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.
2019
Authors
Simone Russo Jana Sillmann Sebastian Sippel Monika J. Barcikowska Claudia Ghisetti Marek Smid Brian O'NeillAbstract
While every society can be exposed to heatwaves, some people suffer far less harm and recover more quickly than others from their occurrence. Here we project indicators of global heatwave risk associated with global warming of 1.5 and 2 °C, specified by the Paris agreement, for two future pathways of societal development representing low and high vulnerability conditions. Results suggest that at the 1.5 °C warming level, heatwave exposure in 2075 estimated for the population living in low development countries is expected to be greater than exposure at the warming level of 2 °C for the population living in very high development countries. A similar result holds for an illustrative heatwave risk index. However, the projected difference in heatwave exposure and the illustrative risk index for the low and very high development countries will be significantly reduced if global warming is stabilized below 1.5 °C, and in the presence of rapid social development.
Authors
Thomas Gschwantner Iciar Alberdi András Balázs Sébastien Bauwens Susann Bender Dragan Borota Michal Bosela Olivier Bouriaud Isabel Cañellas Jānis Donis Alexandra Freudenschuß Jean-Christophe Hervé David Hladnik Jurģis Jansons László Kolozs Kari T. Korhonen Milos Kucera Gintaras Kulbokas Andrius Kuliešis Adrian Lanz Philippe Lejeune Torgny Lind Gheorghe Marin François Morneau Dóra Nagy Thomas Nord-Larsen Leónia Nunes Damjan Pantić Joana A. Paulo Tomas Pikula John Redmond Francisco Castro Rego Thomas Riedel Laurent Saint-André Vladimír Šebeň Allan Sims Mitja Skudnik György Solti Stein Michael Tomter Mark Twomey Bertil Westerlund Jürgen ZellAbstract
Key message Volume predictions of sample trees are basic inputs for essential National Forest Inventory (NFI) estimates. The predicted volumes are rarely comparable among European NFIs because of country-specific dbh-thresholds and differences regarding the inclusion of the tree parts stump, stem top, and branches. Twenty-one European NFIs implemented harmonisation measures to provide consistent stem volume predictions for comparable forest resource estimates. Context The harmonisation of forest information has become increasingly important. International programs and interest groups from the wood industry, energy, and environmental sectors require comparable information. European NFIs as primary source of forest information are well-placed to support policies and decision-making processes with harmonised estimates. Aims The main objectives were to present the implementation of stem volume harmonisation by European NFIs, to obtain comparable growing stocks according to five reference definitions, and to compare the different results. Methods The applied harmonisation approach identifies the deviations between country-level and common reference definitions. The deviations are minimised through country-specific bridging functions. Growing stocks were calculated from the un-harmonised, and harmonised stem volume estimates and comparisons were made. Results The country-level growing stock results differ from the Cost Action E43 reference definition between − 8 and + 32%. Stumps and stem tops together account for 4 to 13% of stem volume, and large branches constitute 3 to 21% of broadleaved growing stock. Up to 6% of stem volume is allocated below the dbh-threshold. Conclusion Comparable volume figures are available for the first time on a large-scale in Europe. The results indicate the importance of harmonisation for international forest statistics. The presented work contributes to the NFI harmonisation process in Europe in several ways regarding comparable NFI reporting and scenario modelling.
Authors
Jari Vauhkonen Ambros Berger Thomas Gschwantner Klemens Schadauer Philippe Lejeune Jérôme Perin Mikhail Pitchugin Radim Adolt Miroslav Zeman Vivian Kvist Johannsen Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas Allan Sims Claire Bastick François Morneau Antoine Colin Susann Bender Pál Kovácsevics György Solti László Kolozs Dóra Nagy Kinga Nagy Mark Twomey John Redmond Patrizia Gasparini Monica Notarangelo Maria Rizzo Kristaps Makovskis Andis Lazdins Ainars Lupikis Gintaras Kulbokas Clara Antón Fernández Francisco Castro Rego Leónia Nunes Gheorghe Marin Catalin Calota Damjan Pantić Dragan Borota Joerg Roessiger Michal Bosela Vladimír Šebeň Mitja Skudnik Patricia Adame Iciar Alberdi Isabel Cañellas Torgny Lind Renats Trubins Esther Thürig Golo Stadelmann Ben Ditchburn David Ross Justin Gilbert Lesley Halsall Markus Lier Tuula PackalenAbstract
• Key message A dataset of forest resource projections in 23 European countries to 2040 has been prepared for forest-related policy analysis and decision-making. Due to applying harmonised definitions, while maintaining country-specific forestry practices, the projections should be usable from national to international levels. The dataset can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4t880qh . The associated metadata are available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/8f93e0d6-b524-43bd-bdb8-621ad5ae6fa9 .
Authors
Boris Fuchs Kristin Sørheim Matteo Chincarini Emma Brunberg Solveig Marie Stubsjøen Kjell Bratbergsengen Svein-Olaf Hvasshovd Barbara Zimmermann Unni Støbet Lande Lise GrøvaAbstract
Advantages of low input livestock production on large pastures, including animal welfare, biodiversity and low production costs are challenged by losses due to undetected disease, accidents and predation. Precision livestock farming (PLF) enables remote monitoring on individual level with potential for predictive warning. Body temperature (Tb) and heart rate (HR) could be used for early detection of diseases, stress or death. We tested physiological sensors in free-grazing Norwegian white sheep in Norway. Forty Tb sensors and thirty HR sensors were surgically implanted in 40 lambs and 10 ewes. Eight (27%) of the HR and eight (20%) of the Tb sensors were lost during the study period. Two Tb sensors migrated from the abdominal cavity in to the digestive system. ECG based validation of the HR sensors revealed a measurement error of 0.2 bpm (SD 5.2 bpm) and correct measurement quality was assigned in 90% of the measurements. Maximum and minimum HR confirmed by ECG was 197 bpm and 68 bpm respectively. Mean passive HR was 90 bpm (SD=13 bpm) for ewes and 112 bpm (SD=13 bpm) for lambs. Mean Tb for all animals was 39.6°C (range 36.9 to 41.8°C). Tb displayed 24-hour circadian rhythms during 80.7 % but HR only during 41.0 % of the studied period. We established baseline values and conclude that these sensors deliver good quality. For a wide agricultural use, the sensor implantation method has to be further developed and real-time communication technology added.
Authors
Inger Maren Rivrud Shane Frank Richard Bischof Atle Mysterud Sam Steyaert Anne Gabriela Hertel Snorre Hagen Hans Geir Eiken Jon Swenson Andreas ZedrosserAbstract
Wild animal populations experience selection pressures from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The availability of extensive pedigrees is increasing along with our ability to quantify the heritability and evolvability of phenotypic traits and thus the speed and potential for evolutionary change in wild populations. The environment may also affect gene expressions in individuals, which may in turn affect the potential of phenotypic traits to respond to selection. Knowledge about the relationship between the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation is particularly relevant, given ongoing anthropogenically driven global change. Using a quantitative genetic mixed model, we disentangled the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variance in a large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We combined a pedigree covering ~1,500 individual bears over seven generations with location data from 413 bears, as well as data on bear density, habitat characteristics, and climatic conditions. We found a narrow‐sense heritability of 0.24 (95% CrI: 0.06–0.38) for brown bear head size, showing that the trait can respond to selection at a moderate speed. The environment contributed substantially to phenotypic variation, and we partitioned this into birth year (5.9%), nonadditive among‐individual genetic (15.0%), and residual (50.4%) environmental effects. Brown bear head circumference showed an evolvability of 0.2%, which can generate large changes in the trait mean over some hundreds of generations. Our study is among the first to quantify heritability of a trait in a hunted large carnivore population. Such knowledge about the degree to which species experiencing hunting can respond to selection is crucial for conservation and to make informed management decisions. We show that including important environmental variables when analyzing heritability is key to understanding the dynamics of the evolutionary potential of phenotypic traits.
Authors
Victoria Gonzalez Mikel Moriana Armendariz Snorre Hagen Bente Lindgård Rigmor Reiersen Kari Anne BråthenAbstract
Climate change is modifying temperature and precipitation regimes across all seasons in northern ecosystems. Summer temperatures are higher, growing seasons extend into spring and fall and snow cover conditions are more variable during winter. The resistance of dominant tundra species to these season-specific changes, with each season potentially having contrasting effects on their growth and survival, can determine the future of tundra plant communities under climate change. In our study, we evaluated the effects of several spring/summer and winter climatic variables (i.e., summer temperature, growing season length, growing degree days, and number of winter freezing days) on the resistance of the dwarf shrub Empetrum nigrum. We measured over six years the ability of E. nigrum to keep a stable shoot growth, berry production, and vegetative cover in five E. nigrum dominated tundra heathlands, in a total of 144 plots covering a 200-km gradient from oceanic to continental climate. Overall, E. nigrum displayed high resistance to climatic variation along the gradient, with positive growth and reproductive output during all years and sites. Climatic conditions varied sharply among sites, especially during the winter months, finding that exposure to freezing temperatures during winter was correlated with reduced shoot length and berry production. These negative effects however, could be compensated if the following growing season was warm and long. Our study demonstrates that E. nigrum is a species resistant to fluctuating climatic conditions during the growing season and winter months in both oceanic and continental areas. Overall, E. nigrum appeared frost hardy and its resistance was determined by interactions among different season-specific climatic conditions with contrasting effects.
Authors
Audun KorsæthAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Knut Egil Bøe Grete Helen Meisfjord Jørgensen Cecilie Marie MejdellAbstract
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Authors
Inger MartinussenAbstract
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Abstract
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