| 1. |
- Falster, Daniel, et al.
(author)
-
AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
- 2021
-
In: Scientific Data. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2052-4463. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We introduce the AusTraits database - a compilation of values of plant traits for taxa in the Australian flora (hereafter AusTraits). AusTraits synthesises data on 448 traits across 28,640 taxa from field campaigns, published literature, taxonomic monographs, and individual taxon descriptions. Traits vary in scope from physiological measures of performance (e.g. photosynthetic gas exchange, water-use efficiency) to morphological attributes (e.g. leaf area, seed mass, plant height) which link to aspects of ecological variation. AusTraits contains curated and harmonised individual- and species-level measurements coupled to, where available, contextual information on site properties and experimental conditions. This article provides information on version 3.0.2 of AusTraits which contains data for 997,808 trait-by-taxon combinations. We envision AusTraits as an ongoing collaborative initiative for easily archiving and sharing trait data, which also provides a template for other national or regional initiatives globally to fill persistent gaps in trait knowledge.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Bergman, Karl-Olof, et al.
(author)
-
How much and at what scale? Multiscale analyses as decision support for conservation of saproxylic oak beetles
- 2012
-
In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 265, s. 133-141
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A key aspect for understanding species distributions is how they respond to habitat factors at different spatial scales. In this study we used a dataset mapping 33,000 large/hollow oaks, habitat for a guild of saproxylic beetles specialised on oaks at an extent of 10,000 km2. A total of 16 oak-dependent saproxylic species, out of 35, showed a clear relationship with substrate density at scales ranging from 52 m to ⩾5200 m. The characteristic scale of response for species richness of oak specialist species was 2284 m. At this scale, there was a tendency for richness to plateau at about 0.15 oaks ha−1, in which case about 250 hollow or large (circumference 310 cm) oaks would be needed in an area of 1600 ha to ensure a rich saproxylic oak fauna. The main general conclusions were: (i) a multi-scale approach is especially valuable to identify the characteristic scale of response; and that assuming a joint, single scale for all species may result in very poor decision support. (ii) The variation in species’ responses to substrate density at different scales means that habitat loss and fragmentation as well as management and restoration may have very different effects upon different species. (iii) Some species respond both to local and landscape scales, indicating that species occurrences in fragmented oak landscapes are affected both by short-term dynamics of the beetles and long term dynamics of the oak substrate. (iv) Maps, useful as decision support, can be constructed based on resource availability (in our case oak density) and characteristic scales.
|
|
| 4. |
- Bergman, Karl-Olof, et al.
(author)
-
Importance of scale and density of hollow oaks for saproxylic oak beetles
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- One of the key aspects in conservation management and in understanding species distributions is how they respond to habitat factors at different scales. Old-growth deciduous forests is severely fragmented in Europe and the most important substrates for saproxylic beetles in this habitat is hollow veteran trees. In this study, we used an extensive field survey data, mapping all large and/or hollow oaks (ca 33,000) in an area of 10,000 km² in south-eastern Sweden. With beetle occurrence data from 38 sites we did a multi-scale analysis of how different beetle species responded to oak density. A total of 16 species responded significant to substrate density from 52 m to 5200 m showing that conclusions made from data measured on a single scale may lead to wrong conclusions. We hypothesized that larger species should respond to larger scales and that both local and landscape scales should be important for several species. We found no evidence for that larger species responded to substrate density at larger scales. However, several species as e.g. Tenebrio opacus, responded to oak density at both small a scale (92 m) and a large scale (859 m). The reason for the importance of two scales is probably that several processes are acting on different time scales and therefore over different spatial scales. Individual oaks may act as static patches in the short term and the small-scale response may reflect the scale of metapopulation dynamics. However, as changes in the densities of old oaks over larger landscapes over several centuries occurs, long-term substrate dynamics are expected to act over larger areas, reflecting the larger scale. The variation in species response to substrate density at different scales means that habitat loss and fragmentation will have different effects upon different species.
|
|
| 5. |
- Ekdahl, Anne W, et al.
(author)
-
Costs and Effects of an Ambulatory Geriatric Unit (the AGe-FIT Study) : A Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2015
-
In: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : Elsevier. - 1538-9375 .- 1525-8610. ; 16:6, s. 497-503
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To examine costs and effects of care based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) provided by an ambulatory geriatric care unit (AGU) in addition to usual care.DESIGN: Assessor-blinded, single-center randomized controlled trial.SETTING: AGU in an acute hospital in southeastern Sweden.PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling individuals aged 75 years or older who had received inpatient hospital care 3 or more times in the past 12 months and had 3 or more concomitant medical diagnoses were eligible for study inclusion and randomized to the intervention group (IG; n = 208) or control group (CG; n = 174). Mean age (SD) was 82.5 (4.9) years.INTERVENTION: Participants in the IG received CGA-based care at the AGU in addition to usual care.OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was number of hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were days in hospital and nursing home, mortality, cost of public health and social care, participant' sense of security in care, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).RESULTS: Baseline characteristics did not differ between groups. The number of hospitalizations did not differ between the IG (2.1) and CG (2.4), but the number of inpatient days was lower in the IG (11.1 vs 15.2; P = .035). The IG showed trends of reduced mortality (hazard ratio 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.988-2.310; P = .057) and an increased sense of security in care interaction. No difference in HRQoL was observed. Costs for the IG and CG were 33,371£ (39,947£) and 30,490£ (31,568£; P = .432).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study of CGA-based care was performed in an ambulatory care setting, in contrast to the greater part of studies of the effects of CGA, which have been conducted in hospital settings. This study confirms the superiority of this type of care to elderly people in terms of days in hospital and sense of security in care interaction and that a shift to more accessible care for older people with multimorbidity is possible without increasing costs. This study can aid the planning of future interventions for older people.TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01446757.
|
|
| 6. |
- Ekdahl, Anne W., et al.
(author)
-
Long-Term Evaluation of the Ambulatory Geriatric Assessment: A Frailty Intervention Trial (AGe-FIT): Clinical Outcomes and Total Costs After 36 Months
- 2016
-
In: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 1525-8610 .- 1538-9375. ; 17:3, s. 263-268
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To compare the effects of care based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) as a complement to usual care in an outpatient setting with those of usual care alone. The assessment was performed 36 months after study inclusion. Design: Randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, single-center trial. Setting: A geriatric ambulatory unit in a municipality in the southeast of Sweden. Participants: Community-dwelling individuals aged >= 75 years who had received inpatient hospital care 3 or more times in the past 12 months and had 3 or more concomitant medical diagnoses were eligible for study inclusion. Participants were randomized to the intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Intervention: Participants in the IG received CGA-based care for 24 to 31 months at the geriatric ambulatory unit in addition to usual care. Outcome measures: Mortality, transfer to nursing home, days in hospital, and total costs of health and social care after 36 months. Results: Mean age (SD) of participants was 82.5 (4.9) years. Participants in the IG (n = 208) lived 69 days longer than did those in the CG (n = 174); 27.9% (n = 58) of participants in the IG and 38.5% (n = 67) in the CG died (hazard ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.05-2.12, P =.026). The mean number of inpatient days was lower in the IG (15.1 [SD 18.4]) than in the CG (21.0 [SD 25.0], P =.01). Mean overall costs during the 36-month period did not differ between the IG and CG (USD 71,905 [SD 85,560] and USD 65,626 [SD 66,338], P =.43). Conclusions: CGA-based care resulted in longer survival and fewer days in hospital, without significantly higher cost, at 3 years after baseline. These findings add to the evidence of CGAs superiority over usual care in outpatient settings. As CGA-based care leads to important positive outcomes, this method should be used more extensively in the treatment of older people to meet their needs. (c) 2016 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
|
|
| 7. |
- Klompstra, Leonie, et al.
(author)
-
Factors related to health-related quality of life in older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption over a two-year period
- 2019
-
In: BMC Geriatrics. - : BMC. - 1471-2318 .- 1471-2318. ; 19
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundThe prevalence of multimorbidity is increasing worldwide, and older people with multimorbidity are frequent users of health care services. Since multimorbidity has a significant negative impact on Health-related Quality of Life (HrQoL) and is more common in older age it would be expected that factors related to HrQoL in this group might have been thoroughly researched, but this is not the case. Furthermore, it is important to look at old people living at home, considering the shift from residential to home-based care. Therefore, we aim to investigate factors that are related to HrQoL in older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption, living at home.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of a RCT study conducted in a municipality in south-eastern Sweden. The study had a longitudinal design with a two-year follow-up period assessing HrQoL, symptom burden, activities of daily living, physical activity and depression.ResultsIn total, 238 older people with multimorbidity and high health care consumption, living at home were included (mean age 82, 52% female). A multiple linear regression model including symptom burden, activities of daily living and depression as independent variables explained 64% of the HrQoL. Higher symptom burden, lower ability in activities of daily living and a higher degree of depression were negatively related to HrQoL. Depression at baseline and a change in symptom burden over a two-year period explained 28% of the change in HrQoL over a two-year period variability. A higher degree of depression at baseline and negative change in higher symptom burden were related to a decrease in HrQoL over a two-year period.ConclusionIn order to facilitate better delivery of appropriate health care to older people with high health care consumption living at home it is important to assess HrQoL, and HrQoL over time. Symptom burden, activities of daily living, depression and change in symptom burden over time are important indicators for HrQoL.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01446757, the trial was registered prospectively with the date of trial registration October 5(th), 2011.
|
|
| 8. |
- Ludewig, Kristin, et al.
(author)
-
Phenology and morphology of the invasive legume Lupinus polyphyllus along a latitudinal gradient in Europe
- 2022
-
In: NeoBiota. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 1619-0033 .- 1314-2488. ; 78
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant phenology, i. e. the timing of life cycle events, is related to individual fitness and species distributionranges. Temperature is one of the most important drivers of plant phenology together with day length.The adaptation of their phenology may be important for the success of invasive plant species. The presentstudy aims at understanding how the performance and the phenology of the invasive legume Lupinuspolyphyllus vary with latitude. We sampled data across a >2000 km latitudinal gradient from Centralto Northern Europe. We quantified variation in phenology of flowering and fruiting of L. polyphyllususing >1600 digital photos of inflorescences from 220 individual plants observed weekly at 22 sites. Theday of the year at which different phenological phases were reached, increased 1.3–1.8 days per degreelatitude, whereas the growing degree days (gdd) required for these phenological phases decreased 5–16 gddper degree latitude. However, this difference disappeared, when the day length of each day included inthe calculation of gdd was considered. The day of the year of the earliest and the latest climatic zone toreach any of the three studied phenological phases differed by 23–30 days and temperature requirementsto reach these stages differed between 62 and 236 gdd. Probably, the invasion of this species will furtherincrease in the northern part of Europe over the next decades due to climate warming. For invasive speciescontrol, our results suggest that in countries with a large latitudinal extent, the mowing date should shiftby ca. one week per 500 km at sites with similar elevations.
|
|
| 9. |
- Ludewig, Kristin, et al.
(author)
-
Phenology of Lupinus polyphyllus from Central to Northern Europe
- 2022
-
Other publicationabstract
- Plant phenology, i. e. the timing of life cycle events, is related to individual fitness and species distribution ranges. Among the environmental factors, phenology is mostly driven by temperature and day length. Rapid adaptation of their phenology may also be important for the success of invasive plant species. Our main aim was to understand how the performance, timing, and temperature dependence of the phenology of the invasive legume Lupinus polyphyllus varies with latitude. L. polyphyllus is one of the most frequent invasive species in Europe, and the gained information may help to make management more effective by adjustments to latitude and phenology.Methods:We quantified variation in phenology across a >2000 km latitudinal gradient from Central to Northern Europe. We sampled data of flowering and fruiting of L. polyphyllus using >1600 digital photos of inflorescences from 220 individual plants observed weekly at 22 locations. We calculated the accumulated growing degree days for each observation date at each site from the temperature data of the meteorological stations, which are listed in the metadata of the dataset.
|
|
| 10. |
- Lättman, Håkan, et al.
(author)
-
Changes in the distributions of epiphytic lichens in southern Sweden using a new statistical method
- 2009
-
In: Nordic Journal of Botany. - : Wiley. - 0107-055X .- 1756-1051. ; 27:5, s. 413-418
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Past studies on changes in species distribution have mainly been based on analysis of range boundaries. In contrast, the method used here evaluates shifts in species geographic centroids within a predefined area. We used presence/absence data on epiphytic lichens collected 1986 and 2003 from 64 sites in southern Sweden. A centroid was calculated each year, for each lichen species and substrate. The distance of centroid movement was evaluated in a permutation procedure. In total, 56 lichen species on 22 tree species were involved in the analyses, yielding 30 cases that had sufficient sample sizes both years to be evaluated. Out of these, three exhibited a significant movement of their centroid. The shift of lichen centroids of Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. and Vulpicida pinastri (Scop.) J.-E. Mattsson andamp; M. J. Lai on the tree species Juniperus communis L. was 50 and 151 km with the direction 27 degrees and 48 degrees, respectively. For Hypogymnia physodes on Pinus sylvestris L., corresponding values were 41 km and 30 degrees. The northnortheast shifts of these species in Sweden could be a response to a warming climate.
|
|
