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.
2009
Abstract
In this study, we surveyed the long term effects of liming and fertilizing in old Scots pine stands on the ectomycorrhiza (ECM) colonization, tree growth and needle nutrient concentration 35 years later. Four mature stands of Scots pine on low productive mineral soil were limed in 1959 and 1964 with total doses of limestone ranging from 3 to 15 Mg ha1 and fertilized with nitrogen (N) in 1970. Thirty-five years after the first liming treatment, all stands were analysed for tree growth and needle nutrient concentrations and two of the stands were also analysed for ECM colonization. ECM colonization increased significantly with liming from 61.5% in the control plots to 88% in the plot with the highest limestone dose...
Authors
Anita Sønsteby Ola M. HeideAbstract
Octoploid strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars can be classified into mono-flowering (single-cropping or June-bearing) and perpetual-flowering (everbearing) types according to their horticultural performance. Whereas floral induction in mono-flowering cultivars is well-documented, the literature on the control of flowering of perpetual-flowering cultivars is rather inconsistent. Photoperiod and temperature control of flowering in several perpetual-flowering strawberry cultivars of widely varying pedigree were therefore studied in controlled environments. Flower bud initiation in all cultivars was significantly advanced by long day (LD) conditions at temperatures of 15°C and 21°C; while, at 27°C, flowering took place under LD conditions only. When vegetative plants growing in short day (SD) at 27°C were transferred to LD conditions at the same temperature, they consistently initiated flower buds and started flowering after about 4 weeks. At such a high temperature, flowering could thus be turned on and off by switching between SD and LD conditions. At 9°C, flowering was substantially delayed, and, at this temperature, flowering was unaffected by photoperiod. Runner formation was generally promoted by high temperature and SD conditions, but the photoperiodic effect varied between experiments. We conclude that everbearing strawberry cultivars, in general, whether of the older European type or the modern Californian type, are qualitative (obligatory) LD plants at high temperature (27°C), and quantitative LD plants at intermediate temperatures. Only at temperatures below 10°C these cultivars are day-neutral.
Authors
Arve Heistad Razak Seidu Andreas Svarstad Flø Adam Paruch Jon Fredrik Hanssen Thor-Axel StenströmAbstract
Tie long-term use of a filter-based, on-site wastewater treatment system increases nutrient discharge to receiving waters and may reduce its hygienic barrier efficiency. The main purpose of this research was to assess the hygienic barrier efficiency and the associated health risks of an on-site system that had exceeded its 5-yr design capacity with respect to phosphorus (P) removal. The system was investigated for bacteria and virus removal and assessed with respect to potential health risks in relation to reuse of effluent for irrigation. The system consists of a septic tank, a pressure-dosed vertical flow biofilter, and an up-flow filter unit with lightweight clay aggregates. The total P concentration in the effluent had increased gradually from initially <0.1 mg P L-1 during the first 2 yr of operation to 1.8 mg P L-1 after 5.3 yr. Escherichia coli was used as an indicator organism for fecal bacteria removal, whereas bacteriophages phi X174 and Salmonella typhimurium phage 28B (S.t. 28B) were used to model enteric virus removal. An overall decrease in E. coli removal occurred from a complete (approximately 5.6 log(10)) reduction during the first 3 yr of operation to 2.6 log(10) reduction. The removal amounts of the bacteriophages phi X174 and S.t. 28B were 3.9 and 3.7 log(10), respectively. Based on removal of S.t. 28B, the risks of rotavirus infection and disease for the investigated scenarios were above the acceptable level of 10(-4) and 10(-3), respectively, as defined by the World Health Organization.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Svein Solberg Andreas Brunner Kjersti Holt Hanssen Holger Lange Erik Næsset Miina Rautiainen Pauline StenbergAbstract
In this study we demonstrate how airborne laser scanning (ALS) can be applied to map effective leaf area index (LAI(e)) in a spruce forest, after being calibrated with ground based measurements. In 2003 and 2005, ALS data and field estimates of LAI(e) were acquired in a Norway spruce forest in SE Norway. We used LI-COR's LAI-2000 (R) Plant canopy analyzer ("LAI-2000") and hemispherical images ("HI") for field based estimates of LAI(e). ALS penetration rate calculated from first echoes and from first and last echoes was strongly related to field estimates of LAI(e). We fitted regression models of LAI(e) against the log-transformed inverse of the ALS penetration rate, and in accordance with the Beer-Lambert law this produced a linear, no-intercept relationship. This was particularly the case for the LAI-2000, having R-2 values > 0.9. The strongest relationship was obtained by selecting ALS data from within a circle around each plot with a radius of 0.75 times the tree height. We found a slight difference in the relationship for the two years, which can be attributed to the differences in the ALS acquisition settings. The relationship was valid across four age classes of trees representing different stages of stand development, except in one case with newly regenerated stands which most likely was an artifact. Using LAI(e) based on HI data produced weaker relationships with the ALS data. This was the case even when we simulated LAI-2000 measurements based on the HI data. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Authors
Peder GjerdrumAbstract
This report is an output from the Northern Periphery Programme project “Developing the Scots Pine Resource”. The overall aim of this project is to stimulate the development and optimal utilisation of the Scots pine resource as a basis for sustainable, competitive, small- and micro-scale rural industries. Describing and analysing existing markets is part of this task, and the objective of this report. The report covers the Scots pine roundwood trade in the northern parts of Scotland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, the area covered by the InterReg Northern Periphery Programme (NPP, www.northernperiphery.eu). It consists of four papers, one for each country, which have been prepared by the relevant project partners. Together they give a thorough overview of the Scots pine timber trade in north-west Europe.
Abstract
Wood modification with furfuryl alcohol is an extensively investigated process and already produced commercially. Furfurylated wood is in the focus of a European project on its use for the production of high performance windows. Different wood species were treated with furfuryl alcohol and tested on water uptake, dimensional changes, leaching in water, resistance to fungal degradation, and ecotoxicity. The results show a reduced water uptake and a reduced swelling of the furfurylated wood samples. A high resistance against fungal attack of the treated wood samples can be shown. A low amount of furfuryl alcohol was leached out and the water samples of two different leaching tests showed in general low toxicity. Southern yellow pine showed good results in all of the tests and has potential for the production of window frames according to the tests performed.
Authors
Erlend Ystrøm Haartveit Leif Kjøstelsen Egil Roar RavnemyhrAbstract
Measuring logistics costs for individual products or product groups is a significant challenge. One frequently applied method is Activity Based Costing approach where costs are allocated to products according to the resources and cost they induce. The Norwegian project Woodflow has been working on measuring time consumption for logistics processes for wood products such as lumber, beams, claddings, panels and moulds. Low degree of standardisation within and between manufacturers makes it problematic to convert time and performance measures from one unit of measurement to others. Logistics costs are difficult to allocate to products and are in commonly presented for the complete material flow. The existing data could not be used for calculation of logistics costs for wood products. Different methods have been used to measure time and resources for the processes in the supply chain. Even if the process is correctly measured, it is still be a challenge to allocate costs to products, for example when a carrier contains a large number of different products. The performance measures presented have been developed for Optimera AS, a vertically integrated distributor of construction products. The company owns several distribution centres and more than 70 stores in Norway. A test of the measurements will be conducted in a small part of the distribution system. The logistics costs of supplying the stores from the distribution centre will be compared with directly transporting the lumber from the supplier to the retail outlets.
Authors
Vibeke Lind Jan Berg Lars Olav Eik Jørgen A.B. Mølmann Espen Haugland Marit Jørgensen Margrethe HerslethAbstract
Many consumers perceive lamb meat from mountain pastures to be of superior quality, a quality that may be altered if lambs are kept for a longer period on cultivated pastures before slaughtering. The objective of this experiment was to compare sensory profile and fatty acid composition in meat from lambs slaughtered directly from unimproved mountain pastures with meat from lambs raised on unimproved mountain pastures and fattened on biodiverse cultivated pastures for 26, 39 and 42 days before slaughtering. The experiment was conducted at two different locations in Norway in 2006 and 2007, with a total of 124 Norwegian Crossbred Sheep lambs. Loin samples of M. Longissimus dorsi from lambs above a body weight of 40 kg were selected and analysed for sensory attributes. Fatty acid composition was determined in the subcutaneous fat over the Longissimus dorsi. Small but significant differences were found in hardness, tenderness, fattiness, metallic and rancid flavour, and in polyunsaturated fatty acids. This indicates that to a small extent pre-slaughter fattening on cultivated pastures alters meat characteristics. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Abstract
In this study we aimed at understanding the mechanisms that affects an epidemic development of Neozygites floridana in a Tetranychus urticae population. This was done by comparing how many spores a cadaver infected with a N. floridana isolate could produce and at what distance and in which directions they could be thrown on a coverslip at temperatures relevant to the northern hemisphere (13, 18 and 23oC). The highest number of spores were produced at 13oC at a number of 1886. Numbers of spores thrown at 18oC and 23oC were 1733 and 1302 respectively. Temperature had a significant effect on sporulation. Most of the spores were thrown at a distance of 0-0.6 mm from the cadaver. Cadavers placed on the underside of a coverslip were able to throw spores back up on the coverslip surface. A whole plant bioassay was also conducted to reveal where on a plant T. urticae infected with N. floridana die and sporulate. Cadavers showed a different verical distribution on the cucumber plant compared to healthy spider mites. Most of the cadavers were located at the lower to the middle part of the plant, while healthy spider mites were more evenly distributed on the whole plant.