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
Cone and seed insects reduce seed production in seed orchards by feeding on cones and/or seeds and thus cause a lack of seedlings for reforestation. One of the most serious pest species in conifers is the spruce cone worm, Dioryctria abietella. Since 2007, we have used pheromone traps to monitor the flight of this species in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden (and Estonia from 2009). In addition to monitoring, all countries have measured air temperatures in the vicinity of the traps. It is thus possible to correlate flight activity with temperature and temperature sums (accumulated day degrees >5°C). In Sweden cone development has also been registered throughout the monitoring period. Our results show that D. abietella has an extended flight period in Northern Europe, which lasts from late May to late September. Further research is needed to determine if late flying individuals oviposit on shoots or in cones. Increased knowledge about the flight period of D. abietella and how it coincides with temperature and cone development may help us develop better control measures against this important pest.
Authors
Arnold Arnoldussen Eivind SolbakkenAbstract
Soil, composed of minerals, organic material, air and water, performs a number of key environmental, social and economic services that are vital to life. Supplying water and nutrients to plants while at the same time protecting water supplies by storing, bufferingand transforming pollutants. Soil is also an incredible habitat that provides raw materials, preserves our history and limits floods. Without soil, the planet as we know it would not function. However, the importance of soil and the multitude of environmental services that depend on soil properties are not widely understood by society at large. Soil scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity to produce material to raise awareness and educate the general public, policy makers and other scientists of the importance and global significance of soil. This is particularly true of soils in northern latitudes where the impacts of global climate change would be dramatic on both a local and global perspective.
Authors
Markku Husso Erlend NybakkAbstract
Drawing upon the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and Porter’s five forces, this study examines CEOs’ perceptions of the drivers of competitive advantage in Finnish and Norwegian small- and medium-sized (SME) sawmills. Using qualitative data from CEO interviews and secondary data sources, the results show differences in relevant resources among SME sawmills. In some cases, high-quality raw material is a driver of above-average industry performance, while certain organizational resources, together with correct positioning within an industry, are a way to compensate for a lack of other sources of competitive advantage. Resources such as advanced production technology or a flat organizational structure are essential to diluting the weaknesses of the case companies. Our cases also clarify the important role of intangible resources (e.g., personnel being willing to change).
Abstract
The Lange Bramke catchment has been investigated as a monitored catchment for 60 years. However, its utilization history even dates back to medieval times, and is well documented in part. The intense interplay between ore mining, forestry, and water resources exploitation left remains such as scoriae piles and modified forest growth, e.g. due to local pollution at smelter locations. It is demonstrated that considering local land use history is important for a proper understanding and interpretation of modern monitoring data. A theoretical framework is proposed for the integration of the two data sources. This requires a joint approach combining two modelling paradigms, the functional one dominating in current ecosystem research, and an interactive one which best characterizes the human–environment relationship in historic times.
Abstract
The utilization history of the Lange Bramke catchment and the northern Harz mountains is dominated by ore mining. Historical documents were used to provide ample evidence that forestry and water utilization were managed according to administrative goals in a largely centralized manner. However, the perception of the landscape and its function and purpose have changed significantly over the centuries. In particular, the distinction between renewable (such as forests) and non-renewable resources (such as ore deposits) is a rather modern one, as is the principle of sustainability. This change in perception is apparent from the type of maps used, the different conflicts on property and exploitation rights, and the request for quantitative inventories of resources, appearing only quite late in the mining history. The remnants of smelters and charcoal production still demonstrate the importance of historical land use for proper interpretation of monitoring data.
Authors
Elspeth Macdonald Ben Davies Peder GjerdrumAbstract
In September 2009, a group of forest managers and researchers from Scotland, Sweden and Norway took part in a five day study tour in Norway. The tour focused on Scots pine forest management, timber processing and utilisation. It included visits to Scots pine forests, timber processing and manufacturing plants and the Norwegian Forest Extension Institute, which provides training to woodland owners and the wider forestry sector. The management and utilisation of Scots pine in the Northern Periphery area part of Norway was strongly influenced by a long tradition of family-owned farm forests (integrated with other land uses), local processing and widespread use of timber in construction. A key focus was the need to add value locally through secondary processing such as off-site construction methods for houses, preservative treatment of material for outdoor uses, and defect cutting and profiling for joinery.
Authors
Kjersti Holt Hanssen Bjørn TveiteAbstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the long-term growth response of Norway spruce and Scots pine to whole-three harvesting (WTH) at first thinning. The results show that for spruce, WTH has lead to a decrease in forest growth 25 years after thinning. In the pine stands, the results were more variable between sites and periods and the growth reduction after 25 years was not statistically significant.
Authors
Knut Magnar Sandland Peder GjerdrumAbstract
The objective of the research work has been to investigate whether the quality of dried and planed sawn timber can be improved by sorting logs and planks before the drying process. The research material was selected by randomly choosing 30 butt logs and 30 middle logs in a given diameter class at a sawmill. The logs were sawn in a 4 x log pattern, and one inner plank (near pith) and one outer plank (near bark) were chosen from each log. Various properties were measured on the logs and on the sawn timber before and after drying. The material was then planed, and the quality of the panel boards was registered. Based on the results, different models for sorting the timber before drying to optimise the drying process are proposed. One of them is to separate outer and inner planks. An evident improvement is then expected, both due to possibilities for adjusting the drying process to the moisture content before and after drying, and the possibilities for optimising the drying process in accordance with the requirements of the various wood products. In addition to a separation of inner and outer planks, it is also of interest to separate planks from different types of logs (e.g. butt logs and middle logs) to be able to further optimise the drying process according to the wood properties. The project results also show that the best wood quality for production of panel boards is found in the inner planks from middle logs, mainly due to the knot pattern in the stems.
Authors
Lone Ross GobakkenAbstract
An evident change in climate the last decades has been recorded, and combined effects of increased CO2, elevated temperature and altered precipitation regimes have been observed to represent a change to the fundamental drivers within ecosystems. Growth of moulds, both in nature and on man-made constructions and objects, will most likely increase due to changes in the climate. The survival, the reproduction, the dispersal and the geographic distribution of moulds are decided by both direct and indirect effects of climate change. Not only the moulds, but also their hosts and substrates, possible competitors and enemies will be affected by climate change. It is essential to understand the interactions between the members in these ecosystems to be able to control and predict future development of moulds. The effect of introducing new building directives, environmental friendly materials and products which are meant to oblige the demand for more climate friendly buildings and houses, is an aspect that may generate unexpected and unintended mould growth on man-made constructions and objects. Future research should focus on the interaction between the moulds, the hosts, the substrates and the climatic factors, and what implications future changes in building directives and housing policy will have on mould growth.
Abstract
The Nordic region is characterized by simple, non-bureaucratic exchange of forest genetic resources (FGR) between countries that is strongly associated with the everyman\"s right legislation within the individual countries. The regime for international exchange of FGR is smooth and regarded as being very valuable for the forestry sector across the Nordic country borders as it secures the unrestricted availability of seeds and breeding material.