Biografi

Jeg er seniorforsker med pensjonistavtale ved Divisjon bioteknologi og plantehelse som har landets største samlede kompetanse innen plantehelse og plantevern for skog-, jord- og hagebruk. https://www.nibio.no/om-nibio/vare-fagdivisjoner/divisjon-for-bioteknologi-og-plantehelse

Jeg har min utdanningsbakgrunn i botanikk/lichenologi (cand.real, UiB,1983), og skogpatologi (Dr. Agric/NLH, 2002). Jeg har jobbet som forsker med skogskader som tema ved tidligere Norsk institutt for skogforskning (NISK) der jeg ledet Skogskadeovervåkingsprogrammet (OPS) i mange år, og var i flere år leder for "Expert Group on Vegetation" i det europeiske skogskadeprogrammet (ICP Forests). I perioden 2002-2015 hadde jeg stilling som avdelingsdirektør ved NISK, og senere Skog og landskap, der jeg ledet avdeling for Biologi og miljø. I periode 2015 til 2020 hadde jeg todelt stilling ved BIBIO, som avdelingsleder for Avdeling soppsjukdommer i skog-, jord- og hagebruk, og som forskningsleder ved divisjonen. Nå er jeg pensjonist og arbeider for divisjonen ved behov.

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Sammendrag

Extended summary and conclusions The Pechenganikel combine in the Nikel-Zapolyarny area was established in 1933. During the first 30 years of production, 100 000 tons of sulphur dioxide (SO2) were emitted annually. Since 1971, nickel from the Norilsk ores in Siberia have been processed in the smelters. The Norilsk ore contains more sulphur than the Nikel ore. As a result of the processing of this sulphur-rich ore, emissions of SO2 increased rapidly, reaching 400 000 tons in 1979. Current annual emissions are much lower, about 150 000 tons. However, the present emission is still above the critical level for sensitive biota in the Nikel-Pasvik area. Investigations of soils show that the soil layers are contaminated by heavy metals (nickel and copper). The results also indicate an influence on soil fertility expressed as changes in base saturation (BS), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil acidity. According to the calculations (critical loads) future sulphur deposition has to be reduced to very low levels in order to stop the ongoing soil acidification. Air pollution influence has had severe effects on forest vegetation in the Nikel-Pasvik area. Trees, vascular plants, mosses and lichens are all affected. In the close vicinity of the smelters forests are dead or severely damaged. Visible injuries to vegetation caused by SO2 have some years been frequent. Symptoms are recognised on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and downy birch (Betula pubescens), which are the dominant tree species in the region, and on other plants, e.g. dwarf birch (Betula nana) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). The species composition of the ground vegetation in the forest has been influenced, and epiphytic lichen vegetation has been severely influenced over large areas. Critical levels are exceeded on more than 3200 square kilometres of Russian and Norwegian territory. Air pollution has reduced invertebrate and animal diversity due to lack of forest vegetation and contamination of surface soils in the vicinity of the nickel smelters. Small vertebrates are impacted by an increased heavy metal content in the liver. However, no negative health effects to reindeer are foreseen. Long-term monitoring of water chemistry in lakes and rivers has revealed that extensive surface water acidification has taken place, particularly on the Norwegian side of the border. Critical loads are exceeded in large areas of Sør-Varanger municipality, especially in the Jarfjord area, and in areas situated around Nikel and Zapolyarny. However, on the Russian side, the contamination of lakes by the heavy metals (nickel and copper) is more severe than acidification, especially in the vicinity of the smelters, where damage to fish populations as well as phytoplankton and invertebrate communities are observed. Studies of human health in the Nikel-Pasvik area revealed no major health effects that can be ascribed to the air pollution by nickel and sulphur dioxide in the Nikel-Zapolyarny area or in the Pasvik valley. The most severe effects of air pollution in the border areas between Norway and Russia, caused by sulphur dioxide emission from Nikel and Zapolyarny, on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems seem to be on vegetation, surface water and soils, and thus also on other compartments of the ecosystem.

Sammendrag

Several strong westerly storms hit Western Norway during the winter of 1986-87. We studied the uptake, loss and visible effects of sea salt aerosols in Scots pine and Norway spruce. Foliage of was sampled at distances 0-100 km from the coastline between 59¢ª and 65¢ª N, and analysed for chloride, sodium and other elements. The range of chloride and sodium concentrations in needles was 0.5-5.0, and 0.1-3.0 mg g-1, respectively. The local variation was very large close to the coast. The relation to distance from the sea was improved by using distance from the nearest fjord rather than from the outer coastline. Other elements were less variable and not related to distance from the sea, or to sea salt concentrations. Only 1-10% of the needles sea salt content could be removed by 2 minutes washing in distilled water, and still much less of other elements. The amount of sea salt removed by washing was less related to distance from the sea than was the total content. Visible damage to the foliage occurred at chloride concentrations above 1 mg g-1 in the needles. Our conclusions are that analysis of the needles chloride or sodium content is a robust method for confirming damage to tree foliage by sea salt aerosols. Fjords as well as the ocean are significant sources of sea salt aerosols. Large local variation in salt deposition and damage will occur at a rugged coast. Nutrients and other elements are not significantly affected by the sea salt deposition. The use of chloride or sodium as a tracer for dry deposition should take into account not only the enrichment of these elements in canopy throughfall, but also the accumulation in the needles.

Sammendrag

Utstillingen «Det fantastiske treet» forteller om hvordan treet blir til, og at fotosyntesen er grunnlaget for alt liv. Bladene er verdens beste solfangere, og vi forteller hvordan fotosyntesen skjer i bladet. Trærnes magiske evne til å forvandle luft til sukker forklares på en ny og spennende måte. For å vise hvor spektakulær fotosyntesen er har vi lagd en 9 meter lang lysende akrylvegg som viser snittet av et blad. Midt i utstillingen står en 7,5 meter høy treskulptur laget av 10 km aluminiumsrør – selve Det fantastiske treet. Det fantastiske treeter et godt eksempel på forskningsformidling og et fruktbart samarbeid mellom to institusjoner. Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi (NIBIO) ved Skog og utmarksdivisjonen (tidligere Skog og landskap) har gjort et stort og omfattende arbeid med å tilgjengeliggjøre forskning og kvalitetssikre innholdet i utstillingen. NIBIO har vært en uvurdelig støttespiller i den faglige kvalitetssikringen. Vi har lagd en utstilling som skal overbevise publikum om hvilken spektakulær prosess fotosyntesen er og at det ikke er «bare bare» å bli et stort tre. Publikum skal både fascineres, og de skal få ny kunnskap. Den skal også vekke nysgjerrigheten for spennende forskning og alle ubesvarte spørsmål vi har rundt skogen og treet – det er fremdeles mye vi ikke vet!