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Forests
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Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials
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Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 20306

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Joana Ferreira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Estudos Florestais, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: non-wood forest products; barks and cork chemistry; GC-MS, HPLC-MS; polar and non-polar extractives analysis; suberin structural composition analysis; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bio-based materials obtained from renewable resources are becoming sustainable alternatives to fossil-based materials due to their ready availability, abundance, and flexibility as feedstock and low-energy consumers within a “zero-waste” strategy perspective.

Bio-based materials promote the development of economic benefits in forgotten rural areas, creating more employment, increasing the added-value product chain from the biomass producer’s perspective, encouraging innovation, and developing competitive ecofriendly processes and industries.

A sustainable forestry-based economy is built on hundreds of years of human experience, research and development strategies, and political deliberations. Forestry feedstocks include residues left in the forest from stem wood harvest activities such as barks, branches, foliage, roots, etc., usually used in wood burners or larger biomass boilers as a local and ready source of biofuels and bioenergy. However, as a biorefinery concept, these forestry raw materials are sustainably converted into new valuable bioproducts. However, not all forest residues can be removed; some must be left on land to contribute to the ecosystem equilibrium and to support a sustainable management of forests.

The combination between the life cycle of the forest biorefinery, along with a growing human awareness of its positive environmental impacts, may lead overall to a more conscientious use of forest-based biomaterials.

Dr. Joana Ferreira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biorefinery
  • circular economy
  • sustainability
  • renewable
  • recycle
  • ecofriendly approach
  • biomaterials
  • forest residues

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3221 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Characterization of Timber Residues of Pinus spp. as an Energy Resource for the Production of Solid Biofuels in an Indigenous Community in Mexico
by Mario Morales-Máximo, Carlos A. García, Luis Fernando Pintor-Ibarra, José Juan Alvarado-Flores, Borja Velázquez-Martí and José Guadalupe Rutiaga-Quiñones
Forests 2021, 12(8), 977; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12080977 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2929
Abstract
This study shows the energy potential of pine wood waste for the production of solid biofuels, and was carried out in an indigenous community in the state of Michoacán. One of the main economic activities of this community is the production of handcrafted [...] Read more.
This study shows the energy potential of pine wood waste for the production of solid biofuels, and was carried out in an indigenous community in the state of Michoacán. One of the main economic activities of this community is the production of handcrafted furniture, which generates a large amount of wood waste. The most relevant results obtained in this research show that the community generates approximately 2268 kg of sawdust and 5418 kg of shavings per week, and the estimated energy potential per year for both sawdust is 1.94 PJ and for shaving is 4.65 PJ. Based on the particle size observed, the wood residue can be used to generate pellets or briquettes. Other average results in sawdust and (shavings) are the following: initial moisture content 15.3% (16.8%), apparent density 169.23 kg/m3 (49.25 kg/m3), ash 0.43% (0.42%), volatile material 84.9% (83.60%), fixed carbon 14.65% (15.96%), hemicelluloses 12.89% (10.68%), cellulose 52.68% (52.82%), lignin 26.73% (25.98%), extractives 7.69% (10.51%), calorific value 17.6 MJ/kg (17.9 MJ/kg). The major chemical elements in the ash were Al, K. Fe, Ca, P, Na, and Mg. Finally, the results obtained indicate that this biomass can be used to generate pellets or briquettes in this indigenous community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials)
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23 pages, 2824 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Polysaccharide and Biomass Production from Three White-Rot Fungi by Solid-State Fermentation Using Wood and Agro-Industrial Residues: A Kinetic Approach
by Óscar J. Sánchez and Sandra Montoya
Forests 2020, 11(10), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11101055 - 30 Sep 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3366
Abstract
Research Highlights: For the first time, a model was developed and applied for polysaccharide production from Trametes versicolor grown in agro-industrial and woody residues under solid-state fermentation (SSF) conditions. Background and Objectives: Fungal biomass is an important biological resource for biotechnological applications. Basidiomycetes [...] Read more.
Research Highlights: For the first time, a model was developed and applied for polysaccharide production from Trametes versicolor grown in agro-industrial and woody residues under solid-state fermentation (SSF) conditions. Background and Objectives: Fungal biomass is an important biological resource for biotechnological applications. Basidiomycetes fungi can be grown and developed on lignocellulosic materials such as forestry, wood, and agro-industrial residues in order to produce value-added products like bioactive polysaccharides. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the C/N ratio and copper concentration on biomass and polysaccharide production during solid state fermentation (SSF), as well as on the consumption of cellulose and hemicellulose, and lignin degradation, and to propose and validate a mathematical model to describe the overall SSF process. Materials and Methods: This research was carried out by growing three Basidiomycetes species (T. versicolor, Lentinula edodes, and Pleurotus ostreatus) on twelve formulations of solid substrates using mixtures of different inexpensive lignocellulosic residues such as oak sawdust, coconut fiber (hairs), coffee husks, and corn bran plus soybean oil, calcium carbonate, and two levels of copper(II) sulfate. Results: The three fungal species grew well on all substrate formulations. The statistical analysis of experimental data showed no significant effects on polysaccharide production, in the range of C/N and copper concentrations evaluated. Taking into account that the best polysaccharide production was obtained with T. versicolor (96.09 mg/g solid substrate), a mathematical model was proposed for this fungus to describe the behavior of the fermentation system from the obtained data of all the resulting combinations to reach the highest polysaccharide production by the fungus. Conclusions: The mathematical model disclosed in this work enabled to describe the growth and development of a higher basidiomycete under solid-state fermentation conditions on lignocellulosic substrates as well as the production of value-added products like polysaccharides with medicinal properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials)
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Review

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42 pages, 1903 KiB  
Review
Insights for the Valorization of Biomass from Portuguese Invasive Acacia spp. in a Biorefinery Perspective
by Ricardo Correia, José Carlos Quintela, Maria Paula Duarte and Margarida Gonçalves
Forests 2020, 11(12), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11121342 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4119
Abstract
Acacia spp. are widespread all over the Portuguese territory, representing a threat to local biodiversity and to the productivity of the forest sector. The measures adopted in some countries for their eradication or to control their propagation are expensive, have been considered unfeasible [...] Read more.
Acacia spp. are widespread all over the Portuguese territory, representing a threat to local biodiversity and to the productivity of the forest sector. The measures adopted in some countries for their eradication or to control their propagation are expensive, have been considered unfeasible from practical and economical perspectives, and have generated large amounts of residue that must be valorized in a sustainable way. This review brings together information on the valorization of bark, wood, leaves, flowers, pods, seeds, roots, and exudates from Acacia spp., through the production of high-value bioactive extracts (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiviral, anthelmintic, or pesticidal agents, suitable to be explored by pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics, and food and feed industries), its incorporation in innovative materials (e.g., polymers and composites, nanomaterials, low-cost adsorbents), as well as through the application of advanced thermochemical processes (e.g., flash pyrolysis) and pre-treatments to decompose biomass in its structural components, regarding the production of biofuels along with valuable chemicals derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The knowledge of this research is important to encourage an efficient and sustainable valorization of Acacia spp. within a biorefinery concept, which can bring a significant economic return from the valorization of these residues, simultaneously contributing to forest cleaning and management, to reduce the risk of fires, and to improve the social-economic development of rural areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials)
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24 pages, 1641 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Review of Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Quercus Species
by Ema Burlacu, Adrian Nisca and Corneliu Tanase
Forests 2020, 11(9), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11090904 - 19 Aug 2020
Cited by 78 | Viewed by 8870
Abstract
The Quercus genus provides a large amount of biomaterial with many applications in fields like pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and foodstuff areas. Due to the worldwide dissemination of the genus, many species were used for centuries in traditional healing methods or in the wine maturing [...] Read more.
The Quercus genus provides a large amount of biomaterial with many applications in fields like pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and foodstuff areas. Due to the worldwide dissemination of the genus, many species were used for centuries in traditional healing methods or in the wine maturing process. This review aims to bring together the results about phytoconstituents from oak extracts and their biological applicability as antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, etc. The literature data used in this paper were collected via PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct (2010–June 2020). The inclusion criteria were papers published in English, with information about phytoconstituents from Quercus species (leaves, bark and seeds/acorns) and biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiobesity, anti-acne vulgaris, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, antileishmanial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory. The exclusion criteria were the research of other parts of the Quercus species (e.g., galls, wood, and twigs); lack of information about phytochemistry and biological activities; non-existent Quercus species reported by the authors. The most studied Quercus species, in terms of identified biomolecules and biological activity, are Q. brantii, Q. infectoria and Q. robur. The Quercus species have been reported to contain several phytoconstituents. The main bioactive phytochemicals are phenolic compounds, volatile organic compounds, sterols, aliphatic alcohols and fatty acids. The, Quercus species are intensely studied due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities, provided by their phytochemical composition. The general conclusion is that oak extracts can be exploited for their biological activity and can be used in research fields, such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biorenewable Forest-Based Materials)
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