Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2008
Abstract
Extensive timber imports represent potential introduction pathways for exotic bark beetles (Col: Scolytidae) that may pose ecological hazards and economical risks to native forests. One such species, Ips amitinus Eichh., has been intercepted several times at Norwegian ports of entry in the years since 2002, the year of the first Scandinavian record. Detection of overwintering individuals of I. amitinus at the timber storage site of import timber and preliminary results of a stepwise import model may suggest a high risk of establishment and spread in Norway spruce forests in Scandinavia.Using various modeling approaches, our goal is to reduce the risk of introduction, establishment, and spread of introduced bark beetles. Our objectives are to:model the processes of dispersal and establishment of arriving bark beetlesexplore to what extent an introduced species interacting with native Ips typographus L., the most dominant species in Norway spruce, will lead to stronger and more frequent outbreaks of I. typographusassess potential patterns of spread of newly established bark beetle species and the spatiotemporal outbreak dynamics resulting from interactions between native and introduced species; andadvise on the implications for forest industry and management.Here we present current efforts to model dispersal (objective 1). Dispersal patterns, and hence rates of establishment and spread, may vary considerably depending on dispersal behaviors of insects, such as directionality of movement and aggregation propensity. To assess underlying assumptions of dispersal models, we are using an individual-based model where traits governing dispersal are inherited with random mutations. Individual reproductive success is determined by resource availability and density-dependence in a simulated landscape governed by external forces (e.g., windfellings) and beetle activity (consumption of resources). Evolvable traits include straight line vs. random-walk flight paths and aggregation propensity.Model simulations show that the chance of successful reproduction is greatest for intermediate to high levels of directionality, and that directionality increases over time up to a certain point determined by the landscape features as well as other traits of the species. Assuming limited (local) information in a stochastic landscape, intermediate to high degree of flight directionality is selected for.
Abstract
Arthropods were collected by fogging the canopy of Scots pine Pinus sylvestris selected from a 2 km2 boreal forest area in Sigdal, Norway with the overall purpose to examine whether there were faunal differences in the representation of arthropods among mature and old trees, and specifically for this paper, the biting midges (Ceratopogonidae). Target trees were chosen as pairs, one mature (70-110 years) and one old (250 years or older) tree from six different stands. All knock-down treatments were performed in June and July 1999, before dawn and after a dry and windless night. Knocked-down arthropods were collected in plastic funnels placed systematically on the ground. Funnels remained in place for circa one hour after treatment. Among the 61 species records new to Norway, the most frequently encountered taxon of invertebrates was Diptera, and the family of biting midges, Ceratopogonidae, comprised 30 of 61 (49%) of all new records, compared with the overall species numbers showing 40 biting midges of 193 recorded species (21%). Among the Ceratopogonidae new to Norway, two species new to science and two first records from Europe were found. Coleman rarefaction curves were constructed by running 500 iterations without replacements using EstimateS and showed that there were significantly more new records of Diptera in old trees in comparison with mature trees. A similar pattern of significance (by comparing standard deviations estimated by EstimateS) was found for Diptera when Ceratopogonidae was excluded. New species records of Ceratopogonidae were more common in old trees than in mature trees, although not significantly so. No predominance of new records in old trees was found for arthropods other than Diptera. Old trees are rare and may provide a variety of resources (e.g. resting sites, places to over-winter, hiding places, sites for oviposition, larval habitat, etc.) that are rarely found in younger trees. Thus, the high number of new species records probably result from studying a whole arthropod taxon (Diptera) in a part of a forest ecosystem (canopies) with a suite of microhabitats (old pine trees) that in combination has been poorly investigated earlier.
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
The main Avena species that are important weeds of cereal and arable crops include A. fatua L., A. sterilis and A. barbata Pott. All three species have an abscission scar on the grains. A risk assessment of A. fatua L. as an indirect pest in Norway is given in a separate document. For both A. sterilis ssp. macrocarpa and ssp. maxima, and for A. barbata Pott, the potential for entry and establishment in Norway is considered as very low. A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana (winter wild oats) has a moderate potential for establishment in Norway. The suitability of the environment for A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana was therefore investigated: Our assessment of the probability of establishment indicates that the climate is not favourable for establishment of A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana in Norway. A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana is a problem in southern Europe and central southern England and is mainly a weed in winter cereals. While it is highly likely that the probability of establishment of A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana has increased in Norway in recent years due to climate change and consequent changes in cultural practices, its probability of establishment in Norway is still low and it is therefore not likely that it will become a weed in Norway under current conditions. However, if the future climate of the PRA area changes, so that winter conditions become similar to conditions in southern England, while the acreage of winter cereal continues to grow, A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana could become a weed in Norway. A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana is not present in Denmark where winter cereals are much more widely cultivated, and the climate is more favourable than in Norway. One would therefore expect the weed to establish in Denmark before it will become a problem in Norway
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
In 2007, after many years of absence, Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) reoccurred in Norwegian cucumber production. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is considering to regulate CGMMV as a quarantine pest and commissioned a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) of the virus. The Panel of Plant Health gives the following conclusions: Both recent and previous presence of CGMMV indicate that the pest is able to establish in the PRA area. The most probable pathway for long distance spread into the PRA area is seed transmission. Infected seedlings, people, water and soil are probable pathways for short distance spread. The probability of further spread is from location to location is high. Dry heat treatment has probably been the most effective measure to prevent the spread of CGMMV. There is a moderate level of uncertainty regarding the pathway for entry of CGMMV into the PRA area. There is a low degree of uncertainty regarding the pathogen survival and possibilty for transmission, establishment and spread in Norwegian greenhouse cucumber production.
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Pine Wood Nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is the causal organism of Pine Wilt Disease (PWD), the worst forest pest of Japan. In Europe PWN is known to exist in Portugal. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) is concerned about the plant health risks and the consequences to the society if PWN should establish in Norway. Mattilsynet needs a scientific assessment of the proposed measures in a contingency plan for PWN. Mattilsynet also needs the risks connected with recent spread of PWN in Portugal to be evaluated before possible changes can be made in the current phytosanitary policy of Norway. On this background Mattilsynet requested a pest risk assessment of PWN from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Vitenskapskomiteen for mattrygghet, VKM). To answer the request, VKM commissioned a draft pest risk assessment report from the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Research (Bioforsk). A working group appointed by VKM’s Panel on Plant Health (Panel 9) has been involved during Bioforsk’s work on the report. VKM’s Panel 9 has used the report as a basis for VKM’s opinion. The current document answers Part 1 of Mattilsynet’s request, and was adopted by Panel 9 on a meeting 3rd September 2008. VKM’s Panel 9 gives the following main conclusions of the risk assessment: The PRA area of this assessment is Norway. PWN is not known to occur in Norway. With present trade pattern the probability of entry of PWN into Norway is expected to be high. The most probable pathway for entry of PWN into Norway would be wood packaging material (WPM). The probability that PWN will establish and spread in Norway is considered as high. With regard to the so-called Pest Free Areas (PFAs) of Portugal, the criteria given in ISPM No. 4 (FAO 1995) for establishing and maintaining PFAs have not been met, and the data available is not sufficient to confirm the existence of PFAs. Acceptance of untreated conifer wood from all parts of Portugal will result in a very high probability of entry and a high probability of establishment and spread of PWN and its vector to Norway. Uncertainty factors: To the best of our knowledge PWN is absent from the PRA area. The beetle M. sutor is regarded as a potential vector or PWN, but this has so far not been demonstrated in nature. The currently low vector densities may retard establishment of the PWN and PWD, but it will probably not stop establishment in a longer perspective. Lack of information on the dynamics of PWN populations in cool climates complicates estimates of the spread of the nematode and PWD. Custom routines may fail in their detection of PWN. Import of a seemingly harmless material might therefore pose an unknown risk. WPM follows consignments of all kinds and is a good example of a hazardous material, which often escapes plant health inspections. Detailed assessments of economic consequences of a possible establishment and spread of PWN in Norway, the effects of global warming and other climate changes on the probability for PWD outbreaks, and the effect of possible phytosanitary measures, will be given in Part 2.
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Leif Sundheim May Bente Brurberg Trond Hofsvang Christer Magnusson Trond Rafoss Brita Toppe Anne Marte Tronsmo Bjørn ØklandAbstract
Wild oats (A. fatua) is present in 155 out of 431 Norwegian municipalities. It is widely distributed in all municipalities in the main agricultural areas in south-east and central-east Norway, and in the municipalities close to the Trondheim fjord. Otherwise wild oats is present in only a few scattered municipalities not geographically connected to these main areas. Endangered area, not yet infested by A. fatua, is estimated to 228858 ha. This area is spread over the cereal growing part of Norway. The counties of North- and South -Trøndelag have a higher portion of endangered area not yet infested than south and central part of East Norway. The probability of entry of A. fatua from outside the PRA area (Norway) is very low. The probability of spread within Norway is high. In areas with low infestation, like in Trøndelag, the probability of spread is lower than in heavily infested areas. However, in areas with high level of infestation there are few new farms left to be infested. The official wild oats register is a valuable tool in regulations aiming to limit spread. The register also provides a tool to follow up infested farms. The register would be even more useful if inspection for infestation on new farms had been more systematic. Wild oats is no longer devastating even in cereal monocropping, due to cost efficient herbicides. However, in Norway an increasing area is infested with wild oats. The infestation may vary from only a few plants to total coverage of the field. In cereal monocropping chemical treatment with and without hand roguing is the only feasible control methods. Hand roguing alone is expensive and ineffective even on modest infestation. The structural changes in cereal farming result in more farms being managed by entrepreneurs. Field managed by entrepreneurs promotes use of herbicide even on small infestations since this is a cost effective measure to control the weed. Less official control of cereal fields can also be expected. The economical consequences are thus expected to be high. The economical consequences can be even higher in organic farming if the most profitable rotation has to be changed to a less profitable one because of wild oats infestation.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered