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.
2023
Authors
Junbin Zhao Simon Weldon Alexandra Barthelmes Erin Swails Kristell Hergoualc’h Ülo Mander Chunjing Qiu John Connolly Whendee L. Silver David CampbellAbstract
Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from peatlands contribute significantly to ongoing climate change because of human land use. To develop reliable and comprehensive estimates and predictions of GHG emissions from peatlands, it is necessary to have GHG observations, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cover different peatland types globally. We synthesize published peatland studies with field GHG flux measurements to identify gaps in observations and suggest directions for future research. Although GHG flux measurements have been conducted at numerous sites globally, substantial gaps remain in current observations, encompassing various peatland types, regions and GHGs. Generally, there is a pressing need for additional GHG observations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Despite widespread measurements of CO2 and CH4, studies quantifying N2O emissions from peatlands are scarce, particularly in natural ecosystems. To expand the global coverage of peatland data, it is crucial to conduct more eddy covariance observations for long-term monitoring. Automated chambers are preferable for plot-scale observations to produce high temporal resolution data; however, traditional field campaigns with manual chamber measurements remain necessary, particularly in remote areas. To ensure that the data can be further used for modeling purposes, we suggest that chamber campaigns should be conducted at least monthly for a minimum duration of one year with no fewer than three replicates and measure key environmental variables. In addition, further studies are needed in restored peatlands, focusing on identifying the most effective restoration approaches for different ecosystem types, conditions, climates, and land use histories.
Authors
N. Leclercq L. Marshall T. Weekers P. Basu D. Benda D. Bevk R. Bhattacharya P. Bogusch A. Bontšutšnaja L. Bortolotti N. Cabirol E. Calderón-Uraga R. Carvalho S. Castro S. Chatterjee La De La Cruz Alquicira Miranda de Miranda T. Dirilgen A. Dorchin K. Dorji B. Drepper S. Flaminio J. Gailis M. Galloni H. Gaspar M.W. Gikungu Bjørn Arild Hatteland I. Hinojosa-Diaz L. Hostinská B.G. Howlett K.-L.J. Hung L. Hutchinson R.O. Jesus N. Karklina M.S. Khan J. Loureiro X. Men J.-M. Molenberg S. Mudri-Stojnić P. Nikolic E. Normandin J. Osterman F. Ouyang Åsne Skjøtskift Øygarden L. Ozolina-Pole N. Ozols A. Parra Saldivar R.J. Paxton T. Pitts-Singer K. Poveda K. Prendergast M. Quaranta S.F.J. Read Stefanie Reinhardt M. Rojas-Oropeza C. Ruiz M. Rundlöf A. Sade C. Sandberg F. Sgolastra S.F. Shah M.A. Shebl V. Soon D.A. Stanley J. Straka P. Theodorou E. Tobajas J.L. Vaca-Uribe A. Vera C.A. Villagra M.-K. Williams M. Wolowski T.J. Wood Z. Yan Q. Zhang N.J. VereeckenAbstract
An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated diversity drivers for 644 bee species/morphospecies in 177 commercial apple orchards across 33 countries and four global biogeographical biomes. Our findings reveal significant taxonomic dissimilarity among biogeographical zones. Interestingly, despite this dissimilarity, species from different zones share similar higher-level phylogenetic groups and similar ecological and behavioural traits (i.e. functional traits), likely due to habitat filtering caused by perennial monoculture systems managed intensively for crop production. Honey bee species dominated orchard communities, while other managed/manageable and wild species were collected in lower numbers. Moreover, the presence of herbaceous, uncultivated open areas and organic management practices were associated with increased wild bee diversity. Overall, our study sheds light on the importance of large-scale analyses contributing to the emerging fields of functional and phylogenetic diversity, which can be related to ecosystem function to promote biodiversity as a key asset in agroecosystems in the face of global change pressures.
Authors
Suni Anie Mathew Benjamin Fuchs Riitta Nissinen Marjo Helander Pere Puigbò Kari Saikkonen Anne MuolaAbstract
Aims: In a field study, the effects of treatments of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) in soil, alone and in combination with phosphate fertilizer, were examined on the performance and endophytic microbiota of garden strawberry. Methods and results: The root and leaf endophytic microbiota of garden strawberries grown in GBH-treated and untreated soil, with and without phosphate fertilizer, were analyzed. Next, bioinformatics analysis on the type of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase enzyme was conducted to assess the potential sensitivity of strawberry-associated bacteria and fungi to glyphosate, and to compare the results with field observations. GBH treatments altered the abundance and/or frequency of several operational taxonomic units (OTUs), especially those of root-associated fungi and bacteria. These changes were partly related to their sensitivity to glyphosate. Still, GBH treatments did not shape the overall community structure of strawberry microbiota or affect plant performance. Phosphate fertilizer increased the abundance of both glyphosate-resistant and glyphosate-sensitive bacterial OTUs, regardless of the GBH treatments. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that although the overall community structure of strawberry endophytic microbes is not affected by GBH use, some individual taxa are.
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Authors
Frode VeggelandAbstract
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Intensification and specialization of farming systems in Europe and elsewhere has resulted in poor crop rotations, with low plant and animal diversity. This has resulted in more uniform landscapes, soil carbon loss and low efficiency in nutrient cycling, particularly in regions dominated by annual crops. Inclusion of ley in crop rotations is expected to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, nitrogen availability and improve soil physical properties. The effect of ley-arable rotations versus continuous annual cropping on soil quality, soil organic carbon and soil biology was assessed by summarizing and discussing results from publications from long-term experiments in Norway and Sweden. These studies support the hypotheses that the inclusion of leys in crop rotations promotes soil fertility and carbon sequestration in Northern Europe, supplies nutrients to subsequent crops and improves soil physical properties. However, one or two years of ley in rotations may not be enough for maintaining SOC and good soil structure over time. For keeping the relatively high SOC concentrations occurring at many sites in Northern Europe, the proportion of ley in rotation should be at least 50%.
Abstract
Ethiopia has the highest livestock numbers in Africa, and a large part of the population depends fully or partly on cattle for their livelihoods. The country experiences high rates of soil erosion due to degradation of cropland and rangelands, and overgrazing is a serious problem. In this paper, we report results from the first two harvests of two field experiments established in June 2021 at two different highland locations in Ethiopia: Hawassa in the south, and Bahir Dar in the north. Four species; two legumes (Desmodium intortum and Stylosanthes guianensis) and two grasses (Brachiaria hybrid ‘Cayman’ and Panicum maximum ‘Mombasa’) were sown in monocultures and various mixtures in a simplex design. Dry matter yields and botanical composition from each cut were recorded. The first harvest was taken around 100 days after establishment, while the second harvest was taken during the drought period, i.e. in January 2022 at Hawassa and in March 2022 at Bahir Dar. The difference between monoculture and mixture community performances varied in magnitude from site to site and across harvests; we found evidence of positive interactions between grasses and legumes at Hawassa. These preliminary results show that grass-legume mixtures using tropical species have some potential under Ethiopian conditions.
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