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Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources

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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 (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 15214

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cheng Li

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Guest Editor

College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Interests: high-value utilization of forestry resources; biomass energy and materials; protection of forests
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Prof. Dr. Huafeng Tian

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College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: biomass polymer; biomass foam materials; green packing; green polymer
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Dr. Zhigang Wu

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College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: wood; wood composites; wood panels; wood modification; bio-based materials
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Dr. Hossein Shahbeik

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Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
Interests: forest sustainable development; sustainability assessment; machine learning
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forestry mainly refers to the industry based on forest resources, involving forest harvesting and regeneration, forest protection, forest reconstruction, forest tending, processing, and utilization. With the rapid development of the social economy and the continuous improvement of human living standards, the demand for forestry products is also increasing. In addition to developing a low-carbon economy, emerging in response to global climate change, the sustainable development of forestry is particularly important. A considerable number of basic theoretical exploration as well as key technological innovation achievements have been published in forest biology as well as new variety cultivation theory and technology, forest resource cultivation theory and technology, forest sustainable management theory and technology, economic forest cultivation and product processing, forest ecology, environmental protection, forest resource protection and utilization, urban forest, etc.

This Special Issue, entitled “Advances in sustainable development and high-value utilization of Forest Resources”, seeks the exchanging of high-quality research and review papers related to the sustainable development as well as utilization of forest resources, but other papers related to forestry are also welcome.

Dr. Cheng Li
Prof. Dr. Huafeng Tian
Dr. Zhigang Wu
Dr. Hossein Shahbeik
Guest Editors

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

forest resources
biomass materials from the forest
wood panels and products
forest products
utilization of forest resources
forest resource cultivation
forest sustainable management
forest ecology
forest environment protection
utilization of forest plant
forest microorganism
urban forest
forest plant

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5873 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Observation of Creep Strain Distribution in Laminated Veneer Lumber Subjected to Different Loading Regimes

by Shuwei Xu, Yizhong Cao, Xiaobing Cao, Pei Yang, Xiaohan Liu, Ruixing Tang, Yutao Yan and Qiang Wu

Forests 2024, 15(1), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010179 - 15 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1125

Abstract

Timber architectures have arisen as sustainable solutions for high-rise and long-span buildings, assisting in implementing a circular economy. The creep strain dissipation of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) was investigated in this work to understand the inherent creep behaviors of LVL derived from natural wood. The results demonstrated a significant loading regime dependency of the creep behaviors of LVL. Coupled creep strain dissipation that transits/is parallel to the wood–adhesive interface was proven in the creep deformation of flat-wise and edge-wise bent LVL. In contrast, the creep strain dissipated considerably along the wood–adhesive interface when the LVL was subjected to axial compression creep. Further investigation into the morphologies of LVL after creep revealed that direct contact between the loading plane and wood–adhesive interface could be a plausible trigger for the accelerated deformation and the resultant plastic deformation of the LVL after creep. We believe that this work provides essential insights into the creep strain dissipation of LVL. It is thus beneficial for improving creep resistance and assisting in the long-term safe application of LVL-based engineered wood products in timber architectures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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18 pages, 7477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Characterization of Physical, Mechanical, and Mildew Resistance Properties of Enzymatically Treated Bamboo Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

by Xun Meng, Fu Hu, Baoyu Liu, Yan Cao, Hailong Xu, Lifen Li and Liping Yu

Forests 2024, 15(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010060 - 28 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1166

Abstract

The enhancement of the physical and mechanical properties and the anti-mildew performance of wood–plastic composites are of great significance for broadening their application field. In this research, bamboo fibers underwent treatments with safe, environmentally friendly bio-enzymes. Subsequently, a bamboo–plastic composite (BPC) was developed using the modified bamboo fibers and polyethylene. The effects of biological enzymatic treatments on the surface free energy, the chemical composition of the bamboo fibers, water resistance, thermal stability, bending performance, impact performance, and anti-mildew performance of the BPC samples were analyzed. This study revealed that treating bamboo powder with bio-enzymes (xylanase, lipase, laccase, pectinase, hemicellulase, or amylase) decreased the surface free energy and the polar components of the bamboo fibers while improving the surface O/C atomic ratio of the bamboo fibers. These enzyme treatments enhanced the water resistance, bending performance, and anti-mildew performance of the BPC samples. However, on the whole, the thermal stability of the composites decreased. Particularly, after hemicellulase treatment, the composites had the lowest water absorption, reflecting a decrease of 68.25% compared to the control group. With xylanase modification, the 24 h water absorption thickness swelling rate of the composites was the lowest, reflecting a decrease of 71.27% compared to the control group. After pectinase modification, the static bending strength and elastic modulus of the prepared composites were the highest, with an increase of 15.45% and 13.31%, respectively, compared to the unmodified group. After xylanase modification, the composites exhibited the best anti-mildew effect, with an anti-mold effectiveness of 74.67%. In conclusion, bio-enzyme treatments can enhance the physical and mechanical properties and anti-mildew performance of BPCs. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the preparation of high-performance wood–plastic composites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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13 pages, 3057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Value Utilization of Tea Forest Resources: Breeding Eurotium cristatum Strains to Enhance Lovastatin Yields in Anhua Dark Tea

by Taotao Li, Zhanjun Liu, Shiquan Liu, Jun Li, Yajun Zheng, Zhonghua Liu and Peixue Ling

Forests 2023, 14(12), 2365; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14122365 - 1 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1158

Abstract

The tea plant is a vital strategic forest resource in China. Dark tea produced from its leaves is an indispensable health-promoting product in western China due to its unique lipid-lowering function. Eurotium cristatum is the dominant strain in Fuzhuan brick tea (a variety of Anhua dark tea) and could produce many functional components, including lovastatin, a lipid-lowering compound. In this study, the lovastatin yield of dark tea was improved by breeding Eurotium cristatum using the protoplast fusion method. The experiments were carried out by inducing a fusion between inactivated Eurotium cristatum JH1205 and Monascus CICC5031. Among the 92 fusants screened the HPLC method, four strains (A4, A36, A54, and A76) with higher lovastatin production (more than three times as high) were obtained. The A76 strain had the highest lovastatin yield, which was 23.93 μg/mL. The location of the tea forest strongly influenced the lovastatin yield of loose dark tea. The strain bred in this study improved the lovastatin yield of loose dark tea by more than three times when compared to wild Eurotium cristatum. These results are promising for the development of tea forest resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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23 pages, 8929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Canopy Coverage and Morphological Characteristics of Trees in Urban Park on Summer Thermal Comfort Based on Orthogonal Experiment Design: A Case Study of Lvyin Park in Zhengzhou, China

by Sihan Xue, Xinfeng Chao, Kun Wang, Jingxian Wang, Jingyang Xu, Ming Liu and Yue Ma

Forests 2023, 14(10), 2098; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102098 - 19 Oct 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2080

Abstract

As an integral part of urban forests, urban parks play a vital role in mitigating urban heat islands (UHI) and providing residents with comfortable outdoor recreational plots. For high-quality use of the trees in regulating the thermal comfort of urban parks, previous studies primarily focused on the microclimate variations caused by tree coverage and morphological features separately. However, there is still a lack of systematic understanding of how tree canopy coverage (TCC) and its morphological elements, including leaf area index (LAI), trunk height (TH), and crown diameter (CD), combined affect the thermal comfort in the urban park. This study employed an orthogonal experiment design and ENVI-met software to simulate the microclimate of various multi-factor combination models in the case of a typical urban park in a temperate continental climate zone in China, analyzing the simulated result through physiological equivalent temperature (PET). Results show that the contribution ratio of various elements to the thermal environment vary over time. In studied elements, the contribution ratio of TCC to PET is consistently higher than 50% during the morning, midday, and evening periods, reaching a peak of 67% in the evening. The maximum contribution ratios for CD, TH, and LAI occur during midday, morning, and midday, respectively, with corresponding contribution ratios of approximately 22%, 10%, and 9%, respectively. The ranking of elements affecting thermal comfort in the urban park generally is TCC, CD, LAI, TH throughout the day, apart from the morning, when the influence of TH is greater than LAI. The optimal combination of elements is 85% TCC, 4m TH, 3.9 LAI, and 7m CD, and thirteen combinations of element cases meet the thermal comfort requirements during summer. The research findings highlight the significance of optimizing the configuration of trees in creating a more comfortable and inviting space for human activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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13 pages, 7663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Photochromic Wood Films Comprising Spiropyran-Based Wood Cellulose Scaffold Realized through Grafting and Densification

by Xiaorong Liu, Wenwen Xie, Hongji Li and Kaili Wang

Forests 2023, 14(10), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102018 - 8 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1264

Abstract

The development of smart color-changing wood could facilitate its functional application. Herein, photochromic wood films (PWFs) were synthesized by grafting 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3,3-dimethylindolino-6’-nitrobenzopyrylospiran onto the cellulosic skeleton structure of delignified wood using hexamethylene diisocyanate as a bridging linker, followed by the densification process. The microstructural morphology, chemical composition, photochromic properties, and mechanical properties of the prepared PWFs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, colorimeter, and universal mechanical testing machine. The photochromic capability of the wood film was positively correlated with the grafting amount of spiropyran; the color change is evident when the grafting amount is high. Furthermore, the photochromic and recovery capability of the wood film weakened after sequentially irradiating 40 times using a UV lamp and daylight lamp, which could be partially recovered after a period of rest. However, the wood film strength was negatively correlated with the grafting amount of spiropyran. The grafted spiropyran affected the hydrogen bonding between cellulose nanofibers of the wood film during densification, which caused a reduction in the film strength. However, the strength was still >120 MPa. Meanwhile, temperature and humidity affected the photochromic capability of the wood film. Thus, the developed high-strength PWF has potential applications in various fields, such as intelligent sensing, personalized design, indoor and outdoor architecture, and optoelectronics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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15 pages, 3597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Cost and High-Strength Soybean Meal Adhesives Modified by Tannin–Phenol–Formaldehyde Resin

by Hanyin Li, Yan Gao, Zijie Zhao, Fan Yang, Yunming Zou, Yujie Wang, Yang Tang, Qiongqiong Zhou and Cheng Li

Forests 2023, 14(10), 1947; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14101947 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1409

Abstract

Wood adhesive is very important to the quality of wood-based panels in the forest product industry. Researchers are currently focused on developing green and environmentally friendly adhesives using biomass materials. Soybean meal (SM), a cheap and high-protein byproduct from soybean processing, is considered a green biomaterial resource for adhesive production. In this study, SM was modified using urea and sodium hydroxide as denaturants, and two cross-linking agents were prepared to incorporate into the soybean meal adhesive for bonding reactions. Sodium hydroxide added to soybean protein caused structural damage to the protein structure, which allowed the peptide chains to unfold extensively, forming a low-molecular-weight peptide mixture with a good size distribution and exposing numerous active functional groups for cross-linking with the tannin–phenol–formaldehyde resin (TR) and wood. Adding the epoxy resin CA and TR enabled the cross-linking agents to react with the active functional groups on proteins, forming a cross-linked network structure. As a result, the adhesive’s strength, residual rate, and solid content were improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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22 pages, 21504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing the Impact of Urban Park Landscape Design Parameters on the Thermal Environment of Surrounding Low-Rise and High-Rise Neighborhoods

by Sihan Xue, Liang Yuan, Kun Wang, Jingxian Wang and Yuanfeng Pei

Forests 2023, 14(8), 1682; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14081682 - 19 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1621

Abstract

Scientific and reasonable planning of urban forests is crucial to mitigate the UHI effect and create a comfortable local climate. This study focused on maximizing the synergistic effect of landscape design parameters (i.e., Landscape Shape Index (LSI), Percentage of Green Area (PGA), Park Area (PA), and Percentage of Water Area (PWA)) through orthogonal experimental design and numerical simulation to improve the regulation of the thermal environment of urban parks in the surrounding blocks. For the neighborhood of low-rise buildings, the influence of PGA was the most significant in the morning with a contribution rate of 50.43%, while PWA was the most influential during midday and evening, with contribution rates of 73.02% and 52.30%, respectively. In contrast, PA was the most influential in the morning with a contribution rate of 62.11% for the high-rise building neighborhood, while the impact of PWA was the most significant in the midday with a contribution rate of 43.99%. In addition, the contribution of PA and PWA played vital roles at night. This study proposed combinations of landscape design parameters for urban parks that met the requirements of two types of neighborhoods, which would help guide the planning and construction of urban forests. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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10 pages, 2550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lovastatin Production by Wild Eurotium cristatum Isolated from Fuzhuan Brick Tea Produced Using Forest Resources in Auhua

by Taotao Li, Zhanjun Liu, Jun Li, Yajun Zheng, Zhonghua Liu and Peixue Ling

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071409 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1546

Abstract

Fuzhuan brick tea is a dark tea produced using tea plant leaves, and its quality is strongly affected by Eurotium cristatum. The superior Eurotium cristatum strain could enhance functional components in Fuzhuan brick tea, improving its quality and economic value. To research the lipid-lowering substance of Eurotium cristatum in Fuzhuan brick tea from Anhua country tea production area, several wild-type Eurotium cristatum strains were screened for lovastatin production. Of all 20 wild-type strains, 6 Eurotium cristatum strains could produce lovastatin, and the H20 test strain could produce the highest lovastatin. The organ of lovastatin production was studied, and its yield in sexual propagule (ascospore and ascocarp) was the highest. Some fermentation parameters for lovastatin produced by the H20 strain were researched, and the optimum condition, such as PDA medium containing additional 8% soluble starch, 32 °C, and 120 r/min, are reported. These results are promising for developing one Fuzhuan brick tea with a high lipid-lowering function and expanding the scope of tea plant forest resource application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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15 pages, 4275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Plasma Treatment on the Surface Characteristics and Bonding Performance of Pinus massoniana Wood

by Yuan Tu, Jiankun Liang, Liping Yu, Zhigang Wu, Xuedong Xi, Bengang Zhang, Meifen Tian, De Li and Guoming Xiao

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071346 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1258

Abstract

Rosin has a great influence on the bonding of Pinus massoniana wood, and surface modification is an important way to solve this problem. In this study, Pinus massoniana wood was treated by plasma, and the effects of plasma treatment on the bonding performance and surface characteristics were investigated. The results showed the following: (1) After plasma treatment, the contact angle of Pinus massoniana wood was significantly reduced and the surface energy was significantly increased from 28.42 × 10⁻⁷ to 74.75 × 10⁻⁷ J·cm⁻², and the surface wettability was also greatly improved. (2) Plasma high-energy particles experience simultaneous physical and chemical effects on the surface of Pinus massoniana wood. The former formed a micro-etched roughness on the wood surface and led to the increase in surface dispersion force, while the latter increased the aggregation and activity of polar groups on the wood surface and the degradation of some wood components and rosin, resulting in the increase in surface polar force and the enhancement of wettability. (3) After plasma treatment, the reactivity of wood was enhanced, and the cross-linking degree with adhesive and the heat release were increased. The bonding strength of Pinus massoniana wood could be improved: dry bonding from 5.08 to 5.38 MPa, boiling-water bonding strength from 4.12 to 4.53 MPa, cold-water bonding strength from 3.84 to 4.51 MPa, and the bonding stability and reliability of glued specimens were also improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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16 pages, 8652 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Composite Whole-Biomass Tannin–Sucrose–Soy Protein Wood Adhesive with High Performance

by Guoming Xiao, Jiankun Liang, Zhigang Wu, Hong Lei, Feiyan Gong, Wen Gu, Yuan Tu and De Li

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1250; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061250 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1885

Abstract

Whole-biomass adhesives are the research hotspot of wood adhesives andcan improve the competitiveness of adhesives. The tannin–sucrose adhesive studied by our research group shows good bonding performance, but poor bonding stability induced by low viscosity. In this study, the tannin–sucrose adhesive was modified by isolated soybean protein (SPI), the effect of the SPI substitution ratio for tannin on the properties of the tannin–sucrose–SPI composite adhesive was investigated, and the bonding mechanism was explored using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). The results showed that: (1) when the SPI substitution ratio was above 40%, the viscosity of the composite adhesive increased significantly, which effectively avoided adhesive leakage. (2) The tannin–sucrose–SPI composite adhesive displayed high bonding performance and water resistance. (3) The FTIR and GC–MS results revealed that the curing mechanism of the tannin–sucrose–SPI adhesive was very complicated, but it was certain that the conversion of sucrose into furan compounds, especially 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), was the core of the cross-linking reaction of the adhesive when elevating temperature. (4) The macromolecules and high reactivity of SPI compensated for the shortage of high temperature required for the conversion of sucrose into furanic cross-linkers so that the tannin–sucrose–SPI adhesive experienced an efficient curing reaction at a low temperature, and the reaction degree and thermal stability of the curing product increased. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Sustainable Development and High-Value Utilization of Forestry Resources)

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