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
Authors
Trygve S. Aamlid Sigridur Dalmannsdottir Kristoffer Herland Hellton Marit Jørgensen Ievina Sturite Carl Gunnar Fossdal Akhil Reddy Pashapu Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi Helga Amdahl Odd Arne RognliAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Plant selection is critical for the performance and long-term functionality of NBS. However, selecting suitable species remains challenging due to factors such as the need to balance multiple performance criteria. This study addressed this gap by proposing a structured decision-making framework for roadside rain gardens (RGs) in cold climates, based on three objectives, thirteen criteria, and sixteen quantitative metrics scored on a 1–5 scale. The framework was tested on five plant species commonly used in RGs in Norway to demonstrate its application and assess data availability for the metrics. Results showed that the evaluated plant species exhibit different strengths across objectives: for instance, Bolboschoenus maritimus excelled in plant procurement and establishment support, while Iris pseudacorus scored highest in functions of interest. Consequently, a combination of high-performing species was recommended for RG vegetation design. While the framework was successfully applied, limited data for some metrics required assumptions, highlighting the need for more comprehensive species-specific databases. Given the critical role of plants in the success of NBS, it is recommended that the framework be integrated into official RG design guidelines, with criteria tailored to local conditions.
Authors
Elvira Castillo-Almansa Rubén G. Mateo Mercè Galbany-Casals Carme Blanco-Gavaldà Lucía D. Moreyra Cristina Roquet Christian Brochmann Abel Gizaw Seid Desalegn Chala Alfonso Susanna Juan A. CallejaAbstract
Climate change poses a significant threat to the Afrotemperate flora of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, particularly to species confined to high-elevation ecosystems such as those found on the African sky islands. This study evaluates the vulnerability of tropical Afroalpine and Afromontane Helichrysum taxa (Compositae) by assessing their climatic niches and predicting future shifts in distribution, range fragmentation, and altitudinal limits under climate change scenarios. Occurrence records for 14 taxa (eight Afroalpine and six Afromontane) were obtained from recent field campaigns, biodiversity databases and herbaria. Ensemble ecological niche models were developed combining Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Boosting Models, and Random Forest. Taxon-specific bioclimatic variables were selected after correlation analyses. The models were calibrated using current climate data and projected using the PSL-CM6A-LR and MRI-ESM2.0 climate models with both low- and high-emission scenarios. The results show that most Afrotemperate taxa currently occupy only a portion of their climatically suitable habitat, often in geographically distant areas. Future projections indicate significant range contractions and increased fragmentation. Afroalpine taxa could lose 50–66% of their suitable habitat, while Afromontane taxa could decline by 53–79%. Suitable areas were estimated to shift upwards in elevation, with limited potential for colonization of new areas, and with no significant latitudinal or longitudinal shifts. These findings represent the first continental-scale assessment of the impact of climate change on the Afrotemperate flora using ecological niche modelling. The projected climate-induced range losses and increased habitat fragmentation, in particular combined with increasing anthropogenic pressure in this region, highlight the urgent need for targeted conservation actions.
Abstract
Timothy is the primary forage grass seed crop in Norway, where effective control of dicot weeds and lodging management are critical to maximizing seed yield and meeting seed purity standards. Optimal timing of gibberellic acid–inhibiting plant growth regulators (PGRs), such as chlormequat chloride (CCC) and trinexapac-ethyl (TE), often coincides with spring herbicide applications, raising concerns about crop safety and herbicide efficacy when products are tank-mixed. Field experiments were conducted in 2022 and 2023 at two locations in Norway to evaluate the effect of tank-mixing PGRs with commonly used herbicides on seed yield and quality, weed control, and lodging in timothy. Plant growth regulators (CCC (1500 g ai ha⁻¹) and TE (150 g ai ha⁻¹) were applied either as split applications (herbicide at BBCH 25; PGR at BBCH 35) or tank-mixed (BBCH 30–35) with one of three herbicide combinations: fluroxypyr + florasulam, florasulam + diflufenican, or aminopyralid + 2,4-D + florasulam. Seed yield was affected by PGR (P ≤ 0.05) but not by herbicide treatments. TE reduced plant height and lodging more than CCC; however, relative yield responses varied with stand age. Tank-mixing did not reduce seed yield and herbicide efficacy. Crop injury from tank-mixtures was minimal and temporary, and no reductions in final seed germination were observed. Tank-mixing CCC and TE PGRs with herbicides provided effective weed control and maintained optimal seed yield and quality, offering operational flexibility for timothy seed producers.
Abstract
Green roofs are increasingly recognized as nature-based solutions that enhance urban resilience by supporting biodiversity, regulating microclimates, and mitigating stormwater runoff. However, their performance—particularly in extensive, lightweight systems—is often constrained by drought stress, which limits plant survival and ecosystem functioning under climate change. While substrate composition has been widely investigated in this context, the role of wind as a co-driver of drought impacts remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined how moderate wind interacts with substrate properties to shape drought responses in green roof vegetation. Using three non-succulent species (Plantago maritima, Pilosella officinarum, and Festuca rubra), we quantified substrate and plant water balance, physiological performance, wilting dynamics, and survival under prolonged drought conditions. Our results demonstrate that wind significantly accelerates drought effects—regardless of species or substrate—by intensifying substrate desiccation, with critical moisture thresholds reached at 6–8%. While wind alone did not impair plant performance under well-watered conditions, its interaction with drought markedly reduced survival time and increased physiological stress. Although general response patterns were consistent across species, subtle interspecific differences indicate that plant selection for green roofs should account for combined drought and wind exposure. These findings highlight wind as an overlooked but critical factor in the design and evaluation of resilient green roof systems and potentially contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of vegetation performance in urban nature-based solutions under climate stress.
Authors
Johannes Kollmann Larissa Uhe Marcello D’Amico Jan C. Habel Tina Heger Svenja B. Kroeger Tommy Lennartsson Hans Martin HanslinAbstract
Roadside habitats have abiotic and biotic conditions that deviate from natural habitats and thus constitute “novel ecosystems” with insufficient adaptation of native biota. In roadsides, the net effect of positive and negative impacts determines population viability. This situation constitutes an “ecological trap,” when attractive habitats become demographic sinks due to locally reduced reproduction or increased mortality. The impact could be exacerbated by novel ecological factors. To investigate to what extent, for which species, and under which conditions ecological traps are actually occurring, we reviewed the effects of roadsides on plant and animal performance and population dynamics. We identified 390 relevant publications with 470 different effect cases based on a standardized literature review (2008–2018). Overall, 30% of these cases reported positive effects of roadsides on plant and animal populations, 31% of cases reported negative effects, and 39% showed no effects at all. In only 18 cases, negative effects were combined with positive ones, most often due to attractive but unsuitable habitats that constituted ecological traps. Ecological novelty was not used to interpret these effects. We conclude that there is abundant literature on ecological effects of roadsides, while specific research is needed on ecological traps, including potential effects of ecological novelty.
Authors
Tommy Lennartsson Marcello D’Amico Weronika Axelsson Linkowski Hans Martin Hanslin Johannes Kollmann Svenja B. Kroeger Larissa Uhe Anna Westin Jörgen WissmanAbstract
Roads impose several types of negative impact on landscapes and biodiversity, but may also favor some organisms by providing habitats and dispersal corridors. To prioritize, plan, design, and perform activities for promoting biodiversity in road verges, it is essential to understand which key environmental factors contribute to forming different types of roadside habitats. In this chapter, we explore relationships between biodiversity and environmental factors in road verges based on a literature review with a primary focus of vascular plants and arthropods. Roadside literature indicates a number of interacting ecological factors, which together form the roadside habitat and determine community composition. These key factors can be assigned to three groups: (1) ecological conditions such as soil, topography, and microclimate, (2) ecological processes such as vegetation succession and disturbance or management of ground and vegetation, and (3) the surrounding landscape. Based on the identified key factors, we suggest an ecological classification of roadside habitats into four major groups, namely successional roadsides, dry roadsides, tallgrass roadsides, and meadow roadsides. Trees and shrubs can occur in all groups, for example as tree avenues or hedgerows, resulting in a cross-cutting subgroup: successional/dry/tallgrass/meadow roadsides with trees and shrubs.
Authors
Ascensão, Fernando Barrientos, Rafael Araya-Gamboa, Daniela Bannock, Carol Baxter-Gilbert, James Bhardwaj, Manisha Biasotto, Larissa D. Boyle, Sean P. Camacho, Carlos Carmona, Guillermo Celi, Jorge E. Chiles, Sarah Clevenger, Anthony P. Colino Rabanal, Victor J. Collinson-Jonker, Wendy J. Corlett, Richard T. Darryl, Jones N. Deacon, Charl Engert, Jayden E. Ford, Adam Goldfarb, Benjamin Grilo, Clara Haider, Sylvia Hans Martin Hanslin Hernandez-Hernandez, Javier Hughes, Alice C. Huijser, Marcel P. Jaeger, Jochen A. G. Jakes, Andrew F. Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R. Jones, Paul F. Kindel, Andreas Kollmann, Johannes Svenja B. Kroeger Lamb, Clayton Langen, Tom A. Laurance, William F. Leal, Cecilia G. Lennartsson, Tommy Lourenço, Rui Mahmoud, Mahmoud Ibrahim Malo, Juan E. Maslo, Brooke McClure, Christopher J. W. Medrano-Vizcaíno, Pablo Megía-Palma, Rodrigo Mestre, Frederico Millán, Javier Milton, Suzanne J. Moreira, Francisco Morelli, Federico Mulero-Pázmány, Margarita Navarro, Laetitia M. Paige, L. Christine Petrovan, Silviu Phillips, Benjamin B. Popp, Jesse N. Quiles, Pablo Raiter, Keren Gila Rodriguez, Airam Román, Jacinto Rytwinski, Trina Samways, Michael J. Santoro, Simone Santos, Sara M. Schlacher, Thomas A. Seidler, Renee G. Selva, Nuria Shilling, Fraser M. Soanes, Kylie Stokes, Josie Sánchez de Miguel, Alejandro Teixeira, Fernanda Zimmermann Thompson, Cassie J. Varela, Diego Wang, Yun Weston, Michael A. van der Grift, Edgar A. van der Ree, Rodney D’Amico, MarcelloAbstract
Road Ecology has experienced rapid growth as a field, yet significant knowledge and research gaps remain, particularly regarding underexplored impacts of roads on fauna and flora, ecosystems and landscapes, as mitigation methods and management solutions to avoid or reduce negative impacts. Here, we synthesize the key research needs identified throughout the book and emphasize topics that have received limited attention, highlighting the growing need for interdisciplinary and technologically advanced studies, and innovative statistical methodologies to assess infrastructure impacts and the combined effects of different types of infrastructures (such as roads and powerlines) on biodiversity. We highlight the need for more comprehensive studies on ecosystem functioning, evolutionary effects, and the role of roadside habitats, while calling for improvements in the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures and large-scale assessments of road impacts. Emerging research priorities for Road Ecology include a growing emphasis on interdisciplinary and technologically advanced studies, and innovative statistical methodologies to assess infrastructure impacts and the combined effects of multiple infrastructures (such as roads and powerlines) on biodiversity. The impact of new infrastructure in areas supporting multiple migratory species is also becoming a priority issue, especially in regions where there is significant growth in infrastructure projects. Interdisciplinary efforts should prioritize strategies that balance infrastructure development with biodiversity conservation, especially in rapidly developing regions.
Authors
Siv Mari Aurdal Alexander T. Sentinella Gerald Schmilewski James Altland Jean Caron Paul Alexander Martine Holtkamp Bart Vandecasteele Beatrix W. AlsaniusAbstract
The term “sustainable growing media” is widely used in horticultural research, policy, and industry, yet its meaning remains ambiguous, inconsistently applied, and often unsupported by evidence, undermining the very decisions it is meant to guide. Materials are frequently characterised as sustainable based on single attributes, such as being peat-free, recycled, renewable or aligned with policy priorities, without demonstrating reliable horticultural performance, economic viability, social responsibility or reduced environmental impact within real production systems. This paper examines why defining sustainable growing media has proven persistently challenging and why a single, universal definition may be neither achievable nor even useful. Drawing on existing literature and policy initiatives, we analyse sustainability through its environmental, economic and social pillars, highlighting how narrow or assumption-based assessments obscure trade-offs and shift, rather than reduce, environmental and social burdens. We argue that sustainability in growing media is not an inherent material property but a context-dependent outcome that must be demonstrated within a defined production system. Rather than proposing a new definition, we outline eight minimum conditions for responsible use of the term, emphasising measurable impacts, functional performance, economic feasibility, and explicit treatment of trade-offs. Where such evidence is lacking, precise, verifiable descriptors should replace broad sustainability claims.
Abstract
Abstract Timothy ( Phleum pratense L.) is a perennial grass widely grown for livestock feed in temperate regions of the world. It is one of the primary forage grasses grown for seed in Scandinavia due to good cold tolerance and high‐quality feed characteristics. Changes to European Union requirements for use of organic seed in organic forage and livestock production are expected and will soon increase demand for organic timothy seed in the region. An inadequate nitrogen (N) supply is a key yield‐limiting challenge on many arable farms in Norway's main seed‐growing region. In this study, we investigated methods to produce organic timothy seed with limited access to manure, by intercropping seven legume species sown with timothy in the same row or in alternate rows. Timothy seed was harvested for two seed production years in three field experiments in southeastern Norway. Sowing annual legumes with timothy increased seed yield by 10%–25% in first‐year stands. Berseem clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and subterranean clover ( Trifolium subterraneum L.) sown in the same row with timothy provided the most consistent seed yield increases. Perennial legume intercrops decreased seed yield by 10%–36% in first‐year stands, but black medic ( Medicago lupulina L.) provided 21%–64% seed yield increases in second‐year stands. Seed yield increases in response to legume intercrops were attributable to panicle number and seed number but not seed weight. Timothy seed purity standards can be met if the legume has a seed size and shape that can be removed during seed cleaning.