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Aimene, Y. E., & Nairn, J. A. (2015). Simulation of transverse wood compression using a large-deformation, hyperelastic–plastic material model. Wood Science and Technology, 49(1), 21–39.
Abstract: Transverse compression of wood is a process that induces large deformations. The process is dominated by elastic and plastic cell wall buckling. This work reports a numerical study of the transverse compression and densification of wood using a large-deformation, elastic–plastic constitutive law. The model is isotropic, formulated within the framework of hyperelasticity, and implemented in explicit material point method (MPM) software. The model was first validated for modeling of cellular materials by compression of an isotropic cellular model specimen. Next, it was used to model compression of wood by first validating use of isotropic, transverse plane properties for tangential compression of hardwood, and then by investigating both tangential and radial compression of softwood. Importantly, the discretization of wood specimens used MPM methods to reproduce accurately the complex morphology of wood anatomy for different species. The simulations have reproduced observations of stress–strain response during wood compression including details of inhomogeneous deformation caused by variations in wood anatomy. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
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Aimene, Y., Vidal-Salle, E., Hagege, B., Sidoroff, F., & Boisse, P. (2010). A Hyperelastic Approach for Composite Reinforcement Large Deformation Analysis. J. Compos Mater., 44(1), 5–26.
Abstract: A hyperelastic constitutive model is developed for textile composite reinforcement at large strain. A potential is proposed, which is the addition of two tension and one shear energies. The proposed potential is a function of the right Cauchy Green and structural tensor invariants whose choice corresponds to textile composite reinforcement mechanical behavior which exhibits weak elongations in the fiber directions and large angular variations in the fabric plane. The model is implemented in a Vumat user routine of ABAQUS/Explicit. Some elementary tests are performed in order to identify the model and verify its validity. It is then used to simulate the hemispherical punch forming of balanced and unbalanced fabrics. A correct agreement is obtained with experimental forming processes.
Keywords: hyperelasticity; woven reinforcements; forming; fabric mechanical behavior; finite element
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Almeras, T., & Fournier, M. (2009). Biomechanical design and long-term stability of trees: Morphological and wood traits involved in the balance between weight increase and the gravitropic reaction. J. Theor. Biol., 256(3), 370–381.
Abstract: Studies on tree biomechanical design usually focus on stem stiffness, resistance to breakage or uprooting, and elastic stability. Here we consider another biomechanical constraint related to the interaction between growth and gravity. Because stems are slender structures and are never perfectly symmetric, the increase in tree mass always causes bending movements. Given the current mechanical design of trees, integration of these movements over time would ultimately lead to a weeping habit unless some gravitropic correction occurs. This correction is achieved by asymmetric internal forces induced during the maturation of new wood. The long-term stability of a growing stem therefore depends on how the gravitropic correction that is generated by diameter growth balances the disturbance due to increasing self weight. General mechanical formulations based on beam theory are proposed to model these phenomena. The rates of disturbance and correction associated with a growth increment are deduced and expressed as a function of elementary traits of stem morphology, cross-section anatomy and wood properties. Evaluation of these traits using previously published data shows that the balance between the correction and the disturbance strongly depends on the efficiency of the gravitropic correction, which depends on the asymmetry of wood maturation strain, eccentric growth, and gradients in wood stiffness. By combining disturbance and correction rates, the gravitropic performance indicates the dynamics of stem bending during growth. It depends on stem biomechanical traits and dimensions. By analyzing dimensional effects, we show that the necessity for gravitropic correction might constrain stem allometric growth in the long-term. This constraint is compared to the requirement for elastic stability, showing that gravitropic performance limits the increase in height of tilted stem and branches. The performance of this function may thus limit the slenderness and lean of stems, and therefore the ability of the tree to capture light in a heterogeneous environment. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Mechanical design; Gravitropism; Bending stresses; Allometry; Reaction wood
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Almeras, T., Derycke, M., Jaouen, G., Beauchene, J., & Fournier, M. (2009). Functional diversity in gravitropic reaction among tropical seedlings in relation to ecological and developmental traits. J. Exp. Bot., 60(15), 4397–4410.
Abstract: Gravitropism is necessary for plants to control the orientation of their axes while they grow in height. In woody plants, stem re-orientations are costly because they are achieved through diameter growth. The functional diversity of gravitropism was studied to check if the mechanisms involved and their efficiency may contribute to the differentiation of height growth strategies between forest tree species at the seedling stage. Seedlings of eight tropical species were grown tilted in a greenhouse, and their up-righting movement and diameter growth were measured over three months. Morphological, anatomical, and biomechanical traits were measured at the end of the survey. Curvature analysis was used to analyse the up-righting response along the stems. Variations in stem curvature depend on diameter growth, size effects, the increase in self-weight, and the efficiency of the gravitropic reaction. A biomechanical model was used to separate these contributions. Results showed that (i) gravitropic movements were based on a common mechanism associated to similar dynamic patterns, (ii) clear differences in efficiency (defined as the change in curvature achieved during an elementary diameter increment for a given stem diameter) existed between species, (iii) the equilibrium angle of the stem and the anatomical characters associated with the efficiency of the reaction also differed between species, and (iv) the differences in gravitropic reaction were related to the light requirements: heliophilic species, compared to more shade-tolerant species, had a larger efficiency and an equilibrium angle closer to vertical. This suggests that traits determining the gravitropic reaction are related to the strategy of light interception and may contribute to the differentiation of ecological strategies promoting the maintenance of biodiversity in tropical rainforests.
Keywords: Biomechanics; French Guiana; functional diversity; gravitropism; reaction wood; tropical rainforest
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Amusant, N., Fournier, M., & Beauchene, J. (2008). Colour and decay resistance and its relationships in Eperua grandiflora. Ann. For. Sci., 65(8), 806.
Abstract: Eperua grandiflora, which is widely distributed in the French Guiana forest region, shows high variability in decay resistance. Further information concerning this wood quality parameter is necessary, but standard testing methods are complex and time-consuming. We assessed the use of colorimetry to determine durability in heartwood samples from a range of trees. Eperua grandiflora colour parameters were measured using a CIELAB system, revealing that the tree effect was greater than the radial position and height effects. The wood samples were exposed to Coriolus versicolor and Antrodia sp. according to two European standards (En 350-1 and XP CEN TS 15083-1). Eperua grandiflora is more susceptible to brown rot. These two standards did not give the same durability classes. The high variation in natural durability was due to the tree effect. These two properties were found to be correlated and the assessment also distinguished the extreme durability classes but they are not sufficient to classify the class of durability of this species.
Keywords: natural durability; colour; decay resistance; variability; heartwood; tropical wood
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Andris, M., Aradottir, G. I., Arnau, G., Audzijonyte, A., Bess, E. C., Bonadonna, F., et al. (2010). Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 June 2010-31 July 2010. Mol. Ecol. Resour., 10(6), 1106–1108.
Abstract: This article documents the addition of 205 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Bagassa guianensis, Bulweria bulwerii, Camelus bactrianus, Chaenogobius annularis, Creontiades dilutus, Diachasmimorpha tryoni, Dioscorea alata, Euhrychiopsis lecontei, Gmelina arborea, Haliotis discus hannai, Hirtella physophora, Melanaphis sacchari, Munida isos, Thaumastocoris peregrinus and Tuberolachnus salignus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Halobaena caerulea, Procellaria aequinoctialis, Oceanodroma monteiroi, Camelus ferus, Creontiades pacificus, Dioscorea rotundata, Dioscorea praehensilis, Dioscorea abyssinica, Dioscorea nummularia, Dioscorea transversa, Dioscorea esculenta, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Dioscorea trifida, Hirtella bicornis, Hirtella glandulosa, Licania alba, Licania canescens, Licania membranaceae, Couepia guianensis and 7 undescribed Thaumastocoris species.
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Audigeos, D., Buonamici, A., Belkadi, L., Rymer, P., Boshier, D., Scotti-Saintagne, C., et al. (2010). Aquaporins in the wild: natural genetic diversity and selective pressure in the PIP gene family in five Neotropical tree species. BMC Evol. Biol., 10, 18.
Abstract: Background: Tropical trees undergo severe stress through seasonal drought and flooding, and the ability of these species to respond may be a major factor in their survival in tropical ecosystems, particularly in relation to global climate change. Aquaporins are involved in the regulation of water flow and have been shown to be involved in drought response; they may therefore play a major adaptive role in these species. We describe genetic diversity in the PIP sub-family of the widespread gene family of Aquaporins in five Neotropical tree species covering four botanical families. Results: PIP Aquaporin subfamily genes were isolated, and their DNA sequence polymorphisms characterised in natural populations. Sequence data were analysed with statistical tests of standard neutral equilibrium and demographic scenarios simulated to compare with the observed results. Chloroplast SSRs were also used to test demographic transitions. Most gene fragments are highly polymorphic and display signatures of balancing selection or bottlenecks; chloroplast SSR markers have significant statistics that do not conform to expectations for population bottlenecks. Although not incompatible with a purely demographic scenario, the combination of all tests tends to favour a selective interpretation of extant gene diversity. Conclusions: Tropical tree PIP genes may generally undergo balancing selection, which may maintain high levels of genetic diversity at these loci. Genetic variation at PIP genes may represent a response to variable environmental conditions.
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Barabe, D., Lacroix, C., & Gibernau, M. (2011). Floral development of Urospatha: merosity and phylogeny in the Lasioideae (Araceae). Plant Syst. Evol., 296(1-2), 41–50.
Abstract: In this paper we study merosity in the genus Urospatha within the framework of a resolved phylogeny of the Araceae. We analyse how a transition from dimerous or tetramerous merosity to pentamerous or hexamerous merosity can occur developmentally in the Lasioideae. In Urospatha, initiation of floral primordia along the inflorescence is acropetal, while development of flowers is basipetal. This indicates the presence of two distinct phases in the development of the Urospatha inflorescence. The first phase corresponds to initiation of flowers and establishment of the phyllotactic pattern, and the second phase to differentiation of floral organs. Urospatha is characterized by the presence of trimerous, tetramerous, pentamerous and rarely hexamerous flowers. In all types of flowers, the stamens are closely associated and opposite to the tepals. Pentamerous flowers are formed by addition of a sector comprising a stamen and tepal. Likewise, in the case of hexamerous flowers, two sectors are added. In the Lasioideae, the increase in the number of tepals and stamens is linked with two developmental processes that have appeared independently in the subfamily: (1) addition of one or two stamen-petal sectors (Anaphyllopsis and Urospatha), and (2) independent increase in the number of tepals and stamens on whorls, more or less organized and inserted in alternate position (Dracontium). Tetramerous whorls as they occur in basal Lasioideae would be homologous to two dimerous whorls from an evolutionary point of view.
Keywords: Inflorescence; Homeosis; Angiosperms; Systematic; Morphogenetic constraints
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Baraloto, C., Paine, C. E. T., Poorter, L., Beauchene, J., Bonal, D., Domenach, A. M., et al. (2010). Decoupled leaf and stem economics in rain forest trees. Ecol. Lett., 13(11), 1338–1347.
Abstract: P>Cross-species analyses of plant functional traits have shed light on factors contributing to differences in performance and distribution, but to date most studies have focused on either leaves or stems. We extend these tissue-specific analyses of functional strategy towards a whole-plant approach by integrating data on functional traits for 13 448 leaves and wood tissues from 4672 trees representing 668 species of Neotropical trees. Strong correlations amongst traits previously defined as the leaf economics spectrum reflect a tradeoff between investments in productive leaves with rapid turnover vs. costly physical leaf structure with a long revenue stream. A second axis of variation, the 'stem economics spectrum', defines a similar tradeoff at the stem level: dense wood vs. high wood water content and thick bark. Most importantly, these two axes are orthogonal, suggesting that tradeoffs operate independently at the leaf and at the stem levels. By simplifying the multivariate ecological strategies of tropical trees into positions along these two spectra, our results provide a basis to improve global vegetation models predicting responses of tropical forests to global change.
Keywords: Functional diversity; leaf economics; multiple factor analysis; plant strategies; plant traits; tropical forest; wood density
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Baraloto, C., Paine, C. E. T., Patino, S., Bonal, D., Herault, B., & Chave, J. (2010). Functional trait variation and sampling strategies in species-rich plant communities. Funct. Ecol., 24(1), 208–216.
Abstract: P> Despite considerable interest in the application of plant functional traits to questions of community assembly and ecosystem structure and function, there is no consensus on the appropriateness of sampling designs to obtain plot-level estimates in diverse plant communities. We measured 10 plant functional traits describing leaf and stem morphology and ecophysiology for all trees in nine 1-ha plots in terra firme lowland tropical rain forests of French Guiana (N = 4709). We calculated, by simulation, the mean and variance in trait values for each plot and each trait expected under seven sampling methods and a range of sampling intensities. Simulated sampling methods included a variety of spatial designs, as well as the application of existing data base values to all individuals of a given species. For each trait in each plot, we defined a performance index for each sampling design as the proportion of resampling events that resulted in observed means within 5% of the true plot mean, and observed variance within 20% of the true plot variance. The relative performance of sampling designs was consistent for estimations of means and variances. Data base use had consistently poor performance for most traits across all plots, whereas sampling one individual per species per plot resulted in relatively high performance. We found few differences among different spatial sampling strategies; however, for a given strategy, increased intensity of sampling resulted in markedly improved accuracy in estimates of trait mean and variance. We also calculated the financial cost of each sampling design based on data from our 'every individual per plot' strategy and estimated the sampling and botanical effort required. The relative performance of designs was strongly positively correlated with relative financial cost, suggesting that sampling investment returns are relatively constant. Our results suggest that trait sampling for many objectives in species-rich plant communities may require the considerable effort of sampling at least one individual of each species in each plot, and that investment in complete sampling, though great, may be worthwhile for at least some traits.
Keywords: French Guiana; functional diversity; plant traits; specific leaf area; wood density; sampling design; tropical forest
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