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
Merete Grung Sissel Ranneklev Øyvind Garmo Richard Frederic Wright Tor Myking Einar Heegaard Bernt-Håvard Øyen Fride Høistad Schei Hans Haavardsholm BlomAbstract
CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad will be the world\"s largest test centre for testing and development of CO2 capture technology. The emissions to the atmosphere from CO2 Technology Centre Mongstad contain amines and may in addition contain or lead to the formation of degradation products from amine-based CO2 capture technology. An environmental baseline survey was conducted in 2011 prior to the operation. The survey performed is broad, and describes in detail the environmental situation both in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well as relevant chemical compositions of a range of matrices such as soil, plants and water. The data collected in the monitoring program were used to propose a future monitoring program in the area.
Authors
Carl Gunnar Fossdal Nadeem Yaqoob Benedicte Riber Albrectsen Halvor SolheimAbstract
Aspen trees are exposed to a range of attackers and employ varied strategies to reduce their impact. The diversity of responses may have importance for resistance properties at the stand level, and justifies the search for varied defensive strategies in natural populations. We used transcriptomic tools to evaluate diverse responses at the gene activity level in Populus tremula in response to wounding, and to inoculation with two pathogenic fungi (Melampsora magnusiana vs Ceratocystis sp.) that differ in life style (biotroph vs necrotroph) and host tissue requirement (live leaf vs dead wood tissues). Two aspen genotypes from the SwAsp collection with differences in growth and phenolic composition were used to study differences in resistance properties. High defence gene induction, high growth and elevated defence properties toward the biotroph appeared to support each other in this study exemplified in the more resistant SwAsp clone, whereas the more susceptible SwAsp clone was much less responsive to infections, and displayed more symptoms when infected with M. magnusiana. Interestingly, in the more resistant clone wounding gave greater systemic activity of selected candidate genes than when combined with the necrotroph, suggesting that this pathogen has some ability to suppress the induction or translocation of the systemic defence signal in this particular clone.
Abstract
From the range of information published, acetylation appears well suited to provide adequate protection against biological attack for materials derived from typically non-durable wood species. Acetylated wood is now commercially available both in Europe and in the USA. But still there are a lot of unanswered questions related to fungal decay mechanisms in acetylated wood.The paper summarize existing knowledge and highlight future research opportunities related to fungal deterioration of acetic anhydride modified wood. In addition statistical analyses based on previously published data were performed to quantify what factors contribute most to the performance (calculated as test sample/control).The results showed that WPG can explain approximately 50 % of the performance, measured as test sample/control (T/C), for acetic anhydride treated wood. Other of the applied variables, like wood species or type of fungus can reduce the variance in T/C by additional 15 %.
Authors
Kjersti Holt HanssenAbstract
Selective cutting and other continuous cover forestry systems may be used in spruce forests where for instance environmental or recreational considerations are more important than forest production. However, in order for this system to be sustainable, successful regeneration must be achieved. The supply of both light and below-ground resources may influence the growth and development of seedlings. If a diverse tree species composition is desirable, knowledge of the gap sizes necessary to sustain seedling survival and growth of different species is important. We studied the growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings in the understory, using two Norway spruce sites with selective cutting and group fellings in SE Norway. 4-week old seedlings (henceforth: mini seedlings) were planted in plots with and without trenching in gaps of four different sizes, ranging from 20 to 500 m2. In addition, commercial seedlings of the two species were planted pairwise across the sites. After three years the mini seedlings were dug up and measured, while the survival and growth of the commercial seedlings were followed for eight years. Differences in seedling survival and growth characteristics due to gap size and (for mini seedlings) trenching were analysed using GLM. Mortality was high, especially for pine seedlings. This was due to grazing as well as competition for light and nutrients. Growth of both species was positively correlated with increasing gap size. This applied for height, diameter, shoot volume and needle biomass as well as total dry weight for both spruce and pine seedlings. However, trenching had a significant positive effect on growth too, also in the smallest gaps.
Authors
Jørn Henrik Sønstebø Mari Mette TollefsrudAbstract
Background: The conifer tree Abies lasiocarpa, is native to North America with a distribution range from Alaska in the north to Arizona and New Mexico in the south. The southern populations partly belong to the variety A. lasiocarpa var. arizonica, which has a distinct morphology. A. lasiocarpa is an important species for Christmas tree production in Norway and there is an increasing demand for seeds from proveniences known to produce high quality Christmas trees. Currently, seeds are imported from natural stands in the US and Canada or collected from plantations in Norway with unknown origin, but which are known to produce high quality trees. To increase the harvest potential of seeds in A. lasiocarpa both in natural stands and in seed production stands in Norway, it is important to know the population genetic structure in North America and identify the origin of the current seed producing trees in Norway. Population genetic structures will be used to identify new potential seed collection areas in North America.Main objectives: Investigate population genetic structure across the distribution range of A. lasiocarpa. Characterize genetic diversity in north American provenances and seed bearing stands in Norway. Assign Norwegian provenances to north American provenances in order to identify their origin and new potential seed collection zones.
Authors
Kjell Andreassen Bernt-Håvard ØyenAbstract
Growth conditions in Fennoscandia are characterized by relatively short growth seasons and cold winters, from 130 growth days (T 5C) in the far north high mountains to more than 200 in south Sweden and Norway. Growth models from different regions predict different forest growth.In this study, we compare some models commonly applied in forest growth prognosis in pure even aged stands of Norway spruce, Scots pine and birch in Finland, Sweden and Norway. The objectives is to identify behavioural properties, accuracy and bias in selected Nordic growth models using a wide-ranging test data set from permanent research plots in Norway.Present tentative conclusions about the accuracy of growth outside the geographical range of the original base materials. With four different response variables in the tested models we emphasized relative deviations rather than absolute values as most suitable for comparisons. The models were compared by statistical tests, a visual inspection of the smoothed curve of the relative deviations in different stand properties and ranked due to their performance.We observed site index, stand density and mean tree size as the three main components in the models. For Norway spruce a basal area increment model from Sweden had the lowest standard deviation with 23 %. The mean R2 between residuals and stand characteristics from this model was also low (1.3 %), which indicates that variables are well included in the model. For Scots pine and birch, Finnish percent volume growth models showed the best fit to the Norwegian test data, with a R2 between residuals and stand characteristics of 2.8 and 6.7 %, respectively. Several of the models from Sweden and Finland predict the growth as well as stand models frequently in use in Norway.
Authors
Erlend NybakkAbstract
Growing attention is being paid to innovation and creativity and learning as success factors for sustainable competitive advantage and financial performance. This paper examines the relationships between innovation strategy, innovative working climate, learning orientation and financial performance in the context of the Norwegian wood industry. A questionnaire-based survey was sent to CEOs of firms in the wood industry in Norway (241 usable replies, response rate of 49 percent). Innovation strategy embodies four dimensions: the degrees to which innovation in the form of products, processes, and business systems are embedded in the management values and priorities as well as the degree of expenditure in R&D. An innovative working climate is exemplified by team cohesion, supervisory encouragement, resources, autonomy, challenge, and openness to innovation. Both learning orientation and firm innovativeness were conceptualised and analysed as latent second-order constructs using structural equation modelling. The result implied that innovation strategy and an innovative working climate enhanced financial performance in Norwegian wood industry. Furthermore, the findings showed that learning orientation had a positive affect on financial performance positively via firm innovativeness (full mediating effect). Findings suggest that managers in wood industry will not likely benefit financially from a learning orientation without also achieving high levels of firm innovativeness. Moreover, findings suggest that managers should focus on creating an innovative working climate and prioritising an innovation strategy.
Authors
Bo Normander Gregor Levin Ari-Pekka Auvinen Harald Bratli Odd Egil Stabbetorp Marcus Hedblom Anders Glimskär Gudmundur A. GudmundssonAbstract
In 2002, world leaders made a commitment through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. At the Conference of the Parties of the CBD in Nagoya, Japan in 2010, the target was renewed for 2020. We have developed a Biodiversity Change Index (BCI) to help measure progress towards this target. The BCI is constructed with a twodimensional resolution, allowing for a direct evaluation of the relative importance of changes in quantity and quality, respectively, to the overall change in biodiversity. Quantity is measured as the area of a specified habitat type and quality as the abundance of indicator species and other habitat quality parameters, such as the proportion of old trees or dead wood in forests. The BCI enables easy comparison of changes in biodiversity between different habitat types and between different regions and nations. We illustrate the use of BCI by calculating the index for the Nordic countries for two common habitat types, farmland and forest, and one habitat type of similar importance in the northern hemisphere; mires. In the period 1990–2005 declines in biodiversity of similar magnitudes are seen for farmland and mires across the Nordic countries, while for forest, trends vary considerably. Our results show that the BCI framework can be a useful tool to communicate the complex issue of biodiversity change in a simple manner. However, in accordance with other studies of biodiversity change we conclude that existing monitoring data are too scarce to consistently calculate BCI for all habitat types in all Nordic countries. In order to reasonably evaluate changes in biodiversity, further efforts towards monitoring programmes to obtain reliable and quality assured data on biodiversity at acceptable spatial and temporal resolutions are needed. Moreover, common methods to apply and harmonise data from different monitoring schemes should be developed.
Authors
Lone Ross Gobakken Geir Isak VestølAbstract
Wooden claddings are common in faades in Norway, and Norway spruce (Picea abies) is the most frequently used species. The cladding is a major part of the facade, and it has visual requirements that may define the aesthetic service life. The visual changes that occur during weathering can be colour changes, abrasion or wear, blistering, flaking, and even cracks in the wood or coating, but more often growth of mould and blue stain fungi are the main challenge.A field test with synchronous monitoring of relative humidity, air temperature, material temperature and wood moisture content in Norway spruce claddings has been established in southern Norway as part of the ClimateLife project. Visual evaluation of blue stain and mould growth according to EN 927-3 was performed, and evaluation data after 10 months exposure is presented.The objectives were to study the effect of 1) environment, 2) cardinal direction and 3) colour of the cladding on growth of blue stain and mould fungi, and further study the variation in relative humidity, air temperature in front of a surface and the material temperature due to change in 1) environment, 2) cardinal direction and 3) colour of the cladding.After 10 months exposure, the red coating system had lowest mould ratings and the uncoated claddings had the highest. Claddings facing south tend to have higher mould ratings than those facing north. No difference was found between shaded and open environment.The relative humidity was higher in front of the claddings exposed in a shaded environment compared to an open environment, and in an open environment the relative humidity was lower against south than north. The temperature in front of the red coloured claddings was highest. Except for the red-coated claddings, the air temperature was higher than the material temperature.
Abstract
In South-east Norway, several scattered observations of reduced growth and dieback symptoms were observed over the last 20 years in 40-60 years old Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees. Typical symptoms start with yellowing in the top and subsequent dieback downwards from the top. These symptoms are often combined with bark beetle (Ips typographus), honey fungus (Armillaria spp.) infections, and a sudden decrease in diameter and height growth. After about 1-5 years, most of the symptomatic trees are dead.We selected 11 representative stands in six counties. In each stand all trees in ten 250 m2 plots were evaluated, in total about 4000 trees. In each of these 110 plots, one symptomatic and one non-symptomatic tree were investigated in more detail. We measured tree diameter, height, took increment cores and assessed crown condition, wounds, resin flow, stem cracks, bark beetle infection and Armillaria presence. In addition, internode lengths of the last 20 years were measured in two of the stands.Preliminary results of internode lengths and increment cores showed a sudden decrease of height and diameter growth in the symptomatic trees. Many of these trees had a secondary infection of bark beetles and Armillaria. Some years appear to be typical problem years for many of the trees. These years also correspond with summer drought, i.e. negative Palmer drought severity indexes which were estimated for each stand. In comparison, the non-symptomatic trees, growing close to the symptomatic ones, showed none or minor growth reductions and discolouration.Climate change and increased summer drought may worsen spruce dieback problems. Management adaptions are uncertain. We conclude that Norway spruce is sensitive to drought, which reduce the growth and weaken the health, and probably reduce the defence against secondary infections.