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.
2010
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Per Otto Flæte Gry Alfredsen Kristian Bysheim Øyvind Eriksen Anders Qvale Nyrud Birger VenneslandAbstract
Roundwood timber is raw material for numerous products. Wood based products are generally recognised as favourable regarding energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Several studies have shown that the net CO2 emissions can be reduced by using biofuels harvested from forests to substitute fossil fuels, and by using wood for building materials. Energy use and GHG emissions associated with producing roundwood can be influenced by a broad range of factors, such as silvicultural practice, topography, applied technology, forestland ownership, industrial structure, etc. This emphasizes the importance of using representative data for energy use and GHG emissions when calculating environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to investigate the embodied energy and life cycle GHG emissions of industrial softwood sawlogs in Norway, covering the production chain from tree seed to log yard. Analyses were based on activity data for the Norwegian forest sector for the year 2007. The results showed that the embodied energy and GHG emissions were low compared with the energy and CO2-equivalents stored in the roundwood (about 2%). The findings from this study can be used to inform future decisions on processes in forestry that should be focused on when planning actions to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. Additionally, as roundwood timber is raw material for numerous products the results can be useful when preparing documentation of environmental impacts, such as environmental product declarations, which are increasingly demanded by the market.
Authors
Anders Møyner Eid HohleAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Currently, very little data exist on the exposure of soil biota to engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), in spite of soils being an important potential sink for ENPs. Though, data on exposure are essential to determine whether or not, or to which extent, a hazard constitutes a risk. This knowledge gap is mainly due to difficulties in tracing ENPs in soils where natural nanoparticles are abundant. We used neutron activated ENPs as tracers and examined the exposure (uptake, excretion and internal distribution) of nanoparticles of cobalt (Co NPs 3.9 ± 0.8 nm) and silver (Ag NPs 20.2 ± 2.5 nm) in the earthworm Eisenia fetida, and compared this to soluble cobalt and silver salts. Accumulation patterns were highly different for cobalt and silver. Concentrations of cobalt in worms after 4 weeks exposure reached 88% and 69% of the Co ions and Co NPs concentrations in food, respectively, while corresponding values for Ag ions and Ag NPs were 2.3% and 0.4%. Both Ag NPs and Ag ions in earthworms were excreted rapidly, while only 32% of the accumulated Co ions and Co NPs were excreted within a 4 months depuration period. High accumulation of cobalt was found in blood, and to a lesser extent in the digestive tract. Sequential extraction and centrifugal ultrafiltration provided useful information on metal speciation, dissolution and bioavailability of Co NPs and Ag NPs. Both Ag NPs and Ag ions were strongly bound to soil constituents, whereas Co NPs and Co ions were largely found as water soluble species, in good agreement with the results from the uptake study.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
The exponential increase in the use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in a variety of commercially available products has raised concerns about their release into environmental compartments. Soils in particular have been pointed out as a major environmental sink for ENMs, e.g. through the application of sewage sludge to soil. However, data are scarce on the fate of ENMs in soils and on their bioavailability to organisms once ENMs interact with the soil matrix. The main reason for this knowledge gap has been the methodological challenges to trace and quantify ENMs in complex matrices like soils due to the presence of abundant natural nanoparticles (e.g. clays, iron oxides, organic matter). Methods able to overcome this hurdle will be introduced, as well as their limitations. The aim of this lecture is to present the current state of knowledge on the fate, behavior and toxicity of some of the most commercialized ENMs (carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, metal and metal oxides) in terrestrial ecosystems. We will see the potential modifications ENMs may undergo in soils, namely agglomeration, adsorption to soil constituents, dissolution of particles, effects of pH and organic matter on their speciation, and how these parameters can influence their transport in soil and their bioavailability to organisms. Ecotoxicity will also be addressed, through studies on bacteria, nematodes and earthworms.
Authors
Line Emilie Sverdrup Christine Bjørge Ole Martin Eklo Torsten Källqvist Ingeborg Klingen Marit Låg Edgar Rivedal Erik Ropstad Steinar Øvrebø Merete GrungAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Per Gundersen Ari Laurén Lena Finér Eva Ring Harri Koivusalo Magne Sætersdal Jan-Olov Weslien Bjarni D. Sigurdsson Lars Högbom Jukka Laine Karin HansenAbstract
Riparian forests (RF) growing along streams, rivers and lakes comprise more than 2% of the forest area in the Nordic countries (considering a 10 m wide zone from the water body). They have special ecological functions in the landscape. They receive water and nutrients from the upslope areas, are important habitats for biodiversity, have large soil carbon stores, but may emit more greenhouse gases (GHG) than the uplands. In this article, we present a review of the environmental services related to water protection, terrestrial biodiversity, carbon storage and greenhouse gas dynamics provided by RF in the Nordic countries. We discuss the benefits and trade-offs when leaving the RF as a buffer against the impacts from upland forest management, in particular the impacts of clear cutting. Forest buffers are effective in protecting water quality and aquatic life, and have positive effects on terrestrial biodiversity, particularly when broader than 40 m, whereas the effect on the greenhouse gas exchange is unclear.
Authors
Arnold ArnoldussenAbstract
In 2004 the Terrestrial Environmental Monitoring Project in Central Asia (TEMP-CA) was established. The project will be closed in 2010. In the project, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyrgyzian, Tajik, Uzbek and Norwegian scientists cooperated. Objective for the project was the establishment of terrestrial environmental monitoring reference areas around the Fergana Valley. In total 10 monitoring reference sites were established. As many of the monitoring sites are situated in and around the Fergana valley it is also possible to say something about the environmental status and challenges of this area, including the surrounding mountainous areas. The Fergana Valley was always very important for the food supply of the total region. Today the area has many big challenges concerning management of its natural resources and environmental status.
Authors
Tore SkrøppaAbstract
No abstract has been registered