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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

Abstract

This Noragric Report was commissioned by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) under the framework agreement with UMB which is administrated by Noragric.

Abstract

The current IPCC guidelines define an estimate for the fraction of mineral fertilizer and animal waste (manure) lost to leaching and runoff (FracLEACH). The FracLEACH default is 30 %. In Norway, 18 % has been used based on calculations made in 1998 (Vagstad et al., 1998). The main purpose of this study was to give an updated estimate of nitrogen (N) leaching in relation to the amounts of N applied in agriculture (FracLEACH). The term losses in this report include both surface and subsurface runoff. The estimates of FracLEACH presented in this report were based on data from the Agricultural Environmental monitoring program (JOVA). The JOVA-program includes catchment and field study sites representing typical situations in Norwegian agriculture with regard to production system, management, intensity, soil, landscape, region and climate. Data from plot- scale study sites confirmed the level of N leaching from the agricultural areas within the JOVA catchments. The overall FracLEACH estimated in this study was 22 % of the N applied. This average covers a variation between sites from 16 % on grassland in Valdres to 44 % in intensive vegetable, potato and cereal production areas in the southernmost part of Norway. Runoff is the most significant parameter for the difference in FracLEACH between catchments. In addition, production system and to some degree soil type are important for FracLEACH. It is thus suggested to use different FracLEACH-values for the different production systems and adjust FracLEACH according to average runoff for the region.

Abstract

Continued flexible exchange of forest genetic resources (FGR) in the Nordic region is important for sustainable forest management and for climate change adaptation and mitigation. For this reason, a high level political initiative identified a need to clarify the legal status of FGR in the Nordic region. The overall aim of this study was to assess whether it is necessary and possible to take legal steps to ensure that FGR remain available for conservation and sustainable use in and between the Nordic countries. A survey of the present situation revealed that although the Nordic countries have different domestic legislation on access to FGR, it has not caused any hinders for exchange. Thus, in effect the situation is quite similar in the Nordic countries. As for the future, it is unlikely that application of patent law and plant variety protection (UPOV) will restrict exchange of FGR, mainly due to the short protection periods of these regulations relative to the long generation time of main forestry tree species. For short rotation tree species, intellectual property rights (IPR) might prove to be more applicable. Concerning international agreements, it is premature to evaluate the effect of the Nagoya Protocol (2010) on access and benefit sharing for FGR, as well as recent FAO initiatives. Based on the current study, no legal steps or action seem necessary. To promote continuing simple exchange of FGR the Nordic countries are recommended to stay involved in those processes where relevant international agreements are debated and developed, facilitate simple procedures for exchange and establish a mechanism for surveillance of biotechnological methods that might increase the use of private property rights on FGR.