Robinia pseudoacacia is one of most widely cultivated exotic species in Bulgaria. The total area of black locust plantations amounts to 2.9% of the total forest area of the country. 15.34% of the plantations are of management afforestations category, where the priority is given to timber production. They have been created on rich and moisture soils, which are the most appropriate for the species in order to achieve its biological potentials of high productivity. The rest of the available plantations in the country are planted on poorer and drier soils up to 600~800 m altitude. The high adaptive ability of the species to unsuitable environmental conditions as well as the high sprout potential was used for their creation. These stands are mainly done with the aim to protect and ameliorate damaged environments and production of small-size timber and fire woods. They are cultivated until 15-20 years and are revived by sprouts. Therefore the management goals searched, 45.69% of those forests are low productive and 38.97% with average productiveness. The present report deals with growth and productivity capacity of black locust plantations; production of sowing materials; production of reproductive and vegetative saplings for afforestation; the technological aspects of afforestation works; the management and use of black locust plantations as well as some more important diseases and pests affecting the species. The report is entirely based on Bulgarian scientific research works and experience with the Robinia preudoacacia. Recommendations for optimizing the use of species are given.

Litterfall and nutrient inputs were measured in even-aged coniferous plantations (a 31-year-old Pinus rigida and a 31-year-old Larix leptolepis) on a similar site condition in the Forest Practice Research Center, Gyeonggi Province. Litterfall was collected monthly from circular littertraps (collecting area: $0.50m^2$) for three years between April 1997 and February 2000. Average total annual litterfall was significantly higher for pine (5,802 kg/ha/yr) than for larch (4,562 kg/ha/yr) plantations. Needle litter in both plantations accounted for about 63% of total litterfall. Litterfall in the larch was distributed as follows: needle > other leaf > branch > miscellaneous > bark, while it was needle > miscellaneous > other leaf > branch > bark in the pine plantation. There was no temporal variation in needle litter, other leaf and bark during the 3 year study period. The concentrations of all nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) in needle litter were significantly higher in the larch than in the pine plantations. The annual nutrient concentration of needle litter in the larch varied among the years, whereas no year variation of needle litter was in the pine except for phosphorus (P). Nitrogen (N) and P inputs by needle litter were significantly higher for larch than for pine plantations established on a similar soil. The differences in N and P inputs were attributed to lower nutrient concentration in pine needle litter compared with larch needle litter, not to total needle litter mass. Annual inputs of nutrient in both plantations were not significantly different among years except for K of the larch although there was yearly different in needlefall mass and nutrient concentration during the 3-year observed period. The results indicate that the mechanisms of litterfall and nutrient inputs vary considerably between pine and larch plantations established on a similar site condition.

This study aimed to develop an agroforestry technology through the participation of local people. The study was conducted in the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) of the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB). Diagnosis and Design (D&D) methodology was employed to plan and implement effective research and development projects. Diagnostic interview and direct field observation were conducted to identify the significance of the land-use system and to understand how the system works. As a result of the diagnostic interview and direct field observation in San Vicente, old coconut-based land-use system is shifting to mahogany-based agroforestry system. One of the reasons is due to the very complicated socio-economic and silvicultural factors including lower price of coconut farm products, industry development, lack of labor force, and pest and diseases. Change in land use brought about by the shifting to mahogany-based farming system is slow. Also, mahogany trees are observed to be not well-maintained. However, mahogany based land use system gives farmers' a bigger income as well as environmental benefit. Farmer's cooperation and local forestry policy for CDM were proposed to encourage people's self-restoration effort.

This study was performed in a 38-year-old Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litvin) plantation in northeast China. Data were collected from 5 sample trees with different canopy position ranging in DBH from 14.6 cm to 23.8 cm. Sawn speciments that included the biggest knot were taken from the stem below the living crown. Number and distribution of knots per whorl below the living crown were studied by relative height below living crown (RHBC). A linear model expressed as function of whorl age (AGE), whorl height ($H_k$) and the stem diameter at which the whorl was located ($D_k$) was developed to predict the knot diameter and angle. The number of annual rings in four periods and the width of respective zone alone stem were used as dependant variables to analyze the knot develop phases. In average, the number of years from branch birth to ceased forming rings was 7.8, the branches remained alive for 4.2 years without forming annual rings, and branches were occluded 14.4 years after their death. These results can provide abundance branch and knot information so as to describe current and past tree growth dynamic of Mongolian pine plantation.

Based on the data representing four typical Korean pine forest types, the age structure, DBH distribution, species composition, and forking rule were systemically analyzed for old-growth Korean pine forest in Liangshui Nature Reserve, northeast China. The age structure of Korean pine trees was strongly uneven-aged with one dominated peak following normal distribution, and age of trees varied from 100 to 180 years within a stand. The DBH and height differences in same age class (20 years) varied from 28 cm~64 cm and 5 to 20 m, respectively. Many conifer and hard wood species, such as spruce, fir, costata birch, basswood, oak, and elm, were mixed with dominated trees of Korean pine. The canopy of the old-growth Korean pine forest can be divided into two layers, and differences of mean age and height between Layer I and Layer II were ranged 80~150 years and 7~13 m, respectively. The Weibull function was used to model the diameter distribution and performed well to describe size-class distribution either with a single peak in over-story canopy and inverse J-shape in under-story canopy for old-growth Korean pine stands. The forking height of Korean pine trees ranged from 16m to 24 m (mean 19.4 m) and tree age about 120 to 160 years old. The results will provide a scientific basis to protect and recover the ecosystem of natural old-growth Korean pine and also provide the model in management of Korean pine plantation.

The relationship between the contents of methyl trans-cinnamate and the ratio of DP/DS (diameter of pileus / diameter of stalk) in the fruit-body of Tricholoma matsutake during its development was investigated. The stages of development were divided as follows: stage A is less than 1, stage B is from 1 to less than 2, stage C is from 2 to less than 3, and stage D is more than 3 of the values of DP/DS. The contents of methyl trans-cinnamate in pileus and stalk of pine mushroom ranged from $77{\mu}g/g$ to $824{\mu}g/g$ and from $7.6{\mu}g/g$ to $22.4{\mu}g/g$, respectively during its development. In the part of pileus, there is no relevance of the methyl trans-cinnamate content of pine mushroom between the stage A and B, but there was significantly different among the stage of B, C and D. In the case of stalk, the relevance of the methyl trans-cinnamate content of pine mushroom between stage D and other stages showed a low difference. In addition, as pileus of pine mushroom developed the level of the aroma compound increased as well and showed higher correlation relationship ($r^2=0.877$) between the contents of methyl trans-cinnamate in the pileus and the ratio of DP/DS. From the results of this study, we can conclude that the aromatic component of pine mushroom can be deduced from the value of DP/DS, which indicates the stage of the development appearance.

Pine wood nematode isolates from Haman, Gyoungsangnam-do were cryopreserved with three different cryoprotectants (glycerol, ethylene glycol and dimethylsulfoxide), Nematode Growth medium (NGM) and M 9 buffer solution, respectively, and then survival rate, reproduction ability, and pathogenicity of stored nematodes were compared. Survival rates of juvenile was excellent in 15% glycerol solution as $72{\pm}5.3%$. The survival ability of nematodes at juvenile stage was more efficient than that of nematodes at adult stage. Pre-incubation treatment at $4^{\circ}C$ before storing in liquid nitrogen didn't affect the survival ability of pine wood nematode. When the reproduction ability of nematodes was confirmed on Botrytis cinerea agar plates at $28^{\circ}C$ incubator, there was no difference between cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved. Pathogenic ability of cryopreserved nematodes was also evaluated and confirmed by artificially inoculating them on 2-year old red pine seedlings.

This study was conducted to describe the differences in artificial nest boxes use of tits between deciduous and coniferous forests at 2nd campus of Chung-Ang University ($37^{\circ}00^{\prime}04^{{\prime}{\prime}}N$, $127^{\circ}13^{\prime}96^{{\prime}{\prime}}E$), Ansung, Korea from January to August 2005. Tree species richness, tree species diversity index (H') and total basal areas were higher in deciduous forest than in coniferous forest. High, middle, low and understory canopy layers were more developed in deciduous forest, except the coverage of bush-ground layer. Varied tit Parus varius, marsh tit P. palustris and great tit P. major used the artificial nest boxes in this study. Number of breeding pairs of tits used artificial nest boxes, clutch size, and weight and size of eggs were higher in deciduous forest than in coniferous forest. The differences in habitat structure between study sites are very likely to have influenced how breeding birds used the available habitat. Artificial nest boxes could be used as management and conservation tool for birds, particularly in areas, where the availability of natural cavities and coverage of higher layer are limited.

An exploratory survey was performed to assess the present status of distribution and production of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera Linn.) in the rural landscape of Meghna floodplain of Bangladesh. A multistage simple random sampling technique was adopted to identify the study area and respondents. A total of 50 households were selected randomly for the study. Traditional knowledge on cultivation, management, and production of coconut palm was emphasized. Marketing of coconut palm products and income derived from coconut palm cultivation was taken into consideration. Perceptions of farmers, traders and professionals were described in due context of opportunities and constraints of coconut palm cultivation. Coconut palm cultivation was found to play an important role in household economy in rural Bangladesh sharing considerable contribution to the total income. About 10% of their total annual income was reported to come from coconut husbandry. Highest number of the coconut palms, 24%, was found to grow in the homestead compounds and in the pond banks. About one-third lands of the households were found to be covered by the coconut palms. Maximum, 19%, coconut palms were found in the 16-20 years age-class. Production of coconut was found highest at the age-class 11-15 years. The study found some important opportunities and constraints of coconut farming in rural Meghna floodplain area of Bangladesh. The results of this study would be useful for the rural development practitioners in Bangladesh.