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.
2003
Abstract
Living organisms in ecosystems are conceptualized as autonomous agents with a spectrum for their behavior. Ecosystems are described here as interacting multi-agent systems. Implementing such a system is a challenge for current hardware and software technology both technically and conceptually, in particular if one of the agents is human, either virtually within the system or as external participant and user (real human).Interfering with and manipulating the system occurs at arbitrary times during simulation, with a collection of choices to do that, rendering the details of the particular simulation fundamentally unpredictable.As a result, we have an open interactive system with tight feedback loops, for which new computer models (beyond the Universal Turing Machine) are required. We discuss some of the theoretical concepts for the appropriate software technology and shortly present one example of such a system, a forest simulator used by forest administrators.
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Bernt-Håvard ØyenAbstract
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H. Mäkinen P. Nöjd H.P. Kahle U. Neumann Bjørn Tveite K. Mielikäinen H. Röhle H. SpieckerAbstract
High-frequency variation of Norway spruce radial increment [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] and its dependence on various climatic variables was compared in stands across latitudinal and altitudinal transects in southwestern and eastern Germany, Norway, and Finland. The tested variables included local temperature and precipitation, northern hemisphere temperature anomalies, and the climatic teleconnection patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, East Atlantic, East Atlantic Jet, East Atlantic/West Russia, and Scandinavian patterns). Climatic impact on radial increment increased towards minimum and maximum values of the long-term temperature and precipitation regimes, i.e. trees growing under average conditions respond less strongly to climatic variation. Increment variation was clearly correlated with temperature. Warm Mays promoted radial increments in all regions. If the long-term average temperature sum at a stand was below 1,200-1,300 degree days, above average summer temperature increased radial increment. In regions with more temperate climate, water availability was also a growth-limiting factor. However, in those cases where absolute precipitation sum was clearly related to radial increment variation, its effect was dependent on temperature-induced water stress. The estimated dates of initiation and cessation of growing season and growing season length were not clearly related to annual radial increment. Significant correlations were found between radial increment and climatic teleconnection indices, especially with the winter, May and August North Atlantic Oscillation indices, but it is not easy to find a physiological interpretation for these findings.
Abstract
During the first half of the 1990-ies, the microlepidopteran Argyresthia retinella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) had an outbreak in mountain birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. czerepanovii (Orlova) Hamet-Ahti) forests along the coast of northern Norway. In these regions, A. retinella has a univoltine life history and passes the winter as diapausing eggs, contradictory to previous reports from more southern latitudes of Europe, where newly hatched larvae overwinter. Eggs were deposited under lichen, mainly on branches and twigs, and avoided freezing by their ability to supercool. The mean supercooling points (SCPs) from October to March ranged between -35.5 and -36.5 C (lowest in January), and the eggs did not survive exposure below these temperatures. Diapause was terminated in the middle of February, and in April and May the SCP rose to about -30 C. Pre-freeze mortality was evident and had a significant impact on survival when eggs were exposed to temperatures above the SCP.
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Svein Ole Borgen Anne Moxnes JervellAbstract
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Morten NittebergAbstract
The Norwegian Forest Research Institute (Skogforsk) is conducting a study of mechanised harvesting in cable operations.The activity of cable crane systems is heavily reduced the last years in Norway. There are different reasons for this:Low price on wood High direct logging cost Relative low technical development Hard to recruit workers General scepticism to logging in steep terrain, due to environmental influences The positive environmental effect by use of cable crane systems is not well known, and is overshadowed by the negative publicity. Use of cable crane systems may among other things contribute to reduce technical encroachment in the terrain, road building, and wheeled terrain transport.When the harvesting operation in steep terrain is mechanised the safety will increase and the working load will be easier. We hope this will have a positive effect on recruiting workers to this kind of work.The use of harvester inn logging operation will probably also increase the productivity of the cable crane system, and will hopefully give better economy for steep terrain harvesting. A harvester (Menzi Muck A71) is developed in Switzerland for use in steep and difficult terrain. The harvester is based on a Menzi Muck excavator. The machine is mainly build for operations in steep terrain up to 60 %, but with a safety winch it may operate in steepness up to 100%.The Menzi Muck harvester is now working together with a Owren 400 cable crane system in steep terrain (30 70 % steepness), and Skogforsk will during the project period study the productivity and the operating cost of the cable crane system in cooperation with Menzi Muck harvester, and compare the result with ordinary manual felling. This will be done time study and operational statistics.The project started up 1 July 2002, so at this moment we do not have much data, but within March 2003 we will have data enough to present some results.