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.
2018
Abstract
Purpose Treelines and forest lines (TFLs) have received growing interest in recent decades, due to their potential role as indicators of climate change. However, the understanding of TFL dynamics is challenged by the complex interactions of factors that control TFLs. The review aims to provide an overview over the trends in the elevational dynamics of TFLs in Norway since the beginning of the 20th century, to identify main challenges to explain temporal and spatial patterns in TFL dynamics, and to identify important domains for future research. Method A systematic search was performed using international and Norwegian search engines for peer-reviewed articles, scientific reports, and MA and PhD theses concerning TFL changes. Results Most articles indicate TFL rise, but with high variability. Single factors that have an impact on TFL dynamics are well understood, but knowledge gaps exist with regard to interactions and feedbacks, especially those leading to distributional time lags. Extracting the most relevant factors for TFL changes, especially with regard to climate versus land-use changes, requires more research. Conclusions Existing data on TFL dynamics provide a broad overview of past and current changes, but estimations of reliable TFL changes for Norway as a whole is impossible. The main challenges in future empirically-based predictions of TFLs are to understand causes of time lags, separate effects of contemporary processes, and make progress on the impacts of feedback and interactions. Remapping needs to be continued, but combined with both the establishment of representative TFL monitoring sites and field experiments.
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Daniel Mitchell Clare Heaviside Nathalie Schaller Myles Allen Kristie L. Ebi Erich M. Fischer Antonio Gasparrini Luke Harrington Viatcheslav Kharin Hideo Shiogama Jana Sillmann Sebastian Sippel Sotiris VardoulakisAbstract
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Shahid Nadeem Håvard Steinshamn Elin Halvorsen Sikkeland Anne-Maj Gustavsson Anne Kjersti BakkenAbstract
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Trine Aulstad Sogn Ivan Dragicevic Roar Linjordet Tore Krogstad Vincent Eijsink Susanne Eich-GreatorexAbstract
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Trust Kasambala Donga Ole Martin EkloAbstract
The sugarcane industry is the third largest user of pesticides in Malawi. Our aim with this study was to document pesticide use and handling practices that influence pesticide exposure among sugarcane farmers in Malawi. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 55 purposively selected sugarcane farmers and 7 key informants representing 1474 farmers in Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota and Chikwawa Districts in Malawi. Our results indicate that herbicides and insecticides were widely used. Fifteen moderately and one extremely hazardous pesticide, based on World Health Organization (WHO) classification, were in use. Several of these pesticides: ametryn, acetochlor, monosodium methylarsonate and profenofos are not approved in the European Union because of their toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic life, and/or persistence in water and soil. Farmers (95%) knew that pesticides could enter the human body through the skin, nose (53%) and mouth (42%). They knew that pesticide runoff (80%) and leaching (100%) lead to contamination of water wells. However, this knowledge was not enough to motivate them to take precautionary measures to reduce pesticide exposure. Farmers (78%) had experienced skin irritation, 67% had headache, coughing and running nose during pesticide handling. Measures are in place to reduce pesticide exposure in the large estates and farms operated by farmer associations. Smallholder farmers acting independently do not have the resources and capacity to minimize their exposure to pesticides. There is need to put in place pesticide residue monitoring programs and farmer education on commercial sugarcane production and safe pesticide use as ways of reducing pesticide exposure.