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.
2006
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Abstract
A method for quantitative determination of extractives from heartwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) using gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (FID) was developed. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.03mg/g wood and the linear range (r=0.9994) was up to 10mg/g with accuracy within ±10% and precision of 18% relative standard deviation. The identification of the extractives was performed using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The yields of extraction by Soxhlet were tested for solid wood, small particles and fine powder. Small particles were chosen for further analysis. This treatment gave good yields of the most important extractives: pinosylvin, pinosylvin monomethyl ether, resin acids and free fatty acids. The method is used to demonstrate the variation of these extractives across stems and differences in north–south direction.
Authors
Erlend Ystrøm Haartveit Per Otto FlæteAbstract
The optimal utilisation of a wood raw material is dependent on the wood properties. In this study near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to non-destructively predict density, modulus of elasticity, and modulus of rupture for small clear specimens cut from Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. (Norway spruce) trees.NIR spectra were recorded directly on the wood surface of each specimen as close as possible to the fracture developed during the bending test. Models were calibrated using partial least squares regression. The validation method was test set validation by data splitting.The correlation between predicted and measured values was highest for modulus of elasticity (0.86), followed by modulus of rupture (0.84) and density (0.79). The validation of the models showed that the average accuracies of predictions were 20.3 kg/m3 for density, 1.1 GPa for modulus of elasticity, and 6.1 MPa for modulus of rupture.Results are comparable to what has been found for other tree species, such as Pinus radiata D. Don (radiata pine), Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine), and Larix decidua Mill. (European larch). Models for predicting density, modulus of elasticity, and modulus of rupture based on NIR spectra outperformed simple regression models using the mean annual ring width as the independent variable.NIR spectroscopy is a rapid tool for characterising organic materials. It requires minimal sample preparation and spectra are collected on solid wood, rapidly and nondestructively. For these reasons the method should be tested in production lines for lumber. In future research we aim for reliable predictions of mechanical properties of industrially manufactured lumber using models based on NIR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical methods.
Authors
Anne Straumfors Halstensen Karl-Christian Nordby Wijnand Eduard Sonja KlemsdalAbstract
Inhalation of immunomodulating mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. that are commonly found in grain dust may imply health risks for grain farmers. Airborne Fusarium and mycotoxin exposure levels are mainly unknown due to difficulties in identifying Fusarium and mycotoxins in personal aerosol samples. We used a novel real-time PCR method to quantify the fungal trichodiene synthase gene (tri5) and DNA specific to F. langsethiae and F. avenaceum in airborne and settled grain dust, determined the personal inhalant exposure level to toxigenic Fusarium during various activities, and evaluated whether quantitative measurements of Fusarium-DNA could predict trichothecene levels in grain dust. Airborne Fusarium-DNA was detected in personal samples even from short tasks (10-60 min). The median Fusarium-DNA level was significantly higher in settled than in airborne grain dust (p < 0.001), and only the F. langsethiae-DNA levels correlated significantly in settled and airborne dust (r(s) = 0.20, p = 0.003). Both F. langsethiae-DNA and tri5-DNA were associated with HT-2 and T-2 toxins (r(s) = 0.24-0.71, p < 0.05 to p < 00.01) in settled dust, and could thus be suitable as indicators for HT-2 and T-2. The median personal inhalant exposure to specific toxigenic Fusarium spp. was less than 1 genome m(-3), but the exposure ranged from 0-10(5) genomes m(-3). This study is the first to apply real-time PCR on personal samples of inhalable grain dust for the quanti. cation of tri5 and species- specific Fusarium-DNA, which may have potential for risk assessments of inhaled trichothecenes.
Authors
Fride Høistad ScheiAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
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Authors
Guro BrodalAbstract
A survey of the loose smut frequencies in certified barley seed lots in Norway during 1997"2002 showed that the disease has become more prevalent and has occurred at higher infection frequencies in recent years. Laboratory analyses (embryo method) of barley seeds harvested in 2001 and 2002, including both certified and farm saved seed, showed a large number of infected seed lots with higher than expected infection frequencies. One lot of farm saved seed (cv. Otira) from 2002 had 32% seed infection. Unexpectedly high loose smut infection frequencies recorded in fields sown with carboxin treated barley seed suggest a reduced effectiveness of the fungicide. A seed treatment experiment was conducted in 2002 using both greenhouse and field trials with two infected seed lots (cv. Otira with 14.4% and cv. Fager with 6.9% infected seeds) to evaluate and compare the effect of Fungazil C (carboxin + imazalil) and Premis Robust (triticonazol + imazalil) against loose smut. Fungazil C at normal rates reduced loose smut frequencies by approximately 50% or less. At twice the normal rate, loose smut symptoms were reduced by 60-80%. Premis Robust showed more effective loose smut control, but did not confer complete control.
Authors
L.H. Pardo P.H. Templer C.L. Goodale S. Duke P.M. Groffman M.B. Adams P. Boeckx J. Boggs J. Campbell B. Colman J. Compton Bridget A. Emmett Per Gundersen O. Janne Kjønaas G. Lovett M. Mack A. Magill M. Mbila M.J. Mitchell G. McGee S. McNulty Knute J. Nadelhoffer S. Ollinger D. Ross H. Rueth L. Rustad P. Schaberg S. Schiff Patrick Schleppi J. Spoelstra W. WesselAbstract
N saturation induced by atmospheric N deposition can have serious consequences for forest health in many regions. In order to evaluate whether foliar d15N may be a robust, regional-scale measure of the onset of N saturation in forest ecosystems, we assembled a large dataset on atmospheric N deposition, foliar and root d15N and N concentration, soil C:N, mineralization and nitrification. The dataset included sites in northeastern North America, Colorado, Alaska, southern Chile and Europe. Local drivers of N cycling (net nitrification and mineralization, and forest floor and soil C:N) were more closely coupled with foliar d15N than the regional driver of N deposition. Foliar d15N increased non-linearly with nitrification:mineralization ratio and decreased with forest floor C:N. Foliar d15N was more strongly related to nitrification rates than was foliar N concentration, but concentration was more strongly correlated with N deposition. Root d15N was more tightly coupled to forest floor properties than was foliar d15N. We observed a pattern of decreasing foliar d15N values across the following species: American beech>yellow birch>sugar maple. Other factors that affected foliar d15N included species composition and climate. Relationships between foliar d15N and soil variables were stronger when analyzed on a species by species basis than when many species were lumped. European sites showed distinct patterns of lower foliar d15N, due to the importance of ammonium deposition in this region. Our results suggest that examining d15N values of foliage may improve understanding of how forests respond to the cascading effects of N deposition. Introduction Nitrogen saturation is the process by which chronically elevated N inputs alter forest ecosystems, ultimately resulting in increases in ecosystem N loss (Aber et al. 1989; 1998). N saturation can result in detrimental plant responses and have serious consequences for forest health (Nihlgard 1985; Aber et al. 1989; Schaberg et al. 2002) and may impact forests in many regions (Dise et al. 1998; Aber et al. 2003). Therefore, developing indicators useful for determining whether a forest is at N saturation and for predicting when a forest is nearing N saturation is valuable. Such indicators would facilitate both forest management and understanding of N cycling in forest ecosystems.
Authors
Linda H. Pardo P. H. Templer C. L. Goodale S. Duke P. M. Groffman M. B. Adams P. Boeckx J. Boggs J. Campbell B. Coleman J. Compton Bridget A Emmett Per Gundersen O. Janne Kjønaas G. Lovett M. Mack Alison Magill M. Mbila Myron J. Mitchell G. McGee Steven McNulty Knute Nadelhoffer S. Ollinger D. Ross H. Rueth Lindsey Rustad P. Schaberg Sheryl Schiff Patrick Schleppi J Spoelstra Wim WesselAbstract
N saturation induced by atmospheric N deposition can have serious consequences for forest health in many regions. In order to evaluate whether foliar d15N may be a robust, regional-scale measure of the onset of N saturation in forest ecosystems, we assembled a large dataset on atmospheric N deposition, foliar and root d15N and N concentration, soil C:N, mineralization and nitrification. The dataset included sites in northeastern North America, Colorado, Alaska, southern Chile and Europe. Local drivers of N cycling (net nitrification and mineralization, and forest floor and soil C:N) were more closely coupled with foliar d15N than the regional driver of N deposition. Foliar d15N increased non-linearly with nitrification:mineralization ratio and decreased with forest floor C:N. Foliar d15N was more strongly related to nitrification rates than was foliar N concentration, but concentration was more strongly correlated with N deposition. Root d15N was more tightly coupled to forest floor properties than was foliar d15N. We observed a pattern of decreasing foliar d15N values across the following species: American beech>yellow birch>sugar maple. Other factors that affected foliar d15N included species composition and climate. Relationships between foliar d15N and soil variables were stronger when analyzed on a species by species basis than when many species were lumped. European sites showed distinct patterns of lower foliar d15N, due to the importance of ammonium deposition in this region. Our results suggest that examining d15N values of foliage may improve understanding of how forests respond to the cascading effects of N deposition.