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Abstract: Forests are important ecosystems that face threats from climate change and global environmental shifts, with invasive alien plant species being a significant concern. Some of these invasive species have already become established, while others are in the process of naturalisation. Although forests are a relatively stable ecosystem, extreme weather events increase their vulnerability to change, and clearings left after natural disturbances are particularly susceptible to invasion by alien plant species (IAPS). We created risk maps of two species that have spread rapidly in the last decade: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) and the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). We prepared a generalised linear model based on the occurrence data collected within the LIFE ARTEMIS project. Eleven environmental variables were used to determine habitat characteristics. We constructed two models for each species: one covering the entirety of Slovenia and the other specifically for the forested areas in Slovenia, with the latter incorporating forest-specific variables (such as forest sanitation felling and monocultures). We observed the presence of both species at lower altitudes and in close proximity to water sources. American pokeweed tends to occur nearer to railways, while the presence of the tree of heaven is associated with areas lacking carbonate parent material and influenced by land use patterns. In forested areas, the occurrence of American pokeweed is influenced by forest habitat characteristics, such as disturbances caused by extreme weather events or the prevalence of Norway spruce monocultures. In contrast, the occurrence of the tree of heaven is influenced by more general environmental variables, such as altitude and proximity to railways. Consequently, we have generated risk maps for the entirety of Slovenia and separately for forested areas, both of which indicate similar levels of risk, particularly for the tree of heaven. The risk map for American pokeweed highlights numerous vulnerable areas, especially forest edges, which are highly susceptible to invasion. Furthermore, there is a higher likelihood of this species occurring in areas that have undergone sanitation felling. This study suggests that the production of risk maps of IAPS could be improved by focussing on habitat types and taking into account habitat-specific variables. This approach could enhance the early detection and management of these invasive species.
Keywords: American pokeweed, tree of heaven, species distribution modelling, forests, forest disturbance, habitat suitability
Published in DiRROS: 26.03.2024; Views: 243; Downloads: 1694
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Abstract: In this paper we characterize all nilpotent orbits under the action by conjugation that intersect the nilpotent centralizer of a nilpotent matrix $B$ consisting of two Jordan blocks of the same size. We list all the possible Jordan canonical forms of the nilpotent matrices that commute with $B$ by characterizing the corresponding partitions.
Keywords: nilpotent matrix, centralizer, nilpotent orbit
Published in DiRROS: 26.03.2024; Views: 224; Downloads: 107
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Abstract: Urban areas can significantly alter the quality status of aquifers if appropriate strategies to prevent and detect groundwater contamination are not implemented in time. The prevention of groundwater contamination should be a priority due to its potential long-term impact on the environment and the high cost of remediation. For effective and sustainable groundwater management, it is crucial to proactively monitor a wide range of compounds to prevent their spread, progression and increasing concentrations. This study is one of the few to analyse the trends of various urban groundwater contaminants (nitrate, sulphate, hexavalent chromium, pesticides, PCE and TCE) from a groundwater management perspective. Characteristic trends are assessed using linear regression and the Mann–Kendall method, while significant changes in trends are determined using the Darken and Pettitt tests. The time span of the analysed trends covers the transition period before and after the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Groundwater Directive (2000/60/EC). This study confirms the effectiveness of enforcement measures to protect groundwater quality, as evidenced by several statistically significant decreasing trends. On the other hand, this study emphasises the importance of intervention-targeted sampling campaigns and the reporting of raw analytical values according to the ISO 11843 series of standards. This approach is essential to detect upward trends in emerging contaminants at an early stage and prevent them from reaching levels that could negatively impact the economy or even jeopardise the safety of drinking water supplies.
Keywords: groundwater contamination, contaminant trends, groundwater management, urban aquifer, Ljubljansko polje
Published in DiRROS: 25.03.2024; Views: 251; Downloads: 91
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Abstract: Larch (Larix decidua) showed good growth and adaptability to ecological conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research aims to determine the variability of the morphological traits of larch in the seed stand near Kakanj, the variability at the beginning of heartwood formation, and correlations among these properties.In the larch seed stand, established by seedlings 2+0 in 1979, an area of 0,45 hectares was set aside. The heights and breast height diameters of the trees were on that area were measured in 2002 and 2020, and the basal area and volume were calculated. In 2020, the trees were drilled at breast height with a Presler drill to measure the proportion of heartwood. Average values of all properties for 2002 and 2020 were calculated. The ten, five and one best trees were selected according to the properties of breast height diameter, height, basal area, volume, and the intensities of selection for these traits were calculated. The Pearson correlation coefficient among all investigated traits were calculated. The average breast height diameter of 41-year-old trees was 24,6 cm, average height 21,8 m, basal area 0.0499m2 and volume 0.3745 m3 (table 1), while in 2002. the average breast height diameter was 15,5 cm, height 18,2 m, basal area 0,020 m2, and volume 0,128 m3 (table 1). Between 2002 and 2020, there was an overtaking of trees in breast height diameter and height and thus the base and volume (table 2). The average larch tree starts heartwood formation at the age of 14 years (table 1). The earliest heart-wood formation occurs in the sixth year (tree 495) and the latest in the 32nd year (table 4). Pearson coefficient showed a high positive correlation between breast height diameter and height in 2002 (ta-ble 9), which means that trees with a good height increase also have a good thickness increase. As a result, the correlation between breast height diameter and basal area and breast height diameter and volume, height and basal area, height and volume, and basal area and volume are statistically signifi-cant. Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the year 2020 showed a negative correlation between the be-ginning of heartwood formation and all other traits (table 10), i.e., trees that formed heartwood earlier have higher values of growth traits.The results will be used in the selection processes of larch individuals with good height and thickness growth and early heartwood formation.
Keywords: European larch, morphological properties, core formation, selection
Published in DiRROS: 25.03.2024; Views: 246; Downloads: 164
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Keywords: selective laser melting, 18Ni-300 maraging steel, heat treatment, plasma nitriding, retained and reverted austenite, wear and corrosion behaviour
Published in DiRROS: 25.03.2024; Views: 209; Downloads: 84
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