Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2026
Abstract
SUMMARY: This report presents the outcomes of a technical assignment carried out under the Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) Project in Amhara, Ethiopia (2019–2024). The assignment aimed to develop a practical, remote sensing-based methodology for monitoring vegetation cover change in exclosure areas—sites designated for natural regeneration by excluding human and livestock activity. The assignment also included capacity building to strengthen local expertise in applying these monitoring methods. NORWEGIAN SUMMARY: Denne rapporten presenterer resultatene av et teknisk oppdrag utført under Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) prosjektet i Amhara, Etiopia (2019–2024). Målet med oppdraget var å utvikle en praktisk, fjernmålingsbasert metodikk for å overvåke endringer i vegetasjonsdekke i eksklusjonsområder—områder som er utpekt for naturlig regenerering ved å ekskludere menneskelig og husdyraktivitet. Oppdraget inkluderte også kapasitetsbygging for å styrke lokal ekspertise i anvendelsen av disse overvåkingsmetodene.
Authors
Habtamu Alem Diress Tsegaye Alemu Ibrahim Issifu Daniel D.N. Nortey Linda Bana Denis W. Aheto Belachew Gizachew ZelekeAbstract
Mangrove condition reflects interactions among ecological pressures, livelihood dependence, institutional arrangements, and biophysical constraints on regeneration. This study compares seven purposively selected rapid-appraisal sites in Ghana's Greater Amanzule Wetlands in the Western Region and the Lower Volta Delta. Evidence combines May 2025 site appraisals, 14 semi-structured interviews, three group discussions, spatial and secondary ecological information, and historical livelihood context from GLSS7 (2016–2017). Institutional functioning was assessed descriptively through rule recognition and participation, monitoring and responses to violations, and collective action, without assigning unsupported site-level scores. Visible disturbance was lower in the Western sites, with a median score of 2 (range 2–3), than in the Lower Volta sites, where the median was 4. Stakeholder accounts also indicated more consistently recognised rules and participation in the Western system, while implementation was described as less consistent in the Lower Volta. Monitoring responsibilities, frequency, and responses to violations were insufficiently documented in both systems, preventing comparison of monitoring effectiveness. Because governance evidence was primarily regional and sites were purposively selected, these findings represent a descriptive association between two coastal systems, not seven independent institutional observations or a causal institutional effect. Hydrology, hydroperiod, sediment supply, salinity, geomorphology, and the scale of pressure also condition disturbance and regeneration opportunities. Effective responses should therefore combine participatory rule implementation, collective action, transparent monitoring arrangements, livelihood measures, and restoration strategies matched to local biophysical conditions and the geographical scale of dominant stressors.
Authors
Diress Tsegaye Alemu Jonathan Rizzi Ulrike Bayr Misganu Debella-Gilo Richard Adade Denis W. Aheto Belachew Gizachew ZelekeAbstract
Extensive ecosystem degradation along the coastal areas of Ghana highlights the need for targeted landscape restoration. This study identified areas with high restoration potential by evaluating environmental, climatic, and anthropogenic determinants of mangrove distribution. We tested multiple habitat suitability models, including Random Forest (RF), Generalized Additive Model (GAM), Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), and an ensemble approach. Mangrove occurrence records were compiled from field observations, drone-derived data, and publicly available biodiversity and mapped datasets. The ensemble GAM-RF model emerged as the most robust model, with the highest predictive performance. Hydrological and topographic factors were the strongest predictors of mangrove habitat suitability, particularly proximity to rivers and the coastline, low-elevation terrain (<5 m asl), and temperature-related bioclimatic variables, while precipitation metrics and anthropogenic proxies played secondary roles. Using the ensemble approach, the estimated potentially suitable habitat ranged from 417 to 1313 km2, indicating that substantial areas remain available for mangrove restoration. These findings align with ongoing national and international restoration initiatives, including the coastal restoration plan, and have important implications for coastal protection, carbon sequestration, fisheries habitat, and local livelihoods. Our findings demonstrate that multi-model habitat suitability analyses can guide spatially targeted, and evidence-based restoration planning.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
We invite projects working on soil and water challenges to participate in an interactive session on Integrated Systems Approaches for Soil Health and Water Challenges. The session will combine short project inputs with guided group discussions, focusing on understanding soil–water problems as interconnected, non-linear systems involving multiple drivers and actors. Projects may contribute a short framing presentation and/or actively participate in the interactive exercise. The goal is to foster shared learning across projects and illustrate how a systems approach supports more coherent analysis and solution development.
Abstract
Wood continues to evolve as a sustainable construction material in response to global demands for circularity, climate resilience, and resource efficiency. This study develops lightweight bio-based insulation panels from wood chips, cellulose nanofibrils, and macroalgae processing residues, demonstrating enhanced fire resistance, thermal and acoustic properties. By transforming wood and marine biomass into high-value multifunctional products, the work extends the life of wood beyond traditional applications. The study highlights how innovative wood-based composites can strengthen circular bioeconomy value chains and support resilient, low-carbon buildings in an ever-changing world.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
In boreal and subarctic regions, dwarf shrubs may dominate the ground cover in forests as well as open habitats. Therefore, their contribution to the carbon capture in these areas is important to quantify. The length of the growing season impacts greatly on the carbon capture and is also very variable depending on duration of the snow cover as well as daylenghts and temperatures. In a project studying many ecological aspects of dwarf shrubs in four sites in Norway, we compare a coastal and an inland site in the south and the north of the country. The coastal sites typically have less snow than the inland sites, whereas the southern sites have higher mean air temperatures than the northern sites. The extremes of these four sites are then the southern coastal site where the snowless season with favourable temperatures can come in April, versus the northern continental site where snowmelt and favourable temperatures may come in June when there is midnight sun. If the plants from varying locations are differently adapted to start photosynthesising and producing new leaves, it will impact on the seasonal carbon capture. To compare these abilities between sites, we collected plants from each site and grew them in controlled conditions giving them the same winter and spring startup conditions. The dwarf shrubs Calluna vulgaris and Empetrum nigrum are among the species we studied. Repeated measurements of photosynthesis rate, respiration rate and branch lengths were done to investigate the phenology. This presentation will show how the species differed between sites of origin and the results will be discussed with respect to the normal climate at each site.
Authors
Annbjørg KristoffersenAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Tove Ortman Jan Bengtsson Christine A. Watson Karin Gerhardt Tor Arvid Breland Emil Sandström Göran BergkvistAbstract
Landrace cereals have become more popular among organic farmers in Europe. However, little is known about the response of landraces to environmental conditions and farmers’ management compared to modern cultivars. A co-designed field experiment, informed by Swedish farmers’ experiences of landrace cereals, was used to investigate how traits valued by organic farmers differ between four landrace and three modern varieties of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different environmental conditions and depending on nutrient applications. The experiment was organically managed and consisted of four randomized complete blocks in four environments, comprising two sites during two consecutive years. The varieties responded similarly to fertilization. The most recent modern variety had the highest grain yield of all varieties but the lowest protein content. At low or medium initial availability of nitrogen, landraces were shown to yield similarly to modern organic varieties, give high and stable protein content, and in addition suppress weeds better and produce higher straw yields. In one experimental environment, the initial amount of soil mineral nitrogen was high, and all four landraces yielded considerably less than all modern varieties. These results show the potential for landraces to provide both food and ecosystem services under low-input organic conditions.