In order to analyse the structure and regeneration patterns of the Juniperus excelsa Bieb. stands on the slopes of the Nestos valley, 40 sample plots were established and more than 120 J. excelsa trees and seedlings were cut and collected. The main results of this research indicate that stand structure, species mixture, age structure and stand development patterns were strongly determined by the interaction of anthropogenic disturbances such as grazing and illegal cuttings, and the facilitation of adult J. excelsa trees in the establishment of the J. excelsa seedlings. Their effect was influenced by site quality and J. excelsa together with other species ecology. Under present conditions, almost all J. excelsa seedlings, except for a small number of plants, are found under the facilitation of nurse plants that belong to the same species. It seems that the layer of litter underneath the nurse plants combined with the protection of seedlings against grazing play an important role in the establishment and growth of J. excelsa seedlings.

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Summary The impact of removing the rind from fresh‐cut watermelon slices was assessed on the quality of the product during storage at 4 °C for 9 days. Flesh lycopene declined from 55.4 to 47.9 mg kg−1 f.w. and colour lightness (L*) increased from 43.2 to 45.8 after 2 days of storage. Initial heart and placental flesh firmness increased from 7.3 and 9.8 N, respectively, to 9.5 and 12.8 N after 9 days, but were unaffected by rind processing. Electrolyte leakage from placental tissue was unaffected by storage and rind. Rind presence limited juice run‐off by 47.2% and maintained mean total soluble sugar concentration in the slices at 86.0 mg mL−1 as opposed to 76.8 mg mL−1 in rind‐less slices. Change in the quality was most pronounced between 0 and 2 day of storage. Removing the rind accelerated senescence and off‐flavour production, while the presence of rind improved the overall storage stability of fresh‐cut watermelon slices.

Cedrus brevifolia Henry is a narrow endemic tree species of Cyprus flora. The objectives of this study are to develop silvicultural treatments for the conservation of the species formations based on the stand structure analysis of C. brevifolia natural forest and to present the characteristics of the first application of the treatments through silvicultural interventions. Six structural types were distinguished in C. brevifolia formations in the study area located in the state forest of Paphos. For each structural type, six circular plots of approximately 500 m2 were established. In each plot, various measurements and estimations were recorded. Then, silvicultural interventions were applied in the plots of the mixed C. brevifolia formations. In the formations of C. brevifolia a great number of trees grow in the understory. In the very productive and in the poorly productive sites C. brevifolia occurs only in pure formations. The basal area of C. brevifolia in pure formations ranges from 19.04 m2·ha-1 in poorly productive sites to 38.49 m2·ha-1 in fairly productive sites. Cedrus brevifolia is the most competitive species of the study area as a result of both shade tolerance and the wide range of its site sensitivity behavior. The climax of the study area are the pure stands of C. brevifolia having an understory of Quercus alnifolia Poech and a sparse occurrence of Pinus brutia Ten., mainly in moderately productive sites. Forest practice has to, as much as possible, unite species formations in order to create extensive areas of C. brevifolia formations.

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