High spatial resolution images as well as image processing and object detection algorithms are recent technologies that aid the study of biodiversity and commercial plantations of forest species. This paper seeks to contribute knowledge regarding the use of these technologies by studying randomly dispersed native palm tree. Here, we analyze the automatic detection of large circular crown (LCC) palm tree using a high spatial resolution panchromatic GeoEye image (0.50 m) taken on the area of a community of small agricultural farms in the Brazilian Amazon. We also propose auxiliary methods to estimate the density of the LCC palm tree Attalea speciosa (babassu) based on the detection results. We used the "Compt-palm" algorithm based on the detection of palm tree shadows in open areas via mathematical morphology techniques and the spatial information was validated using field methods (i.e. structural census and georeferencing). The algorithm recognized individuals in life stages 5 and 6, and the extraction percentage, branching factor and quality percentage factors were used to evaluate its performance. A principal components analysis showed that the structure of the studied species differs from other species. Approximately 96% of the babassu individuals in stage 6 were detected. These individuals had significantly smaller stipes than the undetected ones. In turn, 60% of the stage 5 babassu individuals were detected, showing significantly a different total height and a different number of leaves from the undetected ones. Our calculations regarding resource availability indicate that 6870 ha contained 25,015 adult babassu palm tree, with an annual potential productivity of 27.4 t of almond oil. The detection of LCC palm tree and the implementation of auxiliary field methods to estimate babassu density is an important first step to monitor this industry resource that is extremely important to the Brazilian economy and thousands of families over a large scale.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.02.004 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK.
Tropical peatlands are carbon-dense ecosystems that are significant sources of atmospheric methane (CH). Recent work has demonstrated the importance of trees as an emission pathway for CH from the peat to the atmosphere. However, there remain questions over the processes of CH production in these systems and how they relate to substrate supply.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Fungi (Basel)
January 2025
Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Palm trees () are among the most popular ornamental plants worldwide. Despite extensive research on the fungi associated with , the diversity and ecological dynamics of fungi affecting ornamental palms remain poorly studied, although they have significant impact on palm health and economic value. Furthermore, while research on palm fungal diversity has traditionally focused on tropical assemblages, ornamental palms in temperate climates offer a unique opportunity to explore the diversity of palm fungi in non-native habitats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Microbiol
January 2025
School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom.
The microbiota within the guts of insects plays beneficial roles for their hosts, such as facilitating digestion and extracting energy from their diet. The African palm weevil (APW) lives within and feeds on the high lignin-containing trunk of palm trees; therefore, their guts could harbour a large community of lignin-degrading microbes. In this study, we aimed to explore the bacterial community within the gut of the APW larvae, specifically with respect to the potential for lignin degradation in various gut segments as a first step to determining the viability of mining bacterial lignin-degrading enzymes for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and biomaterials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biol (Stuttg)
January 2025
Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
The success of pollen-pistil interaction in Mauritia flexuosa (buriti), a palm adapted to the humid ecosystems, 'veredas', within the Cerrado, is influenced by intrinsic and environmental factors. Its supra-annual flowering, dioecy, and adverse climate conditions pose challenges for fertilization, therefore information on floral biology is essential. This study aimed to ascertain stigma receptivity, and elucidate structural, cytochemical, and ultrastructural aspects of the pollen-pistil relationship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia.
Tropical peatlands are significant sources of methane (CH₄), but their contribution to the global CH₄ budget remains poorly quantified due to the lack of long-term, continuous and high-frequency flux measurements. To address this gap, we measured net ecosystem CH exchange (NEE-CH) using eddy covariance technique throughout the conversion of a tropical peat swamp forest to an oil palm plantation. This encompassed the periods before, during and after conversion periods from 2014 to 2020, during which substantial environmental shifts were observed.
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