| 1. |
- Felton, Adam, et al.
(författare)
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The tree species matters : Biodiversity and ecosystem service implications of replacing Scots pine production stands with Norway spruce.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 49:5, s. 1035-1049
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The choice of tree species used in production forests matters for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In Sweden, damage to young production forests by large browsing herbivores is helping to drive a development where sites traditionally regenerated with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) are instead being regenerated with Norway spruce (Picea abies). We provide a condensed synthesis of the available evidence regarding the likely resultant implications for forest biodiversity and ecosystem services from this change in tree species. Apart from some benefits (e.g. reduced stand-level browsing damage), we identified a range of negative outcomes for biodiversity, production, esthetic and recreational values, as well as increased stand vulnerability to storm, frost, and drought damage, and potentially higher risks of pest and pathogen outbreak. Our results are directly relevant to forest owners and policy-makers seeking information regarding the uncertainties, risks, and trade-offs likely to result from changing the tree species in production forests.
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| 2. |
- Telezhenko, Evgenij, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of different flooring systems on claw conformation of dairy cows
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Dairy Science. - : American Dairy Science Association. - 0022-0302 .- 1525-3198. ; 92, s. 2625-2633
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of different flooring surfaces in walking and standing areas on claw conformation, claw horn growth, and wear was studied in 2 experiments during 2 consecutive housing seasons in a research dairy herd of 170 cows. In experiment 1, the flooring systems tested were solid rubber mats, mastic asphalt with and without rubber-matted feed-stalls, and aged concrete slats. In experiment 2, slatted concrete flooring was compared with slatted rubber flooring. The cows were introduced to the respective flooring systems in early lactation and their claws were trimmed before the exposure period. Toe length, toe angle, sole concavity, and claw width, as well as claw growth and wear rates were recorded for lateral and medial claws of the left hind limb. Claw asymmetry calculations were based on these claw measurements and on differences in sole protrusion between lateral and medial soles. Asphalt floors caused shorter toe length and steeper toe angle. They also increased wear on rear claws (5.30 +/- 0.31 and 5.95 +/- 0.33 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively; LSM +/- SE) and horn growth rate (5.12 +/- 0.36 and 5.83 +/- 0.31 mm/mo of lateral and medial claws, respectively). Rubber mats instead of asphalt in walking areas reduced wear (1.36 +/- 0.19 and 2.02 +/- 0.20 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively) and claw growth (3.83 +/- 0.23 and 3.94 +/- 0.17 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). Rubber-matted feed-stalls together with asphalt walkways decreased claw wear (3.29 +/- 0.31 and 4.10 +/- 0.32 mm/mo for lateral and medial claw, respectively). The concavity of claw soles was reduced on asphalt, especially in the lateral rear claws. Rubber matting in feed-stalls prevented loss of sole concavity compared with asphalt. Claw asymmetry did not differ between flooring systems. While different access to abrasive flooring affected claw conformation, there was no evidence that flooring system influenced the disproportion between lateral and medial claws.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Balke, Thorsten, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing Synchrony of Annual River‐Flood Peaks and Growing Season in Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:17-18, s. 10446-10453
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a changing climate, time sensitive ecological interactions such as pollination and predation are vulnerable to temporal mismatch with direct consequences for ecosystem functioning. It is not known if synchrony and asynchrony of ecological and physical processes such as flood disturbance and plant phenology may similarly be affected by climate change. Here, by spatially merging temperature and flood peak data, we show for the first time that in Central and Eastern Europe, annual river flood peaks increasingly occur within the thermal growing season. This is due to the combined effect of earlier spring onsets and later flood peaks. Such increased physical‐phenological synchrony may especially impact river biogeomorphology and riparian floodplain ecosystem functioning through uprooting of seedlings and increased hydraulic roughness during major flood events.
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| 5. |
- Bejarano, Maria Dolores, et al.
(författare)
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A New Tool for Assessing Environmental Impacts of Altering Short-Term Flow and Water Level Regimes
- 2020
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Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI. - 2073-4441. ; 12:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The computational tool InSTHAn (indicators of short-term hydrological alteration) was developed to summarize data on subdaily stream flows or water levels into manageable, comprehensive and ecologically meaningful metrics, and to qualify and quantify their deviation from unaltered states. The pronunciation of the acronym refers to the recording interval of input data (i.e., instant). We compared InSTHAn with the tool COSH-Tool in a characterization of the subdaily flow variability of the Colorado River downstream from the Glen Canyon dam, and in an evaluation of the effects of the dam on this variability. Both tools captured the hydropeaking caused by a dam operation, but only InSTHAn quantified the alteration of key flow attributes, highlighting significant increases in the range of within-day flow variations and in their rates of change. This information is vital to evaluate the potential ecological consequences of the hydrological alteration, and whether they may be irreversible, making InSTHAn a key tool for river flow management.
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| 6. |
- Bejarano, Maria D., et al.
(författare)
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Hydropeaking affects germination and establishment of riverbank vegetation
- 2020
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Ingår i: Ecological Applications. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1051-0761 .- 1939-5582. ; 30:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hydropeaking, defined as frequent and rapid variation in flow in regulated rivers with hydropower plants over a short period of time, usually sub-daily to weekly, alters hydraulic parameters such as water levels or flow velocity and exerts strong impacts on fluvial ecosystems. We evaluated the effects of hydropeaking on riverbank vegetation, specifically assessing the germination and establishment of seedlings and cuttings of plant species representing a variation in traits. We used seeds and seedlings and cuttings varying in size as phytometers, and transplanted them to riverbanks both above and below dams used for hydropower production in northern Sweden, selected to represent a gradient in hydropeaking intensity, and along a free-flowing reach. We also analyzed sub-daily water-level variables modified by hydropeaking to identify variables key in explaining the observed vegetation patterns. We found that plant responses to hydropeaking varied with species, with flood-intolerant species being the most strongly affected, as early as the germination stage. In contrast, seeds of flood-tolerant species managed to germinate and survive the early establishment phase, although strong erosive processes triggered by hydropeaking eventually caused most of them to fail. The fate of flood-intolerant species identifies germination as the most critical life-history stage. The depth and frequency of the inundation were the leading variables explaining plant responses, while the duration of shallow inundation explained little of the variation. The rise and fall rates of water levels were key in explaining variation in germination success. Based on the results, we propose restoration measures to enhance establishment of riparian plant communities while minimizing the impact on hydropower electricity production. Given the strong decrease in the germination of species intolerant to prolonged flooding with hydropeaking, planting of seedlings, preferably of large sizes, together with restrictions in the operation of the power plant during the establishment phase to enhance survival would be the best restoration option. Given the high probability of plant uprooting with hydropeaking, bank protection measures have the potential to increase riparian plant survival of all species, including flooding-tolerant species.
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| 7. |
- Bell, David, et al.
(författare)
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Forest restoration to attract a putative umbrella species, the white-backed woodpecker, benefited saproxylic beetles
- 2015
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Ingår i: Ecosphere. - 2150-8925 .- 2150-8925. ; 6:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Umbrella species are often spatially demanding and have limited ability to adapt to environmental changes induced by human land-use. This makes them vulnerable to human encroachment. In Sweden, broadleaved trees are disadvantaged by forestry, and commercially managed forests are often deprived of dead wood. This has led to a situation where previously widespread top predators in saproxylic food webs, such as the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), have become species of conservation concern. The white-backed woodpecker is generally considered an umbrella species, and it has been linked to forests with large volumes of dead wood from broadleaved trees. In recent years, forest stands have been restored for the white-backed woodpecker, but post-treatment evaluations have rarely included other species that also occur in broad-leaved forests (co-occurring species). Many co-occurring species are saproxylic beetles. In this study, we collected saproxylic beetles and environmental data in restored and commercially managed forests to evaluate if habitat restoration for the white-backed woodpecker also benefited other species with similar habitat associations. We found that volumes of coarse woody debris were higher in restored than in commercially managed forests, and that a majority of man-made snags and downed logs were created from birch trees (Betula spp.). Most spruce trees (Picea abies) were extracted during forest restoration, and this opened up the forest canopy, and created stands dominated by broadleaved trees. Many saproxylic beetles were more common in restored forests, and there were significant differences in species composition between treatments. These differences were largely explained by species traits. Effects of sun-exposure were particularly important, but many beneficiary species were also linked to dead wood from broadleaved trees. Red-listed saproxylic beetles showed a similar pattern with more species and individuals in restored sites. The white-backed woodpecker is still critically endangered in Sweden, but important prey species are already responding to forest restoration at the stand level. We recognize that landscape-level improvements will be required to bring the white-backed woodpecker back, but also that the umbrella species concept can provide a useful framework for successful forest restoration as many co-occurring saproxylic beetle species seemingly benefitted from restoration for the white-backed woodpecker.
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| 8. |
- Björkman, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of new forest management on insect damage risk in a changing climate
- 2015
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Ingår i: Climate change and insect pests. - 9781780643786 ; 7, s. 248-266
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent findings suggest that damage by forest insect pests will increase as a consequence of climate warming. Here, we ask whether changes in forest management can alter and possibly mitigate the increased risk of damage and outbreaks. We focus mainly on conditions in northern Europe, particularly Sweden, but conclusions should be valid for northern temperate forests. Three types of insect pests are considered; the regeneration pest,Hylobius abietis(pine weevil), defoliators and the bark beetle,Ips typographus. We compare the expected effect of new management methods with the presently predominant method of even-aged stands, which are thinned two to three times before final harvest by clear-felling. Continuous cover forestry (CCF) is the method most different from the present practice. CCF would lead to a drastic decrease in pine weevils, and also less damage by defoliators, but this latter prediction is uncertain. For the bark beetle, the uncertainty is even greater. In mixed forests, all three insect pest types are expected to become less of a problem. Putative mechanisms involve more abundant and diverse natural enemy fauna, and a more scattered distribution of food resources. A shorter rotation period (including no thinning) is expected to increase the damage by pine weevils, as it will result in more abundant breeding material. For defoliators, it is difficult to foresee the effects. A shorter rotation period will decrease the risk of bark beetle outbreaks, as storm-fellings will be less frequent and young stands more common. The effects of exotic tree species and clonal forestry are complex and will depend on several factors. A general conclusion is that forest management may be used to mitigate the anticipated risk of insect pest damage as a consequence of climate warming, but more research is required to certify these indications
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| 9. |
- Bocz, György Ängelkott, et al.
(författare)
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In the Eye of the Beholder. Swedish Rural Tourism Operators' and Visitors' Views and Perceptions on Reused Agricultural Buildings
- 2012
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1502-2250 .- 1502-2269. ; 12, s. 140-163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reutilization of agricultural buildings for rural tourism (RT) is an area that is significantly expanding today. Buildings originally constructed for agricultural production, processing and housing are an essential part of most RT operations, both as a key resource and a significant cost centre. This study compared the perceptions of RT operators about visitors' opinions of buildings with visitors' actual opinions and attempted to identify the building feature preferences of tourists. The empirical evidence was collected using a 0-4 grade Likert-scale questionnaire that was either internet-based or provided in printed form. The results showed that RT operators partially misinterpreted how visitors view and experience reused buildings and the services therein. Although visitors found building technological factors to be less important than operators did, in a comparison of aggregated tourism-related and building-related factors both operators and visitors considered building-related factors to be of higher importance. Operators correctly believed that visitors view "atmosphere" and "style/character" as the most important factors. Consequently, the use of high-tech materials (e. g. insulation) and technology (e. g. computerized ventilation) are acceptable to visitors as long as the traditional character and atmosphere of rural buildings are retained. The results can be used to guide RT operators in building renovations/re-utilizations for their operations and to make financial savings.
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| 10. |
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