Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is one of the most promising remote sensors to map forest carbon. The unique spaceborne and longwavelength SAR data currently available are L-band data, but their relationship with forest biomass is still controversial, particularly for high biomass values. While many studies assume a complete loss of sensitivity above a saturation point, typically around 100 t.ha...

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are listed as vulnerable to extinction due to rapid population reductions caused in part by loss of seagrass feeding meadows. Understanding dugong feeding behaviour in tropical Australia, where the majority of dugongs live, will assist conservation strategies. We examined whether feeding patterns in intertidal seagrass meadows in tropical north-eastern Australia were rela...

The aim of the present work was to improve the C:O ratio in biomass by preserving the lignin macrostructure of lignocellulosic feed. The intention of liquid phase pyrolysis is to liquefy biomass and prepare biomass for further upgrading steps like hydrogenation and deoxygenation. Pyrolysis was carried out in a non-aqueous liquid phase heat carrier. The process was carried out in a semi-batch re...

The current study involves an experimental investigation of the decomposition of various biomass feedstocks and their conversion to gaseous fuels such as hydrogen. The steam gasification process resulted in higher levels of H2 and CO for various CO2 input ratios. With increasing rates of CO2 introduced into the feed stream, enhanced char conversion and increased CO levels were observed. While C...

In food webs based on primary production, biomass of organisms within trophic levels can be simultaneously controlled by resources (bottom-up) and consumers (top-down). In contrast, very little is known about top-down and bottom-up control in detritus-based food webs. Here, we tested whether exclusion of macroconsumers (fishes and shrimps) and/or phosphorus (P) addition affected insect detritiv...

The influence of KOH addition and air pretreatment on co-pyrolysis (600 °C) of a mixture of bio-oil and biomass (aspen wood) was investigated with the goal of increasing biochar yield. The bio-oil was produced as a byproduct of the pyrolysis of biomass and recycled in subsequent runs. Co-pyrolysis of the biomass with the recycled bio-oil resulted in a 16% mass increase in produced biochar. The ...

We present results from a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and mobile mapping system (MMS) based investigation on forest defoliation caused by the European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) in a Scots pine dominated forest. The TLS and MMS results are compared with simultaneous visual estimation of the defoliation intensity as percentage of needle loss in the living crown. The capability of TLS ...

The link between compensatory dynamics and regime shifts is not well understood. We analyse a regime shift in phytoplankton in a large lake with respect to: (1) environmental forcing and (2) the type of dynamics (compensatory or synchronous) between phytoplankton groups. The regime shift in phytoplankton was related to gradual changes in nutrient levels, but unrelated to an almost concurrent sh...