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.
2008
Forfattere
Per Otto Flæte Kjell VadlaSammendrag
Concern about environmental impacts of chemical wood preservatives has resulted in increased interest for natural wood durability. The natural durability of sapwood of most species is generally low, while heartwood can be more resistant to biodeterioration. For the sawmill industry various lumber products require certain diameters and lengths of the logs in addition to requirements for wood properties. When utilising the heartwood, it is therefore important to acquire information already in the forest about which trees that can be suitable for logs with a predefined heartwood diameter and length. The main objectives of this work was to study the variation in heartwood diameter along the stem of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.), and to develop a model for predicting heartwood diameter profiles based on variables that can easily be measured in the forest.....
Forfattere
Arne SteffenremSammendrag
Wood based products come from a renewable resource playing an important part of the carbon cycle and are therefore regarded environmentally friendly compared to many other alternatives. We might therefore expect a more intensive use of the timber resource in the future. An increase in the supply and net value of timber products from a given area requires more intensive and cost efficient forest management. However, a faster growth rate in general and an increase in the juvenile wood proportion specifically, might come in conflict with the desirable wood quality. Tree breeding programs for Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) aim to follow up the general demands by providing forestry with plant materials that have superior growth and high wood quality. It is therefore important to establish a better knowledge of the potential of improving wood quality characters in this species through breeding. Characteristics important for structural strength and dimensional stability in conifers are wood density, spiral grain, microfibril angle (MfA) in the S2 layer in the secondary cell wall, branch characteristics and stem straightness. We have studied the genetic variation and correlation patterns for these traits and the direct end-use performance of clearwood samples in terms of stiffness (MOE) and strength (MOR) in four studies of Norway spruce (Paper I-IV). Wood quality traits of defect free wood were studied in Paper I and II. The materials used were 28 and 29 year old progeny trials planted in South East Norway on fertile soils. Significant genetic variation was found for wood density, MfA and spiral grain in both studies (p < 0.05). MOE and MOR, measured by static bending, were studied in one of the materials and the genetic variation was found to be highly significant (p < 0.01). There was also significant genetic variation (p < 0.05) in MOE estimated (MOEest) from wood density and the x-ray diffractometry pattern from the S2 layer obtained by SilviScan®-3. Genetic parameters were estimated in Paper II with large standard errors. The parameters must therefore be used with caution and preferably with support from other studies. We could confirm earlier studies of high genetic variation and low genotype by environment interactions (GxE) for wood density and spiral grain. Parameter estimates for MfA and MOEest, from one site, suggest that these are under moderate to strong genetic control in Norway spruce. Phenotypic correlations between growth traits (height and diameter growth) and wood quality traits were negative for wood density, positive for MfA and negative for MOEest. Genetic relationships showed the same trends for diameter growth, but not for height growth. The genetic and environmental variation in branch characteristics (Paper III and IV) were studied in three sets of progeny trials that were 22, 28 and 29 years old from planting. Stem straightness was studied in the 22-year old trial only. The branch diameter was highly influenced by site index and spacing. Number of branches formed and stem straightness seems to be under stronger genetic control. Individual tree heritabilities for growth traits, branch diameter and stem straightness were estimated in the 22-year old progeny trial planted at two sites. The trials were planted with different spacing, which allowed us to study genotype by spacing interactions. Heritability for growth traits and branch diameter across sites were moderate (0.14 - 0.19) compared to the higher values found for stem straightness (0.28). GxE, and thereby genotype by spacing interactions were not important for any of the traits. Heritability for number of branches, estimated from one of the sites, was 0.24. There was a strong and positive genetic correlation between growth traits and branch diameter. The presence of genetic variation for most wood quality traits suggests that these can be improved by tree breeding. However, genetic correlations with growth traits indicate that selection solely for growth might have adverse effects on wood quality. It is therefore important to balance the gain in growth and wood quality. Implementation of several adversely correlated traits in a breeding program reduces its efficiency. It is therefore essential that tree breeding, silvicultural practices and forest industrial needs interact when developing tree breeding programs to obtain an optimal strategy for selection and utilization of improved plant materials.
Sammendrag
In European forests, standings stocks are currently increasing and are higher than ever during the last decades. This is due to a multitude of reasons; human impacts such as reduced logging or the abandonment of agricultural land are clearly among them. However, data from intensive monitoring plots reveal an increased growth even in the absence of direct human intervention. For this study, we used a set of 363 such plots from 16 European countries, which are a subset of the ICP-Forests Level II plots, and are typically rectangular areas with a size of 0.25 ha. We investigated the influence of environmental factors on forest growth. In particular, the role of nitrogen, sulphur and acid deposition, temperature, precipitation and drought was elucidated. The study focussed on the tree species Norway spruce, Scots pine, common beech and European as well as sessile oak. We used existing information on site productivity, stand age and stand density to estimate expected growth. Relative tree growth was then calculated as the ratio between actual growth, obtained within a five years observation period, and expected growth. The site productivity incorporates past environmental conditions and was either computed from site index curves, where we distinguished Northern, Central and Southern Europe variants, or was taken from expert estimates. The models explained between 18% and 39% of the variance. Site productivity and stand age were positively and negatively related to actual growth, respectively. The results indicated consistently a fertilizing effect from nitrogen deposition, with roughly one percent increase in site productivity per kg of nitrogen deposition per ha and year, most pronounced for plots having soil C/N ratios above 25. We also found a positive albeit less clear relationship between relative growth and summer temperatures. Other influences were uncertain. In particular, we cannot conclude on detrimental effects on growth from sulphur and acid deposition or from drought periods.
Forfattere
Erlend Ystrøm Haartveit Per Otto FlæteSammendrag
Wood from different tree species is commonly similar in visual appearance but still have considerable differences in machining and wood properties. Even heartwood and sapwood from the same tree species may be difficult to separate visually, but the wood properties important for the quality of the final products may differ. Hence, within the forest products industry there is a great need to non-destructively evaluate wood quality prior to and during manufacturing in order to ensure effective allocation of raw material, and to obtain consistent and well defined quality of the end products. Near infrared spectroscopy is a promising technique because it requires minimal, if any, sample preparation and provides results rapidly, even when used on intact, opaque biological samples. In this paper we use near infrared spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analyses for classification of wood types. Case I considers heartwood and sapwood from Scots pine. On freshly cut wood heartwood and sapwood are visually similar, but the wood properties differ. Case II considers wood from tree different species of spruce, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce and Lutz spruce. The species have differences mechanical and machining properties. NIR spectra were recorded directly on solid wood surfaces. The multivariate statistical analyses were based on partial least squares methodology and resulted in successful classification of wood types in both cases. All models were validated using test set validation. In both cases the result showed that near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate statistics can be used to develop well-performing prediction models for classification of visually similar wood types.
Sammendrag
This paper reports the results from a study of modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) of 42 small clear specimens prepared from 300 year old roundwood floor girders containing high levels of NaCl at Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. NaCl concentration was 6.5 % of the dry matter of the wood. MOE and MOR were 25 % lower than the values obtained from a reference material with equivalent annual ring width and density. The considerable reduction of MOE and MOR should be taken into consideration in conservation of load-bearing wooden structures that have been exposed to NaCl.
Sammendrag
Harmonization was achieved by carrying out joint sampling and assessment exercises at selected sites, inter-laboratory ring tests for the chemical analyses of deposition, plant and soil material, and by drawing up data compilation, data analysis and reporting guidelines and templates for the researchers working in the three countries.
Sammendrag
Tree-killing bark beetles conquer healthy trees by means of pheromone mediated mass-attacks. The initial attackers select trees through a process of random landing and processing of tactile and short-range chemical stimuli. Inside acceptable hosts they produce aggregation pheromones that attract additional attackers. In a recent field experiment we induced defense responses in 60-year-old Norway spruce trees and monitored colonization by the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. Induced stem sections had significantly less beetle colonization than control sections, with shorter parental galleries and fewer eggs deposited. In addition, fewer beetles were attracted to beetles tunnelling in induced bark. This reduced ability to attract conspecifics suggests that induced host defenses interfere with beetle pheromone production or emission. The mechanisms responsible for this are unknown, but may involve emission of volatile terpenes such as (E)-b-farnesene and linalool, which have been shown to increase up to 100-fold in induced Norway spruce trees. These compounds have been reported to attract natural enemies of herbivores or repel herbivores directly in other conifer-insect interactions.
Sammendrag
Insect-induced damages in forests are a major concern for timber production, landscape conservation and ecosystem research. Early detection methods based on remote sensing data can document the severity and spatial extent of ongoing attacks and might aid in designing mitigation measures or even prevention where necessary. In southeastern Norway, a large-scale insect defoliation of pine trees is ongoing. The larvae of the Pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer reate it with its mass attacks during their feeding on needles in June and July. In the winter before the attack, egg galleries are evident in the needles. This provides a test case for early detection methods and remote sensing techniques for monitoring forest health....
Forfattere
Halvor SolheimSammendrag
Climate change may influence in a worse manner for the forests in various ways. Some pathogens may increase their importance and new may arrive. Root and butt rot is the most serious problem in Norway spruce forests. In mean more than every fourth tree is infested when harvested. Dryer summers may give increased frequency of rot caused by Heterobasidion. In addition Armillaria spp may gain change in weather condition both as root rot and in connection with a syndrome together with drought and bark beetles. More unstable winter climate may give increase of Gremmeniella attack on Scots pine. Longer and warmer growth season will give many pathogens better condition. Among those is Ophiostoma novo-ulmi causing Dutch elm disease which is lasting in south eastern Norway at a rather low frequency and the volume of elm is not lower than for 15 years ago. In which way the newly introduced Chalara fraxinea will behave in Norway is uncertain, but a better growth season will probably also influence on the possibility to be spread all over Norway where ash are growing.
Forfattere
Bernt-Håvard ØyenSammendrag
The long-term field trials have been fundamental for most applied forest research in Norway since its very beginning in 1916-17. Skogforsk (later Skog & landskap) was a key player in establishing the NOLTFOX-group in 2000/2001. The activity concerning the management of long term field trials in forests in Norway is mostly governed by Skog & landskap, and some minor activities also take place at the University of Life Sciences (the former Agricultural University of Norway, Ås).