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.
2021
Abstract
Proximal sensing technologies are becoming widely used across a range of applications in environmental sciences. One of these applications is in the measurement of the ground surface in describing soil displacement impacts from wheeled and tracked machinery in the forest. Within a period of 2–3 years, the use photogrammetry, LiDAR, ultrasound and time-of-flight imaging based methods have been demonstrated in both experimental and operational settings. This review provides insight into the aims, sampling design, data capture and processing, and outcomes of papers dealing specifically with proximal sensing of soil displacement resulting from timber harvesting. The work reviewed includes examples of sensors mounted on tripods and rigs, on personal platforms including handheld and backpack mounted, on mobile platforms constituted by forwarders and skidders, as well as on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The review further highlights and discusses the benefits, challenges, and some of the shortcomings of the various technologies and their application as interpreted by the authors. The majority of the work reviewed reflects pioneering approaches and innovative applications of the technologies. The studies have been carried out almost simultaneously, building on little or no common experience, and the evolution of standardized methods is not yet fully apparent. Some of the issues that will likely need to be addressed in developing this field are (i) the tendency toward generating apparently excessively high resolution micro-topography models without demonstrating the need for or contribution of such resolutions on accuracy, (ii) the inadequacy of conventional manual measurements in verifying the accuracy of these methods at such high resolutions, and (iii) the lack of a common protocol for planning, carrying out, and reporting this type of study.
Authors
Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Lise Dalsgaard Line Tau Strand Christian Wilhelm Mohr Knut Bjørkelo Rune Eriksen Gunnhild SøgaardAbstract
Denne publikasjonen presenterer en ny metodikk for estimering av endringer i lageret av jordkarbon som følge av arealbruksendringer på mineraljord. Metodikken er utviklet for bruk i den nasjonale rapporteringen av arealbrukssektoren under FNs klimakonvensjon. Metodikken baserer seg på den enkleste tilnærming i følge IPCC sine retningslinjer, en såkaldt Tier 1. Tier 1 metodikken baseres i stor grad på standardverdier fra retningslinjene (IPCC default), men trenger en kopling mot nasjonal arealinformasjon. Denne koplingen beskrives i rapporten. Metodikken tar utgangspunkt i standardverdier for lageret av jordkarbon (SOCREF). Disse er basert på jordtype-grupperinger og klimasone som stammer fra en verdensdekkende jorddatabase. Endringer i jordkarbon etter arealbruksendring estimeres ved hjelp av SOCREF i kombinasjon med et sett faktorer (også standardverdier) som er arealbruksavhengige. Metodikken legger til grunn at endringer i jordkarbon skjer lineært over 20 år (ifølge 2006 IPCC Guidelines). Grunnleggende informasjon for å kunne kople standardverdier mot arealer på en konsistent måte er stort sett manglende for Norge på nasjonal skala. Rapporten gir derfor detaljert informasjon om de datakildene som har vært brukt til å kunne definere hvilke standariserte verdier som tilhører et bestemt areal i overgang....
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Stefano Puliti Johannes Breidenbach Johannes Schumacher Marius Hauglin Torgeir Ferdinand Klingenberg Rasmus AstrupAbstract
This study aimed at estimating total forest above-ground net change (ΔAGB; Gg) over five years (2014–2019) based on model-assisted estimation utilizing freely available satellite imagery. The study was conducted for a boreal forest area (approx. 1.4 Mha) in Norway where bi-temporal national forest inventory (NFI), Sentinel-2, and Landsat data were available. Biomass change was modelled based on a direct approach. The precision of estimates using only the NFI data in a basic expansion estimator was compared to four different alternative model-assisted estimates using 1) Sentinel-2 or Landsat data, and 2) using bi- or uni-temporal remotely sensed data. We found that spaceborne optical data improved the precision of the purely field-based estimates by a factor of up to three. The most precise estimates were found for the model-assisted estimation using bi-temporal Sentinel-2 (standard error; SE = 1.7 Gg). However, the decrease in precision when using Landsat data was small (SE = 1.92 Gg). We also found that ΔAGB could be precisely estimated when remotely sensed data were available only at the end of the monitoring period. We conclude that satellite optical data can considerably improve ΔAGB estimates, when repeated and coincident field data are available. The free availability, global coverage, frequent update, and long-term time horizon make data from programs such as Sentinel-2 and Landsat a valuable data source for consistent and durable monitoring of forest carbon dynamics.
Authors
Isam Fattash Zachary Deitch Relindis Ghai Njah Nelson Uchechukwu Osuagwu Vera Mageney Robert Charles Wilson Jahn Davik Muath K Alsheikh Stephen RandallAbstract
Identifying and characterizing cold responsive genes in Fragaria vesca associated with or responsible for low temperature tolerance is a vital part of strawberry cultivar development. In this study we have investigated the transcript levels of eight genes, two dehydrin genes, three putative ABA-regulated genes, two cold–inducible CBF genes and the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, extracted from leaf and crown tissues of three F. vesca genotypes that vary in cold tolerance. Transcript levels of the CBF/DREB1 transcription factor FvCBF1E exhibited stronger cold up-regulation in comparison to FvCBF1B.1 in all genotypes. Transcripts of FvADH were highly up-regulated in both crown and leaf tissues from all three genotypes. In the ‘ALTA’ genotype, FvADH transcripts were significantly higher in leaf than crown tissues and more than 10 to 20-fold greater than in the less cold-tolerant ‘NCGR1363’ and ‘FDP817’ genotypes. FvGEM, containing the conserved ABRE promoter element, transcript was found to be cold-regulated in crowns. Direct comparison of the kinetics of transcript and protein accumulation of dehydrins was scrutinized. In all genotypes and organs, the changes of XERO2 transcript levels generally preceded protein changes, while levels of COR47 protein accumulation preceded the increases in COR47 RNA in ‘ALTA’ crowns.
Authors
Darius KviklysAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Darius Kviklys Jonas Viškelis Mindaugas Liaudanskas Nobertas Uselis V. Janulis Juozas LanauskasAbstract
Impact of orchard management technologies on apple fruit internal quality was tested in several trials performed at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry during 2010-2019. Studies were focused mainly on the research of bioactive compounds: triterpenes and phenols. Studies included rootstocks, crop load regulation, planting distances, fruit position in the tree crown, geographical locations, regulation of tree vegetative growth by root pruning, trunk incision and prohexadione-calcium. ‘Auksis’ apple fruits on P 67 rootstock and ‘Ligol’ on P 61 and P 22 had the highest total phenol content, while the lowest total phenol content of both tested cultivars was recorded on M.9 and P 62 rootstocks. Increasing crop load on the tree led to significant increase of phenols and triterpenes. Higher fruit triterpene concentration was recorded on denser planted trees. Root pruning increased accumulation of phenols, while by the application of prohexadione-calcium the accumulation of phenols decreased significantly. Lower triterpene concentration was recorded when tree growth was controlled by trunk incision. Fruits from the top of the tree accumulated significantly higher amount of phenolic compounds, whereas fruits inside the tree crown were characterized by the highest amount of triterpene compounds. Colder climate during the vegetation and shorter vegetation period resulted in significantly higher accumulation of phenolic and triterpene compounds in apples grown in Estonia comparing to fruits grown in Poland. New scientific results on the impact of modern technologies on the changes of internal fruit quality parameters could increase consumption of apples.
Authors
Leonor Rodrigues Brieuc Hardy Bruno Huyghebeart Julia Fohrafellner Dario Fornara Gabriela Barančíková Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Maarten De Boever Claudia Di Bene Dalia Feiziene Thomas Kätterer Peter Laszlo Lilian O’Sullivan Daria Seitz Jens LeifeldAbstract
The role of soils in the global carbon cycle and in reducing GHG emissions from agriculture has been increasingly acknowledged. The ‘4 per 1000’ (4p1000) initiative has become a prominent action plan for climate change mitigation and achieve food security through an annual increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks by 0.4%, (i.e. 4‰ per year). However, the feasibility of the 4p1000 scenario and, more generally, the capacity of individual countries to implement soil carbon sequestration (SCS) measures remain highly uncertain. Here, we evaluated country-specific SCS potentials of agricultural land for 24 countries in Europe. Based on a detailed survey of available literature, we estimate that between 0.1% and 27% of the agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can potentially be compensated by SCS annually within the next decades. Measures varied widely across countries, indicating differences in country-specific environmental conditions and agricultural practices. None of the countries' SCS potential reached the aspirational goal of the 4p1000 initiative, suggesting that in order to achieve this goal, a wider range of measures and implementation pathways need to be explored. Yet, SCS potentials exceeded those from previous pan-European modelling scenarios, underpinning the general need to include national/regional knowledge and expertise to improve estimates of SCS potentials. The complexity of the chosen SCS measurement approaches between countries ranked from tier 1 to tier 3 and included the effect of different controlling factors, suggesting that methodological improvements and standardization of SCS accounting are urgently required. Standardization should include the assessment of key controlling factors such as realistic areas, technical and practical feasibility, trade-offs with other GHG and climate change. Our analysis suggests that country-specific knowledge and SCS estimates together with improved data sharing and harmonization are crucial to better quantify the role of soils in offsetting anthropogenic GHG emissions at global level.
Authors
Lampros LamprinakisAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Melak Weldenegodguad Kisun Pokharel Laura Niiranen Päivi Soppela Innokentyi Ammosov Mervi Honkatukia Heli Lindeberg Jaana Peippo Tiina Reilas Nuccio Mazzullo Kari A. Mäkelä Tommi Nyman Arja Tervahauta Karl-Heinz Herzig Florian Stammler Juha KantanenAbstract
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are semi-domesticated animals adapted to the challenging conditions of northern Eurasia. Adipose tissues play a crucial role in northern animals by altering gene expression in their tissues to regulate energy homoeostasis and thermogenic activity. Here, we perform transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing of adipose tissues from three different anatomical depots: metacarpal (bone marrow), perirenal, and prescapular fat in Finnish and Even reindeer (in Sakha) during spring and winter. A total of 16,212 genes are expressed in our data. Gene expression profiles in metacarpal tissue are distinct from perirenal and prescapular adipose tissues. Notably, metacarpal adipose tissue appears to have a significant role in the regulation of the energy metabolism of reindeer in spring when their nutritional condition is poor after winter. During spring, genes associated with the immune system are upregulated in the perirenal and prescapular adipose tissue. Blood and tissue parameters reflecting general physiological and metabolic status show less seasonal variation in Even reindeer than in Finnish reindeer. This study identifies candidate genes potentially involved in immune response, fat deposition, and energy metabolism and provides new information on the mechanisms by which reindeer adapt to harsh arctic conditions.