thailand and to analyze the influence of environmental factors on tree biodiversity in the forest.We conducted a stratified systematic sampling of the forest’s total area of 3925 ha,and twenty-five 0.16 ha survey plots were established in three different stands of the deciduous forests to estimate and characterize the difference in biological diversity among the stands.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA)was used to investigate the environment factors affecting such differences in biodiversity of the stands.The results showed a high diversity of trees in the forest as 197 species,144 genera,and 62 plant families were recorded.The CCA ordination identified the environmental factors—the most important of which were elevation,distance to streams,soil moisture,organic matter,and distance to communities—that signifi-cantly influenced the diversity and distribution of tree species(p<0.05)in the community forest.Our findings indicate that the implementation of drought reduction measures such as building check dams,fire protection,and monitoring community forest-product usage would be recommended to further biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of community forest resources.
基金Foundation for the Support to the Researches in Minas Gerais(FAPEMIG)Council for Scientific and Technological Development(CNPq)under the codes APQ-03501-09(FAPEMIG)and 481363/2009-2(CNPq)。
文摘In tropical montane forests,compositional and structural changes are commonly driven by broad-scale altitudinal variation.Here,given the lack of knowledge on small-scale vegetation changes and temporal dynamics,we address the effects of small-scale variations in soil and altitude on tree community structure,temporal dynamics and phylogenetic diversity in a semi-deciduous tropical forest of the Atlantic Forest Domain,southeastern Brazil.In 2010 and 2015 we sampled thirty plots of 400 m^(2),set up along an altitudinal gradient between 1000 and 1500 m a.s.I..In each plot,we collected soil samples for chemical and textural analyses.We fitted linear models to test the effects of altitude and soil on community dynamics and phylogenetic parameters.Altitude and soil explained the spatial variation in number of individuals and phylogenetic diversity metrics.From lower to higher altitudes,we found decreasing fertility,increasing tree density and decreasing phylogenetic diversity.Altitude significantly influenced the increases in total biomass(from 240.9 to 255.4 t ha^(-1))and individual biomass(from 0.15 to 0.17 t)recorded in the interval.And while community temporal dynamics had rates of 1.96%for mortality,1.02%for recruitment,1.61%for biomass loss and 2.81%for biomass gain,none of them were explained by altitude or soil.Temporal species substitution averaged0.1 in the interval.Altogether,these results suggest that the small-scale variations in altitude and soil likely determine the conditions and resources that drive community assembly and structure,which are expressed by spatial variations along the altitudinal gradient.At the same time,temporal patterns were not influenced by altitude-related environmental variation,resulting in a similar dynamic behaviour across the gradient,suggesting that broad-scale factors may play a more important role than local ones.
基金supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)funded by the Ministry of Education(2018R1D1A3B07045079)。
文摘Litterfall, which is influenced by physical and biological factors, is a major pathway for carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to investigate monthly litterfall production in three forests in Jeju Island differentiated by forest composition and precipitation: Cheongsu(Quercus glauca as the dominant species;low precipitation), Seonheulb(Q. glauca as the dominant species;high precipitation), and Seonheulm(Q. glauca and Pinus thunbergii as the dominant species;high precipitation). Litterfall was collected monthly from April to December 2015 and divided into leaf litter, twig, bark, seeds, and unidentified materials.Seasonal patterns of litterfall production varied across stands according to their species composition. However,the amount of leaf litterfall and total litterfall were comparable among stands, ranging from 362 to 375 g m-2 for leaf litter and 524 g m-2 to 580 g m-2 for total litterfall.Oak leaf litter in May was the highest in all stands, while needle litter was the highest in December in Seonheulm.High twig litterfall in July may be attributable to high rainfall with strong winds and storms during the rainy season. Although forest type and climate factor had no influence on litterfall amounts in this study, the pattern of litterfall production was species dependent, suggesting diverse effects on carbon and nutrient cycling in these forests.
文摘Forest roads require important design specifications to ensure all-season access for various vehicles. Long and heavy log trucks can face serious maneuvering problems on forest roads due to insufficient amount of area to the left for road widening on horizontal curves. In order to provide safe and continuous shipment and transportation,appropriate curve widening areas should be provided for long vehicles along horizontal curves. In this study, a statistical model was developed to provide curve-widening solutions for long trucks（e.g., those with 18 wheels） considering various curve radius and deflection angles. The dynamic curve widening feature of Plateia 2013 program was employed to calculate curve widening for the specified vehicle. During the solution process, nine different horizontal curve diameters from 10 to 50 m（by 5 m intervals）and 17 different deflection angles from 90° to 170°（by 5°intervals） were evaluated to run horizontal curve-widening analysis. Using a multiple regression model, we made suitable predictions about curve widening. The curvewidening areas decrease as the horizontal curve radius increases, while increasing the deflection angle on horizontal curves increases curve widening areas. Clearly, the computer-based dynamic curve widening model developed in this study can be effectively used in determining optimum widening for horizontal curves by evaluating the number of alternatives that fit geometrical specifications and vehicle types.
文摘Monitoring and understanding the changes in mangrove ecosystems and their surroundings are required to determine how mangrove ecosystems are constantly changing while influenced by anthropogenic, and natural drivers. Cosistency in high spatial resolution (30 m) satellite and high performance computing facilities are limiting factors to the process, with storage and analysis requirements. With this, we present the Google Earth Engine (GEE) based approach for long term mapping of mangrove forests and their surroundings. In this study, we used a GEE based approach: 1) to create atmospheric contamination free data from 1987-2017 from different Landsat satellite imagery;and 2) evaluating the random forest classifier and post classification change detection method. The obtained overall accuracy for the years 1987 and 2017 was determined to be 0.87 and 0.96, followed by a Kappa coefficient 0.80 and 0.94. The change detection results revealed a significant decrease in the agricultural area, while there was an increase in mangrove forest, shrimp/fish farm, and bareland area. The results suggest that interconversion of land use and land cover is affecting the landscape dynamics within the study area.
文摘The Forest Department in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India developed Forest Management Information System (FMIS) for achieving organizational goals of improved financial and human resource management, improvement in the management of forests and wildlife, and for achieving responsive administration. This paper, based on field research, presents an assessment of the dynamics of FMIS in organizational context for a better understanding of such systems in forestry organizations. The paper also investigates the success of FMIS in assisting decision makers in achieving organizational goals. Based on the knowledge developed during the course of the study, key learning elements have been highlighted for the benefit of the stakeholders in information systems in forest sector.
基金This study is funded by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel(CAPES).
文摘As forests in neotropical regions,particularly in developing countries,are devastated,interventions to restore biodiversity and its ecological functions are needed.Rural producers have thus been encouraged to grow trees for wood production as an economic activity.The objective of this study was to quantify the increment of wood density of four forest species from different successional classes of a mixed system of restoration in a neotropical forest in Brazil.Tree discs were sampled at breast height and analyzed radially by X-ray densitometry to obtain apparent density and basic density.Three trees each of a species from the pioneer,early and late secondary successional stages and of the dominant species in the climax community.The radial profiles indicated increasing density from the pith to bark of trunks,except for some variations due to wood defects and growth.Average density was 0.576 g cm^(-3),0.655 g cm^(-3),0.706 g cm^(-3)and 0.775 g cm^(-3),respectively,for Peltophorum dubium,Schinus terebinthifolius,Cariniana estrellensis and Hymenaea courbaril.Radial profiles indicated higher amplitudes in the apparent densities for slow-growing species.X-ray densitometry generated parameters such as minimum,average and maximum densities,and radial density variations.These parameters are important for understanding the ecological functional role of successional classes of the Atlantic Forest from the Neotropical region.
文摘The original online version of this article (Noda, I. et al. (2014). Effects of Silvicultural Alternatives on Model-Based Financial Evaluation of Teak (Tectona grandis L.) Farm Forestry Management for Small-Scale Farmers in Northeast Thailand. Open Journal of Forestry, 4, 558-569. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ojf.2014.45060) was published in October. The author wishes to correct Table 5.
文摘Teak (Tectona grandis L.) plantation management is said to be profitable, but small-scale farmers with teak plantations need to find appropriate and effective choices for plantation management because of their small plots. There have been few studies on how combinations of site quality, rotation and plant spacing affect financial evaluations of teak plantation management quantitatively. In this study, we introduced the yield table for teak plantations in Northeast Thailand, and investigated the effects of site quality with rotation (15-year and 20-year) and spacing (2 m × 4 m and 4 m × 4 m) on the financial evaluation of teak plantation management using discounted cash flow analysis. The equivalent annual incomes (EAI) and benefit/cost ratios (BCR) were negative and <1, respectively, at site indexes (SI) of 14 and 18, but increased ~2 - 3 times as SI rose from 22 (site of medium quality) to 26 and 26 to 30. The 20-year rotation was generally preferable to the 15-year one, especially at SI 22. At SI 30, 2 m × 4 m was more profitable than 4 m × 4 m for both rotations, but at SI 22, 20-year rotation with 4 m × 4 m was the most profitable, followed by 20-year with 2 m × 4 m.
基金support of ‘Forest Science&Technology Projects(Project No.S211012L030110)’ provided by Korea Forest Service
文摘The purpose of this study was to classify current forest cover types,and to investigate stand development patterns for natural forests in six areas in northern Baekdudaegan,South Korea.Twenty-eight independent forest communities were aggregated into eight forest cover types by species composition in the overstory of each forest community.The forest cover types were of mixed mesophytic,‘‘others’ ’ deciduous,Quercus mongolica dominant,Q.mongolica pure,Pinus densiflora–Q.mongolica,P.densiflora,Betula ermanii,and Q.mongolica–P.koraiensis.The ecological information was organized by importance value and species diversity for each forest type.Based on the correlation between species diversity index and the abundance of Q.mongolica plus P.densiflora for corresponding forest cover types,we compared the developmental process and approximate successional pathway between each cover type.The P.densiflora forest cover type changes into the P.densiflora–Q.mongolica cover type,followed by the Q.mongolica dominant cover type through continuous invasion of the oak trees.Furthermore,the Q.mongolica pure cover type would spread toward the Q.mongolica dominant cover type with a mixture of various deciduous tree species.The Q.mongolica dominant cover type progresses through the other deciduous cover types to the mixed mesophytic cover type with diversified composition and structure.On the mid to lower slopes,with loamy soils and good moisture conditions,various deciduous forest types should progress,by ecological succession,toward the mixed mesophytic cover type without any further disturbance.
文摘Trees create microclimate under their crowns in comparison to the outside ambient atmospheric temperature. Sun is the pivotal source of radiant energy reaching the earth atmosphere of which heat is more important than light. The radiant energy reaches the ground without any barricade whereas the tree crown impedes it in reaching the earth’s surface. During the day, when insolation impinges on tree crown, a portion of it is reflected back to the space, other portion is absorbed by the canopy increasing the temperature of leaves and the remaining part reaches the ground penetrating through the crown. Thus, a significant coolness is experienced under the shade of trees in comparison to open sunshine, with qualitative variations. The cooling produced by trees under their shades varies with species to species due to variation in several anatomical, structural and physiological attributes of the species. Climate is changing more rapidly prominently due to human activities especially indiscriminate felling of trees and it is feared that it will create problems on availability of energy, water and food security. Economic value takes over ecological benefits in selection of species in plantation programmes and this might have been due to the lack of scientific data about varying effectiveness of ecological services bestowed by different species. In the present study, an endeavor has been made to understand as to how a tree is integrated to the effects on atmosphere and responses to changing conditions with respect to differential cooling produced by five selected forestry tree species belonging to different categories. Analysis of data has come out with gradation of the sample species in respect to their cooling effect in the atmosphere in terms of yearly, quarterly, monthly and diurnal basis.
基金The work was partially supported by CAPES(Coordena玢o de Aperfei鏾amento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil-Finance Code 001).
文摘The Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes.The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity.There are few studies of invasive species in tropical Brazilian ecosystems.This research examines growth and ecological aspects of Syzygium cumini and Clitoria fairchildiana,two invasive tree species in the Pedra Branca State Park,an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil.Both species were successfully dated,indicating an average age of 58 and 31 years,respectively.A positive relationship between growth and precipitation of the previous growing season suggests an ecological adaptive strategy,which could be facilitating their invasion into the environment.Cumulative growth diameter curves indicate slow and fast growth rates for S.cumini and C.fairchildiana,respectively.Growth release episodes detected in the tree rings indicate increased anthropogenic disturbances over the last 50 years.
文摘Deforestation of headwater in the Andes of Colombia is a historical process that has its origins in pre-Hispanic communities and in nineteenth and twentieth centuries, intensified by settlers and farmers. These lands have been intended mainly to pasture cattle. Soil compaction, caused by the trampling of cattle, was evaluated in soils derived from volcanic ash (Andisols), with reference to values found for variables in undisturbed natural forests in the same region. The compared parameters were bulk density (Db), total porosity (α), soil resistance to penetration (Rp) and pore size distribution, analyzed by water retention curves (WRC). The grazed soils had significant differences with respect to the natural forest reference values: Db was 53.7% higher, α was reduced by 11.0% and Rp in the first 7.5 cm of the top soil was more than double, with an average increase of 275.2 to 527.2 kPa. The analysis indicated that compacted soils had relatively uniform reduction in distribution of macro, meso and micropores. It was concluded that deforestation followed by pasture land destination in steep headwaters generates significant compaction processes that can affect the infiltration, percolation and soil water storage, which would have important hydrological implications: augmentation of surface runoff and soil erosion, decreased the base flow and increased direct runoff. For this reasons, it is considered that forest restoration of headwaters is important for the maintenance of hydrological functions of large river systems.
