Optimization of a quality model for CCA industrial impregnation of Pinus radiata D. Don agricultural fencing stakes

Impregnation of agricultural fencing stakes (Pinus radiata D. Don) using wood preservative solutions, like chromated copper arsenate (CCA-C), a water soluble salt, to protect them from decay and insect damage was investigated through the method of global modeling. Experiments were conducted using a factorial design with replicates to reduce model variability and to adjust responses to the required technical properties. Levels at which variables must be set were studied: to reduce product variability, to minimize production costs, to desensitize wood regarding the influence of uncontrollable variables, to optimize productive process and to create a global product with a higher intrinsic quality. The proposed model optimizes product retention quality and minimizes product variability, while minimizing preservative's use. Experiments were carried out by controlling wood's humidity, vacuum process duration, time of applying pressure, and preservative solution concentration, in order to allow timber to maintain its anatomical structure unchanged over time. The results of this work may be used in the optimization of similar processes in industrial plants for Pinus radiata D. Don stakes preservation treatments in producing countries

A flagship for Austral temperate forest conservation: an action plan for Darwin's frogs brings key stakeholders together

Darwin’s frogs Rhinoderma darwinii and Rhinoderma rufum are the only known species of amphibians in which males brood their offspring in their vocal sacs. We propose these frogs as flagship species for the conservation of the Austral temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. This recommendation forms part of the vision of the Binational Conservation Strategy for Darwin’s Frogs, which was launched in 2018. The strategy is a conservation initiative led by the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, which in 2017 convened 30 governmental, non-profit and private organizations from Chile, Argentina and elsewhere. Darwin’s frogs are iconic examples of the global amphibian conservation crisis: R. rufum is categorized as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) on the IUCN Red List, and R. darwinii as Endangered. Here we articulate the conservation planning process that led to the development of the conservation strategy for these species and present its main findings and recommendations. Using an evidence-based approach, the Binational Conservation Strategy for Darwin’s Frogs contains a comprehensive status review of Rhinoderma spp., including critical threat analyses, and proposes 39 prioritized conservation actions. Its goal is that by 2028, key information gaps on Rhinoderma spp. will be filled, the main threats to these species will be reduced, and financial, legal and societal support will have been achieved. The strategy is a multi-disciplinary, transnational endeavour aimed at ensuring the long-term viability of these unique frogs and their particular habitat