Jinghang Zhou

Mangrove plant seedling cultivation is crucial for the protection, management, and restoration of the mangrove ecosystem. In this study, we focused on Kandelia obovata Sheue & al., a typical mangrove, and evaluated nursery cultivation with different combinations of three salinity levels (S1: 0 ppt, S2: 10 ppt, and S3: 20 ppt), three genealogies (EZD, JX, and YZ), and five growth media (M1: 100% loess, M2: 100% sandy, M3: 50% loess + 50% sandy, M4: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% peat, and M5: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% coir), by measuring the growth parameters such as mortality rate, seedling height, seedling diameter, and biomass partition. These growth indexes were significantly affected by salinity and medium, and genealogies also had significant effects on mortality rate and biomass accumulation. S2 or S3 both had lower mortality and higher growth indexes than S1. M1 was the medium that increased seedling height, diameter, and biomass the most and had the lowest death rate. EZD and JX were also at higher levels than YZ in these indicators, but the difference between them was not obvious. S3, M1, and EZD consistently performed well in fuzzy evaluation and quality assessment (Dickson quality index: 1.179, 1.478, and 1.089, respectively). Furthermore, combinations involving these treatments also produced highly favorable results. This indicates that the quality of seedlings produced under these conditions was high. These results furnish both a theoretical and practical foundation for advancing nursery cultivation techniques and germplasm breeding of K. obovata in mangroves.

Mangrove plant seedling cultivation is crucial for the protection, management and restoration of mangrove ecosystem. In this study, we focused on Kandelia obovata, a typical mangrove, and evaluated nursery cultivation with different combinations of three salinity levels (S1: 0 ppt, S2: 10 ppt, and S3: 20 ppt), three genealogies (EZD, JX, and YZ), and five growth media (M1: 100% loess, M2: 100% sandy, M3: 50% loess + 50% sandy, M4: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% peat, and M5: 40% loess + 40% sandy + 20% coir), by measuring the growth parameters such as mortality rate, seedling height, diameter, and biomass partition. These growth indexes were significantly affected by salinity and medium, and genealogies also had significant effects on mortality rate and biomass accumulation. S2 or S3 both had lower mortality and higher growth indexes than S1. M1 was the medium that increased seedlings height, diameter and biomass the most and had the lowest death rate. EZD and JX were also higher levels than YZ in these indicators, but the difference between them was not obvious. S3, M1, and EZD consistently performed well in fuzzy evaluation and quality assessment. Furthermore, combinations involving these treatments also produced highly favorable results. These results furnish both a theoretical and practical foundation for advancing nursery cultivation techniques and germplasm breeding of K. obovata in mangroves.

To enhance the density and properties of Tsoongiodendron odorum and expand its range of applications, the physical and mechanical characteristics, such as density and hardness, were investigated after impregnating a solution of sodium carbonate and calcium chloride to generate calcium carbonate filler within the wood, followed by thermal compression. The results showed that the surface density of wood was significantly increased by 86.4%. The rate of weight gain gradually increased with sodium carbonate concentration, reaching a maximum of 55.67%. Hardness increased by 85.3%. The optimal treatment process is a compression rate of 5%, a pressing temperature of 170 °C, and a hot-pressing time of 30 min. Microscopic observations revealed that the calcium carbonate was predominantly distributed on the surfaces of wood, while the surface cells exhibited deformation upon compression. Conversely, the cells in the innermost region of the wood remained largely unaltered, thereby achieving a stratified compression effect. Impregnation and compression treatment increases the hardness and bending strength of Tsoongiodendron odorum, but spring-back may occur, and the dimensional stability measures necessitate further investigation and analysis.