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Publikasjoner

NIBIOs ansatte publiserer flere hundre vitenskapelige artikler og forskningsrapporter hvert år. Her finner du referanser og lenker til publikasjoner og andre forsknings- og formidlingsaktiviteter. Samlingen oppdateres løpende med både nytt og historisk materiale. For mer informasjon om NIBIOs publikasjoner, besøk NIBIOs bibliotek.

2011

Sammendrag

The theoretical potential for increased efficiency in early thinning by using accumulating harvester heads was investigated through simulation. Thinning was performed in corridors perpendicular to the strip road in 75 artificially generated stands with varying average tree size and density. The work pattern and work time in the crane work for five sizes of heads, with grapple diameters in the range of 10 to 50 cm, was estimated by the simulation model. The efficiency increased rapidly when the grapple diameter increased from two to four times the average diameter in the harvested stand, reducing the work time per tree by 15 to 50 percent compared to the single tree handling harvester head. Further increases in grapple dimension also increased the efficiency, but not at the same rate. In real work, the efficiency increase by an accumulating harvester head will probably be slightly lower due to less optimal harvesting conditions, operator skills and other non-productive work tasks that are not affected by work method.

Sammendrag

In 2005 an extensive test program including field tests was set up in order to obtain more data on the durability and long term performance of modified wood and semi-durable wood species. One of the main challenges for modified wood is to predict accurate service life time in UC3 (Use use class 3, above ground) and UC4 (use class 4, in soil or fresh water contact). So far, data from in-service conditions are rare, while several studies have evaluated the durability in lab or field test exposure. However, there is still a lack of studies comparing replicate modified wood products in both field and lab exposure. This study evaluates the efficacy of modified wood in AWPA E10, three different types of soil in lab (ENV 807), three test fields in-ground (EN 252) and two close to ground (horizontal double layer test) set-ups at two test sites. The test material includes furfurylated, acetylated and thermally modified wood in addition to reference treated and control samples. In laboratory, both furfurylated, acetylated and thermally modified pine (212ºC) performed well. The modified wood samples performed at the same level, or better, than the reference CC and CCA preservatives in retentions for UC4 applications. In the horizontal double layer test, five years is still too short time to be able to draw firm conclusions. However, in the most accelerated HDL set-up, all controls have failed or are moderately to severely decayed whereas most preservative treated, furfurylated and acetylated wood are sound or only slightly decayed. After 5 years of testing CCA-preserved wood performs better in-ground in field tests than in lab tests, whereas modified wood generally performs slightly poorer. Just like in the lab tests, however, acetylated wood performs equal to CCA-preserved wood in UC4. Furfurylated wood performs equal to or better than UC3 level preservative treated wood. Thermally modified wood actually performs much poorer than all preservative treated wood references. Finally, natural durability classification of the same treatment in different lab and field tests was surprisingly similar.

Sammendrag

The main task of the C1-Dep-22(SI) action was to compare national throughfall collectors with a harmonized collector which was designed according to the requirements of the WMO. The action spread onthe took place in very different climate zones and vegetation, and included a very different types of national collectors with different sampling procedures. The number of harmonized throughfall collectors was 30 for all participants. The spatial arrangement in the plot, sampling times, sampling and cleaning procedures, bulking of the subsamples and chemical analysis procedures were in all cases the national procedures. The time when the precipitation was in the form of snow was excluded from the sampling periods. The associated beneficiaries reported the amounts of the precipitation per collector and the results from chemical analysis per pooled sample. The measured quantities were compared for different types of forest or main tree species. The deviations between collectors were lower in the plots with the broadleaf trees than in the plots with conifers as the main tree species. The median deviations for conifers and for broadleaves trees is not significantly different from zero. Except in a few cases, a good agreement in the amount of precipitation was found between the national and harmonized collectors for both throughfall and bulk precipitation. In a few incidents this was not the case but we assume that where this was not the case, this was due to happened in extreme weather conditions e. g. heavy storms. Also good agreement was also found within for the chemical composition of the solutions, gathered with different types of collectors. Again, there were some deviations limited to on single occasions. It was found that the harmonized collectors were attractive to birds and thus a bird ring is a must in this (white) -coloured version of the collector. Chemical analysis (chemical composition) together with the collected amount of the solution depends on give the total deposition values. It was made a close up to the deposition values of ammonium-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen and sulphate-sulphur were compared in detail. For ammonium-nitrogen no bigger difference was found for the one-year deposition values except in one case what which turned out to be almost certainly a consequence of birds activity. Differences in all other cases were no more than 0.3 g m-2 yr-1. For nitrate-nitrogen smaller deviations were found but in none of the case was the difference was in total annual deposition higher than 0.3 g m-2 yr-1. For sulphate-sulphur good agreement was found for all associated beneficiaries except two. One of the Possible reasons could be in the difference of in the ability in collecting dry deposition and/or the total area which contributes to the capturing area for dry deposition. Despite their heterogeneity and some unlack of adaptation for representative sampling at the plot scale, the national devices for throughfall collection gave comparable results infor throughfall deposition to the harmonized, optimal collectors. In conclusion national throughfall collection devices can be maintained to ensure the continuity of the time series in deposition monitoring. And to improve the harmonized collector even more, problems with the possible blockages of the tube at the bottom of the funnel because of debris should be solved.

Sammendrag

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between plant species richness and plant-available N, P and water in an environment subject to little anthropogenic disturbance. To accomplish this we studied the vegetation in matorral shrub-lands in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Due to the variation in slope, precipitation and aspect between the sites water status was determined using the 12C/13C fraction, δ13C, to investigate whether this was a confounding factor. The numbers of herb, shrub, liana and tree species were determined at 20 sites along an estimated precipitation gradient. Leaf P and N content and the δ13C of Berberis buxifolia were determined, as well as the soil P and N content at the different sites. A negative correlation was found between species richness and Berberis buxifolia foliar P concentration (52% of the species richness variation was accounted for), and a positive correlation was found between plant species richness and Berberis buxifolia foliar N: P ratios (54% of the species richness variation was accounted for). The relationship between species richness and foliar P was seen when all layers of vegetation were included (trees, lianas, shrubs and herbs). Foliar N showed no correlation with species richness, while soil extractable NH4 showed a weak positive correlation with the number of shrub layer species (lianas, shrubs and trees). The species richness of the shrub layer increased with decreasing values of δ13C. Low soil P availability thus affects local species richness in the matorral shrub-lands of Patagonia in Argentina although the growth of vegetation in the area has been shown to be limited by N. We suggest that low P levels increase plant species richness because low soil P concentration is associated with a high P partitioning and high potential for niche separation.

Sammendrag

We used two datasets of 14C analyses of archived soil samples to study carbon turnover in O horizons from spruce dominated old-growth stands on well-drained podsols in Scandinavia. The main data set was obtained from archived samples from the National Forest Soil Inventory in Sweden and represents a climatic gradient in temperature. Composite samples from 1966, 1972, 1983 and 2000 from four different regions in a latitude gradient ranging from 57 to 67oN were analysed for 14C content. Along this gradient the C stock in the O horizon ranges from 2.1 kg m-2 in the north to 3.7 kg m-2 in the southwest. The other data set contains 14C analyses from 1986, 1987, 1991, 1996 and 2004 from the O horizons in Birkenes, Norway. Mean residence times (MRT) were calculated using a two compartment model, with a litter decomposition compartment using mass loss data from the literature for the three first years of decomposition and a humus decomposition compartment with a fitted constant turnover rate. We hypothesized that the climatic gradient would result in different C turnover in different parts of the country between northern and southern Sweden. The use of archived soil samples was very valuable for constraining the MRT calculations, which showed that there were differences between the regions. Longest MRT was found in the northernmost region (41 years), with decreasing residence times through the middle (36 years) and central Sweden (28 years), then again increasing in the southwestern region (40 years). The size of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool in the O horizon was mainly related to differences in litter input and to a lesser degree to MRT. Because N deposition leads both to larger litter input and to longer MRT, we suggest that N deposition contributes significantly to the latitudinal SOC gradient in Scandinavia, with approximately twice as much SOC in the O horizon in the south compared to the north. The data from Birkenes was in good agreement with the Swedish dataset with MRT estimated to 34 years.

Sammendrag

The aim of this study is to see if the raw material influences fixation and leachability of wood preservatives. Moving towards more eco-friendly and –concious society, the wood industries must adjust itself to new rules and regulations. Greener solutions in wood protection are being tested and introduced, older systems are being improved, but questions still arise concerning some elements currently used in wood preservation. Preservatives leaching into the nature is a problem, especially agents that consist copper. Studies have been conducted on the raw material`s influence on impregnability and variations in sapwood penetration have been found. This gives reason to believe that the leaching of wood preservatives is also influenced by the raw material. This study tries to set the variation of leachability of Wolmanit CX-8 and Tanalith into a system, evaluating the origin of a tree and the origin of a sample. The study uses Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) as a raw material. Material was harvested from different stands in Norway and Denmark. Pine`s sapwood was cut into samples in size of 20x20x50mm. The samples were treated with the wood protection agents Wolmanit CX-8 and Tanalith. The variation in leachability within trees, between trees and between different stands was studied. Within this material, it is possible to trace the individual sample to its original position in the stem. Samples were climatized, impregnated with preservatives and leached according to standard EN84. Copper and boron content in water samples was determined by an ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) technique. Comparing leaching results with different variables, correlation was found with latitude and vertical position of the sample, indicating that southern stands leach out more preservative. The lowest part of the tree does not fixate preservatives.

Sammendrag

Mould growth on exterior coated cladding façades is an undesirable element and will often shorten the aesthetical service life. Mould growth on painted surfaces is influenced by type and concentration of film fungicides, the paint formulation and the wood substrate itself, and wooden cladding may experience exponential fungal deterioration caused by variation in the climatic factors, often within a small limited area. The objective of this study was to gain knowledge about which factors influence surface mould growth on coated and uncoated wooden cladding in an outdoor environment, with a special attention to modified wood substrates. The data are based on evaluation of mould growth coverage on outdoors exposed wood panels consisting of different combinations of wood substrates and surface finishes. Panels were exposed on three locations; Bogesund (Sweden), Birkenes and Sørkedalen (Norway). The panels were monitored up to 4.5 years. The analysis showed that coating typology and exposure time both had highly significant influences on mould growth. Furthermore, wood substrate, temperature and relative humidity had a significant influence on mould growth, but comparatively less than coating typology and exposure time. Siberian larch heartwood, copper-organic preserved Scots pine and Scots pine heartwood performed best among the wood substrates. Heartwood as wood type was less susceptible to mould growth than a mix of sapwood and heartwood wood and pure sapwood. Acetylated Scots pine as wood substrate and Aspen as wood species had lower resistance to mould growth than the other wood substrates and wood species, respectively. The physical surface structure of a paint film also influences the mould growth. A hard model paint was significantly more susceptible than the other model paints. A soft model paint performed best, with the least mould growth coverage. Aureobasidium pullulans (deBary) Arnaud was the dominating fungal species on all the wood substrates.

Sammendrag

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread in the environment, human food and breast milk. Seafood is known to contain nutrients beneficial for the normal development and function of the brain, but also contaminants such as PCBs which are neurotoxic. Exposure to non-coplanar PCBs during brain development can disrupt spontaneous behaviour in mice and lead to hyperactive behaviour. Humans are chronically exposed to the highest relative levels of organochlorines in early childhood during brain development, though usually at doses which do not give clinical symptoms of toxicity. This study aimed to elucidate the developmental and behavioural effects of 2,2’,4,4’,5,5’ hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153) in mice, mimicking human exposure during gestation and lactation. Methods: Environmentally relevant doses of PCB153 were added to the experimental diets. Feed concentrations were approximately 0.5, 6.5, and 1500 μg PCB153/kg feed, representing a realistic and a worst case scenario of frequent consumption of contaminated fish. The study also investigated the effects of maternal nutrition, i.e. a standard rodent diet versus a high inclusion of salmon. Mice pups were examined for physical- and reflex development, sensorimotor function and spontaneous behaviour from five days after birth until weaning. A selection of pups were followed until 16 weeks of age and tested for open field behaviour and the acoustic startle response (ASR) with prepulse inhibition (PPI). Blood thyroid hormones and liver enzymes, blood lipids and PCB153 content in fat were examined at 16 weeks. Statistical analyses modelled the three way interactions of diet, PCB exposure and litter size on behaviour, using generalized linear models (GLM) and linear mixed effect models (LME). The litter was used as a random variable. Non-parametric tests were used for pair wise comparisons of biochemical analyses. Results: Litter size consistently influenced pup development and behaviour. Few lasting PCB153 related changes were observed, but results indicated effects on synchronization of physical development. Perinatal PCB153 exposure appeared to reduce habituation and cause aggression in males, though not statistically significant. Conclusions: Litter size and maternal diet influenced physical development and function more than PCB153 in perinatally exposed mouse pups and supports the developmental importance of maternal care and the social environment.

Sammendrag

Most basidiomycete fungi produce annual short-lived sexual fruit bodies from which billions of microscopic spores are spread into the air during a short time period. However, little is known about the selective forces that have resulted in some species fruiting early and others later in the fruiting season. This study of relationships between morphological and ecological characteristics, climate factors and time of fruiting are based upon thorough statistical analyses of 66 520 mapped records from Norway, representing 271 species of autumnal fruiting mushroom species. We found a strong relationship between spore size and time of fruiting; on average, a doubling of spore size (volume) corresponded to 3 days earlier fruiting. Small-spored species dominate in the oceanic parts of Norway, whereas large-spored species are typical of more continental parts. In separate analyses, significant relationships were observed between spore size and climate factors. We hypothesize that these relationships are owing to water balance optimization, driven by water storage in spores as a critical factor for successful germination of primary mycelia in the drier micro-environments found earlier in the fruiting season and/or in continental climates.

Sammendrag

In forest soils, saprotrophic, necrotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi are involved in carbon cycling. Heterobasidion annosum, white rot necrotrophic fungi, is known to decompose wood lignocellulose by secreting a broad range of oxidative enzymes. The genome H. annosum s.l. was sequenced by JGI to a 8.23X coverage and assembled into 39 scaffolds with a total size of 33.7 Mb covering more than 98% of the whole genome. Based on the genome sequence we have characterized gene families coding for enzymes known to participate in conversion of wood lignin: multicopper oxidases (MCOs, 18 genes) as laccases (Lcc), class II peroxidases (8 genes) as manganese peroxidases (MnP), glyoxal oxidases (5 genes, GLOX), quinone-reducing oxidoreductases (19 genes, QOR) and GMC oxidoreductases (12 genes) as aryl alcohol oxidases (AAO). We studied the genomic organisation and phylogeny of these genes as well as their expression using qRT-PCR. Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of genes coding for enzymes involved in wood lignin conversion and decomposition (i.e. lignin-modifying class II peroxidases) reveal differences between white- and brown-rot, necrotrophic and saprotrophic wood-decaying basidiomycetes. Transcript profiling using qRT-PCR revealed that some transcripts were very abundant in lignin-rich media, in cellulose-rich media, in wood or in the free-living mycelium grown liquid culture, suggesting specific functions of these genes, which need to be studied further.