Effects of Forwarder Operation on Soil Physical Characteristics: a Case Study in the Italian Alps

One of the most important issues in ground based wood extraction in forestry is to minimize the soil damage caused by heavy forestry machines. Generally, harvesting effects include changes in vegetation nutrient availability, soil microclimate/structure and litter quantity/ quality. Several studies were carried out on the impacts of heavy machines on the soil. However, only few studies took into consideration the effect of bogie tracks on the soil. The research focuses on the influence of forwarder machines equipped with bogie tracks on the soil compaction through changes of physical soil parameters and precisely bulk density, porosity, shear and penetration resistance. The study was carried out in a conifer stand of Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies L. in a forest of North-eastern Italy during logging with forwarder. In this site, 3 tracks were identified, 2 concerned loaded forwarder passages and 1 control (no passages). The tracks were: (i) track A with a slope of 31% with 2 passages and track B with a slope of 3% having 10 passages. Soil samples were collected on all tracks in order to determine the influence of forwarder passes on soil physical properties. The results showed a different impact of logging operations on the soil of different tracks. \ua9 2016, University of Zagreb. All rights reserved

Forest Road Planning, Construction and Maintenance to Improve Forest Fire Fighting: a Review

Forest roads play a key-role in fire fighting activities. In fact, all ground-based activities are strictly related to the presence of forest roads as access to fire edge. In spite of this important role, forest roads are often planned and built without considering their use in fire fighting, and this also occurs in literature, where few studies are dedicated to the importance of forest roads in fire fighting. A well-developed and well-maintained forest road network is the answer to different needs in fire management. The objective of this review is to clarify basic principles for obtaining efficient road network also for fire fighting, collecting, defining and resuming the main roles, the most important aspects and the reported experiences to be taken into account in forest road network planning and maintenance in fire-prone areas. The most important themes treated are related to: i) the analysis of the functions of forest roads in fire prevention and suppression; ii) the importance of forest road planning and building also considering their importance for protecting forests against fires: iii) the construction and maintenance characteristics to be considered for building and maintaining an efficient forest road network against fires; iv) the importance of fire prevention and the related role of forest roads. Special attention has been dedicated to maintenance activities, because a not well-maintained forest road is a not efficient forest road, and it represents a useless economic and environmental cost

Forest Road Planning, Construction and Maintenance to Improve Forest Fire Fighting: a Review

Forest roads play a key-role in fire fighting activities. In fact, all ground-based activities are strictly related to the presence of forest roads as access to fire edge. In spite of this important role, forest roads are often planned and built without considering their use in fire fighting, and this also occurs in literature, where few studies are dedicated to the importance of forest roads in fire fighting. A well-developed and well-maintained forest road network is the answer to different needs in fire management. The objective of this review is to clarify basic principles for obtaining efficient road network also for fire fighting, collecting, defining and resuming the main roles, the most important aspects and the reported experiences to be taken into account in forest road network planning and maintenance in fire-prone areas. The most important themes treated are related to: i) the analysis of the functions of forest roads in fire prevention and suppression; ii) the importance of forest road planning and building also considering their importance for protecting forests against fires: iii) the construction and maintenance characteristics to be considered for building and maintaining an efficient forest road network against fires; iv) the importance of fire prevention and the related role of forest roads. Special attention has been dedicated to maintenance activities, because a not well-maintained forest road is a not efficient forest road, and it represents a useless economic and environmental cost

Forest Road Planning, Construction and Maintenance to Improve Forest Fire Fighting: a Review

Forest roads play a key-role in fire fighting activities. In fact, all ground-based activities are strictly related to the presence of forest roads as access to fire edge. In spite of this important role, forest roads are often planned and built without considering their use in fire fighting, and this also occurs in literature, where few studies are dedicated to the importance of forest roads in fire fighting. A well-developed and well-maintained forest road network is the answer to different needs in fire management. The objective of this review is to clarify basic principles for obtaining efficient road network also for fire fighting, collecting, defining and resuming the main roles, the most important aspects and the reported experiences to be taken into account in forest road network planning and maintenance in fire-prone areas. The most important themes treated are related to: i) the analysis of the functions of forest roads in fire prevention and suppression; ii) the importance of forest road planning and building also considering their importance for protecting forests against fires: iii) the construction and maintenance characteristics to be considered for building and maintaining an efficient forest road network against fires; iv) the importance of fire prevention and the related role of forest roads. Special attention has been dedicated to maintenance activities, because a not well-maintained forest road is a not efficient forest road, and it represents a useless economic and environmental cost

N-glycans of Human Protein C Inhibitor: Tissue-Specific Expression and Function

Protein C inhibitor (PCI) is a serpin type of serine protease inhibitor that is found in many tissues and fluids in human, including blood plasma, seminal plasma and urine. This inhibitor displays an unusually broad protease specificity compared with other serpins. Previous studies have shown that the N-glycan(s) and the NH2-terminus affect some blood-related functions of PCI. In this study, we have for the first time determined the N-glycan profile of seminal plasma PCI, by mass spectrometry. The N-glycan structures differed markedly compared with those of both blood-derived and urinary PCI, providing evidence that the N-glycans of PCI are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. The most abundant structure (m/z 2592.9) had a composition of Fuc3Hex5HexNAc4, consistent with a core fucosylated bi-antennary glycan with terminal Lewisx. A major serine protease in semen, prostate specific antigen (PSA), was used to evaluate the effects of N-glycans and the NH2-terminus on a PCI function related to the reproductive tract. Second-order rate constants for PSA inhibition by PCI were 4.3±0.2 and 4.1±0.5 M−1s−1 for the natural full-length PCI and a form lacking six amino acids at the NH2-terminus, respectively, whereas these constants were 4.8±0.1 and 29±7 M−1s−1 for the corresponding PNGase F-treated forms. The 7–8-fold higher rate constants obtained when both the N-glycans and the NH2-terminus had been removed suggest that these structures jointly affect the rate of PSA inhibition, presumably by together hindering conformational changes of PCI required to bind to the catalytic pocket of PSA