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pH and electric field-responsive microparticles composed of cinnamoyl gelatin (CinGel) and cinnamoyl nanocellulose (CinCNC) were prepared by the emulsion method. CinGel and CinCNC were prepared through a condensation reaction. The content of cinnamic acid (CA) residue in CinCNC(3/1), CinCNC(4.5/1), CinCNC(6/1), and CinGel was evaluated to be 15.33%, 11.03%, 2.96%, and 1.56%, respectively. The complexation of CinGel and CinCNC(3/1) in an aqueous solution took place when the pH value of the medium was 3.0 and 4.5. The maximum complexation was obtained when the CinGel/CinCNC(3/1) mass ratio was 3:7. CinGel/CinCNC(3/1) microparticles were prepared by water in oil emulsion method. The release degree of amaranth at pH 8.0 was higher than the release degree at pH 3.0, pH 4.5, and pH 5.5, possibly because of the complexation of CinGel and CinCNC(3/1) under the acidic condition. When increasing the voltage, the release degree would increase. The charge of the microparticle was negative and it would move to the anode. The pH value near the anode can decrease because H+ is produced at the electrode due to water electrolysis. The microparticle was pH-sensitive and it would easily release its content.

Carbon dots (CDs) are widely employed as peroxidase mimics in biosensing. However, as colloidal nanozymes, CDs suffer from the drawbacks of substrate induced aggregation and difficulties in recovery and reuse. Nanocellulose is proposed as a support material to overcome these drawbacks and two immobilization strategies were explored here. In first strategy, peroxidase mimicking Fe-doped CDs (FeCDs) were immobilized on TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNF) via physical entrapment involving hydrogen bonding interactions. Peroxidase activity of the composite nanopaper was evaluated using TMB as chromogenic substrate and applied to the colorimetric detection of H2O2 and glucose. Under optimal conditions, this method afforded linear ranges of 6– 42 μM and 10–70 μM and detection limits of 0.93 and 1.73 μM for the H2O2 and glucose, respectively. In another strategy, amine functionalized, Fe, N-doped CDs (FeNCDs) were immobilized on dialdehyde cellulose nanofibrils (DACNF) via Schiff base reaction and reductive amination. DACNF served as an excellent matrix for FeNCDs to retain the fluorescence and peroxidase activities. Colorimetric assays based on ABTS oxidation offered linear ranges of 10–80 μM and 50–400 μM and detection limits of 0.70 and 3.72 μM for H2O2 and cholesterol respectively. Further the nanocomposite presented a long shelf life and excellent reusability for 10 cycles. Overall, nanocellulose acted as a great support material for the colloidal nanozyme that prevented them from aggregation and made them easy to recycle and reuse.

In this study, a novel zwitterion-decorated lignin (ZL) containing amine and sulfonic acid groups was synthesized and ZL/Nafion composite membranes was fabricated to evaluate its effectiveness as a membrane additive. Kraft lignin was modified using amino-silane and 1,3-propanesultone by continuous grafting reaction to provide zwiterionic moieties structures. Chemical structural analyses confirmed the successful introduction of zwitterion moieties structure onto lignin. Especially, the surface charge of ZL was positive in acidic medium, and negative in basic medium, suggesting that ZL exhibited zwitterionic material. The ZL, an additive, was incorporated with the Nafion to enhance excellent ion exchange capacity and hydrophilicity. The proton conductivity of the ZL/Nafion is slightly lower than that of pure Nafion. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the addition of ZL in Nafion was significantly effective for proton conductivity compared to the addition of unmodified lignin. The reason is that the presence of amine groups in ZL can contribute to good dispersion and the presence of sulfonic acid groups preserves and further improves the continuity of the proton pathway inside the Nafion matrix. In addition, ZL may play a role in enhancing thermal stability, hydrophilicity, ion exchange capacity, and proton conductivity. Therefore, ZL is expected to be utilized as a multifunctional additive and has potential in fuel cell applications.

The development of multifunctional wearable electronic devices has received considerable attention because of their attractive applications. However, integrating multifunctional abilities into one component remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a tannic acid-functionalized spherical nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel using borax as a crosslinking agent for strain-sensing applications. The hydrogel demonstrates improved mechanical and recovery strengths and maintains its mechanical strength under freezing conditions. The hydrogels show ultra-stretching, adhesive, self-healing, and conductive properties, making them ideal candidates for developing strain-based wearable devices. The hydrogel exhibits good sensitivity with a 4.75 gauge factor at 360% strain. The cytotoxicity of the developed hydrogels is monitored in human dermal fibroblast cells by WST-8 assay in vitro. The antibacterial potential of the hydrogels is evaluated using Escherichia coli. The developed hydrogels demonstrate enhanced antibacterial ability compared with the control. Thus, multifunctional hydrogels with desirable properties are a promising platform for designing strain-based sensor devices.

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) hydrogel structure aggregated with donepezil hydrochloride (DPZ) and pH control was designed for long-acting drug delivery. By introducing cationic DPZ molecule into the CNC dispersion, the electrostatic repulsion force was reduced and viscoelasticity was modulated. Adjustment of pH value to 7.7 (in cCNC/DPZ gel) by the addition of NaOH to CNC/DPZ gel further increased viscoelastic properties. The cCNC/DPZ gel also showed single syringe injection and shear-thinning behavior. Moreover, the sustained release profile of DPZ from cCNC/DPZ gel was demonstrated. In the pharmacokinetic study in rats, the subcutaneous injection of cCNC/DPZ gel provided lower maximum DPZ concentration, longer half-life, and higher mean residence time values compared to those of DPZ solution and CNC/DPZ groups. These results support that the designed cCNC/DPZ gel can be safely used for sustained delivery of DPZ following its subcutaneous injection.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can be used in various applications owing to their biocompatibility, solution-processability, and mechanical flexibility. One of the promising applications of CNCs is electric gas sensors. For this, conducting materials should be incorporated with CNCs to increase conductivity. Meanwhile, graphene, which is a novel material having high conductivity, can be dispersed in water and well-mixed with CNCs. In this respect, CNCs and graphene dispersed in water (GDW) can be an excellent combination for a biocompatible gas sensing material. For developing efficient gas sensors using CNC:GDW, a fundamental understanding of CNC:GDW film properties including electronic structure and morphology is of great importance. In this study, we fabricated and characterized CNC:GDW composite films. The conductivity of the flexible CNC:GDW films were increased with an increase in the GDW concentration. The morphological property and electronic structure of CNC:GDW films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Based on these results, we demonstrate the high potential of CNC:GDW films for gas sensor applications.

The anatomical, physical, and mechanical properties of wood are important indices for evaluating wood quality. I will provide some valuable information for species identification and quality indices on Korean commercial woody resources. In Castanea crenata, radial and tangential diameters of vessel elements increased with increasing tree age, but the number of vessel elements per mm2 decreased. The number of rays per mm2 increased from pith to bark, but ray height decreased with the increase of tree age. In Paulownia wood, there were significant differences in wood anatomy, physical, and mechanical properties of stem, branch, and root. The dimensional change of Paulownia wood increased after extraction in cold and hot water and Paulownia wood also showed great resistance to termites and fungi. The height and number of uniseriate and fusiform rays within a stem of Pinus koraiensis and Larix kaempferi changed with age. The microfibril angel (MFA) and relative crystallinity in earlywood and latewood of Pinus densiflora, P. koraiensis, and P. rigida decreased from pith to about 15th growth ring and then remained almost constant. The MFA and relative crystallinity of latewood was slightly smaller and higher than that of earlywood, respectively. Dahurian larch showed distinctive tracheid, ray and crystalline properties with Japanese larch. The green moisture content, density, and shrinkage of Dahurian larch wood were higher than those of Japanese larch wood. Dahurain larch showed better bending properties than Japanese larch, and both species showed a little difference in compressive properties and shearing strength. Japanese larch wood had a higher hardness than Dahurian larch wood. In both species, there were significant differences in mechanical properties between the heartwood and the sapwood. Mechanical properties of both species were significantly correlated with their physical properties, as growth ring width, latewood percentage, and density. In Dahurian larch, there were some differences in the fracture morphology between the ring shake and shear failures. The shear surface of green wood showed some similarities to the ring-shaken wood. Compression wood in Pinus densiflora and Ginkgo biloba showed distinctive anatomical characteristics to the lateral and opposite woods, while lateral and opposite woods showed mostly comparable anatomical characteristics. The properties of bamboo species will also be presented.

The study points to the effect of thermal modification on beech wood at various structure levels. Three temperature levels at temperatures of 160, 180, and 200 ° C were chosen. The duration of treatment was 1,5 and 3 hours, respectively. Selected properties were observed. At the nano-scale level, the DMT modulus of elasticity and adhesion were obtained using the atomic force microscope. Density and dynamic modulus of elasticity, strength, and modulus of elasticity were determined in clear wood loaded in compression and tension parallel to the grain, bending, and torsion. Structural-size timber treated at 190 °C for 3,5 hours was tested in bending according to EN 408. AFM showed that the structure of cell wall layers did not change after heat treatment. An increase in the DMT modulus of the compound middle lamella was observed after heat treatment. The adhesion of cell wall layers was not affected by thermal treatment. Density changes without practical implications. The dynamic modulus of elasticity given by the acoustic method was a good indicator for clear wood sorting before thermal treatment. Compression strength increased. Bending strength, tension strength, and torsion strength decreased in ascending order. A decrease of 20 % was observed in the average bending strength of structural wood. The 5th percentile of bending strength decreased 66 % from 58.9 MPa to 15,63 MPa. Interestingly, the 95th percentile of treated beech wood increased by 14 %, showing high-quality boards acting oppositely. Thermally treated wood behaves differently at each scale level depending on the type of loading mode. It is unique material compared to untreated wood and knowledge about its properties is essential for its utilization and design of biomimetic mechanisms into new wood products.

Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) and oil palm fruit exocarps (PFE) are palm oil processing wastes. Considering its abundance, both forms of waste are potentially useful for valuable materials such as food preservatives and hazardous chemicals (FPHC) sensors. This study evaluated the possibility of using both wastes as nanocellulose and anthocyanin-based FPHC sensors. The OPEFB was converted into cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) by alkaline hydrogen peroxide – peracetic acid (AHP-PAA) and sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Hydrolysis was performed with 58 wt.% of H2SO4 at 45 oC for 60 min with l/s of 10 (mL/g). Anthocyanins of PFE waste were isolated using methanol 96%-HCl 1%. Anthocyanin – CNC combination was tested for its sensor capabilities against sodium nitrite, formalin, and borax. The results showed changes in morphological character, thermal properties, functional groups, structures, an increase in the degree of crystallinity of the CNC, and a yield of 31.23 ± 0.7%. Anthocyanin could detect sodium nitrite up to a concentration of 10 ppm, more sensitive than formalin and borax, detectable at concentration limits of 10000 ppm (1%) and 100000 ppm (10%), respectively. A 0.02% (w/v) CNC in anthocyanin solution did not significantly increase the detection sensitivity to formalin and borax. However, CNC addition increased the detection sensitivity to sodium nitrite, indicated by an increase of absorbance to 218% (compared with anthocyanin without CNC).

Wood/Bamboo scrimber is a kind of biomass composite material, which is recombined with wood/bamboo cell unit and resin, which has been widely used in the field of architecture, outdoor flooring, door, window, and landscape, etc. The technical connotation, cross-response mechanism and manufacturing regulatory mechanism of bamboo unit, heat treatment, resin impregnation, drying and modeling process were discussed and summarized with the performance evaluation and functional application of wood/bamboo scrimber. In this study, we introduced the development and issue of wood/bamboo scrimber and discussed the related basic research and technique innovation. We developed super-thin veneer as unit to make oriented wood scrimber and researched the application of bio-adhesive. The results showed that the dimensional stability and bending strength were higher than the traditional OSB. Moreover, the effect of adhering mechanism with combination of lignin degradation and resin on physical and mechanical properties were discussed. It was performed that lignin degradation with higher temperature played an important role in adhering process. Overall, the above study could provide theoretical and technical support of scientific application.

North Sumatra is one of Indonesia's provinces with the largest forest area. This area is a place for growing several plants such as incense toba (Styrax sumatrana), durame (Styrax benzoin Dryan), bulu (Styrax benzoine var. Hiliferum), raru dahanon (Cotylelobium lanceolatum), pulut (Cotylelobium melanoxylon), songal (Vatica pauciflora), and simalambuo (Loppopethalum beccarianum Pierre). The distribution of all species studied covers the areas of North Tapanuli (for frankincense plant), Central Tapanuli (for raru plant), and Nias Island (for simalambuo plant) of North Sumatra Province. This study shows the characteristics of the wood's basic properties, including physical, mechanical, chemical, and durability properties. The results of the study showed that three types of frankincense wood had specific gravity values (0.43-0.62), MOE (77,685-85,900 kg/cm2), MOR (637-770 kg/cm2), and hardness (391-599 kg/cm2). Based on the strength and durability class, the three types of frankincense wood are in categories III-IV and V. Furthermore, three types of raru wood were identified as having specific gravity values (0.84-0.90), MOE (245,619-308,319 kg/cm2) and MOR (754-1979 kg/cm2). Meanwhile, the content of cellulose, lignin, and extractives ranged from 41.88-42.95%, 19.39-23.24%, 24.76-30.11%, and 10.58-28.60%. Next, simalambuo wood has a specific gravity value (0.44), MOE (152,829 kg/cm2), MOR (391 kg/cm2), and hardness (237 kg/cm2). Meanwhile, the content of cellulose, lignin, and extractives ranged from 42.11%, 45.52%, and 3.35%, respectively.

Bamboo is one of the most abundant biomass resources, which has advantages, such as short growth cycle, lightweight, and good mechanical property. As a renewable raw material, bamboo has been widely used in furniture, construction, and decoration. However, bamboo has some inherent drawbacks, like dimensional instability, hydrophilic property, and low resistance to biological factors (fungi, and insects), which greatly shortens its service life. For these reason, many efforts have been devoted to modifying bamboo to improve its properties and durability. Among a variety of bamboo species, Phyllostachys bambusoides (giant bamboo), Phyllostachys nigra (henon bamboo) and Phyllostachys pubesens (moso bamboo) are widely grown in Gyeongsang- and Jeolla-do, which are provinces of southern regions in South Korea. Despite the value of bamboo resources, bamboo forests in the country have been left unmanaged and neglected. The bamboo-related industry is gradually declining due to the increase in use of various materials along with changes in economic and social conditions. Heat treatment is considered to be one of the most effective approaches to improve drawbacks of bamboo materials, so it shows a great potential application in treating bamboo materials in the industry. In this study, moso bamboo (with a diameter over 10 cm) was subjected to heat treatment to improve its properties. Heat treatment was performed step by step in a large drying chamber as follows; pretreatment, cooking (100℃), steaming (140℃), and cooling during 4 days. After heat treatment, the changes in the chemical properties as well as microscopic structures of moso bamboo were analyzed. To evaluate the durability of heat-treated moso bamboo, fungal decay resistance, termite resistance, and artificial UV weathering test were also conducted. As a result of developing heat-treatment technology, mass production of dried moso bamboo (MC4%) is possible. Also, it was confirmed that there is no cracking on bamboo surfaces and durability is significantly improved. It is thought that these results can be used as an important data for better development of new uses of bamboo resources.

Indonesia has abundant renewable resources, including agro-industrial residues and wood wastes. Using this biomass as alternative raw materials in particleboard production can potentially respond to the increased global demand for wood-based products. This research was conducted to investigate the properties of particleboard from agro-industrial residues bonded with natural rubber latex (NRL)-based adhesive. Particleboards with the dimension of 40 ´ 40 ´ 1 cm3 and a target density of 0.7 g/cm3 were made using different compositions of agro-industrial residues (cassava stem, sengon wood waste, and rice husk) and NRL adhesive (10%, 15%, and 20%). The physical and mechanical properties were evaluated following the Japanese Industrial Standard A 5908 (2003) standard for particleboard. The results showed no remarkable differences in the physical properties of the PB panel, such as density, moisture content, water absorption, and thickness swelling, with different agro-industrial residues formulations and NRL adhesive content. By contrast, the mechanical properties of the board significantly increased with the increase in adhesive content. The optimum mechanical properties of the particleboard were obtained using 20% NRL adhesive and a composition of 40% cassava stem, 30% sengon wood waste, and 30% rice husk. The results showed that cassava stem waste, sengon powder, and rice husks have the potential to be used as a substitute for wood-based composite products, especially for non-structural applications.

The cork paving material is a road pavement that is produced and distributed based on the quality standards of the Korean standard (KS F 8980). In this study, for the localization of cork resources, the cork granule manufacturing pattern from Quercus variabilis, which is known to have the thickest cork layer among domestic species in Korea, was analyzed, and the cork paving material manufacturing potential was evaluated. The 57-year-old oak (approximately 40 cm in diameter at breast height) collected from the academic forest of Kangwon National University is classified into details such as the outer bark (including the cork layer), the inner bark, and the wood, and pulverize each of them in a cutter mill-type grinder for the same time. The shape and particle distribution of water were analyzed. As a result, the outer bark containing the cork layer showed an amorphous granular shape by pulverization, the inner bark was powdery, and the xylem was needle like shaped. About 1% of the total pulverized material of the outer bark was scattered and lost during pulverization and sampling, and about 31% had a particle size of 2 mm or less. About 68% of the total pulverized material was found to exceed 2 mm. Among them, the distribution of particles for installing the lower layer of cork paving material (more than 5 mm) was the highest, and the distribution of particles for installing the upper layer (2 to 4 mm) was 25% was high. Only cork granules suitable for the above-mentioned upper and lower layers were selected to manufacture cork paving materials for children's activity spaces, and their safety was evaluated by the HIC safety test method. As a result of the HIC safety inspection, the domestic oyster oak-based cork paving material did not show a significant difference from the case manufactured based on imported products, and it sufficiently exceeded the test standard of 1,000 or less even if the thickness of the finished product was varied.

Dry-process MDF is the material that overcomes heterogeneous characteristics of woody resources, and it has been used steadily in many industrial and life fields. In terms of MDF business, raw materials should be considered preferentially because they are responsible for the largest aspect of manufacturing costs. MDF process, which has the process of disassembly into fibers and reassembly into panel, received influence of wood properties such as fiber length, extractives content, and maturity. Looking at the usage of species by region, softwood species are used in Europe and North America, hardwood species are in Asia, respectively. In the case of South Korea, red pine and radiate pine have been mainly used due to optimized manufacture condition and excellent board quality result from long fiber length characteristics. However, the governmental price support for bio-energy industry and the reduction of logging by environmental issues continue to reduce the supply of raw materials for board business. There are two strategies to solve resources shortage problem. Firstly, as a method of moving production bases to overseas regions rich in raw materials, such as Vietnam and Malaysia, it is mainly used by this company (Korea). Once the production is optimized for the new species in the area, it can be successfully profitable. Before, it should be necessary to overcome the problem that it is not easy to build deforestation infrastructure in develop forest area. Secondly, recycled materials is researched and applied by several companies. Outstanding technique and effort are required in order to solve some problem such as difficulty in perfect refining, low fiber quality, and impurities addition. On the other hand, the fact that can contribute to carbon neutrality is fascinating. Korean companies are taking a multi-pronged approach to securing MDF resources. Our company is currently undergoing a new development in northern Vietnam, but is struggling with a number of issues, including the absence of professional logging companies and the establishment of rival company around our site. Expansion to new regions that have not yet entered the market is also being planned, with Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia being cited as the next destinations.

Pinus merkusii and Agathis loranthifolia woods are common raw materials for lumber, wood panels, musical instruments, pulp, and paper. However, compression wood commonly occurs in the stem wood of fast-growing species, such as Pinus, Agathis, and Podocarpus and also caused trouble in the industry when mixed with the normal wood. Therefore, it is essential to identify the occurrences of reaction in commercial wood to increase efficiency in utilizing Pinus merkusii and Agathis loranthifolia woods. The present study observed and compared the anatomical characteristics of compression (CW), lateral (LW), and opposite (OW) woods in the stem wood of Pinus merkusii and Agathis loranthifolia. The qualitative and quantitative anatomical characteristics were observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the crystalline characteristics were analyzed with an x-ray diffractometry. In qualitative anatomical characteristics, CW of both species showed a gradual transition from earlywood to latewood in both species, circular tracheid shape, many intercellular spaces, irregular tracheid tips, helical cavities, and slit-like bordered pits. CW of Pinus merkusii showed an indistinct growth ring, while CW of Agathis loranthifolia showed a distinct growth ring. Helical ribs occurred only in CW of Pinus merkusii. LW and OW of both species showed similar qualitative anatomical characteristics. The quantitative anatomical characteristics of CW, LW, and OW in both species will be shown in the oral presentation.

The effects of oil and air heat treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of Paulownia tomentosa and Pinus koraiensis woods were determined and compared. Heat treatments were conducted at 180, 200, and 220 °C for 1, 2, and 3 hours. Changes in properties of heat-treated woods including color, weight, density, volume shrinkage, abrasion, compressive strength, and hardness were investigated. The oil heat-treated specimens showed a darker color than the air heat-treated specimens. In oil heat treatment, the weight and density increased significantly, but in air heat treatment, the weight and density decreased slightly. The volume shrinkage by oil heat treatment exhibited lower compared to that by air heat treatment. The oil heat-treated samples showed lower weight loss in abrasion than air heat-treated samples. Compressive strength increased by oil heat treatment at all temperatures, in contrast, the compression strength of the air heat-treated samples increased at 180 and 200 °C and rapidly decreased at 220 °C. The hardness of oil heat-treated Pinus koraiensis wood increased, but vice versa in Paulownia tomentosa wood. In air heat treatment, both wood species showed a decrease in hardness.

In order to improve the accessibility of wood species identification, the four domestic and six imported softwood species were classified using deep learning method. The cross-section micrographs were used as a dataset; which 1,535 images of 40x micrographs with earlywood and latewood, and 2,000 images of 200x micrographs for earlywood and latewood each. The classification accuracy and loss rate of 10 species were compared using the four convolutional neural network models such as modified CNN, GoogLeNet, VGG16, and ResNet. In verifying the classification accuracy and loss rate by model, the influencing factors, such as epochs, collected part of the dataset, and dataset augmentation, were analyzed. The modified CNN and GoogLeNet models increased classification accuracy in proportion to the number of epochs, achieving more than 95% classification accuracy in the final stage. At the same time, the loss rate decreased with decreasing the number of epochs. VGG16 model showed a low classification accuracy of 20~30% and a high loss rate regardless of the number of epochs during learning under the same conditions as the other models. The ResNet model showed a high classification accuracy of over 90%, with a low loss rate during the training process. However, classification accuracy decreased to 20~30%, with a high loss rate when the test process. As a result of analyzing the general trends in the four models, the classification accuracy increased with increasing the number of epochs in the latewood and total dataset. In contrast, the earlywood dataset didn't show any tendency. The dataset augmentation was not significantly correlated with the classification accuracy and loss rate. Based on these results, modified CNN and GoogLeNet models among the four deep learning models showed excellent wood species classification performance. Further, it is expected that the two models can be applied to identify unknown ten softwood species.

Korea imports wood from Southeast Asia, North America, South America, China, Vietnam, etc. Korea also has been planted in 14 countries by 34 companies for overseas plantation, including Vietnam. Vietnam is the second biggest Korean overseas plantation country among the 14 countries. Acacia mangium and Acacia hybrid are the dominant species in the Vietnam plantation forest. There is still needed on the information of the wood quality of A. mangium and A. hybrid growing in Vietnam for further effective utilization of both species. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and compare the anatomical characteristics of Acacia mangium and Acacia hybrid from northern Vietnam. The anatomical characteristics of both species were observed using optical microscopy and evaluated according to the International Association of Wood Anatomist list for hardwood identification. The results of this study will be presented in the oral presentation at the International Symposium.

Cork is a part of the periderm in the outer bark of cork oak that covers the stem and branches. Worldwide, cork is commonly known as a sealant in wine bottles. Cork has outstanding properties, such as low density, low permeability to liquids and gases, low conductivity, chemical stability and durability, and high compressibility. There are three types of cork in the cork industry: virgin cork, second cork, and reproduction cork. Virgin and second cork have deep fractures and a distorted structure and are commonly used as agglomerate products, whereas reproduction cork has an even surface and is the most essential material for making solid products such as wine stoppers. Quercus suber reproduction cork is the main resource of cork in the world because it has a large quantity of cork in its periderm. In Korea, Quercus variabilis is abundant and a common commercial wood species. Quercus variabilis is another species that has large quantity of cork in its periderm. However, there is still a lack of information regarding the quality of Quercus variabilis cork grown in Korea. Therefore, to give further valuable insight for effective utilization of cork resource, the present study investigated the qualitative anatomical characteristics such as growth ring characteristics, lenticular channel, and cellular cork structure of Quercus variabilis virgin cork grown in Korea and compared with those of Quercus suber reproduction cork grown in Portugal. The qualitative anatomical characteristics of both species were observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the results of this study will be presented at the International Symposium.

Cork is an impermeable material, the phellem layer of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber (the cork oak), which is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. Cork is mainly composed of suberin, a hydrophobic substance. Because of its impermeable, buoyant, elastic, and fire retardant properties, it is used in a variety of products such as wine stoppers, panels, boards and paving materials. Cork production is generally considered eco-friendly and sustainable because the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork; only the bark is stripped to harvest the cork. The tree continues to live and grow. The sustainability of production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects. In our previous studies, corks in Quercus variablis (in South Korea) and Quercus suber (in Portucal) were analyzed to compare the chemical compositions and its natural durability. Both species had similar composition of chemical components. In particular, the contents of suberin in the species were shown as 47.6% and 50.2%, respectively. As a result of fungal decay resistance test, there was no big difference in weight losses and morphological changes of both species. Based on the results, it was thought that the cork of Q. variabilis could be fully utilized as an alternative resource for that of Q. suber. As a main substance in corks, suberin is a complex polymer composed of two domains, polyaliphatic and polyphenolic, and thus it has great potential to be used for various purposes. The monomers, di-acids and phenolic acids have several applications in food, polymer and pharmaceutical industries. For examples, phenolic acid monomer of suberin is a secondary metabolite. Extraction of antioxidants from natural sources can replace synthetic antioxidants that do not have toxic and carcinogenic property. In polymer industries, suberin monomers are used as macromolecular materials either as additives or inactive starting monomeric form. Recent studies have explored the polyester nature of the suberin monomer to synthesize various polyester polymeric materials. Therefore, the isolation of suberin monomers or low-molecular weight compounds from renewable sources is the topic of focus nowadays. Hence, waste from corks rich in suberin components could be a promising source for these renewable chemicals extraction.

Climatic and environmental stresses make it challenging for farmers in the southwestern U.S. to generate revenue. However, increasing demand for pine nuts presents an opportunity for farmers to diversify by growing native pinyonpine (Pinus edulis) as a long-lived and drought-tolerant crop for regional markets. Pine nuts have long been collected in the western U.S. from wild populations since early Native American history and sold locally today at premium prices. Seed masting, drought, competition with wildlife, and disease make it hard to harvest profitable yields in the wild year after year. Domesticating pinyon pine would resolve many of these issues.

Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) is the climax species in primary forest mixed by it and the broadleaved tree species such as Fraxinus mandshurica, Juglans mandshurica, Tilia amurensis, Quercus mongolica and Acer mono in humid temperate areas in East Asia. It is a well-known high-quality timber production species which provided the main part of the 70% timber yield in China that was harvested in Northeast China’s forest area during 1950’ to 1990’s. Currently, it is also a very important edible pine nut production species, for its nut (seed) yield has occupied 69% of the pine nut yield in China during 2010 to 2019 and has become the most important support for local development for its high value in nut market. Specialized nut production plantation (nut garden) may be an effective approach, but compatible production of timber and seed by the same tree in the same forest may be the best approach in China for the following reasons: (1) morphology: mostly the cones of Korean pine are inserted on apical part of the crown and can be cultured in a relatively high stand density like the timber production plantation; (2) physiological feature: our investigations showed that the Korean pine support its cone growth by the enhanced photosynthesis and not by the redistribution of the nutrient from other organs; (3) economic demand: Korean pine timber, especially the large-sized clear wood, is also in good demand by the timber market but need a very long production rotation with a little income, but it can be compensate by frequent production of edible pine nut; (4) least but maybe most important, planting sites: there are just limited open area of planting sites for pure plantation but huge area of planting sites under canopy of secondary forest (at least 12 million ha). Breeding of Korean pine was started in 1950’ for the primary improved base of natural seed production forest selection and artificial seed forest establishment. The indeed breeding was started with the establishment of seed orchard in 1980’s but primarily for timber production. The breeding activities are mainly selection, but hybridization was conducted recently and has obtained some results. Fifteen national improved seed bases of Korean pine have been established in Northeast China’s forest region in forms of seed production forest and seed orchards (mainly the first generation, a few secondary generation). Many improved varieties in seed forest, seed orchard, family and clone level were selected but just national level approved Lushuhe Seed Orchard and others are all in provincial level approved or affirmed improved varieties, including 38 clones selected by nut indexes, 2 seed forest selected by timber and nut indexes, and 19 seed forests and/or seed orchard as well as 2 clones selected by timber indexes. There are also many clones and hybrids selected are waiting for approve or confirm. There are 2 types of sites for compatible forests of Korean pine in Northeast China: full-light or under-canopy, the former is limited by non-enough area land but rich land for later. A silvicultural system by site quality evaluation, density regulation, stem and top pruning, crop tree selection and operation with a series of control indexes of diameter, tree height, crown length and width, top pruning opportunities, stem pruning height, etc., has been establishment for full-light pure stand during the last 10 years but still in testing. An individual tree regulation system is in establishing for the under-canopy planted Korean pine tree but lagged by unproper policies of natural forest protection.

Pinus koraiensis is famous for its high-quality timber production all the way and is much more famous for its high value health-care nut oil production potential since 1990’s, but the less understanding of its reproduction biology seriously hindered its nut productivity increase. Exploring the effects of reproduction on nutrient uptake, allocation and storage can help to understand and modify reproduction patterns in masting of such species and high nut yield cultivar selection and breeding. Here, we compared seasonality in growth and in nitrogen ([N]) and phosphorus ([P]) concentrations in needles, branches and cones of reproductive (cone-bearing) and vegetative branches (having no cones) of Pinus koraiensis during a masting year. The growth of one- and two-year-old reproductive branches was significantly higher than that of vegetative branches. Needle, phloem and xylem [N] and [P] were lower in reproductive branches than that in vegetative branches, although the extent and significance of the differences between branch types varied across dates. [N] and [P] in most tissues were high in spring, decreased during summer, and then recovered at the end of the growing season. Overall, [N] and [P] were highest in needles, lowest in xylem and intermediate in phloem. More than half of the N (73.5%) and P (51.6%) content in reproductive branches were allocated to cones. There was a positive correlation between cone number and N and P content in needles and twigs of two-year-old reproductive branches. High nutrient sink strength of cones and vegetative tissues of reproductive branches suggested that the customized fertilization practices can help improve crop yield in Pinus koraiensis.

Orang Kayo Hitam (OKH) Forest Park is a peat forest area with a conservation function that is rich in biodiversity. Forest resources that are used by the community need to be properly maintained in order to avoid damage, one of which is forest and land fires. When the function of the forest can meet the needs of the community, it can support forest sustainability because automatically the community will increase their sense of belonging to the existence of the forest. This can happen because the community gets benefits from the preservation of functions to support the fulfillment of the daily needs of their families. Based on this, it is necessary to conduct research on ethnobotany which is a study of the diversity of plants around the forest based on the understanding and value of their use by families or communities around the forest. Especially for peat forests, the results of the research will be specific because peat is land that is prone to fires, but on the other hand, it greatly influences the hydrological conditions of the area where the peatlands exist. This research was conducted in September-October 2021, in Tanjung and Seponjen Villages, Jambi Province, Indonesia. The primary data collection method used interviews and ethnobotany questionnaires, secondary data was collected through literature study. Purposive data collection to 66 respondents. Ethnobotanical data analysis used the calculation of Species Use Value (UVs) and Family Use Value (FUV) to determine the use value of plants. The results showed that as many as 66 species from 42 families of medicinal plants were used by the community around the OKH Forest Park, Jambi Province. The highest use values of plant species (UVs) in Tanjung and Seponjen villages respectively were turmeric (Curcuma longa) which were 0.37 and 0.27. The mean value of plant FUV in Tanjung and Seponjen villages was also below 0.50. Based on the results of this research analysis, all UVs and FUV values have a value below 0.5 (low), then Tanjung and Seponjen Villages need conservation efforts that are supported by all parties and through appropriate conservation programs according to conditions in the field.

Juglans mandshurica is a precious timber and economic tree species. The species is monoecious heterodichogamous with protogynous and protandrous mating strategies that occur at a 1:1 ratio and are randomly distributed in the population. The inconsistent male and female flowering periods of the same mating type result in the low yield of this species. In this study, the morphological and anatomical development of the male and female flowers of J. mandshurica were analyzed by histological and scanning electron microscopy analysis. In addtion, the crucial gene involved in plant flowering, LEAFY (LFY) was cloned from J. mandshurica by homologous cloning, and the expression analysis of JmLFY in different organs at various developmental stages and its genetic transformation and functional verification were also conducted. The results revealed that the male floral morphological development of J. mandshurica was divided into seven phases, while that of the female flower was nine. Four stages were shared between the male and female flower’s anatomical development. These results indicate that there was minimal overlap between sexual functions within the same mating type, guaranteeing synchronization, mutual non-interference, outcrossing, and avoidance of self-fertilization. Overexpression of JmLFY gene promoted the expression of flowering related genes (such as AtAP1、AtSOC1 and AtPI) and the transformation from vegetative growth to reproductive growth in Arabidopsis, promoted the flowering about 8d in advance. These results provide a theoretical basis for improving fruit yield and quality by artificial pollination control, shortening childhood and allocating protogynous and protandrous individuals in a population reasonably.