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.
2008
Authors
Haiying Liu Tonje Økland Rune Halvorsen Jixi Gao Quanru Liu Odd Eilertsen Harald BratliAbstract
Monitoring of ground vegetation and environmental variables in subtropical forests in China was initiated in 1999 as part of the “Integrated Monitoring Programme of Acidification of Chinese Terrestrial Systems”. The study areas were selected to span regional gradients, in deposition of airborne pollutants and climatic conditions. All five study areas are located in the southern and south-western parts of China and consist of subtropical forests. In each study area 50 1-m2 plots were randomly chosen within each of ten 10×10 m macro plots, each in turn positioned in the centre of 30×30 m extended macro plot. All 250 1-m2 plots were subjected to vegetation analysis, using frequency in subplots as measure of species abundance. A total of 33 environmental variables were recorded for 1-m2 plots as well as 10×10 m macro plots. A major objective of this study is to identify the environ¬mental variables that are most strongly related to the species composition of ground vegetation in S and SW Chinese subtropical forests, as a basis for future monitoring. Comparison among DCA, LNMDS and GNMDS ordination methods, an additional objective of the study, was achieved by using a set of different techniques: calculation of pair-wise correlation coefficients between corresponding ordination axes, Procrustes comparison, assessment of outlier influence, and split-plot GLM analysis between environmental variables and ordination axes. LNMDS and GNMDS consistently produce very similar ordinations. GNMDS ordinations are generally more similar to DCA than LNMDS to DCA. In most cases DCA, LNMDS and GNMDS extract the same main ground vegetation compositional gradients and the choice of LNMDS or GNMDS is therefore hardly decisive for the results. GNMDS was chosen for interpretation and presentation of vegetation-environment relationships. The dimensionality of GNMDS (number of reliable axes) was decided by demanding high correspondence of all axes with DCA and LNMDS axes. Three dimensions were needed to describe the variation in vegetation in two of the areas (TSP and LXH), two dimensions in the other three areas (LCG, LGS and CJT). Environmental interpretation of ordinations (identification of ecoclines; gradients in species composition and the environment) was made by split-plot GLM analysis and non-parametric cor¬relation analysis. Plexus diagrams and PCA ordination were used to visualize correlations between environmental variables. Several graphical means were used to aid interpretation. Complex gradients in litter-layer depth, topography, soil pH/soil nutrient, and tree density/crown cover were found to be most strongly related to vegetation gradients. However, the five study areas differed somewhat with respect to which of the environmental variables that were most strongly related to the vegetation gradients (ordination axes). Litter-layer depth was related to vegetation gradients in four areas (TSP, LCG, CJT and LXH); topography in four study areas (TSP, LGS, CJT and LXH); soil pH in three areas (LCG, LGS and CJT); soil nutrients in one area (LGS); and tree density/crown cover in one area (LCG). The ecological processes involved in relationships between vegetation and main complex-gradi¬ents in litter-layer depth, topography, soil pH/soil nutrient, and tree density/crown cover, in subtropical forests, are discussed. We find that gradient relationships of subtropical forests are complex, and that heavy pollution may increase this complexity. Furthermore, our results suggest that better knowledge of vegetation-environment relationships has potential for enhancing our understanding of subtropical forests that occupy vast areas of the S and SW China.
Authors
Erlend Nybakk Terje Birkeland Per Otto Flæte Knut FinstadAbstract
A bucking-to-value optimization system has traditionally been used by applying price matrices in bucking control to maximize the value of single stems and thereby the income of Norwegian forest owners. This system improved the possibilities of customization of sawlog supply, but the differences between the demand and the output sawlog distribution are still significant. Hence, a new bucking system, called bucking-to-demand, was developed in Sweden in the late 80s and was also introduced in Finland. To better meet the demand of single sawmills, the harvesters use a new demand matrix in addition to the price matrix. The main objective of this case study was to evaluate the potential of achieving a more market-oriented sawlog production in Norway by utilizing the bucking-to-demand system in bucking optimization. The results showed that a bucking-to-demand system gave a higher apportionment degree than a traditional bucking-to-value system. Bucking-to-demand had a larger effect (apportionment degree) than bucking-to-value in forests with high site indexes compared with forests with low site indexes. Additionally, the value discrepancy between the two bucking systems tended to be smaller on low-productivity forest sites than on highproductivity sites. The results imply that the bucking-to-demand system can be an effective tool for achieving a more customized log production in Norway, which in turn will increase the added value in the Norwegian forest products value chain.
Authors
Anders BrynAbstract
The forest limits of south-east Norway have expanded to higher altitudes. Two main processes are believed to cause these changes; re-growth after abandonment of human utilisation and recent climate changes. This article aim at separating the effects of these two processes on the upper forest limits and recent forest expansion. The results show that raised forest limits and forest range expansion often attributed to recent climate change is rather the product of re-growth, a process that was climatically retarded from 1959 to 1995. From 1995 to 2006, the data indicate a preliminary effect of climate change escalating the re-growth and probably pushing the future forest limits to higher altitudes.
Abstract
Whereas lichen growth rates have received considerable attention, comparatively few detailed studies of growth patterns have been carried out. Generally, most lichens seem to grow apically, with pseudomeristomatic tissue confined to lobe margins and branch tips. However, some species appear to retain the capacity to expand throughout the thallus. Such intercalary growth processes have proved difficult to confirm in the field for two- and three-dimensionally growing folious and fruticose forms. Using transplants of the conspicuous, one-dimensionally growing Usnea longissima Ach., we document that intercalary growth actually does occur, with thalli expanding geometrically in length with a doubling time of less than a year under favorable conditions.
Authors
Bernt-Håvard Øyen Per Holm NygaardAbstract
From the first plantings and experiences in the afforestation areas in West and North Norway it became evident that there was a large potential for increasing the yield by changing tree species, especially from mismanaged broadleaves and pine to dense spruce plantations. The focal point in this chapter will therefore be the experience in Norway, with some examplesfrom other countries.....
Authors
Asrun Elmarsdottir Arne Fjellberg Gudmundur Halldórsson Maria Ingimarsdottir Olafur K. Nielsen Per Holm Nygaard Bjarni D. SigurdssonAbstract
Recently, there has been increased emphasis on conserving biodiversity, threatened habitats and ecosystems in the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, thus embracing the target of halting the decline in biodiversity by the year 2010. Therefore it is important to identify the effects that afforestation has on biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems......
Authors
Olafur Eggertsson Per Holm Nygaard Jens Peter SkovsgaardAbstract
The last late glacial from 22,000 up until just before 13,000 years ago was very cold and dry throughout Europe. Large ice sheets were present over much of northern Europe, and ice caps covered the Alps and the Pyrenees. Forest and woodland were almost non-existent, except for isolated areas of woodland vegetation and close to the mountain ranges of southern Europe. Instead, a sparse grassland or semi-desert covered most of southern Europe, at the same time as a mixture of the dry, open steppe tundra and polar desert covered the parts of northern Europe not occupied by ice sheets (Figure 1). Ice-wedge geomorphological features suggest that permafrost extended across most of Europe, down to about the latitude of central France. At this time drifting sand and wind erosion were common in north and central Europe.
Authors
Erik LarnøyAbstract
To evaluate the decay resistance of wood, treated or untreated, for hazard classes 3, 4 and 5, the mass loss due to fungal exposure needs to be calculated. The standards for calculating mass loss in wooden test samples (i.e EN 113 and ENV 807) require that the samples used in the test are pre-dried to 0 % moisture content, m0, for determination of the initial dry mass. The standards describe that the samples should be dried at 103±2°C for 18 hours. When drying wood samples to 103 °C the samples are altered. Literature describes that extractives are influenced at temperatures as low as 60 °C, and redistribution and/or evaporation of these, will change the characteristics of the wood samples...
Abstract
The treatability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood is ranked in the European standard EN 350-2 as class 1 (easy to treat), although huge differences in sapwood penetration exist. To obtain full sapwood penetration, process parameters have to be adjusted to the material most difficult to treat. It is therefore of importance to understand the factors that are responsible for penetration differences. Scots pine sapwood was investigated for anatomical differences influencing the ratio of filling (RoF) when treated with the wood modifying agent furfuryl alcohol. The database for the study was samples from two test series including Scots pine from Norway and Denmark. Within these experimental series each sample can be reassigned to its original position in the stem. The RoF for each sample was evaluated, and the variation in treatability within trees, between trees and between different stands was studied...
Abstract
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is widely used not only in Norway but in many other European countries. Due to its refractory behavior after drying it is difficult to impregnate with wood protecting agents that makes it suitable for outside applications. In this research spruce wood samples are exposed to microwave radiation in order to improve the impregnability. The strength properties are evaluated after both microwave and impregnation treatment. The results show, that microwave treatment on spruce wood samples improves the uptake of impregnation agents. With increasing energy absorption due to microwave radiation the impregnability is improved. No differences could be found between the microwave treatments in radial or tangential direction, neither in uptake of wood preservative nor in strength properties. The uptake of impregnation agents in spruce wood is increased by using a pre-treatment with microwave radiation. However, some microwave treatments lead to cracks and a reduction in tangential strength. Most of the values of the process parameters used were obviously too high, which resulted in a distinct crack development.