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- Aronson, M.F.J., et al.
(författare)
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A global analysis of the impacts of urbanization on bird and plant diversity reveals key anthropogenic drivers
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 281:1780, s. 20133330-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Urbanization contributes to the loss of the world's biodiversity and the homogenization of its biota. However, comparative studies of urban biodiversity leading to robust generalities of the status and drivers of biodiversity in cities at the global scale are lacking. Here, we compiled the largest global dataset to date of two diverse taxa in cities: birds (54 cities) and plants (110 cities). We found that the majority of urban bird and plant species are native in the world's cities. Few plants and birds are cosmopolitan, the most common being Columba livia and Poa annua. The density of bird and plant species (the number of species per km2) has declined substantially: only 8% of native bird and 25% of native plant species are currently present compared with estimates of non-urban density of species. The current density of species in cities and the loss in density of species was best explained by anthropogenic features (landcover, city age) rather than by non-anthropogenic factors (geography, climate, topography). As urbanization continues to expand, efforts directed towards the conservation of intact vegetation within urban landscapes could support higher concentrations of both bird and plant species. Despite declines in the density of species, cities still retain endemic native species, thus providing opportunities for regional and global biodiversity conservation, restoration and education.
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| 4. |
- Gardumi, Francesco, et al.
(författare)
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Carrying out a multi-model integrated assessment of European energy transition pathways : Challenges and benefits
- 2022
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Ingår i: Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 258, s. 124329-124329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the publication of the European Green Deal, the European Union has committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The envisaged reductions of direct greenhouse gases emissions are seen as technically feasible, but if a wrong path is pursued, significant unintended impacts across borders, sectors, societies and ecosystems may follow. Without the insights gained from an impact assessment framework reaching beyond the techno-economic perspective, the pursuit of direct emission reductions may lead to counterproductive outcomes in the long run. We discuss the opportunities and challenges related to the creation and use of an integrated assessment framework built to inform the European Commission on the path to decarbonisation. The framework is peculiar in that it goes beyond existing ones in its scope, depth and cross-scale coverage, by use of numerous specialised models and case studies. We find challenges of consistency that can be overcome by linking modelling tools iteratively in some cases, harmonising modelling assumptions in others, comparing model outputs in others. We find the highest added value of the framework in additional insights it provides on the technical feasibility of decarbonisation pathways, on vulnerability aspects and on unintended environmental and health impacts on national and sub-national scale.
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| 6. |
- Zetterberg, Henrik, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Hypoxia Due to Cardiac Arrest Induces a Time-Dependent Increase in Serum Amyloid β Levels in Humans
- 2011
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 6:12, s. e28263-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are proteolytic products from amyloid precursor protein (APP) and are thought to play a role in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. While much is known about molecular mechanisms underlying cerebral Aβ accumulation in familial AD, less is known about the cause(s) of brain amyloidosis in sporadic disease. Animal and postmortem studies suggest that Aβ secretion can be up-regulated in response to hypoxia. We employed a new technology (Single Molecule Arrays, SiMoA) capable of ultrasensitive protein measurements and developed a novel assay to look for changes in serum Aβ42 concentration in 25 resuscitated patients with severe hypoxia due to cardiac arrest. After a lag period of 10 or more hours, very clear serum Aβ42 elevations were observed in all patients. Elevations ranged from approximately 80% to over 70-fold, with most elevations in the range of 3-10-fold (average approximately 7-fold). The magnitude of the increase correlated with clinical outcome. These data provide the first direct evidence in living humans that ischemia acutely increases Aβ levels in blood. The results point to the possibility that hypoxia may play a role in the amyloidogenic process of AD.
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| 7. |
- Freitas, Flavio L M, et al.
(författare)
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Biodiversity values of Brazilian native vegetation – How much is protected by the Forest Act?
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human-induced land use change (LUC) is the most important driver of biodiversity loss. In Brazil, this process is particularly concerning considering that here are the most extensive tracts of tropical forest and other rare habitat types which host unique biodiversity. The preservation of much of this area is highly dependent on the implementation of the Forest Act, the central legal framework regulating the conservation of native vegetation on private land in Brazil. Recent studies provide a modelling framework for assessing the impacts of the Forest Act on the protection of native vegetation and associated carbon stocks for the entire Brazilian territory. However, there is not sufficient knowledge on the efficiency of this legislation in protecting areas of high and unique biodiversity in Brazil.This study aims to apply the existing land use governance assessment (LUGA) model to quantify the extent to which the Forest Act protects biodiversity. For this purpose, we construct indicators at fine-scale levels to capture the multiple dimensions of biodiversity (species richness, genetic, and functional diversity) and how these are related to the native vegetation. Using state-of-the-art databases of species distribution data, GIS-based modeling frameworks are developed and adapted to identify values of native vegetation related to the preservation of biodiversity in general, and endangered species in particular, and ecological connectivity. The results are evaluated for Brazilian regions where the LUC pressure is recognized to be most significant. The final model output consists of geoexplicit indicators at a high resolution, which informs about the degree of biodiversity protection provided by the Forest Act. The information provided by this project can support decision-making related to the selection of areas of high importance for biodiversity protection at local and regional levels. Further, it can potentially contribute to efficient use of resources and improved effectiveness of incentive mechanisms in promoting conservation of unprotected native vegetation of high biodiversity value.
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| 8. |
- Karlson, Mårten, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of fauna passages and landscape characteristics on barrier mitigation success
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Transport infrastructure can impose significant barriers to movements to many, if not most terrestrial animals. Barrier effects can lead to increased isolation of wildlife populations, which in turn might have demographic effects and even increase genetic differentiation between neighbouring populations. This study attempted to clarify the role of fauna passages and generic landscape patterns for connectivity in fragmented landscapes, and to improve the theoretical basis for future experimental approaches to evaluate the effectiveness of barrier mitigation strategies. Specifically, the issue of whether it would be more effective to construct a single large rather than several small crossing structures (SLOSS) was addressed by this study. Three hypotheses were formulated on the relationship between habitat connectivity, as a prerequisite for genetic exchange, and habitat aggregation and contrast between habitat types. Random landscapes with different combinations of aggregation, contrast and number and size of fauna passages were created in a GIS. Connectivity was then quantified as a function of movement resistance using circuit theory and related methods, and measurements from the random landscapes were statistically analysed. The results indicate that in any landscape, it would be more effective to construct several small fauna passages instead of a single large one to mitigate the effect of a barrier. The level of aggregation appeared to have no influence per se on connectivity, and increasing the level of contrast increased the variance in the results. Results indicate that the effectiveness of a fauna passage will to a large extent rely on the location of a fauna passage relative to how the mitigation target species perceive the landscape in terms of contrast between different habitat types. A predefined interval between fauna passages could therefore result in highly ineffective mitigation, in a situation where a fauna passage would be located in habitat perceived as of high resistance. It is recommended that barrier effect mitigation strategies focus on the location and design of several small fauna passages rather than a single large one. Future research should focus on the development of dispersal and movement models for a set focal species that perceive a minimum degree of contrast between habitat types.
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| 9. |
- Kraxner, Florian, et al.
(författare)
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Planning the future forests: managing for wildlife in a climate constrained landscape
- 2017
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Ingår i: Book of Abstracts. - 9783902762887 ; , s. 655-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multipurpose functionality is a paradigm when it comes to forest management. This includes sustainability, resilience, stand stability, wildlife management, recreation, clean water and air, or healthy soils - to name a few. The world is aiming at a maximum global warming of 2-deg by 2100, but cumulative emissions are still rising. Higher temperatures are associated with higher risks of extreme events such as storm, flood, droughts, pests and fires etc. - and at the same time, forest systems are key for any mitigation activity to avoid such dangerous climate change. But how will a managed forest look like in the future? How can we understand the underlying dynamics and make our forests fit for the increased need for carbon storage, biomass for energy and sustainable wood and non-wood forest products like game, while maintaining biodiversity, recreational and protected areas. Moreover, we need to address all challenges on limited land and establish action from policy development allthe way to their implementation within a short time frame. Based on Sweden's forests, traditionally considered a role model for successfully bridging a multitude of demands, we present a modeling approach that should serve as a planning tool for enhancing forests' risk resilience and capacity of integrating diverse demands and different ecosystem-services. Guided by the expertise of Sweden's Environmental Protection Agency, national forest and habitat shift models from SLU and KTH will be linked with global land use models and engineering tools from IIASA. Hereby, special emphasis will be put on ecosystem services from wildlife, different scenarios of forest intensification and the optimization of biomass for bioenergy production. First estimates show that spatially explicit modeling can substantially support decision making by optimizing multipurpose use of both managed and protected areas and steering habitat shift for maintaining biodiversity and improving wildlife (game)management.
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| 10. |
- LarsOlle, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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A multi-criteria decision support model for optimal stump harvesting
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A multi-criteria decision support model for optimal stump harvesting Sweden was developed. The model quantifies the effect of harvesting each individual stump over a harvesting object in four criteria's: - Biodiversity (Biodiversity value index) - Economy (SEK) - Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) - Soil and water (Soil and water preservation index) The four criteria's are sometimes in conflict to each other, and uses values that are not directly comparable. The intended use for this model is to contribute with the objective evaluation of all four criteria's in the decision in what stumps to harvest and what stumps to leave in the harvesting object. The model uses individual stump data (e.g. position, tree species and stump biomass) and harvesting object GIS data (roads, elevation map, soil map, terrain map). Primary data on individual stumps comes from the logging system in the stem harvesters: GPS and operator classification. Such data are routinely collected in harvesters. Official map data for the harvesting object are available from the Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority (Lantmäteriet). This includes the topographic map and elevation maps data in 2 m resolution. Also, GIS data are collected in the inspections before harvesting the stems. The biodiversity sub-model considers different types of wood-dependent organisms (lichens, mosses, insects and fungi) in terms of their habitat requirements, vulnerability, sun exposure preferences, locality, etc. A panel of external experts has drawn up a grading scale of stump values for the different taxonomic groups. The proximity to key habitats and exposure to sunlight are derived from a spatial model. In the economic sub-model the potential net return from each stump is calculated based on estimated revenue from harvested stump biomass and the costs of stump harvesting and transport (based on cost functions and GIS calculations of transport distances). An energy and climate sub-model incorporates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forest operations and the effect of advancing GHG emissions when stump biomass is incinerated instead of being left to decompose. Soil and water issues are handled within a sub-model estimating the consequences for long-term soil fertility (nutrient cycling and soil compaction) and water (leaching of plant nutrients and mercury, and particle transport due to soil damage by heavy machinery). Each criteria is evaluated in totally four sub-models. To be able to compare the resulting value from each of the criteria, a harvesting index from 0 to 1 is calculated for each stump. The value 0 represents ‘Not at all suitable for harvest’ and 1 ‘Highly suitable for harvest’. Through this, a stump of high biodiversity value is assigned a low harvesting index in the biodiversity sub-model and a large, easily accessible stump is assigned a high harvesting index in the economic sub-model. When calculating the total net index, the harvesting index from each criteria has to be weighed together using one coefficient for each criteria. The weighing coefficient for each criteria is chosen according to the preferences of the decision maker. The tool offers the end-user possibilities to prioritise and plan for cost-effective stump harvesting, while minimising negative environmental impacts.
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