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Several studies investigated soil disturbances caused on skid trails by forest logging. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the severity and the distance of disturbances along both sides from the trails. The aims of this study were: i) to investigate the changes in physical and chemical properties of soil along the sides of skidding trails; ii) to measure the effects of soil compaction on of maple seedlings growth. Two levels of trail gradient (< 20% and >20 %), four levels of traffic frequency (3, 8, 15, and 30 passes) and four distance buffer strip zones (0.5 m intervals from 0 to 2 m in distance) on both sides of skid trail edges were analyzed. Each treatment included three replicate plots. In order to investigate the effect of compaction on seedlings emergence and growth, maple seeds were sown after logging. The results highlighted significant changes in physical and chemical properties of soil for each traffic frequency in the closest buffer strip (from 0 to 0.5 m from the skid trail edges). The largest changes in soil properties were identified at 0.5 m distance zones for a slope gradient > 20% after 3, 8, 15, and 30 skidding cycles. The highest changes were recorded on slope category >20%. The higher the soil compaction the lower the germination rate, root length, and stem height of seedlings.

Turmeric powder treated by cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAPP) at 25 kV for various times of 3, 5 and 7 min was examined for microbial load, essential oil profile, colour parameters, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity and microstructure. CAPP treatment caused a reduction of approximately 1.5 log CFU g −1 in aerobic viable cell count of turmeric powder, which was most pronounced during the first 3 min of the treatment. The inactivation kinetic was fitted to the Weibull model with R 2 of 0.9913 and RMSE of 0.0641. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of essential oils identified twelve different components for turmeric powder of which 1,8-Cineole, α-Terpinolene and trans-Caryophyllene were lost and ar-Turmerone and α-Zingiberene experienced considerable increases after plasma treatment. The double-edged effect of plasma treatment was also observed on bioactivity. Scanning electron microscopy showed formation of super-agglomerates in plasma-treated samples due probably to coalescence of the granules with plasma-damaged walls.

Summary Fire‐retardant coatings could be one option for providing enhanced protection to buildings during a wildfire, particularly when applied to combustible siding and in under‐eave areas. Limited studies have been conducted on their effectiveness but maintaining adequate performance after weathering has been questioned. This paper reports on a study evaluating the effect of natural weathering on the performance of intumescent‐type fire‐retardant coatings. The main concerns were (a) the reduction of ignition resistance of the coating after weathering and (b) the coating might contribute as a combustible fuel and assist the fire growth after weathering. This study evaluated the performance of 3 intumescent coatings that were exposed to natural weathering conditions for up to 12 months. A bench‐scale evaluation using a cone calorimeter was used to evaluate the performance of the coatings at 3 heat flux levels (30, 50, and 70 kW/m2). Our results showed that weathering exposure reduced the effectiveness of fire protection of intumescent coatings, but the weathered coatings did not act as additional fuels. Weathering orientation showed much less effect on the performance of intumescent coatings in comparison to other parameters. There was statistical evidence that weathering duration, heat flux level, and coating type affected the combustion properties.

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