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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.

2011

Abstract

In forest soils, saprotrophic, necrotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi are involved in carbon cycling. Heterobasidion annosum, white rot necrotrophic fungi, is known to decompose wood lignocellulose by secreting a broad range of oxidative enzymes. The genome H. annosum s.l. was sequenced by JGI to a 8.23X coverage and assembled into 39 scaffolds with a total size of 33.7 Mb covering more than 98% of the whole genome. Based on the genome sequence we have characterized gene families coding for enzymes known to participate in conversion of wood lignin: multicopper oxidases (MCOs, 18 genes) as laccases (Lcc), class II peroxidases (8 genes) as manganese peroxidases (MnP), glyoxal oxidases (5 genes, GLOX), quinone-reducing oxidoreductases (19 genes, QOR) and GMC oxidoreductases (12 genes) as aryl alcohol oxidases (AAO). We studied the genomic organisation and phylogeny of these genes as well as their expression using qRT-PCR. Comparative and phylogenetic analyses of genes coding for enzymes involved in wood lignin conversion and decomposition (i.e. lignin-modifying class II peroxidases) reveal differences between white- and brown-rot, necrotrophic and saprotrophic wood-decaying basidiomycetes. Transcript profiling using qRT-PCR revealed that some transcripts were very abundant in lignin-rich media, in cellulose-rich media, in wood or in the free-living mycelium grown liquid culture, suggesting specific functions of these genes, which need to be studied further.

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Abstract

The Norwegian landscape is changing as a result of forest regeneration within the cultural landscape, and forest expansion has impacts on accessibility, visibility, and landscape aesthetics, thereby affecting the country's tourism industry. This study aimed at identifying the potential areas of forest regeneration and anticipated subsequent landscape effects on different categories of tourist locations in southern Norway. Deforested areas with a potential for forest regeneration were identified from several map sources by GIS-analyses, and 180 tourist locations were randomly selected from the Norwegian national tourism database (Reiselivsbasen), and then buffered by 2 km radius for land cover classes. The findings revealed that approximately 15% of southern Norway has the climatic potential for future forest regeneration, in addition to 5% of cultivated land. Future forest regeneration will affect the landscapes surrounding the tourist locations of rural south Norway, and while the potential is nationwide, it is not uniformly distributed. Two important tourist landscape regions seem especially exposed to forest regeneration: the coastal heath region and the mountain landscapes. Large parts of these areas do not have sufficient numbers of domestic grazing animals necessary to maintain the present character of the landscape.

Abstract

This paper analyzes the capabilities of three different governance regimes for adequately handling uncertain and unknown effects of genetically modified (GM) crops. Adequate handling requires the development of sound procedures for identification of uncertainty and ignorance (U&I), reduction of U&I, decisions on how to treat irreducible U&I and monitoring of unexpected effects. The nature of U&I implies, however, that these procedures will be highly incomplete. Governance mechanisms that facilitate cooperative adaptation and communicative rationality are therefore needed. The three governance regimes (GRs) compared are: GM-crops are produced by private firms and these firms are made liable for harm (GR1); GM-crops are produced by private firms and the government decides whether the crops should be marketed (GR2); and GM-crops are produced and the government decides whether the crops should be marketed (GR3). The effect of bringing the civil society into the decision-making process is also analyzed. GR3 will be stronger in cooperative adaptation and communicative rationality than GR2. Public research organizations have fewer conflicts of interest with the government than private firms, and academic norms are important. Difficulties in proving harm and identifying the responsible firm will make GR1 weak in cooperative adaptation and communicative rationality.