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
Authors
Divina Gracia P. RodriguezAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Pollinating insects are an inherent part of most terrestrial ecosystems as they provide a crucial service for most angiosperms, including numerous important crops. A decrease in pollinator populations can therefore have severe consequences for both natural ecosystems and agricultural yields. Pesticide usage has been pointed out as one of the drivers behind pollinator declines. Globally, neonicotinoids are one of the most commonly used insecticides and studies have shown that exposure at sub-lethal levels can alter foraging behaviour, ultimately negatively affecting survival. Using a custom-made bumblebee colony monitoring system, we examined how the number and duration of foraging bouts of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) on an individual level, and hive growth rate, was affected by exposure to low (6.5 µg/L) and high (10.6 µg/L) sub-lethal concentrations of the neonicotinoid clothianidin via nectar. We also examined possible interaction between clothianidin exposure and abiotic factors (temperature and precipitation), and its impact on foraging bout number and duration. Exposure to sublethal concentrations of clothianidin increased foraging bout duration in bumblebees. Furthermore, the foraging bout duration decreased with increasing temperature at both exposure concentrations, whereas the unexposed control group was not affected by temperature. Neither number of foraging bouts nor the daily rhythm of foraging bout duration was affected by clothianidin exposure or temperature. The foraging bout duration decreased with increasing precipitation in both exposed and non-exposed groups. However, we did not find any interaction between precipitation and exposure, suggesting that precipitation does not affect toxicity. Our study shows the importance of semi-natural experiments and accounting for ambient factors when assessing the risk that pesticide exposure may present to pollinators. We conclude that the effect of clothianidin exposure on bumblebee foraging behaviour is temperature sensitive and that local climatic conditions and future climate change scenarios should be considered in risk assessments of clothianidin and other insecticides.
Authors
Cornelya Klutsch Simo Maduna Natalia Polikarpova Kristin Forfang Benedicte Lissner Beddari Karl Øystein Gjelland Paul Eric Aspholm Per-Arne Amundsen Snorre HagenAbstract
Maintaining standing genetic variation is a challenge in human-dominated landscapes. We used genetic (i.e., 16 short tandem repeats) and morphological (i.e., length and weight) measurements of 593 contemporary and historical brown trout (Salmo trutta) samples to study fine-scale and short-term impacts of different management practices. These had changed from traditional breeding practices, using the same broodstock for several years, to modern breeding practices, including annual broodstock replacement, in the transnational subarctic Pasvik River. Using population genetic structure analyses (i.e., Bayesian assignment tests, DAPCs, and PCAs), four historical genetic clusters (E2001A-D), likely representing family lineages resulting from different crosses, were found in zone E. These groups were characterized by consistently lower genetic diversity, higher within-group relatedness, lower effective population size, and significantly smaller body size than contemporary stocked (E2001E) and wild fish (E2001F). However, even current breeding practices are insufficient to prevent genetic diversity loss and morphological changes as demonstrated by on average smaller body sizes and recent genetic bottleneck signatures in the modern breeding stock compared to wild fish. Conservation management must evaluate breeding protocols for stocking programs and assess if these can preserve remaining natural genetic diversity and morphology in brown trout for long-term preservation of freshwater fauna.
Abstract
NIBIO Ullensvang har i perioden 2012-2019 gjennomført rettleiingsprøving av samla 11 eplesortar og -seleksjonar. Føremålet var å skaffa norske fruktdyrkarar sortar som gjev stor avling med kvalitetsfrukt og er tilpassa det norske klimaet. Sortane vart poda på den svaktveksande grunnstamma M9. Pomologiske karakterar og fruktkvalitet vart vurderte og detaljert informasjon om dei ulike sortane er gjeve i denne rapporten. Sortane Asfari og Elstar Boerekamp Excellent- Star® vert tilrådde til kommersiell fruktdyrking. Sorten Tiara kan dyrkast til jus og som dekorasjonsfrukt sidan den har raudt fruktkjøt. Sorten Pinova bør prøvast vidare. På grunn av svak fruktkvalitet og sein modning er fylgjande sortar og utval ikkje tilrådde for dyrking under norske tilhøve: 1/05, 58/06, A 75, Galmac, Jugala, Crimson Crisp og Elshof.
Authors
Wendy FjellstadAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Adam O'TooleAbstract
Biochar is emerging as a promising solution for increasing carbon in soil, improving the fertility of selected soils, and mitigating N2O emissions from agricultural soils. In Norway,biochar is high on the agenda of potential actions to address climate change. Farmers, farmer organizations and authorities wish to know more about effects of biochar on Norwegian soils and environmental impacts. This Ph.D. thesis reports results from four field based studies, which document both agronomic and environmental impacts of biochar application in grain and vegetable production systems in Norway. Paper I:III report results from a 4 year field experiment in a silty clam loam in flat terrain in Ås, Norway. In Paper I, I assessed the impact of applying 11.6 and 31.5 t ha-1 miscanthus biochar on soil physical properties, soil microbial biomass and oat and barley yield. Soil volumetric water content was significantly higher and bulk density was significantly lower at the higher biochar application rate. However, there was no significant effect of biochar on soil aggregate stability, pore size distribution, penetration resistance, microbial biomass, basal respiration and barley and oat yields over four years. At the same field site in Ås, Paper II assessed the impact of new vs aged biochar on N2O and CH4 fluxes in two field seasons. New biochar additions at 31.5 t ha-1 significantly reduced N2O by 80% in a single peak event post-harvest in 2012 whereas 2-year aged biochar emitted 41% less N2O flux compared to the control (not significant). In 2014, new biochar application induced more N2O emission than the control whereas aged biochar did not differ. However, the magnitude of N2O emissions in 2014 was 2-6 times less than in 2012 due to much drier weather, so the net effect over two field seasons was that new biochar mitigated N2O more than it stimulated it. Analysis of aged vs new biochar shows that biochar loses its alkalinity over 2-4 years and this may explain the weaker N2O mitigation effect in aged compared to new biochar. In contrast to previous studies, I found that aged biochar did not reduce the soil CH4 sink capacity but instead improved it during peak CH4 emission events. New biochar did not differ from the control in CH4 flux. Cumulative emissions of CO2, N2O and CH4 did not differ between treatments in 2012 and 2014 due to the high standard deviation recorded within treatments, which is common in GHG field studies using closed chamber measurements. In Paper III, we documented the mobility and fate of biochar 5 years after application. We measured the vertical (0-60cm) and lateral (9 m from plot edge) transport of biochar in the field at Ås. After 5 years, we accounted for 92-107% ±6 of the applied biochar. Forty-five to seventy two percent of biochar was present in the 0-23 cm plough layer within plot boundaries, 22-31% was vertically transported to 23-60 cm depth, 0-21% had moved laterally within 9 m of the plot boundary and 4% was mineralized as CO2. Under laboratory tests, I found that biochar was easily released from soil aggregates when exposed to water slaking. However, considering the high recovery rates we achieved after 5 years we conclude that erosive loss of biochar via slaking was not a significant risk factor in this flat field site where biochar was well incorporated into the soil. Due to the moderate amount of biochar that is vertically transported below the plough layer I recommend that future soil sampling strategies designed to document biochar C stocks considers this vertical movement. In the final study, Paper IV, we cooperated with a commercial farmer to test the synergistic fertilization effect of biochar added as 20% and 40% (V/V) to liquid anaerobic digestate and applied the mixtures at 7 cm depth under spring onion planting rows in a coarse sandy soil.
Authors
Caroline Chylinski Sokratis Ptochos Berit Marie Blomstrand Håvard Steinshamn Inga Marie Aasen Karl-Christian Mahnert Stig Milan Thamsborg Spiridoula AthanasiadouAbstract
Subclinical parasite infections in livestock production have huge economic impact on the farming industry, leading to decreased animal welfare and reduction in meat, milk and wool production. The global spread of anthelmintic resistance has exacerbated the threat of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections to small ruminant health and production. Phytochemicals, such as condensed tannins (CT), have shown promising anthelmintic potential, and could complement other management practices to reduce anthelmintic use for parasite control. Conifer bark is a rich source of CT. Studies have shown that the content of CTs in Norway spruce and Scots pine varies, but on average they contain around 4% CTs. This study explored the anthelmintic activity of bark from Norwegian conifers over two seasons, extracted with three different solvents (water, acetone, methanol), against two sheep GIN, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colbriformis. Bark extracts were analysed to determine their total CT content and tested in vitro, with the aim to quantify their impact on egg hatching and L3 larval motility. Results show significant variation in efficacy of the extracts on egg hatching in a dose dependent manner. The CT content of the bark extracts were not always associated with LD50 values, indicating that other plant compounds may have additional anthelmintic effects. Preliminary results of the L3 larval motility test showed that incubation in the bark extracts had a smaller impact on this parasite stage at the concentrations tested. This research brings new insights into the potential anthelmintic activity of different phytochemicals and discusses the potential of bark extracts as a tool in the sustainable control of GIN in small ruminants.
Authors
David Natcher Ingrid Kvalvik Olafur Reykdal Kristin Beate Hansen Florent Govaerts Silje Elde Bjørg Helen Nøstvold Rune Rødbotten Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Hilde Halland Eivind Uleberg Jón Árnason Páll Gunnar Pálsson Rakel Halldórsdóttir Óli Þór Hilmarsson Gunnar Þórðarson Þóra ValsdóttirAbstract
In 2016, the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) endorsed The Arctic as a Food Producing Region research project. Involving research teams from Iceland, Norway, Canada, Greenland, and Russia, the objective of the project was to assess the potential for increased production and added value of foods originating from the Arctic, with the overarching aim of improving food security, while enhancing the social and economic conditions of Arctic communities. Although the Arctic was recognised as an important food-producing region, there was a shared sense that the Arctic was not meeting its full potential, either in terms of satisfying local food needs or for maximising its domestic or international export potential. Yet beyond speculation, much of which was informed by individual or anecdotal experience, there was little understanding of the current production capacities of Arctic food sectors or where opportunities may lie for sustainable growth. The aim of the project was, therefore, threefold: (1) complete an inventory of the current levels of Arctic food production in terms of products, volumes, revenues; (2) identify the constraints and opportunities for increased production value-added opportunities; and (3) identify potential pathways and new value chains for expanding Arctic food production and distribution opportunities. .............
Authors
Karl Thunes Geir Einar Ellefsen Søli Csaba Thuroczy Arne Fjellberg Stefan Olberg Steffen Roth Carl-C. Coulianos R. Henry L. Disney Josef Stary G. (Bert) Vierbergen Terje Jonassen Johannes Anonby Arne Köhler Frank Menzel Ryszard Szadziewski Elisabeth Stur Wolfgang Adaschkiewitz Kjell M. Olsen Torstein Kvamme Anders Endrestøl Sigitas Podenas Sverre Kobro Lars Ove Hansen Gunnar Mikalsen Kvifte Jean-Paul Haenni Louis BoumansAbstract
(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed.
Authors
Knut ØistadAbstract
No abstract has been registered