| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
-
Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
-
In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 2. |
- Beery, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Perceptions of the ecosystem services concept: Opportunities and challenges in the Swedish municipal context
- 2016
-
In: Ecosystem Services. - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-0416. ; 17, s. 123-130
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A current focus of ecosystem services (ES) implementation is on the municipal level of government where international and national legislation and policies have to be translated into practice. Given this focus, an understanding of perceptions within municipalities of the ES concept is crucial to support the implementation process. Against this background, this paper examines the perceptions of Swedish municipal stakeholders for the ES concept. A 2013 Swedish federal mandate that states that the values of ecosystem services should be considered in relevant decision-making processes, provides a timely context. Current perceptions, preconditions and awareness are explored via interviews and analyses. The results show that the views on the ecosystem services concept and its usefulness are generally very positive. Conceptual knowledge use is perceived as important as is the recognition of monetary valuation of ES. However, clarification of the distinction between implicit and explicit use of the concept by stakeholders is needed. Finally, results indicate that a deeper understanding of monetary valuation of ecosystem services by municipal staff members is connected with a more critical view on monetary valuation. It is concluded that detailed and clear definitions and guidelines are needed in order to support the process of implementing ES in municipalities.
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| 3. |
- Brink, Ebba, et al.
(author)
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On the road to research municipalities : Analysing transdisciplinarity in municipal ecosystem services and adaptation planning
- 2018
-
In: Sustainability Science. - : Springer. - 1862-4065 .- 1862-4057. ; 13:3, s. 765-784
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Transdisciplinary research and collaboration is widely acknowledged as a critical success factor for solution- oriented approaches that can tackle complex sustainability challenges, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate-related hazards. In this context, city governments’ engagement in transdisciplinarity is generally seen as a key condition for societal transformation towards sustainability. However, empirical evidence is rare. This paper presents a self-assessment of a joint research project on ecosystem services and climate adaptation planning (ECOSIMP) undertaken by four universities and seven Swedish municipalities. We apply a set of design principles and guiding questions for transdisciplinary sustainability projects and, on this basis, identify key aspects for supporting university–municipality collaboration. We show that: (1) selecting the number and type of project stakeholders requires more explicit consideration of the purpose of societal actors’ participation; (2) concrete, interim benefits for participating practitioners and organisations need to be continuously discussed; (3) promoting the ‘inter’, i.e., interdisciplinary and inter-city learning, can support transdisciplinarity and, ultimately, urban sustainability and long-term change. In this context, we found that design principles for transdisciplinarity have the potential to (4) mitigate project shortcomings, even when transdisciplinarity is not an explicit aim, and (5) address differences and allow new voices to be heard. We propose additional guiding questions to address shortcomings and inspire reflexivity in transdisciplinary projects.
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| 4. |
- Ekelund, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
Trends in municipal and comprehensive planning (1980-2012) from an Ecosystem Services Perspective in Southern Sweden
- 2015
-
In: Book abstracts Eight International Ecosystem Services Partnership Conference 2015, Ecosystem Services for Nature, People, and Prosperity, 9-13 November 2015 Stellenbosch, South Africa. ; , s. 103-103
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In Sweden a unique project supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is developed in close collaboration with seven coastal municipalities in Skåne. These municipalities face a range of different environmental challenges, from municipalities along the eastern coast line to municipalities in the western Öresund region. Research questions and approaches are built on case studies and scenarios to assess local municipality planning processes. The objective is to study the premises of implementing the use of the Ecosystem Service (ES) approach in municipal planning and decision making. This study presents a project component that focuses on the analysis of the comprehensive plans in the city of Malmö from 1980 to 2012. Interviews with staff from municipal departments were done as a complement to the collection of data from the comprehensive plans. The results show current trends in municipal and comprehensive planning from an ES perspective, i.e., the use of ES as a tool for sustainable development. The results further show that the ES concept was explicitly first found in the comprehensive plan from 2012. Implicitly, approaches for ecosystem services management and related planning changed from “land use”, “green areas” and “green space” (1980) towards “recreation” (1990) and “biological life cycle” and “biodiversity” (2000). This change indicates that the process in local municipality planning has shifted towards a more holistic view of the importance of ecosystems for a sustainable society and healthy life, which is currently further advanced via the ES concept.
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| 5. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, 1959-, et al.
(author)
-
Implementering av ekosystemtjänst-begreppet i kommunal verksamhet : slutrapport
- 2017
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Projektet ECOSIMP handlar om förutsättningen för att implementera begreppet ekosystemtjänst, i fortsättningen kallat EST-begreppet, i kommunerna, och undersöker bland annat hur kommunala tjänstemän och politiker ser på denna utmaning. En intervjustudie genomfördes med tjänstemän och politikeri de sju medverkande kommunerna. I en studie av Malmö stad undersöktes hur ekosystemtjänst-relaterade begrepp har integrerats i översiktsplaner ochutvecklats till ett verktyg i hållbar samhällsplanering. Ett annat delprojekt handlar om miljökonsekvens-bedömningar (MKB) och behovet av metodutveckling för att integrera ekosystemtjänstansatsen i MKB, där möjligheten att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den så kallade RIAM-metoden analyserades. Projektet innehåller också en analys av arbetet med att integrera ekosystemtjänsteri kommunernas klimatanpassning, så kallad ekosystembaserad klimatanpassning (EbA). Slutligen redovisas en analys av det transdisciplinära arbetssättet inom ECOSIMP-projektet. Resultaten visar att EST-begreppet idag är relativt välkänt i kommunerna och att det finns en övervägande positiv inställning till det och förhoppningar om att det ska skapa större möjlighet till miljöhänsyn. Förståelsen av begreppet behöver dock fördjupas i den kommunala verksamheten och distinktionen mellan implicit och explicit användning av EST-begreppet och den relaterade EST-ansatsen förtydligas. Ett antal hinder och möjligheter för att börja använda begreppet och för att uppnå etappmålet 2018 identifierades också. Bland annat upplevs innebörden av etappmålet 2018 som oklar, och bara en mindre del av de intervjuade i kommunerna ansåg att etappmålet skulle nås. Betydelsen av att politiker och allmänhet får kännedom om, och förståelse för, EST-begreppet betonades också. Malmö framstår som ett bra exempel på hur långsiktigt arbete för en hållbar stadsutveckling kan skapa förutsättningar att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den fysiska planeringen. Analysen av EbA i kommunerna visade att initiativ relaterade till klimatanpassning och ekosystemtjänster oftast inte är samordnade, men de skulle kunna utvecklas i den riktningen genom bättre samordning mellan kommunernas olika enheter och integrering av EbA i den långsiktiga planeringen utifrån kunskap om nutida och framtida klimatrisker. Verktyg för att värdera förändringar i EST till följd av mänsklig exploatering behövs och här föreslås en utveckling av den såkallade RIAM-metoden, som kan erbjuda ett sätt att väga in olika EST i planeringen. Den transdisciplinära analysen visar på värdet av nära samverkan mellan forskning och kommuner kring implementeringen av EST-ansatsen, men också på behovet av politiskt och ekonomiskt stöd för att frigöra tid för kommunerna att delta i sådana projekt.
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| 6. |
- Jönsson, K. Ingemar, et al.
(author)
-
Implementering av ekosystemtjänstbegreppet i kommunal verksamhet
- 2017
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Projektet ECOSIMP handlar om förutsättningen för att implementera begreppet ekosystemtjänst, i fortsättningen kallat EST-begreppet, i kommunerna, och undersöker bland annat hur kommunala tjänstemän och politiker ser på denna utmaning. En intervjustudie genomfördes med tjänstemän och politiker i de sju medverkande kommunerna. I en studie av Malmö stad undersöktes hur ekosystemtjänst-relaterade begrepp har integrerats i översiktsplaner och utvecklats till ett verktyg i hållbar samhällsplanering. Ett annat delprojekt handlar om miljökonsekvens-bedömningar (MKB) och behovet av metodutveckling för att integrera ekosystemtjänstansatsen i MKB, där möjligheten att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den så kallade RIAM-metoden analyserades. Projektet innehåller också en analys av arbetet med att integrera ekosystemtjänster i kommunernas klimatanpassning, så kallad ekosystembaserad klimatanpassning (EbA). Slutligen redovisas en analys av det transdisciplinära arbetssättet inom ECOSIMP-projektet. Resultaten visar att EST-begreppet idag är relativt välkänt i kommunerna och att det finns en övervägande positiv inställning till det och förhoppningar om att det ska skapa större möjlighet till miljöhänsyn. Förståelsen av begreppet behöver dock fördjupas i den kommunala verksamheten och distinktionen mellan implicit och explicit användning av EST-begreppet och den relaterade EST-ansatsen förtydligas. Ett antal hinder och möjligheter för att börja använda begreppet och för att uppnå etappmålet 2018 identifierades också. Bland annat upplevs innebörden av etappmålet 2018 som oklar, och bara en mindre del av de intervjuade i kommunerna ansåg att etappmålet skulle nås. Betydelsen av att politiker och allmänhet får kännedom om, och förståelse för, EST-begreppet betonades också. Malmö framstår som ett bra exempel på hur långsiktigt arbete för en hållbar stadsutveckling kan skapa förutsättningar att integrera ekosystemtjänster i den fysiska planeringen. Analysen av EbA i kommunerna visade att initiativ relaterade till klimatanpassning och ekosystemtjänster oftast inte är samordnade, men de skulle kunna utvecklas i den riktningen genom bättre samordning mellan kommunernas olika enheter och integrering av EbA i den långsiktiga planeringen utifrån kunskap om nutida och framtida klimatrisker. Verktyg för att värdera förändringar i EST till följd av mänsklig exploatering behövs och här föreslås en utveckling av den så kallade RIAM-metoden, som kan erbjuda ett sätt att väga in olika EST i planeringen. Den transdisciplinära analysen visar på värdet av nära samverkan mellan forskning och kommuner kring implementeringen av EST-ansatsen, men också på behovet av politiskt och ekonomiskt stöd för att frigöra tid för kommunerna att delta i sådana projekt.
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| 7. |
- Palo, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Priority areas in municipality planning : Ecosystem services, environmental impact assessments and research areas
- 2016
-
In: One Ecosystem. - : Pensoft Publishers. - 2367-8194. ; 1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Several pressing issues face municipal planners including increased land use and climate change. Managing these issues requires a balance between different actions to accommodate citizen’s demands of ecosystem services (ES) and development projects. The implementation of ES as a new tool for assessments needs to be contrasted by research considering existing tools such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). ES has been introduced as a policy tool at the governmental level but implementation at the local and regional scale is still needed; municipalities could benefit from collaboration with the research community for state of the art methods. One obstacle for implementation of ES is that it is not always easy for laymen to understand and additionally, the ES concept may be weakly supported by science. The municipalities realize that a society on its way towards sustainability takes advantage of new knowledge and that interactions with research will put them in the forefront of new scientific questions. The municipalities ask for research that takes a citizen perspective and research that prioritizes questions other than pure environmental considerations. Priorities in municipality planning are based on local conditions and rely on EIA. Many ecological indicators are already covered in EIA and this is reflected in Swedish Comprehensive Plans (SCP) documents, yet need further analysis is needed to be a part of ES. The SCPs present concepts at a policy level and rarely provide a more detailed plan of action compatible with the ES approach. New information We found that the use of ES concepts in Swedish Comprehensive Plans and in EIA is still not common and in need of further support from research and in practice. The EIA is decisive for comprehensive planning documents in the Swedish municipalities and follows standard format over time and between municipalities. ES is focused on human needs while the EIA describes place based assessments on environmental impact rather than feedback to the society by the intervention. Municipalities of south Sweden ask for research support in many different areas, for instance how to set up proper organization for implementation of ES and environmental issues, but priorities are based on their local conditions. The results shows that collaboration between stakeholders and researchers is needed which can create incentives, so that the decisions made by individuals, communities, corporations, and governments may be able to promote widely shared values compatible with ES. Researchers and municipalities who work on an operational level face many challenges in promoting greater use of the ES approach, with some of them yet to be defined. We conclude that implementation of ES could draw from lessons learned in the use of EIA. Further, it is presented that ES has the potential for greater public and stakeholder feedback into decisions as compared to EIA.
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| 8. |
- Schubert, Per, et al.
(author)
-
Content analysis of ecosystem service concepts in comprehensive plans for Malmö municipality in southern Sweden
- 2015
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency a research project is developed in close collaboration with seven coastal municipalities in the county of Skåne in southern Sweden. Since the municipalities along the coastline face a range of environmental challenges, several case studies are aimed at understanding local municipality planning processes. The overall research objective is to understand the premises of implementing the Ecosystem Service (ES) approach in municipal planning and decision making. This case study examines to what extent ES concepts are accounted for in Malmö municipality comprehensive plans through a content analysis of ES concepts in the 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2012 plans. The ES concepts were categorized according to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment into supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services. Preliminary results show that the “ecosystem service” concept itself is not used before the 2012 comprehensive plan. Quantitative analysis of the total number of different ES concepts used in the comprehensive plans shows a large increase from 1980 to 1990 and thereafter a gradual decrease to 2000 and 2012, where 2012 is lower than 1980. The introduction of the Swedish natural resources law in 1987 could explain the peaking number in 1990. If latter comprehensive plans build upon former, the concept usage can be interpreted as increasing from 1980 and forward. These results indicate a shift into using the ES approach in municipality planning processes. Qualitative analysis shows that there is a change in the ES concepts used, e.g. “land use” and “green areas” in 1980 and “biological life cycle” and “biodiversity” in 2000 indicates a shift in municipality planning processes towards a more holistic view of the importance of ecosystems for a sustainable society and healthy life. Although somewhat uncertain, these results could indicate an introduction of the ES approach in the Malmö municipality planning processes.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Schubert, Per, et al.
(author)
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Implementation of the ecosystem services approach in Swedish municipal planning
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. - : Routledge. - 1523-908X .- 1522-7200. ; 20:3, s. 298-312
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While ecosystem-based planning approaches are increasingly promoted through international and national policies, municipalities are still struggling with translating them into practice. Against this background, this paper aims to increase the knowledge of current advances and possible ways to support the implementation of the ecosystem services (ES) approach at the municipal level. More specifically, we analyze how ES have been integrated into comprehensive planning within the municipality of Malmö in Sweden over the last 60 years, a declared forerunner in local environmental governance. Based on a content analysis of comprehensive plans over the period 1956–2014 and interviews with municipal stakeholders, this paper demonstrates how planning has shifted over time toward a more holistic view of ES and their significance for human well-being and urban sustainability. Both explicit and implicit applications of the ES concept were found in the analyzed comprehensive plans and associated programs and projects. Our study shows how these applications reflect international, national, and local policy changes, and indicates how municipalities can gradually integrate the ES approach into comprehensive planning and facilitate the transition from implicit to more explicit knowledge use.
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| 12. |
- Wamsler, Christine, et al.
(author)
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Operationalizing ecosystem-based adaptation : harnessing ecosystem services to buffer communities against climate change
- 2016
-
In: Ecology and Society. - : Resiliance Alliance. - 1708-3087. ; 31:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ABSTRACT. Ecosystem-based approaches for climate change adaptation are promoted at international, national, and local levels by both scholars and practitioners. However, local planning practices that support these approaches are scattered, and measures are neither systematically implemented nor comprehensively reviewed. Against this background, this paper advances the operationalization of ecosystem-based adaptation by improving our knowledge of how ecosystem-based approaches can be considered in local planning (operational governance level). We review current research on ecosystem services in urban areas and examine four Swedish coastal municipalities to identify the key characteristics of both implemented and planned measures that support ecosystem-based adaptation. The results show that many of the measures that have been implemented focus on biodiversity rather than climate change adaptation, which is an important factor in only around half of all measures. Furthermore, existing measures are limited in their focus regarding the ecological structures and the ecosystem services they support, and the hazards and risk factors they address. We conclude that a more comprehensive approach to sustainable ecosystem-based adaptation planning and its systematic mainstreaming is required. Our framework for the analysis of ecosystem-based adaptation measures proved to be useful in identifying how ecosystem-related matters are addressed in current practice and strategic planning, and in providing knowledge on how ecosystem-based adaptation can further be considered in urban planning practice. Such a systematic analysis framework can reveal the ecological structures, related ecosystem services, and risk-reducing approaches that are missing and why. This informs the discussion about why specific measures are not considered and provides pathways for alternate measures/designs, related operations, and policy processes at different scales that can foster sustainable adaptation and transformation in municipal governance and planning. Key Words: climate change adaptation; ecosystem management; ecosystem services; green infrastructure; municipal planning; naturebased solutions; renaturing cities; risk reduction; spatial planning; sustainability transitions; urban planning; urban resilience; urban transformation
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| 13. |
- Afewerki, Samson, et al.
(author)
-
Advances in dual functional antimicrobial and osteoinductive biomaterials for orthopaedic applications
- 2020
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In: Nanomedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1549-9634 .- 1549-9642. ; 24
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A vast growing problem in orthopaedic medicine is the increase of clinical cases with antibiotic resistant pathogenic microbes, which is predicted to cause higher mortality than all cancers combined by 2050. Bone infectious diseases limit the healing ability of tissues and increase the risk of future injuries due to pathologic tissue remodelling. The traditional treatment for bone infections has several drawbacks and limitations, such as lengthy antibiotic treatment, extensive surgical interventions, and removal of orthopaedic implants and/or prosthesis, all of these resulting in long-term rehabilitation. This is a huge burden to the public health system resulting in increased healthcare costs. Current technologies e.g. co-delivery systems, where antibacterial and osteoinductive agents are delivered encounter challenges such as site-specific delivery, sustained and prolonged release, and biocompatibility. In this review, these aspects are highlighted to promote the invention of the next generation biomaterials to prevent and/or treat bone infections and promote tissue regeneration.
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| 14. |
- Aronsson, K. Andreas
(author)
-
Effects of wood ash on freshwater organisms and aquatic forest ecosystems
- 2007
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Wood ash application (WAA) has been recommended mainly for two reasons; i) to avoid depletion of minerals in the soil due to whole tree harvest in the forestry and ii) to mitigate harmful effects of acidification of soil and surface waters. In conclusion, the effects on terrestrial ecosystems and, especially, tree growth, can be attributed to the properties of the ash, the dose applied and the specific site at which the ash is applied. The research conducted on the effects of WAA on limnological ecosystems is very limited, and the major purpose of the present thesis was to gain knowledge of the effects of wood ash to different freshwater organisms, and the more comprehensive, limnological effects of WAA in the first stream in Bispgården, Sweden. Effects of wood ash solutions on the unicellular alga Euglena gracilis Klebs, the amphipod Gammarus pulex L., and the moss Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. were investigated under laboratory conditions. Common in all three species was the decline in performance (growth/velocity/respiration/oxygen evolution) when the concentration of wood ash exceeded 5 g/l and no adjustment of pH was done (alkaline solution). In contrast, different movement parameters (motility, upwards swimming and velocity) in E. gracilis (neutral conditions), and increased growth of F. antipyretica with increased concentrations of wood ash indicated that nutrients in the ash was bioavailable for these organisms. There was no evidence of toxic effects on the organisms from metals or other compounds as a result from exposure to wood ash solutions in the present studies. The field study was conducted in a forest area close to Bispgården, about 100 km NW from Sundsvall, Sweden. The catchment area (50 ha) of the stream Fanbergsbäcken was treated with wood ash in September of 2004 (3,000 kg/ha;selfhardened crush-ash). In general, both biological (diatoms) and chemical (pH, alkalinity, and aluminum (Al) measurements) indicators have shown no significant effect on acidification parameters from the addition of wood ash. There was, however, evidence of an increased pH during spring flood, accompanied with a decrease in the frequency of low pH values (<5.6) during spring flood. In addition to this, alkalinity was significantly higher in the period 2005-2006, compared to that of 2003. High concentrations of toxic forms of Al repeatedly occured in the stream Fanbergsbäcken, and the WAA did not affect the frequencies of high concentrations of toxic Al forms (<50 μg/l). Both the moss F. antipyretica and the leaves from Alnus incana displayed increased potassium (K) concentrations, although other nutrients did not increase from WAA. In conclusion, no evidence of WAA being effective in restoring or improving the ecological status of freshwater environments has been established, either in the literature or in the present field study. On the other hand, there were no indications of harmful effects due to WAA, either. However, we still do not know the effects of wood ash on several organisms (predominantly invertebrates) inhabiting small ponds and other, temporary or permanent, freshwater ecosystems. In the context of WAA, these environments and organisms have not attended any attention in the research published to date, and future studies are strongly encouraged.
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| 15. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
-
Automatic laser scanning of wheel profiles: condition monitoring to achieve greater capacity for existing infrastructure in an extreme climate
- 2013
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In: Automatic laser scanning of wheel profiles. - India : Indian Railways, the host of 10th IHHA Conferance. - 9788192651910 ; , s. 445-451
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Iron Ore Line (Malmbanan) is a 473 km long track section located in northern Sweden and has been in operation since 1903. It is mainly used to transport iron ore and pellets from the mines in Kiruna and Malmberget to Narvik Harbour (Norway) in the northwest and Luleå Harbour (Sweden) in the southeast. The track section on the Swedish side is owned by the Swedish Government and managed by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration), while the ore wagons are owned and managed by the freight operator (LKAB). Due to the high axle load exerted by the iron ore transports, 30 tonnes, and the high demand for a constant ore/pellets flow, the track and wagons must be monitored and maintained on a regular basis. The condition of the wagon wheel profile is one of the most important aspects in this procedure. For this reason an automatic laser-based wheel profile monitoring system has been installed on this line. This system can automatically measure and monitor the wagon wheel profiles at speeds up to 130 km/h. The system was installed and is being operated in a collaboration project between the freight operator and infrastructure manager. The information generated is collected by the e-maintenance personnel at Luleå Railway Research Center (JVTC). The measurements will be used to diagnose the condition of the wheel and rail, and to optimize their maintenance further. This paper presents a study of the selection and the installation of the equipment. Some results from the measurements are shown. The system’s availability during performance in extreme climate conditions, with severe cold and large quantities of snow, is presented. Then the benefits and perceived challenges of the system are discussed. Some potential improvements in rail and wheel maintenance, to achieve more capacity, are analysed.
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| 16. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
-
Reliability and measurement accuracy of a condition monitoring system in an extreme climate : a case study of automatic laser scanning of wheel profiles
- 2014
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:6, s. 695-704
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Iron Ore Line (Malmbanan) is a 473 km long track section located in northern Sweden and has been in operation since 1903. This track section stretches through two countries, namely Sweden and Norway, and the main part of the track runs on the Swedish side, where the owner is the Swedish Government and the infrastructure manager is Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration). The ore trains are owned and managed by the freight operator and mining company LKAB. Due to the high axle load exerted by transportation of the iron ore, 30 tonnes, and the high demand for a constant flow of ore and pellets, the track and wagons must be monitored and maintained on a regular basis. The condition of the wagon wheel is one of the most important aspects in this connection, and here the wheel profile plays an important role. For this reason an automatic laser-based wheel profile monitoring system (WPMS) has been installed on this line using a system lifecycle approach that is based on the reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) approach for railways. The system was prepared and installed and is being operated in a collaborative project between the freight operator and infrastructure manager. The measurements are used to diagnose the condition of the wheels, and to further optimize their maintenance. This paper presents a study of the concepts and ideas of the WPMS, and the selection, installation and validation of the equipment using a system lifecycle approach that is based on RAMS for railways. Results from the profile measurements and validation are shown. The system’s reliability during performance in extreme climate conditions, with severe cold and large quantities of snow, is presented. Then the benefits, perceived challenges and acquired knowledge of the system are discussed, and an improved V-model for the lifecycle approach is presented.
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| 17. |
- Ekelund, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
Implementing the Ecosystem Services Approach at the municipal level : a transdisciplinary project with coastal communities in south Sweden
- 2014
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In Sweden a unique project supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will be developed in close collaboration with coastal municipalities in Skåne, and with a coordinating role by Skåne´s Association of Local Authorities. These municipalities face a range of different environmental challenges, from areas along the eastern coast line facing problems related to the Baltic Sea, to municipalities in the Öresund region. In this study a range of different environmental conditions and related ecosystem services, from vulnerability to floods, erosion and sea level rise to strong pressure on coastal systems from urbanization will be investigated. Research questions and directions are built on cases and scenarios which are a part of the local municipality planning process. The approach will be to study the premises of implementing the Ecosystem Services (ES) in municipal planning and decision making of five coastal municipalities. The present study will analyse past decisions, present planning and future challenges for municipality development and management from the perspective of ES, with the aim of increasing our understanding of the ES concept as a tool for sustainable development. A second aim of the project is to evaluate the potential value of connecting the ES approach to ongoing climate change adaptation in the municipalities. The project will use the six-step approach developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity framework (TEEB) as the main conceptual frame. This approach includes the following steps: 1) Identifying and agreeing on the problem with stakeholders, 2) Identify the ES which are most relevant and pressing in municipality planning, 3) Collect and identify the information needs and the method to collect the data, 4) Assess expected changes in ES due to decision and input from society, 5) Identify policy options based on changes in ES and 6) Assess social and environmental impacts of 1-5.
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| 18. |
- Ekelund, Nils, et al.
(author)
-
Implementing the Ecosystem Services Approach at the municipal level : a transdisciplinary project with coastal communities in South Sweden
- 2014
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In Sweden a unique project supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency will be developed in close collaboration with coastal municipalities in Skåne, and with a coordinating role by Skåne´s Association of Local Authorities. These municipalities face a range of different environmental challenges, from areas along the eastern coast line facing problems related to the Baltic Sea, to municipalities in the Öresund region. In this study a range of different environmental conditions and related ecosystem services, from vulnerability to floods, erosion and sea level rise to strong pressure on coastal systems from urbanization will be investigated. Research questions and directions are built on cases and scenarios which are a part of the local municipality planning process. The approach will be to study the premises of implementing the Ecosystem Services (ES) in municipal planning and decision making of five coastal municipalities. The present study will analyse past decisions, present planning and future challenges for municipality development and management from the perspective of ES, with the aim of increasing our understanding of the ES concept as a tool for sustainable development. A second aim of the project is to evaluate the potential value of connecting the ES approach to ongoing climate change adaptation in the municipalities. The project will use the six-step approach developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity framework (TEEB) as the main conceptual frame. This approach includes the following steps: 1) Identifying and agreeing on the problem with stakeholders, 2) Identify the ES which are most relevant and pressing in municipality planning, 3) Collect and identify the information needs and the method to collect the data, 4) Assess expected changes in ES due to decision and input from society, 5) Identify policy options based on changes in ES and 6) Assess social and environmental impacts of 1-5.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Gowda, Juan H, et al.
(author)
-
Age related changes in defensive traits of Acacia tortillis
- 2003
-
In: African Journal of Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0141-6707. ; 41:3, s. 218-223
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The theory of plant defences proposes that investments in physical and chemical defences are driven by the risk of herbivore damage, and limited by the cost of producing the particular defensive trait in terms of resources that could be directed to other sinks, such as growth and reproduction. We sampled twigs of 18 mature Acacia tortilis trees and their cohort of juveniles to test some predictions of this hypothesis. We expected a higher allocation of defensive traits to leaves and twigs in the young plants than in the mature ones as a result of a higher risk of damage by ungulates at the juvenile stage. Our results show that the juvenile plants produce more spines along their twigs, but have lower concentrations of phenolic compounds in their leaves than in the mature ones. We also expected a negative relation between the concentration of foliar nutrients and phenolic compounds, as predicted by the carbon/nutrient hypothesis. Only mature plants showed this pattern. Reproduction (in mature plants) and water stress (in juvenile plants) did not relate to allocation to secondary compounds as predicted by current hypotheses of plant defence.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Olsson, Gert E, et al.
(author)
-
Demographic factors associated with hantavirus infection in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus)
- 2002
-
In: Emerging Infectious Diseases. - 1080-6040 .- 1080-6059. ; 8:9, s. 924-929
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural reservoir of Puumala virus (PUUV), a species in the genus Hantavirus. PUUV is the etiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Factors that influence hantavirus transmission within host populations are not well understood. We evaluated a number of factors influencing on the association of increased PUUV infection in bank voles captured in a region in northern Sweden endemic for the virus. Logistic regression showed four factors that together correctly predicted 80% of the model outcome: age, body mass index, population phase during sampling (increase, peak, or decline/low), and gender. This analysis highlights the importance of population demography in the successful circulation of hantavirus. The chance of infection was greatest during the peak of the population cycle, implying that the likelihood of exposure to hantavirus increases with increasing population density.
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| 23. |
- Olsson, Gert E, et al.
(author)
-
Hantavirus antibody occurrence in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) during a vole population cycle
- 2003
-
In: Journal of Wildlife Diseases. - : Wildlife Disease Association. - 0090-3558 .- 1943-3700. ; 39:2, s. 299-305
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Puumala virus, genus Hantavirus, is the etiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural reservoir species of this hantavirus. We initiated sampling of bank voles at sites of recently identified human nephropathia epidemica cases and paired control sites in the fall of 1995 in coastal areas of northern Sweden. Sites were trapped annually in spring and fall until 1999. Prevalence of antibody to Puumala virus was similar among local bank vole populations in the two types of sites over time. During peak years, however, the absolute number of bank voles was higher in case sites than control sites. Consequently, the likelihood of Puumala virus exposure was increased at case sites during population highs. This would imply that the risk of Puumala virus exposure to conspecifics and humans is habitat and site dependent with a temporal component.
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| 24. |
- Olsson, G, et al.
(author)
-
Human Hantavirus infections, Sweden
- 2003
-
In: Emerging Infectious Diseases. - 1080-6040 .- 1080-6059. ; 9:11, s. 1395-1401
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 25. |
- Palo, Mikael, et al.
(author)
-
Condition monitoring at the wheel/rail interface for decision-making support
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:6, s. 705-715
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many railway assets, such as wheels, suffer from increasing deterioration during operation. Good condition monitoring based on good decision-making techniques can lead to accurate assessment of the current health of the wheels. This, in turn, will improve safety, facilitate maintenance planning and scheduling, and reduce maintenance costs and down-time. In this paper, wheel/rail forces are selected as a parameter (feature) for the condition monitoring of wheel health. Once wheels are properly thresholded, determining their condition can help operators to define maintenance limits for their rolling stock. In addition, if rail forces are used as condition indicators of wheel wear, it is possible to use measurement stations that cost less than ordinary profile stations. These stations are located on ordinary tracks and can provide the condition of wheelsets without causing shutdowns or slowdowns of the railway system and without interfering with railway traffic. The paper uses the iron-ore transport line in northern Sweden as a test scenario to validate the use of wheel/rail forces as indicators of wagon and wheel health. The iron-ore transport line has several monitoring systems, but in this paper only two of these systems will be used. Wheel/rail force measurements are performed on curves to see how the vehicle negotiates the curve, and wheel profile measurements are done on tangent track not far away. The vehicles investigated are iron-ore wagons with an axle load of 30 tonnes and a loaded top speed of 60 km/h. The measurements are non-intrusive, since trains are moving and assets are not damaged during the testing process
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| 26. |
- Palo, Mikael
(author)
-
Condition monitoring of railway vehicles : a study on wheel condition for heavy haul rolling stock
- 2012
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- A railway is an energy efficient mode of transport as it uses the low resistance contact between wheel and rail. This contact is not frictionless and causes wear on both surfaces. The wheel-rail guidance is made possible by the shapes of wheel and rail profiles. To increase revenue for train operators and decrease cost for railway infrastructure owners, there is a need to monitor the conditions of the assets. A major cost-driver for operators is the production loss due to wheels, especially from maintenance costs when changing and re-profiling wheels.The research in this study has been performed on the Iron Ore Line (malmbanan) in northern Sweden and Norway. Large parts of this railway line are situated north of the Arctic Circle with temperature variations from -40◦C to +25◦C and a yearly average around freezing. Running trains in this environment strains all components. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how condition-based maintenance should be implemented for railway wagons. Research methods include a literature review, interviews, and data collection and analysis. Manual wheel profile measurements have been combined with maintenance data, weather data and wheel-rail force measurements to make comparisons between seasons and wagons.The analysis shows that there are different lateral force signatures at the wheel-rail interface dependent on the wheel’s position within the bogie. It also shows the need to change both wheel sets of the bogie simultaneously. Finally, it proves there is greater wheel wear at low temperatures.
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| 27. |
- Palo, Mikael, et al.
(author)
-
Wheel/rail condition monitoring to support rolling stock maintenance actions
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of 10th International Heavy Haul Association Conference.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wheel/rail guidance is made possible by the shapes of wheel and rail profiles. For train operators to increase revenue and decrease cost for railway infrastructure owners they must monitor the conditions of the assets.The Iron Ore Line in northern Sweden has two different monitoring systems installed to monitor con- ditions of all passing vehicles. The wheel/rail force measurement are made in a curve to see the how the vehicle negotiate the curve, and the wheel profile measurements are done on tangent track not far away. The vehicles investigated are iron ore wagons from LKAB mining company with an axle load of 30 tonnes and a loaded top speed of 60 km/h.This study uses the condition from either wheel wear or wheel/rail forces as decision-making support for maintenance actions. A correlation between forces and wheel wear will make it possible to use this kind of force measurement stations at more places than just profile stations. This correlation will help to obtain maintenance limits for the operators to use on their rolling stock.
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Palo, R Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Nitrogen and carbon concentrations in the stomach content of bank voles (Myodes glareolus) : Does food quality determine abundance?
- 2009
-
In: The Open Ecology Journal. - : Bentham Open. - 1874-2130. ; 2, s. 86-90
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We found that concentrations of nitrogen (N) in the stomach of voles varied between forest sites. Concentrations of nitrogen as well as the ratio of nitrogen to carbon (C) in stomach content were not different between the sexes or with season. Body mass varied between sites and between seasons but were unrelated to N concentration in spite that the body mass of voles in the spring season were on average 4.8 g heavier than in the autumn A positive relationship was found between N and C concentrations in the stomach content implying the diet quality could be related to this ratio. N concentrations in the stomach per unit body mass were positively and significantly related to catch per unit effort of voles. We suggest that sites with high N concentrations in stomach content and with higher NC-ratio imply better habitats that support higher population densities of voles.
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| 30. |
- Palo, R Thomas
(author)
-
Seasonal variations of phenols, nitrogen and fibre in the digestive system of moose (Alces alces)
-
Other publication (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Contents from different parts of the gut system of moose were collected in different seasons in central Sweden and analysed for concentrations of phenols, nitrogen (N) and fibre contents (NDF). Faecal and rumen concentration of phenols and nitrogen were positively correlated suggesting that N in faeces could be use as indicator of diet quality. NDF content varied throughout the digestive tract and was consistently lower in the summer compared to winter digesta content. Total phenols in digesta content showed no significant difference between seasons and Rumen liquor from different seasons was used to determine In Vitro Organic Matter Digestibility (IVOMD) of winter twigs of silver birch (Betula pendula L) but no significant difference in IVOMD was found between seasons, only variations between individual moose in their ability to digest browse were noted. The ability of summer and winter rumen microorganisms to digest birch at different phenol concentrations showed no difference but was dependent on concentration of phenols.These results show that the food quality consumed by moose varies between winter and summer season as reflected by N and NDF in the gut and faeces but that the role of phenols remains unclear.
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| 31. |
- Palo, R Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
The role of small mammals for incidence of zoonotic diseases under climate change
- 2009
-
In: The 10th International Congress of Ecology.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal-borne diseases are likely to be affected by climate change. It is of interest to analyse sensitivity of reservoir species to climate change and how changes in their ecology would affect transmission of zoonoti diseases to man. Elevated temperature in northern hemisphere may have direct effects on reservoir species by greater survival and hence generally higher population densities. Further, warmer climate may make certain key habitats more beneficial for replication and possibly greater transfer of disease. On the other hand, animal responses to climate change may vary among species and changes in their ecology causing increased variability in population size or dependence of timing with certain food resources may adversely affect reservoir species. We analysed the number of human disease cases of tick borne encephalitis (TBE), tularaemia and hantavirus in norhern Sweden in relation to population size of their most common reservoirs, the mountain hare, European hare and the bank vole. We also analysed the effect by a common predator the red fox and we used the NAO index as a proxy for climate variations. The results show that hantavirus infection in man is more dependent on the population density of reservoirs than on the climate variable. In case of tularaemia, we found a more complex ecological situation that may be climate driven.We conclude that the outcome of warmer climate may vary among species but that species adapted to northern winter conditions may be particularly sensitive to climate change.
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| 32. |
- Palo, Thomas
(author)
-
Coniferous forest and climate change
- 2004
-
In: IRISEN-II: Integrated regional impact studies in the European North. - Münster : Centre for Environmental Research. - 9783980884020 ; , s. 187-196
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 33. |
- Palo, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Distribution Of Winter Browsing By Moose: Evidence Of Long-Term Stability In Northern Sweden
- 2015
-
In: Alces. - 0835-5851. ; 51, s. 35-43
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Predicting spatial distribution of large herbivore foraging is important for successfulmanagement, but accurate predictions remain elusive against a background of multiple causes modifiedby environmental stochasticity. Moose (Alces alces) might prefer to browse areas with high plant density,but if snow depth co-varies with plant density, this could restrict access to these sites and force useof sites with lower plant density and snow depth. Moose browsing was measured in 72 plots distributedwithin the subarctic birch (Betula spp.) forest landscape at Abisko in northern Sweden in 1996. In 2010,the same plots were revisited and the measurements repeated. A generalized linear model predictedmoose browsing on birch in 2010 from the browsing pattern on birch measured in 1996. The modelsuggested that neither total density of willow and birch stems nor snow depth were influential of foragingdistribution of birch at multiple spatial scales. The spatial scale at which clustering of browsing on birchoccurred, coincided with the scale of clustering of birch and willow (Salix spp.) stems at distances of1000–2500 m; at lesser distance browsing was distributed randomly. We concluded that moose demonstratestability in spatial browsing patterns after 14 years which corresponds to 3–4 generations of moose,and that plant density represents a cue for moose only at certain scales. Predictability of feeding sites isvaluable for long-term moose and forest management, and conservation planning.
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| 34. |
- Palo, Thomas
(author)
-
Giraffe activity in Miombo and Savannah habitats
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Time sequences for feeding, chewing, walking and standing were measured for giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in forest and savannah habitats in Tanzania, East Africa. The mean time sequence devoted to activities differed between the habitats types with shorter time sequence spend feeding and longer time sequences spend walking in the savannah compared to forest habitat. The proportion of total time spent walking was 6% in savannah and 18% in forest habitat. A greater proportion of total time was spent chewing in the savannah habitat compared to the forest while standing was of equal proportion in the two habitats. The probability for number of intervals as measured by Shannon´s entropy index, indicated fragmentation of activities that differed between the two habitats. The results are discussed in relation to predictions made from optimal foraging theory.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
- Palo, Thomas R, et al.
(author)
-
Climate variability reveals complex events for tularemia dynamics in man and mammals
- 2005
-
In: Ecology and Society. - Wolfville : Resilience alliance. - 1708-3087. ; 10:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, but the natural reservoir is unknown and environmental conditions for outbreaks in mammals and man are poorly understood. The present study analyzed the synchrony between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, the number of human cases of tularemia reported in Sweden, and the density of hares. Climate variation at a lag of 2 yr explained as a single factor similar to 27% of the variation in the number of tularemia cases over time. A low NAO index, indicating cold winters, and low water flow in rivers during the coming summer were associated with high numbers of human cases of tularemia 2 yr later. The number of mountain hares was not related to NAO or to the number of cases of tularemia. The change in mountain hare numbers was negatively associated with the number of human cases, showing the sensitivity of this species to the disease. Low turnover in water environments may at some point in time trigger a chain of events leading to increased replication of F. tularensis via unknown reservoirs and/or vectors that affect humans and mammals. A possible increase in the NAO index with a future warmer climate would not be expected to facilitate a higher frequency of tularemia outbreaks in Sweden.
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| 38. |
- Palo, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Seasonal variation in the nutritional value of woody plants along a natural gradient in Eastern Africa
- 2019
-
In: African Journal of Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0141-6707 .- 1365-2028. ; 57, s. 226-237
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Several hypotheses relate a negative relationship between foliar concentration of phenolic compounds and nitrogen to physiological processes such as leaf development, seasonal variation in allocation priorities, nutrient, light and water related growth limitation, as well as herbivore attack. We sampled four common deciduous woody species of central Tanzania monthly during the growing season to assess changes in this relation and their nutritional value to ruminants. We found a negative relationship between leaf N and phenolic compounds within and among species and sites that weakens during the course of the growing season that was consistent for total phenolics, but not for condensed tannins. Leaf N concentration decreased throughout the season, its withdrawal being positively related with leaf N at first sampling date. Secondary compounds concentration showed no consistent seasonal trend. Concentrations of leaf N and phenolics were correlated with C-13 discrimination in the two shrub species and with soil P in the two tree species. Digestibility was positively correlated with foliar N and negatively correlated with secondary compounds. We conclude that phenolic compounds may serve as reliable clues for selecting foliage rich in N at site and species level only during the first months of the growing season.
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| 39. |
- Palo, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Site and density dependent factors related to hantavirus prevalence among bank voles in forest areas afflicted with human disease
-
Other publication (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural host of the Puumala virus (PUUV), an hantavirus endemic in Central and Northern Europe that cause a mild haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. We studied the bank vole populations during five years at forest sites near households with confirmed repeated human infections and at forest areas chosen at random some distance away from the settlement. We found that voles where more abundant at the site near the human settlement compared to randomly chosen forest areas. We also found that voles with large body mass were more likely to have PUUV antibody reaction than smaller individuals irrespective of site and year of collection. We found that gut concentrations of nitrogen (N) of voles varied between sites but that N concentration of PUUV seropositive animals did not differ from the seronegative ones. Nitrogen concentration in the gut content did not vary between the sexes nor with body mass of animals. Age of animals were not important in relation to diet quality. A weak positive but statistically non-significant relationship between N in gut content and vole density was observed. The vole populations at the two areas showed direct density dependence and similar dynamic. On the other hand the seropositive cohort did not show a significant density regulation. One conclusion is that human disturbance of the environment near settlement may facilitate higher population densities of voles than at more undisturbed forest sites. It seems also that large animals living near human settlements are more likely candidates for transfer of the hantavirus within the vole population and to man.
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| 40. |
- Palo, Thomas, et al.
(author)
-
Spatial and temporal variations of Cs137 in moose Alces alces and transfer to man in northern Sweden
- 2003
-
In: Wildlife Biology. - 0909-6396 .- 1903-220X. ; 9:3, s. 207-212
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 contaminated parts of the boreal forest ecosystems in Sweden, and we report on the activity concentration of radiocaesium 137Cs in the meat of moose Alces alces caught in the county of Västerbotten in north-Sweden during 1986-1996. Countywide, the geographic distribution patterns of 137Cs activity in moose muscle were similar in 1986 and 1993. The underlying relationship between 137Cs concentration in moose muscle and ground deposition remained significant for all years, but the proportion of variation explained by this relationship was variable and low in most years. The transfer rate of 137Cs to moose underwent marked annual fluctuations that appear to be synchronous over large areas. The fluctuations in the uptake of 137Cs by moose most probably result from variations in food selection or shifts in habitats. The transfer rate of 137Cs to moose seems to be higher in coastal areas than in inland areas. The 137Cs activity in moose was considerably higher in 1993 than should be expected from a simple decay model based on original deposition data and the 137Cs levels in moose meat from 1986. The large temporal variations in transfer rate make future predictions of transfer to moose and man unreliable. We found that the annual hunting of moose is a major source of 137Cs transfer to man in this region.
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
- Palo, Thomas
(author)
-
Time Series Analysis Performed on Nephropathia Epidemica in Humans of Northern Sweden in Relation to Bank Vole Population Dynamic and the NAO Index
- 2009
-
In: Zoonoses and public health. - : Wiley. - 1863-1959 .- 1863-2378. ; 56:3, s. 150-156
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Zoonotic diseases are likely to be affected by climate variations but to reveal such dependence long time series extending over several decades are required. Human cases of Hantavirus infection in Northern Sweden shows regular peaks that occurs every fourth year and the virus is associated with the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). From a perspective of climate change it is important to analyse variations in bank vole population size and human disease incidence and how these interactions is affected by climate forcing. Here I show that a time lag of two years exist between NAO index and response in the vole population and human disease incidence. In some way triggers the NAO index two years previously a build up and peak in vole density and with corresponding peak in human Hantavirus disease. Likewise, high NAO index two years previously is associated with low population density of voles. The change in number of human disease cases is positively correlated to density of bank voles and both bank voles and disease peaks at a regularity of about every fourth year. Further, the time series revealed a match between NAO index, vole population and human disease cases at a longer periodicity of 8.5 years that has not been anticipated.These contrasting climate effects makes it hard to predict how a future warmer climate will affect disease dynamics in this particular system because of complex relationship between long and short term effects.
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| 43. |
- Palo, Thomas
(author)
-
Variation in transfer factor of radiocaesium in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in clear cut and mature forest sites after the Chernobyl accident
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. - : Elsevier BV. - 0265-931X .- 1879-1700. ; 92:2, s. 112-121
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bank voles that were collected between 1986-2004 at sites in Chernobyl fall out areas of northern Sweden showed higher 137Cs activity concentrations at the mature forest sites compared to clear cuts. This difference was not attributed to differences in ground deposition between sites but to differences in aggregated transfer rates to voles. Differences in transfer between forest types were evident for all years 1986-2004 but the change occurred at different rates in the two habitats. The apparent transfer factor between bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and voles was positively related and indicated a biomagnification about 1.5 from vegetation to these small mammalian herbivores. The aggregated transfer factor to bank voles measured in the forest habitat, although starting at higher levels declined faster with time than clear cut sites and the differences between the forest habitat and the clear cut areas diminished with time. After the Chernobyl accident in 1986 the mean level in bank vole was 514 Bq/kg fresh mass (SD=505) that increased to 1485 Bq/kg (SD=881) in 1988. The activity concentration declined thereafter. The bank voles collected in similar habitats in 2004 contained on average 1022 Bq/kg (SD= 723). Still 18 years after the radio nuclide fallout over Sweden high activity concentrations in voles could be found.
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
- Tehua Lu, Timothy, et al.
(author)
-
An evaluation of the genetic-matched pair study design using genome-wide SNP data from the European population
- 2009
-
In: European Journal of Human Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1018-4813 .- 1476-5438. ; 17:7, s. 967-975
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic matching potentially provides a means to alleviate the effects of incomplete Mendelian randomization in population-based gene-disease association studies. We therefore evaluated the genetic-matched pair study design on the basis of genome-wide SNP data (309 790 markers; Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mapping 500K Array) from 2457 individuals, sampled at 23 different recruitment sites across Europe. Using pair-wise identity-by-state (IBS) as a matching criterion, we tried to derive a subset of markers that would allow identification of the best overall matching (BOM) partner for a given individual, based on the IBS status for the subset alone. However, our results suggest that, by following this approach, the prediction accuracy is only notably improved by the first 20 markers selected, and increases proportionally to the marker number thereafter. Furthermore, in a considerable proportion of cases (76.0%), the BOM of a given individual, based on the complete marker set, came from a different recruitment site than the individual itself. A second marker set, specifically selected for ancestry sensitivity using singular value decomposition, performed even more poorly and was no more capable of predicting the BOM than randomly chosen subsets. This leads us to conclude that, at least in Europe, the utility of the genetic-matched pair study design depends critically on the availability of comprehensive genotype information for both cases and controls. European Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 17, 967-975; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.266; published online 21 January 2009
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| 46. |
- Zimmerman, Jenny, 1972-, et al.
(author)
-
Influence of water regulation and water flow on noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) catch in the River Ljungan, Sweden
- 2008
-
In: International association of Astacology, IAA18 konferens in Kuopio, August 2008.. - 9789512713226 ; , s. 141-144
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Free-flowing water is thought to be of importance for reproduction and body growth of noble crayfish, Astacus astacus (Linnaeus), in the northern edge of its distribution area. A hydroelectric power plant with a bypass tunnel was built in the River Ljungan, Sweden, in 1976. This reduced the mean water flow in the old river bed from about 60 m3 s-1 to 3 m3 s-1. The sites with the largest reduction of water flow had the largest decline in catch per unit effort of crayfish. At one site the catches were reduced by > 60%, but the catch success varied between locations. At all sites, water regulation seemed to have an effect, even though catch per unit effort was possibly affected by a number of other factors. © 2010 International Association of Astacology.
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| 47. |
- Zimmerman, Jenny, 1972-, et al.
(author)
-
Influence of water regulation and water flow on Noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) catch yield in Ljungan a Northern Swedish River after building of a power plant
- 2010
-
In: Freshwater Crayfish. - 2076-4324. ; 17, s. 141-144
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Free-flowing water is thought to be of importance for reproduction and body growth of noble crayfish (Astacus astacus (Linné)) in the northern edge of its distribution area.A hydroelectric power plant with a bypass tunnel was built in the river Ljungan in 1976. This reduced the mean water flow in the old river bed from about 60m3/s to 3m3/s. The sites with the largest reduction of water flow had the largest decline in catch per unit effort of crayfish. At one site the catches were reduced by >60%, but the catch success varied between locations. In all sites the regulation seemed to have an effect, even though catch per unit effort was possibly affected by a number of other factors.KEY WORDS: Catch yield, noble crayfish (Astacus astacus), water flow, water level regulation
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- Zimmerman, Jenny K. M., 1972-
(author)
-
Noble Crayfish (Astacus astacus) in a Changing World : Implications for Management
- 2012
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) is critically endangered in Sweden. This is mainly due to the crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci), a lethal disease that, among other things, can be spread through the stocking of fish from contaminated water or contaminated fishing gear. The largest single propagation path is the illegal introduction of infected signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). A conservation measure for crayfish is to re-introduce it to where it has a chance to survive, though a sustainable, locally regulated fishing can also serve as an indirect protection for the species. When the local inhabitants are allowed to keep their fishing culture and when fishing is acceptable, the incentive for illegal stocking of signal crayfish is low. However, it is important to avoid overfishing because the recovery, especially in the northern regions, can take several years. Therefore, it is important to know how crayfish respond long-term to fishing and environmental factors.Crayfish populations became extinct in the River Ljungan for unknown reasons in 1999. The water flow of the river has been used for activities such as fishing, timber transport and hydroelectric power since the 1500s, and the noble crayfish has been part of the fauna since the last century. The River Ljungan was known as one of Sweden's best fishing areas for crayfish and fishing became an important part of the local tradition. When the crayfish populations became extinct, a reintroduction program was a natural step, and crayfish are nowadays re-established in the river.From 1963 to 1990 the Swedish Board of Fisheries collected data from crayfish fishing in the River Ljungan to determine the economic damage to fishery owners caused by the construction of a power plant. After each season the fishermen reported the catch. In this thesis, the data was used to investigate which factors influence the long-term size of the crayfish catch and how the crayfish catches were affected by the power plant building. After re-introduction of the crayfish to the River Ljungan, the local fishermen monitored the population development in a simple, standardized way. To examine the validity of their measurements and to investigate the body growth of the individuals, a capture-recapture technique with a permanent marking of the crayfish was used.The crayfish catches were primarily impacted by the previous years' catch size, and a large catch the previous year resulted in a reduced catch the following year. A mild winter climate (NAO-index > -0.7) six years before the catch implied a large catch, whereas a high water flow during the autumn or spring (>95m3s-1) two years before the catch, implied a poor catch. Major habitat changes in the form of greatly reduced water flow (~90%) were negative for crayfish catches. The standardized method of fishing used by the local fishermen to monitor the development of the crayfish population was precise enough to detect population trends and this method can therefore be recommended to monitor future re-introductions of crayfish. Although the River Ljungan is located at the northern edge of the species' range, noble crayfish in the river presently have a body growth rate that is close to the maximum measured for crayfish (8 mm/moult for females and 10 mm/moult for males).Based on the results, the most important advice for sustainable fisheries in Ljungan and other northern rivers is to:Monitor the population trends, NAO-index and water flow in May and October. Use the results from the monitoring to determine the number of allowed fishing days and traps.Collect data about the catch size and efforts from legal fishing and use it to evaluate the sustainability of the fishing.Enhance the buildup of the harvestable cohort by-saving reproductive females-introduce a size limit of 10 cm-provide proper shelters for the non-harvestable cohort.
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