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
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Desalegn Chala Diress Tsegaye Alemu Habtamu Alem Belachew Asalf Tadesse Melesse Eshetu_Moges Nega Tassie Abate Ayalew Wondie Aklilu Tilahun Tadesse Abebayehu Aticho Alemu Gonsamo Lanhui Wang Erick Lundgren Jeffrey Kerby Jens Christian SvenningAbstract
Abstract Water hyacinth is among the world’s most damaging aquatic invasive plants, forming dense mats that disrupt ecosystem functioning, fisheries, navigation, and livelihoods across tropical and subtropical freshwater systems. Its rapid spread is driven by clonal propagation, short life cycles, and prolific seed production, particularly under nutrient-enriched conditions. Although mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods are widely applied, their long-term effectiveness remains uncertain when underlying eutrophication persists. Here, we present a large-scale, one-time water hyacinth removal campaign in Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, as a representative nutrient-rich tropical freshwater system. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, we quantified coverage one month before removal, one month after removal, and one year later. We integrated SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis with a socio-ecological system map to assess mitigation mechanisms and identify sustainable management pathways capable of providing long-term solutions to halt water hyacinth proliferation in freshwater bodies. The campaign removed over 75% (~1271 ha) of water hyacinth, yet within one year the plant resurged to levels ~18% higher than pre-removal. This rebound highlights the ecological resilience of water hyacinth and the limitations of short term, noncontinuous control strategies. Our analysis identifies unmanaged catchment nutrient inputs as the primary driver of proliferation. Lake Tana serves as a model system demonstrating that water hyacinth functions less as a traditional invader and more as a bioindicator of eutrophication. We propose a transferable conceptual and methodological framework combining continuous removal, catchment-based nutrient management, and circular bioeconomy approaches, offering globally relevant lessons for sustainable management of nutrient-enriched tropical freshwater systems.
Authors
Ingunn Berget Atle Wehn Hegnes Mari Øvrum Gaarder Valerie Lengard Almli Geir Wæhler GustavsenAbstract
Consumers play a key role in the much-needed transition to a more sustainable food system. However, consumers' willingness and ability to undergo behavioural changes may depend on personality traits as well as their motivation and awareness of the need for a more sustainable food consumption. Segmentation of consumers can therefore be useful for understanding individual differences and for the development of targeted interventions for behavioural changes. In this paper, an instrument to profile and classify Norwegian consumers is developed using a national representative sample (N = 3600). The proposed instrument comprises twenty items to measure personality traits defined by a condensed version of the Big Five Inventory as well as seven items related to attitudes to food waste, reuse and recycling. Three segments characterised by differences in openness to experience, and attitudes to food waste and reuse/recycling were identified. The segments are profiled on habits related to purchase behaviour, meal planning, as well as frequency of meat and vegetable consumption. Based on the profiles, the segments were labelled Need to Change (30%), Want to Change (41%) and Hard to Change (29%) emphasizing either low concern about food waste (Need to Change), higher concern and openness to change (Want to Change) or low scores on openness (Hard to Change). We propose that the developed instrument can be applied for profiling consumers in the Norwegian context, for tailoring consumer interventions. The study underscores that supporting the food system transition requires differentiated consumer strategies: engaging the motivated, empowering the open, and carefully reaching the resistant.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Sustainable intensification technologies (SITs) are widely promoted across sub-Saharan Africa to improve productivity and reduce land degradation. However, their relationship with land use efficiency remains insufficiently understood. This study uses a translog stochastic frontier model and farm-level data from 372 smallholder maize farmers in northern Ghana to examine how SIT adoption is associated with technical land use efficiency (TLUE). On average, SIT adopters are 21% more land efficient than non-adopters, requiring approximately 24% less land to achieve the same output. Since land is treated as a fixed input in the frontier, the TLUE score directly reflects the effective land needed to produce observed yields. Adoption of improved seed, balanced fertilizer use, and agroecological practices is linked to better resource use, with the largest gains among farmers who initially operate furthest from the frontier. These efficiency improvements may reduce pressure for cropland expansion and support sustainable land management, especially when combined with enabling conditions such as credit access, extension support, and secure tenure. This study provides novel empirical evidence on how productivity improvements through SIT can enhance land use efficiency and contribute to land sparing outcomes. The findings offer insights for policies targeting land degradation neutrality and inclusive agricultural transformation in Ghana and similar contexts.
Authors
Geir Wæhler Gustavsen Marianne Bechmann Sigrun Hjalmarsdottir Kværnø Divina Gracia P. Rodriguez Jian LiuAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Lampros LamprinakisAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Ffion Evans James Gibbons Luciana Bava Dave Chadwick Stefania Colombini Valborg Kvakkestad Lampros Lamprinakis Vibeke Lind Martina Pavesi Prysor Williams Sophie Wynne-JonesAbstract
No abstract has been registered
2025
Abstract
No abstract has been registered