Under the “publish or perish” mantra and the race for grants, insights to catalyze research into wood science

The quality of research is the lifeline to get a good wood science, as science generally; embracing a ‘publish but don’t perish’ stance might be a valuable insight to stride this science forward. A focus on quality rather than quantity of published material would greatly reinvigorate our science and entrepreneurial capabilities, ensure continued public trust in the academic enterprise, address the needs and expectations of the 21st-century society, and help to secure a truly sustainable future, one that responsibly maintains the well-being of nature and people. Stimulating wood-based innovation certainly develops a fundamental niche in such sustainable future fitting the main goals of the sustainable development

Main phases of wood formation in chestnut (Castanea sativa) in Central Italy: comparison of seasons 2008 and 2009

We present wood formation in chestnut (Castanea sativa) during the growing seasons 2008 and 2009, compare its dynamics in the two years and discuss possible effects on wood quality. To this purpose, microcores containing wood, cambium and phloem were collected at weekly intervals from 10 chestnut trees growing at the Cimini mountains near Viterbo, Central Italy. In 2008, the onset of wood formation started before the first sampling on 17 April 2008. Onset of lignifi cation of the fi rst formed vessels was observed around 23 April (day of the year DOY 113.8 ± 5.3) and the fi rst latewood vessels were observed around 5 June 2008 (DOY 156.5 ± 7.7). Latewood formation continued until 29 September 2008 (DOY 273.9 ± 10.5) when the terminal cells of the newly formed xylem ring were fully lignifi ed. In 2009, the main phases of wood formation generally occurred earlier than in 2008. The expansion of earlywood vessels was observed around 10 April (DOY 99.7 ± 6.1), the onset of lignifi cation around 22 April (DOY 111.9 ± 7.4) and the first latewood vessels around 28 May 2009 (DOY 147.9 ± 4.7). Lignifi cation of the last formed cells was completed by 26 September 2009 (DOY 273.9 ± 10.5). The average duration of tree-ring formation was 161 days in 2008 and 169 days in 2009, the average ring widths were 3296 ± 1514 μm in 2008 and 3166 ± 1073 μm in 2009, and latewood percentages comprised 76% and 74% of the 2008 and 2009 tree-rings, respectively. The small differences in timing of wood formation phases in the two study years are probably due to small variations in climatic conditions between the two years and they did not seem to have a major impact on ring widths and latewood percentages, which are two important parameters affecting wood quality in ring porous wood species

Glavne faze razvoja drva pitomog kestena (Castanea sativa) u središnjoj Italiji – usporedba sezone 2008 i 2009

We present wood formation in chestnut (Castanea sativa) during the growing seasons 2008 and 2009, compare its dynamics in the two years and discuss possible effects on wood quality. To this purpose, microcores containing wood, cambium and phloem were collected at weekly intervals from 10 chestnut trees growing at the Cimini mountains near Viterbo, Central Italy. In 2008, the onset of wood formation started before the first sampling on 17 April 2008. Onset of lignification of the first formed vessels was observed around 23 April (day of the year DOY 113.8 ± 5.3) and the first latewood vessels were observed around 5 June 2008 (DOY 156.5 ± 7.7). Latewood formation continued until 29 September 2008 (DOY 273.9 ± 10.5) when the terminal cells of the newly formed xylem ring were fully lignified. In 2009, the main phases of wood formation generally occurred earlier than in 2008. The expansion of earlywood vessels was observed around 10 April (DOY 99.7 ± 6.1), the onset of lignification around 22 April (DOY 111.9 ± 7.4) and the first latewood vessels around 28 May 2009 (DOY 147.9 ± 4.7). Lignification of the last formed cells was completed by 26 September 2009 (DOY 273.9 ± 10.5). The average duration of tree-ring formation was 161 days in 2008 and 169 days in 2009, the average ring widths were 3296 ± 1514 μm in 2008 and 3166 ± 1073 μm in 2009, and latewood percentages comprised 76% and 74% of the 2008 and 2009 tree-rings, respectively. The small differences in timing of wood formation phases in the two study years are probably due to small variations in climatic conditions between the two years and they did not seem to have a major impact on ring widths and latewood percentages, which are two important parameters affecting wood quality in ring porous wood species.Rad obrađuje stvaranje drva pitomog kestena (Castanea sativa) tijekom vegetacije u 2008. i 2009. godini. Uspoređuje se dinamika stvaranja drva u te dvije godine i raspravlja o mogućem utjecaju na njegovu kvalitetu. Za tu su svrhu s deset stabala pitomog kestena u planinama Cimini, pokraj mjesta Viterbo u središnjoj Italiji, u tjednim intervalima skupljeni mikroizvrtci koji su sadržavali drvo, kambij i floem. Početak stvaranja drva u 2008. godini dogodio se prije uzimanja prvih uzoraka 17. travnja 2008. Početak lignifikacije prvooblikovanih traheja primijećen je oko 23. travnja (dan u godini DOY 113,8 ± 5,3), a prve traheje kasnog drva primijećene su oko 5. lipnja (DOY 156,5 ± 7,7). Stvaranje kasnog drva nastavljeno je do 29. rujna 2008. (DOY 273,9 ± 10,5), kad su završne stanice novostvorenoga goda drva bile potpuno lignificirane. U 2009. godini glavne su se faze stvaranja drva uglavnom pojavile ranije nego u 2008. godini. Širenje traheja ranog drva primijećeno je oko 10. travnja (DOY 99,7 ± 6,1), početak lignifikacije oko 22. travnja (DOY 111,9 ± 7,4), a prve traheje kasnog drva oko 28. svibnja 2009. (DOY 147,9 ± 4,7). Lignifi kacija zadnjih proizvedenih stanica završena je do 26. rujna 2009. (DOY 273,9 ± 10,5). Prosječno trajanje stvaranja goda drva u 2008. godini iznosilo je 161 dan, a u 2009. godini 169 dana. Prosječne širine godova bile su 3296 ± 1514 μm u 2008. godini i 3166 ± 1073 μm u 2009. godini, a postotni udjel kasnog drva iznosio je 76 i 74% godova u 2008., odnosno u 2009. godini. Male razlike u vremenu početka pojedine faza stvaranja drva u dvjema promatranim godinama vjerojatno su posljedica malih varijacija klimatskih uvjeta između te dvije godine i čini se da nemaju velik utjecaj na širinu godova ni na postotak kasnog drva, a to su dva važna čimbenika koji utječu na kvalitetu drva prstenasto poroznih vrsta

Procjena proizvodnje greda Uso fiume od arišovine u pilanskoj industriji regije Dolina Aosta - Sjeverozapadna Italija

“Uso Fiume” (UF) beams are a traditional peculiarity of the Italian wooden carpentry. They are produced by parallel sawing of the log on four faces, which results in wanes on their whole length, while their cross section is constant from end to end. Structural timber is subjected to the dispositions of the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and since January 2012 it can be placed on the market only if CE marked; structural timber with irregular section, such as UF beams, shall be graded on the basis of a specific procedure named European Technical Assessment (ETA). In particular, UF beams made of larch (Larix decidua Mill.) wood can be CE marked according to ETA –11/0219. This is a relevant factor for the enterprises of some Italian Regions, such as Aosta Valley, where larch is widespread and commonly used for producing structural assortments. In this context the present work aims to assess the characteristics of UF larch beams production in the above geographical site. To this purpose a survey was addressed at regional sawmills producing these assortments. The inquiry was also designed in order to investigate different aspects such as enterprises dimensions, origin of round wood and production methods. The survey gave a picture of this production reality and can provide useful considerations for similar cases in other Italian or European Regions.Uso Fiume (UF) grede tradicionalna su posebnost talijanske drvene građe. Proizvode se paralelnim piljenjem trupca u četiri plohe, što rezultira nepravilnim rubovima cijelom duljinom dok im je presjek ujednačen. Strukturna građa mora biti u skladu s Europskom uredbom o građevinskim proizvodima (CPR), a od siječnja 2012. može biti na tržištu samo ako ima oznaku CE. Strukturna građa nepravilnih dijelova kao što su UF grede mora se klasificirati na temelju određenog postupka koji se naziva europskom tehničkom procjenom (ETA). Konkretno, UF grede izrađene od drva ariša (Larix decidua Mill.) mogu biti označene CE oznakom u skladu s ETA - 11/0219. To je relevantan čimbenik za poduzeća u nekim talijanskim regijama kao što su Aosta Valley, gdje je ariš rasprostranjen i često se upotrebljava za izradu strukturnih proizvoda. U tom kontekstu, cilj je ovog rada procijeniti obilježja proizvodnje UF greda od arišovine u regiji Aosta Valley. Za tu svrhu provedena je anketa u pilanama regije koje proizvode UF grede. Anketni je upitnik izrađen tako da bi se mogli istražiti različiti aspekti proizvodnje kao što su dimenzije pilane, podrijetlo trupaca te proizvodne metode. Istraživanje je omogućilo da se stvori slika stvarne produktivnosti, koja može dati korisne podatke i zaključke za slične primjere u drugim talijanskim ili europskim regijama

Prospettive e potenzialità della digitalizzazione del settore forestale in Italia

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a key role for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management at local, regional, and global level. The ICT potential to easily exploit a wider and more up-to-date set of information on the economic, environmental, and so- cial value of forests is of relevant help for the daily work of technicians, land owners, and companies in boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of forest management. The concept of “Precision Forestry” (PF) was developed from the early 2000s, as a branch of precision farming or precision agriculture. PF includes the use of ICT, remote and proximal sensing technologies, and other devices to coordinate and control several processes on a spatial scale (“Precision”) for monitoring, planning, and managing forest resources (“Forestry”). The aim of this monography is to collect and describe some of the most important PF experiences applied or potential- ly useful for the Italian forestry sector. It may represent a reference guide for the stakeholders, such as forest owners, professional technicians, public administrators, and policy makers. The book includes eleven chapters reviewing the main tech- nological tools available in the Italian context and the most recent advances of ICT in forestry, also focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of their practical implementation. The opportunities and challenges of implementing PF meth- ods, practices and technologies are also discussed. In the first two chapters the precision forestry concept and its historical development are introduced. In the third chap- ter some basic elements of ICT, GIS, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), remote/proximal sensing, and related technologies which are essential for a better compre- hension of PF applications are recalled. In chapter 4 recent advances in large scale forest inventories with a focus on mapping and on the spatial estimation of forest variables integrating field surveys and multisource re- motely sensed data are described. Current advancements in the acquisition of field information including Terrestrial La- ser Scanning (TLS), new digital dendrometers, tree-talkers, terrestrial cameras, and APP for portable devices such as smartphones or tablets for dendrometric tree measures and new citizen science applications to support quantitative and qualitative spatial estimation of forest variables over large areas (i.e., forest health, fuel types) are also presented. The chapter ends up with the description of some experiences in the implementation of Forest Information Systems in Italy to provide a simple open-access to such new generation of spatial forest information. In chapter 5 PF tools, instruments, and technologies to sup- port sustainable forest management are illustrated. APPs developed to acquire field plots data to simulate manage- ment operations, the application of photogrammetric tech- nologies from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and TLS data for monitoring with high-spatial scale forest monitoring and for acquiring indicators at single tree level are presented. A de- tailed description of new user-friendly tools for forest roadplanning, design and construction, as well as forest opera- tion planning is also included. Precision forest tree farming (with particular reference to poplar cultivation), useful to promote and increase the prof- itability and sustainability of forest plantations within the Italian context is described in chapter 6. The innovation and enhancement within the supply chain of wood plantations (from planting to harvesting, including monitoring and identification of stress) by soil proximal sensing techniques, Early Warning Systems, and specific software are highlight- ed. Considering the even higher market demands, promoted by the large-scale planting programs for climate changes mit- igation and the demands for propagation material for en- vironmental recovery, innovative techniques and methods supported by ICT in the forest nursery sector are described in chapter 7. In chapter 8 available technologies related to precision har- vesting are analyzed and described taking into consideration the wood chain efficiency, by means of improved commu- nications between the owner/buyer and operators as well as among machineries used in forest operations, health and safety of forest operators, environmental impacts mitigation and recovery, and operators training. Advanced communi- cation systems and sensors for the exchange of data and information between machines, machine-equipments and/or machine-operators, teleoperations and automation are also described. Chapters 9 and 10 are related to wood products traceabil- ity, timber quality assessment as well as the technologies for the optimization of wood transformation processes. The concepts of wood product traceability and tracing, togeth- er with latest digital technologies for the identification and tracking of the logs (i.e., fingerprinting and RFID), are de- tailly reported. Chapter 11 is finally dedicated to the relationship between the EU policy framework and the digitalization process in both agricultural and forestry sectors. The book summarizes, under a proactive and homogeneous framework, PF methods, tools and technologies in relation with the digital transition of the Italian forestry sectors. The authors hope this book will be useful for improving the implementation of sustainable forest management practic- es at all levels in Italy, providing a comprehensive review useful for policy makers, technicians, forestry owners and students

A Qualitative Exploration of the Use of Contraband Cell Phones in Secured Facilities

Offenders accepting contraband cell phones in secured facilities violate state corrections law, and the possession of these cell phones is a form of risk taking behavior. When offenders continue this risky behavior, it affects their decision making in other domains where they are challenging authorities; and may impact the length of their incarceration. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of ex-offenders who had contraband cell phones in secured correctional facilities in order to better understand their reasons for taking risks with contraband cell phones. The theoretical foundation for this study was Trimpop\u27s risk-homeostasis and risk-motivation theories that suggest an individual\u27s behaviors adapt to negotiate between perceived risk and desired risk in order to achieve satisfaction. The research question explored beliefs and perceptions of ex-offenders who chose to accept the risk of using contraband cell phones during their time in secured facilities. Data were collected anonymously through recorded telephone interviews with 8 male adult ex-offenders and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated participants felt empowered by possession of cell phones in prison, and it was an acceptable risk to stay connected to family out of concern for loved ones. The study contributes to social change by providing those justice system administrators, and prison managers responsible for prison cell phone policies with more detailed information about the motivations and perspectives of offenders in respect to using contraband cell phones while imprisoned in secured facilities