Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Martin Baláš Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ivan Kuneš Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Vilém Podrázský Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Josef Gallo Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: František Lopot Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Designing and Machine Components, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Chemical forest amelioration: Experience from the Czech Republic and other selected countries - A review Abstract: This review article summarises the results of research on forest liming, fertilisation, nutrition flows and cycles in selected European and other countries. The presented studies mostly deal with assessing the effect of liming and fertilisation applied during planting or shortly after planting. The sporadic studies on fertilisation in older stands are also presented. The application of crushed limestone, dolomite or other alkaline rocks or their mixtures is usually used to improve the soil conditions on a large area through the adjustment of soil acidity and to supply any deficient elements, especially calcium and magnesium. These amendments are typically used on naturally nutrient-poor soils or as a curative technique to neutralise the soil chemistry affected by anthropogenic acidification. Artificial fertilisers are usually applied on small spots to individual trees on the surface of the soil shortly after planting or into a planting hole during planting. The purpose is to give some initial support to young trees to better overcome the post-planting shock and to accelerate the height growth. Less frequently, artificial fertilisers are used on large areas of forest stands for the purpose of increasing stem growth. The methods and the extent of forest fertilisation substantially vary in individual countries and different time periods. Keywords: afforestation and forest regeneration, forest fertilisation, macronutrients, tree growth, soil and foliage chemistry, soil remediation Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 103-121 Volume: 70 Issue: 3 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/72/2023-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/72/2023-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202403-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:70:y:2024:i:3:id:72-2023-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Megdouda Smail Author-Workplace-Name: Conservation, Management and Improvement of Forest Ecosystems Laboratory, National Higher Agronomic School, El Harrach, Algeria Author-Name: Zoubir Boubaker Author-Workplace-Name: Conservation, Management and Improvement of Forest Ecosystems Laboratory, National Higher Agronomic School, El Harrach, Algeria Author-Name: Mohamed Sbabdji Author-Workplace-Name: National Institute of Forest Research (INRF), El Hammamet, Algeria Author-Name: Habib Mouaissa Author-Workplace-Name: Agricultural Sciences Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Life, Ziane Achour University of Djelfa, Djelfa, Algeria Author-Name: Bimare Kombate Author-Workplace-Name: Botany and Plant Ecology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lomé, Lomé, Togo Title: Detecting land use/land cover changes and forest degradation: A case study of the lower Soummam valley, northern Algeria Abstract: The environment is characterised by subtle and major mutations that cause changes in land use/land cover. Analysis of its dynamics and identification of vulnerable areas are critical to maintaining ecosystem services. The aim of this research is to quantify and qualify land cover dynamics over a 30-year period. It will also highlight forest degradation from a supervised classification of Landsat satellite imagery (L5 TM1987, L7 ETM+ 2000, and L8 OLI/TIRS 2019). The dynamics of land use/land cover were investigated by a maximum likelihood approach using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). Six major land use and land cover (LULC) types were mapped (build-up, agriculture, forest, clearing, matorral and olive cultivation). The classification reports made it possible to assess a reduction in forest cover (from 14 470.11 ha to 5 203.26 ha) and an increase in buildings (from 6 033.69 ha to 9 515.61 ha), and agricultural land (from 9 517.59 ha to 12 338.19 ha). The results were validated by a kappa coefficient of 0.93, 0.91, and 0.96, which showed that the model had successfully predicted LULC changes. We anticipate that the results will provide a basis for decision-making as well as a starting point for further in-depth studies in sustainable management and development of natural resources in the study region. Keywords: change detection, deforestation, dynamics, geographic information system (GIS) remote sensing Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 122-134 Volume: 70 Issue: 3 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/86/2023-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/86/2023-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202403-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:70:y:2024:i:3:id:86-2023-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Carlos Borrego-Núñez Author-Workplace-Name: Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico Author-Name: Pablito Marcelo López-Serrano Author-Workplace-Name: Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico Author-Name: Pedro Antonio Domínguez-Calleros Author-Workplace-Name: Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico Author-Name: Jorge Luis Compeán-Aguirre Author-Workplace-Name: Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico Author-Name: Artemio Carrillo-Parra Author-Workplace-Name: Instituto de Silvicultura e Industria de la Madera, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Durango, Mexico Title: Use of the threshold segmentation method as an alternative for estimating the volume of forest industry residues Abstract: In recent decades, the interest in searching for procedures and strategies to make energetic and economic use of residues from different industries has been an important part of the political agenda. There are several methods to determine the volume of residues from the forestry industry, but they are too time-consuming to apply. The objective of the present study was to establish a simpler and more efficient method to quantify the volume of residues from the forest industry. Ten controlled piles were made with residues from a private sawmill in the city of Durango, Mexico. To calculate the volume, two manual methods and one automatic method were used to calculate the stacking coefficient of the piles, while the water immersion method was used to calculate the real volume. A completely random experimental design was used for the analysis, where an analysis of variance and mean comparisons were performed at a significance level of P ≤ 0.05. The results of the study show that the threshold segmentation method is faster, more practical and efficient than the other methods used. The estimation of the volume of these residues will contribute to generating sustainable alternatives for the development and use of forest industry resources. Keywords: residue measurement, sawmill industry, segmentation by threshold, stacking ratio, volume measurement Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 135-143 Volume: 70 Issue: 3 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/105/2023-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/105/2023-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202403-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:70:y:2024:i:3:id:105-2023-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Milan Marušiak Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Engineering, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Tomáš Zemánek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Engineering, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jindřich Neruda Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Engineering, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Pavel Nevrkla Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Engineering, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Calculation and operational assessment of tyre contact areas in the tractor-and-trailer unit Abstract: This paper deals with the verification of models for the calculation of the contact area with the soil using data measured during the testing of a tractor-and-trailer unit. The main emphasis was put on the method of calculating the contact area by means of a super ellipse. The comparison included calculation models with the input parameters of contact length and contact width of the tyre. These parameters were compared with values measured in the field where the main variables were tyre dimensions, inflation pressure and load. Results of comparisons show that the method of calculating the contact area using a super ellipse exhibited the best match with the measured values of all compared calculation models (81% in super ellipse with measured half-axes and 75% in super ellipse with calculated half-axes). As to trailer tyres, the match of measured values and those calculated using a super ellipse was even 95%. In the second step, also some empirical models for calculating the contact area were compared with the measured data, not entered by contact length and contact width as variables. Some of these models show a very good match with the measured data, which can be compared, or it is even higher than the calculation by means of a super ellipse. With the specified tyre deformation, however, we consider the model of calculation using a super ellipse as more appropriate for determining the size of contact area as it focuses on the geometry of tyre contact with the ground. Keywords: calculation model, forest machinery, super ellipse, tyre footprint Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 144-159 Volume: 70 Issue: 3 Year: 2024 DOI: 10.17221/109/2023-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/109/2023-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-202403-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:70:y:2024:i:3:id:109-2023-JFS