Anteneh Gashaw443
Posted in Advancing Innovation for Invasive Species Management
Saving the 'Ohi'a: Hawai'i's Sacred Tree
and visible to The Public
Compression test device to detect the ROD fungus to save the Ohi'a tree
This project is about using a compression test device to measure and detect the difference in the compassion of infected Ohi'a tree and healthy ones.
Analysis of the collected test results suggests that the moisture content in materials does have a significant effect on the compression strength of materials, but has a much lesser effect on the split tensile strength. That means if you measure the same material with lower water content and higher content, the result reading will show the difference in their compression.
In our case, the lower water content is when the Ohi'a tree is infected with the ROD fungus and higher or standard water content means the Ohi'a tree which is healthy ones.
By doing compression strength statistics of the standard alive and well Ohi'a tree throughout the seasons, we can get our comparing compression strengths reference. Then when we conduct the test which is by using the compression device and difference occurs we have our sign. The device for the compression is very simple which is a curved structure powered by a battery that squeezes the tree and can be carried by hand and does not have much weight.
The only concern I have is after conducting the compression on a live tree, does the water transport will be affected due to the stress we have applied?... I need an expert though.
I have been reading a lot on tree stress and compression (https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/ch04.pdf ) and http://www.tree-consult.org/upload/mediapool/pdf/baumstatik_und_biomechanik/prestress_brudi.pdf and other books that related to this topic and I believe it is a good topic to look in to.
Comments are welcomed.
Analysis of the collected test results suggests that the moisture content in materials does have a significant effect on the compression strength of materials, but has a much lesser effect on the split tensile strength. That means if you measure the same material with lower water content and higher content, the result reading will show the difference in their compression.
In our case, the lower water content is when the Ohi'a tree is infected with the ROD fungus and higher or standard water content means the Ohi'a tree which is healthy ones.
By doing compression strength statistics of the standard alive and well Ohi'a tree throughout the seasons, we can get our comparing compression strengths reference. Then when we conduct the test which is by using the compression device and difference occurs we have our sign. The device for the compression is very simple which is a curved structure powered by a battery that squeezes the tree and can be carried by hand and does not have much weight.
The only concern I have is after conducting the compression on a live tree, does the water transport will be affected due to the stress we have applied?... I need an expert though.
I have been reading a lot on tree stress and compression (https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/ch04.pdf ) and http://www.tree-consult.org/upload/mediapool/pdf/baumstatik_und_biomechanik/prestress_brudi.pdf and other books that related to this topic and I believe it is a good topic to look in to.
Comments are welcomed.
This is an interesting idea. Have you done any of your own experiments (not necessarily on Ohia)?
by Paul Bunje
Thank you @Paul Bunje No I have not done any experiments because to build a prototype or experiment cost money and I am not supported by any research institute and I am taking this challenge head-on without any financial capabilities. So, I ask conservation x to provide me one or connect me to the peoples who do.
Thank you
Thank you