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A facile method for fabricating the superhydrophobic bamboo timber based on an anatase TiO 2 film for acid rain protection and flame retardancy is described in the present work. The bamboo timber with the maximal water contact angle of 154° has been prepared by the hydrothermal deposition of anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles and further modified with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). The geometric microstructure of anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles and chemical composition of the superhydrophobic coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The wetting behavior of bamboo timber samples was investigated by water contact angle (WCA) measurement.The results indicated that the strong hydrogen bonds were formed between the amorphous TiO 2 and the hydroxide radicals of bamboo timber surface, and the strong interaction contributed to the heat stability enhancement of the TiO 2 /bamboo timber composites. Moreover, diverse performances of superhydrophobic bamboo timber have been evaluated as well. The treated bamboo timber exhibited the outstanding superhydrophobicity, excellent waterproofing durability, acid rain resistance, and flame retardancy, offering a potential opportunity to accelerate the large-scale production of superhydrophobic woody material for new industrial applications.

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We assessed the impact of species composition and stand structure on the spatial variation of forest carbon density using data collected from a 4-ha plot in a subtropical forest in southern China. We found that 1) forest biomass carbon density significantly differed among communities, reflecting a significant effect of community structure and species composition on carbon accumulation; 2) soil organic carbon density increased whereas stand biomass carbon density decreased across communities, indicating that different mechanisms might account for the accumulation of stand biomass carbon and soil organic carbon in the subtropical forest; and 3) a small number of tree individuals of the medium- and large-diameter class contributed predominantly to biomass carbon accumulation in the community, whereas a large number of seedlings and saplings were responsible for a small proportion of the total forest carbon stock. These findings demonstrate that both biomass carbon and soil carbon density in the subtropical forest are sensitive to species composition and community structure, and that heterogeneity in species composition and stand structure should be taken into account to ensure accurate forest carbon accounting.