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
Ralf Rautenberger Alexandre Detain Kari Skjånes Peter Simon Claus Schulze Viswanath Kiron Daniela Morales SanchezAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Sandra Rojas-Botero Simon Dietzel Johannes Kollmann Leonardo H. TeixeiraAbstract
Urbanization causes ecosystem degradation and losses of biodiversity. Still, urban landscapes favor organisms, depending on how well they fit the anthropogenic conditions. Creating urban green spaces of high ecological quality, such as pollinator-friendly road verges, promotes biodiversity in cities. We sowed a seed mixture consisting of 26 native plant species with diverse functional traits in 46 road verge patches along four urban roads in Munich (South Germany) in 2019/20 and monitored in 2020/21. Control were pre-existing turfgrass patches with conventional management. We assessed species richness, Shannon diversity, and Pielou's evenness, whereas functional composition was evaluated via functional richness, evenness, and divergence, based on 13 plant traits. To study urbanization effects on species and functional composition, we analyzed soil characteristics and tree shading at the local level, as well as distance to city center, imperviousness, and edge density at the landscape level. We used linear models and ordination analysis to assess treatment, local and landscape effects, and the influence of planting year on taxonomic and functional composition. Rehabilitation treatment explained most differences in species and functional composition. Species richness was lower in the city center and at sites with high soil organic matter; Pielou's evenness increased with soil pH. Trait composition differed between rehabilitated and control patches, and varied according to planting year. Soil bulk density negatively affected functional richness for all traits combined, and edge density reduced functional evenness of establishment traits. We conclude that urban filtering, in combination with planting year, shapes species and trait composition of rehabilitated road verges. Hence, local and landscape-level trait–environment interactions affect the assembly of road verge grasslands. Finally, our findings suggest that establishment traits have a pivotal role in the development of rehabilitated road verges, while the predictability of rehabilitation outcomes may be hindered even when seeding specifically designed seed mixtures.
Abstract
Key message This study compares the measured radial variation in wood stiffness, strength, and density of noble fir, Norway spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar by developing mixed-effects models for each property using age as the explanatory variable. These models could be used to simulate the effect of rotation length and species choice on sawn wood properties. Context Timber production in Great Britain relies primarily on Sitka spruce. The use of multiple species is desirable to mitigate against biotic and abiotic risks posed to a single species. When considering alternative species, quantifying and modeling radial variation in wood properties is important to determine the potential for sawn timber production at a given rotation length. Aims To build empirical models for the radial variation in wood properties that can account for species. Methods Clear-wood samples were produced along radial transects in trees from four conifer species: Abies procera Rehder, Picea abies (L.) Karst, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., Thuja plicata Donn. ex D.Don. Modulus of Elasticity, Modulus of Rupture, and density were measured on each species according to established standards. Mixed-effects models were built using ring numbers from the pith and species as explanatory variables. Results The same model forms could be used across the four species. Nonlinear models were developed for the Modulus of Elasticity and density. For the Modulus of Rupture, a linear model was most appropriate. The effect of species in the models was significant. Conclusion At similar rotation lengths, noble fir, Norway spruce, and western hemlock can produce timber with comparable properties to Sitka spruce. Overall, western red cedar would have worse properties for structural use. Keywords MOE, MOR, Radial variation, Tree growth, Alternative species
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Authors
Peter Zubkov Barry Gardiner Bjørn Egil Kringlebotn Nygaard Sigmund Guttu Svein Solberg Tron Haakon EidAbstract
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Authors
O. Janne Kjønaas Ryan Bright Gro Hylen Teresa Gómez de la Bárcena Jørn-Frode Nordbakken Tonje Økland Sunil Mundra Håvard Kauserud Mette Hansen Morten Simonsen Carlo Leandro AallAbstract
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Authors
Simon BergAbstract
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Authors
Kalle Kärhä Niko Purmonen Christian Kanzian Nikolaus Nemestothy Philippe Ruch Andrea Hauck Raffaele Spinelli Natascia Magagnotti Simon Berg Eduardo Tolosana Mikael LundbäckAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Iva Franić Michelle Cleary Ayse Gülden Aday Kaya Helena Bragança Guro Brodal Thomas L. Cech Anne Chandelier Tuğba Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi René Eschen Asko Lehtijärvi Michael Ormsby Simone Prospero Katharina Schwanda Katarzyna Sikora Hanna Szmidla Venche Talgø Miłosz Tkaczyk Anna Maria Vettraino Ana Pérez-SierraAbstract
Purpose of Review Because tree seeds have been considered a low-risk pathway for the spread of plant pathogenic fungi, their international movement is not subject to strict phytosanitary regulation. However, recent studies have provided scientific evidence that the biosecurity risk of seed trade may not be as negligible as assumed. This review summarises current knowledge about seed trade activity across the world and seed-borne plant pathogenic fungi and highlights knowledge gaps that need to be filled to mitigate the risk of spreading tree pathogens via seeds. Recent Findings Several outbreaks of severe tree diseases in natural forests and plantations worldwide have been linked to fungal pathogens spread by seed trade. Indeed, recent studies based on modern sequencing technologies have shown that tree seeds harbour highly diverse fungal communities, including well-known pathogens and fungal taxa belonging to unknown species. While it has become clear that even apparently healthy seeds can carry potentially pathogenic fungi, the likelihood of seed-borne pathogens being introduced and becoming established, spreading and causing impact in the new environment is still unclear which challenges the assessment of the phytosanitary risk posed by seed trade. Summary Our analyses show that large amounts of tree seeds have been traded among countries and continents. Based on published literature, the risk of spreading pathogenic fungi via tree seed movement is high. However, the role of the taxonomically and functionally diverse fungal communities associated with seeds is still poorly understood. In particular, more research is needed to assess the likelihood of seed-borne fungi being transmitted to the seedlings and spreading and causing impact in the new environment.