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.
2023
Abstract
Artificial freezing tests were performed on seedlings from Norway spruce families at the end of the first growing season. Similar tests were made on twigs collected from trees in a progeny test at the end of growing season nine. The 26 families in the early test were included in the short-term progeny test with 100 full-sib families from a 10 x 10 factorial cross. All families were also planted in seven field trials in Norway, Sweden and Finland, from which data on mortality, tree heights and stem damage at age 10 years are available. Significant difference was found among families for freezing test injuries on whole intact seedlings at the end of the first growing season and for lethal temperature of needles on detached twigs collected at the end of growing season nine. However, no relationships were found between the freezing test scores of families in the two types of tests or few between these scores and the traits measured in the short-term and field trials. The results show that frost hardiness testing of families at a young age, grown under artificial temperature and light conditions in nursery, is a weak predictor of their performance under natural conditions in field at older ages.
Authors
Jørgen E. Olesen Robert M. Rees Sylvie Recous Marina Azzaroli Bleken Diego Abalos Ishita Ahuja Klaus Butterbach-Bahl Marco Carozzi Chiara De Notaris Maria Ernfors Edwin Haas Sissel Hansen Baldur Janz Gwenaëlle Lashermes Raia S. Massad Søren O. Petersen Tatiana Francischinelli Rittl Clemens Scheer Kate E. Smith Pascal Thiébeau Arezoo Taghizadeh-Toosi Rachel E. Thorman Cairistiona F. E. ToppAbstract
Crop residues are important inputs of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to soils and thus directly and indirectly affect nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. As the current inventory methodology considers N inputs by crop residues as the sole determining factor for N2O emissions, it fails to consider other underlying factors and processes. There is compelling evidence that emissions vary greatly between residues with different biochemical and physical characteristics, with the concentrations of mineralizable N and decomposable C in the residue biomass both enhancing the soil N2O production potential. High concentrations of these components are associated with immature residues (e.g., cover crops, grass, legumes, and vegetables) as opposed to mature residues (e.g., straw). A more accurate estimation of the short-term (months) effects of the crop residues on N2O could involve distinguishing mature and immature crop residues with distinctly different emission factors. The medium-term (years) and long-term (decades) effects relate to the effects of residue management on soil N fertility and soil physical and chemical properties, considering that these are affected by local climatic and soil conditions as well as land use and management. More targeted mitigation efforts for N2O emissions, after addition of crop residues to the soil, are urgently needed and require an improved methodology for emission accounting. This work needs to be underpinned by research to (1) develop and validate N2O emission factors for mature and immature crop residues, (2) assess emissions from belowground residues of terminated crops, (3) improve activity data on management of different residue types, in particular immature residues, and (4) evaluate long-term effects of residue addition on N2O emissions.
Authors
Arne SteffenremAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Forest tree breeding must undergo significant revisions to adapt to the evolving challenges posed by climate change. Addressing the shifts in environmental conditions requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach that includes theoretical work and practical application. Specifically, there is a need to focus on developing new breeding strategies that are theoretically sound and practically feasible, considering the economic constraints of actual tree breeding programs. We present a novel concept utilizing genetic evaluation of multiple traits in forest stands of successive ages across wide ecological ranges. Incorporating genomics allows for detailed genetic evaluation, making use of high-density SNP markers and sophisticated algorithms like GBLUP for genetic parameter estimates. High-throughput phenotyping is conducted using drone-borne lidar technology to capture tree height and survival data across various forest stands. Assisted migration is considered to strategically position genotypes across predicted environmental climatic gradients, thereby accommodating the dynamic nature of ecological shifts. Mathematical optimization acts as an essential component for logistics, guiding the spatial allocation and timely substitution of genotypes to ensure a continually adaptive breeding program. The concept replaces distinct breeding cycles with continuous evaluation and selection, enhancing the rate of genetic response over time.
Authors
Barbara Mariotti Juan A. Oliet Enrique Andivia Marianthi Tsakaldimi Pedro Villar-Salvador Vladan Ivetić Antonio Montagnoli Ivona Kerkez Janković Nebi Bilir Henrik Bohlenius Branislav Cvjetković Kārlis Dūmiņš Juha Heiskanen Georgi Hinkov Inger Sundheim Fløistad Claudia CocozzaAbstract
Purpose of Review The demand for forest tree seedlings is increasing globally, and Sphagnum peat moss is widely used as a component of growing media for container plant production. However, peat extraction is environmentally unsustainable. The forest nursery sector needs to switch to more sustainable alternatives to peat. This review aims to identify potential substitutes for peat by reviewing the worldwide literature on alternative materials for growing media in forest nurseries. Recent Findings Most studies on alternative growing media focused on single plant species growing under local conditions, thereby limiting generalizations about the effectiveness of alternative materials for plant production. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews of scientific literature on the effectiveness of new, alternative-to-peat materials for enhancing plant growth and the associated growing media characteristics for the forest nursery sector are currently available. Summary Most of the analyzed case studies focused on angiosperms (73.1%), with the majority of studies coming from tropical seasonal forests/savannas (36.5%), followed by woodlands/shrublands (31.6%), and temperate forests (15.0%) biomes. Compost was the most studied material (19.5%), followed by bark, other organic materials, and manure (9.8, 9.7, and 8.0%, respectively). Green and municipal wastes were the principal sources of compost (> 60%), while agriculture and green wastes were the first sources of other materials (> 90%). Tested materials were dependent on the geographic region. Thus, manure was the most tested material in Africa and South America, tree bark in North America, and compost in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Alternative materials effectively provided optimal physicochemical characteristics of growing media and enhanced seedling nursery growth when compared with peat-based growing media in more than 60% of the case studies. This review helps to identify research gaps and, most importantly, provides the basis for the future application of alternative growing media materials in forest nursery management worldwide.
Authors
Milan Mataruga Branislav Cvjetković Bart De Cuyper Ina Aneva Petar Zhelev Pavel Cudlín Marek Metslaid Ville Kankaanhuhta Catherine Collet Peter Annighöfer Thomas Mathes Tsakaldimi Marianthi Paitaridou Despoina Rakel J. Jónsdóttir Maria Cristina Monteverdi Giovanbattista de Dato Barbara Mariotti Dana Dina Kolevska Jelena Lazarević Inger Sundheim Fløistad Marcin Klisz Wojciech Gil Vasco Paiva Teresa Fonseca Valeriu-Norocel Nicolescu Vladan Popović Jovana Devetaković Ivan Repáč Gregor Božič Hojka Kraigher Enrique Andivia Julio J. Diez Henrik Böhlenius Magnus Löf Nebi Bilir Pedro Villar-SalvadorAbstract
The relationship between the quality of forest seedlings and their outplanting survival and growth has long been recognized. Various attributes have been proposed to measure the quality of planted seedlings in forest regeneration projects, ranging from simple morphological traits to more complex physiological and performance attributes, or a combination thereof. However, the utility and meaning of seedling quality attributes can differ significantly among regions, nursery practices, site planting conditions, species and the establishment purpose. Here, forest scientists compiled information using a common agreed questionnaire to provide a review of current practices, experiences, legislation and standards for seedling quality across 23 European countries. Large differences exist in measuring seedling quality across countries. The control of the origin of seed and vegetative material (genetic component of plant quality), and control of pests and diseases are common practices in all countries. Morphological attributes are widely used and mandatory in most cases. However, physiological attributes are hardly used at the operative level and mainly concentrated to Fennoscandia. Quality control legislation and seedling quality standards are less strict in northern European countries where seedling production is high, and quality control relies more on the agreements between producers and local plant material users. In contrast, quality standards are stricter in Southern Europe, especially in the Mediterranean countries. The control of seedling quality based on plantation and reforestation success is uncommon and depends on the conditions of the planting site, the traditional practices and the financial support provided by each country. Overall, European countries do not apply the “target seedling concept” for seedling production except for seed origin. Seedling production in many countries is still driven by traditional “know-how” and much less by scientific knowledge progress, which is not adequately disseminated and transferred to the end-users. Our review highlights the need for greater harmonization of seedling quality practices across Europe and the increased dissemination of scientific knowledge to improve seedling quality in forest regeneration activities.
Abstract
Planting healthy seedlings with optimal growth potential is essential for proper growth and survival in forest regeneration. Assessing the seedling quality prior to planting is therefore important. In this Icelandic study, effects of root damage induced with artificial freezing in young Russian larch seedlings were examined using the root growth capacity method (RGC). Frost tolerance of roots varied during the winter, and root growth in undamaged seedlings fluctuated, indicating seasonal variations in growth rhythm. The LT50 value for root frost tolerance was −13.9°C in late January, but already at −10.6°C (LT10) root damages were severe. After one growing season, shoot elongation was significantly lower in seedlings frozen to −9°C, −13.5°C, and −15.5°C by 23%, 54%, and 72%, respectively, compared with undamaged seedlings. Control seedlings and seedlings frozen to −9°C achieved 100% survival after the first growing season. Survival in seedlings frozen to −13.5°C and −15.5°C was 85% and 27%, respectively. After the second growing season, survival decreased in all frost-damaged seedlings. The ongoing mortality demonstrates the long-lasting effects of planting seedlings with damaged root systems, and the fluctuation in root frost tolerance of young Russian larch seedlings during winter emphasises the need for care when seedlings are moved to outdoor storage.
Abstract
Purpose of Review Forestry in northern temperate and boreal regions relies heavily on conifers. Rapid climate change and associated increases in adverse growing conditions predispose conifers to pathogens and pests. The much longer generation time and presumably, therefore, lower adaptive capacity of conifers relative to their native or non-native biotic stressors may have devastating consequences. We provide an updated overview of conifer defences underlying pathogen and pest resistance and discuss how defence traits can be used in tree breeding and forest management to improve resistance. Recent Findings Breeding of more resilient and stress-resistant trees will benefit from new genomic tools, such as genotyping arrays with increased genomic coverage, which will aid in genomic and relationship-based selection strategies. However, to successfully increase the resilience of conifer forests, improved genetic materials from breeding programs must be combined with more flexible and site-specific adaptive forest management. Summary Successful breeding programs to improve conifer resistance to pathogens and pests provide hope as well as valuable lessons: with a coordinated and sustained effort, increased resistance can be achieved. However, mechanisms underlying resistance against one stressor, even if involving many genes, may not provide any protection against other sympatric stressors. To maintain the adaptive capacity of conifer forests, it is important to keep high genetic diversity in the tree breeding programs. Choosing forest management options that include diversification of tree-species and forest structure and are coupled with the use of genetically improved plants and assisted migration is a proactive measure to increase forest resistance and resilience to foreseen and unanticipated biotic stressors in a changing climate.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
2022
Authors
Ishita Ahuja Inger Sundheim Fløistad Per Grande Øyvind Meland Edvardsen Adam O’Toole Arne SteffenremAbstract
No abstract has been registered