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
Lluís García-Mir Dario Isidro Ojeda Alayon Javier Fuertes-AguilarAbstract
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of wild sea mallow Malva wigandii (=Lavatera maritima) was determined and characterized in this study. The genome is 158,162 bp long, containing a pair of inverted repeats regions (IRs) of 25,166 bp, which are separated by a large single-copy region of 86,860 bp and a small single-copy region of 20,970 bp. The sea mallow chloroplast genome has 131 known genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. The phylogenomic analysis showed that M. wigandii forms a cluster with Althaea officinalis with a strong bootstrap support and is sister to sequences belonging to the tribe Gossypieae. All of them are grouped in a lineage with other members of the subfamily Malvoideae. This newly sequenced chloroplast genome sequence provides useful genetic information to explore the origin and evolution of the Mediterranean radiation that gave rise to the generic alliance of Malva.
Abstract
The CORINE Land Cover dataset for Norway for the reference year 2018 (CLC2018) was compared to detailed national land cover and land use data. This allowed us to describe the thematic composition of the CLC-polygons and aggregate the information into statistical profiles for each CLC-class. We compared the results to the class definitions found in the CLC mapping instructions, while considering the generalization and minimal mapping units required for CLC. The study showed that CLC2018 in general complied with the definitions. Non-conformities were mainly found for detailed and (in a Norwegian context) marginal classes. The classification can still be improved by complementing visual interpretation with classification based on the statistical profile of each polygon when detailed land use and land cover information is available. The use of auxiliary information at the polygon level can thus provide a better, thematically more accurate CLC dataset for use in European land monitoring.
Authors
Lawrence E. Stevens Anwar A. Aly Sarah M. Arpin Iva Apostolova Gail M. Ashley Paulo Quadri Barba Jose Barqúin Aude Beauger Lachen Benaabidate Sami Ullah Bhat Lhoussaine Bouchaou Marco Cantonati Teresa M. Carroll Russell Death Kathleen A. Dwire Miguel Fernandes Felippe Roderick J. Fensham Alan E. Fryar Roger Pascual i Garsaball Vojsava Gjoni Douglas, S. Glazier Nico Goldscheider Joseph T. Gurrieri Ragnhildur Gudmundsdottir Atzalan Rodriguez Guzman Michal Hájek Kristian Hassel Tamara Heartsill-Scalley Jaume Solé i Herce Dirk Hinterlang Joseph H. Holway Jari Ilmonen Jeffrey Jenness Jutta Kapfer Ioannis Karaouzas Robert L. Knight Agnes-Katharina Kreiling Christian Herrera Lameli Jeri D. Ledbetter Nataly Levine Melinda D. Lyons Robert E. Mace Angeliki Mentzafou Pierre Marle NIls Moosdorf Monica K. Norton Allan Pentecost Guillermo Garcia Pérez Bianca Perla Kamilla Skaalsveen Olivier VoldoireAbstract
Springs are ecosystems influenced by the exposure of groundwater at the Earth's surface. Springs are abundant and have played important, highly interactive ecological, cultural, and socio-economic roles in arid, mesic, and subaqueous environments throughout human evolution and history. However, springs also are widely regarded as being highly threatened by human impacts. Cantonati et al. (2020a) recommended increased global awareness of springs, including basic mapping, inventory and assessment of the distribution and ecological integrity of springs. We conducted a preliminary global analysis on the ecological integrity of springs by reviewing information on the distribution, ecohydrogeology, associated species, kinds and intensity of human uses, and level of ecological impairment of spring ecosystems. We reviewed information on an estimated 250,000 spring ecosystems among 78 countries across much of the world. Available literature on spring ecological integrity is sparse, widely scattered, and spatially erratic, with major gaps in knowledge. We report large differences in the quality and extent of information among countries and continents, with only moderate data availability even among developed countries, and limited information across most of the developing world. Among countries with available data, ecological impairment of springs is everywhere rampant, sometimes exceeding 90% in developed regions. Impairment among Holarctic nations is generally negatively related to distance from human development, elevation, and latitude, but such patterns are less evident in Africa, Australia, and South America. Declining trends in ecosystem condition, compounding threat factors, and spring-dependent population declines, extirpation, and extinctions of plants, invertebrates, fish, and herpetofauna are widely reported. Overall, available information indicates a global crisis in spring ecosystem integrity, with levels of ecosystem impairment ranging from Vulnerable to fully Collapsed. The threats to aquifers and the ecological integrity of springs vary spatially. Many springs are impaired by local impacts due to flow diversion, geomorphic alteration, land use practices, recreation impacts, and the introduction of non-native species. These threats can be reduced through education, rehabilitation of geomorphology and habitat quality, and species reintroductions if the supporting aquifer remains relatively intact. However, springs also are widely threatened by regional to global factors, including groundwater extraction and pollution, as well as climate change. Such coarse-scale, pre-emergence impacts negatively affect the sustainability of spring ecosystems and the aquifers that support them. Improving understanding and stewardship of springs will require much additional systematic inventory and assessment, improved information management, and reconsideration of basic conservation concepts (e.g., habitat connectivity), as well as cultural and socio-economic valuation. Substantial societal recognition, discussion, and policy reform are needed within and among nations to better protect and sustainably rehabilitate springs, their supporting aquifers, and the spring-dependent human and biotic populations that depend upon them.
Authors
Jari Ala-Ilomäki Harri Lindeman Blas Mola-Yudego Robert Prinz Kari Väätäinen Bruce Talbot Johanna RoutaAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Long-term machine-derived data sets comprising 140,000 trees were collected from four harvesters of equal age and similar working conditions, into two machine size classes, viz. two Ponsse Bears and two smaller Ponsse Beavers. Productivity functions for each size class were modelled using a nonlinear mixed effects approach. Based on these functions, unit costs and their sensitivity to utilization rates and cost of capital were assessed. Results showed that despite considerably higher capital costs (32%) on the Bear, a 50% higher mean productivity resulted in a unit cost only 17% higher than the Beaver in a disadvantageous scenario (high interest rates and low utilisation), and a 6% lower unit cost than the Beaver in an advantageous scenario (low interest and high utilisation), within the range of tree sizes observed. Between these extremes, only marginal differences in unit costs were observed. This demonstrates that the difference in ownership and operating costs between larger and smaller harvesters is largely negated by the difference in productivity rates. These results can provide useful insight into timber harvester investment decisions. Harvesters from two adjacent size classes can be used interchangeably at the same unit cost within a wide range of tree sizes despite productivity differences. It should be noted that increased repair costs and an eventual reduction in expected economic lifetime on a smaller harvester, or the negative effects of using a larger harvester in smaller trees, e.g. thinning operations, were not taken into account in this work.
Abstract
Norwegian plum production is characterized by climatic limitations, different flowering time, deficiently of wholly-adapted cultivars and appropriate pollen donors for cultivars that can be grown in this region. This study evaluated the progamic phase of fertilization and fruit set in four European plum cultivars (´Mallard´, ´Edda´, ´Jubileum´, and ´Reeves´) after crossing with different pollinizers over two years (2018/2019). Reproductive parameters, in vitro pollen germination, number of pollen tubes in the upper part of the style and locule of the ovary, number of pistils with ovule penetrated by pollen tube, fruit set in all crossing combinations, and fruit set in open pollination of pollen recipient cultivars showed different adaptability of both recipient and donor cultivars to the specific ecological conditions prevailing in Western Norway. The pollinizers ´Victoria´, ´Opal´ and ´Č. Lepotica´ proved to be a very good pollinizers for cultivar ´Jubileum´, while pollinizers ´R. C. Souffriau´ and ´Valor´ for the cultivar ´Reeves´. Cultivars ´Opal´, ´R. E. Prolific´ and ´Mallard´ are excellent pollinizers for ´Edda´ in conditions of higher temperatures during flowering period and post-flowering period. Cultivar ´Č. Lepotica´ proved to be the best pollinizer for ´Edda´ in conditions when the temperatures were lower. Cultivars ´Opal´ and ´R. E. Prolific´ can be considered as good pollinizers for ´Mallard´.
Abstract
The environmental sustainability of food production systems, including net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is of increasing importance. In Norwegian pork production, animal performance is high in terms of reproduction, growth, and health. The development and use of an IPCC methodology-based model for estimating GHG emissions from pork production could be helpful in identifying the effects of progress in genetics and management. The objective was to investigate whether an IPCC methodology-based model was able to reflect the effects of the progress in genetics and management in pork production on the GHG emissions per kg carcass weight (CW). It is hypothesized that this progress has led to low GHG emissions intensities in Norwegian pork compared to global levels and that expected improvements will give a lasting reduction in GHG emissions intensities. A model ‘HolosNorPork’ for estimating net farm gate GHG emissions intensities was developed, including allocation procedures, at the pig production unit level. The model was run with pig production data from in average 632 farms from 2014 to 2019. The estimates include emissions of enteric and manure storage methane, manure storage nitrous oxide emissions, as well as GHG emissions from production and transportation of purchased feeds, and direct and indirect GHG emissions caused by energy use in pig-barns. The model was able to estimate the effects on net GHG emissions intensities from pork production on the basis of production characteristics. The estimated net GHG emissions intensity was found to have decreased from on average 2.49 to 2.34 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 CW over the investigated period. For 2019 the net GHG emission for the one-third lower performing farms was estimated to 2.56 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 CW, whereas for the one-third medium and one-third best performing farms the estimates were 2.36 and 2.16 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 CW, respectively. The net GHG emissions intensity for pork carcasses from boars was estimated to be 2.07 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 CW. For the health regimes investigated, Conventional and Specific-Pathogen Free (SPF), the estimated GHG emissions intensities for 2019 were 2.37 and 2.24 kg CO2 eq. kg−1 CW, respectively. The effects on net GHG emissions intensities of breeding and management measures were estimated to be profound, and this progress in pig production systems contributes to an on-going strengthening of pork as a sustainable source for human food supply.
Abstract
Pratylenchus goodeyi appears to be the most prevalent nematode pest of enset in Ethiopia, where it can occur in extremely high densities. However, the damage to yield or how different enset cultivars react to the nematode has yet to be determined. The current study therefore sought to establish a first assessment of these reactions by enset to P. goodeyi infection. Determining pest resistant cultivars is an important task in developing management strategies. Our study evaluated nine enset cultivars to establish host response and identify potential sources of resistance. In addition, the pathogenicity of P. goodeyi was assessed on three enset cultivars. After 9 months’ growth, significant differences in final population densities (Pf) and reproduction factor (RF) were observed amongst the nine cultivars, with ‘Gefetanuwa’ the most susceptible (Pf = 25 799 and RF = 12.9), and similarly in a repeat experiment for 4.5 months (Pf = 126 534 and RF = 63.3). ‘Maziya’ and ‘Heila’ were the most resistant in the first experiment (Pf < 455 and RF < 0.2) as well as in the repeat, together with ‘Kellisa’ (Pf < 5255 and RF < 2.6). In the pathogenicity experiment four inoculum densities significantly affected the Pf and RF but not among the three cultivars ‘Maziya’, ‘Arkiya’ and ‘Heila’. This is the first known study to assess genotype reaction to P. goodeyi, which shows that there are significant differences in the reactions of different cultivars and that resistance appears to be present in enset.
Authors
Bjørn Egil FløAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered