Seeds of many tree-species possess a hard seed coat which is impervious to water. These seeds often take a long time to germinate, resulting in heterogeneity and a delay in seedlings development which is an inconvenience for reforestation success. The aim of the present work was to determine the possibilities to improve the germination of five leguminous trees of the genus Acacia that have been recorded in the arid and the desert region of Algeria using sulphuric acid. A duration of 30 min of immersion in sulphuric acid improved the seed germination up to 97.5% and 99% for A. albida and A. laeta, respectively. Increasing the time of immersion (from 30 to 90 min) improved the germination percentages for A. ehrenbergiana and A. seyal seeds to 92.5% and 93.7%, respectively. Increasing this duration to 120 min had a positive effect on A. tortilis seed germination, improving the final germination rate up to 97%. Understanding of seed Germination Requirements is very important for regeneration and successful tree establishment in forest nurseries as well as for direct plantation in arid and semi-arid lands.

Drought and salinity act simultaneously in tolerance and acclimatization under saline conditions. Therefore, plants subjected to these types of stress should have developed specific structural adaptations at the early stages of development. The solution to these environmental problems is to look for species that are relatively water-efficient and resistant to recurrent episodes of various abiotic stresses such as salt stress. In this study, the salinity tolerance index, ionic homeostasis and osmoprotection were evaluated in A. karroo and A. saligna plants of 90 days old and cultured at various concentrations of NaCl for 21 days. Results showed that salt caused remarkable changes in some growth-related parameters (dry biomass) represented by the salinity tolerance index (STI). Na⁺, Ca2⁺, and Ratio_Na⁺/K⁺ content in the leaves increased with salinity levels, while K⁺ contents were significantly reduced compared to the control in both acacia species. Levels of proline, total free amino acids and reducing sugars have been accumulated considerably in the leaves. A. karroo was more salt-tolerant than A. saligna. Our results showed that the adaptability of a species to salinity is closely related to ion selectivity and biomass production. The seedlings also accumulated significantly a set of important osmolytes in leaves under salt stress, showing a marked increase in secondary metabolite accumulation. This adaptation proved very specific to each species for better survival in saline environments.  

Temperature can directly and indirectly impact the livelihood of inhabitants of a country and the natural environment as a whole. The surface temperature trend approximations for South Africa (SA) were calculated using a linear-regression fitting model. The model was adapted at The University of Reunion Island and was referred to as the Trend-Run model. The geophysical signal of the model was split into a sum of oscillations, which was used to clarify most of its variability. The trend values were calculated from the residual terms as a linear function. The model used atmospheric oscillations, which included Annual (AO), Semi-Annual (SAO), Quasi-Biennial Oscillations (QBO), El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the 11-years solar cycle-Sun Spot Number (SSN) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The South African Weather Service (SAWS) data were used for the study. Data sets over a 31-year period, from March 1980 to December 2011, were used to measure the validity of the Trend-Run model, to determine the contribution and effect of this particular oscillation, and the validity of the model. The Trend-Run model showed very high applicability to the surface temperatures in all provinces across the SA region under investigation. High coefficient of determination values between (0.70-0.91) were recorded for surface temperatures across all provinces in the country with minor variations. The AO, ENSO and SAO were the highest contributing forcings in the model, thereby showing their high relevance to the success of this model in the study area. The temperature increases are expected to negatively impact on the biomes of SA, including the forest biome. Selected tree species of Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus could be impacted negatively with rising temperatures, which would negatively impact on the forestry industry in SA. As expected, the model did obtain a high success rate that ranged from 70% to 91% in the areas under study, however, there was still room for improvement by the possible inclusion of additional atmospheric forcings to the model that maybe be applicable to the weather and forestry distribution in SA.

Two schools of thought address the optimum soil pH (measured in water) for growing hardwood seedlings in bareroot nurseries. One school uses nutrient surveys in non-fertilized forests to determine the best pH range for growing seedlings in fertilized nurseries. Some students of this school believe hardwood seedlings grow best at pH 6.0 to 7.5. In contrast, another school relies on research from pH trials to conclude that fertilized hardwoods can grow well in soils that range from pH 4.5 to 6.0. This article compiles some of the findings from seedbed and greenhouse trials and attempts to use data to dispel a few myths about the “optimum pH” for growing hardwood seedlings. Greenhouse trials suggest many fertilized hardwoods grow better in acid soils (pH 4-6) than in nearly neutral soils (pH 6.0-7.5). The optimal pH for growth differs among species and, therefore, it is a myth that all hardwood seedlings grow best at pH 6 to 7.5. Most nursery managers in the southern United States grow bareroot hardwoods between pH 4.8 and 6.0.

The paper presents the growth characteristics of one-year-old seedlings of three autochthonous oak species (Fagaceae family): Turkey oak (Quercus cerris L.), Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto Ten.) and downy oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) in suboptimal growing conditions. The analyzed oak species are widely distributed in Serbia. One of the most important benefits of oak species is wood production (Hungarian and Turkey oak), and they have a promising role for the use in the future regarding the climate change as all species can be encountered on dry sites. Acorns were collected in the autumn of 2017 in natural stands and a sample of 400 acorns per each oak species was immediately sown in a nursery seedbed in the form of a random block system with four replicates. At the end of 2018, the available sample of seedlings was analyzed morphometrically. The seedlings were classified according to the number of shoot growth flushes into one-flush-growth and multi-flush growth seedlings. Turkey Oak had the highest number of seedlings which also recorded higher values in total height, root collar diameter and number of leaves. These results were obtained on alkaline soil with the presence of weeds and rodents and the absence of irrigating. The presence of multi-flush growth was recorded in all three oak species. Differences between analyzed three oak species exist in these suboptimal conditions. However, in full light conditions, a similar growth pattern was recorded, indicating to the similar adaptability of the species.

Artificial forest regeneration using nursery produced growing stock is commonplace in the Pacific Northwest. High quality seedlings are needed for outplanting success, which depends on a seedling’s ability to establish new roots and overcome stress. Containerized seedling stock is typically grown in artificial growing media. Peat, a popular component of growing media, is a non-renewable resource. Biochar has similar physical attributes to peat, which makes it a potential alternative.  In our study, we grew Douglas-fir seedlings in containers with biochar-amended peat-based growing media to determine if biochar could improve seedling quality. Douglas-fir seeds were sown in March 2016 and seedlings were grown under standard light and temperature conditions at an operational forest nursery for nine months. After nine months, seedling quality was assessed for height, diameter, cold hardiness, and root growth potential. Using biochar did not improve Douglas-fir seedling quality, except for slightly increasing cold hardiness and root growth potential for equivalently sized seedlings. Seedlings grown without biochar had increased height and diameter compared to seedlings with biochar and they had higher root growth potential (all dependent on fertilizer rates). Douglas-fir seedling quality might be improved with biochar amendment if negative growth impacts of soil reaction can be overcome.

The seed of Pinus sylvestris L. originating from natural forest in Voronezh region, Russian Federation, was graded in four classes based on seed diameter size, using the operational equipment of screens with round openings. The ungraded seedlot was used as control. Seedlings were produced in Voronezh containerized forest nursery, from March to September 2015, following the standard procedure for Pinus sylvestris. Seed from each size class, plus control, is sown in containers with 120 cm³ cells, filled with peat-substrate, grown in greenhouse for eight weeks, followed by hardening in growing area until the end of the growing season. The results shows a week positive effect of seed grading on height of one-year old container-grown seedlings, but significant improvement of seed use efficiency by reducing the number of empty cells. Based on results of this study, we can recommend grading of Pinus sylvestris seed on two size classes.

Seedling field performance is affected by both their quality and reforestation site conditions. Seedlings enter the establishment phase when they start to develop root systems into the surrounding soil and are coupled to the restoration site. Once seedlings are established, their inherent growth potential is related to morphological and physiological attributes and their ecophysiological response to site environmental conditions, which ultimately determines field performance. This establishment phase is a time when seedlings developed with certain nursery cultural practices begin to respond to site conditions. This phase is also a period when silvicultural practices have created microsites intended to benefit established seedlings field performance. Seedlings can be exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions during the establishment phase, some of which may be extreme enough to exceed their ability to physiologically tolerate environmental stress. When this occurs, seedling growth on the restoration site is reduced. On the other hand, this phase can provide planted seedlings with ideal environmental conditions that allow for an optimum physiological response and maximization of their growth potential. An understanding of the ecophysiological capability of planted seedlings can ensure they have the best chance at rapid stand establishment.

The paper focuses on the use of alley cropping, an arable agroforestry system comprising rows of trees planted with a companion crop grown in the alleyways between the rows, in two sub-compartments (81B%: 0.75 ha, elevation 715 m asl; 81E: 3.4 ha, elevation 735 m asl) artificially regenerated at 1.80 m x 1.60 m spacing in the south-east of Transylvania (Romania) in 1997 (81B%) and 2003 (81E). The climate (Dfbx, specific to low and middle mountains) and soil (luvisol, of moderate fertility for pure or mixed Quercus petraea stands) are only moderately favourable to strawberry culture. The rows of tree species consists of Quercus rubra, Acer pseudoplatanus, Prunus avium (81B%), and Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, and Larix decidua (81E). Strawberries (variety Elsanta,) were planted at 60 x 60 cm spacing in two pure rows in-between the tree rows as well as within the rows of planted trees. Both plantations were fenced, with manual topsoil hoeing up to four times a year, lighly fertilized (N, P, K complex) and chemically protected against browsing and pests. Strawberry rotation (six years, of which five years - two to six - with fruit production) was longer than the one (maximum three years) recommended in pure crops. Strawberry production reached the maximum level in years 3 or 4.

Under the local conditions, the alley cropping with strawberries had demonstrated to be a viable alternative to the 'classical' monocropping system in terms of (a) survival rate of plants (over 95 per cent), (b) initial height growth of plants (very quick, resulting from reduced competition with grasses and naturally regenerated forest trees such as pioneer species), (c) establishment of a new forest culture, the full forest cover being achieved immediately after the end of strawberry production, as well as (d) economics (early and relevant revenue from the crop).

Facilitation is a positive interaction demonstrated to be one of the important factors shaping the regeneration niche of trees, mostly under stressful conditions which is currently studied in the frame of complex ecological networks. The protection provided by benefactor plants for tree seedlings playing the role of beneficiaries is documented mainly in arid and semi-arid habitats or in situations where herbivores’ pressure constitutes the main stressful factor for tree regeneration. One of the iconic Transylvanian landscapes is the wood-pasture, also one of the oldest agro-forestry systems to which recent forest expansion in abandoned agricultural fields or pastures is added. The proposed work represents a preliminary investigation on the association between benefactor plants, mostly spiny shrubs (Rosa canina, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa as the most frequently encountered benefactors) and tree seedlings (Quercus spp., Tilia spp., Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus angustifolia, Pyrus pyraster as most frequently encountered beneficiaries), in four different locations from North-Western and Western Romania, wood-pastures, abandoned pastures and abandoned agricultural fields under the consideration that the main stressful factor is represented by livestock grazing. Bipartite, qualitative merged network was generated depicting the interaction between beneficiaries and benefactors. Commonly used metrics were calculated: connectivity, nestedness, modularity, betweenness centrality and centralization compared to similar facilitation networks presented in the literature. Facilitation network is characterized by high nestedness (N=0.896), lack of modularity, relatively high connectance (C=0.233), features encountered in mutualistic networks also. Betweenness centrality scores highlighted the keystone benefactor and beneficiary species, while betweenness centralization score (0.192) indicates the fact that there are several species sharing the dominant position in terms of interactions. The analysis of measurement data (seedlings’ and benefactor plants’ heights, distance from focal seedlings to nearest benefactor species and orientation) showed that there is common pattern in orientation (most of the benefactor species oriented toward South or South West) also in dimensional variability (MANOVA results).