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.
2012
Authors
Jack D'Arcy Evgenia Dunaevskaya J.W. Treasurer Oddvar Ottesen Julie Maguire Nonna Zhuravleva Åsbjørn Karlsen Celine Rebours Richard FitzgeraldAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Harvest activity directly impacts timber supply, forest conditions, and carbon stock. Forecasts of the harvest activity have traditionally relied on the assumption that harvest is carried out according to forest management guidelines or to maximize forest value. However, these rules are, in practice, seldom applied systematically, which may result in large discrepancies between predicted and actual harvest in short-term forecasts. We present empirical harvest models that predict final felling and thinning based on forest attributes such as site index, stand age, volume, slope, and distance to road. The logistic regression models were developed and fit to Norwegian national forest inventory data and predict harvest with high discriminating power. The models were consistent with expected landowners behavior, that is, areas with high timber value and low harvest cost were more likely to be harvested. We illustrate how the harvest models can be used, in combination with a growth model, to develop a national business-as-usual scenario for forest carbon. The business-as-usual scenario shows a slight increase in national harvest levels and a decrease in carbon sequestration in living trees over the next decade.
Authors
J.W. Treasurer Richard Fitzgerald Julie Maguire Celine Rebours Åsbjørn KarlsenEditors
Oddvar OttesenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Working paper 2012-1 presents the outcome of the project “Miljø- og klimaanalyse for norsk landbruk og matsektor” (Analysis of Environmental and Climate-related aspects of Norwegian agri-food sector). The project has been led by NILF in cooperation with MiSA and John Hille. The objective has been to develop methodological guidelines for comprehensive assessments of measures aimed at relieving environmental and climatic stresses from Norwegian food production and consumption.
Abstract
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), also called European blueberry, is native to Norway and strongly preferred by the Norwegian food industry due to its genuine flavour and high content of phytochemicals. However, Norwegian natural resources are underexploited, and only few investigation have focused on quality aspects of bilberries from wild populations with regard to potential cultivation and industrial utilization. Important goals of the 4-years study were to investigate (a) Berry quality parameters, (b) Fertilization effects, and (c) Geographic and seasonal variation in trial locations at regions in Southern, Mid and Northern Norway. Berry quality assessment included parameters such as total anthocyanins (ACY) and phenols (TPH), antioxidant capacity (AOX), pH, titratable acidity (TAC) and soluble solids (SS). Based on multivariate statistics (PCA), regional segregation patterns could be observed which were strongly overlapped by year-to-year variation. Within-seasonal variation of parameters were recorded for berries harvested at different time points throughout the season (Southern location/ Hedmark), but between-seasonal effects were generally stronger. Similar year-to-year effects were also found in bilberries from Northern Norway (Bardu), but not in berries harvested from the field in Mid Norway/Langvatnet. The field in Northern Norway was treated with organic fertilizer (compost and wood chippings), while the field in Mid Norway was fertilized with mineral fertilizer combinations (N+P). Application of organic fertilizer did not have any clear effect on berry quality, while mineral fertilizer resulted in clear segregation patterns of berry samples after three years of treatment, thus minimizing year-to year variation. Mean values of quality parameters ACY, TPH and AOX, measured at the different locations (all years and treatments) varied between 330-427 mg/100 g f.w., 531-640 mg/100 g f.w., and 5-8 mmol/100 g f.w., respectively, thus underscoring the phytochemical value of bilberries from Norwegian populations.
Authors
Joahnne E. Schjøth Leif SundheimAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Stein Michael Tomter Patrizia Gasparini Thomas Gschwantner Petra Hennig Gintaras Kulbokas Andrius Kuliesis Heino Polley Nicolas Robert Jacques Rondeux Giovanni Tabacchi Erkki TomppoAbstract
Estimates of growing stock in European countries vary mainly by using different thresholds for dbh of sample trees, as well as by the inclusion or exclusion of stump and stem top volume. European national forest inventories use dbh thresholds ranging from 0 to 12 cm in estimating the volume of growing stock. COST Action E43 has agreed to a reference definition for growing stock with a dbh threshold of 0 cm. With use of national volume distributions by dbh classes, models for estimating the proportions of growing stock between the national threshold and the 0-cm threshold were constructed. Models for characterizing growing stock distributions were tested, and their predictive abilities were investigated. Similar comparisons were made with respect to the volume of stumps and stem tops. Examples of estimation methods and the resulting percentages of these tree elements of total growing stock are presented.
Authors
Terje Gobakken Erik Næsset Ross F. Nelson Ole Martin Bollandsås Timothy G. Gregoire Göran Ståhl Sören Holm Hans Ole Ørka Rasmus AstrupAbstract
In this paper two sampling and estimation strategies for regional forestinventory were investigated in detail and results were presented for various geographical scales. Airbornelaser scanner (ALS) data were acquired to augment data from a systematic sample of NationalForestInventory (NFI) ground plots in HedmarkCounty, Norway (27,390 km2). Approximately 50% of the NFI fieldplots were covered by the systematic ALS sample of 53 parallel flight lines spaced 6 km apart. The area was stratified into eight cover classes and independent log-transformed regression models were developed for each class to predict total above-ground dry biomass (AGB). The two laser-ground estimation strategies tested were a model-dependent (MD), two-phase approach that rests on the assumption that the predictive models are correctly specified, and a model-assisted (MA) approach with a two-stage probability sampling design which utilizes design-unbiased estimators. ALS AGB estimates were reported by land cover class and compared to the NFI ground estimates. The ALS-based MA and MD mean estimates differed from the NFI AGB estimates by about 2% and 8%, respectively, for the entire County. At the county level the smallest estimated standard error (SE) for the estimates was obtained using the field data alone. However, the SEs calculated from field and ALS data were based on unequal numbers of ground plots. When considering only the NFI plots in the ALS strips, the smallest SEs were obtained using the MD framework. However, we also illustrated the sensitivity of the estimates of applying different plausible models. All the applied estimators assumed simple random sampling while the selection of flight lines as well as ground plots followed a systematic design. Thus, the estimates of SE were most likely conservative. Simulated sampling undertaken in a parallel research effort suggests that the overestimation of the SEs was probably much larger for the ALS-based estimates compared to the NFI estimates. ALS-based estimates were also derived for sub-county political units and thereby demonstrated how limited sample sizes affect the standard error of the biomass estimates.
Authors
Helge Bonesmo Shannan Little Odd Magne Harstad Karen A. Beauchemin Arne Oddvar Skjelvåg Otto SjelmoAbstract
No abstract has been registered