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.
2025
Authors
Markus A. K. Sydenham Anders Nielsen Yoko L. Dupont Claus Rasmussen Henning B. Madsen Marianne S. Torvanger Bastiaan StarAbstract
Pollinator conservation schemes typically focus on conserving existing, restoring degraded, or creating new wild bee habitats. Their effectiveness depends on dispersal corridors enabling habitat colonization by bees. However, the role of seminatural linear landscape structures (LLS) in connecting pollinator communities across intensively managed landscapes remains poorly understood. We analyzed 953 occurrences of wild bees comprising 79 nonparasitic species sampled at 68 study sites across a Norwegian and a Danish landscape. We first tested whether bee species richness was positively associated with the lengths of seminatural LLS in bee foraging ranges of study sites while controlling for local plant species richness. We then combined maps identifying seminatural LLS with least‐cost path (LCP) analysis to determine whether bee species compositional similarity, a proxy for connectivity, decreased as LCP length increased. The length of seminatural LLS, such as forest edges, was positively correlated with bee species richness and habitat connectivity. Specifically, wild bee species richness sampled along roadsides increased as the length of seminatural LLS increased in 1.5 km circles around the study sites, and increased as local plant species richness increased. The most likely dispersal routes between our bee communities tracked forest edges. The length of LCPs provided better models of bee species compositional similarity than geographic distance, suggesting that seminatural LLS, particularly forest edges, act as dispersal corridors in intensively managed landscapes. However, bee species compositional similarity among communities depended on site‐specific plant species richness and similarity in plant community composition, which highlights the importance of improving the habitat quality of seminatural LLS if they are to function as dispersal corridors. Our findings suggest that maps of LCPs can be used to identify important dispersal corridors between bee habitats and to direct wild bee habitat management actions along seminatural LLS to facilitate the dispersal of bees in intensively managed landscapes.
Authors
Timothy Ohlert Melinda D. Smith Scott L. Collins Alan K. Knapp Jeffrey S. Dukes Osvaldo Sala Kate D. Wilkins Seth M. Munson Maggie I. Anderson Meghan L. Avolio Anping Chen Meghan T. Hayden Martin C. Holdrege Ingrid J. Slette Peter Wilfahrt Claus Beier Lauchlan H. Fraser Anke Jentsch Michael E. Loik Yiqi Luo Fernando T. Maestre Richard P. Phillips Sally A. Power Laura Yahdjian Qiang Yu Angel Chen Andrew J. Felton Laureano A. Gherardi Nicholas J. Lyon Hamed Abdoli Mehdi Abedi Juan Alberti Antonio I. Arroyo Heidi Asbjornsen Harald Auge Seton Bachle Michael Bahn David C. Bartholomew Amgaa Batbaatar Taryn L. Bauerle Karen H. Beard Kai Behn Ilka Beil Lucio Biancari Irmgard Blindow Viviana Florencia Bondaruk Elizabeth T. Borer Edward W. Bork Carlos Martin Bruschetti Kerry M. Byrne James F. Cahill Dianela A. Calvo Michele Carbognani Cameron N. Carlyle Karen Castillioni Miguel Castillo-Garcia Manjunatha H. Chandregowda Scott X. Chang Jeff Chieppa Amber C. Churchill Marcus Vinicius Cianciaruso Amanda L Cordeiro Sara A. O. Cousins Daniela F. Cusack Sven Dahlke Pedro Daleo Lee H. Dietterich Maren Dubbert Nico Eisenhauer T’ai G. W. Forte Flavia A. Funk Darcy Galiano Aaron C. Greenville Liebao Han Siri Vatsø Haugum Yann Hautier Andy Hector Hugh A. L. Henry Daniela Hoss Forest Isbell Samuel E. Jordan Yuguang Ke Eugene F. Kelly Sally E. Koerner Juergen Kreyling György Kröel-Dulay Alicia I. Kröpfl Angelika Kübert Andrew Kulmatiski Eric G. Lamb Klaus Steenberg Larsen Steven Lee Smriti Pehim Limbu Anja Linstädter Shirong Liu Grisel Longo Alejandro Loydi Junwei Luan F. Curtis Lubbe Andrey V. Malyshev Cameron D. McIntire Daniel B. Metcalfe Malesela Vincent Mokoka Akira S. Mori Edwin Mudongo Gregory S. Newman Uffe N. Nielsen Raúl Ochoa-Hueso Rory C. O’Connor Romà Ogaya Gastón R. Oñatibia Ildikó Orbán Brooke B. Osborne Rafael Otfinowski Meelis Pärtel Jesús Pascual Josep Peñuelas Pablo L. Peri David S. Pescador Guadalupe Peter Alessandro Petraglia Catherine Picon-Cochard Valério D. Pillar Juan M. Piñeiro-Guerra Laura Weber Ploughe Robert M. Plowes Cristy Portales-Reyes Suzanne M. Prober Yolanda Pueyo Golsa Rahmati Sasha C. Reed Dana Aylén Rodríguez William E. Rogers Christiane Roscher David W. Rowley Ana M. Sánchez Bráulio A. Santos Michael P. Schellenberg Michael Scherer-Lorenzen Eric W. Seabloom Ruonan Shen Baoku Shi Lara Souza Andreas Stampfli Rachel J. Standish Marcelo Sternberg Wei Sun Marie Sünnemann Michelle Tedder Tyson J. Terry Pål Thorvaldsen Katja Tielbörger Maud Tissink Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur Alejandro Valdecantos Liesbeth van den Brink Vigdis Vandvik Liv Guri Velle Svenja Wanke Glenda M. Wardle Cunzheng Wei Christiane Werner Georg Wiehl Jennifer L. Williams Amelia A. Wolf Honghui Wu Chong Xu Xuechen Yang Yadong Yang Jenifer L. Yost Alyssa L. Young Ping Yue Juan M. Zeberio Michaela Zeiter Haiyang Zhang Juntao Zhu Xiaoan ZuoAbstract
As droughts become longer and more intense, impacts on terrestrial primary productivity are expected to increase progressively. Yet, some ecosystems appear to acclimate to multiyear drought, with constant or diminishing reductions in productivity as drought duration increases. We quantified the combined effects of drought duration and intensity on aboveground productivity in 74 grasslands and shrublands distributed globally. Ecosystem acclimation with multiyear drought was observed overall, except when droughts were extreme (i.e., ≤1-in-100-year likelihood of occurrence). Productivity losses after four consecutive years of extreme drought increased by ~2.5-fold compared with those of the first year. These results portend a foundational shift in ecosystem behavior if drought duration and intensity increase, from maintenance of reduced functioning over time to progressive and profound losses of productivity when droughts are extreme.
Authors
Adam Klimes Joseph Chipperfield Joachim Paul Töpper Marc Macias‐Fauria Marcus Spiegel Vigdis Vandvik Liv Guri Velle Alistair William Robin SeddonAbstract
A number of modelling frameworks exist to estimate resilience from ecological datasets. A subset of these frameworks seeks to estimate the whole ‘stability landscape', which can be used to calculate resilience and identify stable states and tipping points. These methods provide opportunities for insights into possible causes and consequences of variation in ecosystem resilience and dynamics. However, because such models can be complex to implement, there has so far been a substantial barrier to their application in ecological research. Here, we present the ‘mixglm' package for R software, which parametrizes stability landscapes using a mixture model approach. It provides tools for the calculation of resilience, identification of stable states and tipping points, as well as visualization functions. Flexible model specification allows the mean, precision, and probability of each mixture component to be linked to multiple predictors, such as environmental covariates. ‘mixglm' is based on Bayesian inference via NIMBLE and supports normal, beta, gamma, and negative binomial distributed response variables. We illustrate the use of ‘mixglm' with a published case of tree cover in South America, which reports a stability landscape with distinct stable states. Using ‘mixglm', we replicated the identification of these states. Moreover, we quantified the uncertainty of our estimates, and computed resilience estimates of South America's forests. We also conducted a power analysis to provide guidance regarding required sample sizes. ‘mixglm' can be readily used to describe stability landscapes and identify stable states in most spatial datasets, and it is accompanied by tools for the calculation of resilience estimates.
Authors
Tuanjit Sritongchuay Michael Beckmann Bo Dalsgaard Alexandra-Maria Klein Angela Lausch Anders Nielsen Julia Osterman Peter Selsam Kanuengnit Wayo Ralf SeppeltAbstract
There is a global concern about the decline of wild pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide. Although land-use change is a major threat to biodiversity, it is still poorly understood how land-use heterogeneity (or land-use structure) impacts pollinator communities and entomophilous crop production. Based on a literature review, we performed a meta-analysis to (1) assess how landscape structure, both composition and configuration, affects pollinator species richness and abundance, and (2) examine the impact of landscape structure on the production of key entomophilous crops. We extracted information on pollinator communities and crop production from 101 studies with a total of 920 site replicates distributed widely across the globe. To obtain landscape structure (total area of all crops, crop diversity, and landscape Shannon’s Diversity Index) information, we sourced data from the database Map-SPAM as well as satellite images. We found that pollinator species richness increased with the number of crop species in the surrounding area. Pollinator abundance increased with the number of different crops but decreased with increasing agricultural area in the surrounding landscape. Crop production of several crops was associated with landscape heterogeneity. Notably, fruit set increased with an increasing number of crop species in neighbouring fields and decreased with increasing agricultural area, that is, when nature is substituted with agriculture in the surrounding landscape. We also found positive correlations between edge density of an area and pollinator species richness and entomophilous crop production suggesting that edge density can be used as a landscape structure indicator to assess pollinator diversity. The effects of landscape structure were more pronounced in crops with high pollinator dependence, showing stronger relationships with both pollinator diversity and crop production. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining landscape heterogeneity through crop diversity and natural habitats to support pollinators and their services, though unmeasured factors such as intensification or local management may also play a role.
Abstract
The global loss of biodiversity and natural capital, driven by land use change, poses a risk for vital ecosystem services, such as air and water filtration, food provisioning, and wellbeing. Ecosystem accounting is a framework for documenting ecosystem extent, condition and the services which they produce. Questions remain about the way in which this new framework can be implemented and utilised in spatial planning. Using Norway as a case study, we perform a requirements analysis of its current spatial planning system, drawing on qualitative data from planning professionals and planning policy documents, to understand the contemporary problems within planning related to the use of ecological data. Ecological data is currently produced to adhere to the knowledge deficit model of decision making, whereby more data and knowledge lead to better decisions. However, our current communicative planning system relies on participation for knowledge gathering, which becomes an issue when the scope, communication method, and timing of communication are barriers to knowledge being used in a decision. We therefore propose a new theoretical model, PRISM, based on the analogy of a prism, as its purpose is to break ecological data up to meet the diverse objectives of, and thus engage with, as many actors as possible. The analogy is derived from the finding that ecological data and knowledge constitutes only one band in the spectrum of considerations and knowledge used in decisions. Framing is proposed as the method to achieve this effect with ecosystem accounting data, thereby activating participation to meet policy and actor objectives.
Authors
Adam Eindride Naas Trond Simensen Lasse Torben Keetz Ingrid Vesterdal Tjessem Anders Bryn Rune Halvorsen Peter Horvath Ida Marielle Mienna Olav Skarpaas Joachim Paul Töpper Vigdis Vandvik Liv Guri Velle Catharina Caspara VloonAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Mélanie SpedenerAbstract
Sammendrag på norsk I Norge beiter kjøttfe i store områder av boreal produksjonsskog preget av flatehogst på sommeren (mai-september). Vi studerte først mat- og habitatvalg av disse kyrne (Artikkel I– II), og deretter effektene av storfe på flora og fauna (Artikkel III-V). Datainnsamlingen foregikk i Sørost-Norge i 2015-2017 (Furnes/Vang og Stange/Romedal) og 2021-2023 (Steinvik og Deset). Vi studerte kyrnes ressursvalg ved å klassifisere deres adferd ved hjelp av GPS og akselerasjonsdata, ved å hente inn (fra kart) og måle (i felt) habitatvariabler, ved å samle inn møkkprøver til mikrohistologiske analyser og ved å modellere ressursseleksjonsfunksjoner. Vi fokuserte på unge granplantefelt for å studere effektene av kjøttfe på flora og fauna, siden kyrene selekterer for denne skogstypen. Dessuten har små grantrær høy økonomisk verdi og unge granplantefelt er rikere i blomster og pollinatorer enn det resterende skoglandskapet. På 24 unge granplantefelt satt vi opp parede prøveflater (20x20 m hver), hvorav en omgitt av et gjerde. Vi så på unge trær, vegetasjonen i feltsjiktet og blomsterbesøkende insekter. Siden halvparten av disse granplantefeltene lå innenfor, og den andre halvparten utenfor beiteområdene, kunne vi skille effektene av storfe fra effektene av hjortedyr, som lever vilt i disse skogene. Interaksjoner mellom storfe og hjortedyr studerte vi ved å sette opp viltkamera på de samme granplantefelt og ved å gjennomføre møkktellinger langs et rutemønster i ett av beiteområdene. Kyrne hadde en gressrik diett og selekterte for gressrike habitater, både på stor og på liten skala (Artikkel I). Storfe selekterte for forskjellige habitatvariabler (liten skala) avhengig av adferden: Når de beitet, selekterte de for gressrikt habitat, og når de hvilte, selekterte de for gressrikt habitat med lite helling og høy kronedekning (Artikkel II). Storfe førte til bittelitt høyere dødelighet av unge grantrær, men ikke til høyere risiko for tråkk- og beiteskader (Artikkel III). Storfe fjernet vegetasjon som konkurrerte med unge grantrær, det vil si unge løvtrær og vegetasjon i feltsjiktet (Artikkel III). Storfe påvirket plante-pollinatorsamfunnet på en annen måte enn hjortevilt: Utgjerding av klovdyr utenfor beiteområde (hjortedyr) førte til lavere abundans av blomster, mens utgjerding av klovdyr innenfor beiteområde (hjortedyr og storfe) førte til lavere abundans av blomster og lavere abundans av blomsterbesøkende insekter (Artikkel IV). Elg brukte andre habitattyper enn storfe (Artikkel V). Elgen sitt bruk av unge granplantefelt avtok med økende bruk av storfe (Artikkel V). Mulige beiteinnskrenkende tiltak, samt bevaring av artsmangfoldet i boreal produksjonsskog ble drøftet, og anbefalinger for videre forskning ble gitt.
Authors
Lawrence R. Kirkendall Daniel Flø Martin Malmstrøm Anders Nielsen Paul Ragnar Berg Anders Bryn Kjetil Hindar Johanna Järnegren Kyrre Kausrud Erlend Birkeland Nilsen Brett Kevin Sandercock Eva Bonsak Thorstad Gaute VelleAbstract
VKM has assessed the potential risk to Norwegian biodiversity associated with the import of the Turkestan cockroach, Periplaneta lateralis, as live food for hobby animals. Populations of the cockroach are nearly always found in or near buildings, and non-native populations have never been observed in natural environments. No previous observations of P. lateralis have been reported for Norway and it is very unlikely the species will be able to establish and spread into Norwegian nature due to the low winter temperatures and short summers. Furthermore, VKM find that there is low risk associated with the potential effects on biodiversity, if it against all odds, were to establish in Norway. Therefore, VKM concludes that there is low risk associated with import and keeping of P. lateralis in relation to its potential negative effect on Norwegian biodiversity.
Authors
Elena Arrigoni Ruairi Hafferty-Hay Pino-Raquel Bodas Liv Guri Velle Kerry Bradshaw Zeren Yang Amanda Cooper Tim Wilkinson Jeffrey G. Duckett Silvia Pressel Rachael Howlett Justin Moat Susan Zappala Martin I. Bidartondo Laura M. Suz Jill KowalAbstract
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (UK) launched the Air Pollution Recovery Indicators Programme (APRI) in 2023. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew’s APRI experimental work focuses on heathland recovery where nitrogen (N) pollution has significantly impacted ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Despite the important ecosystem services they provide, little is known about how heathlands might recover from N pollution, especially below ground. We are investigating the potential of ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi, in both soil and roots, as novel indicators of recovery from N pollution in southern England, and comparing these results to soil and heather roots sourced in less polluted Norway heathlands. ErM fungi form symbiotic associations with heather roots and liverwort rhizoids, mining organic N and phosphorus from nutrient-poor heathland soils; in exchange, the plants supply carbon to the fungi. As such there is an expectation that ErM fungi will respond rapidly to changes in N pollution. Our field experiments are also assessing changes in lichen community composition and evaluating the practicality of using LiDAR, RGB and multispectral drone technology to measure and link biomass changes above ground to N fertilization. We have the following research questions regarding above and below ground heathland condition: How are ErM and soil fungal communities impacted by, and how do they recover from, N pollution? How do changes in above ground vegetation (plants, lichens) link with ErM and soil fungal communities? What are the ErM and non-mycorrhizal fungal communities across a N pollution gradient, in southern England and coastal Norway?
Authors
Elena Arrigoni Ruairi Hafferty-Hay Pino-Raquel Bodas Liv Guri Velle Kerry Bradshaw Zeren Yang Amanda Cooper Tim Wilkinson Jeffrey G. Duckett Silvia Pressel Rachael Howlett Justin Moat Susan Zappala Martin I. Bidartondo Laura M. Suz Jill KowalAbstract
Heathlands are among the most iconic habitats in Northern Europe, with 20% of the world’s total area in the UK. Their wide, open landscape is dominated by low-growing Ericaceae shrubs on nutrient poor, acidic, organic soils, dry or waterlogged. Urbanisation, tree encroachment and nitrogen (N) pollution, contributed to their sharp decline, gaining them the status of priority habitats in country legislation. Heathlands provide ecosystem services such as flood mitigation and climate regulation, and their soils constitute a stable, long-lasting carbon (C) stock. However, the effects of air pollution on their C pool are not well understood. Ericaceae roots (e.g., Calluna vulgaris, Erica spp.) form symbiotic associations with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ErM), which enhance their hosts’ N and phosphorous (P) uptake in exchange for C, hence playing a crucial role in in nutrient cycling and contributing to soil C stocks. Our recent study conducted in a lowland dry heathland at Thursley National Nature Reserve (Surrey, UK) showed lingering effects of N deposition on soil chemistry, soil fungal communities, and ErM root colonisation eleven years after simulation of N deposition ceased. While the detrimental effects of N deposition on heath lichens and bryophytes are well documented, soil microbiome and mycorrhizal associations are largely overlooked, as is heathland recovery after pollution declines. This led to Kew’s partnership with Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Air Pollution Recovery Indicators (APRI) project, investigating ErM response and recovery from air pollution, and their suitability as indicators. We established thirty 4x4 m plots in a dry heath at Thursley, 15 fertilised with cumulative 30 kg/ha of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and 15 with water as control. Combining DNA techniques and microscopy, we are monitoring ErM root colonisation, root and soil fungal communities, and soil fungal biomass post treatments. Belowground measurements will be integrated with vegetation structure changes measured with LiDAR, RGB and multispectral drone imaging to develop a C calculation method. A lichen survey was conducted to assess differences in postfire recovery on N-fertilised vs control plots. Thursley’s background deposition is 13.4 kg N/ha/yr, the higher end of critical load for heathlands (5-15 kg N/ha/yr), possibly beyond the tipping point for fungal communities, and recovery may not be apparent. To address this, we sampled six wet heathlands in Norway, along a south-north N deposition gradient (1-6 kg N/ha/yr), and a comparable wet heathland at Thursley. By studying Norwegian root and soil fungal communities, we are investigating potential mycorrhizal indicators of “healthy” heathlands below the critical load. Preliminary results show ErM fungi are more diverse than thought, with ongoing analyses linking root colonisation to N deposition and climate data to understand heathland recovery and identify key indicators.