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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.

2007

Abstract

The REMFOR project evaluates remote sensing data and methods for monitoring forest health using variation in leaf area index (LAI) as a primary measure of defoliation. A large-scale pine sawfly outbreak in Norway serves as a test case. An LAI map of the study area was derived from airborne LIDAR measurements before and after the insect attack to serve as ground truth for satellite image analysis. The method predicts LAI from laser penetration rates through the canopy layer in accordance with the Beer- Lambert law calibrated with point measurements of LAI with LICOR LAI-2000. Comparing two cloud-free SPOT scenes from September 2004 and September 2005 shows obvious visual patterns of defoliation in pine forests from the 2005 outbreak. Preliminary analysis shows that the insect defoliation caused an increase in middle-infrared (SPOT band4) reflectance and a decrease in SPOT NDVI, and both these responses may be used as a reasonable predictor of LAI loss as derived from laser scanning. MODIS NDVI data were gathered for the area over the period 2000-2006, and the Timesat algorithm is used to smooth the seasonal variation. The insect attack is evident from the smoothed NDVI data both as a reduction in the summer mean value, and as an alteration of the seasonal profile during the larvae feeding period in June and July. REMFOR also encompasses a range of other remote sensing data types, including GLAS LIDAR, SAR and hyperspectral data from both airborne and satellite platforms (e.g. Hyspex and Hyperion). Landsat TM is used to generate a tree species map.

Abstract

Model simulations show that an increased frequency in storms and drought periods may result in more frequent and shorter outbreaks of bark beetles. Warmer summers can result in two bark beetle generations per summer instead of one, giving bark beetles the opportunity to attack forests twice in a single year.

Abstract

Combinations of covering and fungicide applications were tested on two sweet cherry cultivars; Van during two years (2001 and 2002) and Lapins three years (2001"2003). The following treatments were tested in 2001 and 2002: (i) covering during flowering and from 5 to 6 weeks prior to harvest and throughout harvest, no fungicides applied, (ii) as (i) but fungicides were applied once or twice between the two covering periods, (iii) covered 5 to 6 weeks prior to harvest and throughout harvest, fungicides applied two or three times prior to covering, and (iv) uncovered throughout the season, fungicides applied two or three times in the period from flowering towards harvest. In 2003, the trees were covered only from 5 to 6 weeks prior to harvest and throughout harvest. Both treatments that year received fungicide applications during flowering, but one of the treatments was left unsprayed during the green fruit period prior to covering. Every combination of covering and fungicide applications reduced total fruit decay at harvest significantly compared to a full fungicide programme and no covering. In three of four trials when the trees were covered during flowering and prior to harvest, and fungicide applications were omitted in the green fruit phase between the covering periods, no significant increase in fruit rot occurred compared to treatments where fungicides were applied. However, in one trial there was a significant increase in fruit rot by leaving out one fungicide spray during that intermittent period. Furthermore, if fungicides were only applied during flowering and not on green fruit before covering in 2003, a significant increase in fruit rot occurred. Thus, leaving out fungicide applications during that supposedly less susceptible green fruit period, increased the risk of acquiring fruit rot. Applying fungicides during the green fruit stage significantly reduced the amount of brown rot in four of five trials and anthracnose in one of five trials. No negative effect on fruit quality was found from the extended covering periods. It can be concluded that covering effectively replaced fungicide applications during flowering and prior to harvest.