Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.5
2.9
Journals
Forests
Special Issues
EcoResource: Sustainable Materials and Waste Management in Wood and Non-wood...
share announcement

EcoResource: Sustainable Materials and Waste Management in Wood and Non-wood Resources

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Wood Science and Forest Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2024 | Viewed by 2895

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irena Bates

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Printing Processes, Faculty of Graphic Arts, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: printing; printing inks; graphic prepress; print quality control; polymeric materials; paper; packaging
Dr. Nikola Španić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: wood-based composites; pulp and paper; bio-composites synthesis and characterization; cellulose nanostructures and materials; materials characterization
Dr. Ivana Plazonić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Graphic Arts, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: pulp and paper; non-wood and wood fibers; materials characterization; recycling
Dr. Mia Kurek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: active food packaging; intelligent sensors; antioxidant; smart packaging; barrier properties; shelf-life; food–packaging interaction; waste reduction; biopolymers; recyclability; eco-impact; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

EcoResource is a Special Issue journal dedicated to advancing knowledge and sustainable practices in wood and non-wood resources management. Our journal provides a platform for researchers, academics, and industry professionals to disseminate and explore innovative research, technologies, and strategies in the following areas:

  • Wood science and engineering: Research covering the science, technology, and engineering of wood, wood components, wood structures, and wood-based composites. This includes studies of wood properties, processing techniques, and structural applications.
  • Pulp and paper: Articles concerned with the entire process of pulp and paper production, from raw material procurement to papermaking technologies, quality control, and environmental aspects.
  • Fiber resources from non-woody plants: Exploration of natural fiber resources obtained from non-woody plants, such as agricultural residues, suitable for various applications, including composites and textiles.
  • Wood-inhabiting insects and fungi: Studies on wood-damaging insects and fungi, their effects on wood-based materials, and strategies for preservation and mitigation.
  • Wood biomass: Research focused on the sustainable utilization of wood biomass for energy production, biofuels, and other value-added applications.
  • Environmental and ecological issues related to forest products: Research on environmental and ecological aspects of forest products, including habitat conservation, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and sustainable forest management practices.
  • Reuse and recycling: Exploring methods to extend the life and value of materials through reuse, refurbishment, and repurposing to promote a circular economy.
  • Utilization of natural waste: Exploring novel approaches for converting natural waste into valuable resources, such as bioenergy, bio-based materials, and green chemicals.

EcoResource encourages the exchange of ideas, data, and experiences that contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. The mission of this Special Issue is to increase publication and collaboration among parties from academia and industry worldwide to address the pressing challenges of resource utilization and waste management while promoting environmental integrity and social well-being.

Dr. Irena Bates
Dr. Nikola Španić
Dr. Ivana Plazonić
Dr. Mia Kurek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wood engineering
  • pulp
  • fiber resources from non-woody plants
  • wood-inhabiting insects and fungi
  • wood biomass
  • ecological issues related to forest products
  • recycling
  • utilization of natural waste

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 5602 KiB  
Article
A Novel Framework for Forest Above-Ground Biomass Inversion Using Multi-Source Remote Sensing and Deep Learning
by Junxiang Zhang, Cui Zhou, Gui Zhang, Zhigao Yang, Ziheng Pang and Yongfeng Luo
Forests 2024, 15(3), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030456 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 858
Abstract
The estimation of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) can be significantly improved by leveraging remote sensing (RS) and deep learning (DL) techniques. In this process, it is crucial to obtain appropriate RS features and develop a suitable model. However, traditional methods such as random [...] Read more.
The estimation of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) can be significantly improved by leveraging remote sensing (RS) and deep learning (DL) techniques. In this process, it is crucial to obtain appropriate RS features and develop a suitable model. However, traditional methods such as random forest (RF) feature selection often fail to adequately consider the complex relationships within high-dimensional RS feature spaces. Moreover, challenges related to parameter selection and overfitting inherent in DL models may compromise the accuracy of AGB estimation. Therefore, this study proposes a novel framework based on freely available Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical data. Firstly, we designed new indices through the formula analogous with vegetation index calculation to integrate multidimensional spectral and structural information. Then, leveraging the simplicity of computational principles, a pigeon-inspired optimization algorithm (PIO) was introduced into a bi-directional long short-term memory neural network (PIO-BiLSTM), which achieved the set objective function through repeated iteration and validation to obtain the optimal model parameters. Finally, to verify the framework’s effect, we conducted experiments in two different tree species and compared another seven classical optimization algorithms and machine learning models. The results indicated that the new indices significantly improved the inversion accuracy of all models in both categories, and the PIO-BiLSTM model achieved the highest accuracy (Category-1: R2 = 0.8055, MAE = 8.8475 Mg·ha−1, RMSE = 12.2876 Mg·ha−1, relative RMSE = 18.1715%; Category-2: R2 = 0.7956, MAE = 1.7103 Mg·ha−1, RMSE = 2.2887 Mg·ha−1, relative RMSE = 9.3000%). Compared with existing methods, the proposed framework greatly reduced the labor costs in parameter selection, and its potential uncertainty also decreased by up to 9.0%. Furthermore, the proposed method has a strong generalization ability and is independent of tree species, indicating its great potential for future forest AGB inversion in wider regions with diverse forest types. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue EcoResource: Sustainable Materials and Waste Management in Wood and Non-wood Resources)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5108 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Indonesian Sugar Palm Bunch (Arenga longipes Mogea) Properties for Various Utilization Purposes
by Luthfi Hakim, Apri Heri Iswanto, Evalina Herawati, Ridwanti Batubara, Yunida Syafriani Lubis and Erlina Nurul Aini
Forests 2024, 15(2), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020239 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 686
Abstract
Sugar palm bunch/SPB (Arenga longipes Mogea) waste is a lignocellulosic material derived from the harvest of sugar palm fruit (kolang-kaling). Therefore, this study aims to examine the anatomical, physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of SPB. The anatomical characterization results showed [...] Read more.
Sugar palm bunch/SPB (Arenga longipes Mogea) waste is a lignocellulosic material derived from the harvest of sugar palm fruit (kolang-kaling). Therefore, this study aims to examine the anatomical, physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of SPB. The anatomical characterization results showed that SPB had two forms of fibrovascular bundles (FVBs), namely large and small. Based on morphology, SPB fibers had a length, diameter, average lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness of approximately 1346.42 ± 415.71 μm, 20.05 ± 3.81 μm, 11.82 ± 2.95 μm, and 4.12 ± 1.08 μm, respectively. FVB tissue of the sample had a fairly high density of 4–6 FVB per 4 mm2 with a non-vascular area/total area ratio of 57.25%. The results showed that the sample contained 45.31 ± 3.20% cellulose, 23.21 ± 3.73% hemicellulose, 27.23 ± 4.23% lignin, and 1.39 ± 0.32% ash content. In addition, the extractive content that dissolved in hot water, cold water, ethanol-benzene, and 1% NaOH was 4.79 ± 0.84%, 7.12 ± 0.68%, 7.27 ± 2.38%, and 29.81 ± 3.78%, respectively. The GC–MS analysis results showed that A. longipes bunch contained several compounds, including carboxylic acid (tetradecanoic, octadecanoic), methoxy group (3-hydoxyphthalide), and palmitic acid. Meanwhile, the FTIR analysis showed the presence of OH groups with high intensity, which were identified as aromatic groups, as well as phenol groups recognized as lignin. Based on these results, characteristics of SPB were more suitable as raw materials for biomass energy, absorbent activated carbon, composite board, and surfactant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue EcoResource: Sustainable Materials and Waste Management in Wood and Non-wood Resources)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4565 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Supercapacitor Electrode Based on Activated Biochar Derived from Preserved Wood Waste
by Meiling Huang, Boren Dai, Jiangtao Shi, Jiayao Li and Changlei Xia
Forests 2024, 15(1), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010177 - 15 Jan 2024
Viewed by 746
Abstract
Due to the inherent metals (Cu, As and Cr) in preserved wood waste (CCA-treated wood waste) that pose a risk to both the environment and human health, it is crucial to dispose of CCA-treated wood properly. Carbon materials have received widespread attention for [...] Read more.
Due to the inherent metals (Cu, As and Cr) in preserved wood waste (CCA-treated wood waste) that pose a risk to both the environment and human health, it is crucial to dispose of CCA-treated wood properly. Carbon materials have received widespread attention for their high porosity, renewability and simplicity of fabrication. This work presents a simple and effective process for producing carbon materials from leftover CCA-treated wood (chromated copper arsenate). Utilizing CCA-treated wood derived carbon (CCA-BC) and activating it with KOH (CCA-AC), electrode materials for supercapacitor applications were created and its electrochemical characteristics were investigated. The resulting material combines the conductivity of the metal in preserved wood with the good porosity provided by carbon materials. Compared with common wood biomass, carbon (W-BC) and common wood activated carbon (W-AC), CCA-BC and CCA-AC have better electrochemical properties. After being pyrolyzed at 600 °C for two hours, CCA-AC performed optimally electrochemically in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte, demonstrating a 72% capacity retention rate after 2000 charge and discharge cycles and a specific capacity of 76.7 F/g. This study provides a novel approach for the manufacture of supercapacitor electrodes, which also allows preserved wood waste an environmentally nondestructive form of elimination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue EcoResource: Sustainable Materials and Waste Management in Wood and Non-wood Resources)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Towards expanding the use of papers made from recycled and non-woody plants: enhancing the print quality through application of nano-modified offset inks
Author: Strižić Jakovljević
Highlights: The main findings presented in the paper: - the possibility of improving the suitability of offset papers made from recycled and non-woody plants for commercial use, by optimizing the paper-ink interaction with nano-fillers in printing inks - new insights into the possibility of replacing papers produced from primary fibres with papers made from recycled and non-woody plants

Back to TopTop