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.
2014
Authors
Rainer Hentschel Sabine Rosner Zachary E. Kayler Kjell Andreassen Isabella Børja Svein Solberg Ole Einar Tveito Eckart Priesack Arthur GesslerAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tonje Økland Jørn-Frode Nordbakken Holger Lange Ingvald Røsberg O. Janne Kjønaas Nicholas Clarke Kjersti Holt HanssenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
A wide range of forest products and industries have been examined in life cycle analyses (LCA). Life cycle data are essential for identifying forestry operations that contribute most to carbon emissions. Forestry can affect net CO2 emissions by changing carbon stocks in biomass, soil and products, by supplying biofuels to replace fossil fuels as well as by establishing new forests. The transport of forest products is crucial to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We conceptualize the chain from seed production, silviculture, harvesting, and timber transport to the industry as a system. Inputs to the system are energy and fuel, the output represents GHG emissions. The reference functional unit used for the inventory analysis and impact assessment is one cubic meter of harvested timber under bark. GHG emissions from forestry in East Norway were calculated for the production of one such unit delivered to the industry gate in 2010 (cradle-to-gate inventory), showing that timber transport from the forest to the final consumer contributed with more than 50 % to the total GHG emissions. To assess uncertainty of model approaches, the LCA was conducted with two different models, SimaPro and GaBi, both using the Ecoinvent database with data adapted to European conditions.
Abstract
Reliable methods are required to predict changes in soil carbon stocks. Process-based models often require many parameters which are largely unconstrained by observations. This induces uncertainties which are best met by using repeated measurements from the same sites. Here, we compare two carbon models, Yasso07 and Romul, in their ability to reproduce a set of field observations in Norway. The models are different in the level of process representation, structure, initialization requirements and calibration- and parameterization strategy. Field sites represent contrasting tree species, mixture and soil types. The number of repetitions of C measurements varies from 2 to 6 over a period of up to 35 years, and for some of the sites, which are part of long-term monitoring programs, plenty of auxiliary information is available. These reduce the danger of overparametrization and provide a stringent testbed for the two models. Focus is on the model intercomparison, using identical site descriptions to the extent possible, but another important aspect is the upscaling of model results to the regional or national scale, utilizing the Norwegian forest inventory system. We suggest that a proper uncertainty assessment of soil C stocks and changes has to include at least two (and preferably more) parametrized models.
Authors
O. Janne Kjønaas Nicholas Clarke Toril Drabløs Eldhuset Kjersti Holt Hanssen Ari Hietala Holger Lange Jørn-Frode Nordbakken Tonje Økland Ingvald RøsbergAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Nicholas Clarke Toril Drabløs Eldhuset Kjersti Holt Hanssen Ari Hietala O. Janne Kjønaas Holger Lange Jørn-Frode Nordbakken Tonje Økland Ingvald RøsbergAbstract
No abstract has been registered
2013
Abstract
Three methods for extracting DNA were tested on otoliths, scales, fins, and gill tissue from European whitefish [Coregonus lavaratus (L.)]. The aim was to find time-efficient and affordable ways to simultaneously extract DNA suitable for conservation genetic studies from a large number of samples and different tissues. A rapid low-cost method led to 97 % success of microsatellite amplification in otoliths and 100 % in scales. High amplification success was achieved with fin (97 %) and gill (99 %) tissue using a salt lysis-based protocol. A commercial extraction kit delivered good results with all tissues. The findings are useful for conservation genetic studies using both contemporary and archived samples.
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, a new multidisciplinary field of study has emerged which is characterised by at least two major changes in the way some scientists treat systems. First, it is increasingly accepted that we cannot fully understand the laws that govern a system simply by studying its parts, nor can we fully understand the behaviour of the parts without placing them in the context of the larger system in which they are embedded. This realization, which has arisen as we face the limits of reductionist science, has given rise to the development of new models and methods that facilitate the study of systems across multiple scales of organization. Second, the notions of equilibrium and predictability in natural systems, developed in the 19th Century and continuously pursued until far into the 20th Century, are being rejected in favour of models that embrace variability, diversity, continual change and adaptation as the status quo. Traditional analytical models that assume a stable equilibrium are being replaced by new approaches that facilitate the exploration of a system’s natural range of variation and its possible emergent responses to changing external conditions. The implications of this new field, now known as complexity science, are manifest across disciplines, fundamentally changing the way we study, analyze and perceive natural systems. We provide an overview of complexity science in the context of forest management.