Search results for "Conservation"
showing 10 items of 2328 documents
Experimental calibration of flat jacks for in-situ testing of masonry
2018
Flat-jack testing method is one of the most commonly used techniques for the structural assessment of existing masonry structures. Single and double flat jacks are usually adopted to evaluate the acting normal stress, or the compressive behaviour of masonry material. Test procedures are codified by international standards (e.g., A.S.T.M D4729-87; C1196-04; C1197-04, R.I.L.E.M TC 177–MDT D.4; R.I.L.E.M. TC 177–MDT D.5), which provide the preliminary calibration of an experimental coefficient (km) and of the effective area (Aeff), which determination influences significantly the reliability of the test. This article presents the result of an experimental study on the calibration of flat jacks…
Modeling the influence of alternative forest management scenarios on wood production and carbon storage: A case study in the Mediterranean region
2016
Forest ecosystems are fundamental for the terrestrial biosphere as they deliver multiple essential ecosystem services (ES). In environmental management, understanding ES distribution and interactions and assessing the economic value of forest ES represent future challenges. In this study, we developed a spatially explicit method based on a multi-scale approach (MiMoSe-Multiscale Mapping of ecosystem services) to assess the current and future potential of a given forest area to provide ES. To do this we modified and improved the InVEST model in order to adapt input data and simulations to the context of Mediterranean forest ecosystems. Specifically, we integrated a GIS-based model, scenario …
Features of selected benchmark soils along an elevational transect of the northeastern part of the Moldavian Plateau (Romania)
2018
Soil morphological, physical and chemical properties are described at four locations along an elevational transect in the northeastern part of the Moldavian Plateau (Romania). These data contribute to the knowledge of the soils of this area and to their classification according to the USDA-Soil Taxonomy, FAO-WRB and the SRTS-Romanian System. The soils were classified as Inceptisols, Alfisols and Mollisols, according to the USDA-Soil Taxonomy; Gleysol, Chernozem and Luvisol, according to the FAO-WRB and Gleiosol, Cernoziom, Preluvosol, Luvosol, according to the SRTS-Romanian System. The selected soils have a range of properties that represent the soilscape of the Moldavian subcarpathian plat…
The origin of in-plane stresses in axially moving orthotropic continua
2016
In this paper, we address the problem of the origin of in-plane stresses in continuous, two-dimensional high-speed webs. In the case of thin, slender webs, a typical modeling approach is the application of a stationary in-plane model, without considering the effects of the in-plane velocity field. However, for high-speed webs this approach is insufficient, because it neglects the coupling between the total material velocity and the deformation experienced by the material. By using a mixed Lagrange–Euler approach in model derivation, the solid continuum problem can be transformed into a solid continuum flow problem. Mass conservation in the flow problem, and the behaviour of free edges in th…
Analysis of dust exposure during chainsaw forest operations
2017
Abstract: In 1999, the European Union proclaimed hardwood dust carcinogenic based on the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued in 1995. The operational exposure limit (OEL) for inhalable wood dust has been set to 5 mg m-3 by EU directives, though in different countries the OEL ranges from 1 to 5 mg m-3. The objective of this study was to determine the exposure to wood dust of forest workers in chainsaw cutting and processing and suggest possible countermeasures. The study took into consideration different silvicultural treatments (coppice clear cut, conifer thinning, conifer pruning, and sanitary cut) and chainsaw fuel (normal two-stroke gasoline mi…
Aligning Inner Peripheries with rural development in Italy: Territorial evidence to support policy contextualization
2021
Abstract Inner Peripheries is a recent concept based on both peripherality and marginality features, thus far from the commonly adopted geographical notion of periphery. Inner Peripheries are fragile territories covering rural Europe, which suffer from depopulation, low economic potential, and weak territorial cohesion. However, these territories are extremely important for the provision of goods and services, and the stewardship of natural and semi-natural environments. Such dichotomous condition poses several challenges for planning in the EU context, particularly regarding the implementation of the Rural Development Policy. Therefore, current planning needs to contextualize the policy im…
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the analytical study of sculptures and wall decoration
1997
Abstract An analytical examination of sculpture and wall painting, including several wooden polychromed carvings from Valencian churches (15th–17th centuries) using FT-IR spectroscopy is described. The organic and inorganic compounds used in the works of art and the different artistic techniques used in each historical intervention carried out in the sculptures are identified. The analytical information obtained with this technique on organic and inorganic compounds is extremely useful in the preliminary studies necessary for diagnosis and to decide on the conservation process.
A numerical study of thermal conditions in the THM growth of HgTe
2002
A numerical simulation of the travelling heater method (THM) process in the growth of HgTe is carried out. The whole system (furnace, ampoule and charge) is taken into account in the frame of a quasi-steady-state model. The mass conservation condition for the solute in the liquid zone permits the determination of the rate of advance of the crystallisation isotherm as a function of the heater position. We claim to study the evolution of different magnitudes along the growth process, searching for the physical reasons which could be at the origin of defects in the form of thin layers observed in some growing experiences. To solve the governing equations of fluid flow, heat transfer and mass t…
Insect pests of the Herbarium of the Palermo botanical garden and evaluation of semiochemicals for the control of the key pest Lasioderma serricorne …
2020
Abstract The herbaria are scientific tools of great importance that preserve extinct, rare, endemic, and common plant species and also have importance as Cultural Heritage for their historical and esthetical value. Herbaria can be infested by several insect pests feeding on dried plants, and their management is often complicated and difficult as the use of chemical insecticides can have negative drawbacks. This suggests a strong need for alternative control tools such as the use of semiochemicals to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. In order to identify the main insect pests that determine the damages on the exsiccata stored in the Palermo Botanical Garden's Herbarium, one …
Invasive Aliens in Italy: Enumeration, History, Biology and Their Impact
2021
Italy includes two large islands, Sardinia and Sicily, and a peninsula separated from the European continent by the Alpine Arch. At national level ISPRA (Instituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, Higher Institute for Environmental protection and research) is the instrument of the Ministry of Environment and for the Protection of the Territory and the Sea to carry out its mission, including the study, monitoring, and control of invasive alien species. Universities, Scientific Societies, and ONGs play a vital role in basic research. The interest in the study of alien plants is of a theoretical nature, as regards the migrations of living beings and interactions with native…