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.
2024
Authors
Mekjell Meland Milica Fotiric-AksicAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Mekjell Meland Milica Fotiric-AksicAbstract
No abstract has been registered
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Eva BrodAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Zumry Niyas Charuni I. Madhushani Miyuru Gunathilake Vindhya Basnayaka Komali Kantamaneni Upaka RathnayakeAbstract
This study evaluates the rainfall erosivity (RE) and erosivity density (ED) over the Kelani River basin, Sri Lanka for a period of 31 years (1990–2020). The river basin is well known for its annual floods during the southwestern monsoon season and severe erosion including landslides can be observed. The catchment was analyzed for its RE using the Wischmeier and Smith algorithm and for its ED using Kinnel's algorithm. The monthly rainfall data spreading over the river basin were used to analyze the monthly, seasonal, and annual RE and ED. Interestingly, the annual RE showed a linear increasing trend line over 31 years, and a maximum value of 2,831.41 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 yr−1 was able to be observed in the year 2016. The RE peaks in May which is in the southwestern monsoon season. This reveals that the risk of soil erosion in the basin is high in the southwestern monsoon season. In addition, land use and land cover changes over the years have adversely impacted the erosion rates. Therefore, it is highly recommended to investigate soil erosion in-depth and then implement relevant regulations to conserve the soil layers upstream of the river basin.
Authors
Tilde Hjermann Nikolai Antonsen Bilet Inger Maren Rivrud Erling Meisingset Pål Thorvaldsen Atle MysterudAbstract
Grazing by wildlife on agricultural land is widespread across geographical regions, and can cause human–wildlife conflicts due to reduced crop yield when the grazing pressure is high. Growing red deer (Cervus elaphus) populations in Europe call for an increased understanding of their grazing patterns to mitigate damages. We quantified how red deer grazing pressure (grazing presence and grazing level) on agricultural grass meadows (n = 60) in Norway varied across multiple spatial scales. We used a nested, hierarchical study design transcending from a broad scale (meadows across the landscape) to intermediate (between nearby meadows) and local (within-meadow) scales, allowing us to identify at which scale the variation in grazing pressure was strongest. We estimated how grazing was determined by broad-scale factors influencing forage availability and quality through population density, distance to coastline, and differences between the first versus second harvest, by intermediate-scale factors in terms of meadow management causing differences in botanical composition and quality, and by local-scale factors in terms of perceived predation risk and disturbance. At a broad scale, higher population densities were associated with higher grazing pressure, and more grazing occurred before the first compared to the second harvest. Intermediate-scale factors explained the most variation of grazing pressure from red deer, with higher grazing pressure on newly renewed meadows compared to other nearby meadows. On a local scale, more grazing occurred closer to the forest edge, providing cover, and further away from infrastructure, with increased risk and disturbance. Overall, our study highlights how drivers of grazing pressure on agricultural land vary across spatial scales. Population reductions on a broader scale may have some effect in reducing the grazing pressure, but renewed meadows will nevertheless attract red deer, causing higher grazing pressure compared to neighbouring meadows. This insight is crucial for determining effective mitigation strategies facing rising red deer populations across Europe.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Background and Aims Epichloë endophytes are vertically transmitted via grass seeds and chemically defend their hosts against herbivory. Endophyte-conferred plant defence via alkaloid biosynthesis may occur independently of costs for host plant growth. However, fitness consequences of endophyte-conferred defence and transgenerational effects on herbivore resistance of progeny plants, are rarely studied. The aim of this study was to test whether severe defoliation in mother plants affects their seed production, seed germination rate, and the endophyte-conferred resistance of progeny plants. Methods In a field study, we tested the effects of defoliation and endophyte symbiosis (Epichloë uncinata) on host plant (Festuca pratensis) performance, loline alkaloid concentrations in leaves and seeds, seed biomass and seed germination rates. In a subsequent greenhouse study, we challenged the progeny of the plants from the field study to aphid herbivory and tested whether defoliation of mother plants affects endophyte-conferred resistance against aphids in progeny plants. Key Results Defoliation of the mother plants resulted in a reduction of alkaloid concentrations in leaves and elevated the alkaloid concentrations in seeds when compared with non-defoliated endophyte-symbiotic plants. Viability and germination rate of seeds of defoliated endophyte-symbiotic plants were significantly lower compared to those of non-defoliated endophyte-symbiotic plants and endophyte-free (defoliated and non-defoliated) plants. During six weeks growth, seedlings of defoliated endophyte-symbiotic mother plants had elevated alkaloid concentrations, which negatively correlated with aphid performance. Conclusions Endophyte-conferred investment in higher alkaloid levels in seeds -elicited by defoliation- provided herbivore protection in progenies during the first weeks of plant establishment. Better protection of seeds via high alkaloid concentrations negatively correlated with seed germination indicating trade-off between protection and viability.
Authors
Erlend Hustad Honningdalsnes Erik Stensrud Marstein Dag Lindholm Helge Bonesmo Heine Nygard RiiseAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Elise Van Eynde Felipe Yunta Cristina Arias-Navarro Daniele De Rosa Iñigo Virto Panos Panagos Diana Vieira Calogero Schillaci; Alberto Orgiazzi Stefano Salata Philippe Hinsinger Dalila Serpa Frederik Bøe Gerard Ros Eduardo Moreno Jimenez Christopher Poeplau Gabriele Buttafuoco Arwyn Jones Cristiano Ballabio Emanuele Lugato Stefan Frank Tiphaine Chevallier Rosa M. Poch Pasquale Borrelli Francis Matthews Diana Vieira Matthias Vanmaercke Jean Poesen Günay Erpul Velibor Spalevic Snezana Dragovic Yuriy Dmytruk Anita Bernatek-Jakiel Philipp Saggau Leonidas Liakos Christine Alewell Mathieu Lamandé Diego Baragaño Olivier Evrard Tanja Reiff Vera Silva Ana De La Torre Chaosheng Zhang Piort Wojda Chiara Piccini Claudia Cagnarini Zoka Melpomeni Fuat Kaya Kitti Balog Noelia García Franco Simone Scarpa Timo Breure Maria J.I. Briones Julia Köninger Marcel Van Der Heijden Nikolaos Monokrousos Maëva Labouyrie Davorka K. Hackenberger Ottone Scammacca Michele Munafò Silvia Ronchi Andrea ArcidiaconoAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered