Våre poenggivende vitenskapelige publikasjoner

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2023 (324)

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The anaerobic digestion (AD) of food waste (FW) was easy to acidify and accumulate ammonia nitrogen. Adding exogenous materials to the AD system can enhance its conversion efficiency by alleviating acidification and ammonia nitrogen inhibition. This work investigated the effects of the addition frequency and additive amount on the AD of FW with increasing organic loading rate (OLR). When the OLR was 3.0 g VS per L per day and the concentration of the additives was 0.5 g per L per day, the stable methane yield reached 263 ± 22 mL per g VS, which was higher than that of the group without the additives (189 mL per g VS). Methanosaetaceae was the dominant archaea, with a maximum abundance of 93.25%. Through machine learning analysis, it was found that the optimal daily methane yield could be achieved. When the OLR was within the range of 0–3.0 g VS per L per day, the pH was within the range of 7.6–8.0, and the additive concentration was more than 0.5 g per L per day. This study proposed a novel additive and determined its usage strategy for regulating the AD of FW through experimental and simulation approaches.

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We compiled published peer-reviewed CO2, CH4, and N2O data on managed drained organic forest soils in boreal and temperate zones to revisit the current Tier 1 default emission factors (EFs) provided in the IPCC (2014) Wetlands Supplement: to see whether their uncertainty may be reduced; to evaluate possibilities for breaking the broad categories used for the IPCC EFs into more site-type-specific ones; and to inspect the potential relevance of a number of environmental variables for predicting the annual soil greenhouse gas (GHG) balances, on which the EFs are based. Despite a considerable number of publications applicable for compiling EFs being added, only modest changes were found compared to the Tier 1 default EFs. However, the more specific site type categories generated in this study showed narrower confidence intervals compared to the default categories. Overall, the highest CO2 EFs were found for temperate afforested agricultural lands and boreal forestry-drained sites with very low tree stand productivity. The highest CH4 EFs in turn prevailed in boreal nutrient-poor forests with very low tree stand productivity and temperate forests irrespective of nutrient status, while the EFs for afforested sites were low or showed a sink function. The highest N2O EFs were found for afforested agricultural lands and forestry-drained nutrient-rich sites. The occasional wide confidence intervals could be mainly explained by single or a few highly deviating estimates rather than the broadness of the categories applied. Our EFs for the novel categories were further supported by the statistical models connecting the annual soil GHG balances to site-specific soil nutrient status indicators, tree stand characteristics, and temperature-associated weather and climate variables. The results of this synthesis have important implications for EF revisions and national emission reporting, e.g. by the use of different categories for afforested sites and forestry-drained sites, and more specific site productivity categories based on timber production potential.

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Sustainable forest management systems require operational measures to preserve the functional design of forest roads. Frequent road data collection and analysis are essential to support target-oriented and efficient maintenance planning and operations. This study demonstrates an automated solution for monitoring forest road surface deterioration using consumer-grade optical sensors. A YOLOv5 model with StrongSORT tracking was adapted and trained to detect and track potholes in the videos captured by vehicle-mounted cameras. For model training, datasets recorded in diverse geographical regions under different weather conditions were used. The model shows a detection and tracking performance of up to a precision and recall level of 0.79 and 0.58, respectively, with 0.70 mean average precision at an intersection over union (IoU) of at least 0.5. We applied the trained model to a forest road in southern Norway, recorded with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)−fitted dashcam. GNSS-delivered geographical coordinates at 10 Hz rate were used to geolocate the detected potholes. The geolocation performance over this exemple road stretch of 1 km exhibited a root mean square deviation of about 9.7 m compared to OpenStreetMap. Finally, an exemple road deterioration map was compiled, which can be used for scheduling road maintenance operations.

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Recent decades have seen increased temperatures and precipitation in the Nordic countries with long-term projections for reduced frost duration and depth. The consequence of these trends has been a gradual shift of delivery volumes to the frost-free season, requiring more agile management to exploit suitable weather conditions. Bearing capacity and trafficability are dependent on soil moisture state and in this context two satellite missions offer potenially useful information on soil moisture levels; NASA’s SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) and ESA’s Sentinel-1. The goal of this pilot study was to quantify the performance of such satellite-based soil moisture variables for modeling forest road bearing capacity (e-module) during the frost-free season. The study was based on post-transport registrations of 103 forest road segments on the coastal and interior side of the Scandinavian mountain range. The analysis focused on roads of three types of surface deposits. Weekly SMAP soil moisture values better explained the variation in road e-module than soil water index (SWI) derived from Sentinel-1. Soil Water Index (SWI), however, reflected the weather conditions typical for operations on the respective surface deposit types. Regression analysis using (i) SMAP-based soil dryness index and (ii) its interaction with surface deposit types, together with (iii) the ratio between a combined SMAP_SWI dryness index and segment-specific depth to water (DTW) explained over 70% of the variation in road e-module. The results indicate a future potential to monitor road trafficability over large supply areas on a weekly level, given further refinement of study methods and variables for improved prediction.

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Wood modification using polyesterification of sorbitol and citric acid is a novel environmentally friendly strategy for wood protection improving its dimensional stability and acts against fungal deterioration. Inelastic Raman scattering is sensitive to the molecules of high polarizability and both lignocellulose and aliphatic esters formed during the treatment are polar. Therefore, in the present study, the quality control of the treatment using a handheld Raman spectrometer equipped with 830 nm laser is suggested as a rapid and reliable approach. Raman spectra from six wood modification levels (resulting in different weight percent gain, WPG) of three different wood species (Silver birch, Scots pine and Norway spruce) as well as three sample preparation strategies (intact, sanded and milled wood samples) were collected, and further analyzed using a chemometric method. Best performing models based on Powered Partial Least Squares Regression predicted the WPG level at R2 = 0.85, 0.95 and 0.98 for birch, pine and spruce, respectively. In addition, a clear separation between hard and soft wood species was also captured. Especially for softwood species, the sample preparation method affected the model accuracy, revealing the best performance in milled material. It is concluded that by using handheld Raman spectrometer it is possible to perform accurate quality control of wood modified by polyesterification of citric acid and sorbitol.

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Information on tree height-growth dynamics is essential for optimizing forest management and wood procurement. Although methods to derive information on height-growth information from multi-temporal laser scanning data already exist, there is no method to derive such information from data acquired at a single point in time. Drone laser scanning data (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV-LS) allows for the efficient collection of very dense point clouds, creating new opportunities to measure tree and branch architecture. In this study, we examine if it is possible to measure the vertical positions of branch whorls, which correspond to nodes, and thus can in turn be used to trace the height growth of individual trees. We propose a method to measure the vertical positions of whorls based on a single-acquisition of UAV-LS data coupled with deep-learning techniques. First, single-tree point clouds were converted into 2D image projections, and a YOLOv5 (you-only-look-once) convolutional neural network was trained to detect whorls based on a sample of manually annotated images. Second, the trained whorl detector was applied to a set of 39 trees that were destructively sampled after the UAV-LS data acquisition. The detected whorls were then used to estimate tree-, plot- and stand-level height-growth trajectories. The results indicated that 70 per cent (i.e. precision) of the measured whorls were correctly detected and that 63 per cent (i.e. recall) of the detected whorls were true whorls. These results translated into an overall root-mean-squared error and Bias of 8 and −5 cm for the estimated mean annual height increment. The method’s performance was consistent throughout the height of the trees and independent of tree size. As a use case, we demonstrate the possibility of developing a height-age curve, such as those that could be used for forecasting site productivity. Overall, this study provides proof of concept for new methods to analyse dense aerial point clouds based on image-based deep-learning techniques and demonstrates the potential for deriving useful analytics for forest management purposes at operationally-relevant spatial-scales.

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Farming in Europe has been the scene of several important socio-economic and environmental developments and crises throughout the last century. Therefore, an understanding of the historical driving forces of farm change helps identifying potentials for navigating future pathways of agricultural development. However, long-term driving forces have so far been studied, e.g. in anecdotal local case studies or in systematic literature reviews, which often lack context dependency. In this study, we bridged local and continental scales by conducting 123 oral history interviews (OHIs) with elderly farmers across 13 study sites in 10 European countries. We applied a driving forces framework to systematically analyse the OHIs. We find that the most prevalent driving forces were the introduction of new technologies, developments in agricultural markets that pushed farmers for farm size enlargement and technological optimisation, agricultural policies, but also cultural aspects such as cooperation and intergenerational arrangements. However, we find considerable heterogeneity in the specific influence of individual driving forces across the study sites, implying that generic assumptions about the dynamics and impacts of European agricultural change drivers hold limited explanatory power on the local scale. Our results suggest that site-specific factors and their historical development will need to be considered when addressing the future of agriculture in Europe in a scientific or policy context.

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Introduction: Greenhouse tomato growers face the challenge of balancing fruit size and chemical quality traits. This study focused on elucidating the interplay between plant branching and light management on these traits, while maintaining consistent shoot density. Methods: We evaluated one- and two-shoot plants under varying top light intensities using high-pressure sodium lamps and light-emitting diode (LED) inter-lighting. Results: The reduced yield in the two-shoot plants was mainly due to smaller fruit size, but not due to source strength limitations, as evaluated through leaf weight ratio (LWR), chlorophyll index, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter percentage, and stem soluble carbohydrate accumulation. Enhanced lighting improved fruit weight and various fruit traits, such as dry matter content, total soluble carbohydrate content, and phenolic content, for both one- and two-shoot plant types. Despite lower mean fruit weight, two-shoot plants exhibited higher values for chemical fruit quality traits, indicating that the fruit growth of two-shoot plants is not limited by the available carbohydrates (source strength), but by the fruit sink strength. Diurnal analysis of fruit growth showed that two-shoot plants had reduced expansion during light transitions. This drop in fruit expansion was not related to changes in root pressure (measured as xylem sap exudation from decapitated plants), but might be related to diminished xylem area in the stem joint of the two-shoot plants. The concentration of several hormones, including cytokinins, was lower in two-shoot plants, suggesting a reduced fruit sink capacity. Discussion: The predominant impact of branching to two-shoot plants on sink capacity suggests that the fruit growth is not limited by available carbohydrates (source strength). Alongside the observation that light supplementation and branching exert independent additive effects on fruit size and chemical traits, this illuminates the potential to independently regulate these aspects in greenhouse tomato production.

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The marine food-processing industries were producing large quantities of shell wastes as a discard. Currently, this waste material was underutilized and leads to the landfill as a significant environmental issue. The outer shells or exoskeletons of mollusks serve as the best source of chitin. Three different allomorphs of chitin (γ, β, and γ) were extracted from different species of crustaceans, mollusks, and fungi. β-Allomorphs predominantly exist in the shells of mollusks. β-Chitin and its deacetylated product chitosan has been utilized for its special characteristic features, including biocompatibility, environmental friendly, and nontoxic properties. The extraction of β-chitin and chitosan from the mollusk shell waste were evaluated in this work. Hence, this review aims to explore edible mollusk shell waste sources and its suitable extraction techniques, characterizations, and functional properties of mollusk-based β-chitin and chitosan. Further, the genetic pathway of synthesizing mollusk chitin was discussed. The entire life cycle assessment with techno-economic aspects were extrapolated to study the bottlenecks and tangible solution for the industrial upscaling of obtaining β-chitin and chitosan from the edible mollusk shell waste have been reviewed herein.

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The dimensional stabilisation of wood using thermosetting resins relies on the resin uptake into the cell walls. This study tested if a conditioning step after the impregnation and before the final heat-curing enhances the cell wall uptake to improve dimensional stabilisation without increasing the chemical consumption. Small blocks of Scots pine sapwood were vacuum-impregnated with an aqueous melamine formaldehyde solution and conditioned at 33, 70, or 95 % RH for up to 1 week before drying and curing the blocks at 103 °C. However, the conditioning step decreased the cell wall bulking and the moisture exclusion effect compared to the immediate heat curing of the impregnated samples. Analyses of the resin-treated samples by scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy and confocal Raman microspectroscopy provided evidence of wood hydrolysis and polycondensation of the resin within the cell lumen during the conditioning step. Hydrolysis and removal of wood constituents may have counterbalanced the cell wall bulking of the resin. Polycondensation of the resin in the lumen increased its molecule size, which could have hindered the cell wall diffusion of the resin.

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The Euura amentorum species group is Holarctic, and in Europe it is most species-rich in the North. Their larvae develop entirely within the female catkins of Salix species: some species bore in the central stalk, whereas others live outside this and feed mainly on the developing seeds. Eight Palaearctic species are treated here as valid, and a key to these is provided. Males of five species are known. Two new species are described from northern Europe: Euura pohjola sp. n. and E. ursaminor sp. n. First records of E. itelmena (Malaise, 1931) from the West Palaearctic are presented. We propose seven new synonymies: Pontopristia montana Lindqvist, 1961 (junior secondary homonym in Euura) with Euura freyja (Liston, Taeger & Blank, 2009); Pontopristia brevilabris Malaise, 1921, Amauronematus fennicus Lindqvist, 1944, Pontopristia boreoalpina Lindqvist, 1961, Pontopristia punctulata Lindqvist, 1961, and Amauronematus pyrenaeus Lacourt, 1995 with Euura microphyes (Förster, 1854); and Pteronidea holmgreni Lindqvist, 1968 with Nematus umbratus Thomson, 1871. Lectotypes are designated for: Amauronematus fennicus Lindqvist, 1944, Nematus amentorum Förster, 1854, Nematus suavis Ruthe, 1859, Pontopristia brevilabris Malaise, 1921, Pontopristia itelmena Malaise, 1931, Pontopristia kamtchatica Malaise, 1931, Pontopristia lapponica Malaise, 1921, Pontopristia latiserra Malaise, 1921, Pontopristia romani Malaise, 1921, and Pristiphora amentorum var. nigripleuris Enslin, 1916. Many new host plant associations are recorded.

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Access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation are important fundamental rights of people around the world to maintain good health. However, freshwater resources are threatened by many anthropogenic activities. Therefore, sustainable water supply is a challenge. Limited access to safe drinking water and unimproved sanitation facilities in some of its urban and rural areas are two of the major challenges for Bhutan in the 21st century. The water quality in the natural water systems in the cities and suburbs has significantly decreased while the urban infrastructure is being improved in Bhutan. Therefore, this study presents the state-of-the-art of water resources in Bhutan and the challenges for a sustainable water supply system. The current water status, drinking water sources and accessibility, factors affecting water quality degradation in urban and rural areas, water treatment methods, and implementation of sustainable drinking water accessibility with population growth in Bhutan are discussed in detail. Results of the review revealed that the water quality has deteriorated over the last decade and has a high challenge to provide safe water to some of the areas in Bhutan. Geographic changes, financial difficulties, urban expansion, and climate change are the reasons for the lack of safe drinking water accessibility for people in town areas. It is, therefore, recommended to have a comprehensive integrate water resources management (IWRM) approach while considering all stakeholders to find sustainable solutions for the challenges showcased in this paper.

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After fungal decay experiments chemical characterisation of the wood is often a routine and several methodological approaches are available. In this study, we tested if simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) is a valid alternative to traditional wet chemical methods since STA allows significantly smaller sample size and faster analysis. Three model fungi including the brown rot fungi Rhodonia placenta and Gloeophyllum trabeum and the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor were employed in the study using Norway spruce as substrate. The experiment was harvested after 10, 20 and 52 weeks. At each harvest interval, aliquots of the material were characterized by STA and wet chemical methods. The results validated that STA can be effectively used to estimate cell wall composition of brown rot depolymerised wood. However, STA slightly overestimated cellulose at brown rot decay above 50%. The method was not verified for simultaneous white rot because STA only estimated hemicellulose correctly compared to the wet chemical method. Hence, STA is considered suitable for brown rot fungi below 50% mass loss but not for simultaneous white rot because STA did not estimate cellulose and lignin correctly.

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Raspberry plants, valued for their fruits, are vulnerable to a range of viruses that adversely affect their yield and quality. Utilizing high-throughput sequencing (HTS), we identified a novel virus, tentatively named raspberry enamovirus 1 (RaEV1), in three distinct raspberry plants. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of RaEV1, focusing on its genomic structure, phylogeny, and possible transmission routes. Analysis of nearly complete genomes from 14 RaEV1 isolates highlighted regions of variance, particularly marked by indel events. The evidence from phylogenetic and sequence analyses supports the classification of RaEV1 as a distinct species within the Enamovirus genus. Among the 289 plant and 168 invertebrate samples analyzed, RaEV1 was detected in 10.4% and 0.4%, respectively. Most detections occurred in plants that were also infected with other common raspberry viruses. The virus was present in both commercial and wild raspberries, indicating the potential of wild plants to act as viral reservoirs. Experiments involving aphids as potential vectors demonstrated their ability to acquire RaEV1 but not to successfully transmit it to plants.

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Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) is one of the most widespread and asymptomatic main viruses, that restricts the production of apples worldwide. Establishment of rapid, simple, and effective early detection methods of apple virus is important. In this study, we established and optimized a one-step reverse transcription - recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) method, using the target-specific primers of ASGV coat protein gene sequence, and M-MLV reverse transcriptase. This method could be completed within 30 min at 40 °C, followed by a visual detection of the results within 5 min by using lateral flow dipstick (LFD). The specificity results showed that only samples infected with ASGV showed a test line, while no test line appeared in the ASGV-negative samples. In addition, when crude extract of leaves was used, the whole detection could be completed within 1 h, which was shortened by 4 to 6 times compared with the RT-PCR method. The detection made on more field samples showed that the RT-RPA-LFD method is of high stability and reliability for ASGV diagnosis, with a great potential in the rapid on-site detection of plant viruses.

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Craft breweries are continuously searching for beers made with locally produced raw materials and unique flavor profiles to respond to consumer requests. We explored the behavior of three commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the fermentation of ale beer with a high prevalence of rye malt in comparison to pure barley malt. In total, 34 volatile organic compounds were identified, with esters and alcohols being the quantitatively most abundant classes. The yeast strain appeared to impart more differences in the beer’s volatile profile compared to malt. In particular, S. cerevisiae var. diastaticus Y2 strain was associated with a higher production of esters, while strain S. cerevisiae Y3 was correlated to the higher amounts of terpenes together with the lowest relative abundance of volatile acids. Our findings encourage further investigation of the fermentation performance of several yeast strains to produce beers with unique flavors.

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With a view to integration into the European Union, the efficiency and competitiveness of the Kosovo’ different sectors (including agriculture) must be improved. This paper assesses the technical efficiency (TE) of horticultural farms through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) applying output orientation. It was founded that the TE of these farms is positively affected by their size, with large-size farms presenting overall higher technical efficiency. The research findings indicate that the degree of agricultural education does not have a significant impact on TE, whereas public assistance through subsidies and grants has a substantial and negative impact on TE, as confirmed by statistical analysis.

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Purpose of Review Because tree seeds have been considered a low-risk pathway for the spread of plant pathogenic fungi, their international movement is not subject to strict phytosanitary regulation. However, recent studies have provided scientific evidence that the biosecurity risk of seed trade may not be as negligible as assumed. This review summarises current knowledge about seed trade activity across the world and seed-borne plant pathogenic fungi and highlights knowledge gaps that need to be filled to mitigate the risk of spreading tree pathogens via seeds. Recent Findings Several outbreaks of severe tree diseases in natural forests and plantations worldwide have been linked to fungal pathogens spread by seed trade. Indeed, recent studies based on modern sequencing technologies have shown that tree seeds harbour highly diverse fungal communities, including well-known pathogens and fungal taxa belonging to unknown species. While it has become clear that even apparently healthy seeds can carry potentially pathogenic fungi, the likelihood of seed-borne pathogens being introduced and becoming established, spreading and causing impact in the new environment is still unclear which challenges the assessment of the phytosanitary risk posed by seed trade. Summary Our analyses show that large amounts of tree seeds have been traded among countries and continents. Based on published literature, the risk of spreading pathogenic fungi via tree seed movement is high. However, the role of the taxonomically and functionally diverse fungal communities associated with seeds is still poorly understood. In particular, more research is needed to assess the likelihood of seed-borne fungi being transmitted to the seedlings and spreading and causing impact in the new environment.

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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.

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Mitigating enteric methane (CH4) emissions is crucial as ruminants account for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. We hypothesised that less frequent harvesting, use of crops with lower WSC concentration, ensiling at low crop dry matter (DM) and extensive lactic acid fermentation would reduce in vitro CH4 production. Timothy (T), timothy + red clover mixture (T + RC) or perennial ryegrass (RG), cut either two or three times per season, was wilted to 22.5% or 37.5% DM and ensiled with or without formic acid-based additive. Silages were analysed for chemical composition and fermentation products. In vitro CH4 production was measured using an automated gas in vitro system. Methane production was, on average, 2.8 mL/g OM lower in the two-cut system than in the three-cut system (P < 0.001), and 1.9 mL/g OM lower in T than in RG (P < 0.001). Silage DM did not affect CH4 production (P = 0.235), but formic acid increased CH4 production by 1.2 mL/g OM compared to the untreated silage (P = 0.003). In conclusion, less frequent harvesting and extensive silage fermentation reduce in vitro CH4 production, while RG in comparison to T resulted in higher production of CH4.

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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.

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Material exiting the harvester is composed of chaff and straw. Chaff is a by-product of grain harvest comprises weed seeds and husk. Harvest Weed Seed Control (HWSC) systems aim at collecting and/or killing weed seeds in the chaff fraction during crop grain harvest. If chaff is removed or processed via impact mills or concentrated in a narrow zone in the field and collected, the overall weed infestation may be reduced in the following years. Chaff may be used as a new biomass feedstock, for example, as a renewable energy source, material for construction ( e.g. , insulating boards, cardboard, bedding), soil improvement ( e.g ., mulch, mushroom compost), and for agricultural purposes ( e.g. , weed growth inhibitor, animal diet). Using chaff directly is unfavorable because of its low bulk density. Therefore, compressing chaff into pellets can improve its handling. In this preliminary study, we assessed how pelletizing would affect the germinability of weed seeds in the chaff pellets. Whole wheat chaff and fine wheat chaff sieved were mixed with seeds of the two weed species scentless mayweed ( Tripleurospermum inodorum (L.) Sch.Bip.) and cornflower ( Centaurea cyanus L.), respectively. While 22% of T. inodorum seeds and 59% of C. cyanus seeds in wheat chaff samples were able to germinate, no weed seeds germinated from moist pelletized original and fine wheat chaff samples. The study indicates a low risk of spreading weed seeds with pelletized chaff probably because the heating during the pelletizing process kills the weed seeds.

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The large-scale import of soybean products into the EU decreases the self-sufficiency of livestock production. The fractionation of grassland forage crops presents an opportunity to locally produce protein-rich feed for monogastrics. Two promising fractionation methods, twin-screw press juicing and leaf stripping, were evaluated in parallel in field experiments established in Norway and Sweden to compare the nutrient composition and yield of the resulting biorefined and residual fractions. The clearest delineation between the methods was in the ash-free neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) concentration, with juicing producing a biorefined fraction with a lower aNDFom than leaf stripping. Variability in the allocation of crude protein (CP) and biomass to the biorefined fractions occurred in both methods between cuts and locations and is likely due to differing stand characteristics and inconsistency in machine functionality. Additional work is needed to understand how characteristics such as stand density, botanical composition, and plant phenological stage impact each fractionation method’s ability to allocate protein, fibre, and biomass into the resulting fractions. Future studies should focus particularly on determining standardised settings for leaf stripping machinery based on a range of stand characteristics to ensure consistency in the yield and nutrient composition of the resulting fractions.

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The aim of the article is to assess whether agricultural landscapes play a role in the perception of Norway held by tourists and residents. An additional aim is to analyse whether information accompanying images on social media indicate that the photographers have acknowledged the agricultural landscape. The authors used geotagged images uploaded to the image-sharing platform Flickr in their analyses. They selected photos from within the agricultural landscapes, inspected them, and categorized them according to extent and content. Additionally, they analysed the accompanying hashtags. The findings revealed that a large proportion of the photos contained agricultural landscapes, and thus confirmed the importance of the agricultural landscape for visual perception of and access to Norwegian landscapes. In addition, the lack of agricultural-related hashtags strengthened the authors’ suspicions that this might not have been widely recognized by the photographers. Thus, while agricultural landscapes commonly are considered primarily as landscapes of food production, the authors conclude that these landscapes also fulfil other functions and that their contribution to the perception of Norway is important. Additionally, many of the landscape elements seen and analysed in the sample of photos are elements that play a role in providing cultural ecosystem services.

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This study aimed to determine the differences and drivers of oomycete diversity and community composition in alder- and birch-dominated park and natural forest soils of the Fennoscandian and Baltic countries of Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. For this, we sequenced libraries of PCR products generated from the DNA of 111 soil samples collected across a climate gradient using oomycete-specific primers on a PacBio high-throughput sequencing platform. We found that oomycete communities are most affected by temperature seasonality, annual mean temperature, and mean temperature of the warmest quarter. Differences in composition were partly explained by the higher diversity of Saprolegniales in Sweden and Norway, as both total oomycete and Saprolegniales richness decreased significantly at higher longitudes, potentially indicating the preference of this group of oomycetes for a more temperate maritime climate. None of the evaluated climatic variables significantly affected the richness of Pythiales or Peronosporales. Interestingly, the relative abundance and richness of Pythiales was higher at urban sites compared to forest sites, whereas the opposite was true for Saprolegniales. Additionally, this is the first report of Phytophthora gallica and P. plurivora in Estonia. Our results indicate that the composition of oomycetes in soils is strongly influenced by climatic factors, and, therefore, changes in climate conditions associated with global warming may have the potential to significantly alter the distribution range of these microbes, which comprise many important pathogens of plants.

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The legume cavalcade, Centrosema pascuorum, is used extensively as a cover crop and as a component of conservation agriculture systems. It is also an attractive rotation or cover crop for the management of root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.) as it is a non-host. RKN are persistent pests that are well known to be difficult to control. However, the mechanisms governing the non-host status of cavalcade is unknown. The current study established that cavalcade leaves are toxic to RKN as either aqueous extracts or soil amendments. Bioassays conducted using Meloidogyne javanica showed that a 90% concentration of aqueous extract derived from 1-month-old cavalcade leaves (89 mg crude extract ml−1) suppressed nematode hatch (82.9%) and killed infective second-stage juveniles of M. javanica (85.3%). Soil amendments with 1% (w/w) of 1-month-old cavalcade leaves (0.99 mg crude extract g−1 soil) also provided effective control of M. javanica in the glasshouse on okra. One-month-old leaves appeared more effective than 2- or 3-month-old leaves. The soil amendments had no adverse phytotoxic effect on okra seed germination. Our study demonstrates the potential for using cavalcade leaves or extracts to manage RKN. This may be due to the nematicidal activity of the various compounds in the leaves, such as flavonoids, phenols and terpenoids, which should be further assessed.

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This study applied comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOF-MS) for the analysis of 100 pesticides (77 organophosphorus and 23 organochlorines) in six typical plant matrices with high protein, starch, acid, or oil content. Different sorbents were evaluated in the clean-up step of the QuEChERS method, and optimized sorbent combinations were obtained for each individual matrix. Good linearity of the calibration curves of matrix-matched was obtained (R2 ≥ 0.9853). The mean recoveries and relative standard deviations at fortification levels of 10 and 50 μg/kg ranged from 72.6 to 117.5 and 0.1 to 19.9%, respectively. Phenolic antioxidants, glycosides, phosphorus esters, linoleic acid, unsaturated fatty acids, and other interferences in the individual plant matrix were identified. The results demonstrated that GC × GC-TOF-MS is helpful in the separation of the co-eluted pesticides and the identification of interferences in complex plant matrices.

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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.

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Key message This study compares the measured radial variation in wood stiffness, strength, and density of noble fir, Norway spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar by developing mixed-effects models for each property using age as the explanatory variable. These models could be used to simulate the effect of rotation length and species choice on sawn wood properties. Context Timber production in Great Britain relies primarily on Sitka spruce. The use of multiple species is desirable to mitigate against biotic and abiotic risks posed to a single species. When considering alternative species, quantifying and modeling radial variation in wood properties is important to determine the potential for sawn timber production at a given rotation length. Aims To build empirical models for the radial variation in wood properties that can account for species. Methods Clear-wood samples were produced along radial transects in trees from four conifer species: Abies procera Rehder, Picea abies (L.) Karst, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., Thuja plicata Donn. ex D.Don. Modulus of Elasticity, Modulus of Rupture, and density were measured on each species according to established standards. Mixed-effects models were built using ring numbers from the pith and species as explanatory variables. Results The same model forms could be used across the four species. Nonlinear models were developed for the Modulus of Elasticity and density. For the Modulus of Rupture, a linear model was most appropriate. The effect of species in the models was significant. Conclusion At similar rotation lengths, noble fir, Norway spruce, and western hemlock can produce timber with comparable properties to Sitka spruce. Overall, western red cedar would have worse properties for structural use. Keywords MOE, MOR, Radial variation, Tree growth, Alternative species

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Global warming necessitates urgent action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Biochar, a type of carbonized biomass which can be produced from crop residues (CRs), offers a promising solution for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) when it is used to sequester photosynthetically fixed carbon that would otherwise have been returned to atmospheric CO2 through respiration or combustion. However, high-resolution spatially explicit maps of CR resources and their capacity for climate change mitigation through biochar production are currently lacking, with previous global studies relying on coarse (mostly country scale) aggregated statistics. By developing a comprehensive high spatial resolution global dataset of CR production, we show that, globally, CRs generate around 2.4 Pg C annually. If 100% of these residues were utilized, the maximum theoretical technical potential for biochar production from CRs amounts to 1.0 Pg C year−1 (3.7 Pg CO2e year−1). The permanence of biochar differs across regions, with the fraction of initial carbon that remains after 100 years ranging from 60% in warm climates to nearly 100% in cryosols. Assuming that biochar is sequestered in soils close to point of production, approximately 0.72 Pg C year−1 (2.6 Pg CO2e year−1) of the technical potential would remain sequestered after 100 years. However, when considering limitations on sustainable residue harvesting and competing livestock usage, the global biochar production potential decreases to 0.51 Pg C year−1 (1.9 Pg CO2e year−1), with 0.36 Pg C year−1 (1.3 Pg CO2e year−1) remaining sequestered after a century. Twelve countries have the technical potential to sequester over one fifth of their current emissions as biochar from CRs, with Bhutan (68%) and India (53%) having the largest ratios. The high-resolution maps of CR production and biochar sequestration potential provided here will provide valuable insights and support decision-making related to biochar production and investment in biochar production capacity.

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What is at stake? The new Forest Strategy for 2030 for the European Union (EU) was adopted in July 2021, creating a new drive for forest policymaking on an EU level. Its main reference is the European Green Deal that puts forests in the light of a decarbonised society until 2050, and emphasises carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and forest restoration. The strategy aims to improve the quality and quantity of EU forests, enhance their multifunctionality and resilience, and address challenges linked to the increasing strain on forests through human activities and natural processes, including climate change. The Strategy’s priorities include: 1. supporting the socio-economic forest functions and boosting bioeconomy within its sustainability boundaries; 2. protecting, restoring and enlarging forests in the EU; 3. ensuring a strategic forest monitoring, reporting and data collection and 4. encouraging dialogue and stakeholder engagement. Compared to earlier versions, the new EU Forest Strategy has become more concrete and comprehensive in its vision and tries to tie in different objectives of the plethora of EU forest-related policies (such as e.g., bioeconomy enhancement, biodiversity protection, climate mitigation and adaptation etc.). The implementation of the new EU Forest Strategy and meeting its goals has therefore potentially larger implications for national authorities than earlier ones, through its stronger embedding in the overall political framework of the EU, although the Strategy as such is not legally binding. What are the study’s aims? This study assesses whether and to what extent national and regional policy developments meet the EU Forest Strategy goals. It analyses those policies in 15 countries in and outside the EU, as well as in three regions in Spain. The countries are: Austria (AT), Czech Republic (CZ), Finland (FI), Germany (DE), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), Lithuania (LT), the Netherlands (NL), Norway (NO), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI), Spain (ES), and Sweden (SE). Although not a member of the EU, Norway was included into this study as it is closely related through the EEA agreement and a bilateral agreement on cooperation with the EU to fulfil the 2030 climate target. What patterns emerge? There is a striking diversity of socio-economic, environmental and political settings for forests and forestry in Europe and even within countries, which affect the impact of the Forest Strategy. Differences related to both ecological site conditions (determining the type of forest), basic socioeconomic factors (such as ownership), societal demands and needs as well as private sector interests, and urban or rural forest settings determine past and current forest governance and management practices in European countries. At the same time, there are common issues for forest governance and management across Europe, relating to: • a considerable divide of forestry and conservation interests found in all studied countries; • the increasing impact of climate change and related forest disturbances (with regionally different consequences for forests and forestry); and • the embeddedness of European forest governance and markets within larger structures, for example related to (global) energy and resource trade and investment patterns. Other patterns relate to ‘silences’ in member states’ policies, e.g., missing references to forest-sector specific internal threats to biodiversity, as well as to the risk (and reality) of conversion of old growth forests, or missing action and strategies to collect data that is not (yet) part of ‘traditional’ monitoring and reporting activities and systems. ...........................

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BACKGROUND Integrated pest management (IPM) has a long history in fruit production and has become even more important with the implementation of the EU directive 2009/128/EC making IPM mandatory. In this study, we surveyed 30 apple orchards in Norway for 3 years (2016–2018) monitoring pest- and beneficial arthropods as well as evaluating fruit damage. We obtained growers’ diaries of pest management and used these data to study positive and negative correlations of pesticides with the different arthropod groups and damage due to pests. RESULTS IPM level had no significant effects on damage of harvested apples by arthropod pests. Furthermore, damage by arthropods was mainly caused by lepidopteran larvae, tortricids being especially important. The number of insecticide applications varied between 0 and 3 per year (mean 0.8), while acaricide applications varied between 0 and 1 per year (mean 0.06). Applications were often based on forecasts of important pest species such as the apple fruit moth (Argyresthia conjugella). Narrow-spectrum insecticides were commonly used against aphids and lepidopteran larvae, although broad-spectrum neonicotinoid (thiacloprid) insecticides were also applied. Anthocorid bugs and phytoseiid mites were the most abundant natural enemies in the studied orchards. However, we found large differences in abundance of various “beneficials” (e.g., lacewings, anthocorids, parasitic wasps) between eastern and western Norway. A low level of IPM negatively affected the abundance of spiders. CONCLUSION Lepidoptera was found to be the most important pest group in apple orchards. Insecticide use was overall low, but number of spray applications and use of broad-spectrum insecticides varied between growers and regions. IPM level did not predict the level of fruit damage by insects nor the abundance of important pests or most beneficial groups in an apple orchard. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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The Governing Missions and Mission-Oriented Research and Innovation in the European Union guidelines promoted by the European Commission (EC) are helpful as a starting place for creating the enabling environment for BioCities which follow the principles of natural ecosystems to promote life (Mazzucato 2018, 2019). The strength of mission-oriented policies, defined as systemic public policies that draw on frontier knowledge to attain specific goals, is the empowerment of emergent solutions achieved by: (1) being bold and inspirational with wide social relevance; (2) having a clear direction with targeted, measurable, and time-bound metrics; (3) being ambitious but realistic; (4) being cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral; and (5) driving multiple bottom-up solutions (Ergas 1987).

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An increasing number of cities are becoming a striking illustration of the maldistribution of resources. These resources, which are both physical and societal, lead to inequalities which are at the root of issues such as societal tensions, poverty, alienation, and marginalization of particular groups from the public discourse (Cassiers and Kesteloot 2012). The interrelationships between the urban social environment and urban environmental conditions, alongside political and economic structures, define the distribution and access to the benefits and services that are linked to nature in the cities (O’Brien et al. 2017a, b).

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Realising the transition to BioCities, which function as holistically integrated systems similar to natural ecosystems, will require not just the creation of green and blue infrastructure (GI) (Davies et al. 2015), associated land-use patterns, and urban forests (UF) (Konijnendijk et al. 2006), but also utilising appropriate design of built structures and landscapes that support nature-based solutions (NBS) and ecosystem services (ESS).

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The mainstream public health community often treats the natural environment with ambivalence. On one side, there are infectious agents, extreme weather, and catastrophic events such as floods, landslides, wildfires, storms, and earthquakes that directly or indirectly sicken, injure, or kill people (Hartig et al. 2014). On the other hand, human health is positively connected with the characteristics and quality of nature near to where people live. This ambivalence becomes crucial in cities where the living environment has peculiar characteristics both for humans and other living organisms. Indeed, there are many ways in which the urban environment can affect human health, positively or negatively. BioCities develop as dynamic socio-ecological systems hosted by nature. Therefore, addressing the issue of health according to an integrated and holistic approach, which reduces the negative effects of the natural environment and optimises its positive aspects, is a primary pillar in the construction of BioCities.

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In this chapter, we analyse the current state of the art on how green infrastructures mitigate and adapt to climate changes and pollution, how they may improve urban air quality, increase green mobility, and can promote other important ecosystem benefits as water cycle regulation and supply. Relevant case studies will be also described, as gaps and future perspectives will be analyzed towards reaching the full potential of urban forests and other green spaces, for Biocities in Europe and beyond.

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This introductory chapter will evaluate how we have reached the current point in the history of world urbanity, its relationship with nature, and why a fusion between the two is now necessary. In order to define BioCities as cities which follow the principles of natural ecosystems to promote life, we will refer to the extensive knowledge of the history of urban science, the need for cities to be reinvented based on ecological principles, and new methods of analysing and measuring reality through digital systems. This vision of the main functions and traits of BioCities will also serve as a thread and reference for the subsequent chapters which will highlight and elaborate on the different properties of the BioCity vision. The final chapter will draw from this vision the constituting principles of the BioCity and will outline possible pathways of transition towards BioCities.

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Background and terms of reference Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) that escape into the wild could interbreed with native fish, posing a potential risk to the genetic diversity of wild Atlantic salmon populations. The Atlantic salmon in aquaculture are diploid, meaning the fish has two sets of chromosomes. To mitigate the genetic impact on wild populations, the concept of producing sterile triploid farmed Atlantic salmon has been suggested as a solution. However, it is important to ensure that the utilization of triploids in commercial farming aligns with the regulations set forth in the Norwegian Animal Welfare Act. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) requested the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) to do an assessment about health- and welfare consequences in triploid Atlantic salmon under commercial farming conditions, as compared to diploid counterparts. VKM was also requested to describe the underlying physiological mechanisms concerning consequences of triploidy as well as address potential measures to reduce the negative impacts on the health and welfare of the fish. Methods A working group consisting of members with expertise in salmonid biology, aquaculture systems, veterinary medicine, fish health and welfare, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, breeding and genetics has drafted this opinion. To answer the Terms of Reference as mandated by the NFSA, the authors addressed fish health and welfare as a unified concept in this report. Two external experts have reviewed and provided their opinion before it was assessed and approved by the VKM’s Panel on Animal Health and welfare. The literature used in this work was peer-reviewed studies retrieved from a search in four databases as well as non peer-reviewed reports. Selection of studies was conducted independently by two members in the working group and based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Conclusions Under commercial farming conditions, triploid Atlantic salmon are often found to have lower standards of health and welfare compared to diploids. For example, field and experimental studies have found triploids to be more prone to skeletal and heart deformities, and cataracts, while field studies suggest that under commercial farming conditions they cope less well with handling and are more susceptible to skin ulcers. However, research has indicated that some of the effects of triploidy can be mitigated through specialized diets or environmental adjustments. There is a noticeable tendency across farm studies and experimental trials for triploid salmon to be equal or larger in size at the end of freshwater phase, but equal or smaller in size at the end of the seawater phase. Most publications conclude that within what is considered the optimal temperature range of diploids, oxygen consumption rate, oxygen binding capacity, and aerobic swimming capacity do not significantly differ between triploid and diploid Atlantic salmon. However, findings from experimental trials suggest a lower optimal temperature range for triploids, and data consistent across studies indicate that triploids possess lower tolerance to hypoxia at elevated temperatures. Triploid Atlantic salmon are less robust to higher water temperatures than diploid, and have other nutritional needs than diploids, especially regarding phosphorus, and histidine. There are few studies on the susceptibility of triploid salmon to infectious agents and diseases. Field observations indicate that triploid fish are more susceptible to primary infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) outbreaks than diploids under commercial farming conditions at the level of the farm, and at cage level within farms that experience an ISA outbreak. A higher susceptibility to the ISA virus would potentially affect not only the health and welfare of the triploid fish at the farm with an outbreak but may potentially spread to other farms. .............

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The aim of this study was to evaluate whether sea lice grazing efficiency, behaviour, size variation and cataract development can be improved through selective breeding of lumpfish. A series of studies was conducted over a four-year period where distinctive lumpfish families were established initially from wild caught mature fish and latterly from established breeding lines. Four subsequent trials (called: Phase I-IV) with ten families of lumpfish (N = 480) with a mean (± SD) weight of 46.4 ± 9.4 g (Phase I), 54.8 ± 9.2 g (Phase II), 42.0 ± 7.4 g (Phase III) and 31.3 ± 2.4 g (Phase IV) were distributed among ten sea cages (5 × 5 × 5 m) during autumn 2018 to spring 2022, each stocked with 400–404 Atlantic salmon with an average initial mean (± SD) of 387 ± 9 g (Phase I), 621 ± 15 g (Phase II), 280 ± 16 g (Phase III) and 480 ± 66 g (Phase IV). All the ten cages were stocked with 48 lumpfish (12% stocking density). In all phases there was a large inter-family variation of lice grazing of lumpfish of both L. salmonis and C. elongatus. When sea lice grazing was scaled in relation to sea lice infestation numbers on the salmon the highest sea lice grazing activity was found in Phase IV and in particular in families sired from farmed parents. There was a general trend for mean start weights and standard deviations to decrease as the phases continued. A significant increase was found in frequency of behaviour associated with feeding on natural food sources and grazing sea lice from salmon during each subsequent phase. The increase in incidence of cataracts from start to end of each trial phase was significantly reduced from Phase I (16%) to Phase IV (2%). Overall, present findings showed that sea lice grazing of both L. salmonis and C. elongatus, size variation, cataract prevalence and behaviour types can be enhanced through selection and targeted breeding programs.

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The gut microbiota plays an important role in host health and disease. Our understanding of the fish microbiota lags far behind our knowledge of that of humans and other mammals. Nevertheless, research has highlighted the importance of the microbiota in the health, performance, and various physiological functions of fish. The microbiota has been studied in various fish species, including model animals, economic fish, and wild fish species. The composition of the fish microbiota depends on host selection, diet, and environmental factors. The intestinal microbiota affects the nutritional metabolism, immunity, and disease resistance of the fish host, while the host regulates the intestinal microbiota in a reciprocal way through both immune and non-immune factors. Improved and novel gnotobiotic fish models have been developed, which are important for the mechanistic study of host-microbiota interactions in fish. In this review, we discuss recent progress in fish microbiota research. We describe various aspects of this research, including both studies on fish microbiota variations and fundamental research extending our knowledge of host–microbiota interaction in fish. Perspectives on how fish microbiota research may benefit fish health and industrial sustainability are also discussed.

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Aquaculture of the lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) has become a large, lucrative industry owing to the escalating demand for “cleaner fish” to minimise sea lice infestations in Atlantic salmon mariculture farms. We used over 10K genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to investigate the spatial patterns of genomic variation in the lumpfish along the coast of Norway and across the North Atlantic. Moreover, we applied three genome scans for outliers and two genotype–environment association tests to assess the signatures and patterns of local adaptation under extensive gene flow. With our ‘global’ sampling regime, we found two major genetic groups of lumpfish, i.e., the western and eastern Atlantic. Regionally in Norway, we found marginal evidence of population structure, where the population genomic analysis revealed a small portion of individuals with a different genetic ancestry. Nevertheless, we found strong support for local adaption under high gene flow in the Norwegian lumpfish and identified over 380 high-confidence environment-associated loci linked to gene sets with a key role in biological processes associated with environmental pressures and embryonic development. Our results bridge population genetic/genomics studies with seascape genomics studies and will facilitate genome-enabled monitoring of the genetic impacts of escapees and allow for genetic-informed broodstock selection and management in Norway.

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Closing nutrient cycles by bio-based fertilizer products (BFPs) can improve the environmental sustainability of food systems and facilitate a more circular economy. Although the theoretical potential for nutrient recycling has been explored in detail, BFPs still seldom replace mineral fertilizer products in practice. The aim of the present study was to explore the critical enabling and limiting factors for the use of BFPs as seen from the perspective of farmers, suppliers, and civil society. To this aim, qualitative interviews were conducted with seven conventional grain farmers, six suppliers of BFPs, and five representatives of civil society, limited to environmental non-governmental organizations. The presented results illustrate a mismatch between demand and supply. On the one hand, the interviewed farmers were only interested in using BFPs if they are practical to use, balanced with respect to nutrient contents, and potentially provide the same earnings as mineral fertilizers. Positive effects for soil quality were an important driver for many of the farmers. On the other hand, the suppliers of BFPs were generally not able to offer products that fulfilled the farmers’ demands without economic losses, and they emphasized that they have faced several regulatory challenges. Representatives of regional civil society organizations expressed concern that new technical solutions could cause new environmental challenges, and that BFPs could enable further intensification of livestock production. The central-level representatives from the same NGOs, however, were positive about that BFPs can solve environmental problems. Policy instruments will be needed to increase the adoption of PFPs. Fostering BFPs’ that contribute to a sustainable agriculture is important to consider when formulating these polices.

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Peatlands cover only 3–4% of the Earth’s surface, but they store nearly 30% of global soil carbon stock. This significant carbon store is under threat as peatlands continue to be degraded at alarming rates around the world. It has prompted countries worldwide to establish regulations to conserve and reduce emissions from this carbon rich ecosystem. For example, the EU has implemented new rules that mandate sustainable management of peatlands, critical to reaching the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. However, a lack of information on the extent and condition of peatlands has hindered the development of national policies and restoration efforts. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on mapping and monitoring peatlands from field sites to the globe and identifies areas where further research is needed. It presents an overview of the different methodologies used to map peatlands in nine countries, which vary in definition of peat soil and peatland, mapping coverage, and mapping detail. Whereas mapping peatlands across the world with only one approach is hardly possible, the paper highlights the need for more consistent approaches within regions having comparable peatland types and climates to inform their protection and urgent restoration. The review further summarises various approaches used for monitoring peatland conditions and functions. These include monitoring at the plot scale for degree of humification and stoichiometric ratio, and proximal sensing such as gamma radiometrics and electromagnetic induction at the field to landscape scale for mapping peat thickness and identifying hotspots for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Remote sensing techniques with passive and active sensors at regional to national scale can help in monitoring subsidence rate, water table, peat moisture, landslides, and GHG emissions. Although the use of water table depth as a proxy for interannual GHG emissions from peatlands has been well established, there is no single remote sensing method or data product yet that has been verified beyond local or regional scales. Broader land-use change and fire monitoring at a global scale may further assist national GHG inventory reporting. Monitoring of peatland conditions to evaluate the success of individual restoration schemes still requires field work to assess local proxies combined with remote sensing and modeling. Long-term monitoring is necessary to draw valid conclusions on revegetation outcomes and associated GHG emissions in rewetted peatlands, as their dynamics are not fully understood at the site level. Monitoring vegetation development and hydrology of restored peatlands is needed as a proxy to assess the return of water and changes in nutrient cycling and biodiversity.

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The effects of tree pollen on precipitation chemistry are not fully understood and this can lead to misinterpretations of element deposition in European forests. We investigated the relationship between forest throughfall (TF) element fluxes and the Seasonal Pollen Integral (SPIn) using linear mixed-effects modelling (LME). TF was measured in 1990–2018 during the main pollen season (MPS, arbitrary two months) in 61 managed, mostly pure, even-aged Fagus, Quercus, Pinus, and Picea stands which are part of the ICP Forests Level II network. The SPIn for the dominant tree genus was observed at 56 aerobiological monitoring stations in nearby cities. The net contribution of pollen was estimated as the TF flux in the MPS minus the fluxes in the preceding and succeeding months. In stands of Fagus and Picea, two genera that do not form large amounts of flowers every year, TF fluxes of potassium (K+), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) showed a positive relationship with SPIn. However- for Fagus- a negative relationship was found between TF nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−-N) fluxes and SPIn. For Quercus and Pinus, two genera producing many flowers each year, SPIn displayed limited variability and no clear association with TF element fluxes. Overall, pollen contributed on average 4.1–10.6% of the annual TF fluxes of K+ > DOC > DON > NH4+-N with the highest contribution in Quercus > Fagus > Pinus > Picea stands. Tree pollen appears to affect TF inorganic nitrogen fluxes both qualitatively and quantitatively, acting as a source of NH4+-N and a sink of NO3−-N. Pollen appears to play a more complex role in nutrient cycling than previously thought.

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The morphological ontogeny of Nanhermannia sellnicki Forsslund, 1958 is described and illustrated. In all juvenile stages the bothridial seta is minute, and two pairs of exobothridial setae are present (exa reduced to its alveolus, exp short). In the larva, the seta f1 is setiform but in the nymphs it is unobservable among cuticular tubercles. Most prodorsal and gastronotal setae of the larva are short while thouse of nymphs are long; seta in and all gastronotal and adanal setae are inserted in small individual depressions. In all instars the leg segments are oval in cross section and relatively thick, and most setae on tarsi are relatively short, thick or conical. The seta d accompanies solenidion σ on all genua, φ1 on tibia I and φ on other tibiae.

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Drought-induced mortality is a major direct effect of climate change on tree health, but drought can also affect trees indirectly by altering their susceptibility to pathogens. Here, we report how a combination of mild or severe drought and pathogen infection affected the growth, pathogen resistance and gene expression in potted 5-year-old Norway spruce trees [Picea abies (L.) Karst.]. After 5 weeks of drought, trees were inoculated with the fungal pathogen Endoconidiophora polonica. Combined drought–pathogen stress over the next 8 weeks led to significant reductions in the growth of drought-treated trees relative to well-watered trees and more so in trees subjected to severe drought. Belowground, growth of the smallest fine roots was most affected. Aboveground, shoot diameter change was most sensitive to the combined stress, followed by shoot length growth and twig biomass. Both drought-related and some resistance-related genes were upregulated in bark samples collected after 5 weeks of drought (but before pathogen infection), and gene expression levels scaled with the intensity of drought stress. Trees subjected to severe drought were much more susceptible to pathogen infection than well-watered trees or trees subjected to mild drought. Overall, our results show that mild drought stress may increase the tree resistance to pathogen infection by upregulating resistance-related genes. Severe drought stress, on the other hand, decreased tree resistance. Because drought episodes are expected to become more frequent with climate change, combined effects of drought and pathogen stress should be studied in more detail to understand how these stressors interactively influence tree susceptibility to pests and pathogens.

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Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of herbivory for 503 plant species at 790 sites across 116° of latitude. With these data, we show that within-population variability in herbivory increases with latitude, decreases with plant size, and is phylogenetically structured. Differences in the magnitude of variability are thus central to how plant-herbivore biology varies across macroscale gradients. We argue that increased focus on interaction variability will advance understanding of patterns of life on Earth.

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Eco-efficiency is gaining popularity to measure the agricultural system's economic and environmental performance. The dynamic eco-efficiency of the agricultural system is assessed in this study using a parametric frontier framework that considers the inter-temporal nature of production decisions and methane emissions. We also estimated the static eco-efficiency model for comparison. The empirical analysis is based on 30 years of unbalanced panel data from 692 dairy farms (1991–2020). The generalized method of moment estimation is used to compute dynamic models. Both dynamic and static models show that dairy farms in the study area used available technology inefficiently, which means that some farmers produced lower outputs per input than the best-performing farmers. According to the dynamic eco-efficiency score, dairy farms only generate 94% of the maximum viable output for the input used. If all dairy farms became eco-efficient, an average dairy farm could raise its output by about 6% using the existing technology. According to the projected scores, farmers might improve their eco-efficiency by 10% on average without using more inputs in a static condition. Policymakers should encourage dairy farms to share information with the best-performing dairy farms on how to improve production while considering environmental concerns.

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Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system1. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests2,3,4,5 are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced6 and satellite-derived approaches2,7,8 to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands. Despite regional variation, the predictions demonstrated remarkable consistency at a global scale, with only a 12% difference between the ground-sourced and satellite-derived estimates. At present, global forest carbon storage is markedly under the natural potential, with a total deficit of 226 Gt (model range = 151–363 Gt) in areas with low human footprint. Most (61%, 139 Gt C) of this potential is in areas with existing forests, in which ecosystem protection can allow forests to recover to maturity. The remaining 39% (87 Gt C) of potential lies in regions in which forests have been removed or fragmented. Although forests cannot be a substitute for emissions reductions, our results support the idea2,3,9 that the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of diverse forests offer valuable contributions to meeting global climate and biodiversity targets.

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Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records. We found that global variation in leaf habit is primarily driven by isothermality and soil characteristics, while leaf form is predominantly driven by temperature. Given these relationships, we estimate that 38% of global tree individuals are needle-leaved evergreen, 29% are broadleaved evergreen, 27% are broadleaved deciduous and 5% are needle-leaved deciduous. The aboveground biomass distribution among these tree types is approximately 21% (126.4 Gt), 54% (335.7 Gt), 22% (136.2 Gt) and 3% (18.7 Gt), respectively. We further project that, depending on future emissions pathways, 17–34% of forested areas will experience climate conditions by the end of the century that currently support a different forest type, highlighting the intensification of climatic stress on existing forests. By quantifying the distribution of tree leaf types and their corresponding biomass, and identifying regions where climate change will exert greatest pressure on current leaf types, our results can help improve predictions of future terrestrial ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling.

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Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species1,2. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies3,4. Here, leveraging global tree databases5,6,7, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity. We find that anthropogenic factors are key to predicting whether a location is invaded, but that invasion severity is underpinned by native diversity, with higher diversity predicting lower invasion severity. Temperature and precipitation emerge as strong predictors of invasion strategy, with non-native species invading successfully when they are similar to the native community in cold or dry extremes. Yet, despite the influence of these ecological forces in determining invasion strategy, we find evidence that these patterns can be obscured by human activity, with lower ecological signal in areas with higher proximity to shipping ports. Our global perspective of non-native tree invasion highlights that human drivers influence non-native tree presence, and that native phylogenetic and functional diversity have a critical role in the establishment and spread of subsequent invasions.

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An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated diversity drivers for 644 bee species/morphospecies in 177 commercial apple orchards across 33 countries and four global biogeographical biomes. Our findings reveal significant taxonomic dissimilarity among biogeographical zones. Interestingly, despite this dissimilarity, species from different zones share similar higher-level phylogenetic groups and similar ecological and behavioural traits (i.e. functional traits), likely due to habitat filtering caused by perennial monoculture systems managed intensively for crop production. Honey bee species dominated orchard communities, while other managed/manageable and wild species were collected in lower numbers. Moreover, the presence of herbaceous, uncultivated open areas and organic management practices were associated with increased wild bee diversity. Overall, our study sheds light on the importance of large-scale analyses contributing to the emerging fields of functional and phylogenetic diversity, which can be related to ecosystem function to promote biodiversity as a key asset in agroecosystems in the face of global change pressures.

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Phenolic compounds constitute one of the most important groups of the bioactive molecules in food plants. These compounds have received attention for their beneficial properties for human health and they also are involved in diverse important roles in plants, including signaling and defense against biotic and abiotic stress factors. Vaccinium berries are one of the richest sources of phenolic compounds of which flavonoid classes of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols in addition to hydroxycinnamic acids are the main phenolics in these species. Besides in berries, phenolic compounds are also present in other parts of the plant. Biosynthesis of flavonoids via the phenylpropanoid pathway is well understood and the key enzymes leading to different intermediates or different flavonoid classes have been characterized in many species including wild and cultivated Vaccinium species. At the molecular level, the biosynthesis is regulated via co-ordinated transcriptional control of the enzymes in the pathway by the interaction with transcription factors of the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex. Upstream regulators of the pathway have also been identified. The biosynthesis is controlled both at the level as well as by the surrounding environmental factors. Plant hormones are the key players in the development and the ripening process of the fruits. Especially abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) have been shown to have a key role in the flavonoid metabolism of Vaccinium species. Accumulation of transcriptome, genome and metabolome data are currently increasing our understanding on the complicated regulation networks controlling the metabolism of the phenolic compounds in the Vaccinium species. This offers new tools for selection of the species and cultivars with preferred characteristics, for instance berries with higher health benefit potential or plants with better stress resistance.

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Vaccinium berries include several economically important cultivated and wild species such as blueberries, cranberries, bilberries and lingonberries. These species are recognized for the various health beneficial properties, which are generally linked to the high yields and the complex profile of flavonoids in the berries, including anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin, and flavonol classes of flavonoids. Anthocyanins are one of the main pigments in plants contributing to the characteristic reddish to bluish colours in flowers and fruits. Most important anthocyanins are glucosides of six common aglycons: cyanidins, delphinidins, pelargonidins, petunidins, peonidins and malvidins. Of these, delphinidin branch anthocyanins, namely delphinidins, petunidins, and malvidins are responsible of bluish colours in blue Vaccinium berries. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins has been intensively studied, and the structural enzyme genes responsible of the specific steps of the pathway have been characterised also in diverse Vaccinium species. For the delphinidin branch, flavanone 3’5’ hydroxylase (F3’5’H) is the key enzyme for the branching point towards bluish anthocyanins. Our recent results both from controlled and field experiments have revealed new information on the key regulators controlling the different branches of the anthocyanin biosynthesis in blue-coloured berries. Transcriptome analyses combined with metabolite results have identified signaling routes leading to increase in delphinidin branch anthocyanins. Our results show that the anthocyanin composition in blue Vaccinium berries could be modified by specific environmental factors.

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Wild berries are abundant in health-beneficial bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, and polyphenolic compounds, which accumulate during the fruit ripening process. Interestingly, wild Vaccinium berries from northern latitudes are found to contain more bioactive compounds compared to southern clones. The genetic adaptation is most likely favoured by environmental conditions, such as extended day length, cool temperatures and light spectral qualities. The molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in response to light quality have been scarcely explored in Vaccinium berries. The present study is focused on gaining knowledge on the regulatory process under supplemental red and blue light in non-climacteric wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Controlled experiments were carried out in phytotrons with local Norwegian ecotypes of bilberry, which were subjected from early to late ripening stages to continuous exposure to specific red and blue wavelengths provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Berry samples from mid-ripening stage were utilized for the gene expression analysis based on RNA-seq transcriptome profiling. Our recent analyses from the transcriptome data set have shown that light wavelengths induce the anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, resulting in higher delphinidin accumulation in ripe bilberries. The enhanced secondary metabolic pathways influenced by such light qualities and the differential expression patterns in light-reaction centers as observed in various subunit complexes of photosystem I and II in the photosynthetic apparatus are briefly discussed in this study. This is crucial in order to study how plants acclimatize to modified light environment in terms of photosynthesis. The differences in expression of hormone signal transduction pathway genes were also discussed. The results will contribute to a better understanding of the light-mediated biosynthesis of phytochemicals in Vaccinium berries.

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Forest damage caused by heavy wet snow accumulation in the canopy is the second most important abiotic forest disturbance agent in Nordic conifer stands after wind. The extent and frequency of snow damage in the future climate in the Nordic region is a major uncertainty. Few mechanistic models of snow damage risk to trees exist that could support forest management scenario analysis and decision making. We propose a snow damage risk model consisting of a numerical weather prediction-based snow accumulation model for forest canopies and a mechanistic critical snow load model. Snow damage probability predictions were validated on snow breakage data from the winters of 2016 and 2018 covering 3.5 million individual trees in south-eastern Norway derived from pre- and post-damage aerial laser scanning campaigns. The proposed model demonstrated satisfactory damage and no-damage class separation with an AUC of 0.72 and 0.77 in Norway spruce and Scots pine, respectively, and an F1 score of 0.7 in conifers taller than 10 m that suffered moderate stem breakage. The model achieved a classification accuracy that is comparable to that of statistical models but is simpler and requires fewer inputs.

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Chlorella vulgaris is a freshwater microalga that synthesises large amounts of saturated lipids, which makes it suitable for production of bioenergy and biofuels. Since its cultivation usually requires freshwater, it competes with agriculture, economic development and ecological conservation for this limited natural resource. This study investigated the possibility of the partial replacement of freshwater by seawater (50 %) in the growth medium for a more sustainable biomass and lipid production. Chlorella vulgaris 211-11b was cultivated as shake-flask cultures in Bold's Basal Medium (BBM) formulated with 50 % freshwater and 50 % seawater under photoautotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic conditions for eight days with glucose as organic carbon source in the latter two cases. The alga's best growth performance and highest lipid contents (49 % DW−1), dominated by palmitioleic and oleic acid, occurred under mixotrophic rather than photoautotrophic and heterotrophic conditions. This study demonstrates a more economic and ecologically sustainable biomass and lipid production of C. vulgaris by saving 50 % freshwater, which is available for other purposes.

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Questions During the winter of 2014, an intense drought combined with sub-zero temperatures resulted in a massive Calluna dieback in Norwegian heathlands. We studied the initial vegetation recovery under two management approaches: natural recovery and prescribed burning. We hypothesized that natural recovery will be slower in more drought-affected sites, whereas burning will facilitate post-fire recovery in all sites by effectively removing dead and damaged heath. Both natural recovery and post-fire succession will be slower in the north. Location Calluna heath in seven sites spanning an approx. 600-km latitudinal gradient along the coast of Norway (60.22–65.69° N). Methods After a natural drought, 10 permanent plots per site were either burnt or left for natural recovery. Vegetation data were recorded annually in 2016 (pre-fire) and 2017–2019 (post-fire) reflecting a factorial repeated-measures design (n = 280). The data were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Results Two years after the drought, we observed high but variable Calluna damage and mortality. Over the four years of study, damaged Calluna recovered, whereas dead Calluna showed little recovery. Both the extent of the damage and mortality, as well as the rate of natural recovery, are only weakly related to site climate or environmental factors. Fire efficiently removed dead and damaged Calluna and facilitated post-fire successional dynamics and recovery in a majority of sites. Conclusions Extreme winter drought resulted in substantial and often persistent damage and dieback on Calluna along the latitudinal gradient. In sites with high mortality, prescribed burning removed the dead biomass and, in some cases, facilitated vegetation recovery. Traditional heathland management, which uses burning to facilitate all-year grazing by Old Norse sheep in Atlantic coastal heathlands, can be an efficient tool to mitigate dieback events and more generally to increase resistance to and resilience after extreme drought events in the future.

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VKM has evaluated to what extent keeping of cats pose a risk to biodiversity in Norway. Risks were assessed separately for threats to biodiversity from direct predation, indirect (non-lethal) effects, competition with other wildlife and spread of infectious organisms. VKM also assessed the risk of reduced animal welfare related to the keeping of domestic cats, both for the cats and their prey. In addition, VKM has assessed a range of risk-reducing measures aimed at minimizing the risk for negative impacts on biodiversity and animal welfare. Overall, VKM find that the risk of negative impact on vulnerable birds and red-listed mammalian species are high under certain conditions. VKM also find that there is a considerable risk associated with increased spread of infectious organisms from cats to wildlife and other domestic species. Some of these infectious organisms may also infect humans. With respect to mitigation measures, VKM concludes that measures focused on limiting cats’ access to prey populations are likely to yield the most positive outcomes in terms of mitigating the adverse impact on biodiversity.

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Three lichen species, Fuscopannaria praetermissa, Lepraria borealis and Xanthomendoza fulva, are reported as additions to the biodiversity of the Gaupne area, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. The fungal universal barcode DNA sequence (nrITS) is provided for Fuscopannaria praetermissa and Lepraria borealis. Results of preliminary molecular analyses indicate the need for a systematic revision of Lepraria borealis and other taxa in the L. neglecta group.

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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.

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Understanding the chemical composition of our planet's crust was one of the biggest questions of the 20th century. More than 100 years later, we are still far from understanding the global patterns in the bioavailability and spatial coupling of elements in topsoils worldwide, despite their importance for the productivity and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we measured the bioavailability and coupling of thirteen macro- and micronutrients and phytotoxic elements in topsoils (3–8 cm) from a range of terrestrial ecosystems across all continents (∼10,000 observations) and in response to global change manipulations (∼5,000 observations). For this, we incubated between 1 and 4 pairs of anionic and cationic exchange membranes per site for a mean period of 53 days. The most bioavailable elements (Ca, Mg, and K) were also amongst the most abundant in the crust. Patterns of bioavailability were biome-dependent and controlled by soil properties such as pH, organic matter content and texture, plant cover, and climate. However, global change simulations resulted in important alterations in the bioavailability of elements. Elements were highly coupled, and coupling was predictable by the atomic properties of elements, particularly mass, mass to charge ratio, and second ionization energy. Deviations from the predictable coupling-atomic mass relationship were attributed to global change and agriculture. Our work illustrates the tight links between the bioavailability and coupling of topsoil elements and environmental context, human activities, and atomic properties of elements, thus deeply enhancing our integrated understanding of the biogeochemical connections that underlie the productivity and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems in a changing world.

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COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effectson animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and roadavoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019.Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely dueto variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacementsincreased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals’1-hour 95th percentiledisplacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint,indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors,highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.

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1. Biodiversity is an important component of natural ecosystems, with higher species richness often correlating with an increase in ecosystem productivity. Yet, this relationship varies substantially across environments, typically becoming less pronounced at high levels of species richness. However, species richness alone cannot reflect all important properties of a community, including community evenness, which may mediate the relationship between biodiversity and productivity. If the evenness of a community correlates negatively with richness across forests globally, then a greater number of species may not always increase overall diversity and productivity of the system. Theoretical work and local empirical studies have shown that the effect of evenness on ecosystem functioning may be especially strong at high richness levels, yet the consistency of this remains untested at a global scale. 2. Here, we used a dataset of forests from across the globe, which includes composition, biomass accumulation and net primary productivity, to explore whether productivity correlates with community evenness and richness in a way that evenness appears to buffer the effect of richness. Specifically, we evaluated whether low levels of evenness in speciose communities correlate with the attenuation of the richness–productivity relationship. 3. We found that tree species richness and evenness are negatively correlated across forests globally, with highly speciose forests typically comprising a few dominant and many rare species. Furthermore, we found that the correlation between diversity and productivity changes with evenness: at low richness, uneven communities are more productive, while at high richness, even communities are more productive. 4. Synthesis. Collectively, these results demonstrate that evenness is an integral component of the relationship between biodiversity and productivity, and that the attenuating effect of richness on forest productivity might be partly explained by low evenness in speciose communities. Productivity generally increases with species richness, until reduced evenness limits the overall increases in community diversity. Our research suggests that evenness is a fundamental component of biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships, and is of critical importance for guiding conservation and sustainable ecosystem management decisions.

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Lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) have received much positive attention due to their exotic taste and high phenolic content. These small red fruits grow across Norway, a country with large variations in abiotic and biotic growth conditions. The large variations in abiotic and biotic growth conditions have potential to influence quality and availability of lingonberries. A three-year study (2019-2021) with 64 field plots across Norway have therefore been set up, with the aim of studying the effect of climate and growth conditions on lingonberries. Here, anthocyanin content in berries from the first growth season is presented. Eight locations across Norway (58 to 69°N) with supposed high production potential of lingonberries were selected. Within each location, eight stands (250 m2) with different biotic conditions were chosen. Berries from each sector were lyophilised and extracted with 70% methanol. Phenolic compounds were analysed by HPLC-DAD-MSn, with quantification of anthocyanin at 520 nm and MS used for identification. The three major anthocyanins in Norwegian lingonberries were cyanidin-3-galactoside (69-90%), -arabinoside (6-23%) and 
-glucoside (2-10%). Additionally, small quantities of three other cyanidin glycosides were preliminarily identified. The total content of anthocyanins in lingonberries ranged from approximately 320 to 790 mg 100 g‑1 dw. There appears to be a variation in anthocyanin concentration linked to latitude. However, as the variation was as large within the stands of each location as they were between the locations, different growth factors would also play key parts in synthesis of anthocyanins in lingonberries. Results from analysis of berries collected in 2020 and 2021 are necessary to have the basis to draw a conclusion on how biotic and abiotic factors influence anthocyanin content of lingonberries.

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Fire in the boreal forests emits substantial amounts of organically bound carbon (C) to the atmosphere and converts a fraction of the burnt organic matter into charcoal, which in turn is highly refractory and functions as a long-term stable C pool. It is well established that the boreal forest charcoal pool is sufficiently large to play a significant role in the global C cycle. However, there is a need for spatially representative estimates of how large proportions of the forest floor C pool are made up of charcoal across different plant communities in the boreal forest ecosystem. Thus, we have quantified the amounts of C separately in charcoal and the organic layers of the forest floor across fine spatial scales in a boreal forest landscape with a well-documented fire history. We found that the proportion of charcoal C made up an average of 1.2% of the total forest floor C, and the charcoal proportions showed a high small-scale spatial variability and were concentrated in the organic–mineral soil interface. Proportions of charcoal C decreased with increasing time since last fire. Deeper soils, denser soils, and local concave areas had the highest proportions of charcoal C, whereas historical fire frequencies and current differences in vegetation did not relate to the proportions of charcoal C.

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Arctic tundra vegetation is affected by rapid climatic change and fluctuating herbivore population sizes. Broad-billed geese, after their arrival in spring, feed intensively on belowground rhizomes, thereby disturbing soil, mosses, and vascular plant vegetation. Understanding of how springtime snowmelt patterns drive goose behavior is thus key to better predict the state of Arctic tundra ecosystems. Here, we analyzed how snowmelt progression affected springtime habitat selection and vegetation disturbance by pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) in Svalbard during 2019. Our analysis, based on GPS telemetry data and field observations of geese, plot-based assessments of signs of vegetation disturbance, and drone and satellite images, covered two spatial scales (fine scale: extent 0.3 km2, resolution 5 cm; valley scale: extent 30 km2, resolution 10 m). We show that pink-footed goose habitat selection and signs of vegetation disturbance were correlated during the spring pre-breeding period; disturbances were most prevalent in the moss tundra vegetation class and areas free from snow early in the season. The results were consistent across the spatial scales and methods (GPS telemetry and field observations). We estimated that 23.4% of moss tundra and 11.2% of dwarf-shrub heath vegetation in the valley showed signs of disturbance by pink-footed geese during the study period. This study demonstrates that aerial imagery and telemetry can provide data to detect disturbance hotspots caused by pink-footed geese. Our study provides empirical evidence to general notions about implications of climate change and snow season changes that include increased variability in precipitation.

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This article reports findings from two research projects that aimed to understand the vulnerabilities of cultural heritage sites in Svalbard and investigated factors that influence tourism-induced pressures and site degradation. It draws upon fieldwork conducted at ten selected historic locations, including interviews with tourists and guides, consultations with regional and central cultural heritage management authorities, on-site observations, and condition assessments. The primary goal was to explore indicators rendering cultural heritage sites susceptible to the impacts of tourism and human visitors. These indicators were common denominators and encompassed the sites’ physical state/degree of decay, legibility, accessibility, and quantity and quality of objects at the sites. This article seeks to enhance the understanding of these sites’ vulnerabilities and provide insights for effective heritage site management and sustainable tourism development. The principal findings highlight key factors contributing to cultural heritage sites’ vulnerability. These factors encompass intensity and frequency of visitor traffic, suboptimal visitor management strategies, tourists’ limited awareness of proper site behaviour and conservation practices, and restricted resources for site maintenance and protection. These findings can guide policymakers, site managers, and tourism stakeholders in formulating strategies to balance tourism promotion with site conservation, ensuring the long-term preservation of cultural heritage in this unique and vulnerable environment.

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In the last decade, several studies aimed at dissecting the genetic architecture of local small ruminant breeds to discover which variations are involved in the process of adaptation to environmental conditions, a topic that has acquired priority due to climate change. Considering that traditional breeds are a reservoir of such important genetic variation, improving the current knowledge about their genetic diversity and origin is the first step forward in designing sound conservation guidelines. The genetic composition of North-Western European archetypical goat breeds is still poorly exploited. In this study we aimed to fill this gap investigating goat breeds across Ireland and Scandinavia, including also some other potential continental sources of introgression. The PCA and Admixture analyses suggest a well-defined cluster that includes Norwegian and Swedish breeds, while the crossbred Danish landrace is far apart, and there appears to be a close relationship between the Irish and Saanen goats. In addition, both graph representation of historical relationships among populations and f4-ratio statistics suggest a certain degree of gene flow between the Norse and Atlantic landraces. Furthermore, we identify signs of ancient admixture events of Scandinavian origin in the Irish and in the Icelandic goats. The time when these migrations, and consequently the introgression, of Scandinavian-like alleles occurred, can be traced back to the Viking colonisation of these two isles during the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). The demographic analysis indicates a complicated history of these traditional breeds with signatures of bottleneck, inbreeding and crossbreeding with the improved breeds. Despite these recent demographic changes and the historical genetic background shaped by centuries of human-mediated gene flow, most of them maintained their genetic identity, becoming an irreplaceable genetic resource as well as a cultural heritage.

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Bark beetle (Ips typographus) outbreaks have the potential to damage large areas of spruce-dominated forests in Scandinavia. To define forest management strategies that will minimize the risk of bark beetle attacks, we need robust models that link forest structure and composition to the risk and potential damage of bark beetle attacks. Since data on bark beetle infestation rates and corresponding damages does not exist in Norway, we implement a previously published meta-model for estimating I. typographus damage probability and intensity. Using both current and projected climatic conditions we used the model to estimate damage inflicted by I. typographus in Norwegian spruce stands. The model produces feasible results for most of Norway’s climate and forest conditions, but a revised model tailored to Norway should be fitted to a dataset that includes older stands and lower temperatures. Based on current climate and forest conditions, the model predicts that approximately nine percent of productive forests within Norway’s main spruce-growing region will experience a loss ranging from 1.7 to 11 m3/ha of spruce over a span of five years. However, climate change is predicted to exacerbate the annual damage caused by I. typographus, potentially leading to a doubling of its detrimental effects.

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The aim was to explore the impact of temperature during seed development on yield performance and seed quality in faba bean when grown at cool temperatures representative for high latitude regions. Two varieties, an early and a medium late maturing, were grown in climate chambers with three temperature regimes (day/night temperatures of 14°C/12°C, 19°C/12°C, and 24°C/12°C) from onset of flowering to maturation. Yield components were recorded, and the accumulation of protein, starch, and low molecular weight carbohydrates including the raffinose family oligosaccharides was followed during the accumulation phase until physiological maturity. The lower temperature regimes strongly delayed pod and seed development compared with 24°C/12°C. Temperature affected the number of pods per plant for the upper node group. Plants grown at 19°C had the highest total dry seed weight compared with plants grown at 14°C and 24°C. Temperature per se did not influence the content of starch, protein, and low molecular weight carbohydrates, while their accumulation followed the moisture content in the seed, and thus the seed development stage. The content of raffinose family oligosaccharides increased sharply when the seed moisture dropped below 70% and leveled off at about 40% and 50% moisture for verbascose and stachyose, respectively, coinciding with physiological maturity. The results provide more knowledge about the seed maturation and accumulation in faba bean under low temperatures, important for cultivation under high latitude regions.

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Renewable energy in the form of biogas can be produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of animal manure. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on the long-term effects of AD-treated manure on soil characteristics and crop productivity, compared with untreated manure. A field experiment was established in a perennial grass-clover ley in 2011 to study the effects on important soil and crop characteristics when the slurry from a herd of organically managed dairy cows is anaerobically digested. While the rate of manure application affected soil concentrations of extractable nutrients and pH, these variables were unaffected by AD. Soil organic matter (SOM) concentrations decreased in all plots and faster on the plots with high intrinsic SOM. The decrease was similar with application of untreated (non-digested) slurry (US) and anaerobically digested slurry (ADS), and it was not affected by application rates. The general decline may be explained by the initial high SOM content, the long-term effect of drainage, and higher temperatures with climatic change. US and ADS gave similar yields of grass-clover ley (2 cuts/year) and green fodder, on average 0.79 and 0.40 kg DM m−2, respectively. Clover yield was similar in manured treatments and the non-fertilized control. With respect to crop yields and chemical soil characteristics, long-term (10 years) effects of AD in an organic dairy cow farming system seem to be minor. The benefits of extracting energy from the slurry did not compromise grassland productivity or soil quality in the long term.

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The efficacy of currently available fungicides against apple scab, caused by the fungal pathogen Venturia inaequalis, was investigated in relation to when growers spray (ahead, during, or after rain) and how the spray reaches the target. The adaxial surface of individual leaves of potted trees were sprayed and then inoculated with ascospores of V. inaequalis, to establish dose-response curves for each fungicide. Discriminatory doses providing 50 and 90% symptom inhibition (EC50 and EC90, respectively) in sprays mimicking applications ahead of rain were used for experiments imitating alternative spray timings. Sprays were either applied during the spore germination phase or early or late after infection onset (either 336 or 672 degree-hours after inoculation, respectively), corresponding to grower spray schedules. Experiments were also carried out with sprays applied on the abaxial leaf surface to investigate fungicide efficacy through the leaf lamina. For all fungicides, the best efficacy was observed when sprays were applied during germination, followed by applications ahead of inoculation. Some products maintained equal or better efficacy at early infection, while efficacy in late infection dropped for all products, clearly indicating that this spray timing should be avoided. Some products with postinfection efficacy also showed translaminar efficacy. The close relationship found between EC50 of the active ingredients on potted trees and the label rate could help improve spraying decisions and reduce costs.

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Little is known about the environmental control of growth and flower bud initiation (FBI) in commercial blackberries. We studied the processes in the cultivars ‘Lock Ness’, ’Ouachita’ and ‘Sweet Royalla’ at 12, 16 and 20 °C in a daylight phytotron under naturally decreasing autumn daylength at Ås, Norway (59°40′ N). Growth rate increased with increasing temperature but was much lower at all temperatures in the erect ‘Ouachita’ than in the trailing cultivars ‘Lock Ness’ and ‘Sweet Royalla’. In all cultivars, FBI occurred earliest at 16 °C, whereas little or no FBI took place in ‘Ouachita’ and ‘Lock Ness’ at 12 °C. Growth cessation was earliest at 16 °C where it occurred in early September in all cultivars, suggesting a critical daylength of approximately 14 h. At variance from earlier statements, FBI started in lateral buds situated several nodes below the apex and progressed in both acropetal and basipetal directions as previously reported for red raspberry. Winter chill at 0 °C enhanced flowering in spring in marginally induced plants of all cultivars except ‘Ouachita’ grown at 12 °C, which remained vegetative in spring. The results suggest that temperature is as important as daylength for FBI in biennial-fruiting blackberry, and that winter chilling may enhance flowering and yield potential in partially induced plants.

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Forests provide a range of vital services to society and are critical habitats for biodiversity, holding inherent multifunctionality. While traditionally viewed as a byproduct of production-focused forestry, today's forest ecosystem services and biodiversity (FESB) play an essential role in several sectoral policies’ needs. Achieving policy objectives requires careful management considering the interplay of services, influenced by regional aspects and climate. Here, we examined the multifunctionality gap caused by these factors through simulation of forest management and multi-objective optimization methods across different regions - Finland, Norway, Sweden and Germany (Bavaria). To accomplish this, we tested diverse management regimes (productivity-oriented silviculture, several continuous cover forestry regimes and set asides), two climate scenarios (current and RCP 4.5) and three policy strategies (National Forest, Biodiversity and Bioeconomy Strategies). For each combination we calculated a multifunctionality metric at the landscape scale based on 5 FESB classes (biodiversity conservation, bioenergy, climate regulation, wood, water and recreation). In Germany and Norway, maximum multifunctionality was achieved by increasing the proportion of set-asides and proportionally decreasing the rest of management regimes. In Finland, maximum MF would instead require that policies address greater diversity in management, while in Sweden, the pattern was slightly different but similar to Finland. Regarding the climate scenarios, we observed that only for Sweden the difference in the provision of FESB was significant. Finally, the highest overall potential multifunctionality was observed for Sweden (National Forest scenario, with a value of 0.94 for the normalized multifunctionality metric), followed by Germany (National Forest scenario, 0.83), Finland (Bioeconomy scenario, 0.81) and Norway (National Forest scenario, 0.71). The results highlight the challenges of maximizing multifunctionality and underscore the significant influence of country-specific policies and climate change on forest management. To achieve the highest multifunctionality, strategies must be tailored to specific national landscapes, acknowledging both synergistic and conflicting FESB.

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Renting agricultural land is a common practice in many countries. The possibility to rent land provides farmers with increased flexibility in terms of production volume. Land renting may have various effects on farmland management; however, results from studies analysing these are ambivalent. Farmland in the best possible state is a prerequisite for following up ambitions of feeding a growing population through a sustainable agriculture. Decisions regarding investments on farmland are key. The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of which factors are the most important ones for farmers’ decisions about investments on land they rent. We carried out a questionnaire survey followed by a multiple linear regression considering 34 variables. Although variables included in our model come out as significant in explaining investments, a large part of the variation is left unexplained (R2 = 0.22). Our interpretation of this result is that making investments is a complex decision. Non-economic factors impacting on farmers’ investment decisions such as trust or norms may contribute to the unexplained variation, but may only have been captured partly by our variables. Moreover, decisions regarding investments may not only vary among farmers but also among investments made by an individual farmer. The complex nature of the decisions on how to treat rented land makes it challenging for policymakers to develop measures targeted at farmers renting land. However, the finding that farmers are driving longer distances to rented land than they find acceptable deserves political attention. One potential policy implication may be strengthened incentives for land re-allotment. Re-allotment may address increasing distances and potential consequences such as reduced productivity and increased land abandonment. However, the sustainability of a re-allotment process needs to be considered carefully in terms of economic viability, ecological soundness and social responsibility.

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The benefits of individual vessel quota (IVQ) management in terms of improved harvest strategy and profitability are well recognized, but there is less focus on how different components of a quota portfolio can influence decisions underlying the effort allocation and profit-maximizing behaviour of fishers. Variations in the components of the quota portfolio may create economic incentives that alter the optimal harvest strategy and profitability. Thus, we study the potential impact of different components of quota portfolio on the intra-annual harvest strategy and profitability in two segments of the Norwegian bottom trawl fleet. By developing a vessel-based spatio-temporal bioeconomic framework, we demonstrate and compare adopted harvest strategies and accrued profits for small and large trawl vessels under three scenarios regarding restrictive quotas in codfish fishery. Our analysis confirms that alternations in the components of the quota portfolio influence the spatio-temporal dynamics of the fishing effort for small and large trawl vessels in different ways, probably due to the differences in vessel-specific characteristics. We also demonstrate that the differences in profit between small and large vessels in part depend on the overall size of the quota portfolio. The economies of scale in the trawl industry are being eroded as the shares of higher-priced species in the quota portfolio decreases. The benefits of economies of scale cannot be reaped as trawlers respond to the reduction in profit by redirecting effort from offshore areas of the Arctic to nearshore waters or staying ashore. Likewise, having small quotas of high-priced species reduces the effectiveness of the IVQ system in meeting management objectives, and could in some cases undermine sustainability outcomes. Our results also demonstrate that both the intensity with which fishers react to the fluctuations in market price levels and fishers’ perceptions of location attractiveness are influenced by the components of the quota portfolio.

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Butt rot is a main defect in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees and causes large economic losses for forest owners. However, little empirical research has been done on the effects of butt rot on harvested roundwood and the magnitude of the resulting economic losses. The main objective of this study was to characterize the direct economic losses caused by butt rot in Norway spruce trees for Norwegian forest owners. We used data obtained from seven cut-to-length harvesters, comprising ∼400,000 trees (∼140,000 m3) with corresponding stem profiles and wood grade information. We quantified the economic losses due to butt rot using bucking simulations, for which in a first case, defects caused by butt rot were included, and in a second case, all trees were assumed to be free of butt rot. 16% of trees were affected by butt rot, whereby butt rot tended to occur in larger trees. When butt rot was present in a tree, the saw log volume was reduced by 48%. Proportions of roundwood volume affected by butt rot varied considerably across harvested stands. Our results suggest that butt rot causes economic losses upwards of 7% of wood revenues, corresponding to € 18.5 million annually in Norway.

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Plants must adapt with increasing speed to global warming to maintain their fitness. One rapid adaptation mechanism is epigenetic memory, which may provide organisms sufficient time to adapt to climate change. We studied how the perennial Fragaria vesca adapted to warmer temperatures (28°C vs. 18°C) over three asexual generations. Differences in flowering time, stolon number, and petiole length were induced by warmer temperature in one or more ecotypes after three asexual generations and persisted in a common garden environment. Induced methylome changes differed between the four ecotypes from Norway, Iceland, Italy, and Spain, but shared methylome responses were also identified. Most differentially methylated regions (DMRs) occurred in the CHG context, and most CHG and CHH DMRs were hypermethylated at the warmer temperature. In eight CHG DMR peaks, a highly similar methylation pattern could be observed between ecotypes. On average, 13% of the differentially methylated genes between ecotypes also showed a temperature-induced change in gene expression. We observed ecotype-specific methylation and expression patterns for genes related to gibberellin metabolism, flowering time, and epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed a negative correlation with gene expression when repetitive elements were found near (±2 kb) or inside genes. In conclusion, lasting phenotypic changes indicative of an epigenetic memory were induced by warmer temperature and were accompanied by changes in DNA methylation patterns. Both shared methylation patterns and transcriptome differences between F. vesca accessions were observed, indicating that DNA methylation may be involved in both general and ecotype-specific phenotypic variation.

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An epigenetic memory of the temperature sum experienced during embryogenesis is part of the climatic adaptation strategy of the long-lived gymnosperm Norway spruce. This memory has a lasting effect on the timing of bud phenology and frost tolerance in the resulting epitype trees. The epigenetic memory is well characterized phenotypically and at the transcriptome level, but to what extent DNA methylation changes are involved have not previously been determined. To address this, we analyzed somatic epitype embryos of Norway spruce clones produced at contrasting epitype-inducing conditions (18 and 28°C). We screened for differential DNA methylation in 2744 genes related mainly to the epigenetic machinery, circadian clock, and phenology. Of these genes, 68% displayed differential DNA methylation patterns between contrasting epitype embryos in at least one methylation context (CpG, CHG, CHH). Several genes related to the epigenetic machinery (e.g., DNA methyltransferases, ARGONAUTE) and the control of bud phenology (FTL genes) were differentially methylated. This indicates that the epitype-inducing temperature conditions induce an epigenetic memory involving specific DNA methylation changes in Norway spruce.

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Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be used as a stand-alone process or integrated as part of a larger biorefining process to produce biofuels, biochemicals and fertiliser, and has the potential to play a central role in the emerging circular bioeconomy (CBE). Agricultural residues, such as animal slurry, straw, and grass silage, represent an important resource and have a huge potential to boost biogas and methane yields. Under the CBE concept, there is a need to assess the long-term impact and investigate the potential accumulation of specific unwanted substances. Thus, a comprehensive literature review to summarise the benefits and environmental impacts of using agricultural residues for AD is needed. This review analyses the benefits and potential adverse effects related to developing biogas-centred CBE. The identified potential risks/challenges for developing biogas CBE include GHG emission, nutrient management, pollutants, etc. In general, the environmental risks are highly dependent on the input feedstocks and resulting digestate. Integrated treatment processes should be developed as these could both minimise risks and improve the economic perspective.

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Research centred on understanding scientists’ attitudes towards open data in ecology and evolution point to an increased acceptance of and willingness to engage in open data practices1,2, but also identifies common threads of concern which present barriers to data sharing.

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The morphological ontogeny of Zachvatkinibates svanhovdi A. Seniczak & S. Seniczak, 2023 is described and illustrated. The juveniles of this species are light brown with slightly darker colour on the prodorsum, gastronotal shield, surrounding of gla opening, and legs. The larva has 12 pairs of gastronotal setae, most are of medium size and barbed; the nymphs have 15 pairs, most are short and smooth. In all juveniles, the setae of c-series are inserted on unsclerotized integument. In the larva, the pygidial shield is absent but, in the nymphs, the gastronotal shield is present and the setae p2 and p3 are inserted on unsclerotized integument. In the larva, a humeral organ is absent but is present in the nymphs.

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This book analyses the implementation and challenges of using Geographical Indications in Norway. Adapting the modern and global system of Geographical Indications (GIs) to food cultures is a recurring challenge. This text uses Norway as a case study to describe, understand, and explain the socio-cultural adaptation of GIs. The empirical analysis shows that administrators, producers, consultants, and others make a significant effort to adapt the scheme to Norwegian food culture and the food culture to the scheme. Through the development and use of a new conceptual framework, the book continues to show how adaptations occurred and their influence on the development of the Norwegian food culture. The author also reflects upon the status of Norwegian GIs in emerging food cultural contexts related to sustainable and technology change. In summary, this book exhibits the connection between modern global legislative arrangements and traditional local products, providing a springboard for further research on cultural adaptation work of GIs in established and future global food cultures. This book will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, and students in agri-food studies, sociology of food and agriculture, agricultural and rural development, and cultural studies.

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Studies on host–parasite systems that have experienced distributional shifts, range fragmentation, and population declines in the past can provide information regarding how parasite community richness and genetic diversity will change as a result of anthropogenic environmental changes in the future. Here, we studied how sequential postglacial colonization, shifts in habitat, and reduced host population sizes have influenced species richness and genetic diversity of Corynosoma (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) parasites in northern European marine, brackish, and freshwater seal populations. We collected Corynosoma population samples from Arctic, Baltic, Ladoga, and Saimaa ringed seal subspecies and Baltic gray seals, and then applied COI barcoding and triple-enzyme restriction-site associated DNA (3RAD) sequencing to delimit species, clarify their distributions and community structures, and elucidate patterns of intraspecific gene flow and genetic diversity. Our results showed that Corynosoma species diversity reflected host colonization histories and population sizes, with four species being present in the Arctic, three in the Baltic Sea, two in Lake Ladoga, and only one in Lake Saimaa. We found statistically significant population-genetic differentiation within all three Corynosoma species that occur in more than one seal (sub)species. Genetic diversity tended to be high in Corynosoma populations originating from Arctic ringed seals and low in the landlocked populations. Our results indicate that acanthocephalan communities in landlocked seal populations are impoverished with respect to both species and intraspecific genetic diversity. Interestingly, the loss of genetic diversity within Corynosoma species seems to have been less drastic than in their seal hosts, possibly due to their large local effective population sizes resulting from high infection intensities and effective intra-host population mixing. Our study highlights the utility of genomic methods in investigations of community composition and genetic diversity of understudied parasites.

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Climate change, urbanization, and many anthropogenic activities have intensified the floods in today’s world. However, poor attention was given to mitigation strategies for floods in the developing world due to funding and technical limitations. Developing flood inundation maps from historical flood records would be an important task in mitigating any future flood damages. Therefore, this study presents the predictive capability of the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model, a 2D coupled hydrology-inundation model, and to build flood inundation maps utilizing available ground observation and satellite remote sensing data for Kalu River, Sri Lanka. Despite the lack of studies in predicting flood levels, Kalu River is an annually flooded river basin in Sri Lanka. The comparative results between ground-based rainfall (GBR) measurement and satellite rainfall products (SRPs) from the IMERG satellite have shown that SRPs underestimate peak discharges compared to GBR data. The accuracy and the reliability of the model were assessed using ground-measured discharges with a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.89) and Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE = 0.86). Therefore, the developed RRI model can successfully be used to simulate the inundation of flood events in the KRB. The findings can directly be applied to the stakeholders.

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Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from peatlands contribute significantly to ongoing climate change because of human land use. To develop reliable and comprehensive estimates and predictions of GHG emissions from peatlands, it is necessary to have GHG observations, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), that cover different peatland types globally. We synthesize published peatland studies with field GHG flux measurements to identify gaps in observations and suggest directions for future research. Although GHG flux measurements have been conducted at numerous sites globally, substantial gaps remain in current observations, encompassing various peatland types, regions and GHGs. Generally, there is a pressing need for additional GHG observations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. Despite widespread measurements of CO2 and CH4, studies quantifying N2O emissions from peatlands are scarce, particularly in natural ecosystems. To expand the global coverage of peatland data, it is crucial to conduct more eddy covariance observations for long-term monitoring. Automated chambers are preferable for plot-scale observations to produce high temporal resolution data; however, traditional field campaigns with manual chamber measurements remain necessary, particularly in remote areas. To ensure that the data can be further used for modeling purposes, we suggest that chamber campaigns should be conducted at least monthly for a minimum duration of one year with no fewer than three replicates and measure key environmental variables. In addition, further studies are needed in restored peatlands, focusing on identifying the most effective restoration approaches for different ecosystem types, conditions, climates, and land use histories.

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Grasslands represent key functional ecosystems due to their global contribution to macronutrients cycling and their role as reservoirs of microbial diversity. The strategic importance of these habitats rests on their involvement in carbon and nitrogen fluxes from the atmosphere to the soil, while at the same time offering extensive sites for livestock rearing. In this study the management type, differentiated in pasture or meadow, was investigated as a variable for its possible effects on overall bacterial diversity and specific genes related to functional guilds. Its contribution was compared to that of other variables such as region, soil pH, and soil organic carbon, to rank their respective hierarchies in shaping microbial community structure. A latitudinal gradient across the European continent was studied, with three sampling groups located in Norway, France, and Northern Italy. The applied methods involved 16S DNA metabarcoding for taxonomic classification and determination of the relative abundance of the bacterial component, and quantitative PCR for the genetic determinants of bacterial and archaeal nitrification, intermediate or terminal denitrification, and nitrogen fixation. Results indicated that soil pH exerted the dominant role, affecting high taxonomy ranks and functions, along with organic carbon and region, with whom it partly covaried. In contrast, management type had no significant influence on microbial community structure and quantitative counts of functional genes. This suggests an ecological equivalence between the impacts of pasture and meadow practices, which are both perturbations that share the aspect of vegetation withdrawal by browsing or cutting, respectively.

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Biowaste is becoming a significant category in the global energy mix to mitigate the negative impacts of burning fossil fuels. The aim of this review paper was to investigate the potential, conversion mechanisms, benefits, and policy gaps related to the utilization of solid biowaste resources as renewable, clean, and affordable energy sources. Thus, a systematic review approach was employed to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the studies that dealt with solid biowaste resources for energy recovery. This review paper was conducted from November 2022 to June 2023. The relevant literature was searched using databases from scholarly journal publishers, online search engines, and websites. A total of 82 studies were determined to be eligible from 659 records. Ethiopia has a huge potential for biowaste resources, with an annual generation potential of 18,446.4 MJ per year. The multifaceted advantages associated with biowaste-to-energy conversion such as clean energy production, waste management, forest conservation, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and maintaining soil fertility using the digestate left after anaerobic digestion were mentioned. This review highlights various conversion technologies for converting solid biowastes into valuable forms of energy, such as thermochemical, biochemical, and physico-mechanical techniques. It also investigated the value-added products of the Solid Biowastes-to-Energy (SBWtoE) process, including bio-oil, syngas, bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethane, bio-briquettes, and pellets, with applications ranging from transportation to power generation. Furthermore, this review addresses the multifaceted challenges associated with implementing a circular economy, emphasizing the need to overcome policy, technological, financial, and institutional barriers. These efforts are crucial for harnessing the growing biowaste resources in Ethiopia, ultimately promoting sustainable and cost-effective energy production while advancing the nation's environmental objectives.

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae is commonly used for the production of alcoholic beverages, including cider. In this study, we examined indigenous S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum strains, both species commonly found in cider from Hardanger (Norway), for their strain-specific abilities to produce volatile and non-volatile compounds. Small-scale fermentation of apple juice with 20 Saccharomyces strains was performed to evaluate their aroma-producing potential as a function of amino acids (AAs) and other physicochemical parameters under the same experimental conditions. After fermentation, sugars, organic acids, AAs, and biogenic amines (BAs) were quantified using the HPLC–UV/RI system. A new analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of nineteen AAs and four BAs in a single run using HPLC–UV with prior sample derivatization. Volatile compounds were determined using HS-SPME-GC-MS. Based on 54 parameters and after the removal of outliers, the nineteen strains were classified into four groups. In addition, we used PLS regression to establish a relationship between aroma compounds and predictor variables (AAs, BAs, organic acids, sugars, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production, CO2 release) of all 19 strains tested. The results of the VIP show that the main predictor variables affecting the aroma compounds produced by the selected yeasts are 16, belonging mainly to AAs.

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The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) accident in 1986 resulted in extremely high levels of acute ionising radiation, that killed or damaged Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees in the surrounding areas. Dead trees were cleared and buried, and new plantations established a few years later. Today, more than three decades later, gamma and beta-radiation near the ChNPP is still elevated compared with ambient levels but have decreased by a factor of 300 and 100, respectively. In the present work, Scots pine-trees growing at High (220 μGy h−1), Medium (11 μGy h−1), and Low (0.2 μGy h−1) total (internal + external) dose rates of chronically elevated ionising radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion zone were investigated with respect to possible damage to DNA, cells and organelles, as well as potentially increased levels of phenolic and terpenoid antioxidants. Scots pine from the High and Medium radiation sites had elevated levels of DNA damage in shoot tips and needles as shown by the COMET assay, as well as increased numbers of resin ducts and subcellular abnormalities in needles. Needles from the High radiation site showed elevated levels of monoterpenes and condensed tannins compared with those from the other sites. In conclusion, more than three decades after the ChNPP accident substantial DNA damage and (sub)cellular effects, but also mobilisation of stress-protective substances possessing antioxidant activity were observed in Scots pine trees growing at elevated levels of ionising radiation. This demonstrates that the radiation levels in the Red Forest still significantly impact the plant community.

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Biomass pyrolysis is the anoxic thermal conversion of biomass into a carbon rich, porous solid, often called biochar. This could be a better waste management alternative for contaminated organic wastes than incineration, due to the useful properties of biochar and potential for carbon sequestration. There are, however, concerns about the potential formation/destruction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs). Six organic wastes, including digested sewage sludges, wood wastes, and food waste reject, were pyrolyzed (500–800°C) in a full-scale relevant unit (1–5 kg biochar hr−1). Removal efficiencies for PCBs and PCDD/Fs were > 99% in the produced biochars. Biochar PAH-content (2.7–118 mgkg−1) was not significantly correlated to feedstock or temperature. PAHs (2563–8285 mgkg−1), PCBs (22–113 µgkg−1), and PCDD/Fs (1.8–50 ngTEQ kg−1) accumulated in the pyrolysis condensate, making this a hazardous waste best handled as a fuel for high temperature combustion. Emission concentrations for PAHs (0.22–421 µgNm−3) and PCDD/Fs (≤2.7 pgTEQ Nm−3) were mainly associated with particles and were below the European Union’s waste incineration thresholds. Emission factors ranged from 0.0002 to 78 mg tonne−1 biochar for PAHs and 0.002–0.45 µgTEQ tonne−1 biochar for PCDD/Fs. PCDD/F-formation was negligible during high temperature (≥500 °C) biomass pyrolysis (69–90% net loss)

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Productive and stable forage yields are essential for the sustainability of ruminal livestock production. Grassland seed mixtures composed of species of diverse functional groups have previously been demonstrated to increase yield performance and stability compared to monocultures. In this study we conducted field trials with five grass and two legume species either grown in monocultures or a range of mixtures from two-species to seven-species mixtures sown in a simplex design. The species represented different functional groups regarding ability to fixate atmospheric nitrogen (N), rate of establishment and temporal persistence.The experiments were established with the same cultivars of species at five locations in Norway with climatically contrasting environments – from mild humid, mountainous continental to sub-arctic. The experimental plots were harvested for three years at four of the sites and two years at one of the sites, and they were fertilised according to normal practise in intensive silage grass production in the respective regions (regular N). At three of the sites, a treatment with low mineral N supply rate was also included.We found that crops sown as mixtures returned higher yields and contained less weeds than the average of monoculture crops, and these effects were consistent over all sites and study years. The grass-legume mixtures managed at low N supply rate performed equally well or better than monocultures or grass-only mixtures managed at regular N supply. We found no effects of the functional groups categorised as temporal persistence or rate of establishment on the yield performance, and there were no apparent benefits of increasing the number of species beyond the species P. pratense, F. pratensis and T. pratense over the three production years the experiments lasted.The results suggest that by using grass-clover mixtures, farmers can reduce N fertiliser rates, without compromising productivity of temporary grassland under northern conditions over the first three years of production.

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Lodging is a major problem in maize (Zea mays L.) production worldwide. An analytical lodging model has previously been established. However, some of the model inputs are time consuming to obtain and require destructive plant sampling. Efficient prediction of lodging risk early in the season would be beneficial for management decision-making to reduce lodging risks and ensure high yield potential. Remote sensing technology provides an alternative method for fast and nondestructive measurements with the potential for efficient prediction of lodging risks. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of using an active canopy sensor for the early prediction of maize stem lodging risk using simple regression and multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The results indicated that the MLR models using active canopy sensor data together with weather and management factors performed better than simple regression models using only sensor data for predicting maize stem lodging indicators. Similar results were achieved either using regression models to predict the maize stem lodging risk indicators directly or using the regression models to predict lodging related plant parameters as inputs to a process-based lodging model to predict lodging risk indicators indirectly, although the latter approach using MLR models performed slightly better. A medium planting density (7.0 plants m-2) and 240 kg ha-1 N rate would be suitable in the study region, and the recommendations may be adjusted according to different weather conditions. It is concluded that maize stem lodging risks can be predicted using active canopy sensor data together with weather and management information at V8 stage, which can be used to guide in-season management decisions. Additional research is needed to evaluate the potential of using unmanned aerial vehicles and satellite remote sensing technologies in conjunction with machine learning methods to improve the prediction of lodging risks for large scale applications.

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The treatment of organic waste (OW) by anaerobic digestion (AD) conforms to the concept of sustainable development. But AD is facing the issue of low conversion rate. In this work, the photo-AD system using visible light (LED lamp) as the source was constructed and the performances and mechanism of N-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQD) were explored in the system for the first time. The results showed that 0.5 g/L NCQD promoted a 23.1 % increase in cumulative CH4 yield in the photo-AD system. Microbial analysis results showed that in photo-AD with NCQD, the dominant strain was Methanosarciniales, with an abundance of 69.0 %. Microbial activity and structural integrity tests showed that the microorganisms were not damaged by free radicals. In addition, NCQD increased the redox peak intensity of the CV curve and increased photocurrent intensity of photo-AD. Furthermore, it promoted an increase of 18.2 % (0.26 ± 0.03 μmol/mL) in ATP concentration. The photoelectrochemical analysis and quantitative analysis of functional genes results indicated that NCQD mainly promoted methanogenesis by providing photoelectrons. This promotion mechanism increased the copynumber (61,652.8 g−1) of EchA in photo-AD, rather than Vht and Hdr related to cytochrome. This work provided new strategies for the enhancement of AD and clarified potential mechanisms.

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Exploring key factors has important guidance for understanding complex anaerobic digestion (AD) systems. This study proposed a multi-layer automated machine learning framework to understand the complex interactions in AD systems and explore key factors at the environmental factor, microorganisms and system levels. The first layer of the framework identified hydraulic residence time (HRT) as the most important environmental factor, with an optimal range of 33–45 d. In the second layer of the framework, Methanocelleus (optimal relative abundance (ORA) = 3.0%) and Candidatus_Caldatribacterium (ORA = 1.7%) were found to be the key archaea and bacteria, respectively. Furthermore, the prediction of key microorganisms based on environmental factors and remaining microbial data showed the essential roles of Methanothermobacter and Acetomicrobium. The third layer for finding the optimal combination of data variables for predicting biogas production demonstrated that combined Archaea genera and environmental factors should be achieved for the most accurate prediction (root mean square error (RMSE) = 84.21). GBM had the best model performance and prediction accuracy among all the built-in models. Based on the optimal GBM model, the analysis at the system level showed that HRT was the most important variable. However the most important microorganism, Methanocelleus, within the appropriate survival range is also essential to achieve optimal biogas production. This research explores key parameters at various levels through automated machine learning techniques, which are expected to provide guidance in understanding the complex architecture of industrial and laboratory AD systems.

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Agricultural extension services are integral to technology adoption where they play a key role in delivering relevant agricultural information and technologies to farmers. In China, agricultural extension services are provided through experimentation, demonstration, training, and consulting. In Norway, agricultural extension is focused on collecting, developing, and coordinating agricultural knowledge to farmers. This chapter focuses on why agricultural extension is needed, how it is developed, and what services agricultural extension provides to its clients. It discusses experiences from China and Norway where agricultural extension has led to or is necessary for boosting agricultural productivity, increasing food security and safety, and improving the well-being of farmers.

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Lignosulphonates are water-soluble polymeric by-products from wood pulp production using sulphite pulping and can be used as soil amendments in agriculture, amongst other uses. Here, we review effects of lignosulphonates as biostimulants and in enhancing the action of fertilizers. In soils, they affect the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles, as well as acting as transporters of micronutrients. The action of tree-associated fungi can be improved, and plant growth and yield can be increased. The beneficial effects of lignosulphonates in agriculture mean that there is likely to be a market for commercial specialty lignosulphonate products.

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Black soil is a major agricultural soil in China. Based on published research papers and related research, this chapter reviews the composition, diversity, and ecological functions of farmland soil microbial communities in black soil areas of China. The aim is to summarize the main groups of soil microorganisms in black soil farmland, the ecological processes they participate in, their responses to environmental factors, and the main environmental indicators, and then put forward the importance of isolation and cultivation of indigenous functional microbial strains, so as to provide a basis for the protection and sustainable use of black soil resources.

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Biochar, derived from organic waste via pyrolysis, is proposed as a soil amendment in the early twenty-first century. In this chapter, we summarize the great potential of pure biochar application in food production, soil fertility improvement, plant disease suppression, climate change mitigation, and heavy metal contamination control, based on field experiments globally. However, large-scale pure biochar implementation is restricted by high cost in terms of high price and application rate. The difficulty of biochar application using machines further reduces the farmers’ willingness to use biochar. Based on the experience of biochar usage in China, we propose a framework for large-scale implementation of industrialized biochar. Biochar can be developed into three products including liquid fertilizer, biochar-based organic fertilizer, and inorganic fertilizer. The soluble components in biochar after water extraction or in the wood vinegar during biochar production can be used to develop liquid fertilizer and used in fruit and vegetable growing. For fertile soils, biochar-based inorganic fertilizer is recommended for use instead of pure biochar. For degraded soils, biochar-based organic fertilizer is recommended to improve soil structure and provide nutrients for crops. Pure biochar is recommended to apply to heavy metal contaminated soil to decrease their uptake by crops.

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Soil management is important for sustainable agriculture, playing a vital role in food production and maintaining ecological functions in the agroecosystem. Effective soil management depends on highly accurate soil property estimation. Machine learning (ML) is an effective tool for data mining, selection of key soil properties, modeling the non-linear relationship between different soil properties. Through coupling with spectral imaging, ML algorithms have been extensively used to estimate physical, chemical, and biological properties quickly and accurately for more effective soil management. Most of the soil properties are estimated by either near infrared (NIR), Vis-NIR, or mid-infrared (MIR) in combination with different ML algorithms. Spectroscopy is widely used in estimation of chemical properties of soil samples. Spectral imaging from both UAV and satellite platforms should be taken to improve the spatial resolution of different soil properties. Spectral image super-resolution should be taken to generate spectral images in high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions; more advanced algorithms, especially deep learning (DL) should be taken for soil properties’ estimation based on the generated ‘super’ images. Using hyperspectral modeling, soil water content, soil organic matter, total N, total K, total P, clay and sand were found to be successfully predicted. Generally, MIR produced better predictions than Vis-NIR, but Vis-NIR outperformed MIR for a number of properties. An advantage of Vis-NIR is instrument portability although a new range of MIR portable devices is becoming available. In-field predictions for water, total organic C, extractable phosphorus, and total N appear similar to laboratory methods, but there are issues regarding, for example, sample heterogeneity, moisture content, and surface roughness. More precise and detailed soil property estimation will facilitate future soil management.

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To ensure compliance with food safety regulations, monitoring programs and reliable analytical methods to detect relevant chemical pollutants in food and the environment are key instruments. Pesticides are an important part of pest management in agriculture to sustain and increase crop yields and control post-harvest decay, while pesticide residues in food may pose a risk to human health. Thus, the levels of pesticide residues in food must be controlled and should align with Maximum Residue Levels regulations to ensure food safety. Food safety monitoring programs and analytical methods for pesticide residues and metabolites are well developed. Future developments to ensure food safety must include the increased awareness and improved regulatory framework to meet the challenges with natural toxins, emerging contaminants, novel biopesticides, and antimicrobial resistance in food and the environment. The reality of a complex mixture of pollutants, natural toxins, and their metabolites potentially occurring in food and the environment implies the necessity to consider combined effects of chemicals in risk assessment. Here, we present challenges, monitoring efforts, and future perspectives for chemical food safety focused on the importance of current developments in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) technologies to meet the needs in food safety and environmental monitoring.

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This chapter describes the work performed within the Sinograin II project on implementation of new precision nitrogen management technologies in three regions of North China. Each of the analyzed regions represents a different crop and scale of a farming system: large-scale rice farming system in Heilongjiang province, medium-scale maize farming system in Jilin province, and small-scale wheat farming system in the North China Plain. A village was selected in each region to represent the agricultural practices and current nutrient and crop management strategies of the tested region. Moreover, the initial regional optimum crop management, the current agricultural extension, as well as the precision nitrogen technologies implemented in the respective regions are described. During the course of the project, a number of novel tools and strategies for precision nitrogen management were developed for the respective regions and published in scientific papers. This chapter reviews and discusses the selected findings and indicates directions of the upcoming research.

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Protected areas are one of the main strategic means for conserving biodiversity. Yet, the design of protected areas usually neglects phylogenetic diversity, an important diversity measure. In this paper we assess the phylogenetic diversity and species richness of vascular plants in Fennoscandian protected areas. We evaluate how much species richness and phylogenetic diversity is found within and outside protected areas, and the differences in plant diversity between different categories of protected areas. We also assess the differences in the diversity-area relationship of the different protected area categories in terms of both species richness and phylogenetic diversity. We build a multi-locus phylogeny of 1,519 native vascular plants of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. We estimate the phylogenetic diversity and species richness by combining the phylogeny with publicly available occurrence data and the currently protected area system of Fennoscandia. Our results indicate that protected areas in Fennoscandia hold more plant diversity when larger, and that phylogenetic diversity increases faster with area than species richness. We found evidence for more plant diversity outside of protected areas of the different countries of Fennoscandia than inside of protected areas, but no evidence for plant diversity differences between areas with different protection status. Hence, our results indicate that the current protected area system in Fennoscandia is no more effective in conserving phylogenetic diversity and species richness of vascular plants than a random selection of localities. Our results also indicate that planning conservation strategies around phylogenetic diversity, rather than species richness, might be a first step to protect vascular plant diversity more effectively. Biodiversity · Spatial phylogenetics · Conservation · Diversity-area relationship · Flora

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Active canopy sensors (ACSs) are great tools for diagnosing crop nitrogen (N) status and grain yield prediction to support precision N management strategies. Different commercial ACSs are available and their performances in crop N status diagnosis and recommendation may vary. The objective of this study was to determine the potential to minimize the differences of two commonly used ACSs (GreenSeeker and Crop Circle ACS-430) in maize (Zea mays L.) N status diagnosis and recommendation with multi-source data fusion and machine learning. The regression model was based on simple regression or machine learning regression including ancillary information of soil properties, weather conditions, and crop management information. Results of simple regression models indicated that Crop Circle ACS-430 with red-edge based vegetation indices performed better than GreenSeeker in estimating N nutrition index (NNI) (R2 = 0.63 vs. 0.50–0.51) and predicting grain yield (R2 = 0.56–0.57 vs. 0.49). The random forest regression (RFR) models using vegetation indices and ancillary data greatly improved the prediction of NNI (R2 = 0.81–0.82) and grain yield (R2 = 0.87–0.89), regardless of the sensor type or the vegetation index used. Using RFR models, moderate degree of accuracy in N status diagnosis was achieved based on either GreenSeeker or Crop Circle ACS-430. In comparison, using simple regression models based on spectral data only, the accuracy was significantly lower. When these two ACSs were used independently, they performed similarly in N fertilizer recommendation (R2 = 0.57–0.60). Hybrid RFR models were established using vegetation indices from both ACSs and ancillary data, which could be used to diagnose maize N status (moderate accuracy) and make side-dress N recommendations (R2 = 0.62–0.67) using any of the two ACSs. It is concluded that the use of multi-source data fusion with machine learning model could improve the accuracy of ACS-based N status diagnosis and recommendation and minimize the performance differences of different active sensors. The results of this research indicated the potential to develop machine learning models using multi-sensor and multi-source data fusion for more universal applications.

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Leys are an important part of northern European livestock production, particularly for ruminants since monogastric animals are limited in their ability to digest the fibres of the forage. Crop fractionation methods are a promising option to make forages more beneficial for monogastric animals and decrease the amount of imported protein feed. A leaf stripping harvesting technique was evaluated at Röbäcksdalen in northern Sweden in mixed grass-clover leys over 2 years. The PremAlfa Mini leaf stripper (Trust'ing-Alf'ing, Nantes, France) worked well in mixed stands, harvesting on average a third of the available forage biomass, primarily in the form of leaves and soft stems from the clover plants. It proved successful in producing a forage fraction that had a significantly higher crude protein (CP) concentration (+39.1%) and lower neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) concentration (−21.4%) than the pre-harvest mixed sward (all significant at p < .05 level). Due to the remaining high level of aNDFom in the leaf stripper fraction, it is more suited for use as an energy source for monogastrics rather than as a protein supplement. Alternatively, the leaf stripper fraction could be used to increase digestibility and CP content in the feed rations of high producing dairy cows.

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Motion planning algorithms have seen considerable progress and expansion across various domains of science and technology during the last few decades, where rapid advancements in path planning and trajectory optimization approaches have been made possible by the conspicuous enhancements brought, among others, by sampling-based methods and convex optimization strategies. Although they have been investigated from various perspectives in the existing literature, recent developments aimed at integrating robots into social, healthcare, industrial, and educational contexts have attributed greater importance to additional concepts that would allow them to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with each other, as well as with human beings, in a meaningful and efficient manner. Therefore, in this survey, in addition to a brief overview of some of the essential aspects of motion planning algorithms, a few vital considerations required for assimilating robots into real-world applications, including certain instances of social, urban, and industrial environments, are introduced, followed by a critical discussion of a set of outstanding issues worthy of further investigation and development in future scientific studies.

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Agroforestry practices improve soil health which in turn improves crop nutrient concentrations and quality. This study examined how the agroforestry tree Gliricidia sepium intercropped with soybean, groundnuts, or maize affects crop nutrient compositions. The study was conducted in five Zambian chiefdoms for three crop-growing seasons (2019–2022) on 13 farmer-led demonstration trial sites. Seven treatments were tested that included maize, soybean, and groundnut plots with and without Gliricidia interventions. Grain samples were analyzed for crop nutrient contents using standard laboratory methods. Results showed that the treatments significantly (P < 0.05) improved maize nutritional properties except for crude fiber, total carbohydrate, and metabolizable energy. G. sepium intercropping with maize and soybean decreased the antinutritional contents and displayed better functional qualities. All elemental mineral components (except potassium, calcium, and sodium) were higher in the Gliricidia + maize intercrop than in the control treatment. The Gliricidia+soybean intercrop had lower mean mineral concentrations than the control (soybean only) except for Mg, Cu, and Zn. The Giliricidia+groundnut intercrop significantly increased groundnut mineral components except for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Iron. It can be concluded that G. sepium intercropped with maize, soybean, and groundnuts significantly improved the crops’ nutritional quality.

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This study aimed to evaluate the rheological properties of doughs with 50% brewers’ spent grain (BSG) derived from a rye-based (RBSG) and barley-based (BBSG) beer added, and the textural profile of the related baked products. Simple model systems using BSG flour mixed with water were studied. Two bakery products, focaccia and cookies, were made as food systems using BSG in a 1:1 ratio with wheat flour (WF). Their rheological properties and texture after baking were characterized. BSG-added dough exhibited viscoelastic properties with a solid gel-like behavior. The addition of BSG increased G′ > G″ and decreased the dough flexibility. BSG addition in baked RBSG focaccia increased the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness by 10%, 9%, and 12%, respectively. BBSG cookies had a 20% increase in fracturability. A positive correlation was found between the rheological metrics of the dough and the textural parameters of BBSG-added cookies. PCA analysis revealed that complex viscosity, G′, G″, and cohesiveness separated BBSG focaccia from RBSG focaccia and the control. Therefore, the rheological properties of BSG dough will have industrial relevance for 3D-printed customized food products with fiber. Adding RBSG and BBSG to selected foods will increase the up-cycling potential by combining techno-functional properties.

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Up-to-date and reliable information on land cover and land use status is important in many aspects of human activities. Knowledge about the reference dataset, its coverage, nomenclature, thematic and geometric accuracy, spatial resolution is crucial for appropriate selection of reference samples used in the classification process. In this study, we examined the impact of the selection and pre-processing of reference samples for the classification accuracy. The classification based on Random Forest algorithm was performed using firstly the automatically selected reference samples derived directly from the national databases, and secondly using the pre-processed and verified reference samples. The verification procedures involved the iterative analysis of histogram of spectral features derived from the Sentinel-2 data for individual land cover classes. The verification of the reference samples improved the accuracy of delineation of all land cover classes. The highest improvement was achieved for the woodland broadleaved and non- and sparce vegetation classes, with the overall accuracy increasing from 51% to 73%, and from 33% to 74%, respectively. The second objective of this study was to derive the best possible land cover classification over the mountain area in Norway, therefore we examined whether the use of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) can improve the classification results. Classifications were carried out based on Sentinel-2 data and a combination of Sentinel-2 and DEM. Using the DEM the accuracy for nine out of ten land cover classes was improved. The highest improvement was achieved for classes located at higher altitudes: low vegetation and non- and sparse vegetation.

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Several actors have an impact on the quality of drinking water, but ultimately drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) play a decisive role in ensuring that water quality complies with public regulations. Several developing technologies are combined in water treatment processes. In this paper, we are analysing the technological development of DWTPs in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. The empirical basis is five DWTPs of varying size, and data are gathered through semi-structured interviews with relevant staff inside and outside of the five DWTPs. This study identifies the interplay of factors driving technological development: public regulations, the economic capacity of local DWTP owners together with subsidies from the European Union and national authorities, political priorities by local authorities, and the knowledge network. The paper addressess learning–knowledge–change processes of DWTPs, thereby contributing to our understanding of developing competence in producing drinking water. Generally, large DWTPs are front-runners in introducing new technologies while the smaller ones are lagging. Still, private companies operating small plants on behalf of municipal owners ensure that those DWTPs are part of a wider knowledge network, aiding to introduce a necessary and cost-effective upgrade to treatment steps.

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The management of infectious wildlife diseases often involves tackling pathogens that infect multiple host species. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is aprion disease that can infect most cervid species. CWD was detected in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway in 2016. Sympatric populations of red deer(Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces) are at immediate risk. However, the estimation of spillover risk across species and implementation of multispecies management policies are rarely addressed for wildlife. Here, we estimated the broad risk of CWD spillover from reindeer to red deer and moose by quantifying the probability of co-occurrence based on both (1) population density and(2) habitat niche overlap from GPS data of all three species in Nordfjella,Norway. We describe the practical challenges faced when aiming to reduce the risk of spillover through a marked reduction in the population densities of moose and red deer using recreational hunters. This involves setting the popu-lation and harvest aims with uncertain information and how to achieve them.The niche overlap between reindeer and both moose and red deer was low overall but occurred seasonally. Migratory red deer had a moderate niche over-lap with the CWD-infected reindeer population during the calving period, whereas moose had a moderate niche overlap during both calving and winter. Incorporating both habitat overlap and the population densities of the respective species into the quantification of co-occurrence allowed for more spatially targeted risk maps. An initial aim of a 50% reduction in abundance for the Nordfjella region was set, but only a moderate population decrease of less than 20% from 2016 to 2021 was achieved. Proactive management in the form of marked population reduction is invasive and unpopular when involving species of high societal value, and targeting efforts to zones with a high risk ofspillover to limit adverse impacts and achieve wider societal acceptance is important. disease management, host range, moose, multihost pathogens, niche overlap, Norway,population estimation, red deer, reindeer

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The energy in agricultural systems is two-fold: transformation and utilization. The assessment and proper use of energy in agricultural systems is important to achieve economic benefits and overall sustainability. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the energy balance of crop and livestock production, net energy ratio (NER), and water use efficiency (WUE) of crops of a selected farm in Sri Lanka using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In order to assess the diversification, 18 crops and 5 livestock types were used. The data were obtained from farm records, personal contacts, and previously published literature. Accordingly, the energy balance in crop production and livestock production was −316.87 GJ ha−1 Year−1 and 758.73 GJ Year−1, respectively. The energy related WUE of crop production was 31.35 MJ m−3. The total energy balance of the farm was 736.2 GJ Year−1. The results show a negative energy balance in crop production indicating an efficient production system, while a comparatively higher energy loss was shown from the livestock sector. The procedure followed in this study can be used to assess the energy balance of diversified agricultural systems, which is important for agricultural sustainability. This can be further developed to assess the carbon footprint in agricultural systems.

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Light penetration plays a vital role in lakes and drinking water reservoirs, influencing fundamental processes such as primary production and thermal budgets. The Secchi depth (ZSD) and the compensation depth (ZCD) are commonly used measurements in this context. ZSD is determined through visual inspection using a Secchi disc, while ZCD represents the depth at which photosynthetic activity balances respiration and can be measured using a quantum irradiance sensor. Through in situ water-core samples from 23 lakes within a lake district in Southeastern Norway, we observed that DNOM exerts a diverse influence on these light irradiance measurements. If DNOM concentrations are reduced to half or a quarter of the current concentration, similar to what was measured during the 1980s, the median ZCD:ZSD ratios are estimated to have decreased by approximately 30 and 60% since then, respectively. Conversely, a plausible future climate-driven doubling or quadrupling of the present DNOM concentrations are estimated to further decrease the median ZCD:ZSD ratios in the lake district with approximately 10 and 25%, respectively. From this, the ZCD:ZSD ratios seem to have experienced a considerable long-term decline attributed to both climate change and the recovery from acid rain, and a further climate-driven decrease is expected.

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In this study, we leverage geographical coordinates and firm-level panel data to uncover variations in production across different locations. Our approach involves using a semiparametric proxy variable regression estimator, which allows us to define and estimate a customized production function for each firm and its corresponding location. By employing kernel methods, we estimate the nonparametric functions that determine the model’s parameters based on latitude and longitude. Furthermore, our model incorporates productivity components that consider various factors that influence production. Unlike spatially autoregressive-type production functions that assume a uniform technology across all locations, our approach estimates technology and productivity at both the firm and location levels, taking into account their specific characteristics. To handle endogenous regressors, we incorporate a proxy variable identification technique, distinguishing our method from geographically weighted semiparametric regressions. To investigate the heterogeneity in production technology and productivity among Norwegian grain farmers, we apply our model to a sample of farms using panel data spanning from 2001 to 2020. Through this analysis, we provide empirical evidence of regional variations in both technology and productivity among Norwegian grain farmers. Finally, we discuss the suitability of our approach for addressing the heterogeneity in this industry.

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The durability against decay organisms is an essential material property for wood in outdoor use. A jack of all trades method for above-ground wood durability testing has been sought for decades, but until now no method has found its way into European standardization. The method of choice shall be applicable for untreated and treated wood—ideally also for wood composites. It shall further be reproducible, objective, fast, easy, and inexpensive. Finally, it shall provide high predictive power. This study was aimed at a review of results and practical experience with the Bundle test method which could serve as a standard procedure for above-ground field tests of wood-based materials. The method allows for water-trapping, creates a moderate moisture-induced decay risk typical for UC 3 situations, and was found applicable for a wide range of wood materials. The method allows for rapid infestation and failure of non-durable reference species within five years in Central Europe. Based on results from Bundle tests with different modifications and performed at different locations, a guideline has been developed. The method is recommended as a suitable tool for determining the durability of various wood-based materials including modified and preservative-treated wood and can provide data for durability classification.

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For many fruit crops, the colour of the fruit outwardly defines its eating quality. Fruit pigments provide reproductive advantage for the plant as well as providing protection against unfavourable environmental conditions and pathogens. For consumers these colours are considered attractive and provide many of the dietary benefits derived from fruits. In the majority of species, the main pigments are either carotenoids and/or anthocyanins. They are produced in the fruit as part of the ripening process, orchestrated by phytohormones and an ensuing transcriptional cascade, culminating in pigment biosynthesis. Whilst this is a controlled developmental process, the production of pigments is also attuned to environmental conditions such as light quantity and quality, availability of water and ambient temperature. If these factors intensify to stress levels, fruit tissues respond by increasing (or ceasing) pigment production. In many cases, if the stress is not severe, this can have a positive outcome for fruit quality. Here, we focus on the principal environmental factors (light, temperature and water) that can influence fruit colour.

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Weeds affect crop yield and quality due to competition for resources. In order to reduce the risk of yield losses due to weeds, herbicides or non-chemical measures are applied. Weeds, especially creeping perennial species, are generally distributed in patches within arable fields. Hence, instead of applying control measures uniformly, precision weeding or site-specific weed management (SSWM) is highly recommended. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging is known for wide area coverage and flexible operation frequency, making it a potential solution to generate weed maps at a reasonable cost. Efficient weed mapping algorithms need to be developed together with UAV imagery to facilitate SSWM. Different machine learning (ML) approaches have been developed for image-based weed mapping, either classical ML models or the more up-to-date deep learning (DL) models taking full advantage of parallel computation on a GPU (graphics processing unit). Attention-based transformer DL models, which have seen a recent boom, are expected to overtake classical convolutional neural network (CNN) DL models. This inspired us to develop a transformer DL model for segmenting weeds, cereal crops, and ‘other’ in low-resolution RGB UAV imagery (about 33 mm ground sampling distance, g.s.d.) captured after the cereal crop had turned yellow. Images were acquired during three years in 15 fields with three cereal species (Triticum aestivum, Hordeum vulgare, and Avena sativa) and various weed flora dominated by creeping perennials (mainly Cirsium arvense and Elymus repens). The performance of our transformer model, 1Dtransformer, was evaluated through comparison with a classical DL model, 1DCNN, and two classical ML methods, i.e., random forest (RF) and k-nearest neighbor (KNN). The transformer model showed the best performance with an overall accuracy of 98.694% on pixels set aside for validation. It also agreed best and relatively well with ground reference data on total weed coverage, R2 = 0.598. In this study, we showed the outstanding performance and robustness of a 1Dtransformer model for weed mapping based on UAV imagery for the first time. The model can be used to obtain weed maps in cereals fields known to be infested by perennial weeds. These maps can be used as basis for the generation of prescription maps for SSWM, either pre-harvest, post-harvest, or in the next crop, by applying herbicides or non-chemical measures.

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Inthis study, we introduce Point2Tree, a modular and versatile framework that employs a three-tiered methodology, inclusive of semantic segmentation, instance segmentation, and hyperparameter optimization analysis, designed to process laser point clouds in forestry. The semantic segmentation stage is built upon the Pointnet++ architecture and is primarily tasked with categorizing each point in the point cloud into meaningful groups or ’segments’, specifically in this context, differentiating between diverse tree parts, i.e., vegetation, stems, and coarse woody debris. The category for the ground is also provided. Semantic segmentation achieved an F1-score of 0.92, showing a high level of accuracy in classifying forest elements. In the instance segmentation stage, we further refine this process by identifying each tree as a unique entity. This process, which uses a graph-based approach, yielded an F1-score of approximately 0.6, signifying reasonable performance in delineating individual trees. The third stage involves a hyperparameter optimization analysis, conducted through a Bayesian strategy, which led to performance improvement of the overall framework by around four percentage points. Point2Tree was tested on two datasets, one from a managed boreal coniferous forest in Våler, Norway, with 16 plots chosen to cover a range of forest conditions. The modular design of the framework allows it to handle diverse pointcloud densities and types of terrestrial laser scanning data.

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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.

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Soil health assessments that integrate physical, chemical and biological indicators help the evaluation of soil functioning, provide a framework for monitoring soil degradation, guide land management activities and secure the delivery of soil ecosystem services. In this study, we assessed soil health by soil texture class on arable land in Southeast Norway and mid-Norway and between grassland and arable land in mid-Norway. We used descriptive statistics and the Welch t-test with unequal variance and Bonferroni corrections to compare a physical soil indicator (bulk density) and chemical indicators (organic matter, P-AL, K-AL, Ca-AL, Mg-AL, Na-AL and pH). We developed scoring curves from cumulative normal distribution functions on regional soil data for various soil indicators where climate, soil texture class and land use were considered. Our results show that for certain soil texture classes, average soil indicator values differed between pedo-climatic zones on arable land, but for others the difference was not significant. The variability between the pedo-climatic zones for these can be neglected, but for the ones that differ, the variability is important to consider when assessing soil health. Similarly, this was the case when comparing land use (grassland and arable land) for most soil indicators in mid-Norway. This finding illustrates the importance of addressing unique local conditions in soil health assessments. We propose aggregating similar soil texture classes where no differences are apparent when developing scoring curves. The sub-optimal levels of plant available nutrients (P-AL and K-AL) found in the soil in both pedo-climatic zones highlights the importance of suitable threshold values for targeted soil ecosystem services to ensure soil health and sustainable agricultural production. We also recommend prioritizing the most relevant soil ecosystem services to limit the number of soil indicators that need monitoring.

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Virtual fencing systems have emerged as a promising technology for managing the distribution of livestock in extensive grazing environments. This study provides comprehensive documentation of the learning process involving two conditional behavioral mechanisms and the documentation of efficient, effective, and safe animal training for virtual fence applications on nursing Brangus cows. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) animals would learn to avoid restricted zones by increasing their use of containment zones within a virtual fence polygon, and (2) animals would progressively receive fewer audio-electric cues over time and increasingly rely on auditory cues for behavioral modification. Data from GPS coordinates, behavioral metrics derived from the collar data, and cueing events were analyzed to evaluate these hypotheses. The results supported hypothesis 1, revealing that virtual fence activation significantly increased the time spent in containment zones and reduced time in restricted zones compared to when the virtual fence was deactivated. Concurrently, behavioral metrics mirrored these findings, with cows adjusting their daily travel distances, exploration area, and cumulative activity counts in response to the allocation of areas with different virtual fence configurations. Hypothesis 2 was also supported by the results, with a decrease in cueing events over time and increased reliance with animals on audio cueing to avert receiving the mild electric pulse. These outcomes underscore the rapid learning capabilities of groups of nursing cows in responding to virtual fence boundaries.

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Animal welfare monitoring relies on sensor accuracy for detecting changes in animal well-being. We compared the distance calculations based on global positioning system (GPS) data alone or combined with motion data from triaxial accelerometers. The assessment involved static trackers placed outdoors or indoors vs. trackers mounted on cows grazing on pasture. Trackers communicated motion data at 1 min intervals and GPS positions at 15 min intervals for seven days. Daily distance walked was determined using the following: (1) raw GPS data (RawDist), (2) data with erroneous GPS locations removed (CorrectedDist), or (3) data with erroneous GPS locations removed, combined with the exclusion of GPS data associated with no motion reading (CorrectedDist_Act). Distances were analyzed via one-way ANOVA to compare the effects of tracker placement (Indoor, Outdoor, or Animal). No difference was detected between the tracker placement for RawDist. The computation of CorrectedDist differed between the tracker placements. However, due to the random error of GPS measurements, CorrectedDist for Indoor static trackers differed from zero. The walking distance calculated by CorrectedDist_Act differed between the tracker placements, with distances for static trackers not differing from zero. The fusion of GPS and accelerometer data better detected animal welfare implications related to immobility in grazing cattle.

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Plant rooting patterns in bioswales, raingardens and other vegetated infiltration systems are essential, as they contribute biopores which maintain the infiltration function over time. However, fluctuating hydrological conditions, ranging from flooded to drained, can have a heavy impact on plant rooting, as well as consequences for plant contributions to other ecosystem services and ecological functions. This study tested the biomass allocation to roots and the vertical root profile of four plant species, alone or in competition with a grass, and their responses to the experimental manipulation of soil hydrology in soil column microcosms. The hydrological regimes were combinations of flooded and drained conditions, respectively, including Wet cycles (72 and 96 h), Dry cycles (24 and 144 h), Wet-dry cycles (72 and 264 h), and Control group (watered twice per week). When the species were exposed to repeated wet-dry cycling hydrological regimes, we found a clear shift in vertical root distribution and shallower rooting in wetter regimes. It was also found that alongside this shallower rooting, there were no changes to total biomass and only moderate adjustments to biomass investment in roots. Overall, differences in rooting patterns between hydrological regimes and species were moderate when the dicot species were grown alone. The addition of the grass Festuca rubra contributed to a strong increase in total root mass density that evened out the differences in rooting patterns but also gave a deeper rooting. Accordingly, mixed species systems may be a robust approach to vegetated infiltration systems.

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Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN) (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida Woll.) are quarantine pests of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) worldwide capable of causing significant yield loss and difficult to manage with conventional methods. The study explored the diversity of antagonistic fungi associated with PCN obtained from soil samples collected in Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties in Kenya and their effect on PCN egg viability and hatching was also evaluated. Twelve fungal isolates from five genera were isolated and characterized using morphological and molecular techniques. The twelve isolates were Trichoderma asperellum (4), T. hamatum, T. breve, T. atrobruneum, Amanita basiorubra, Setophoma terrestris (2), Penicillium chrysogenum and Clonostachys rosea. The most abundant isolate was Trichoderma spp. with 58 % occurrence. The effect of seven of the isolates on PCN eggs showed that T. breve and P. chrysogenum reduced egg viability by 41 % and 34 %, respectively while T. asperellum and T. breve reduced their hatching by 50 % on average. Trichoderma atrobrunneum, T. hamatum, and A. basiorubra also reduced the PCN egg viability by 27 % on average. These fungal isolates could provide a potential tool for PCN management in potato production systems for improved yields. However, further studies are warranted to validate these findings under greenhouse and field conditions. A more comprehensive bioprospecting survey for PCN associated antagonistic fungi needs to be extended to other potato growing regions to explore further cyst pathogens.

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Climate change can have an influence on rainfall that significantly affects the magnitude frequency of floods and droughts. Therefore, the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution, variability, and trends of rainfall over the Mahi Basin in India is an important objective of the present work. Accordingly, a serial autocorrelation, coefficient of variation, Mann–Kendall (MK) and Sen’s slope test, innovative trend analysis (ITA), and Pettitt’s test were used in the rainfall analysis. The outcomes were derived from the monthly precipitation data (1901–2012) of 14 meteorology stations in the Mahi Basin. The serial autocorrelation results showed that there is no autocorrelation in the data series. The rainfall statistics denoted that the Mahi Basin receives 94.8% of its rainfall (821 mm) in the monsoon period (June–September). The normalized accumulated departure from the mean reveals that the annual and monsoon rainfall of the Mahi Basin were below average from 1901 to 1930 and above average from 1930 to 1990, followed by a period of fluctuating conditions. Annual and monsoon rainfall variations increase in the lower catchment of the basin. The annual and monsoon rainfall trend analysis specified a significant declining tendency for four stations and an increasing tendency for 3 stations, respectively. A significant declining trend in winter rainfall was observed for 9 stations under review. Likewise, out of 14 stations, 9 stations denote a significant decrease in pre-monsoon rainfall. Nevertheless, there is no significant increasing or decreasing tendency in annual, monsoon, and post-monsoon rainfall in the Mahi Basin. The Mann–Kendall test and innovative trend analysis indicate identical tendencies of annual and seasonal rainfall on the basin scale. The annual and monsoon rainfall of the basin showed a positive shift in rainfall after 1926. The rainfall analysis confirms that despite spatiotemporal variations in rainfall, there are no significant positive or negative trends of annual and monsoon rainfall on the basin scale. It suggests that the Mahi Basin received average rainfall (867 mm) annually and in the monsoon season (821 mm) from 1901 to 2012, except for a few years of high and low rainfall. Therefore, this study is important for flood and drought management, agriculture, and water management in the Mahi Basin.

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Background Cultivation of oilseed rape Brassica napus is pesticide-intensive, and alternative plant protection strategies are needed because both pesticide resistance and legislation narrow the range of effective chemical pesticides. The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is used as a biocontrol agent against various insect pests, but little is known about its endophytic potential and role in plant protection for oilseed rape. First, we studied whether B. bassiana can establish as an endophyte in oilseed rape, following seed inoculation. To evaluate the plant protection potential of endophytic B. bassiana on oilseed rape, we next examined its ability to induce plant metabolite biosynthesis. In another experiment, we tested the effect of seed inoculation on seedling survival in a semi-field experiment. Results Beauveria bassiana endophytically colonized oilseed rape following seed inoculation, and, in addition, natural colonization was also recorded. Maximum colonization rate was 40%, and generally increased with inoculation time. Seed inoculation did not affect the germination probability or growth of oilseed rape, but B. bassiana inoculated seeds germinated more slowly compared to controls. Endophytic colonization of B. bassiana induced biosynthesis of several flavonoids in oilseed rape leaves under controlled conditions. In the experiment conducted in semi-field conditions, inoculated seedlings had slightly higher mortality compared to control seedlings. Conclusion Beauveria bassiana showed endophytic potential on oilseed rape via both natural colonization and seed inoculation, and it induced the biosynthesis of flavonoids. However, its use as an endophyte for plant protection against pests or pathogens for oilseed rape remains unclear. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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This paper provides an overview of traditional hay-making structures and the related agricultural landscapes in Europe. The information was collected using a standardised questionnaire that was completed by experts from different countries. What all countries had in common was that hay production with its corresponding structures was widespread. However, the scope and importance differed among the countries today. We found differences in type and extent, in degree of awareness, and in the cultural meaning of hay-making structures. The differences were connected with built structures, as well as with other tangible and intangible aspects of cultural heritage. The distribution of the broad variety of hay-making-related structures, especially semipermanent ones, has changed throughout history, as well as the hay-making techniques, as a result of agrarian specialisation, land reclamation, and consolidation. Today, in some countries, the relevance of hay-making was mainly connected to horse keeping and landscape management (like in Germany and Hungary), while in others (like Slovakia and Slovenia), it was still predominantly used for cattle and sheep.

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Increasing soil organic carbon is promoted as a negative emission technology for the agricultural sector with a potential co-benefit for climate adaptation due to increased soil water retention. Field-scale hydrological models are powerful tools for evaluating how the agricultural systems would respond to the changing climate in upcoming years and decades, for predicting impacts, and for looking for measures that would help decrease drought-driven crop stress under current and future climatic conditions. We quantified how different levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) additions at varied soil depths are expected to influence drought-induced transpiration reduction (Treddry) in maize cultivated in Switzerland. Parameterization of the model based on a pedotransfer function (PTF) was validated against soil moisture data from a long-term lysimeter experiment with a typical Swiss soil, and the model was subsequently applied under climate forcing between 1981 until 2099, representative of three distinct climatic sites of Switzerland. We used the same PTF to indirectly assess the effects of SOC additions at different depths on soil hydraulic properties. We found a threshold in both the added amount of SOC (2 % added) and the depth of sequestering that SOC (top 65 cm), beyond which any additional benefit appears to be substantially reduced. However, adding at least 2 % SOC down to at least 65 cm depth can reduce Treddry in maize, i.e. increase transpiration annually but mostly at the onset of summer drought, by almost 40 mm. We argue that SOC increases in subsoils can play a supporting role in mitigating drought impacts in rain-fed cropping in Switzerland.

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The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is a key soil property required for predicting basic hydrological processes. The SWRC is often obtained in the laboratory with non-harmonized methods. Moreover, procedures associated with each method are not standardized. This can induce a lack of reproducibility between laboratories using different methods and procedures or using the same methods with different procedures. The goal of this study was to estimate the inter- and intralaboratory variability of the measurement of the wet part (from 10 to 300 hPa) of the SWRC. An interlaboratory comparison was carried out between 14 laboratories, using artificially constructed, porous reference samples that were transferred between laboratories according to a statistical design. The retention measurements were modelled by a series of linear mixed models using a Bayesian approach. This allowed the detection of sample-to-sample variability, interlaboratory variability, intralaboratory variability and the effects of sample changes between measurements. The greatest portion of the differences in the measurement of SWRCs was due to interlaboratory variability. The intralaboratory variability was highly variable depending on the laboratory. Some laboratories successfully reproduced the same SWRC on the same sample, while others did not. The mean intralaboratory variability over all laboratories was smaller than the mean interlaboratory variability. A possible explanation for these results is that all laboratories used slightly different methods and procedures. We believe that this result may be of great importance regarding the quality of SWRC databases built by pooling SWRCs obtained in different laboratories. The quality of pedotransfer functions or maps that might be derived is probably hampered by this inter- and intralaboratory variability. The way forward is that measurement procedures of the SWRC need to be harmonized and standardized.

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There is a stable growth in aquaculture production to avoid seafood scarcity. The usage of eco-friendly feed additives is not only associated with aquatic animal health but also reduces the risk of deleterious effects to the environment and consumers. Aquaculture researchers are seeking dietary solutions to improve the growth performance and yield of target organisms. A wide range of naturally derived compounds such as probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, complex carbohydrates, nutritional factors, herbs, hormones, vitamins, and cytokines was utilized as immunostimulants in aquaculture. The use of polysaccharides derived from natural resources, such as alginate, agar, laminarin, carrageenan, fucoidan, chitin, and chitosan, as supplementary feed in aquaculture species has been reported. Polysaccharides are prebiotic substances which are enhancing the immunity, disease resistance and growth of aquatic animals. Further, chitin (CT), chitosan (CTS) and chitooligosaccharides (COS) were recognized for their biodegradable properties and unique biological functions. The dietary effects of CT, CTS and COS at different inclusion levels on growth performance, immune response and gut microbiota in aquaculture species has been reviewed. The safety regulations, challenges and future outlooks of CT, CTS and COS in aquatic animals have been discussed in this review.

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Seed is a critically important basic input of agriculture, because sowing healthy seeds is essential to food production. Using high quality seed enables less use of synthetic pesticides in the field. Seedborne pathogens can reduce yield quantity and quality of the crops produced. Seed treatments protect plant seedlings from pathogen attacks at emergence and at the early growth stages, contributing to healthy crop plants and good yield. However, there is increased concern about the application of synthetic pesticides to seeds, while alternatives are becoming increasingly addressed in seedborne pathogen research. A series of strategies based on synthetic fungicides, natural compounds, biocontrol agents (BCAs), and physical means has been developed to reduce seed contamination by pathogens. The volume of research on seed treatment has increased considerably in the past decade, along with the search for green technologies to control seedborne diseases. This review focuses on recent research results dealing with protocols that are effective in the management of seedborne pathogens. Moreover, the review illustrated an innovative system for routine seed health testing and need-based cereal seed treatment implemented in Norway.

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Ophiostomatales (Ascomycota) contains many species, most of which are associated with bark beetles. Some members of this order are plant or animal pathogens, while others colonize soil, different plant tissues, or even carpophores of some Basidiomycota. However, little is known about soil-inhabiting Ophiostomatales fungi. A survey of these fungi associated with soil under beech, oak, pine, and spruce stands in Poland yielded 623 isolates, representing 10 species: Heinzbutinia grandicarpa, Leptographium procerum, L. radiaticola, Ophiostoma piliferum, O. quercus, Sporothrix brunneoviolacea, S. dentifunda, S. eucastaneae, and two newly described taxa, namely Sporothrix roztoczensis sp. nov. and S. silvicola sp. nov. In addition, isolates collected from fallen shoots of Pinus sylvestris that were pruned by Tomicus sp. are described as Sporothrix tumida sp. nov. The new taxa were morphologically characterized and phylogenetically analyzed based on multi-loci sequence data (ITS, β-tubulin, calmodulin, and translation elongation factor 1-α genes). The Ophiostomatales species were especially abundant in soil under pine and oak stands. Leptographium procerum, S. silvicola, and S. roztoczensis were the most frequently isolated species from soil under pine stands, while S. brunneoviolacea was the most abundant in soil under oak stands. The results highlight that forest soil in Poland has a wide diversity of Ophiostomatales taxa, but further studies are required to uncover the molecular diversity and phylogenetic relationships of these fungi, as well as their roles in soil fungal communities.

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Levels of dissolved natural organic matter (DNOM) are increasing in our boreal watercourses. This is manifested by an apparent increase in its yellow to brown colour of the water, i.e., browning. Sound predictions of future changes in colour of our freshwaters is a prerequisite for predicting effects on aquatic fauna and a sustainable operation of drinking water facilities using surface waters as raw water sources. A model for the effect of climate on colour (mg Pt L-1) has been developed for two surface raw water sources in Scotland, i.e., at Bracadale and Port Charlotte. Both sites are situated far out on the Scottish west coast, without major impact of acid rain, with limited amounts of frost, and with limited recent land-use changes. The model was fitted to 15 years long data-series on colour measurements, provided by Scottish Water, at the two sites. Meteorological data were provided by UK Met. The models perform well for both sites in simulating the variation in monthly measured colour, explaining 89 and 90% of the variation at Bracadale and Port Charlotte, respectively. These well fitted models were used to predict future changes in colour due to changes in temperature and precipitation based on median climate data from a high emission climate RCP8.5 scenario from the HadCM3 climate model (UKCP18). The model predicted an increase in monthly average colour during growing season at both sites from about 150 mg Pt L-1 to about 200 mg Pt L-1 in 2050–2079. Temperature is found to be the most important positively driver for colour development at both sites.

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This trial aimed to assess the growth performance of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed novel formulations, evaluate fish welfare status, and determine flesh quality as part of the evaluation of sustainable feeds. A control diet containing fish meal and soy products (CTRL) was compared to: a diet with processed animal proteins (PAP); a diet without PAP (NoPAP); a PAP diet lower in protein (PAP−); and a NoPAP diet higher in protein (NoPAP+). Groups of 50 fish, weighing 58.84 ± 1.39 g (IBW), were allocated to 20 tanks and fed with formulated diets ad libitum over 91 days. Better growth performance was observed after the experiment in fish fed the NoPAP+ diet when compared to other diets. Protein retention was higher in CTRL diets than in PAP and PAP− diets. Protein and phosphorous digestibility were lower in fish fed PAP− diet. Diets did not influence the texture analysis. However, sensory analysis revealed higher acceptance for fish fed the NoPAP diet when compared to the PAP diet. Lysozyme was higher in the NoPAP diet than in other treatments. In addition, long-term predictions using FEEDNETICSTM software suggest some of these alternative formulations may be economically sustainable. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that the new formulations are viable options for trout farming.

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Manure management is a significant source of methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3), and there is an urgent need for strategies to reduce these emissions. More frequent export of manure for outside storage can lower gaseous emissions from housing facilities, but the longer residence time may then increase emissions during outside storage. This study examined CH4 and NH3 emissions from liquid pig manure (pig slurry) removed from the in-house slurry collection pits at three different frequencies, i.e., three times per week (T2.3), once per week (T7), or once after 40 days (T40, reference). The slurry from treatments T2.3 and T7 was transferred for outside storage weekly over four weeks, and slurry from treatment T40 once after 40 days, in connection with summer and winter production cycles with growing-finishing pigs. The slurry was stored in pilot-scale storage tanks with solid cover and continuous ventilation. Compared to T40, the treatments T2.3 and T7 increased CH4 emissions during outside storage, but in-house emissions were reduced even more, and the net effects on total CH4 emissions from manure management (housing unit and outside storage) were reductions of 18–41% in summer and 53–83% in winter. The frequent slurry export for outside storage led to more NH3 emissions, except for the treatment T2.3, which has slurry funnel inserts beneath the slatted floor. Measurements of in-vitro CH4 production rates suggested that shorter residence time for slurry in pig houses delayed the development of active methanogenic populations, and that this contributed to the reduction of CH4 emissions.

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Key words: VKM, pest risk analysis, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Sudden oak death, Phytophthora ramorum Introduction The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment for an updated pest risk assessment of Phytophthora ramorum in Norway. The previous risk assessment of P. ramorum for Norway is from 2009. Since then, the pathogen has been detected repeatedly in Norway, primarily in parks, garden centres, and nurseries in southwestern Norway. The knowledge base concerning P. ramorum has changed since the last pest risk assessment, with increased genetic knowledge about different populations, lineages, and mating types. The risks associated with P. ramorum have also changed, since the disease has become epidemic in new host plants, such as larch trees in England. This updated pest risk assessment will provide important input to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s efforts to develop the Norwegian plant health regulation. Methods VKM established a project group with expertise in plant health, forest pathology, horticultural plant pathology, plant disease modelling, and pest risk assessment. The group conducted systematic literature searches and scrutinized the relevant literature. In the absence of Norwegian studies, VKM relied on literature from other countries. The group did a quantitative risk assessment describing the level of confidence in the conclusions and identifying uncertainties and data gaps. The report underwent pre-submission commenting and external expert reviewing before final approval and publication. Results and conclusions Phytophthora ramorum is present in the PRA area but has a restricted distribution, mainly being detected in the southern and southwestern parts of Norway. The only P. ramorum lineage considered to be present in Norway is EU1 with mating type A1. The other lineage in Europe, EU2, has so far mainly been documented from the UK. The most widely distributed multilocus genotype of P. ramorum in Norway is EU1MLG1, which became dominant in Europe (including Norway) after 2008. In North America, the NA1, NA2, and EU1 lineages are known from both nurseries and forests. NA1 and NA2 are of the opposite mating type (A2) than European lineages. Recently, various other lineages of P. ramorum have been described from Asia. The main risks for future problems with P. ramorum in Norway are related to entry and establishment of non-European isolates (of all lineages), as well as emergence of new genotypes in European P. ramorum populations. There are several options for diagnosing P. ramorum to species and lineage (mainly EU1, EU2, NA1, and NA2). From a management perspective it is more important to distinguish these entities than mating type and isolate groups (genotypes). The latter are mainly relevant for research purposes or in cases of unexpected disease developments, such as new hosts, increased spread or more severe symptoms on known hosts. However, for more detailed regulation, monitoring, and management of P. ramorum it could also be useful to test for genotypes, i.e. to distinguish EU1MLG1 from other genotypes. Rhododendron remains the most important host plant for P. ramorum in Norway, both in terms of imported plants and detections (mainly in nurseries, garden centres, and public parks). Species in other ornamental plant genera, such as Viburnum, Pieris, and Kalmia, are also listed as major hosts in Europe, and P. ramorum has been detected at least once on species in all these genera in Norway. In the US, Rhododendron, Viburnum, Pieris, Syringa, and Camellia are considered to be the main ornamental hosts. .....................

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The perennial forage grass timothy (Phleum pratense L.) is the most important forage crop in Norway. Future changes in the climate will affect growing conditions and hence the yield output. We used data from the Norwegian Value for Cultivation and Use testing to find a statistical prediction model for total dry matter yield (DMY) based on agro-climatic variables. The statistical model selection found that the predictors with the highest predictive power were growing degree days (GDD) in July and the number of days with rain (>1mm) in June–July. These predictors together explained 43% of the variability in total DMY. Further, the prediction model was combined with a range of climate ensembles (RCP4.5) to project DMY of timothy for the decades 2050–2059 and 2090–2099 at 8 locations in Norway. Our projections forecast that DMY of today’s timothy varieties may decrease substantially in South-Eastern Norway, but increase in Northern Norway, by the middle of the century, due to increased temperatures and changing precipitation patterns.

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Near-shore areas face multiple stressors, effects of climate change, coastal construction and contamination. Although capping the seabed in these areas with mineral masses can reduce the impact of legacy contaminants in sediment, it can also result in the loss of flora and sessile fauna, both of which are vital components of near-shore ecosystems. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is essential to marine near-shore areas as it supports biodiversity and mitigates the effects of climate change. Therefore, it would be beneficial to modify the top layer of caps to facilitate the reestablishment of these ecosystems when capping near-shore areas. This study describes results from an in situ, six-month field experiment conducted to compare increase in leaf length over the growing season and survival of eelgrass transplanted in two commercially available substrates (Natural sand and Crushed stone) and indigenous sediment (i.e., indigenous control sediment) in a capping project in Horten Inner harbour, Norway. Similar leaf length increase was found in Natural sand and Indigenous control sediment, both significantly higher compared to Crushed stone substrate. Survival was highest in our case in the Indigenous control sediment (120 %), with no significant difference between Crushed stone (20 %) and Natural sand substrates (25 %). These findings emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate substrate for successful seagrass restoration.

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Since the world’s population is increasing, alternative food sources must be tapped. Although algae have a high potential to become a part of our diets due to their favorable nutritional properties, there is a little information on the willingness of consumers in Norway to try algae-made foods. In this paper we used a Norwegian survey to address this question. We constructed an order logistic regression model and predicted conditional probabilities to try algae food. The results show that among the most important aspect for willingness to try food with algae is age, health conscientiousness, and environmental attitudes.

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Numerical models are crucial to understand and/or predict past and future soil organic carbon dynamics. For those models aiming at prediction, validation is a critical step to gain confidence in projections. With a comprehensive review of ~250 models, we assess how models are validated depending on their objectives and features, discuss how validation of predictive models can be improved. We find a critical lack of independent validation using observed time series. Conducting such validations should be a priority to improve the model reliability. Approximately 60% of the models we analysed are not designed for predictions, but rather for conceptual understanding of soil processes. These models provide important insights by identifying key processes and alternative formalisms that can be relevant for predictive models. We argue that combining independent validation based on observed time series and improved information flow between predictive and conceptual models will increase reliability in predictions.

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Purpose: Laser diffraction (LD) for determination of particle size distribution (PSD) of the fine earth fraction appeared in the 1990s, partly substituting the Sieving and Sedimentation Method (SSM). Whereas previous comparison between the two methods predominantly encompasses agricultural soils, less attention has been given to forest soils, including pre-treatment requirements related to their highly variable contents of carbon and Alox+ Feox. In this small collaborative learning study we compared (1) national SSM results with one type/protocol of LD analysis (Coulter), (2) LD measurements performed on three different LD instruments / laboratories, and (3) the replication error for LD Coulter analysis of predominantly sandy and loamy forest soils. Methods: We used forest soil samples from Denmark, Norway and Lithuania and their respective national SSM protocols / results. LD analyses were performed on Malvern Mastersizer 2000, Sympatec HELOS version 1999, and Coulter LS230, located at University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University and Helsinki University, respectively. The protocols differed between laboratories, including the use of external ultrasonication prior to LD analysis. Results: The clay and silt fractions content (<20 μm) from the LD analysis were not comparable with SSM results, with differences ranging from −0.5 to 22.3 percentage points (pp) for clay. Preliminary results from loamy samples with spodic material suggested inconsistent effects of external ultrasonication to disperse aggregates. The comparison between the three LD instruments showed a range in the clay and silt fractions content of 1.9–5.3 and 6.2–8.1 pp, respectively. Differences may be related to the instruments, protocols, and content of a given particle size fraction. The replication error of the Coulter LD protocol was found to be <3 pp in sandy soils, but up to 10 pp in loamy soils. Conclusion: Differences in the clay fraction results partly affected the classification of soil types. The fast replication of the LD analysis enables more quality control of results. The pedological evaluation of non-silicate constituents and optional pre-treatment steps (e.g., soil organic matter or sesquioxides) remains the same for LD and SSM. For comparison of results, detailed descriptions of the analytical protocol including pre-treatments are needed irrespective of instrument and theoretical approach.

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Parametric modeling of downwelling longwave irradiance under all-sky conditions (LW↓) typically involves “correcting” a clear- (or non-overcast) sky model estimate using solar-irradiance-based proxies of cloud cover in lieu of actual cloud cover given uncertainties and measurement challenges of the latter. While such approaches are deemed sound, their application in time and space is inherently limited. We report on a correction model free of solar irradiance-derived cloud proxies that is applicable at the true daily (24 hr) and global scales. The new “cloud-free” correction model demonstrates superior performance in a range of environments relative to existing cloud-free modeling approaches and to corrections based on solar-derived cloudiness proxies. Literature-based performance benchmarking indicates a performance that is often comparable to—and in some cases superior to—performances yielded by conventional parametric modeling approaches employing locally or regionally calibrated parameters, as well as to performances of satellite-based algorithms.

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Catastrophic floods have large effect on agricultural land both in short and long term. In this chapter, examples of impact of floods of different size in cold regions with glaziers have been presented. The largest floods occur as combination of heavy rainfall and melting and snow and ice in the mountainous areas. Periods of waterlogging by cold running water resulted in decreased yields, but N-fertilization after the soil no longer was water saturated could reduce the yield loss considerably. Although the floods cause severe erosion and sedimentation, results show that it is possible to find measures for reconstruction of the soils with the same productivity as undamaged soils, while the average result was about 85% of the original productivity.

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Crown rot, caused by Phytophthora cactorum, is a devastating disease of strawberry. While most commercial octoploid strawberry cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) are generally susceptible, the diploid species Fragaria vesca is a potential source of resistance genes to P. cactorum. We previously reported several F. vesca genotypes with varying degrees of resistance to P. cactorum. To gain insights into the strawberry defence mechanisms, comparative transcriptome profiles of two resistant genotypes (NCGR1603 and Bukammen) and a susceptible genotype (NCGR1218) of F. vesca were analysed by RNA-Seq after wounding and subsequent inoculation with P. cactorum. Differential gene expression analysis identified several defence-related genes that are highly expressed in the resistant genotypes relative to the susceptible genotype in response to P. cactorum after wounding. These included putative disease resistance (R) genes encoding receptor-like proteins, receptor-like kinases, nucleotide-binding sites, leucine-rich repeat proteins, RPW8-type disease resistance proteins, and ‘pathogenesis-related protein 1’. Seven of these R-genes were expressed only in the resistant genotypes and not in the susceptible genotype, and these appeared to be present only in the genomes of the resistant genotypes, as confirmed by PCR analysis. We previously reported a single major gene locus RPc-1 (Resistance to Phytophthora cactorum 1) in F. vesca that contributed resistance to P. cactorum. Here, we report that 4–5% of the genes (35–38 of ca 800 genes) in the RPc-1 locus are differentially expressed in the resistant genotypes compared to the susceptible genotype after inoculation with P. cactorum. In particular, we identified three defence-related genes encoding wall-associated receptor-like kinase 3, receptor-like protein 12, and non-specific lipid-transfer protein 1-like that were highly expressed in the resistant genotypes compared to the susceptible one. The present study reports several novel candidate disease resistance genes that warrant further investigation for their role in plant defence against P. cactorum.

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Pandora neoaphidis is a common entomopathogenic fungus on Sitobion avenae, which is an important aphid pest on cereals in Europe. Pandora neoaphidis is known to cause epizootics (i.e. an unusually high prevalence of infected hosts) and the rapid collapse of aphid populations. We developed a weather-driven mechanistic model of the winter wheat-S. avenae-P. neoaphidis system to simulate the dynamics from spring to harvest. Aphid immigration was fixed at a rate that would lead to a pest outbreak, if not controlled by the fungus. We estimated the biocontrol efficacy by running pair-wise simulations, one with and one without the fungus. Uncertainty in model parameters and variation in weather was included, resulting in a range of simulation outcomes, and a global sensitivity analysis was performed. We identified two key understudied parameters that require more extensive experimental data collection to better assess the fungus biocontrol, namely the fungus transmission efficiency and the decay of cadaver, which defines the time window for possible disease transmission. The parameters with the largest influence on the improvement in yield were the weather, the lethal time of exposed aphids, the fungus transmission efficiency, and the humidity threshold for fungus development, while the fungus inoculum in the chosen range (between 10 and 70% of immigrant aphids carrying the fungus) was less influential. The model suggests that epizootics occurring early, around Zadoks growth stage (GS) 61, would lead to successful biocontrol, while later epizootics (GS 73) were a necessary but insufficient condition for success. These model predictions were based on the prevalence of cadavers only, not of exposed (i.e. infected but yet non-symptomatic) aphids, which in practice would be costly to monitor. The model suggests that practical Integrated Pest Management could thus benefit from including the cadavers prevalence in a monitoring program. We argue for further research to experimentally estimate these cadaver thresholds.

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Extractives from silver birch (Betula pendula) can play an important role in the future bioeconomy by delivering the feedstock, for instance, for antioxidative applications. It is, therefore, inevitable to gain knowledge of the distribution of extractive content and composition in the different tissues of the tree for estimating the potential volumes of valuable extractable compounds. This study examines the extractable compound distribution of different tree tissues such as outer and inner bark and wood, respectively, considering the original height of the stem and comparing the yields after Soxhlet and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Eleven parts of the model tree (seven stem discs and four branches) were separated into primary tissues and extracted with a ternary solvent system. The investigated extraction methods resulted in a comparable performance regarding yields and the composition of the extractives. The extractives were divided into single compounds such as betulin, lupeol, γ-sitosterol, and lupeone and substance groups such as carbohydrates, terpenes, aromatics, and other groups. The distribution of single substances and substance groups depends on the location and function of the examined tissues. Furthermore, the evidence for the correlation of a single substance’s location and original tree height is stronger for lupeol than for betulin. Primary betulin sources of the calculated betulin output are the outer bark of the stem and the branches. By using small branches, further potential for the extraction of betulin can be utilized. A model calculation of the betulin content in the current birch tree revealed a significant potential of 23 kg of betulin available as a valuable chemical resource after by-product utilization.

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Macroalgae, or seaweeds, have potential for use as feed ingredients and are currently unexploited despite their content of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Brown species can accumulate iodine from seawater and there are strict limits set by the European Food Safety Authority and the FDA regarding iodine content in animal feeds. Iodine can cause health problems for consumers if over or under-consumed and its presence in end food products is strictly regulated. The aim of the present experiment was to gain knowledge on intake, distribution, and excretion of iodine in sheep supplemented with Laminaria hyperborea by-product known to contain iodine. Twelve Norwegian White Sheep male lambs, four months of age, were blocked according to initial live weight (average 37.8 kg) and randomly allocated to two diet groups. Animals were fed gras silage and concentrate, without (CTR) and including the alga by-product at a 6% inclusion rate (HYP). The iodine concentrations were 4.1 and 476 mg/kg dry matter in the CTR and HYP concentrate, respectively. After 26 days of adaptation in a barn, animals were placed in metabolism crates for three consecutive days (Period 1) with collection of rumen fluid (via esophagus), grass silage, feces, urine, and blood for iodine content. After 5 weeks in the barn, animals returned to the metabolism crates for a subsequent three consecutive day sampling and iodine analyzes (Period 2). Data were analyzed via ANOVA using a repeated measure mixed model procedure. Dry matter intake (P = 0.001) and live weight (P = 0.001) increased from Period 1 to Period 2. Lambs fed CTR had higher daily growth rate than those fed HYP (P = 0.001). Iodine intake and excretion in feces and urine increased from Period 1 to Period 2 (P < 0.001, P = 0.010, P = 0.007, respectively). Iodine excreted in feces was 37% and 67% for lambs in fed the CTR and HYP diets, respectively. None of the animals showed signs of iodine poisoning during ten the experiment. We found that most of the iodine excreted from lambs fed the HYP diet was in feces.

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The commercial apple production in Norway is limited to the small regions along the fjords in the southwest part of the country and around lakes or near the sea in the southeast with favorable climate. Due to the rapid rate of climate change over the recent decades, it is expected that suitable heat conditions for apple growing will expand to the areas that were previously too cold. This study analyses the heat suitability of future climate (2021–2100) under the RCP8.5 scenario for 6 common apple varieties in Norway: Discovery, Gravenstein, Summerred, Aroma, Rubinstep and Elstar. Previously established heat requirement criteria (based on the temperature threshold for the full blooming and growing degree days sum between the full bloom and harvest) are applied to the temperature outputs of the regional climate models downscaled to 1 km resolution. The assessment indicates that as temperature rises, heat conditions suitable for cultivation of all 6 apple varieties will expand. According to the ensemble median value, areas with the favorable heat conditions for growing at least one of the considered apple varieties will increase 25 times in the period 2021–2040 and 60 times in the period 2041–2060, compared to the referent period 1971–2000. At the same time, areas suitable for all 6 apple varieties will increase 3 times in the first, and 3.8 times in the latter period. The favorable areas will advance from south and southeast northwards and inland in the eastern region, along the west and northwestern coastline towards higher latitudes, and along continental parts of fjords. The fastest expansion of heat suitable conditions is expected for Discovery and Gravenstein. The findings of this study are relevant for zoning apple production future potential and for strategical planning of climate change adaptation measures within the sector. Weather-related risks, such as risks from winter low temperatures, spring frost, drought and extreme precipitation were not considered.

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Agricultural production is already, and obviously, affected by climate change. Adapting to climate change includes reducing future risks to ensure yield quality and quantity and considers seizing any potential opportunities induced by climate change. In higher latitude areas, such as Norway, cold climate limits the cultivation of fruits. An increase in temperature offers more favorable conditions for fruit production. In this study, using available phenological observations (full blooming) and harvest dates, and meteorological data from the experimental orchard of NIBIO Ullensvang, the minimum heat requirements for growing different apple varieties are determined. Those criteria are used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing. Data on six varieties were used, with lower and higher requirements for heat for fruit development (Discovery, Gravenstein, Summerred, Aroma, Rubinstep, and Elstar). High resolution daily temperature data were generated and used for zoning of the areas with heat favorable conditions for apple growing within the selected domain, which includes Western Norway, Southern Norway, Eastern Norway, and the western part of Trøndelag, Mid-Norway. Dynamics of the change in such surfaces was assessed for the period of 1961–2020. The total surface with favorable heat conditions for growing the varieties with lesser requirement for heat increased three times during this period. The growing of more heat-demanding varieties increased from near zero to about 2.5% of the studied land surface. In the period of 2011–2020, surface area with favorable heat conditions for apple growing was almost 27,000 km2, and a surface area of about 4600 km2 can sustain growing of more heat-demanding varieties. The presented results show the increasing potential of the climate of Norway for apple cultivation and highlight the importance of implementation of fruit production planned according to climate change trends, including the assessment of potential risks from climate hazards. However, the methodology for determining heat requirements can be improved by using phenological ripening dates if available, rather than harvest dates which are impacted by human decision. Zoning of areas with the potential of sustainable apple growing requires the use of future climate change assessments and information on land-related features.

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Multi-scale evidence of rapid, climate-induced soil structural changes occurring at yearly to decadal timescales is mounting. As a result, it has become increasingly important to identify the properties and mechanisms controlling the development and maintenance of soil structure and associated macroporosity. This is especially relevant since macroporosity has disproportionate effects on saturated hydraulic conductivity ( ) which strongly influences water storage and flux, thus, affecting the water cycle. In this study, we use decision trees and piecewise linear regression to assess the influence of soil and climate properties on effective porosity (EP; a proxy of macroporosity) in both surface and subsurface horizons under varying land-use and management practices. Data from 1,491 pedons (3,679 horizons) spanning five ecoregions representing bioclimate (e.g., potential vegetation) across the conterminous US demonstrate that, at a continental scale, EP in surface (A) and subsurface (B) horizons is strongly dependent on the complexed fraction of the total mass of soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay; a combined fraction that we refer to as complexed organic carbon and clay (COCC). EP showed a slight positive response to COCC in A horizons but increased steeply with increasing COCC in B horizons. This is because the smaller values of COCC in B horizons reflect a larger pool of clay that has a greater potential to accommodate and complex additions of SOC promoting stronger organo-mineral bonds and the concomitant development and maintenance of soil structure in these horizons. In contrast, larger values of COCC in A horizons reflect conditions where all or most of the clay fraction is effectively complexed with SOC resulting in a larger pool of non-complexed soil organic matter with varying contrasting effects on macroporosity that ultimately mute the response of EP to increases in COCC. In surface horizons, indirect factors such as mean annual precipitation and land use were important predictors of EP, whereas COCC was more influential in controlling EP within the subsoil. The EP-COCC relationship also holds within ecoregions but its effect is mitigated by soil and climate interactions suggesting that the effect of climate on this relationship is indirect and complex. Plowed surface horizons and horizons underlying plowed layers showed greater homogenization (due to disturbance effects reducing heterogeneity in the soil) as well as a reduction in the magnitude and rate of change of EP as a function of COCC compared to undisturbed horizons. Our findings suggest that the complexed fraction of clay and SOC is important for controlling macroporosity and at ecoregion scales and that the EP-COCC relationship may be an important framework for understanding and predicting future land use- and climate-induced changes in soil hydraulic properties.

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Birch wood is a potential feedstock for biogas production in Northern Europe; however, the lignocellulosic matrix is recalcitrant preventing efficient conversion to methane. To improve digestibility, birch wood was thermally pre-treated using steam explosion at 220 °C for 10 min. The steam-exploded birch wood (SEBW) was co-digested with cow manure for a period of 120 days in continuously fed CSTRs where the microbial community adapted to the SEBW feedstock. Changes in the microbial community were tracked by stable carbon isotopes- and 16S r RNA analyses. The results showed that the adapted microbial culture could increase methane production up to 365 mL/g VS day, which is higher than previously reported methane production from pre-treated SEBW. This study also revealed that the microbial adaptation significantly increased the tolerance of the microbial community against the inhibitors furfural and HMF which were formed during pre-treatment of birch. The results of the microbial analysis indicated that the relative amount of cellulosic hydrolytic microorganisms (e.g. Actinobacteriota and Fibrobacterota) increased and replaced syntrophic acetate bacteria (e.g. Cloacimonadota, Dethiobacteraceae, and Syntrophomonadaceae) as a function of time. Moreover, the stable carbon isotope analysis indicated that the acetoclastic pathway became the main route for methane production after long-term adaptation. The shift in methane production pathway and change in microbial community shows that for anaerobic digestion of SEBW, the hydrolysis step is important. Although acetoclastic methanogens became dominant after 120 days, a potential route for methane production could also be a direct electron transfer among Sedimentibacter and methanogen archaea.

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We tested whether windthrow damage to Nordic conifer forest stands could be reliably detected as canopy height decrease between a pre-storm LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) digital surface model (DSM) and a photogrammetric DSM derived from a post-storm WorldView-3 stereo pair. The post-storm ground reference data consisted of field and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) observations of windthrow combined with no-damage areas collected by visual interpretation of the available very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery. We trained and tested a thresholding model using canopy height change as the sole predictor. We undertook a two-step accuracy assessment by (1) running k-fold cross-validation on the ground reference dataset and examining the effect of the potential imperfections in the ground reference data, and (2) conducting rigorous accuracy assessment of the classified map of the study area using an extended set of VHR imagery. The thresholding model produced accurate windthrow maps in dense, productive forest stands with a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 71%, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) over 0.7. However, in sparse and high elevation stands, the classification accuracy was poor. Despite certain collection challenges during the winter months in the Nordic region, we consider VHR stereo satellite imagery to be a viable source of forest canopy height information and sufficiently accurate to map windthrow disturbance in forest stands of high to moderate density.

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The Arctic is one of the regions most sensitive to global warming, for which climate and environmental proxy archives are largely insufficient. Arctic driftwood provides a unique resource for research into the circumpolar entanglements of terrestrial, coastal and marine factors and processes – past, present, future. Here, first dendrochronological and wood anatomical insights into 639 Arctic driftwood samples are presented. Samples were collected across northern Norway (n =430) and north-western Iceland (n =209) in 2022. The overall potentials and limitations of Arctic driftwood to improve tree-ring chronologies from the boreal forest, and to reconstruct changes in sea ice extent and ocean current dynamics are discussed. Finally, the role driftwood has possibly played for Arctic settlements in the past hundreds of years is examined.

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The ageing population, climate change, and labour shortages in the agricultural sector are driving the need to reevaluate current farming practices. To address these challenges, the deployment of robot systems can help reduce environmental footprints and increase productivity. However, convincing farmers to adopt new technologies poses difficulties, considering economic viability and ease of use. In this paper, we introduce a management system based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) that integrates heterogeneous vehicles (conventional tractors and mobile robots). The goal of the proposed work is to ease the adoption of mobile robots in an agricultural context by providing to the farmer the initial tools needed to include them alongside the conventional machinery. We provide a comprehensive overview of the system’s architecture, the control laws implemented for fleet navigation within the field, the development of a user-friendly Graphical User Interface, and the charging infrastructure for the deployed vehicles. Additionally, field tests are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

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Liming of acidic agricultural soils has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, as increased soil pH reduces the N2O/N2 product ratio of denitrification. The capacity of different calcareous (calcite and dolomite) and siliceous minerals to increase soil pH and reduce N2O emissions was assessed in a 2-year grassland field experiment. An associated pot experiment was conducted using homogenized field soils for controlling spatial soil variability. Nitrous oxide emissions were highly episodic with emission peaks in response to freezing–thawing and application of NPK fertilizer. Liming with dolomite caused a pH increase from 5.1 to 6.2 and reduced N2O emissions by 30% and 60% after application of NPK fertilizer and freezing–thawing events, respectively. Over the course of the 2-year field trial, N2O emissions were significantly lower in dolomite-limed than non-limed soil (p < .05), although this effect was variable over time. Unexpectedly, no significant reduction of N2O emission was found in the calcite treatment, despite the largest pH increase in all tested minerals. We tentatively attribute this to increased N2O production by overall increase in nitrogen turnover rates (both nitrification and denitrification) following rapid pH increase in the first year after liming. Siliceous materials showed little pH effect and had no significant effect on N2O emissions probably because of their lower buffering capacity and lower cation content. In the pot experiment using soils taken from the field plots 3 years after liming and exposing them to natural freezing–thawing, both calcite (p < .01) and dolomite (p < .05) significantly reduced cumulative N2O emission by 50% and 30%, respectively, relative to the non-limed control. These results demonstrate that the overall effect of liming is to reduce N2O emission, although high lime doses may lead to a transiently enhanced emission.

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Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) is an economically valuable soft-fruit species with a relatively small (~300 Mb) but highly heterozygous diploid (2n = 2x = 14) genome. Chromosome-scale genome sequences are a vital tool in unravelling the genetic complexity controlling traits of interest in crop plants such as red raspberry, as well as for functional genomics, evolutionary studies, and pan-genomics diversity studies. In this study, we developed genome sequences of a primocane fruiting variety (‘Autumn Bliss’) and a floricane variety (‘Malling Jewel’). The use of long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing data yielded long read lengths that permitted well resolved genome sequences for the two cultivars to be assembled. The de novo assemblies of ‘Malling Jewel’ and ‘Autumn Bliss’ contained 79 and 136 contigs respectively, and 263.0 Mb of the ‘Autumn Bliss’ and 265.5 Mb of the ‘Malling Jewel’ assembly could be anchored unambiguously to a previously published red raspberry genome sequence of the cultivar ‘Anitra’. Single copy ortholog analysis (BUSCO) revealed high levels of completeness in both genomes sequenced, with 97.4% of sequences identified in ‘Autumn Bliss’ and 97.7% in ‘Malling Jewel’. The density of repetitive sequence contained in the ‘Autumn Bliss’ and ‘Malling Jewel’ assemblies was significantly higher than in the previously published assembly and centromeric and telomeric regions were identified in both assemblies. A total of 42,823 protein coding regions were identified in the ‘Autumn Bliss’ assembly, whilst 43,027 were identified in the ‘Malling Jewel’ assembly. These chromosome-scale genome sequences represent an excellent genomics resource for red raspberry, particularly around the highly repetitive centromeric and telomeric regions of the genome that are less complete in the previously published ‘Anitra’ genome sequence.

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Industrial-scale garage dry fermentation systems are extremely nonlinear, and traditional machine learning algorithms have low prediction accuracy. Therefore, this study presents a novel intelligent system that employs two automated machine learning (AutoML) algorithms (AutoGluon and H2O) for biogas performance prediction and Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) for interpretable analysis, along with multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) for early warning guidance of industrial-scale garage dry fermentation. The stacked ensemble models generated by AutoGluon have the highest prediction accuracy for digester and percolate tank biogas performances. Based on the interpretable analysis, the optimal parameter combinations for the digester and percolate tank were determined in order to maximize biogas production and CH4 content. The optimal conditions for the digester involve maintaining a temperature range of 35–38 °C, implementing a daily spray time of approximately 10 min and a pressure of 1000 Pa, and utilizing a feedstock with high total solids content. Additionally, the percolate tank should be maintained at a temperature range of 35–38 °C, with a liquid level of 1500 mm, a pH range of 8.0–8.1, and a total inorganic carbon concentration greater than 13.8 g/L. The software developed based on the intelligent system was successfully validated in production for prediction and early warning, and MOPSO-recommended guidance was provided. In conclusion, the novel intelligent system described in this study could accurately predict biogas performance in industrial-scale garage dry fermentation and guide operating condition optimization, paving the way for the next generation of intelligent industrial systems.

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The mineralization of nitrogen in apple orchard soil will increase the soil supply. An incubation study to test the soil potential and the validity of analytical methods was conducted at 3, 8, 15, and 20 °C for up to 128 days on soils from western and south-eastern Norway. Soils with the highest pH showed the highest mineralization. The mineralization increased with increasing temperature and time, but start-up N reduced mineralization. The mineralization cannot be estimated from standard soil chemical parameters because the different C/N ratio indicates organic material of different origin and quality. The increase in NO3-N started very quickly and ranged from 17 to 182% and 12 to 64% after 8 days at 3 °C and 20 °C, respectively. There was no correlation between total N in the soil and the amount of mineralized N. On average, the mineralization increased by 5–7% for a change of 1 °C in the interval from 8 to 15 °C in the soil. The chemical extraction method using heated KCl correlated well with the mineralization data. On average, the chemical method estimated 30 kg N ha−1, which corresponded to 0.48% of total N. Recommendations for N fertilization based on total N in the soil overestimate the contribution of plant-available N in most cases.

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In order to determine the pollinizer success rates between twelve apple cultivars in 2021 and 2022, 671 apple embryos were collected from 19 different orchards in Ullensvang (southwestern Norway) and Svelvik (southeastern Norway). Genomic DNA was extracted from the collected embryos and, afterward, a genetic characterization with 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers was conducted. An identical set of markers was also used on all twelve mother cultivars, as well as on six crabapple pollinizers, which were found in the investigated orchards. The obtained molecular data enabled paternity analyses to be performed with the objective of assigning a male parent to each embryo. The paternity analyses identified pollen donors for all, except for 3% of the embryos. In most cases, it was possible to identify the most successful pollinizers for each cultivar, with ‘Aroma’ and ‘Discovery’ being the most efficient pollen donors overall. Tree abundance seems to be a major factor in pollinizer success, while semi-cross-compatible characteristics represent a hindrance. Only 7% of the analyzed embryos were determined to have been fertilized by pollinizers outside the orchard, confirming the significance of pollinizer proximity for efficient pollination.

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This study compared animal performance and enteric methane (CH4) emissions from dairy cows in a part-time grazing (PTG) system in northern Sweden. Twenty-four Nordic Red dairy cows were allocated to one of two treatments: DAY (10 h daytime pasture access) or NIGHT (12 h night-time pasture access). The cows in each treatment received the same ad libitum partial mixed ration (PMR) indoors and ad libitum herbage allowance. Methane was recorded using two linked GreenFeedTM emissions monitoring (GEM) units, on pasture and indoors. Day or night grazing showed no statistical differences in estimated grass or PMR intake, milk production or daily enteric CH4 emissions. There was a rapid decrease in diurnal CH4 emissions (28%) when the cows were moved from indoors to pasture in both grazing treatments. Using two GEM units (indoor, outdoor) in combination improved the diurnal assessment of enteric CH4 emissions during PTG conditions in the mixed feeding system.

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ANC er nøkkelparameteren for å vurdere endringer i kjemisk vannkvalitet med endringer i sur nedbør, klima og arealbruk. Imidlertid har parameteren lav presisjon, siden den er basert på ladningsbalansen mellom mange målte verdier. Det er derfor ønskelig å utlede alternative måter å beregne ANC. ANC er et estimat for overskuddet av svake syrers baser i vannet. I naturlig vann er dette tilnærmet lik differansen mellom konsentrasjonen av H+ og summen av bikarbonat og organiske anioner i løsning. Titrert alkalitet er et mål for det samme, men som en erstatning for ANC, må verdien korrigeres for operasjonelle kilder til avvik. Her utledes og testes to teoretiske modeller og en empirisk tilpasset modell for ANC basert på målinger av alkalitet. I de fleste vann anbefales modellen basert på bikarbonat betegnet som ALK02. I svært forsuringsfølsomt vann (nær kvantifiseringsgrense for titrert alkalitet), anbefales imidlertid en empirisk tilpasset modell som erstatning for beregnet ANC.

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Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer widely used as a packaging material and in thermal insulation of buildings. At end-of-life, there are not many recycling management options of PS because of the reduced incentive and high cost. PS is non-biodegradable, and consequently, the disposal of this product causes serious health and environmental concerns. This study discusses the application of thermal treatment to modify the properties of PS waste foams. Both expanded and extended polystyrene were collected from building demolitions and subjected to different temperature treatments and duration. The effect of the treatment was investigated on the density, structure, glass transition temperature, mechanical properties (hardness, compression strength), thermal conductivity, and sound absorption of treated PS. The results showed that density increased with treatment temperature, which had a corresponding effect on the evaluated properties. The study concluded that thermal treatment is a beneficial way to improve the mechanical properties of PS waste from buildings. However, a trade-off between application and relevance still needs to be ascertained, as the thermal and acoustic insulation properties of PS decreased with the treatment.

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Biochar is a carbon (C)-rich material produced from biomass by anoxic or oxygen-limited thermal treatment known as pyrolysis. Despite substantial gaseous losses of C during pyrolysis, incorporating biochar in soil has been suggested as an effective long-term option to sequester CO2 for climate change mitigation, due to the intrinsic stability of biochar C. However, no universally applicable approach that combines biochar quality and pyrolysis yield into an overall metric of C sequestration efficiency has been suggested yet. To ensure safe environmental use of biochar in agricultural soils, the International Biochar Initiative and the European Biochar Certificate have developed guidelines on biochar quality. In both guidelines, the hydrogen-to-organic C (H/Corg) ratio is an important quality criterion widely used as a proxy of biochar stability, which has been recognized also in the new EU regulation 2021/2088. Here, we evaluate the biochar C sequestration efficiency from published data that comply with the biochar quality criteria in the above guidelines, which may regulate future large-scale field application in practice. The sequestration efficiency is calculated from the fraction of biochar C remaining in soil after 100 years (Fperm) and the C-yield of various feedstocks pyrolyzed at different temperatures. Both parameters are expressed as a function of H/Corg. Combining these two metrics is relevant for assessing the mitigation potential of the biochar economy. We find that the C sequestration efficiency for stable biochar is in the range of 25%–50% of feedstock C. It depends on the type of feedstock and is in general a non-linear function of H/Corg. We suggest that for plant-based feedstock, biochar production that achieves H/Corg of 0.38–0.44, corresponding to pyrolysis temperatures of 500–550°C, is the most efficient in terms of soil carbon sequestration. Such biochars reveal an average sequestration efficiency of 41.4% (±4.5%) over 100 years.

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Through their ephemeral reproductive structures (fruiting bodies), ectomycorrhizal forest soil fungi provide a resource for a plethora of organisms. Thus, resolving what biotic and abiotic factors determine the occurrence and abundance of fruiting bodies is fundamental for understanding the dynamics of forest trophic networks. While the influence of abiotic factors such as moisture and temperature on fungal fruiting are relatively well established, little is known about how these processes interact with the evolutionary history of fungal species to determine when, where, and in which abundance fungal fruiting bodies will emerge. A specific knowledge gap relates to whether species' responses to their environment are phylogenetically structured. Here, we ask whether related fungal taxa respond similarly to climatic factors and forest habitat characteristics, and whether such correlated responses will affect the assembly of fungal fruiting communities. To resolve these questions, we fitted joint species distribution models combining data on the species composition and abundance of fungal fruiting bodies, environmental variation, and phylogenetic relationships among fungal taxa. Our results show that both site-level forest characteristics (dominant tree species and forest age) and climatic factors related to phenology (effective heat sum) greatly influence the occurrence and abundance of fruiting bodies. More importantly, while different fungal species responded unequally to their shared environment, there was a strong phylogenetic signal in their responses, so that related fungal species tended to fruit under similar environmental conditions. Thus, not only are fruiting bodies short-lived and patchily distributed, but the availability of similar resources will be further aggregated in time and space. These strong constraints on resource availability for fungus-associated taxa highlight the potential of fungus-based networks as a model system for studies on the ecology and evolution of resource–consumer relations in ephemeral systems of high spatiotemporal patchiness.

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Wastewater (WW) has been identified as a major hotspot of microbial emerging contaminants (MECs), such as antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Currently used WW treatment methods cannot efficiently eliminate these pollutants, resulting in passive contamination of adjacent environments receiving undertreated discharge. More effective WW treatment strategies are therefore urgently required. In this study, newly developed and well-characterised semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels derived from the valorisation of marine wastes (e.g., shrimp shells) were investigated for their ARG removal potential. The results indicated that multiple ARGs prevalent in WW, such as ermB, qrnS, sul1 and tetO, were removed by up to 100% after being treated by novel hydrogels. In terms of horizontal gene transfer-associated genetic elements, such as integron-1 intl1, transposons tnpA1 (IS4 group) and tnpA2 (IS6 group), substantial reduction approaching 99.9% was also achieved. Moreover, up to 97% of efflux pump-associated qacE∆1 conferring multidrug resistance (MR) was successfully attenuated. To conclude, the semi-INP hydrogels developed exhibited great potential for ARG mitigation towards strengthening WW decontamination, which provides a viable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly novel treatment approach.

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This study aims to estimate eco-efficiency scores and identify determinants of Norwegian dairy farms using a parametric approach that accounts for methane emissions. The study incorporates an environmental output measure and draws on 30 years of panel data from 692 specialist dairy farms (1991–2020). The findings indicate that Norwegian dairy farms are inefficient, with room for improvement in the dairy production system and the environment. According to the average eco-efficiency score, conventional dairy farms could cut input use and CH4 emissions by 5% while maintaining output. Furthermore, the study found that land tenure, experience, and government subsidies all positively impact eco-efficiency. Policymakers should encourage the best-performing dairy farms to share information on increasing productivity while considering environmental concerns to achieve better social and agricultural development. It should be noted that the study only looks at livestock methane emissions; future research may investigate other environmental factors.

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Fusarium verticillioides is the most common fungal pathogen of maize in Ethiopia. Many strains of this pathogen produce fumonisin myotoxins that are harmful to human and animal health. This study was conducted to determine the fumonisin-producing ability of isolates of F. verticillioides isolated from maize kernels collected from different maize- growing areas of the country. Eighty F. verticillioides isolates were grown on autoclaved maize cultures for one month, and the fumonisin content was quantified using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All the 80 isolates evaluated were able to produce detectable levels of total fumonisins in the maize culture with values ranging from 0.25 to 38.01 mg of the toxin per kg of culture material (fungal biomass and maize kernels). The mean levels of total fumonisins produced by the F. verticillioides isolates were not significantly (p>0.05) different among maize growing areas, however, the total fumonisins levels produced by isolates obtained from the same area as well as agroecological zones were wide-ranging. The results indicate that the majority (57.5%) of the F. verticillioides isolates associated with maize grains in Ethiopia produced total fumonisins >4 mg/kg, while 35% of the isolates produced total fumonisins <2 mg/kg. The widespread occurrence of higher fumonisin-producing strains across all maize-growing areas in Ethiopia indicates a possible food safety risk. Thus, efforts should be made to prevent the spread of this fungus with good agronomic practices and to implore all possible ways to avoid maize contamination with fumonisin both in the field and in storage.

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In Scandinavia, the bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi overwinter as eggs on the bird cherry tree Prunus padus. Branches of P. padus were collected at the late February / early March from 17 locations in Norway over a three-year period. We found 3599 overwintering aphid eggs, 59.5% of which were dead. Further, a total of 879 overwintering fungus-killed cadavers were observed. These cadavers were found close to bud axils, where overwintering eggs were also usually attached. Cadavers were infected with either Zoophthora cf. aphidis or Entomophthora planchoniana. All the fungal-killed cadavers were filled with overwintering structures of Z. cf. aphidis (as resting spores) or E. planchoniana (as modified hyphal bodies). We found a significant negative correlation between eggs and cadavers per branch. However, both numbers of eggs and cadavers varied greatly between years and among tree locations. This is the first report of E. planchoniana overwintering in R. padi cadavers as modified hyphal bodies. We discuss whether P. padus may act as an inoculum reservoir for fungi infecting aphids in cereals in spring.

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Biodiversity is declining globally in response to multiple human stressors, including climate forcing. Nonetheless, local diversity trends are inconsistent in some taxa, obscuring contributions of local processes to global patterns. Arctic tundra diversity, including plants, fungi, and lichens, declined during a 15-year experiment that combined warming with exclusion of large herbivores known to influence tundra vegetation composition. Tundra diversity declined regardless of experimental treatment, as background growing season temperatures rose with sea ice loss. However, diversity declined slower with large herbivores than without them. This difference was associated with an increase in effective diversity of large herbivores as formerly abundant caribou declined and muskoxen increased. Efforts that promote herbivore diversity, such as rewilding, may help mitigate impacts of warming on tundra diversity.

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The complete diallel cross is the only mating design that provides estimates of variance components of general combining (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), maternal and reciprocal effects, in addition to heritabilities and genetic correlations. To obtain such estimates, complete diallels were made among 10 trees in each of three natural Norway spruce populations from altitude 300 and 500 m in southern Norway. Seedlings from families from the diallels and open pollinations were tested in short-term tests on agricultural soil at one site at altitude 85 m until age 10 years from seed. Tree height at ages 7 and 10 years and diameter at age 10 had strongly significant GCA variance components within each population. The components for SCA and maternal effects were small and not significant, indicating low levels of non-additive genetic variation. For the days of initiation and cessation of the shoot elongation period the GCA components were dominating and had the highest heritability estimates in two of the diallels. Estimates of genetic correlations between traits measured in earlier nursery trials and height and diameter in the short-term trials had low and not consistent values in the three diallels. The duration of the shoot growth period and rate of growth showed positive relationships with height and diameter. Strong relationships were present between half-sib family means from the diallels and open-pollinated families for height, diameter and phenology traits. Progeny trials testing open-pollinated half-sib families from natural populations can be used for selection of candidates for the initial breeding populations.

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The complete diallel cross is the only mating design that provides estimates of variance components of general combining (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), maternal and reciprocal effects, in addition to heritabilities and genetic correlations. To obtain such estimates, complete diallels were made among 10 trees in each of three natural Norway spruce populations from altitude 300 and 500 m in Norway. Nursery trials were performed with the families from these crosses and families from seeds collected from open pollination. Traits measured and analysed are seed weight, germination rate, germination percentage, terminal bud set, and seedling heights the first and second years. The seedlings from the population at origin 500 m had lower seed weight, lower heights and earlier bud set than those from the two populations from lower altitude. A considerable variation was present among families within each diallel, and the GCA variance components had the highest values and were significant for most traits. Variance components for SCA and maternal effects were also significant for some traits, but with inconsistent values in the three diallels. A strong relationship was present between the weight of the seed lots from the maternal parent and mean family height after one and two growing seasons. The highest estimate of heritability was observed for bud set, with similar values in all three diallels.

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Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production. Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress. However, the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive. Therefore, a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e., 0, 6, 12 and 18 Mg ha–1) of straw returned as an interlayer. Compared with no straw interlayer (CK), straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57% in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers, respectively. The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34% in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers, respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration, which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth. Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm), which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile. Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield. Generally, compared with other treatments, the application of 12 Mg ha–1 straw had higher SOC, TN and C:N ratio, and lower soil stratification ratio in the 2015–2017 period. The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years, and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

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Accurate estimation of site productivity is essential for forest projections and scenario modelling. We present and evaluate models to predict site index (SI) and whether a site is productive (potential total stem volume production ≥ 1 m3·ha−1·year−1) in a wall-to-wall high-resolution (16 m × 16 m) SI map for Norway. We investigate whether remotely sensed data improve predictions. We also study the advantages and disadvantages of using boosted regression trees (BRT), a machine-learning algorithm, to create high-accuracy SI maps. We use climatic and topographical data, soil parent material, a land resource map, and depth to water, together with Sentinel-2 satellite images and airborne laser scanning metrics, as predictor variables. We use the SI observed at more than 10 000 National Forest Inventory (NFI) sample plots throughout Norway to fit BRT models and validate the models using 5822 independent temporary plots from the NFI. We benchmark our results against SI estimates from forest monitoring inventories. We find that the SI from BRT has root mean squared error (RMSE) ranging from 2.3 m (hardwoods) to 3.6 m (spruce) when tested against independent validation data from the NFI temporary plots. These RMSEs are similar or marginally better than an evaluation of SI estimates from operational forest management plans where SI normally stems from manual photo interpretation.

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Context Recent studies show that geodiversity—the diversity of Earth's landforms, materials, and processes—has a positive relationship with biodiversity at a landscape scale. However, there is a substantial lack of evidence from finer scales, although this knowledge could improve the understanding of biodiversity patterns. Objectives We investigate whether plot-scale geodiversity and plant species richness (vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens, and total richness) are positively linked in different tundra landscapes. Methods We collected geodiversity (presence of different geofeatures) and plant species richness data from 165 sites in three distinct regions: isolated low-lying mountain heaths, and in sporadic and continuous mountain heaths and tundra. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination to explore the correlations between the composition of geofeatures and species richness, followed by univariate and multivariate generalized linear models (GLM), to assess whether georichness is important for species richness. Results Geofeature composition was linked to species richness in all regions, as indicated by NMDS ordination. Both univariate and multivariate GLM models showed statistically significant relationship between species richness and georichness in all studied species richness groups in continuous Arctic-alpine tundra. Additionally, there was a positive link between georichness and lichen richness in isolated boreal mountain tops. Main conclusions We showed that plot-scale geodiversity has a positive relationship with species richness, yet the effect varies regionally and between species groups. Our study provides strong empirical evidence that geodiversity supports species richness in continuous Arctic-alpine tundra. This information can be used in species richness models but also be applied in biodiversity management and conservation.

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Faced with risky yields and returns, risk-averse farmers require a premium to take risks. In this paper, we estimate individual farmers’ degrees of risk aversion to adjust for the risk premium in returns and to replace the farmers’ realized returns with their certainty equivalent returns in the production function. In that way, the effect of the inputs on returns will automatically be risk-adjusted, i.e., we obtain risk-adjusted marginal effects of inputs, which can be used in decision-making support of farmers’ input choices in production. Using farm-level data from organic basmati rice smallholders in India, we illustrate this method using nonparametric production functions. The results show that the input elasticities and returns-to-scale estimates change when the farmers’ degree of risk aversion is taken into consideration.

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Despite newly approved lucerne cultivars, this has not led to increased use of this legume in high-latitude agriculture. Challenges with inoculation by Rhizobium meliloti have been identified as a bottleneck to adaptation. Here we tested inoculation sources (ISs) with soil types and cultivars in pot and field experiments. During a one-year outdoor pot experiment, we tested the impact of IS (wet peat slurry and Nitragin Gold dry inoculation) and three soil types (sand, sandy silt and /peat soil) on nodule development, shoot and root growth and winter survival of one hybrid lucerne cultivar (‘Ludvig’). The pot experiment revealed that dry inoculation led to significant better plant growth, flower and nodule development as well as plant regrowth after winter survival. Peat soil appeared as the best growth medium and silty soil limited inoculation efficiencies. In field trials at two locations differing in soil characteristics using similar ISs, and three hybrid lucerne cultivars (‘Lavo’, ‘Live’ and ‘Lotte’) biomass yield during two ley years showed site as well as cultivar differences. Such environmental interactions in the field trials justify the use of adapted cultivars, and dry inoculation should be recommended for practical use replacing peat slurry inoculation.

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VKM has evaluated the risk to biodiversity from allowing private import and keeping of the Northern Cardinal as a caged bird in Norway, for birds acquired through the bird trade. VKM has reviewed the invasion ecology of non-native birds in general and of the Northern Cardinal specifically. The assessment includes evaluation of various mechanisms that invasive birds generally have a negative impact through, and includes competition, hybridization, spread of pathogens and interactions with other alien species in Norway. VKM has also evaluated two different scenarios establishment and how climate change can influence both the negative impact and the likelihood of establishment. Overall, VKM finds that there is low risk in regards negative effects on biodiversity in Norway in regard to import and keeping of the Northern Cardinal.

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Elymus repens is a problematic perennial weed in annual crops, grasslands and leys. Rhizome fragmentation by vertical disking can potentially reduce E. repens abundance with minimal tillage, but data are lacking on its efficiency in forage production. In a two-year study (2017–2018, 2018–2019) conducted in two forage grass-clover leys that were mostly weed-free except for large E. repens populations, this study examined effects on forage yield, botanical composition, and E. repens rhizome biomass of rhizome fragmentation at significant growth initiation in spring (early rhizome fragmentation, ERF) and/or when conditions allowed after the first forage cut (late rhizome fragmentation, LRF). Cold, wet springs and hard, dry soil in summer delayed treatment in both treatment years, to late spring (ERF) and late summer/early autumn (LRF). In the treatment year, ERF reduced first-cut forage yield by 44% compared with no rhizome fragmentation, while LRF decreased second- and third-cut yield by 24% and 53%, respectively. In the year after treatment, ERF increased total forage yield by on average 10%, while LRF had no effect. Over both years, combined forage yield was reduced by 11% by ERF and 4% by LRF. Both treatments reduced E. repens rhizome biomass, but inconsistently (ERF by 25% in one year only, LRF by 24% at one of two sites). ERF reduced E. repens incidence in forage by 10% in the treatment year, but had no effect in the following year. Thus, rhizome fragmentation by vertical disking can reduce E. repens abundance in grass-clover leys, but the effect is inconsistent and forage yield can be impaired, especially in swards with much E. repens. Moreover, disking is hampered by hard, dry soil conditions.

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Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses via agricultural drainage water have negative impacts on receiving water bodies and large-scale programmes to reduce nutrient losses have been established in the Nordic and Baltic countries, together with agricultural catchment monitoring programmes. This study evaluated time series (9–40 years) of data from 34 selected Nordic-Baltic catchments for spatial and temporal variations in area-specific water discharge (mm) and in concentrations and transport of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). Water discharge from the catchments varied from 125 mm (Denmark) to > 1000 mm (Norway). Catchments with low TN concentrations (≤3 mg L-1) were dominated by clay or grass leys or were undrained with reduction of nitrate (NO3) in shallow groundwater. Catchments with high TN concentrations (≥10 mg L-1) had loams and cereal crops. TP concentrations were highest (≥0.45 mg L-1) in catchments with erosive soils, relatively high water discharge and cereal crops, and lowest (≤0.07 mg L-1) in catchments with permeable soils. Generalised additive mixed model (GAMM) analysis of time series of transport and flow-weighted concentrations of TN and TP for temporal patterns revealed decreases in TN concentrations in seven catchments and increases in eight, while four had periods with opposing trends. TN concentrations decreased in Denmark and Sweden in 1990–2010, following introduction of mitigation programmes. TP concentrations decreased in eight catchments and increased in six, while one showed opposing trends. Decreases in TP coincided with improved P balance in catchments with sand and loam. To further reduce N and P losses, a tailored set of mitigation measures is needed for each combination of soil, climate, geohydrology and agricultural production. Intensive monitoring of small catchments can reveal how N and P losses relate to natural conditions and to changes in agricultural production.

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A process-based model was developed to predict dry matter yields and amounts of harvested nitrogen in conventionally cropped grassland fields, accounting for within-field variation by a node network design and utilizing remotely sensed information from a drone-borne system for increased accuracy. The model, named NORNE, was kept as simple as possible regarding required input variables, but with sufficient complexity to handle central processes and minimize prediction errors. The inputs comprised weather data, soil information, management data related to fertilization, and a visual estimate of clover proportion in the aboveground biomass. A sensitivity analysis was included to apportioning variation in dry matter yield outputs to variation in model parameter settings. Using default parameter values from the literature, the model was evaluated on data from a two-year study (2016–2017, 264 research plots in total each year) conducted at two locations in Norway (i.e. in South-East and in Central Norway) with contrasting climatic conditions and with internal variation in soil characteristics. The results showed that the model could estimate dry matter yields with a relatively high accuracy without any corrections based on remote sensing, compared with published results from comparable model studies. To further improve the results, the model was calibrated shortly before harvest, using predictions of above ground dry matter biomass obtained from a drone-borne remote sensing system. The only parameters which were hereby adjusted in the NORNE model were the starting values of nitrogen content in soil (first cut) and the plant available water capacity (second cut). The calibration based on the remotely sensed information improved the predictive performance of the model significantly. At first cut, the root mean square error (RMSE) of dry matter yield prediction was reduced by 20% to a mean value of 58 g m−2, corresponding to a relative value (rRMSE) of 0.12. For the second cut, the RMSE decreased by 13% to 66 g m−2 (rRMSE: 0.18). The model was also evaluated in terms of the predictions of amounts of nitrogen in the harvested crop. Here, the calibration reduced the RMSE of the first cut by 38%, obtaining a mean RMSE value of 2.1 g N m−2 (rRMSE: 0.28). For the second cut, the RMSE reduction for simulated harvested N was 16%, corresponding to a mean RMSE value of 2.3 g N m−2 (rRMSE: 0.33). The large improvements in model accuracy for simulated dry matter and nitrogen yields obtained through calibration by utilizing remotely sensed information, indicate the importance of considering spatial variability when applying models under Nordic conditions, both for yield predictions and for decision support for nitrogen application.

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Wetlands are simply areas that are fully or partially saturated with water. Not much attention has been given to wetlands in the past, due to the unawareness of their value to the general public. However, wetlands have numerous hydrological, ecological, and social values. They play an important role in interactions among soil, water, plants, and animals. The rich biodiversity in the vicinity of wetlands makes them invaluable. Therefore, the conservation of wetlands is highly important in today’s world. Many anthropogenic activities damage wetlands. Climate change has adversely impacted wetlands and their biodiversity. The shrinking of wetland areas and reducing wetland water levels can therefore be frequently seen. However, the opposite can be seen during stormy seasons. Since wetlands have permissible water levels, the prediction of wetland water levels is important. Flooding and many other severe environmental damage can happen when these water levels are exceeded. Therefore, the prediction of wetland water level is an important task to identify potential environmental damage. However, the monitoring of water levels in wetlands all over the world has been limited due to many difficulties. A Scopus-based search and a bibliometric analysis showcased the limited research work that has been carried out in the prediction of wetland water level using machine-learning techniques. Therefore, there is a clear need to assess what is available in the literature and then present it in a comprehensive review. Therefore, this review paper focuses on the state of the art of water-level prediction techniques of wetlands using machine-learning techniques. Nonlinear climatic parameters such as precipitation, evaporation, and inflows are some of the main factors deciding water levels; therefore, identifying the relationships between these parameters is complex. Therefore, machine-learning techniques are widely used to present nonlinear relationships and to predict water levels. The state-of-the-art literature summarizes that artificial neural networks (ANNs) are some of the most effective tools in wetland water-level prediction. This review can be effectively used in any future research work on wetland water-level prediction.

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Strawberry is a high-value commercial crop and a model for the economically important Rosaceae family. Strawberry is vulnerable to attack by many pathogens that can affect different parts of the plant, including the shoot, root, flowers, and berries. To restrict pathogen growth, strawberry produce a repertoire of secondary metabolites that have an important role in defense against diseases. Terpenes, allergen-like pathogenesis-related proteins, and flavonoids are three of the most important metabolites involved in strawberry defense. Genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites are induced upon pathogen attack in strawberry, suggesting their transcriptional activation leads to a higher accumulation of the final compounds. The production of secondary metabolites is also influenced by the beneficial microbes associated with the plant and its environmental factors. Given the importance of the secondary metabolite pathways in strawberry defense, we provide a comprehensive overview of their literature and their role in the defense responses of strawberry. We focus on terpenoids, allergens, and flavonoids, and discuss their involvement in the strawberry microbiome in the context of defense responses. We discuss how the biosynthetic genes of these metabolites could be potential targets for gene editing through CRISPR-Cas9 techniques for strawberry crop improvement.

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Nature-based solutions are promising for climate adaptation and environmental management in urban areas, but urban conditions are stressful for vegetation. In particular, the interaction of drought and high temperatures may be detrimental. Guiding plant selection for urban greening with native species requires a far better knowledge of plant adaptations and stress acclimation. We tested the physiological responses of four candidate calcareous grassland species for green roofs and walls to the combined effects of drought and high temperatures under controlled conditions. The tested species proved relatively resistant to stress despite different strategies to protect the photosynthetic apparatus, maintain water balance, and repair damages. Based on the physiological responses, we rank the species in descending order of resistance to the stress factors tested: Trifolium medium > Festuca ovina > Carex flacca > Potentilla reptans, but all four can serve as potential candidates for green walls and roofs. Physiological stress screening of plant species for use on green roofs and walls supplements the habitat template approach to provide a stronger and wider base for prioritizations.

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The resilience of global food security is a critical concern. Facing limited access to land and potential disruption of the food markets, alternative, scalable, and efficient production systems are needed as a complementary buffer for maintenance of food production integrity. The purpose of this study was to introduce an alternative hydroponic potato growing system where potatoes are grown in bare wood fiber as a growing medium. A system utilizing drip irrigation and plastic bags as containers was tested for three different types of wood fiber, two cultivars and two fertigation strategies. Implementation of the system resulted in ~300% higher tuber production when compared to the local conventional farming. Mineral composition of the tubers obtained from hydroponic system was similar to the composition of tubers grown in the field and revealed potential for biofortification. In addition, a fertigation strategy where the two application points were separated across the root zone resulted in tubers with dry matter content comparable to the potatoes grown in soil. The recyclability, reusability, and simplicity of this solution may encourage its application for improving security of food production in selected areas of the world as well as its utilization in urban agriculture.

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Urban green infrastructure is critical for providing a wide range of ecosystem goods and services that benefit the urban population. Past studies have suggested that multifunctionality concerning urban infrastructure services and functions is a prerequisite for targeting effective and impactful urban green infrastructure. Moreover, urban green infrastructure with multiple functions can offer socio-economic and environmental benefits. However, there has been a knowledge gap in the planning literature to elaborate multiple ecosystem functions in urban green infrastructure. In particular, existing methods and approaches are lacking for quantifying and monitoring such ecological services and biodiversity in urban green infrastructures at different spatial scales. Therefore, this research aims to review studies focusing on the multifunctionality concept in urban green infrastructure planning. The study highlights the current status and knowledge gaps through a systematic review. Our analysis revealed that current studies on green infrastructure multifunctionality have focused on five main themes: 1) planning methods for urban green infrastructure, 2) assessment approaches of urban green infrastructure, 3) ecosystem services and their benefits, 4) sustainability and climate adaptation, and 5) urban agriculture. The study found that the five themes are somewhat connected to each other. The study has revealed a knowledge gap regarding incorporating multifunctional green infrastructure in the planning principle. The results suggest at least five critical elements to ensure multiple functions in urban infrastructure. The elements are spatial distribution, optimal distance, integrated network, accessibility, and public participation and engagement. The study further recommends research directions for future analysis on green infrastructure multifunctionality that are critical for urban planning.

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Questions Observations in permanent forest vegetation plots in Norway and elsewhere indicate that complex changes have taken place over the period 1988–2020. These observations are summarised in the “climate-induced understorey change (CIUC)” hypothesis, i.e. that the understorey vegetation of old-growth boreal forests in Norway undergoes significant long-term changes and that these changes are consistent with the ongoing climate change as an important driver. Seven testable predictions were derived from the CIUC hypothesis. Location Norway. Methods Vegetation has been monitored in a total of 458 permanently marked plots, each 1 m2, in nine old-growth forest sites dominated by Picea abies at intervals of 5–8 years over the 32-year study period. For each of the 52 combinations of site and year, we obtained response variables for the abundance of single species, abundance and species density of taxonomic–ecological species groups and two size classes of cryptogams, and site species richness. All of these variables were subjected to linear regression modelling with site and year as predictors. Results Mean annual temperature, growing-season length and the number of days with precipitation were higher in the study period than in the preceding ca. 30-year period, resulting in increasingly favourable conditions for bryophyte growth. Site species richness decreased by 13% over the 32-year study period. On average, group abundance of vascular plants decreased by 24% (decrease in forbs: 38%). Patterns of group abundance change differed among cryptogam groups: although peat-moss abundance increased by 39%, the abundance of mosses, hepatics and lichens decreased by 13%, 49% and 67%, respectively. Group abundance of small cryptogams decreased by 61%, whereas a 13% increase was found for large cryptogams. Of 61 single species tested for abundance change, a significant decrease was found for 43 species, whereas a significant increase was found only for 6 species. Conclusions The major patterns of change in species richness, group species density and group abundance observed over the 32-year study period accord with most predictions from the CIUC hypothesis and are interpreted as direct and indirect responses to climate change, partly mediated through changes in the population dynamics of microtine rodents. The more favourable climate for bryophyte growth explains the observed increase for a few large bryophyte species, whereas the decrease observed for small mosses and hepatics is interpreted as an indirect amensalistic effect, brought about by shading and burial in mats of larger species and accelerated by reduced fine-scale disturbance by microtine rodents. Indirect effects of a thicker moss mat most likely drive the vascular plant decline although long-term effects of tree-stand dynamics and former logging cannot be completely ruled out. Our results suggest that the ongoing climate change has extensive, cascading effects on boreal forest ecosystems. The importance of long time-series of permanent vegetation plots for detecting and understanding the effects of climate change on boreal forests is emphasised.

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The anaerobic digestion of organic materials produces biogas; however, optimizing methane (CH4) content within biogas plants by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the challenges for sustainable biomethane production. CH4 is separated from biogas, which is called biogas upgrading for biomethane production. In this regard, in-situ CO2 capture and utilization could be an alternative approach that can be achieved using conductive particles, where the conductive particles support the direct intraspecific electron transfer (DIET) to promote CH4 production. In this investigation, a carbon nanotube (CNT) was grown over conductive activated carbon (AC). Then an iron (Fe) nanoparticle was anchored (AC/CNT/Fe), which ultimately supported microbes to build the biofilm matrix, thereby enhancing the DIET for CH4 formation. The biogas production and CH4 content increased by 17.57 % and 15.91 %, respectively, when AC/CNT/Fe was utilized. Additionally, 18S rRNA gene sequencing reveals that Methanosarcinaceae and Methanobacteriaceae families were the most dominant microbes in the reactor when conductive particles (AC/CNT/Fe) were applied. The proposed study supports the stable operation of biogas plants to utilize CO2 for CH4 production by using surface-modified material.

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Wild lingonberries are a traditional source of food in the Nordic countries and an important contributor to economic activity of non-wood forest products in the region. Lingonberries are a rich source of bioactive compounds and can be a valuable contributor to a healthy diet. However, there are few studies available on how the bioactive compounds in lingonberries develop as they ripen. In this investigation, we examined the content of 27 phenolic compounds, three sugars, four organic acids, and 71 volatile organic compounds at five ripening stages. The study showed that, while the highest content of phenolic compounds was found early in the development, the organoleptic quality of the fruits improved as they ripened. From the first to the last stage of development, anthocyanins went from being nearly absent to 100 mg/100 g fw, and there was an increased content of sugars from 2.7 to 7.2 g/100 g fw, whereas the content of organic acids decreased from 4.9 to 2.7 g/100 g fw, and there were several changes in the profile of volatiles. The contents of flavonols, cinnamic acid derivatives, flavan-3-ols, and the total concentration of phenolic compounds were significantly lower in the fully ripe berries compared to berries in the early green stage. In addition to the changes occurring due to ripening, there was observed variation in the profile of both phenolic compounds and volatiles, depending on the growth location of the berries. The present data are useful for the assessment of harvest time to obtain the desired quality of lingonberries.

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Terrestrial organisms and ecosystems are being exposed to new and rapidly changing combinations of solar UV radiation and other environmental factors because of ongoing changes in stratospheric ozone and climate. In this Quadrennial Assessment, we examine the interactive effects of changes in stratospheric ozone, UV radiation and climate on terrestrial ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles in the context of the Montreal Protocol. We specifically assess effects on terrestrial organisms, agriculture and food supply, biodiversity, ecosystem services and feedbacks to the climate system. Emphasis is placed on the role of extreme climate events in altering the exposure to UV radiation of organisms and ecosystems and the potential effects on biodiversity. We also address the responses of plants to increased temporal variability in solar UV radiation, the interactive effects of UV radiation and other climate change factors (e.g. drought, temperature) on crops, and the role of UV radiation in driving the breakdown of organic matter from dead plant material (i.e. litter) and biocides (pesticides and herbicides). Our assessment indicates that UV radiation and climate interact in various ways to affect the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, and that by protecting the ozone layer, the Montreal Protocol continues to play a vital role in maintaining healthy, diverse ecosystems on land that sustain life on Earth. Furthermore, the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment are mitigating some of the negative environmental consequences of climate change by limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases and protecting the carbon sequestration potential of vegetation and the terrestrial carbon pool.

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Bacterial canker, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and pv. morsprunorum, is one of the most important diseases of stone fruit trees (Prunus spp.). The pathogen infects buds, flowers, fruitlets, leaves and shoots, from which the disease spreads to the branches, boughs and trunks, causing necrosis and cankers. The efficacy of different chemical and biological products for the control of bacterial canker on stone fruit trees was tested in 2018–2021. The experiments were conducted in sour cherry, plum and sweet cherry orchards in central Poland. Foliar application of the tested preparations was performed three times a season. The biological efficacy of the tested products in the control of bacterial canker was evaluated on sour cherry on the basis of infected leaves and fruits and on plum and sweet cherry on the basis of infected leaves. The highest efficacy was observed for products containing various forms of copper—copper oxide, copper oxychloride and copper hydroxide—as well as fertilizers with copper gluconate and the fungicide Luna Care 71.6 WG (fluopyram and fosetyl-Al). However, the biological preparations were significantly less effective. The conducted studies showed that preparations based on copper gluconate can be a valuable alternative to typical copper fungicides.

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Phytophthora cactorum has two distinct pathotypes that cause crown rot and leather rot in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Strains of the crown rot pathotype can infect both the rhizome (crown) and fruit tissues, while strains of the leather rot pathotype can only infect the fruits of strawberry. The genome of a highly virulent crown rot strain, a low virulent crown rot strain, and three leather rot strains were sequenced using PacBio high fidelity (HiFi) long read sequencing. The reads were de novo assembled to 66.4–67.6 megabases genomes in 178–204 contigs, with N50 values ranging from 892 to 1,036 kilobases. The total number of predicted complete genes in the five P. cactorum genomes ranged from 17,286 to 17,398. Orthology analysis identified a core secretome of 8,238 genes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed differences in the composition of potential virulence effectors, such as putative RxLR and Crinklers, between the crown rot and the leather rot pathotypes. Insertions, deletions, and amino acid substitutions were detected in genes encoding putative elicitors such as beta elicitin and cellulose-binding domain proteins from the leather rot strains compared to the highly virulent crown rot strain, suggesting a potential mechanism for the crown rot strain to escape host recognition during compatible interaction with strawberry. The results presented here highlight several effectors that may facilitate the tissue-specific colonization of P. cactorum in strawberry.

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Introduction: The ascomycete Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, originating from Asia, is currently threatening common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in Europe, massive ascospore production from the saprotrophic phase being a key determinant of its invasiveness. Methods: To consider whether fungal diversity and succession in decomposing leaf litter are affected by this invader, we used ITS-1 metabarcoding to profile changes in fungal community composition during overwintering. The subjected ash leaf petioles, collected from a diseased forest and a healthy ash stand hosting the harmless ash endophyte Hymenoscyphus albidus, were incubated in the forest floor of the diseased stand between October 2017 and June 2018 and harvested at 2–3-month intervals. Results: Total fungal DNA level showed a 3-fold increase during overwintering as estimated by FungiQuant qPCR. Petioles from the healthy site showed pronounced changes during overwintering; ascomycetes of the class Dothideomycetes were predominant after leaf shed, but the basidiomycete genus Mycena (class Agaricomycetes) became predominant by April, whereas H. albidus showed low prevalence. Petioles from the diseased site showed little change during overwintering; H. fraxineus was predominant, while Mycena spp. showed increased read proportion by June. Discussion: The low species richness and evenness in petioles from the diseased site in comparison to petioles from the healthy site were obviously related to tremendous infection pressure of H. fraxineus in diseased forests. Changes in leaf litter quality, owing to accumulation of host defense phenolics in the pathogen challenged leaves, and strong saprophytic competence of H. fraxineus are other factors that probably influence fungal succession. For additional comparison, we examined fungal community structure in petioles collected in the healthy stand in August 2013 and showing H. albidus ascomata. This species was similarly predominant in these petioles as H. fraxineus was in petioles from the diseased site, suggesting that both fungi have similar suppressive effects on fungal richness in petiole/rachis segments they have secured for completion of their life cycle. However, the ability of H. fraxineus to secure the entire leaf nerve system in diseased forests, in opposite to H. albidus, impacts the general diversity and successional trajectory of fungi in decomposing ash petioles.

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Microalgae biotechnology can strengthen circular economy concepts in the wastewater treatment sector. This study investigated the Norwegian microalgae strains of Tetradesmus wisconsinensis, Lobochlamys segnis, and Klebsormidium flaccidum for their efficiency in nutrient removal. Their biomass productivity and compositions were evaluated for bioenergy and bi-products development. In the laboratory batch experiment with synthetic municipal wastewater, all strains accomplished total removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. L. segnis removed all NH4+ and PO43− (initial concentration of 28 and 15 mg/L, respectively) earliest among others. T. wisconsinensis biomass was superior in total carbohydrates content (40%) and fatty acid profile that imply biorefinery potential. The fatty acid (TFA) content was the highest in L. segnis (193 ± 12 mg/g dry cells), while K. flaccidum accumulated fatty acids that consisted largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (82% of TFA). The highest protein level was measured in K. flaccidum (53%). Observed variations in biomass components can be used for a strategic production of targeted compound in resource recovery scenarios for biofuel generation.

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A more plant-based diet will contribute to food sustainability. Achieving this change requires collaboration across disciplines which is not easy to achieve. This article illustrates how interdisciplinary collaboration in a large research project can be facilitated through a design-led innovation process juxtaposing approaches from design and science. Consumer insights were used in creative workshops to ideate and develop packaging and product concepts for plant-based food focusing on ‘environment’, ‘health’ and ‘Norwegian’ design imperatives. Learning loops of alignment – creation – feedback were applied to design and test six packaging prototypes of two product categories (Pea Porridge, Faba Bean Drink). Qualitative feedback was collected from 147 consumers and a quantitative survey with 1102 Norwegian consumers tested product expected liking and product-concept match. Younger consumers and users of plant-based products exhibited a higher expected liking vs. non-users and older respondents. Packaging design adopted for specific consumer segments can positively contribute to a shift to more plant-based diets. We show how a dynamic interdisciplinary innovation approach can be powerful to creating new product ideas, getting consumers’ input and fostering collaboration and learning among disciplines. We offer other researchers and the food industry actionable opportunity areas and design imperatives for their innovation activities around plant-based food.

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The large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) is a major regeneration pest in commercial forestry. Pesticide application has historically been the preferred control method, but pesticides are now being phased out in several countries for environmental reasons. There is, thus, a need for alternative plant protection strategies. We applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA) or oxalic acid (OxA) on the stem of 2-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies) plants to determine effects on inducible defenses and plant growth. Anatomical examination of stem cross-sections 9 weeks after application of 100 mM MeJA revealed massive formation of traumatic resin ducts and greatly reduced sapwood growth. Application of high concentrations of SA or OxA (500 and 200 mM, respectively) induced much weaker physiological responses than 100 mM MeJA. All three treatments reduced plant height growth significantly, but the reduction was larger for MeJA (~55%) than for SA and OxA (34-35%). Lower MeJA concentrations (5-50 mM) induced comparable traumatic resin duct formation as the high MeJA concentration but caused moderate (and non-significant) reductions in plant growth. Two-year-old spruce plants treated with 100 mM MeJA showed reduced mortality after exposure to pine weevils in the field, and this enhanced resistance-effect was statistically significant for three years after treatment.

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This chapter gathers information about the current legal requirements related to the emission of ammonia from animal housing in 24 out of the 27 EU countries and in 7 non-EU countries. Overall, the chapter shows that most of the included countries have established substantial procedures to limit ammonia emission and practically no procedures to limit greenhouse gas emission. The review can also be seen as an introduction to the substantial initiatives and decisions taken by the EU in relation to ammonia emission from animal housing, and as a notification on the absence of corresponding initiatives and decisions in relation to greenhouse gases. An EU directive on industrial emissions from 2010 and an implementation decision from 2017 are the main general instruments to reduce ammonia emission from animal housing in the EU. These treaties put limits to ammonia emissions from installations with more than 2000 places for fattening pigs, with more than 750 places for sows, and with more than 40,000 places for poultry. As an example, the upper general limit for fattening pigs is 2.6 kg ammonia per animal place per year. This chapter indicates that the important animal producing countries in the EU as well as United Kingdom have implemented the EU requirements and that a few countries including the Flemish part of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Spain have introduced even stricter requirements.

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The aim of this chapter is to summarize dietary measures to mitigate methane at animal level. The chapter briefly summarizes methane measurement techniques. The focus is on the mitigation potential studied in vivo, but when such data were not available, in vitro measurements were included. The chapter covers main dietary ingredients such as forage quality, inclusion of concentrate, grazing management and inclusion of primary (e.g. lipids) and secondary (e.g. tannins) plant compounds as well as chemical inhibitors (e.g. 3-NOP) to the diet. This chapter can be used as a guidance on what to use, at which concentrations in the diets levels (farmers) and how to quantify the effect (researchers).

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Blackberries (Rubus spp.) are the fourth most economically important berry crop worldwide. Genome assemblies and annotations have been developed for Rubus species in subgenus Idaeobatus, including black raspberry (R. occidentalis), red raspberry (R. idaeus), and R. chingii, but very few genomic resources exist for blackberries and their relatives in subgenus Rubus. Here we present a chromosomelength assembly and annotation of the diploid blackberry germplasm accession “Hillquist” (R. argutus). “Hillquist” is the only known source of primocane-fruiting (annual-fruiting) in tetraploid fresh-market blackberry breeding programs and is represented in the pedigree of many important cultivars worldwide. The “Hillquist” assembly, generated using Pacific Biosciences long reads scaffolded with high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing, consisted of 298Mb, of which 270Mb (90%) was placed on 7 chromosome-length scaffolds with an average length of 38.6Mb. Approximately 52.8% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. The genome sequence was highly collinear with a novel maternal haplotype-resolved linkage map of the tetraploid blackberry selection A-2551TN and genome assemblies of R. chingii and red raspberry. A total of 38,503 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 72% were functionally annotated. Eighteen flowering gene homologs within a previously mapped locus aligning to an 11.2Mb region on chromosome Ra02 were identified as potential candidate genes for primocane-fruiting. The utility of the “Hillquist” genome has been demonstrated here by the development of the first genotyping-by-sequencing-based linkage map of tetraploid blackberry and the identification of possible candidate genes for primocane-fruiting. This chromosome-length assembly will facilitate future studies in Rubus biology, genetics, and genomics and strengthen applied breeding programs.

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Lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) from two locations, northern (69°N, 18°E) and southern (59°N, 10°E) Norway, were grown under controlled conditions in a phytotron at two temperatures (9 and 15 °C) to study the effects of the ripening temperature and origin on the chemical composition of the berries. The concentrations of phenolic compounds, sugars, and organic acids as well as the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were determined using chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods. Five anthocyanins, eleven flavonols, eight cinnamic acid derivatives, three flavan-3-ols, three sugars, three organic acids, and 77 VOCs were identified, of which 40 VOCs had not previously been reported in lingonberries. Berries from both locations, were found to have higher contents of anthocyanins and cinnamic acid derivatives when ripened at lower temperature (9 °C), compared to the higher temperature (15 °C). Lingonberries of northern origin had a different VOC profile and higher contents of anthocyanins and organic acids than berries originating from the south. Lingonberries from the northern location also had higher proportions of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside than lingonberries from the southern location. The results show that the composition of lingonberries is influenced by both the environment and the origin of the plants, with phenolic compounds mainly influenced by the growth temperature and VOCs mainly influenced by plant origin.

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Bumblebees carry out the complex task of foraging to provide for their colonies. They also conduct pollination, an ecosystem service of high importance to both wild plants and entomophilous crops. Insecticides can alter different aspects of bumblebee foraging behavior, including the motivation to leave the hive, finding the right flowers, handling flowers, and the ability to return to the colony. In the present study, we assessed how the neonicotinoid imidacloprid affects bumblebees' foraging behavior after exposure to four different treatment levels, including field-realistic concentrations (0 [control], 1, 10, and 100 μg/L), through sucrose solution over 9 days. We observed the behavior of several free-flying bumblebees simultaneously foraging on artificial flowers in a flight arena to register the bees' complex behavior postexposure. To conduct a detailed assessment of how insecticides affect bumblebee locomotor behavior, we used video cameras and analyzed the recordings using computer vision. We found that imidacloprid impaired learning and locomotor activity level when the bumblebees foraged on artificial flowers. We also found that imidacloprid exposure reduced sucrose solution intake and storage. By using automated analyses of video recordings of bumblebee behavior, we identified sublethal effects of imidacloprid exposure at field-realistic doses. Specifically, we observed negative impacts on consumption of sucrose solution as well as on learning and locomotor activity level. Our results highlight the need for more multimodal approaches when assessing the sublethal effects of insecticides and plant protection products in general.

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Native livestock breeds are part of the history of the Nordic people and comprise a resource for future food production. In this study, net gain and carcass characteristics of two Danish, three Finnish, one Icelandic, six Norwegian and five Swedish native cattle breeds were retrieved and compared to commercial breeds: two beef breeds and two dairy breeds. Breed data were collected from national databases and sorted into six animal categories: young bull, bull, steer, heifer, young cow and cow, for which means and standard deviations were calculated within each country. The native breeds ranged from small-sized milking type breeds with low net gain, carcass weights and EUROP classification to larger multipurpose breeds with high net gains, carcass weights and EUROP classification. All Finnish and most of the Norwegian and Swedish native breeds had lower net gain and carcass weight than the dairy breeds in the same category and country, but with similar carcass conformation and fatness scores. The two Danish native breeds had higher net gain, carcass weight and conformation class than the reference dairy breed, but lower than the reference beef breeds. The net gain and carcass traits of the Icelandic native breed were similar to the smallest-sized native breeds from the other countries. The carcass traits of the native breeds indicate that they have comparative advantages in an extensive production system based on forage and marginal grasslands. They may also succeed better in the value-added markets than in mainstream beef production.

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The European Union (EU) set clear climate change mitigation targets to reach climate neutrality, accounting for forests and their woody biomass resources. We investigated the consequences of increased harvest demands resulting from EU climate targets. We analysed the impacts on national policy objectives for forest ecosystem services and biodiversity through empirical forest simulation and multi-objective optimization methods. We show that key European timber-producing countries – Finland, Sweden, Germany (Bavaria) – cannot fulfil the increased harvest demands linked to the ambitious 1.5°C target. Potentials for harvest increase only exists in the studied region Norway. However, focusing on EU climate targets conflicts with several national policies and causes adverse effects on multiple ecosystem services and biodiversity. We argue that the role of forests and their timber resources in achieving climate targets and societal decarbonization should not be overstated. Our study provides insight for other European countries challenged by conflicting policies and supports policymakers.

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This article considers the use of convex taxation as an instrument to regulate fisheries, comparing it with linear taxation with regards to economic yields and the risk of resource depletion. Convex taxation is shown to be central in studies with static models but has rarely been explored in the context of dynamic fisheries. Literature shows that a linear tax regime is superior to quantity regulation when the stock estimate is uncertain in terms of economic gains and its ability to prevent resource extinction. Furthermore, when cost uncertainty is involved, a strictly convex tax on landings can prove even more efficient. A numerical example with a single-species demersal fishery having both ecological and economic uncertainty demonstrates the gain in value of moving from a linear to a strictly convex tax.

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European countries have national sectoral polices to regulate and promote the provision of a wide range of forest ecosystems services (FES). However, potential incoherencies among these policies can negatively affect the efficient provision of FES. In this work, we evaluated the coherence among three national policies from Germany and their ability to effectively provide FES in the future: the Forest Strategy 2020 (FS), the National Strategy on Biological Diversity (BDS), and the German National Policy Strategy on Bioeconomy (BES). Using forest inventory data from the Federal State of Bavaria, we simulated a range of forest management options under three climate trajectories for 100 years into the future (2012–2112). Then, with multi-objective optimization, we translated each policy into a specific scenario and identified the best combination of management regimes that maximizes the targets defined in each policy scenario. The three policies were vague in the definition of FES. The FS was the most comprehensive policy aiming for a higher degree of multifunctionality, whereas the BES and BDS focused on less FES. The FS and the BDS showed the highest coherence, while the BES showed a stronger focus on timber production. As a result, the optimal management programs of FS and BDS showed high integration, with a dominance of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF), and certain shares of set asides. Climate change led to an increase of set aside areas due to increased productivity. In the BES, the share of land among management regimes was strongly segregated between CCF and rotation forestry. Our policy coherence analysis showed that achieving a multifunctional provision of FES requires policy coherence, fostering a diverse management of the landscape that mainly takes advantage of integrative management, like CCF, but also segregates important parts of the landscape for intensive use and set asides. Nevertheless, the current high standing volumes in Bavaria will pose an additional risk to implement such management.

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Aim Current global warming is driving changes in biological assemblages by increasing the number of thermophilic species while reducing the number of cold-adapted species, leading to thermophilization of these assemblages. However, there is increasing evidence that thermophilization might not keep pace with global warming, resulting in thermal lags. Here, we quantify the magnitude of thermal lags of plant assemblages in Norway during the last century and assess how their spatio-temporal variation is related to variables associated with temperature-change velocity, topographic heterogeneity, and habitat type. Location Norway. Time period 1905–2007. Major taxa studied Vascular plants. Methods We inferred floristic temperature from 16,351 plant assemblages and calculated the floristic temperature anomaly (difference between floristic temperature and baseline temperature) and thermal lag index (difference between reconstructed floristic temperature and observed climatic temperature) from 1905 until 2007. Using generalized least squares models, we analysed how the variation in observed lags since 1980 is related to temperature-change velocity (measured as magnitude, rate of temperature change, and distance to past analogous thermal conditions), topographic heterogeneity, and habitat type (forest versus non-forest), after accounting for the baseline temperature. Results The floristic temperature anomaly increases overall during the study period. However, thermophilization falls behind temperature change, causing a constantly increasing lag for the same period. The thermal lag index increases most strongly in the period after 1980, when it is best explained by variables related to temperature-change velocity. We also find a higher lag in non-forested areas, while no relationship is detected between the degree of thermal lag and fine-scale topographic heterogeneity. Main conclusions The thermal lag of plant assemblages has increased as global warming outpaces thermophilization responses. The current lag is associated with different dimensions of temperature-change velocity at a broad landscape scale, suggesting specifically that limited migration is an important contributor to the observed lags.

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Climate policies may have adverse geographically unequal socio-economic impacts that, if left unaddressed, may hamper their implementation. This paper examines factors explaining rural-urban perceptions of the effects of climate policy on agriculture and rural areas. The paper adds to current knowledge by jointly analysing socio-economic factors and factors describing the distinct role geographical locations play in shaping these perceptions. We conduct a novel statistical analysis utilising a large preference survey of the Norwegian adult population spatially matched at the municipality level with indexes capturing centrality and the relative importance, and, hence, vulnerability of agriculture to effects of climate change. Our analysis does not identify a principal conflict between the goals of climate policy, rural policy, and agricultural policy across geographical locations. Conflicts along the rural-urban gradient arise around the priority given to the three policy areas, and the concrete impact of climate mitigation measures on rural areas. Centrality more than agricultural properties explains the formation of resistance to policies. The policy process should therefore acknowledge rural concerns, and climate mitigation options should be more carefully designed to avoid further rural-urban polarisation.

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In cold climates, the use of de-icing chemicals in the winter can lead to groundwater contamination, especially when used in large quantities, such as at airports. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, is situated on Norway’s largest rain-fed aquifer. Potassium formate is used to remove ice from runways and propylene glycol from airplanes; the organic parts are degradable. Most of the wells to monitor the spread of de-icing chemicals in the underlying aquifer have well screens near the groundwater level, while the runways and the source of de-icing chemicals are near the groundwater divides, where vertical flow is expected. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the importance of layers and time-varying recharge on the spreading of contaminant plumes in an aquifer near a groundwater divide. This is done with numerical modelling. The model results show increased vertical transport of the added tracer in the presence of horizontal layers, both continuous and discontinuous, in the aquifer. With certain distributions of hydraulic conductivity, Ks, we demonstrate that deeper monitoring wells are required. With the scenarios modelled here, time-varying recharge has a weaker effect on plume distribution. Measured concentrations of potassium and total organic carbon show the cyclic effect of seasonally varying recharge of contaminants, and an asymptotic accumulation of concentration over time, that is consistent with the model runs. In conclusion, groundwater monitoring systems near a groundwater divide should include multi-level samplers to ensure control of the vertical plume movement.

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Increasing levels of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in watercourses in the northern hemisphere are mainly due to reduced acid rain, climate change, and changes in agricultural practices. However, their impacts vary in time and space. To predict how DOM responds to changes in environmental pressures, we need to differentiate between allochthonous and autochthonous sources as well as identify anthropogenic DOM. In this study we distinguish between allochthonous, autochthonous, and anthropogenic sources of DOM in a diverse watercourse network by assessing effects of land cover on water quality and using DOM characterization tools. The main sources of DOM at the studied site are forests discharging allochthonous humic DOM, autochthonous fulvic DOM, and runoff from urban sites and fish farms with high levels of anthropogenic DOM rich in protein‐like material. Specific UV absorbency (sUVa) distinguishes allochthonous DOM from autochthonous and anthropogenic DOM. Anthropogenic DOM differs from autochthonous fulvic DOM by containing elevated levels of protein‐like material. DOM from fishponds is distinguished from autochthonous and sewage DOM by having high sUVa. DOM characteristics are thus valuable tools for deconvoluting the various sources of DOM, enabling water resource managers to identify anthropogenic sources of DOM and predict future trends in DOM

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Environmental assessments are required prior to remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites. To date, regulatory guidelines are commonly based on total concentrations. Occasionally, simple leaching procedures are included in environmental assessment. Despite being essential for quantification of contaminant transport, analysis of hydraulic conductivity is rarely considered. Cost-effective methods that reflect both contaminant leaching and hydrogeological properties of contaminated soils are needed to ensure proper soil management. The aim of this study was to simultaneously evaluate contaminant leaching and hydraulic conductivity in soil using a combined column test (CCT) and compare this to the leaching results from batch tests (BT) and transport estimates derived from the empirical Hazen equation. Two soils of different origin were characterized using the CCT. By including physical and chemical factors affecting the release and retention of contaminants, the CCT provides an integrated assessment of leaching and transport of trace elements from soils. Additionally, the effect of soil compaction was investigated as a physical treatment to reduce leaching and transport in contaminated soils. Soil compaction did not demonstrate reduced leaching, but a less extensive contaminant transport was observed due to reduced hydraulic conductivity in the soil.

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Coffee is an important commodity for Kenya, where production is steadily declining, despite a global rise in demand. Of the various constraints affecting production, plant-parasitic nematodes are a significant, but often overlooked, threat. As a perennial crop, treating plantations once infected with nematodes becomes difficult. The current study evaluated the drenching application of two biocontrol agents, Trichoderma asperellum and Purpureocillium lilacinum, for their nematode control efficacy, as well as their impact on the soil nematode community structure on mature, established coffee trees in Kenya. Seven Arabica coffee field trials were conducted over two years on trees of various ages. All the fields were heavily infested with Meloidogyne hapla, the first report of the species on coffee in Kenya. Both fungal biocontrol agents were detected endophytically infecting roots and recovered from soil but not until six months after initial applications. The population densities of M. hapla had significantly declined in roots of treated trees 12 months after the initial application, although soil nematode density data were similar across treatments. Based upon the maturity index and the Shannon index, treatment with T. asperellum led to improved soil health conditions and enrichment of diversity in the microbial community. Application of P. lilacinum, in particular, led to an increased abundance of fungivorous nematodes, especially Aphelenchus spp., for which P. lilacinum would appear to be a preferred food source. The soils in the trials were all stressed and denuded, however, which likely delayed the impact of such treatments or detection of any differences between treatments using indices, such as the functional metabolic footprint, over the period of study. A longer period of study would therefore likely provide a better indication of treatment benefits. The current study positively demonstrates, however, the potential for using biologically based options for the environmentally and climate-smart management of nematode threats in a sustainable manner on established, mature coffee plantations.

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A major challenge for plants in a rapidly changing climate is to adapt to rising temperatures. Some plants adapt to temperature conditions by generating an epigenetic memory that can be transmitted both meiotically and mitotically. Such epigenetic memories may increase phenotypic variation to global warming and provide time for adaptation to occur through classical genetic selection. The goal of this study was to understand how warmer temperature conditions experienced during sexual and asexual reproduction affect the transcriptomes of different strawberry (Fragaria vesca) ecotypes. We let four European F. vesca ecotypes reproduce at two contrasting temperatures (18 and 28°C), either asexually through stolon formation for several generations, or sexually by seeds (achenes). We then analyzed the transcriptome of unfolding leaves, with emphasis on differential expression of genes belonging to the epigenetic machinery. For asexually reproduced plants we found a general transcriptomic response to temperature conditions but for sexually reproduced plants we found less significant responses. We predicted several splicing isoforms for important genes (e.g. a SOC1, LHY, and SVP homolog), and found significantly more differentially presented splicing event variants following asexual vs. sexual reproduction. This difference could be due to the stochastic character of recombination during meiosis or to differential creation or erasure of epigenetic marks during embryogenesis and seed development. Strikingly, very few differentially expressed genes were shared between ecotypes, perhaps because ecotypes differ greatly both genetically and epigenetically. Genes related to the epigenetic machinery were predominantly upregulated at 28°C during asexual reproduction but downregulated after sexual reproduction, indicating that temperature-induced change affects the epigenetic machinery differently during the two types of reproduction.

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Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to adapt to nutrient-deficient environments, including stimulating lateral root proliferation into local soil patches with high nutrient content in response to heterogeneous nutrient distribution. Despite the widespread occurrence of this phenomenon in soil, the effect of heterogeneous nutrient distribution on the accumulation of secondary compounds in plant biomass and their exudation by roots remains largely unknown. This study aims to fill this critical knowledge gap by investigating how deficiency and unequal distributions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and iron (Fe) affect plant growth and accumulation of the antimalarial drug artemisinin (AN) in leaves and roots of Artemisia annua, as well as AN exudation by roots. Heterogeneous N and P supplies strongly increased root exudation of AN in half of a split-root system exposed to nutrient deficiency. By contrast, exposure to a homogeneous nitrate and phosphate deficiency did not modulate root exudation of AN. This indicates that a combination of local and systemic signals, reflecting low and high nutritional statuses, respectively, were required to enhance AN exudation. This exudation response was independent of the regulation of root hair formation, which was predominantly modulated by the local signal. In contrast to the heterogeneous supply of N and P, heterogeneous Fe supply did not modulate AN root exudation but increased AN accumulation in locally Fe-deficient roots. No modulation of nutrient supply significantly changed the accumulation of AN in A. annua leaves. The impact of a heterogeneous nitrate supply on growth and phytochemical composition was also investigated in Hypericum perforatum plants. Unlike in A. annue, the uneven N supply did not significantly influence the exudation of secondary compounds in the roots of H. perforatum. However, it did enhance the accumulation of several biologically active compounds, such as hypericin, catechin, and rutin isomers, in the leaves of H. perforatum. We propose that the capacity of plants to induce the accumulation and/or differential exudation of secondary compounds under heterogeneous nutrient supply is both species- and compound-specific. The ability to differentially exude AN may contribute to A. annua’s adaptation to nutrient disturbances and modulate allelopathic and symbiotic interactions in the rhizosphere.

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Introduction: Conventional rice production techniques are less economical and more vulnerable to sustainable utilization of farm resources as well as significantly contributed GHGs to atmosphere. Methods: In order to assess the best rice production system for coastal areas, six rice production techniques were evaluated, including SRI-AWD (system of rice intensification with alternate wetting and drying (AWD)), DSR-CF (direct seeded rice with continuous flooding (CF)), DSR-AWD (direct seeded rice with AWD), TPR-CF (transplanted rice with CF), TPR-AWD (transplanted rice with AWD), and FPR-CF (farmer practice with CF). The performance of these technologies was assessed using indicators such as rice productivity, energy balance, GWP (global warming potential), soil health indicators, and profitability. Finally, using these indicators, a climate smartness index (CSI) was calculated. Results and discussion: Rice grown with SRI-AWD method had 54.8 % higher CSI over FPR-CF, and also give 24.5 to 28.3% higher CSI for DSR and TPR as well. There evaluations based on the climate smartness index can provide cleaner and more sustainable rice production and can be used as guiding principle for policy makers.

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Plants provide not only food and feed, but also herbal medicines and various raw materials for industry. Moreover, plants can be green factories producing high value bioproducts such as biopharmaceuticals and vaccines. Advantages of plant-based production platforms include easy scale-up, cost effectiveness, and high safety as plants are not hosts for human and animal pathogens. Plant cells perform many post-translational modifications that are present in humans and animals and can be essential for biological activity of produced recombinant proteins. Stimulated by progress in plant transformation technologies, substantial efforts have been made in both the public and the private sectors to develop plant-based vaccine production platforms. Recent promising examples include plant-made vaccines against COVID-19 and Ebola. The COVIFENZ® COVID-19 vaccine produced in Nicotiana benthamiana has been approved in Canada, and several plant-made influenza vaccines have undergone clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the status of vaccine production in plants and the state of the art in downstream processing according to good manufacturing practice (GMP). We discuss different production approaches, including stable transgenic plants and transient expression technologies, and review selected applications in the area of human and veterinary vaccines. We also highlight specific challenges associated with viral vaccine production for different target organisms, including lower vertebrates (e.g., farmed fish), and discuss future perspectives for the field.

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The Norwegian Scientific Committee for food an Environment (VKM) has assessed an application for authorisation of refined oilseed rape oil (Aquaterra®) derived from genetically modified oilseed rape line NS-B50027-4 for exclusive use as an ingredient in fish feed in Norway. NS-B50027-4 is also named DHA-canola. This report uses the term oilseed rape. NS-B50027-4 produces omega-3 long-chain (≥C20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 LC-PUFAs) in its seeds, with a high level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and a small amount of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Aquaterra® also contains a significant level of alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Whereas ALA can be derived from plants, the primary producers of EPA and DHA are mainly marine microalgae. EPA and DHA are concentrated in the food chain to fish in the oceans and are often referred to as marine omega-3 fatty acids. NS-B50027-4 was developed as an alternative land-based source of marine fatty acids, mainly DHA. NS-B50027-4 was genetically modified to express seven transgenes derived from yeasts and marine microalgae that encode the enzymes necessary for the biosynthesis of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, an eighth gene, pat, was inserted as a marker for selection purposes during development. The pat gene encodes the enzyme phosphinothricin N-acetyltransferase (PAT) conferring tolerance to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides. Equally to conventional refined oilseed rape oils any residues levels of proteins, including the introduced enzymes, will be negligible in the Aquaterra® oil. The risk assessment of Aquaterra® was conducted in accordance with the guidance for risk assessment of derived food and feed from genetically modified plants as described by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2011a). The risk assessment is based primarily on scientific documentation provided in the application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-160, which seeks approval for NS-B50027-4 for all applicable food and feed uses in the European Union (EU). VKM concludes that the provided scientific documentation fulfills the criteria of the EFSA guidance and is adequate for risk assessment. VKM concludes that the molecular characterisation, comparative, nutritional, toxicological and allergenicity assessments of NS-B50027-4 do not indicate increased risks to animal or human health compared to its conventional counterpart (comparator) or commercial reference varieties. Based on this together with specific analyses of the seed oil fraction and studies, e.g., in fish, VKM therefore concludes that the refined oil Aquaterra®, is equal to conventional oils from oilseed rape except for the altered composition in fatty acids. VKM concludes there is no increased health risk to fish fed Aquaterra® in feed compared to conventional feeds with oils from other sources, nor is there an indication of increased risk to the environment. Since Aquaterra® is equal to conventional oils from oilseed rape except for the marine omega-3 fatty acids already present in fish feeds, VKM concludes there is no greater need for health or environmental monitoring of feeds containing Aquaterra® than conventional feeds.

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Non-native pests, climate change, and their interactions are likely to alter relationships between trees and tree-associated organisms with consequences for forest health. To understand and predict such changes, factors structuring tree-associated communities need to be determined. Here, we analysed the data consisting of records of insects and fungi collected from dormant twigs from 155 tree species at 51 botanical gardens or arboreta in 32 countries. Generalized dissimilarity models revealed similar relative importance of studied climatic, host-related and geographic factors on differences in tree-associated communities. Mean annual temperature, phylogenetic distance between hosts and geographic distance between locations were the major drivers of dissimilarities. The increasing importance of high temperatures on differences in studied communities indicate that climate change could affect tree-associated organisms directly and indirectly through host range shifts. Insect and fungal communities were more similar between closely related vs. distant hosts suggesting that host range shifts may facilitate the emergence of new pests. Moreover, dissimilarities among tree-associated communities increased with geographic distance indicating that human-mediated transport may serve as a pathway of the introductions of new pests. The results of this study highlight the need to limit the establishment of tree pests and increase the resilience of forest ecosystems to changes in climate.

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The antiparasitic potential of plants could offer a vital solution to alleviating the costs of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in ruminant production globally. Leveraging known bioactive molecules, however, is complex, where plant species, extraction processes and seasonality impact bioavailability and efficacy. This study assessed the impact of a comprehensive set of factors on the antiparasitic activity of Norwegian conifers to identify bark compounds specific against GIN. Antiparasitic activity was determined using in vitro assays targeting morphologically distinct life stages of ovine GIN: the egg hatch assay and larval motility assay. In depth characterisation of the chemical composition of the bark extracts was carried out using chromatographic separation, UV-absorbance, and molecular mass profiles to identify compounds implicated in the activity. Three key findings emerged: (1) the activity of bark extracts varied markedly from 0 to 100% antiparasitic efficacy, owing to tree species, extraction solvent and seasonality; (2) the GIN exhibited species-and stage-specific susceptibility to the bark extracts; (3) the presence of condensed tannins, amongst other compounds, was associated with anthelmintic activity. These findings add new insights into urgently needed alternative parasite control strategies in livestock.

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Taper models, which describe the shape of tree stems, are central to estimating stem volume. Literature provides both taper- and volume models for the three main species in Norway, Norway spruce, Scots pine, and birch. These models, however, were mainly developed using approaches established over 50 years ago, and without consistency between taper and volume. We tested eleven equations for taper and six equations for bark thickness. The models were fitted and evaluated using a large dataset covering all forested regions in Norway. The selected models were converted into volume functions using numerical integration, providing both with- and without-bark volumes and compared to the volume functions in operational use. Taper models resulted in root mean squared error (RMSE) of 7.2, 7.9, and 9.0 mm for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Bark thickness models resulted in RMSE of 2.5, 6.1, and 4.1 mm, for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Validation of volume models with bark resulted in RMSE of 12.7%, 13.0%, and 19.7% for spruce, pine, and birch respectively. Additional variables, tree age, site index, elevation, and live crown proportion, were tested without resulting in any strong increase in predictive power.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the accuracy of predictions of dominant height, mean height, basal area, and volume from the nationwide forest attribute map (SR16). The analysis took advantage of field observations from 33 different forest inventory projects across Norway used for validation. Forest attributes for more than 5000 plots were predicted using non-stratified and stratified models of SR16 and the predictions were compared against corresponding ground reference values. Finally, the effect of different factors that might have influenced the prediction errors were analyzed using partial least squared regression (PLSR) to determine under which conditions the SR16 is less apt. The overall results across all plots were adequate (RMSE of 10%, MD of 2% for dominant and mean height; RMSE of 28%, MD of 4% for basal area; RMSE of 31%, MD of 5% for volume). However, when the accuracy was assessed locally for each inventory project, large differences in accuracy were observed. The MD% values for some inventory projects were substantial (>30% for basal area and volume). The results showed that stratification did not necessarily improve the results and that factors related to the forest structure had the greatest impact on the PLSR analysis.

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Landscape ecology is repeatedly described as an applied science that can help reduce the negative effects of land-use and land-use changes on biodiversity. However, the extent to which landscape ecology is in fact contributing to planning and design processes is questioned. The aim of this paper is to investigate if and how landscape ecology can be integrated in a planning and design process, and to uncover possible problems that, e.g., landscape architects and planners, may face in such processes. Our conclusion, based on a case study from Asker municipality, Norway, is that such a landscape ecological approach has a lot to offer. However, it is difficult to exploit the potential fully for different reasons, e.g., biodiversity information tends to be specialized, and not easily used by planners and designers, and landscape ecological principles need an adaptation process to be applicable in a real-world situation. We conclude that for the situation to improve, landscape ecologists need to ease this process. In addition, we recommend collaboration across disciplinary boundaries, preferably with a common design concept as a foundation.

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Whether and how to synchronously regulate stream water nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and ratios is a major challenge for sustainable aquatic functions. Soil carbon (C):N:P ratios influence soil N and P stocks and biogeochemical processes that elicit subsequent substantial impacts on stream water N and P concentrations and ratios. Therefore, bridging soil and stream water with ecological stoichiometry is one of the most promising technologies for improving stream water quality. Here, we quantified the ecological stoichiometry of soil and stream water relationships across nine catchments. Soil C:P ratio was the main driver of water quality, showing negative correlations with stream water N and P concentrations, and positive correlations with the N:P ratio in P-limited catchments. We revealed that soil C:P ratios higher than 97.8 mol mol−1 are required to achieve the simultaneous regulation of stream water N and P concentrations below the eutrophication threshold and make algal growth P-limited. Furthermore, we found that the relationships between catchment landscape and soil ecological stoichiometry likely provided practical options for regulating soil ecological stoichiometry. Our work highlights that soil ecological stoichiometry can effectively indicate the amount and proportion of soil N and P losses, and can be intervened through rational landscape planning to achieve sustainable aquatic ecosystems in catchments.

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Future development of bioeconomy is expected to change land use in the Nordic countries in agriculture and forestry. The changes are likely to affect water quality due to changes in nutrient run-off. To explore possible future land-use changes and their environmental impact, stakeholders and experts from four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) were consulted. The methodological framework for the consultation was to identify a set of relevant land-use attributes for agriculture and forestry, e.g. tillage conservation effort, fertiliser use, animal husbandry, biogas production from manure, forestry management options, and implementation of mitigation measures, including protection of sensitive areas. The stakeholders and experts provided their opinions on how these attributes might change in terms of their environmental impacts on water quality given five Nordic bioeconomic scenarios (sustainability, business as usual, self-sufficiency, cities first and maximizing economic growth). A compilation methodology was developed to allow comparing and merging the stakeholder and expert opinions for each attribute and scenario. The compiled opinions for agriculture and forestry suggest that the business-as-usual scenario may slightly decrease the current environmental impact for most attributes due to new technologies, but that the sustainability scenario would be the only option to achieve a clear environmental improvement. In contrast, for the self-sufficiency scenario, as well as the maximum growth scenario, a deterioration of the environment and water quality was expected for most of the attributes. The results from the stakeholder consultations are used as inputs to models for estimating the impact of the land-use attributes and scenarios on nutrient run-off from catchments in the Nordic countries (as reported in other papers in this special issue). Furthermore, these results will facilitate policy level discussions concerning how to facilitate the shift to bioeconomy with increasing biomass exploitation without deteriorating water quality and ecological status in Nordic rivers and lakes.

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This paper synthesizes a five-year project (BIOWATER) that assessed the effects of a developing bioeconomy on Nordic freshwaters. We used a catchment perspective and combined several approaches: comparative analyses of long-term data sets from well-monitored catchments (agricultural, with forestry, and near pristine) across Fennoscandia, catchment biogeochemical modelling and ecosystem services assessment for integration. Various mitigation measures were also studied. Benchmark Shared Socio-economic Pathways were downscaled and articulated in dialogue with national stakeholder representatives leading to five Nordic Bioeconomy Pathways (NBPs) describing plausible but different trajectories of societal development towards 2050.These were then used for catchment modelling and ecosystem service assessment. Key findings from the work synthesized here are: (a) The monitoring results from 69 catchments demonstrate that agricultural lands exported an order of magnitude more nutrients than natural catchments (medians 44 vs 4 kg P km−2 y-1 and 1450 vs 139 kg N km−2 y-1) whilst forests were intermediate (7 kg P km−2 y-1 and 200 kg N km−2 y-1). (b) Our contrasting scenarios led to substantial differences in land use patterns, which affected river flow as well as nutrient loads in two of the four modelled catchments (Danish Odense Å and Norwegian Skuterud), but not in two others (Swedish catchment C6 and Finnish Simojoki). (c) Strongly contrasting scenarios (NBP1 maximizing resource circularity versus NBP5 maximizing short-term profit) were found to lead to similar monetary estimates of total societal benefits, though for different underlying reasons – a pattern similar across the six studied Nordic catchments. (d) The ecological status of small to medium sized rivers in agricultural landscapes benefitted greatly from an increase in riparian forest cover from 10 % to 60 %. Riparian buffer strips, constructed wetlands, rewetting of ditched peatlands, and similar nature-based solutions optimize natural biogeochemical processes and thus can help in mitigating negative impacts of intensified biomass removal on water quality.

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Climate change in combination with land use alterations may lead to significant changes in soil erosion and sediment fluxes in streams. Optical turbidity sensors can monitor with high frequency and can be used as a proxy for suspended sediment concentration (SSC) provided there is an acceptable calibration curve for turbidity measured by sensors and SSC from water samples. This study used such calibration data from 31 streams in 11 different research projects or monitoring programmes in six Northern European countries. The aim was to find patterns in the turbidity-SSC correlations based on stream characteristics such as mean and maximum turbidity and SSC, catchment area, land use, hydrology, soil type, topography, and the number and representativeness of the data that are used for the calibration. There were large variations, but the best correlations between turbidity and SSC were found in streams with a mean and maximum SSC of >30–200 mg/l, and a mean and maximum turbidity above 60–200 NTU/FNU, respectively. Streams draining agricultural areas with fine-grained soils had better correlations than forested streams draining more coarse-grained soils. However, the study also revealed considerable differences in methodological approaches, including analytical methods to determine SSC, water sampling strategies, quality control procedures, and the use of sensors based on different measuring principles. Relatively few national monitoring programmes in the six countries involved in the study included optical turbidity sensors, which may partly explain this lack of methodological harmonisation. Given the risk of future changes in soil erosion and sediment fluxes, increased harmonisation is highly recommended, so that turbidity data from optical sensors can be better evaluated and intercalibrated across streams in comparable geographical regions.

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The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has taught the world a costly lesson about the devastating consequences of viral disease outbreaks but also, the remarkable impact of vaccination in limiting life and economic losses. Vaccination against human Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), a major human pathogen affecting 290 million people worldwide, remains a key action towards viral hepatitis elimination by 2030. To meet this goal, the development of improved HBV antigens is critical to overcome non-responsiveness to standard vaccines based on the yeast-produced, small (S) envelope protein. We have recently shown that combining relevant immunogenic determinants of S and large (L) HBV proteins in chimeric antigens markedly enhances the anti-HBV immune response. However, the demand for cost-efficient, high-quality antigens remains challenging. This issue could be addressed by using plants as versatile and rapidly scalable protein production platforms. Moreover, the recent generation of plants lacking β-1,2-xylosyltransferase and α-1,3-fucosyltransferase activities (FX-KO), by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, enables production of proteins with “humanized” N-glycosylation. In this study, we investigated the impact of plant N-glycosylation on the immunogenic properties of a chimeric HBV S/L vaccine candidate produced in wild-type and FX-KO Nicotiana benthamiana. Prevention of β-1,2-xylose and α-1,3-fucose attachment to the HBV antigen significantly increased the immune response in mice, as compared with the wild-type plant-produced counterpart. Notably, the antibodies triggered by the FX-KO-made antigen neutralized more efficiently both wild-type HBV and a clinically relevant vaccine escape mutant. Our study validates in premiere the glyco-engineered Nicotiana benthamiana as a substantially improved host for plant production of glycoprotein vaccines.

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In northern Norway, an increasing population of Greylag Geese (Anser anser) forages considerably on dairy grassland and can eat up to 60% of the grass (dry matter mass) on a field if allowed to eat undisturbed throughout the growing season. In this study, the seasonal foraging behavior of Greylag Geese on diary grassland was continuously monitored with game cameras from late April to the end of August to be able to pinpoint effective preventive measures to manage, control, and prevent this crop damage. Limited, but regular, lethal scaring was conducted on some fields to reveal the preventive effect of this measure. Foraging from Greylag Geese in a rangeland area was also monitored, and a complete dataset of seasonal foraging behavior of this species is presented here. Greylag Geese foraging on the fields reaches a top between 04:00 and 08:00 h am, all season. Energy and digestibility of the field grass (timothy) did not reveal any correlation with grazing patterns. Greylag Geese do not visit the fields during molting; however, they may visit fields with their chicks to forage. Lethal scaring completely removes visits from Greylag Geese on the fields where this is conducted, while foraging continues if geese are given undisturbed access. In the rangeland area foraging seems to be even and continuous throughout the season, but significantly lower. In the end of June and late July/early August, there is a peak in visits and number of geese per visit on the fields. Preventive and effective measures against crop damage from Greylag Geese must therefore at least be initiated during late June and early August, and between 04:00 and 08:00 am.

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Supplemental feeding of cervids during winter is a widespread management practice, but feeding may increase the risk of disease transmission. Therefore, legal regulations to limit supplemental feeding are often implemented when dealing with severe infectious diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. However, it is currently unclear whether these regulations result in decreased spatial clustering and aggregation as intended. Supplemental feeding is expected to restrict the movement of cervids. Therefore, a ban on feeding may also result in wider space use and a risk of geographic spread of disease. The space use of 63 GPS-marked red deer (Cervus elaphus) was investigated before (n = 34) and after (n = 29) the implementation of a legal regulation aimed at limiting the supplemental feeding of cervids during winter in a CWD-affected region of Nordfjella, Norway. Snow depth was the main determinant of the space use for red deer. A moderate reduction in the number of GPS positions in spatial clusters was evident during periods of deep snow once the ban was in place. Sizes of core areas (Kernel 50%), home ranges (Kernel 95%), and dispersion (MCP 100%, number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) declined from January to March and with increasing snow depth. Dispersion (number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) did not depend on snow depth after the ban, and red deer used larger areas when snow depth was high after the ban compared to before. The ban on supplementary feeding had no effect on size of core areas or home ranges. Several potential factors can explain the overall weak effect of the ban on space use, including the use of agricultural fields by red deer, other anthropogenic feeding, and landscape topography. This study highlights that snow depth is the main factor determining space use during winter, and it remains to be determined whether the moderate reduction in spatial clustering during deep snow after the ban was sufficient to lower the risk of disease transmission.

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Background Though many abiotic factors are constantly changing, the photoperiod is a predictable factor that enables plants to time many physiological responses. This timing is regulated by the circadian clock, yet little is known about how the clock adapts to the differences in photoperiod between mid-latitudes and high latitudes. The primary objective of this study was to compare how clock gene expression is modified in four woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) accessions originating from two different populations in Italy (IT1: Tenno, Italy, 45°N, IT4: Salorno, Italy, 46°N) and two in Northern Norway (NOR2: Alta, Norway, 69°N, NOR13: Indre Nordnes, Norway 69°N) when grown under simulated daylength conditions of an Arctic or mid-latitude photoperiod. The second objective was to investigate whether population origin or the difference in photoperiod influenced phytohormone accumulation. Results The Arctic photoperiod induced lower expression in IT4 and NOR13 for six clock genes (FvLHY, FvRVE8, FvPRR9, FvPRR7, FvPRR5, and FvLUX), in IT1 for three genes (FvLHY, FvPRR9, and FvPRR5) and in NOR2 for one gene (FvPRR9). Free-running rhythms for FvLHY in IT1 and IT4 were higher after the Arctic photoperiod, while the free-running rhythm for FvLUX in IT4 was higher after the mid-latitude photoperiod. IT1 showed significantly higher expression of FvLHY and FvPRR9 than all other accessions, as well as significantly higher expression of the circadian regulated phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA), but low levels of salicylic acid (SA). NOR13 had significantly higher expression of FvRVE8, FvTOC1, and FvLUX than all other accessions. NOR2 had extremely low levels of auxin (IAA) and high levels of the jasmonate catabolite, hydroxyjasmonic acid (OH-JA). Conclusions Our study shows that circadian rhythms in Fragaria vesca are driven by both the experienced photoperiod and genetic factors, while phytohormone levels are primarily determined by specific accessions’ genetic factors rather than the experienced photoperiod. Keywords Arctic, Mid-latitude, Photoperiod, Daylength, Circadian clock, Phytohormones, Circadian rhythm, Fragaria vesca, Plant adaptation

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Botrytis blight is an important disease of wild blueberry [(Vaccinium angustifolium (Va) and V. myrtilloides (Vm))] with variable symptoms in the field due to differences in susceptibility among blueberry phenotypes. Representative blueberry plants of varying phenotypes were inoculated with spores of B. cinerea. The relative expression of pathogenesis-related genes (PR3, PR4), flavonoid biosynthesis genes, and estimation of the concentration of ten phenolic compounds between uninoculated and inoculated samples at different time points were analyzed. Representative plants of six phenotypes (brown stem Va, green stem Va, Va f. nigrum, tall, medium, and short stems of Vm) were collected and studied using qRT-PCR. The expression of targeted genes indicated a response of inoculated plants to B. cinerea at either 12, 24, 48 or 96 h post inoculation (hpi). The maximum expression of PR3 occurred at 24 hpi in all the phenotypes except Va f. nigrum and tall stem Vm. Maximum expression of both PR genes occurred at 12 hpi in Va f. nigrum. Chalcone synthase, flavonol synthase and anthocyanin synthase were suppressed at 12 hpi followed by an upregulation at 24 hpi. The expression of flavonoid pathway genes was phenotype-specific with their regulation patterns showing temporal differences among the phenotypes. Phenolic compound accumulation was temporally regulated at different post-inoculation time points. M-coumaric acid and kaempferol-3-glucoside are the compounds that were increased with B. cinerea inoculation. Results from this study suggest that the expression of PR and flavonoid genes, and the accumulation of phenolic compounds associated with B. cinerea infection could be phenotype specific. This study may provide a starting point for understanding and determining the mechanisms governing the wild blueberry-B. cinerea pathosystem.

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Why should the producers be subsidized? What are the contributions and channels of subsidies in total factor productivity (TFP) and profitability changes? We address these in a novel way by decomposing TFP and profitability changes into technical change, scale economies, subsidies, input and output misallocations, and inefficiency. A battery of models is deployed to answer these questions, instead of using a single model as done in past studies. First, we use both parametric and nonparametric approaches and estimate them treating subsidies as either exogenous or endogenous. Second, we reexamine both approaches with and without inefficiency. Third, we check the robustness of results across different models using a panel of Norwegian farms. The empirical results show an overall increase of 2.3% per annum in profitability in which the subsidy, scale, and inefficiency components contributed, on average, positively. It is important to note that the magnitude of these components varies across models.

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The effect of steam thermotherapy on Botrytis spp. populations in strawberry transplants was evaluated. Tray plants rooted in 0.2 L peat plugs of seasonal flowering cvs. Falco, Sonsation, and Soprano, and everbearing cvs. Favori and Murano were pre-treated with steam at 37 °C for 1 h, followed by 1 h at ambient temperature and air humidity, and then 2 or 4 h steam treatment at 44 °C. Except for one cultivar with a slight reduction in yield, there were no negative effects on plant performance. Compared to untreated transplants, mean incidence of Botrytis on the five cultivars was reduced by 43 and 86% with the 2 and 4 h treatments, respectively. Within cultivars the reduction was significant in 2 and 3 experiments following the 2 and 4 h treatments, respectively. Sclerotia from four different isolates of Botrytis were subjected to treatment including 4 h of steam thermotherapy and subsequently tested for viability. Following 14 days of incubation, 90 to 100% (mean 97%) of treated sclerotia failed to produce mycelial growth compared with untreated sclerotia, which all germinated and produced mycelia. Botrytis isolates recovered from both treated and untreated strawberry transplants were tested for resistance to seven fungicides, including boscalid, fenhexamid, fludioxonil, fluopyram, pyraclostrobin, pyrimethanil and thiophanate-methyl. Multiple fungicide resistance was common; 35.5% of isolates were resistant to fungicides from at least three FRAC groups. Results indicate that steam thermotherapy treatment strongly reduces populations of Botrytis spp., including fungicide-resistant strains, in strawberry transplants with negligible negative impacts on the transplants.

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Wood decomposing fungi differ in their substrate affinities, but to what extent factors like wood properties influence host specialization, compared to climate, is largely unknown. In this study, we analysed British field observations of 61 common wood decay species associated with 41 tree and shrub genera. While white rot fungi ranged from low-to high-substrate affinity, brown rot fungi were exclusively mid-to high-affinity. White rot fungi associated with dead fallen wood demonstrated the least substrate affinity. The composition of wood decomposer fungi was mostly structured by substrate properties, sorted between angiosperms and conifers. Any relationships with temporal and regional climate variability were of far less significance, but did predict community-based and substrate-usage host shifts, especially for fungi on fallen deadwood. Our results demonstrate that substrate shifts by wood-decay fungi will depend primarily upon their degree of affinity to, and the distribution of, related woody genera, followed less at regional levels by climate impacts.

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Temperature conditions experienced during embryogenesis and seed development may induce epigenetic changes that increase phenotypic variation in plants. Here we investigate if embryogenesis and seed development at two different temperatures (28 vs. 18°C) result in lasting phenotypic effects and DNA methylation changes in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca). Using five European ecotypes from Spain (ES12), Iceland (ICE2), Italy (IT4), and Norway (NOR2 and NOR29), we found statistically significant differences between plants from seeds produced at 18 or 28°C in three of four phenotypic features investigated under common garden conditions. This indicates the establishment of a temperature-induced epigenetic memory-like response during embryogenesis and seed development. The memory effect was significant in two ecotypes: in NOR2 flowering time, number of growth points and petiole length were affected, and in ES12 number of growth points was affected. This indicates that genetic differences between ecotypes in their epigenetic machinery, or other allelic differences, impact this type of plasticity. We observed statistically significant differences between ecotypes in DNA methylation marks in repetitive elements, pseudogenes, and genic elements. Leaf transcriptomes were also affected by embryonic temperature in an ecotype-specific manner. Although we observed significant and lasting phenotypic change in at least some ecotypes, there was considerable variation in DNA methylation between individual plants within each temperature treatment. This within-treatment variability in DNA methylation marks in F. vesca progeny may partly be a result of allelic redistribution from recombination during meiosis and subsequent epigenetic reprogramming during embryogenesis.

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Arctic ecosystems are increasingly exposed to extreme climatic events throughout the year, which can affect species performance. Cryptogams (bryophytes and lichens) provide important ecosystem services in polar ecosystems but may be physiologically affected or killed by extreme events. Through field and laboratory manipulations, we compared physiological responses of seven dominant sub-Arctic cryptogams (three bryophytes, four lichens) to single events and factorial combinations of mid-winter heatwave (6°C for 7 days), re-freezing, snow removal and summer nitrogen addition. We aimed to identify which mosses and lichens are vulnerable to these abiotic extremes and if combinations would exacerbate physiological responses. Combinations of extremes resulted in stronger species responses but included idiosyncratic species-specific responses. Species that remained dormant during winter (March), irrespective of extremes, showed little physiological response during summer (August). However, winter physiological activity, and response to winter extremes, was not consistently associated with summer physiological impacts. Winter extremes affect cryptogam physiology, but summer responses appear mild, and lichens affect the photobiont more than the mycobiont. Accounting for Arctic cryptogam response to multiple climatic extremes in ecosystem functioning and modelling will require a better understanding of their winter eco-physiology and repair capabilities.

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Questions Field-based ecosystem mapping is prone to observer bias, typically resulting in a mismatch between maps made by different mappers, that is, inconsistency. Experimental studies testing the influence of site, mapping scale, and differences in experience level on inconsistency in field-based ecosystem mapping are lacking. Here, we study how inconsistencies in field-based ecosystem maps depend on these factors. Location Iškoras and Guollemuorsuolu, northeastern Norway, and Landsvik and Lygra, western Norway. Methods In a balanced experiment, four sites were field-mapped wall-to-wall to scales 1:5000 and 1:20,000 by 12 mappers, representing three experience levels. Thematic inconsistency was calculated by overlay analysis of map pairs from the same site, mapped to the same scale. We tested for significant differences between sites, scales, and experience-level groups. Principal components analysis was used in an analysis of additional map inconsistencies and their relationships with site, scale and differences in experience level and time consumption were analysed with redundancy analysis. Results On average, thematic inconsistency was 51%. The most important predictor for thematic inconsistency, and for all map inconsistencies, was site. Scale and its interaction with site predicted map inconsistencies, but only the latter were important for thematic inconsistency. The only experience-level group that differed significantly from the mean thematic inconsistency was that of the most experienced mappers, with nine percentage points. Experience had no significant effect on map inconsistency as a whole. Conclusion Thematic inconsistency was high for all but the dominant thematic units, with potentially adverse consequences for mapping ecosystems that are fragmented or have low coverage. Interactions between site and mapping system properties are considered the main reasons why no relationships between scale and thematic inconsistency were observed. More controlled experiments are needed to quantify the effect of other factors on inconsistency in field-based mapping.

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Key words: apiculture, biological control, Norwegian Environment Agency, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, predatory mites, risk assessment, varroa Introduction The Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA) have asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment for an assessment of adverse impacts on biodiversity concerning import and release of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus as measure against varroa mites (Varroa destructor) in apiaries. The predatory mite is already in use in Norwegian greenhouses and polytunnels as a biological control agent against dark-winged fungus gnats in a various of plant cultures. The NEA has received an application for a new type of use: to combat varroa mites in apiaries. Background Varroa destructor (the varroa mite) is a species of parasitic mite that feeds externally on honeybees; it is considered one of the major threats to beekeeping world-wide due to its parasitic behaviour and because it acts as a vector for several viral and bacterial bee pathogens. Beekeepers in North America have begun experimenting with introducing Stratiolaelaps scimitus, a commercially available predaceous mite originally used for biocontrol in greenhouses and polytunnels, to control varroa mites, and several studies on the use of the mite in this context have been published recently. The Norwegian Environment Agency has asked VKM to assess the risk to biological diversity in Norway associated with this new use of S. scimitus, and to assess the effects of climate change on any risks that are proposed. Stratiolaelaps scimitus is a tiny (0.5 mm), soil-dwelling predaceous mite that in nature feeds on a wide variety of soil invertebrates, including fly larvae, nematodes, nymphs of thrips, potworms (oligochaetes), springtails, and other mites. For over three decades, Stratiolaelaps scimitus has been produced commercially and the species is now used globally for biological control. The mite is applied to control a wide variety of organisms harmful to food production or to the production of ornamental plants, but especially to combat infestations of fungus gnat larvae, spider mites, flower thrips, and certain plant-feeding nematodes. The species is already used as a biocontrol agent in Norway in greenhouses, open plastic polytunnels used for protecting crops, and in various indoor plantings and fungiculture. Methods VKM established a project group with expertise in entomology, invasion ecology, honeybee behaviour and ecology, and risk analysis of biological control agents. The group conducted systematic literature searches and scrutinized the relevant literature that was found. In the absence of Norwegian studies, VKM relied on literature from other countries. Results and conclusions This VKM assessment concludes with medium confidence that introducing S. scimitus for use in beehives would not significantly increase the probability of establishment and spread of S. scimitus above that of its current use. We point out that there is no evidence that continuous use of S. scimitus in Norway, over decades, has led to its establishment outside of enclosures, including open polytunnels. The optimal temperature for development and reproduction is far higher than what is normally observed in Norway (~28 °C). Although lethal temperature has been reported to be as low as –5.2 °C, we still conclude that S. scimitus would not be able to establish permanent populations in Norway, not even in the southern part of the country as such temperatures are expected to occur in some years throughout the country. Future climate change is not believed to alter this conclusion, since periods with lethally cold temperatures are expected to still occur in the future.

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The adults of the new species Zachvatkinibates svanhovdi A. Seniczak & S. Seniczak sp. nov. are described and illustrated from Norway, and this is the first finding of Zachvatkinibates Shaldybina, 1973 in Fennoscandia. This species is the most similar to Z. quadrivertex (Halbert, 1920), but differs from it mainly by the shape of notogastral setae, posterior tectum of notogaster and lack of postanal porose area Ap, which in Z. quadrivertex is present. In Z. svanhovdi, the prodorsal seta in is long, translamella is narrow, notogastral setae are short and distally pliable, notogastral porose areas are usually oval and of medium size, but Aa can be larger, especially in males. Dorsal crest on tarsus I is present. The cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcodes (length: 658 bp) of five specimens of the new species are provided; the maximum variation within the species was 2.41% (p-dist). The morphology and ecology of the new species is compared with other Zachvatkinibates species. The knowledge on family Punctoribatidae in Fennoscandia is updated, and Mycobates carli (Schweizer, 1922) is first reported from Norway.

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Didemnum vexillum is colonial sea squirt, a marine species which originates from the northwest Pacific; it was first recorded in Norway in November 2020. Didemnum vexillum is an alien species, meaning that it is a species that has been transferred from its original region to other regions of the world through human activity, and it had not previously been recorded in Norwegian waters. The species is regarded as having great invasive potential and having strong negative ecological effects on biodiversity. It is also considered to pose a risk to marine industries such as shipping and aquaculture, with possible major negative economic impacts.

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Salmon-lice have the potential to change the behaviour and growth of their salmonid host species. Here, the baseline infection levels of salmon-lice of post-smolts (n = 815) and veteran migrants (n = 875) of sea-run Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus Linnaeus, 1758) were monitored over two successive years in a sub-Arctic Norwegian fjord without farming of salmonids. All Arctic charr were collected after the sea-migration period from a trap placed in the river, ascending to their overwintering freshwater habitat (Lake Laksvatn). The sea-lice infection showed a stable infection across the 2 years while increasing through the migration period and with the size of the wild sea-run Arctic charr. The prevalence of sea-lice infection was intermediate to high, and the intensities of sea-lice infections observed were generally modest, although some individuals had high infections. The relatively high infection of salmon-lice highlights the potential detrimental effects these parasites can have at both the individual and population level of such endangered sub-Arctic life-history strategies. A comparative study should be performed in fjords with aquaculture activity as focal points for salmon-lice, to investigate the impact farming have on sea-run Arctic charr populations.

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Livestock husbandry has raised enormous environmental concerns around the world, including water quality issues. Yet there is a need to document long-term water quality trends in livestock-intensive regions and reveal the drivers for the trends based on detailed catchment monitoring. Here, we assessed the concentration and load trends of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in streamwater of a livestock-intensive catchment in southwestern Norway, based on continuous flow measurements and flow-proportional composite water sampling. Precipitation and catchment-level soil P balance were monitored to examine the drivers. At the field level, moreover, the relationship between soil P balance and soil test P (measured using the ammonium lactate extraction method, P-AL) was assessed. Results showed that on average of 20 years 95 % of the P was applied to the catchment during March–August, when 40 % of annual precipitation and 25 % of annual discharge occurred. The low runoff helped reduce P loss following P applications. However, flow-weighted annual mean DRP concentration significantly increased with increasingly cumulative soil P surplus (R2 = 0.55, p = 0.0002). With a mean annual P surplus of 8.8 kg ha−1, the annual mean DRP concentration (range: 49–140 μg L−1; mean: 80 μg L−1) and annual DRP load (range: 0.35–1.46 kg ha−1; mean: 0.65 kg ha−1) significantly increased over the 20-year monitoring period (p = 0.001 and 0.0003, respectively). At the field level, P-AL concentrations were positively correlated with soil P balances (R2 = 0.48, p < 0.0001), confirming the long-term impact of P balances on the risks of P loss. The study highlights the predominant role of long-term P balances in affecting DRP loss in livestock-intensive regions through the effect on soil test P.

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In the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, the effects of humic acid (HA) derived from different feedstocks on AD are influenced by the variations in their structural composition and oxygen-containing functional groups. Thus, clarifying the structural differences of HA obtained from different feedstocks is crucial for understanding their impact on AD. In this study, the structure of five humic acids (HAs) derived from liquid digestate, food waste, silage corn straw, lignite and commercial HA, and their effects on AD were investigated. The study found that HA from food waste had more carboxyl groups, while straw-derived HA had more phenolic hydroxyl groups. Both types of HA had higher aromaticity and humification degree and showed significant inhibition effect on AD. HA from food waste had an average methanogenic inhibition rate of 43.5 % with 1 g/L HA added. In addition, commercial HA and HA derived from lignite had similar functional group types and aromaticity, with an average methanogenic inhibition rate of about 20 %. The study revealed that HAs with more carboxyl groups exhibited greater effectiveness in inhibiting AD, thereby confirming the influence of HA structures derived from different feedstocks on AD. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of HA effect on AD and offers guidance for future research focused on enhancing AD efficiency.

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The aim of this study was to contribute to development of organic fertiliser products based on fish sludge (i.e. feed residues and faeces) from farmed smolt. Four dried fish sludge products, one liquid digestate after anaerobic digestion and one dried digestate were collected at Norwegian smolt hatcheries in 2019 and 2020. Their quality as fertilisers was studied by chemical analyses, two 2-year field experiments with spring cereals and soil incubation combined with a first-order kinetics N release model. Cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were below European Union maximum limits for organic fertilisers in all products except one (liquid digestate). Relevant organic pollutants (PCB7, PBDE7, PCDD/F + DL-PCB) were analysed for the first time and detected in all fish sludge products. Nutrient composition was unbalanced, with low nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) ratio and low potassium (K) content relative to crop requirements. Nitrogen concentration in the dried fish sludge products varied (27–70 g N kg-1 dry matter), even when treated by the same technology but sampled at different locations and/or times. In the dried fish sludge products, N was mainly present as recalcitrant organic N, resulting in lower grain yield than with mineral N fertiliser. Digestate showed equally good N fertilisation effect as mineral N fertiliser, but drying reduced N quality. Soil incubation in combination with modelling is a relatively cheap tool that can give a good indication of N quality in fish sludge products with unknown fertilisation effects. Carbon/N ratio in dried fish sludge can also be used as an indicator of N quality.

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Monophenols form humic acids (HA) through polycondensation reaction in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, which will inhibit AD process. Currently, metal ions are the option for in-situ relieving HA inhibition during AD, but excess metal ions are harmful to microorganisms. In this study, carbon quantum dots (CQDs, a non-metallic materials) were proposed to relieve HA inhibition in-situ. We investigated the effect of HA on AD acidification and methanation stage, and synthesized CQDs using sodium citrate (s-CQDs) and p-phenylenediamine (p-CQDs) as precursors to relieve the HA inhibition in-situ. Results showed that s-CQDs (3.0 g/L) significantly increased the cumulative CH4 yield from AD of ethanol with 1.0 g/L HA (1.9 times higher than that without s-CQDs). Microbiological analysis indicated the most dominant methanogen was Methanosarcinaceae, with richness of 89.7%. Compared to the HA inhibition system, the relative abundance of Methanosarcinaceae increased by 87.5%. The analysis of interaction mechanism between CQDs and HA indicated that s-CQDs has an in-situ binding effect to HA by reacting with -OH, Cdouble bondC, and -COOH. This study provided a novel means for in-situ relieving HA inhibition, and illustrated the interaction mechanism between CQDs and HA, which will guide the application in production of bioenergy.

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Enteric methane (CH4) emissions from sheep contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. However, as already available for dairy and beef cattle, empirical models are needed to predict CH4 emissions from sheep for accounting purposes. The objectives of this study were to: 1) collate an intercontinental database of enteric CH4 emissions from individual sheep; 2) identify the key variables for predicting enteric sheep CH4 absolute production (g/d per animal) and yield [g/kg dry matter intake (DMI)] and their respective relationships; and 3) develop and cross-validate global equations as well as the potential need for age-, diet-, or climatic region-specific equations. The refined intercontinental database included 2,135 individual animal data from 13 countries. Linear CH4 prediction models were developed by incrementally adding variables. A universal CH4 production equation using only DMI led to a root mean square prediction error (RMSPE, % of observed mean) of 25.4% and an RMSPE-standard deviation ratio (RSR) of 0.69. Universal equations that, in addition to DMI, also included body weight (DMI + BW), and organic matter digestibility (DMI + OMD + BW) improved the prediction performance further (RSR, 0.62 and 0.60), whereas diet composition variables had negligible effects. These universal equations had lower prediction error than the extant IPCC 2019 equations. Developing age-specific models for adult sheep (>1-year-old) including DMI alone (RSR = 0.66) or in combination with rumen propionate molar proportion (for research of more refined purposes) substantially improved prediction performance (RSR = 0.57) on a smaller dataset. On the contrary, for young sheep (<1-year-old), the universal models could be applied, instead of age-specific models, if DMI and BW were included. Universal models showed similar prediction performances to the diet- and region-specific models. However, optimal prediction equations led to different regression coefficients (i.e. intercepts and slopes) for universal, age-specific, diet-specific, and region-specific models with predictive implications. Equations for CH4 yield led to low prediction performances, with DMI being negatively and BW and OMD positively correlated with CH4 yield. In conclusion, predicting sheep CH4 production requires information on DMI and prediction accuracy will improve national and global inventories if separate equations for young and adult sheep are used with the additional variables BW, OMD and rumen propionate proportion. Appropriate universal equations can be used to predict CH4 production from sheep across different diets and climatic conditions.

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There is an increased interest in the hydroponic production of strawberries in protected cultivation systems, and it is, therefore, urgent to develop new, more sustainable growing media alternatives. This study investigated the physical properties of wood fiber produced from Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and peat:wood fiber substrate blends as well as the performance of the wood fiber in comparison to the industry standards, i.e., peat and coconut coir in the cultivation of hydroponic strawberry. Tray plants of the June-bearing strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ were transplanted into five different growing media: a peat (80%) and perlite (20%) mixture, stand-alone (100%) coconut coir and three stand-alone (100%) Norway spruce wood fiber substrates (including coarse textured fibers with compact and loose packing density and compacted fine-textured fibers). Ripe strawberries were harvested and registered throughout the production season. The overall marketable yield was comparable across all the tested growing media; however, after 4 weeks of harvest, both coarse wood fiber and fine wood fiber showed better fruiting performance than the peat-perlite mixture. A trend for earlier berry maturation was observed for all wood fiber-based substrates. Plant parameters recorded after the end of production showed that plant height, number of leaves, and biomass production were higher in coarse wood fiber than in the peat-perlite mixture. Moreover, plants grown in wood fiber-based substrates had less unripe berries and flowers not harvested in comparison to both the peat and coir treatments.

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Commercial fruit production in Norway is located at around latitude 60° north, demanding a careful choice of adapted cultivars. The most comprehensive collection of apple genetic resources in Norway is being kept in the Norwegian Apple Collection (NAC) at the Njøs Fruit and Berry Centre (NJØS). The collection contains around 350 accessions and was recently genotyped with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Curated SNP data were used for the assessment of structure and diversity, pedigree confirmation, and core collection development. In the following SNP analysis, we identified several duplicates and parent-child relationships. Across the geographic regions represented, the collection was equally diverse. Different methods for analyzing population structure were applied. K-means clustering and a Bayesian modeling approach with prior assumptions of the data revealed five subpopulations associated with geographic breeding centers. The collection has a distinct genetic structure and low relatedness among the accessions; hence, two core collections with 100 accessions in each were created. These new core collections will allow breeders and researchers to use the NAC efficiently. The results from this study suggest that several of the accessions in the Norwegian Apple Collection could be of high importance for breeding purposes.

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The aim of this study was to find the chemical parameters for the differentiation of plum cultivars grown along the fjord areas of Western Norway and Eastern Norway, having specific agroclimatic conditions. Chemical analysis of the fruits confirmed the contents of 13 quantified elements, 22 sugar compounds, 11 organic acids, 19 phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity in 68 plum cultivars. Dominated contents were noted for nitrogen (with the maximum mean value of 3.11%), potassium (8055.80 mg/kg), and phosphorous (7878.88 mg/kg). Averagely, the highest level of sugars was determined for glucose (244.46 g/kg), fructose (197.92 g/kg), sucrose (208.25 g/kg), and sorbitol (98.02 g/kg), organic acids for malic acid (24.06 g/kg), and for polyphenol compounds were 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (66.31 mg/kg), and rutin (58.06 mg/kg). Applied principal component analysis has been useful for distinguishing the plum cultivars from three areas in Norway where copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and sodium; sucrose, ribose, maltose, and raffinose; p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, kaempferol 7-O-glucoside, p-coumaric acid, and 5-Ocaffeoylquinic acid were the most influential. In regard to human health and future breeding work that will have the aim to produce functional food with high health-related compounds, the plum cultivar ‘Mallard’ should be underlined due to the high level of elements, ‘Valor’ due to high sugar content, ‘Helgøyplomme’ due to content of organic acids, and ‘Diamond’ due to the content of phenolic compounds.

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The topography and morpho-anatomical characteristics of floral nectaries and the chemical analysis of nectar have been studied in seven pear cultivars with different susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora. The susceptible cultivarWilliams, the moderately resistant cultivars Bella di guigno, Poire de Cure and the low susceptible cultivar Alexander Lucas originated from Pyrus communis, while highly resistant cultivars Chojuro and Nijisseiki from P. pyraster and Kieffer as interspecies hybrid P. communis x P. pyraster were included in this experiment and studied for the first time. Large differences in size and structure of the nectaries were observed in these seven pear cultivars. The epidermal cells were with cuticle being more or less striated in Alexander Lucas, Kieffer and Williams. Resistant cultivars had a narrow, elongated cell shape of epidermal cells while those susceptible had an isodiametric. Stomata were mesomorphic in all cultivars except in Poire de Cure and Williams, being slightly xeromorphic since they were situated in deep hollows. Guard cells of the modified stomata were much larger in resistant cultivars. Hypanthium cells were larger in resistant compared to susceptible cultivars. The most abundant sugars were glucose, fructose, sorbitol and sucrose in nectar of all studied pear cultivars. The resistant cultivars (Chojuro, Kieffer and Nijisseiki) had a ~2-fold higher level of sorbitol and galactose, ~2.2-fold higher isomaltose, ~2.7-fold turanose, ~3.35-fold maltose, ~4.4-fold melibiose and ~12.7-fold higher melesitose compared to susceptible cultivars. The sum of quantified phenolic acids varied from 0.049 (Williams) up to 4.074 µg CAE/mL (Kieffer), while flavonoid glycosides levels ranged from 1.224 (Williams) up to 11.686 µg RE/mL (Nijisseiki). In the nectar of the resistant cultivars, rutin, apigetrin, together with patuletin and luteolin glycosides were detected but not in susceptible cultivars, which could be considered as the markers of resistance.

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Cultivation of strawberries in greenhouses and polytunnels is increasing, and new sustainable growing media are needed to replace peat and coconut coir. This study investigated the effect of wood fiber and compost as growing media on hydroponically cultivated strawberries. Two experiments were conducted, where the everbearing cultivar ‘Murano’ was grown in mixtures of wood fiber and compost (Experiment 1) and the seasonal flowering cultivar ‘Malling Centenary’ was grown in mixtures of wood fiber and peat (Experiment 2). Additionally, in Experiment 2, the effect of adding start fertilizer was assessed. The yield potential of ‘Murano’ plants was maintained in all substrates compared to the coconut coir control. However, a mixture of 75% wood fiber and 25% compost produced the highest yield, suggesting that mixtures of nutritious materials with wood fiber may improve plant performance. The chemical composition of the berries was not affected by the substrate composition; however, berries from plants grown in the best performing blend had a lower firmness than those grown in coconut coir. ‘Malling Centenary’ plants produced higher yields in substrates enriched with start fertilizer. Generally, the productivity of ‘Malling Centenary’ plants was maintained in blends containing up to 75% of wood fiber mixture even without start fertilizer.

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Nutrient uptake and transport depend on the root system of a tree. Various apple rootstock genotypes may interact fruit tree nutrition. In 2017, two multi-location apple rootstock trials were established at 16 sites in 12 European countries. The evaluations are performed by members of the EUFRIN (European Fruit Research Institute Network) Apple & Pear Variety & Rootstock Testing Working Group. Following rootstocks are included in the tests: G.11, G.41, G.202 and G.935 (US), EM_01, EM_02, EM_03, EM_04, EM_05 and EM_06 (UK), 62-396-B10® (Russia), P 67 (Poland), NZ-A, NZ-B, NZ-C and NZ-D (New Zealand) and Cepiland-Pajam®2 as control. The effect of rootstocks on the mineral content of leaf and fruit was studied at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2019-2020. The leaf and fruit mineral concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and leaf mineral content of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and boron (B) were measured. Significant rootstock effect was established on leaf P, Mg, Zn, Mn, B, and fruit Ca and Mg content. Rootstocks EM_01 and G.41 were the most efficient in leaf mineral uptake, while G.935 had the lowest content of all leaf macro nutrients. Rootstocks EM_06 and P 67 were the most efficient in fruit mineral uptake, while EM_02 had the lowest content of three nutrients. Current research reveals differences among rootstocks and their capacity to absorb separate minerals and enables creation of rootstock specific nutrition management.

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Modern apple growing requires relatively often orchard replacement due to release of superior cultivars or introduction of new growing technologies. Most of intensive apples orchards are established in the same site where apple trees were cultivated for a long period. Continuous cultivation of the same crop causes stress to plants and often leads to abnormal plant development and decreased productivity what is known as apple replant disease (ARD). Due to ban of chemical soil disinfection, other strategies how to overcome ARD must be developed. Rootstock is becoming to be one of the most important factors to solve this problem and one of the targets of new rootstock breeding programs is rootstock resistance or tolerance to ARD. Different origin and genetic background of rootstocks led to suggest that their adaptiveness to replanted soil will be different. EUFRIN (European fruit research institutes network) Apple and pear cultivar and rootstock testing group established replant trials in several European countries where new apple rootstocks from USA, Great Britain, Poland and Russia are tested. Current paper presents results of the trial performed at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2017-2021. On average of all rootstocks apple trees planted in the fresh soil were by 35% more vigorous and gave 71% higher yield. After the evaluation of tree growth and productivity characters rootstocks ‘G.41’ and ‘G.11’ were the most tolerant to ARD. Trees on rootstocks ‘G.935, ‘Cepiland-Pajam®2’ and ‘EM_02’ had significantly lower yields in replant soil, while tree growth was most stunted on ‘62-396-B10®’ and ‘EM_02’.

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To compensate for higher production costs in winter, tomato cultivars with better taste and flavor characteristics and higher selling price are often cultivated. Tomato taste and flavor is reduced during cold storage, however the reduction is often cultivar dependent. Little is known how postharvest storage conditions affect flavor and taste quality of tomatoes cultivated in greenhouses during wintertime at high latitudes. This study was aimed to analyze how postharvest storage conditions affect composition of flavor-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and taste quality of tomato fruits. Tomato cultivars ‘Brioso’, ‘Flavance’, ‘Piccolo’, ‘Sweetelle’, ‘Sweeterno’ were grown in greenhouses with artificial lightning in southwestern Norway during wintertime and were collected ripe. Experimental set up was simulating shortest postharvest chain for southwestern Norway, including harvest day (18°C for one day, in darkness), packaging and transport (12°C for 3 days, in darkness), retail (18°C for 2 days, with light) and consumer storage in either a refrigerator (4°C for 4 days, in darkness) or a kitchen counter (20°C for 4 days, with light). VOC composition of tomato fruits was analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS. Fruit quality parameters including sugars, titratable acidity (TA), dry matter content, firmness and pigments were analyzed. Laboratory results were compared to responses from a taste panel. Firmness and TA were lower for fruits after storage at both conditions compared to fresh fruits. Relative concentrations of the most flavor-related VOCs were lowest for fruits after storage at both conditions. The reduction was higher when fruits were stored at 4°C. Fruits from cultivars ‘Sweeterno’ and ‘Piccolo’ showed the lowest difference in relative VOC concentration at 4°C. Perceived overall tomato taste generally decreased after storage. Overall, storage at 20°C is favorable for preserving flavor of most winter-produced tomato cultivars, but disadvantageous for maintaining their firmness and TA.

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Temperature and humidity were measured in 28 vegetable stores and corelated to quality of stored vegetable through two storage seasons. The vegetables swede, carrot and celeriac were grown at one site within each of the four regions in Norway ROG, MID, INN and OSL, respectively. After harvesting, the vegetables were weighed and visually assessed for any injuries or diseases and stored in different stores within the same region as grown. Four bags dug down in four storage bins in each store. Temperature and humidity were logged in each bag as well as on the top of each bin and on wall of the storage. In general, we found significant differences in the storage quality between the different storages as well as between regions. Correlating data on quality with temperature data shows for carrot a tendency to an increase in the proportion of fresh roots and reduction in incidence of tip-rot by an increased average temperature during the first two weeks of storage. This corresponds to results from tested various wound healing treatments. An increase in accumulated temperature during the storage period showed a tendency to increase the emergence of tip-rot and reduce the proportion of fresh roots. For celeriac, the effect of temperature varied between years, possibly due to a large difference in quality in the two test years, and it was difficult to draw any conclusion. In swede, the results suggest that a decrease in temperature in the first two weeks of storage increased the risk of the symptom shown as black veins in the phloem. Nutrient status was found to be a possibly predisposing factor for reduced storage quality in celeriac. Balance of boron (B) to calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn) were studied in two sites. Highest incidence of brown spots and lowest proportion of fresh roots following storage was found in celeriac with the lowest Ca/B ratio in leaves, lowest content of Zn in the leaves and roots and lowest soil pH.

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Almost 95% of the area in Norway is wilderness and 38% of the land area is covered by woods. These areas are abundant in valuable renewable resources, including wild berries. In our neighbouring countries, Sweden and Finland, wild berries are already a big industry. At the same time, on the market the Norwegian wild berries are almost non-existent and berries are left unexploited. Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is one of the most abundant and economically important wild berries in the Nordic countries. Nevertheless, lingonberry has a large untapped potential due to its unique health effects and potential for increased value creation. It is estimated that 111,500 t of lingonberry are produced in the Norwegian woods. Norway is a long and diverse country with a range of climatic conditions. Adaptations to different conditions can give differences in both yield and quality of wild berries. Yields vary enormously from year to year and among different locations. A steady supply, predictable volumes and high quality are vital for successful commercialization of wild berries. To increase the utilization of berries, there is a need for increased knowledge regarding availability and quality variation of the berries. In addition, the Norwegian market suffers from high labour costs and cannot compete in product price. Innovative solutions and new knowledge on quality aspects can open possibilities for value creation. Toward achieving this goal, we have created a project called “WildBerries”, the main objective of which is to produce research-based knowledge that will create the basis for increased commercial utilization of Norwegian wild berries.

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The maturity stage of carrot and the temperature strategy during storage are essential factors in maintaining storage quality during long-term storage. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of maturity and storage strategy on storage quality in different cultivars of carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus). Two cultivars, ‘Nominator’ and ‘Romance’, harvested at three different maturity levels were stored with different temperature strategies in small-scale experimental stores. The different maturity levels were obtained by different sowing dates. The study was conducted over 2 years and storage seasons in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The carrots were stored with three different temperature strategies with stable temperature at 0, 2 or 0°C interrupted with intervals of 2 weeks with 4°C in February and in March. After six-months storage we found that weight loss was higher (7.8%) after storage when the temperature was not stable during storage (fluctuations up to 4°C in February and March) than at stable temperatures at 0 or 2°C. The number of healthy roots after storage was highest in the most mature carrots (91%) while there were less healthy roots in the least mature roots (85%) (P<0.05). Diseases detected after storage were gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), liquorice rot (Mycocentrospora acerina), tip rot, crater rot (Fibularhizoctonia carotae), Fusarium rot (Fusarium spp.) and cavity spot (Pythium spp.). There was significantly more liquorice rot in Nominator (1.9%) than in Romance (0.6%). There was more tip rot in the least mature carrots (3.3%) compared to the other two maturity levels (1.3 and 1.5%).

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Carrot is the main field vegetable in Norway and is stored at 0-1°C for up to 8 months. In long-stored carrots, postharvest diseases are problematic. Better knowledge of the causal agents of postharvest diseases can help producers apply appropriate control measures to reduce carrot loss and waste. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of the tip rot problem and the prevalence of other storage diseases of carrots in different regions in Norway. The study was conducted from 2019 to 2021 by collecting carrots from 16 commercial cold storages, representing four regions. From each storage, representative carrots were randomly sampled, washed, and sorted into different disease categories and healthy carrots. Representative samples from each category were further analyzed in the NIBIO laboratory to identify the causal agent(s) and confirm the disease. Causal agent(s) were identified by symptom and sign description, microscopy and when necessary, DNA sequencing. One or more pathogens were identified from each symptomatic carrot. The incidence of postharvest diseases significantly varied among regions. Taking all years and regions together, only 42% of the carrots were healthy. In other words, 58% of the carrots were with one or more diseases, representing a waste due to diseases alone. Tip rot alone contributed to about 30% of the postharvest loss. Our results indicate that the burden of postharvest diseases of carrots is increasing. This includes diseases like tip rot disease complex, Cylindrocarpon root rot and cavity spot. The results are useful to direct research investigation of the most problematic diseases. Most of the post-harvest diseases of carrots are the result of latent infections that occur in the field, and stress during handling, storage, and processing operations. Hence, postharvest disease control measures should consider the pre-and postharvest predisposing factors of carrots for storage rot.

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Population-genomic studies can shed new light on the effect of past demographic processes on contemporary population structure. We reassessed phylogeographical patterns of a classic model species of postglacial recolonisation, the brown bear (Ursus arctos), using a range-wide resequencing dataset of 128 nuclear genomes. In sharp contrast to the erratic geographical distribution of mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotypes, autosomal and X-chromosomal multi-locus datasets indicate that brown bear population structure is largely explained by recent population connectivity. Multispecies coalescent based analyses reveal cases where mtDNA haplotype sharing between distant populations, such as between Iberian and southern Scandinavian bears, likely results from incomplete lineage sorting, not from ancestral population structure (i.e., postglacial recolonisation). However, we also argue, using forward-in-time simulations, that gene flow and recombination can rapidly erase genomic evidence of former population structure (such as an ancestral population in Beringia), while this signal is retained by Y-chromosomal and mtDNA, albeit likely distorted. We further suggest that if gene flow is male-mediated, the information loss proceeds faster in autosomes than in X chromosomes. Our findings emphasise that contemporary autosomal genetic structure may reflect recent population dynamics rather than postglacial recolonisation routes, which could contribute to mtDNA and Y-chromosomal discordances.

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Since the mid-2010s, Phytophthora infestans clones that have been dominant in Western Europe from the beginning of the 21st century, for example, EU_13_A2, EU_6_A1 and EU_1_A1, are being replaced by several other emerging clones, including EU_37_A2. The objective of this study was to determine whether the main drivers for the success of EU_37_A2 in Western Europe are associated with decreased fungicide sensitivity, increased virulence and/or aggressiveness. Axenic P. infestans cultures were sampled in the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons from potato crops in France and the United Kingdom. Amongst these, four genotypes were identified: EU_37_A2, EU_13_A2, EU_1_A1 and EU_6_A1. Although a wide range of fluazinam sensitivity was found amongst individual isolates, clonal lines EU_13_A2 and EU_37_A2 showed decreased sensitivity to fluazinam. EU_37_A2 overcame the R5 differential cultivar more often than isolates of EU_1_A1 or EU_6_A1. However, this does not explain the competitive advantage of EU_37_A2 over the virulent EU_13_A2. The fittest genotype, as measured by aggressiveness under controlled conditions, was EU_6_A1, followed by EU_37_A2, EU_13_A2 and then EU_1_A1. EU_37_A2 isolates also showed a shorter latent period than either EU_6_A1 or EU_13_A2, which could favour its long-term persistence. Overall, the data suggest that the emergence of EU_37_A2 in Western Europe was driven by its resistance to a then-major fungicide and shorter generation time. This conclusion is further supported by the fact that EU_37_A2 emergence was slowed by the progressive reduction in the use of fluazinam as a single active ingredient in the years following its initial detection.

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Aims: In a field study, the effects of treatments of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) in soil, alone and in combination with phosphate fertilizer, were examined on the performance and endophytic microbiota of garden strawberry. Methods and results: The root and leaf endophytic microbiota of garden strawberries grown in GBH-treated and untreated soil, with and without phosphate fertilizer, were analyzed. Next, bioinformatics analysis on the type of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase enzyme was conducted to assess the potential sensitivity of strawberry-associated bacteria and fungi to glyphosate, and to compare the results with field observations. GBH treatments altered the abundance and/or frequency of several operational taxonomic units (OTUs), especially those of root-associated fungi and bacteria. These changes were partly related to their sensitivity to glyphosate. Still, GBH treatments did not shape the overall community structure of strawberry microbiota or affect plant performance. Phosphate fertilizer increased the abundance of both glyphosate-resistant and glyphosate-sensitive bacterial OTUs, regardless of the GBH treatments. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that although the overall community structure of strawberry endophytic microbes is not affected by GBH use, some individual taxa are.

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Appropriate weed control measures during the renewal phase of temporary grasslands are critical to ensure high yields during the whole grassland lifecycle. The aim of this study was to determine which integrated grassland renewal strategy can most effectively control annual weeds in the sowing year and delay perennial weed re-establishment. Four split-plot trials were established at three sites dominated by Rumex spp. along a south-north gradient in Norway. The annual and perennial weed abundance was recorded during the sowing year and two or three production years. Main plots tested seven renewal strategies: 1. Spring plowing, 2. Spring plowing+companion crop (CC), 3. Summer cut+plowing, 4. Summer glyphosate+plowing, 5. Summer glyphosate+harrowing, 6. Late spring glyphosate+plowing, 7. Fall glyphosate+spring plowing+CC. Strategies 1–4 were tested in all four trials, strategy 5 in three trials, strategy 6 in two trials and strategy 7 in one trial. Plowing was performed at 20–25 cm depth, rotary harrowing at 15 cm depth, and glyphosate was applied at 2160 g a.i. ha-1. CC was spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). Subplots tested selective herbicide spraying (yes/no) in the sowing year. Results showed that effects of renewal strategies were often site-specific and differed between the sowing year and production years. Spring renewal resulted in higher perennial weed abundance than summer renewal in two out of four trials (by 3 and 12 percentage points, over all production years), and glyphosate followed by harrowing drastically increased Rumex spp. in one out of three trials (by 18 percentage points over all production years). CCs only significantly reduced perennial weed abundance in one trial (by 8 percentage points over all production years). In comparison, the selective herbicides had a strong effect on annual and perennial weeds in the sowing year in all trials. Selective herbicides reduced the weed cover from 32% to 7% cover, and averaged over the production years and sites, the perennial weed biomass fraction was 6 percentage points lower where herbicides had been applied. We conclude that while the tested renewal strategies provided variable and site-specific perennial weed control, selective herbicides were effective at controlling Rumex spp. and other perennial dicot weeds in the first two production years.

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The European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus and the North American spruce beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis cause high mortality of spruces on their native continents. Both species have been inadvertently transported beyond their native ranges. With similar climates and the presence of congeneric spruce hosts in Europe and North America, there is a risk that one or both bark beetle species become established into the non-native continent. There are many challenges that an introduced population of bark beetles would face, but an important prerequisite for establishment is the presence of suitable host trees. We tested the suitability of non-native versus native hosts by exposing cut bolts of Norway spruce (Picea abies), black spruce (Picea mariana) and white spruce (Picea glauca) to beetle attacks in the field in Norway and Canada. We quantified attack density, brood density and reproductive success of I. typographus and D. rufipennis in the three host species. We found that I. typographus attacked white and black spruce at comparable densities to its native host, Norway spruce, and with similar reproductive success in all three host species. In contrast, D. rufipennis strongly preferred to attack white spruce (a native host) but performed better in the novel Norway spruce host than it did in black spruce, a suboptimal native host. Our results suggest that I. typographus will find abundant and highly suitable hosts in North America, while D. rufipennis in Europe may experience reduced reproductive success in Norway spruce.

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Water-sorption studies and certain organic chemistry reactions require water removal from cellulosic samples. This is hindered by the strong interaction of cellulosic materials with water, and it remains uncertain if a completely anhydrous state can be reached under common drying conditions. Here, different drying conditions were applied to wood and cellulose, and the residual moisture contents were quantified either gravimetrically or by coulometric Karl-Fischer titration. Vacuum-drying at 103 °C and ≤ 1 mbar for at least 360 min decreased the moisture content to ≤ 0.04%. However, in automated sorption balances, drying at atmospheric pressure under dry air or nitrogen flow left some samples with more than 1% moisture content. The residual moisture content obtained under dry gas flow was temperature dependent. Increasing the temperature up to 55 °C decreased the residual moisture content and cooling resulted in a moisture re-uptake, presumably due to small quantities of water vapor in the surrounding atmosphere. These effects must be considered in fundamental studies on water interactions of cellulosic materials.

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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.

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I 2023 er det 19 år siden daværende minister Lars Sponheim lanserte målet at «spesielt verdifulle kulturlandskap skal være kartlagt og få en særskilt forvaltning innen 2010». I dag er det etablert 51 «utvalgte kulturlandskap i landbruket» (UKL), ment å skulle bevare et utvalg referanseområder som både viser det norske jordbrukets kulturhistorie og tidligere biologisk mangfold. For å sikre at kvalitetene som finnes der ivaretas, lages det forvaltningsplaner for hvert landskap. Men i hvilken grad har disse forvaltningsplanene en tilstrekkelig tverrfaglig dybde og tyngde? Er målene med forvaltningen generelt godt nok definert, og kvalitetene godt nok dokumentert, slik at landskapet kan fungere som det historiske arkivet det har potensiale for å være? Vi har sett nærmere på ulike mulige kilder som dokumentasjon av historien bak det landskapet vi ser i dag, i eksempelområdet Rygnestad UKL. Vi fant at arbeidet som ble gjort da jordskifte, altså omfordelingen av eiendom basert på bl.a. beliggenhet og verdi, ble gjennomført kan gi verdifull kunnskap om kulturhistorien. Vår konklusjon er at gjennom å kombinere analyser av historiske dokumenter, kartfestet informasjon og analyser av biologiske kvaliteter, er det mulig å utvikle det som omtales som «Landskapsbiografier» for UKL områdene. Vi mener disse kan utgjøre et sterkere grunnlag for valg knyttet til forvaltningen enn det som oftest er tilgjengelig i dag.

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It is critical to analyze the performance of enterprises to achieve sustainable agricultural development. Several studies have been conducted to assess farm performance. However, the studies have been criticized for failing to account for farm heterogeneity (which is frequently unobserved) in their evaluation of Norwegian agricultural performance. Technically, a farm is efficient if it can produce a certain amount of output with the fewest possible inputs and no input waste. In this paper, efficiency scores are calculated using a production function with both a random intercept and a random slope parameter, addressing the issue of unobserved heterogeneity in stochastic frontier analysis. Using Norwegian dairy and crop farms as a case study, we demonstrate the viability of improving the agriculture industry and reducing resource waste. The case study was established on data collected from 5884 dairy farms and 1880 crop farms from the years 2000 to 2019. According to the empirical findings of the case study, dairy and crop producers used inefficient technologies and squandered production resources. If all farmers follow a sustainable and efficient path to produce agricultural output, they could increase output by 15–18%. Farmers must follow sustainable paths, and politicians must encourage farm experience exchange so that less efficient dairy and crop-producing farms can learn from the most efficient farms to achieve sustainable development.

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Emerging pollutants, corrosive chemicals and dyes released from the industries, harshly contaminates the landfills, environment and water reservoirs. Mass mortalities of aquatic animals in water bodies and species depletion is linked with improper release of wastewater. Pollutants released in water bodies are a threatening alarm to the human society and environment. To remove the pollutants from municipal wastewater, several techniques including adsorption, chelation, precipitation and ion exchange were employed. However, chitosan based hybrid materials (nanocomposite, hydrogel, membrane, film, sponge, nanoparticle, microsphere and flake) could serve as novel alternate materials to replace the chemical based adsorbents. The advantages of using chitosan based hybrid materials in wastewater treatment was summarized herein. Furthermore, this review aims to highlight the role of chitosan based hybrid materials for removing various pollutants and dyes from municipal wastewater.

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Coprophagy, the eating of feces, has been documented in a wide range of species but appears to be rare or difficult to detect in deer (Cervidae). Here, we report the first observation of coprophagy in moose Alces alces, which was recorded using camera collars on free-ranging moose in Norway. The footage shows an instance of allocoprophagy by an adult female moose in spring (May). We summarize the current knowledge about coprophagy in deer and briefly discuss potential drivers and possible implications for disease transmission. Further research is needed to determine whether coprophagy occurs frequently in moose and whether this behavior is positive (e.g., increased intake of nutrients) or negative (increased infection by parasites or pathogens). Alces alces, camera collar, chronic wasting disease, coprophagy, foraging, moose

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The seed predator Argyresthia conjugella Zeller has rowan as its preferred host plant. In years of poor fruiting in rowan, it oviposits on apples. To improve the knowledge of this apple pest, rowanberries were collected from localities all over Norway from 1971 to 1985, and seed predators and their parasitoids were allowed to emerge for up to five years. Two species of seed predators, A. conjugella and Megastimus brevicaudis Ratzeburg, and seven species of parasitic Hymenoptera were common. The distribution of these species is shown on EIS (European Invertebrate Survey) maps of Norway. The biology of the parasitoids is summarized based on the published literature and their behavior during emergence. The tendency for delayed emergence, which is an indication of prolonged diapause, was more pronounced in M. brevicaudis than in A. conjugella, the former appearing in all five years. Five of the parasitoids also delayed their emergence, and three of them to a high degree, up to five years. Prolonged diapause must be taken into account in studies of rowanberry insect guilds.

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Yield maps give farmers information about growth conditions and can be a tool for sitespecific crop management. Combine harvesters may provide farmers with detailed yield maps if there is a constant flow of a certain amount of biomass through the yield sensor. This is unachievable for grass seeds because the weight of the intake is generally too small to record the variation. Therefore, there is a need to find another way to make grass seed yield maps. We studied seed yield variation in two red fescue (Festuca rubra) fields with variation in management and soil fertility, respectively. We estimated five vegetation indices (VI) based on RGB images taken from a drone to describe yield variation, and trained prediction models based on relatively few harvested plots. Only results from the VI showing the strongest correlation between the index and the yield are presented (Normalized Excess Green Index (ExG) and Normalized Green/Red Difference Index (NGRDI)). The study indicates that it is possible to predict the yield variation in a grass field based on relatively few harvested plots, provided the plots represent contrasting yield levels. The prediction errors in yield (RMSE) ranged from 171 kg ha-1 to 231 kg ha-1, with no clear influence of the size of the training data set. Using random selection of plots instead of selecting plots representing contrasting yield levels resulted in slightly better predictions when evaluated on an average of ten random selections. However, using random selection of plots came with a risk of poor predictions due to the occasional lack of correlation between yield and VI. The exact timing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) image capture showed to be unimportant in the weeks before harvest.

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The COVID-19 pandemic, surprised many through its impact on the food systems, resulting in collapses in the food production value chains and in the integrated pest disease management sector with fatal outcomes in many places. However, the impact of COVID-19 and the digital experience perspective on Integrating Pest Management (IPM) is still yet to be understood. In Africa, the impact was devastating, mostly for the vulnerable smallholder farm households, who were rendered unable to access markets to purchase inputs and sell their produce during the lockdown period. By using a holistic approach the paper reviews different Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), digitalization, and how this enhanced the capacity of smallholder farmers resilient, and inform their smart-IPM practices in order to improve food systems' amidst climate change during and in the post-COVID-19 period. Different digital modalities were adopted to ensure continuous food production, access to inputs and finances, and selling surplus production among others. This was largely possible by using ICTs to deliver these needed services digitally. The study shares contributions and capacity perspectives of ICTs for empowering smallholder farmers to boost the resilience of their food systems based on COVID-19 successful experiences. Thus digital solutions must be embraced in the delivery of extension service on pest management and good agronomic practices, money transfers for purchasing inputs, receiving payment for sold farm produce, and markets information exchange. These are key avenues through which digital solutions strategically supported smallholder-based food systems through the pandemic.

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The root-burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, is reputedly the most damaging nematode pest of banana and responsible for major production losses. In this study, the endophytic potential of 13 fungal isolates was assessed for the management of R. similis in East African Highland bananas (‘Ng’ombe’). All isolates successfully colonised tissue-cultured banana roots, with isolates from Trichoderma, Fusarium and Hypocrea producing the highest (⩾49.1%) and Beauveria isolates the lowest (⩽14.4%) colonisation. The fungal endophytes T. asperellum (ICIPE 700) and H. lixii (ICIPE 697) were the most effective in reducing R. similis densities (>81%) relative to the non-inoculated control. However, the combined inoculation of ICIPE 700 and ICIPE 697 led to greater suppression of R. similis (>21%) relative to individual inoculation. Suppression of R. similis following inoculation of banana roots with ICIPE 700 and/or ICIPE 697 was associated with the significant upregulation of the defence-related gene PR-1, the cell signalling gene calmodulin Ca2+ and the cell-wall-strengthening gene β-1,3-glucan synthase. This study demonstrates the potential for nematode management in bananas with fungal endophytes, especially using the isolates ICIPE 700 and ICIPE 697 when combined.

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This study quantifies golf course pesticide risk in five regions across the US (Florida, East Texas, Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast) and three countries in Europe (UK, Denmark, and Norway) with the objective of determining how pesticide risk on golf courses varied as a function of climate, regulatory environment, and facility-level economic factors. The hazard quotient model was used to estimate acute pesticide risk to mammals specifically. Data from 68 golf courses are included in the study, with a minimum of at least five golf courses in each region. Though the dataset is small, it is representative of the population at confidence level of 75 % with a 15 % margin of error. Pesticide risk appeared to be similar across US regions with varied climates, and significantly lower in the UK, and lowest in Norway and Denmark. In the Southern US (East Texas and Florida), greens contribute most to total pesticide risk while in nearly all other regions fairways make the greatest contribution to overall pesticide risk. The relationship between facility-level economic factors such as maintenance budget was limited in most regions of the study, except in the Northern US (Midwest, Northwest, and Northeast) where maintenance and pesticide budget correlated to pesticide risk and use intensity. However, there was a strong relationship between regulatory environment and pesticide risk across all regions. Pesticide risk was significantly lower in Norway, Denmark, and the UK, where twenty or fewer active ingredients were available to golf course superintendents, than it was in US where depending on the state between 200 and 250 pesticide active ingredients were registered for use on golf courses.

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Grasslands are managed to provide multiple goods and services. During recent decades, abandonment of marginal grasslands and intensification of the most productive sites resulted in biodiversity losses and reduced ecosystem services (ESs). Moreover, invasion by unwanted plants impaired ESs, as seen in Jacobaea aquatica, a poisonous native invader in pre-alpine grasslands of Central Europe. Invasion by this plant compromises fodder quality and endangers animal health, resulting in abandonment of grassland use. We tested different management regimes to reduce J. aquatica in wet grasslands of Southern Germany and assessed how its regulation affects grassland multifunctionality. We monitored indicators associated with productivity and conservation, such as the abundance of J. aquatica, forage quality, yield, abundance of specialists, and pollinator-relevant plants. Intensive management favoured multifunctionality by promoting productivity and biodiversity, yet also increasing the abundance of J. aquatica. Reduced management regulates J. aquatica cover close to an acceptable threshold while also reducing ESs. Thus, we conclude that moderate management strikes a balance between the control of the poisonous plant and the supply of grassland multifunctionality.

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Currently global seaweed industries are facing issue with availability of raw material for processing of carrageenan due to low growth of current planting material. Use of biostimulants in seaweed cultivation is recently paid more attention due to their proven biostimulatory effect, of which, Ascophyllum marine plant extract powder (AMPEP) is a well proven biostimulant to improve the growth and quality of Kappaphycus alvarezii biomass. Hence, 500 kg of AMPEP was purchased and studied its impact on the commercial farming of K. alvarezii from April 2018 to January 2022 in India. Vegetative propagule of K. alvarezii were dipped in an AMPEP with concentration range of: 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 % for 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Before out-planting on rafts in shallow coastal water and found that K. alvarezii responded well to a 0.1 % solution with dipping time of 60 min. The percentage of average daily growth rate (ADGR%) of AMPEP-treated plant in a 45 d grow out period was 3.50 ± 0.50 % vs a control of 1.75 ± 0.25 % for the summer and pre-monsoon months (p < 0.05) but no statistically significant differences between the treated and control plants were found during the rainy and winter seasons. Treated plants were found with low incidence of epiphytes, and disease as compared to control plants. The general appearance and health of treated Kappaphycus was good with significant differences in the yield and quality of semi-refined carrageenan (SRC) and dry weed quality (p < 0.05). The cost of AMPEP for producing of additional 1 kg of dry Kappaphycus was 0.066USD. Results of the present study is very encouraging and AMPEP can be used for the production of K. alvarezii biomass for industrial and biorefinery processing as it has been witnessed that there was 16.66 % increase in biomass production in 2021in India.

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Climate change has had a significant impact on the tourism industry in many countries, leading to changes in policies and adaptations to attract more visitors. However, there are few studies on the effects of climate change on Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and income, despite its importance as a destination for tourists. A study was conducted to analyze the holiday climate index (HCI) for Sri Lanka’s urban and beach destinations to address this gap. The analysis covered historical years (2010–2018) and forecasted climatic scenarios (2021–2050 and 2071–2100), and the results were presented as colored maps to highlight the importance of HCI scores. Visual analysis showed some correlation between HCI scores and tourist arrivals, but the result of the overall correlation analysis was not significant. However, a country-specific correlation analysis revealed interesting findings, indicating that the changing climate can be considered among other factors that impact tourist arrivals. The research proposes that authorities assess the outcomes of the study and conduct further research to develop adaptive plans for Sri Lanka’s future tourism industry. The study also investigated potential scenarios for beach and urban destinations under two climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for the near and far future, presenting the findings to tourism industry stakeholders for any necessary policy changes. As Sri Lanka expects more Chinese visitors in the future due to ongoing development projects, this study could be valuable for policymakers and industry stakeholders when adapting to changing climate and future tourist behavior. While more research is needed to fully understand the effects of climate change on Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, this study serves as a starting point for future investigations.

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This study assessed the meteorological and hydrological droughts and their relationship over 30 years from 1985 to 2015 in the largest river basin (Mahaweli River Basin (MRB)) in Sri Lanka. Data from 14 rainfall, 5 temperature, and 5 streamflow stations in and near the MRB were used in the present study. Universal drought indices including Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) were used to assess meteorological droughts. The Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) was used in investigating hydrological droughts. Correlations between meteorological and hydrological droughts were obtained, annual variations were observed (in terms of SPI, SPEI, and SSI), and the spatial distributions of selected drought events were analyzed. Our results revealed that the highest correlation was found in long-term dry conditions in the wet zone. In addition, some negative correlations found showed the opposite behavior of correlations. Furthermore, in annual variations of droughts, extreme droughts were recorded in the dry zone as maximum values, while results were more prominent in the wet zone. In addition, the spatial distribution performed using SPI, SPEI, and SSI showed an extremely dry condition in 2004. Our findings are beneficial for policymaking and for the decision-makers in assessing meteorological and hydrological drought risks in the future.

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The molecular diversity of the source substrate has been regarded as a significant controller of the proportion of plant material that is either mineralized or incorporated into soil organic matter (SOM). However, quantitative parameters to express substrate molecular diversity remain elusive. In this research, we fractionated leaves, twigs, bark, and root tissues of 13C-enriched eucalypt seedlings into hot water extractables (HWE), total solvent (acetone) extractables (TSE), a cellulosic fraction (CF), and the acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR). We used 13C NMR spectroscopy to obtain a molecular diversity index (MDI) based on the relative abundance of carbohydrate, protein, lignin, lipid, and carbonyl functional groups within the biochemical fractions. Subsequently, we obtained artificial plant organs containing fixed proportions (25%) of their respective biochemical fractions to be incubated with soil material obtained from a Haplic Ferralsol for 200-days, under controlled temperature (25 ± 1 ◦C) and moisture adjusted to 70–80% of the soil water holding capacity. Our experimental design was a randomized complete block design, arranged according to a factorial scheme including 4 plant organs, 4 biochemical fractions, and 3 blocks as replicates. During the incubation, we assessed the evolution of CO2 from the microcosms after 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 21, 28, 38, 45, 70, 80, 92, 112, 148, 178 and 200 days from the start of the incubation. After the incubation, soil subsamples were submitted to a density fractionation to separate the light fraction of SOM (LFOM) i.e., with density <1.8 g cm 3. The heavy fraction remaining was submitted to wetsieving yielding the sand-sized SOM (SSOM) and the mineral-associated SOM (MAOM), with particle-size greater and smaller than 53 μm, respectively. We found that HWE and AUR exhibited comparatively higher MDIs than the TSE and CF. During the incubation, HWE and CF were the primary sources of 13C-CO2 from all plant organs and after 92 days, the respiration of the TSE of bark and roots increased. Otherwise, the AUR contributed the least for the release of 13C-CO2. There were no significant relationships between the MDI and the amount of 13C transferred into the LFOM or SSOM. Otherwise, the transfer of 13C into the MAOM increased as a linear-quadratic function of MDI, which in turn was negatively correlated with the total 13C-CO2 loss. Overall, the MDI exerted a stronger control on the 13C-labeled MAOM than on 13C-CO2 emissions, highlighting the need to improve our ability to distinguish and quantify direct plant inputs from those of microbial origin entering soil C pools.

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Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp is a well-known agroforestry leguminous tree that provides multiple benefits in different agroecological zones. Its apparent versatility is seen in improving animal feed, cleaningenvironmental wastes, and healing inflammations. It was also found to have significant benefits in agroforestry due to its ability to enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and green manure. However, this article reviews the use of Gliricidia sepium to improve soil fertility and crop agronomic and nutritional properties. Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct were the databases consulted for the relevant articles used in this review. Trees and leaves of G. sepium, either used as mulch, biochar, or intercropped, have enhanced soil fertility indicators, such as total soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, available phosphorus, pH, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter in different farming systems. Its immense positive performance in improving the yield of crops led to an economic advantage for low-income farmers. G. sepium can also lower the use of mineral fertilizer as its adoption grows, leading to a greener environment in the agricultural sector. The review concluded that there is a plethora of research on the effect of Gliricidia on maize yield enhancement; hence further investigations should be conducted on using Gliricidia sepium as a green fertilizer to improve yields and the nutritional properties of other crops.

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Graphium species form a well-supported monophyletic lineage within the Microascales (Ascomycota). Members of this genus can be found in association with bark beetles, as well as on tree wounds and in soils. During surveys of bark and ambrosia beetle–associated fungi and cavities made by woodpeckers on hardwood trees in Poland, many isolates with an affinity to Graphium were recovered. They were identified based on their morphological characters and sequence data for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S rDNA, β-tubulin (TUB2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) gene regions. The results revealed five new species, described here as G. brachiatum, G. longistipitatum, G. polonicum, G. radicatum, and G. trypophloei.

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Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are associated with a range of contested, place-based attributes which contrast with the characteristics of complex, global and corporate chains. This article avoids such oppositional binaries by focusing on SFSCs serving two European cities, namely Oslo (Norway) and Bristol (UK). It reviews cities as a particular kind of market within which to secure custom, by presenting qualitative data from a study of SFSCs in these two cities to examine marketing barriers and opportunities encountered. Distinctive urban contexts, such as the density of consumers and presence of food-related infrastructures, can influence the marketing strategies and sales channels chosen by food enterprises. Difficulties are faced by both food producers and the sales channels through which they come to market, especially in relation to financial viability, price competition and efficiency. Our analysis, as well as highlighting connections and divergences between Oslo and Bristol, emphasises the role of these cities in providing diverse food market niches. Alongside global chains, functioning SFSCs help to reflect the history of Oslo and Bristol as trading cities with diverse populations and reveal enterprise adaptability and innovation as market demand shifts.

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The lack of high-grade scandium (Sc) ores and recovery strategies has stimulated research on the exploitation of non-ore-related secondary sources that have great potential to safeguard the critical raw materials supply of the EU’s economy. Waste materials may satisfy the growing global Sc demand, specifically residues from titanium dioxide (TiO2) production. New technologies are being developed for the recovery of Sc from such residues; however, the possible environmental impacts of intermediary products and residues are usually not considered. In order to provide a comprehensive ecotoxicity characterisation of the wastes and intermediate residues resulting from one promising new technology, acid-resistant nanofiltration (arNF), a waste-specific ecotoxicity toolkit was established. Three ecotoxicity assays were selected with specific test parameters providing the most diverse outcome for toxicity characterisation at different trophic levels: Aliivibrio fischeri (bacteria) bioluminescence inhibition (30 min exposure), Daphnia magna (crustacean) lethality and immobilisation (24 h exposure) and Lemna minor (plant) growth inhibition with determination of the frond number (7 d exposure). According to our results, the environmental impact of the generated intermediate and final residues on the aquatic ecosystem was mitigated by the consecutive steps of the filtration methods applied. High and statistically significant toxicity attenuation was achieved according to each test organism: toxicity was lowered based on EC20 values, according to the A. fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay (by 97%), D. magna lethality (by 99%) and L. minor frond number (by 100%), respectively, after the final filtration step, nanofiltration, in comparison to the original waste. Our results underline the importance of assessing chemical technologies’ ecotoxicological and environmental impacts with easy-to-apply and cost-effective test methods to showcase the best available technologies.

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Grass pollen is a leading cause of allergy in many countries, particularly Europe. Although many elements of grass pollen production and dispersal are quite well researched, gaps still remain around the grass species that are predominant in the air and which of those are most likely to trigger allergy. In this comprehensive review we isolate the species aspect in grass pollen allergy by exploring the interdisciplinary interdependencies between plant ecology, public health, aerobiology, reproductive phenology and molecular ecology. We further identify current research gaps and provide open ended questions and recommendations for future research in an effort to focus the research community to develop novel strategies to combat grass pollen allergy. We emphasise the role of separating temperate and subtropical grasses, identified through divergence in evolutionary history, climate adaptations and flowering times. However, allergen cross-reactivity and the degree of IgE connectivity in sufferers between the two groups remains an area of active research. The importance of future research to identify allergen homology through biomolecular similarity and the connection to species taxonomy and practical implications of this to allergenicity is further emphasised. We also discuss the relevance of eDNA and molecular ecological techniques (DNA metabarcoding, qPCR and ELISA) as important tools in quantifying the connection between the biosphere with the atmosphere. By gaining more understanding of the connection between species-specific atmospheric eDNA and flowering phenology we will further elucidate the importance of species in releasing grass pollen and allergens to the atmosphere and their individual role in grass pollen allergy.

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Soil loss by erosion threatens food security and reduces the environmental quality of water bodies. Prolonged and extreme rainfalls are recognized as main drivers of soil erosion, and climate change predictions for large parts of the world foresee such increases in precipitation. Erosion rates are additionally affected by land use, which may change as a result of the shift from a fossil fuel-based economy to an economy relying on using renewable biomass, a “Bioeconomy”. In this study we aimed at investigating, through modelling, i) if future changes in land use, due to a bioeconomy, would increase the risk for soil loss and enhance suspended sediment yields in streams and ii) if these changes, when combined with climate change effects, would further aggravate suspended sediment conditions in a catchment. We used hydrological and bias adjusted climate models to compare the effect of seven land use pathways on discharge and sediment transport relative to a baseline scenario under present and future climate conditions. The study was carried out based on data from a small headwater stream, representative for cereal production areas of S-E Norway. By modelling our scenarios with the PERSiST and INCA-P models, we found that land use change had a greater influence on both future water discharge and sediment losses than a future climate. Changes from climate showed strongest differences on a seasonal basis. Out of the modelled land use pathways, a sustainable pathway manifested the least occurrence of extreme flood and sediment loss events under future climate; whereas a pathway geared towards self-sufficiency indicated the highest occurrence of such extreme events. Our findings show that careful attention must be placed on the land use and soil management in the region. To maintain freshwater quality, it will be increasingly important to implement environmental mitigation measures.

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Vitamin E is essential and supplementation to the diet is often needed to meet the requirements of farm animals. This is particularly relevant during long indoor periods where conserved forages must be fed, as conservation can degrade Vitamin E. However, synthetic vitamins are regarded as contentious inputs in organic agriculture. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate if the standard recommendations for supplementation can be revised and adapted for organically managed dairy cows, on the basis of that the diets differ from those in conventional systems. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the response to Vitamin E supplementation considering lactation and gestation stage and the composition of the basal diet. Most of the experiments that focused on animal health-related issues were conducted during late gestation and early lactation. In more recent studies reporting positive effects of Vitamin E supplementation on animal health and fertility, cows were fed conserved forages such as hay, haylage or maize silage, which all have low natural content of Vitamin E. In the studies reporting no or only minor positive effects of Vitamin E supplementation, cows were often fed diets based on grass or grass-clover silages, which reflects the structure of organic cattle diets. In conclusion, it was proposed that Vitamin E supplementation is not needed for mid and late lactating cows on pasture or fed a basal diet of grass-clover-silages. For dry and peripartum cows as well as for cows fed maize silage, hay or haylage, supplementation was strongly recommended

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In this paper, we investigated the idea of including mobile robots as complementary machinery to tractors in an agricultural context. The main idea is not to replace the human farmer, but to augment his/her capabilities by deploying mobile robots as assistants in field operations. The scheme is based on a leader–follower approach. The manned tractor is used as a leader, which will be taken as a reference point for a follower. The follower then takes the position of the leader as a target, and follows it in an autonomous manner. This will allow the farmer to multiply the working width by the number of mobile robots deployed during field operations. In this paper, we present a detailed description of the system, the theoretical aspect that allows the robot to autonomously follow the tractor, in addition to the different experimental steps that allowed us to test the system in the field to assess the robustness of the proposed scheme.

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Pyrolysis is a valid thermos-chemical process of energy production that produces biochar from potentially harmful biomasses. This study aims to investigate the pyrolytic conversion of olive mill solid residues (OMSR) into biochar, with the aim of characterizing this product towards applications for soil improvement and soil C sequestration. Production parameters of OMSR-biochar (OB) and physico-chemical characteristics were analyzed and compared with published data to assess the potential of OB to serve as a soil amendment and soil C sequestration method. The slow pyrolysis of OMSR at 450° leads to a good proportion between produced products (fuels liquid and gas, and solid), and generates about the 35% of OB. In turn, this product reveals the absence of phytotoxicity, the presence of exchangeable surface cations, structure, particle size distribution and external surface groups suitable for agricultural uses, and high C content with a potential long lasting in soil. The physico-chemical characteristics of OB reported here suggest that OB could be used for improving soils and increasing C sequestration in a sustainable way.

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Fragmentation of isolated populations increases the risk of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity. The endemic Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in the world with a population of only ~ 400 individuals. The current genetic diversity of this subspecies, isolated in Lake Saimaa in Finland for ca. 1000 generations, is alarmingly low. We performed whole-genome sequencing on Saimaa ringed seals (N = 30) and analyzed the level of homozygosity and genetic composition across the individual genomes. Our results show that the Saimaa ringed seal population has a high number of runs of homozygosity (RoH) compared with the neighboring Baltic ringed seal (Pusa hispida botnica) reference population (p < 0.001). There is also a tendency for stillborn seal pups to have more pronounced RoH. Since the population is divided into semi-isolated subpopulations within the Lake Saimaa exposing the population to deleterious genomic effects, our results support augmented gene flow as a genetic conservation action. Based on our results suggesting inbreeding depression in the population, we recommend Pihlajavesi as a potential source and Southern Saimaa as a potential recipient subpopulation for translocating individuals. The Saimaa ringed seal is a recognized subspecies and therefore translocations should be considered only within the lake to avoid an unpredictable risk of disease, the introduction of deleterious alleles, and severe ecological issues for the population.

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The present research was undertaken to investigate polyphenolic profiles of peel, pulp and juices made from two standard commercial and five traditional apple cultivars from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main goal of the study was to monitor the distribution and changes of polyphenolic profiles through different phases of apples’ processing into cloudy and clear juices, with regard to L-ascorbic acid pretreatment. Quantitative determination of phenolic compounds was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. The obtained results showed that traditional cultivars, namely ‘Paradija’ and ‘Prijedorska zelenika’, displayed significantly higher content of these compounds compared to commercial ones. Flavan 3-ols and flavonol glycosides were mostly found in peels of all cultivars (21.2–44.1 and 5.40–33.3%, respectively), while phenolic acids along with flavan 3-ols were predominant in the pulp (8.20–30.8 and 5.10–13.9%, respectively). Apples’ processing into juices caused decrease (more than 90%) in the content of all polyphenols and the distribution of these compounds from fruits to final products had a negative trend, particularly evident in clear juices. The most drastic loss occurred in the flavonol glycosides and dihydrochalcones content, while chlorogenic acid displayed quite stable distribution from apples to final products due to its good solubility. Apple mash pretreatment with L-ascorbic acid had a positive impact on the preservation and retention of polyphenols.

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Key message We studied size distributions of decay-affected Norway spruce trees using cut-to-length harvester data. The harvester data comprised tree-level decay and decay severity recordings from 101 final felling stands, which enabled to analyze relationships between size distributions of all and decay-affected trees. Distribution matching technique was used to transfer the size distribution of all trees into the diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution of decay-affected trees. Context Stem decay of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) results in large economic losses in timber production in the northern hemisphere. Forest management planning typically requires information on tree size distributions. However, size distributions of decay-affected trees generally remain unknown impeding decision-making in forest management planning. Aims Our aim was to analyze and model relationships between size distributions of all and decay-affected Norway spruce trees at the level of forest stands. Methods Cut-to-length harvester data of 93,456 trees were collected from 101 final felling stands in Norway. For each Norway spruce tree (94% of trees), the presence and severity of stem decay (incipient and advanced) were recorded. The stand-level size distributions (diameter at breast height, DBH; height, H) of all and decay-affected trees were described using the Weibull distribution. We proposed distribution matching (DM) models that transform either the DBH or H distribution of all trees into DBH distributions of decay-affected trees. We compared the predictive performance of DMs with a null-model that refers to a global Weibull distribution estimated based on DBHs of all harvested decay-affected trees. Results The harvester data showed that an average-sized decay-affected tree is larger and taller compared with an average-sized tree in a forest stand, while trees with advanced decay were generally shorter and thinner compared with trees having incipient decay. DBH distributions of decay-affected trees can be matched with smaller error index (EI) values using DBH (EI = 0.14) than H distributions (EI = 0.31). DM clearly outperformed the null model that resulted in an EI of 0.32. Conclusions The harvester data analysis showed a relationship between size distributions of all and decay-affected trees that can be explained by the spread biology of decay fungi and modeled using the DM technique. Keywords Root and butt rot, Heterobasidion spp., Armillaria spp., Cut-to-length harvester, Forest management and planning

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Monitoring and managing Earth’s forests in an informed manner is an important requirement for addressing challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change. While traditional in situ or aerial campaigns for forest assessments provide accurate data for analysis at regional level, scaling them to entire countries and beyond with high temporal resolution is hardly possible. In this work, we propose a method based on deep ensembles that densely estimates forest structure variables at country-scale with 10-m resolution, using freely available satellite imagery as input. Our method jointly transforms Sentinel-2 optical images and Sentinel-1 syntheticaperture radar images into maps of five different forest structure variables: 95th height percentile, mean height, density, Gini coefficient, and fractional cover. We train and test our model on reference data from 41 airborne laser scanning missions across Norway and demonstrate that it is able to generalize to unseen test regions, achieving normalized mean absolute errors between 11% and 15%, depending on the variable. Our work is also the first to propose a variant of so-called Bayesian deep learning to densely predict multiple forest structure variables with well-calibrated uncertainty estimates from satellite imagery. The uncertainty information increases the trustworthiness of the model and its suitability for downstream tasks that require reliable confidence estimates as a basis for decision making. We present an extensive set of experiments to validate the accuracy of the predicted maps as well as the quality of the predicted uncertainties. To demonstrate scalability, we provide Norway-wide maps for the five forest structure variables.

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Vermicomposts and composts prepared from sewage sludge digestate and additives (spent mushroom compost, straw, biochar) after 43 days pre-composting followed by 90 days vermicomposting with Eisenia fetida or by compost maturing were investigated regarding the potentially toxic element (PTE) As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn contents. The average increment in the total PTE concentration for the entire process was ten times higher (104 %) compared to the increment solely in the composting or vermicomposting (9.3 and 9.5 %, respectively) after pretreatment. Compared to the untreated digestate the As and Co concentrations in the final mixtures were 26 and 51 % higher, respectively while for the other PTEs 26 ± 9 % average decrease was observed. Total PTE content was the same in composts and vermicomposts. Average PTE bioavailability (water soluble/total concentration) was statistically the same in vermicomposts (2.5) and composts (2.7), but lower in mixtures with biochar (2.5) than without it (2.8).

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Brown rot fungi are a marvel and an enigma of Nature. They are capable of depolymerizing holocellulose within wood cell walls without significantly ineralizing lignin. The exact details behind this feat remain unknown, but a staggered mechanism has been identified: 1) an initial step characterized by oxidative degradation of the wood cell wall biopolymers and hypothesized to involve transport of Fe3+ chelated by oxalate into the cell wall, and 2) a second degradation step dominated by hydrolytic enzymes, primarily endoglucanase activity. We subjected spruce wood (Picea abies) to Rhodonia placenta and isolated xylem tissue in the initial stage of degradation. Confocal Raman microscopy revealed oxalate accumulation in the secondary cell wall of a tracheid having fungal hyphae within the lumen. This observation is the first in situ verification of oxalate accumulation within the cell wall during the first step of brown rot degradation.

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Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a widely recognised measure for reducing pollution loads and improving the quality of surface waters. The removal efficiency of CWs varies considerably depending on system type and design as well as residence time, hydraulic load, particles and nutrient loading rates. Therefore, there is a need to closely monitor the efficiency of existing measures, look at their efficiency in practice and be able to foresee potential implications for their efficiency in light of climate change and land management intensification. This study presents 18 years of data from a typical Norwegian small CW established in the Skuterud catchment. The main objective of this study was to look at the impact of hydraulic load, particles and nutrient loads (depending on climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation) on CW effectiveness. The results showed an average of 39 % and 22 % annual removal efficiency for sediment and phosphorus, respectively. It appears that good CW effectiveness coincides with a combination of high sediment or phosphorus loads to the CW and a stable runoff of low to moderate intensity. At the seasonal level, the highest sediment and phosphorus removal efficiency is observed in the summer seasons (47% for sediment and 29% for phosphorus), when the sediment and phosphorus loads and runoff are at their lowest, and the lowest in autumn (23% for sediment) and in winter (4% for phosphorus). The relationship between removal efficiency and loads to the CW is not that straightforward, as other seasonal differences, such as erosion patterns, vegetation development, also become important. The conclusion based on the results presented is that establishing CWs can be a good supplement to best management practice in erosion-prone catchments with sensitive recipients.

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Quantifying the similarities and differences in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition between different ecosystems is important to develop effective measures to reduce air pollution and maintain biodiversity. Here we show that the constitution of N deposition differed significantly between a grassland and a desert ecosystem in Northwestern China. Flux of bulk (wet plus part of dry deposition) and dry (gaseous NH3 and NO2) deposition were continuously monitored from 2018 to 2020. The grassland and desert sites had similar amount of total N deposition, being 7.29 and 6.33 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. However, N deposition at the grassland was dominated by the bulk deposition (4.44 kg N ha−1 yr−1, 61% of the total N deposition), whereas that at the desert was dominated by dry deposition (4.20 kg N ha−1 yr−1, 66% of total deposition). The desert had greater ambient concentrations of NH3 (3.66 μg N m−3) and NO2 (1.52 μg N m−3) than the grassland (2.73 μg NH3–N m−3 and 0.72 μg NO2–N m−3). The amount of reduced N deposition (NH4+ and NH3) was around 3 times of that of oxidized N deposition (NO3− and NO2) in both ecosystems. The N deposition rates in both ecosystems have exceeded the critical load for the fragile ecosystems (5–10 kg N ha−1 yr−1), highlighting the importance of reducing N emission sources that are related with anthropogenic disturbance.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of traditional apple cultivars from Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve the aroma of the less aromatic international cultivar “Idared” in the production of spirits. Two flavor improvement approaches were used: joint fermentation of traditional and “Idared” apples and the maceration of traditional apples in raw “Idared” spirits, followed by redistillation. Minor aroma volatile compounds in the obtained spirits were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy techniques after enrichment via solid-phase microextraction. Overall, 36 minor volatile compounds were found in spirits. The share of detected compounds varied greatly among samples due to the flavoring approach and used cultivars. Flavor improvement during fermentation proved a more efficient approach. Even 10% share of a traditional apple is enough to improve the positive sensory attributes of the spirits. The obtained results encourage the future use of traditional apple cultivars in the production and flavor improvement of fruit spirits.

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Soil nutrient contents and stoichiometric ratios are determinants for soil biogeochemical cycling and functions. Variable rock fragment contents (RFC) may shape the soil nutrient status and availability in mountain ecosystems. We need to better understand how and why soil nutrients and stoichiometry shift across the RFC gradients. To investigate patterns of soil nutrient stoichiometry and underlying mechanisms in rocky soils, we conducted a field experiment involving four RFCs gradients (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%, V/V) and five vegetation treatments (four indigenous species, Artemisia vestita, Bauhinia brachycarpa, Cotinus szechuanensis and Sophora davidii, plus a non-planted treatment). Soil total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P) and their molar ratios were measured. The contents of soil C, N and P, and C:N, C:P and N:P decreased with increasing RFC in all treatments, despite their trends were inconsistent in certain soil layers. The averages of soil N content significantly increased by 13.8% and 14.8% in C. szechuanensis and S. davidii, respectively. A. vestita and B. brachycarpa had higher soil C:N than C. szechuanensis and S. davidii. Soil nutrients and stoichiometry were positively related to soil water content (SWC) and soil capillary porosity, and negatively to bulk density and soil non-capillary porosity in all vegetation treatments, but varying relationships with biomass of plant components. These results demonstrated negative effect of RFC and discrepant effects of the plants on soil nutrients and stoichiometry. Soil structure, SWC and vegetation were the main drivers of variations in soil nutrient stoichiometry. We further concluded that soil nutrient stoichiometry in rocky soils is shaped by two influencing paths; effects of RFC on soil physical properties (SWC and soil structure) and effects of different vegetations. Our findings advance knowledge and mechanisms of soil nutrient stoichiometry in rocky soils and provide theoretical support for improving and restoring nutrient status in stony regions.

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In forest ecosystems, fungi are the key actors in wood decay. They have the capability to degrade lignified substrates and the woody biomass of coniferous forests, with brown rot fungi being common colonizers. Brown rots are typically involved in the earliest phase of lignocellulose breakdown, which therefore influences colonization by other microorganisms. However, few studies have focused on the impact of introducing decayed wood into forest environments to gauge successional colonization by natural bacterial and fungal communities following partial decay. This study aimed to address this issue by investigating the bacterial and fungal colonization of Norway spruce (Picea abies) wood, after intermediate and advanced laboratory-based, pre-decay, by the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum. Using Illumina metabarcoding, the in situ colonization of the wood blocks was monitored 70 days after the blocks were placed on the forest floor and covered with litter. We observed significant changes in the bacterial and fungal communities associated with the pre-decayed stage. Further, the wood substrate condition acted as a gatekeeper by reducing richness for both microbial communities and diversity of fungal communities. Our data also suggest that the growth of some fungal and bacterial species was driven by similar environmental conditions.

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European canker is one of the most devastating fungal diseases of apple in most temperate regions. The causal agent, Neonectria ditissima, infects trees through wounds in the bark forming cankers that girdle the stem and eventually cause tree death. Timely protection of the trees is challenged by stagnation of symptom expression after infections for a long period of time. The objective of this research is to use a novel TaqMan PCR assay to detect and quantify N. ditissima during the asymptomatic colonization of apple wood. Pruning wounds on branches of the cultivars Elstar and Gala were inoculated with N. ditissima and wood discs were sampled at 2–6, 10–14, and 30–34 mm distance from the inoculation site after 3 hours, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks for the detection and quantification of the pathogen. The TaqMan PCR assay detected N. ditissima in 51% of the inoculated apple tree samples. This was more sensitive than the culturing method detecting N. ditissima in 11% of the samples. An accumulation of N. ditissima DNA up to 34 mm distance from the inoculation site was observed without development of visible symptoms. To our knowledge this is the first time colonization of N. ditissima was detected and quantified in the absence of symptoms of European canker. The implications of this research are discussed.

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The spatial distribution of organic substrates and microscale soil heterogeneity significantly influence organic matter (OM) persistence as constraints on OM accessibility to microorganisms. However, it is unclear how changes in OM spatial heterogeneity driven by factors such as soil depth affect the relative importance of substrate spatial distribution on OM persistence. This work evaluated the decomposition and persistence of 13C and 15N labeled water-extractable OM inputs over 50 days as either hotspot (i.e., pelleted in 1 – 2 mm-size pieces) or distributed (i.e., added as OM < 0.07 µm suspended in water) forms in topsoil (0-0.2 m) and subsoil (0.8-0.9 m) samples of an Andisol. We observed greater persistence of added C in the subsoil with distributed OM inputs relative to hotspot OM, indicated by a 17% reduction in cumulative mineralization of the added C and a 10% higher conversion to mineral-associated OM. A lower substrate availability potentially reduced mineralization due to OM dispersion throughout the soil. NanoSIMS (nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry) analysis identified organo-mineral associations on cross-sectioned aggregate interiors in the subsoil. On the other hand, in the topsoil, we did not observe significant differences in the persistence of OM, suggesting that the large amounts of particulate OM already present in the soil outweighed the influence of added OM spatial distribution. Here, we demonstrated under laboratory conditions that the spatial distribution of fresh OM input alone significantly affected the decomposition and persistence of OM inputs in the subsoil. On the other hand, spatial distribution seems to play a lower role in topsoils rich in particulate OM. The divergence in the influence of OM spatial distribution between the top and subsoil is likely driven by differences in soil mineralogy and OM composition.

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The identification of individual tree logs along the wood procurement chain is a coveted goal within the forest industry. The tracing of logs from the sawmill back to the forest would support the legal and sustainable sourcing of wood, as well as increase the resource efficiency and value of harvested timber. In this work, using a dataset of thousands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) log end images displaying varying perspectives, lighting, and aging effects, we develop and assess log identification methods based on deep convolutional neural networks. The estimated rank-1 accuracy of our final model on an independent test set of 99 logs is 84 and 91% when allowing for random rotations of the log ends and when keeping each log at approximately fixed orientation, respectively. We estimate the scaling of these methods up to a template pool size of 493 logs, which reveals a weak dependence of accuracy on pool size for logs at fixed orientation. The deep learning approach gives superior results to a classical local binary pattern method, and appears feasible in practice, assuming that pre-filtering of the log database can be leveraged depending on the use case and properties of the queried log image. We make our dataset publicly available.

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Modifying natural polymers with silicones gives new possibilities for packaging products and waste management. In this study, the innovative papers produced were altered following the reaction of polysaccharides and organosilicon compounds. The susceptibility of the studied material to biodegradation caused by a brown-rot fungus was assessed. Strength properties by tensile strength and dynamic mechanical analysis and hydrophobic properties by water uptake test and water contact angle analysis were evaluated. Moreover, elemental analysis by ICP method was controlled. The durability against fungi and the hydrophobic properties were increased by the modification. The fungal decay resistance of the silanized paper was reduced by water storage, which allows for managing paper waste. Cellulose-based paper treated with starch-modified methyltrimethoxysilane showed potential as a packaging material due to its reduced water uptake. Possible application areas could be corrugated boxes, cellulose thermoformed products for electronics, and food packaging. However, the water-repellent effect is limited to short-term exposure in humid conditions.

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The Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is endemic to Lake Saimaa in Finland. The subspecies is thought to have originated when parts of the ringed seal population of the Baltic region were trapped in lakes emerging due to postglacial bedrock rebound around 9000 years ago. During the 20th century, the population experienced a drastic human-induced bottleneck. Today encompassing a little over 400 seals with extremely low genetic diversity, it is classified as endangered. We sequenced sections of the mitochondrial control region from 60 up to 125-years-old museum specimens of the Saimaa ringed seal. The generated dataset was combined with publicly available sequences. We studied how genetic variation has changed through time in this subspecies and how it is phylogenetically related to other ringed seal populations from the Baltic Sea, Lake Ladoga, North America, Svalbard, and the White Sea. We observed temporal fluctuations in haplotype frequencies and loss of haplotypes accompanied by a recent reduction in female effective population size. In apparent contrast with the traditionally held view of the Baltic origin of the population, the Saimaa ringed seal mtDNA variation also shows affinities to North American ringed seals. Our results suggest that the Saimaa ringed seal has experienced recent genetic drift associated with small population size. The results further suggest that extant Baltic ringed seal is not representative of the ancestral population of the Saimaa ringed seal, which calls for re-evaluation of the deep history of this subspecies.

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The ideal conditions for anaerobic digestion experiments with biochar addition are challenging to thoroughly study due to different experimental purposes. Therefore, three tree-based machine learning models were developed to depict the intricate connection between biochar properties and anaerobic digestion. For the methane yield and maximum methane production rate, the gradient boosting decision tree produced R2 values of 0.84 and 0.69, respectively. According to feature analysis, digestion time and particle size had a substantial impact on the methane yield and production rate, respectively. When particle sizes were in the range of 0.3–0.5 mm and the specific surface area was approximately 290 m2/g, corresponding to a range of O content (>31%) and biochar addition (>20 g/L), the maximum promotion of methane yield and maximum methane production rate were attained. Therefore, this study presents new insights into the effects of biochar on anaerobic digestion through tree-based machine learning.

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Light acts as a trigger to enhance the accumulation of secondary compounds in the aboveground part of plants; however, whether a similar triggering effect occurs in roots is unclear. Using an aeroponic setup, we investigated the effect of long term exposure of roots to LED lighting of different wavelengths on the growth andp hytochemical composition of two high-value medicinal plants, Artemisia annua and Hypericum perforatum. In A. annua, root exposure to white, blue, and red light enhanced the accumulation of artemisinin in the shoots by 2.3-, 2.5-, and 1.9-fold, respectively. In H. perforatum, root exposure to white, blue, red, and green light enhanced the accumulation of coumaroylquinic acid in leaves by 89, 65, 84, and 74%, respectively. Root lighting also increased flavonol concentrations. In contrast to its effects in the shoots, root illumination did not change phytochemical composition in the roots or root exudates. Thus, root illumination induces a systemic response, resulting in modulation of the phytochemical composition in distal tissues remote from the light exposure site.

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Urban grasslands are crucial for biodiversity and ecosystem services in cities, while little is known about their multifunctionality under climate change. Thus, we investigated the effects of simulated climate change, i.e., increased [CO2] and temperature, and reduced precipitation, on individual functions and overall multifunctionality in mesocosm grasslands sown with forbs and grasses in four different proportions aiming at mimicking road verge grassland patches. Climate change scenarios RCP2.6 (control) and RCP8.5 (worst-case) were simulated in walk-in climate chambers of an ecotron facility, and watering was manipulated for normal vs. reduced precipitation. We measured eight indicator variables of ecosystem functions based on below- and aboveground characteristics. The young grassland communities responded to higher [CO2] and warmer conditions with increased vegetation cover, height, flower production, and soil respiration. Lower precipitation affected carbon cycling in the ecosystem by reducing biomass production and soil respiration. In turn, the water regulation capacity of the grasslands depended on precipitation interacting with climate change scenario, given the enhanced water efficiency resulting from increased [CO2] under RCP8.5. Multifunctionality was negatively affected by reduced precipitation, especially under RCP2.6. Trade-offs arose among single functions that performed best in either grass- or forb-dominated grasslands. Grasslands with an even ratio of plant functional types coped better with climate change and thus are good options for increasing the benefits of urban green infrastructure. Overall, the study provides experimental evidence of the effects of climate change on the functionality of urban ecosystems. Designing the composition of urban grasslands based on ecological theory may increase their resilience to global change.

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The present work aims to study the influence of ammonium-quaternary monomers and chitosan, obtained from different sources, upon the effect of semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels upon the removal of waterborne pathogens and bacteria from wastewater. To this end, the study was focused on using vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride (VBTAC), a water-soluble monomer with known antibacterial properties, and mineral-enriched chitosan extracted from shrimp shells, to prepare the semi-IPNs. By using chitosan, which still contains the native minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), the study intends to justify that the stability and efficiency of the semi-IPN bactericidal devices can be modified and better improved. The new semi-IPNs were characterized for composition, thermal stability and morphology using well-known methods. Swelling degree (SD%) and the bactericidal effect assessed using molecular methods revealed that hydrogels made of chitosan derived from shrimp shell demonstrated the most competitive and promising potential for wastewater (WW) treatment.

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Resource specialization and ecological speciation arising through host-associated genetic differentiation (HAD) are frequently invoked as an explanation for the high diversity of plant-feeding insects and other organisms with a parasitic lifestyle. While genetic studies have demonstrated numerous examples of HAD in insect herbivores, the rarity of comparative studies means that we still lack an understanding of how deterministic HAD is, and whether patterns of host shifts can be predicted over evolutionary timescales. We applied genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism and mitochondrial DNA sequence data obtained through genome resequencing to define species limits and to compare host-plant use in population samples of leaf- and bud-galling sawflies (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Nematinae) collected from seven shared willow (Salicaceae: Salix) host species. To infer the repeatability of long-term cophylogenetic patterns, we also contrasted the phylogenies of the two galler groups with each other as well as with the phylogeny of their Salix hosts estimated based on RADseq data. We found clear evidence for host specialization and HAD in both of the focal galler groups, but also that leaf gallers are more specialized to single host species compared with most bud gallers. In contrast to bud gallers, leaf gallers also exhibited statistically significant cophylogenetic signal with their Salix hosts. The observed discordant patterns of resource specialization and host shifts in two related galler groups that have radiated in parallel across a shared resource base indicate a lack of evolutionary repeatability in the focal system, and suggest that short- and long-term host use and ecological diversification in plant-feeding insects are dominated by stochasticity and/or lineage-specific effects.

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Six sweet cherry cultivars and two advanced selections of Gisela 5 rootstock were tested in 2015–2021 at the Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. Fruit trees were planted at distances of 4.5 × 2.5 m and trained as spindles. Orchard floor management included frequently mown grass in alleyways with herbicide strips along tree rows. Cultivars ‘Mindaugė’ and ‘Irema BS’ were the most vigorous at the end of the seventh leaf. Their trunk diameter achieved 11.6 cm. The ‘Merchant’ cultivar had the smallest trunk diameter—9.3 cm. The average yield in 2018–2021 ranged from 2.75 t/ha for ‘Vega’ to 8.73 t/ha for ‘Regina’. Cultivars ‘Regina’, ‘Sunburst’, ‘Irema BS’ and ‘Merchant’ had the highest cumulative yield efficiency of 0.440–0.503 kg/cm2 with respect to the trunk cross-section area (TCSA). The least productive cultivar ‘Vega’ produced fruits of the highest average weight—9.9 g. Fruits of ‘Regina’ and ‘Sunburst’ were large as well—8.8–9.1 g. ‘Irema BS’ fruits had the highest soluble solids content (SSC)—20.2%. The lowest SSC was recorded in ‘Merchant’ and ‘Sunburst’ fruits—14.7–15.8%. The yield of advanced selection, No. 102, equaled to the yield of cv. ‘Regina’. No. 102 had a high fruit weight, and fruits were distinguished by attractiveness and taste.

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In the economics literature, measuring the performance of a dairy farm with a total productivity index is common practice. Previous research, on the other hand, has been chastised for failing to account for agricultural emissions in their models when calculating resource use productivity. This study estimated green total factor productivity (GTFP) accounting for dairy farms' CH4 emission to the model. The study is based on unbalanced panel data from 692 specialized dairy farms from 1991 to 2020. To estimate GTFP and its components using multiple input–output environmental production technologies, a stochastic input distance function and a Translog model were used. The average annual growth rate of green production over the research period was 0. 032%. The main reason for the increase in GTFP was positive scale change contributions. Technological change (− 0.031% per year) and efficiency change (− 0.002% per year), on the other hand, had a detrimental effect on GTFP.

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Stress can have long-lasting impacts on plants. Here we report the long-term effects of the stress hormone jasmonic acid (JA) on the defence phenotype, transcriptome and DNA methylome of Arabidopsis. Three weeks after transient JA signalling, 5-week-old plants retained induced resistance (IR) against herbivory but showed increased susceptibility to pathogens. Transcriptome analysis revealed long-term priming and/or upregulation of JA-dependent defence genes but repression of ethylene- and salicylic acid-dependent genes. Long-term JA-IR was associated with shifts in glucosinolate composition and required MYC2/3/4 transcription factors, RNA-directed DNA methylation, the DNA demethylase ROS1 and the small RNA (sRNA)-binding protein AGO1. Although methylome analysis did not reveal consistent changes in DNA methylation near MYC2/3/4-controlled genes, JA-treated plants were specifically enriched with hypomethylated ATREP2 transposable elements (TEs). Epigenomic characterization of mutants and transgenic lines revealed that ATREP2 TEs are regulated by RdDM and ROS1 and produce 21 nt sRNAs that bind to nuclear AGO1. Since ATREP2 TEs are enriched with sequences from IR-related defence genes, our results suggest that AGO1-associated sRNAs from hypomethylated ATREP2 TEs trans-regulate long-lasting memory of JA-dependent immunity.

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Rainfall is one of the dominating climatic parameters that affect water availability. Trend analysis is of paramount significance to understand the behavior of hydrological and climatic variables over a long timescale. The main aim of the present study was to identify trends and analyze existing linkages between rainfall and streamflow in the Nilwala River Basin (NRB) of Southern Sri Lanka. An investigation of the trends, detection of change points and streamflow alteration, and linkage between rainfall and streamflow were carried out using the Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope test, Pettitt’s test, indicators of hydrological alteration (IHA), and Pearson’s correlation test. Selected rainfall-related extreme climatic indices, namely, CDD, CWD, PRCPTOT, R25, and Rx5, were calculated using the RClimdex software. Trend analysis of rainfall data and extreme rainfall indices demonstrated few statistically significant trends at the monthly, seasonal, and annual scales, while streamflow data showed non-significant trends, except for December. Pettitt’s test showed that Dampahala had a higher number of statistically significant change points among the six rainfall stations. The Pearson coefficient correlation showed a strong-to–very-strong positive relationship between rainfall and streamflow. Generally, both rainfall and streamflow showed non-significant trend patterns in the NRB, suggesting that rainfall had a higher impact on streamflow patterns in the basin. The historical trends of extreme climatic indices suggested that the NRB did not experience extreme climates. The results of the present study will provide valuable information for water resource planning, flood and disaster mitigation, agricultural operations planning, and hydropower generation in the NRB.

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Soil degradation is a serious environmental issue in many regions of the world, and Sri Lanka is not an exception. Maha Oya River Basin (MORB) is one of the major river basins in tropical Sri Lanka, which suffers from regular soil erosion and degradation. The current study was designed to estimate the soil erosion associated with land use changes of the MORB. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used in calculating the annual soil erosion rates, while the Geographic Information System (GIS) was used in mapping the spatial variations of the soil erosion hazard over a 30-year period. Thereafter, soil erosion hotspots in the MORB were also identified. The results of this study revealed that the mean average soil loss from the MORB has substantially increased from 2.81 t ha−1 yr−1 in 1989 to 3.21 t ha−1 yr−1 in 2021, which is an increment of about 14.23%. An extremely critical soil erosion-prone locations (average annual soil loss > 60 t ha−1 yr−1) map of the MORB was developed for the year 2021. The severity classes revealed that approximately 4.61% and 6.11% of the study area were in high to extremely high erosion hazard classes in 1989 and 2021, respectively. Based on the results, it was found that the extreme soil erosion occurs when forests and vegetation land are converted into agricultural and bare land/farmland. The spatial analysis further reveals that erosion-prone soil types, steep slope areas, and reduced forest/vegetation cover in hilly mountain areas contributed to the high soil erosion risk (16.56 to 91.01 t ha−1 yr−1) of the MORB. These high soil erosional areas should be prioritized according to the severity classes, and appropriate land use/land cover (LU/LC) management and water conservation practices should be implemented as recommended by this study to restore degraded lands.

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The accumulation of petroleum-based plastics causes economic and environmental concerns which necessitate a comprehensive search for biodegradable packaging materials. Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is an interesting by-product, which is one of the main wastes of beer production in Europe. BSG could offer added value in the food packaging sector owing to the significant amount generated annually, high biomaterials content, and low market value. Herein, the significance of various biorefinery techniques (physical, chemical, and biological) for the extraction of high-value products (such as protein, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and phenolic compounds) from the BSG are comprehensively examined. BSG-derived biodegradable films and coatings for food packaging are critically evaluated. Finally, techno-economics, environmental impacts, energy consumption, regulations, challenges, and prospects are also critically evaluated. The best biorefinery system necessitates a balance between extraction efficiency, energy consumption, environmental impact, tangible upscaling, and operating cost. The mechanical dewatering of BSG before extraction, including the physical pretreatments, utilization of green solvents, the integration of the solvent recovery system, and the combination of two or more biorefinery techniques could reduce the energy requirements, greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the recovery yield of biomaterials. Cellulose, lignin, xylitol, and arabinoxylan are recommended as the most promising components from BSG for food packaging applications.

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Northern forest ecosystems make up an important part of the global carbon cycle. Hence, monitoring local-scale gross primary production (GPP) of Northern forest is essential for understanding climatic change impacts on terrestrial carbon sequestration and for assessing and planning management practices. Here we evaluate and compare four methods for estimating GPP using Sentinel-2 data in order to improve current available GPP estimates: four empirical regression models based on either the 2-band Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI2) or the plant phenology index (PPI), an asymptotic light response function (LRF) model, and a light-use efficiency (LUE) model using the MOD1732 algorithm. These approaches were based on remote sensing vegetation indices, air temperature (Tair), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). The models were parametrized and evaluated using in-situ data from eleven forest sites in North Europe, covering two common forest types, evergreen needleleaf forest and deciduous broadleaf forest. Most of the models gave good agreement with eddy covariance-derived GPP. The VI-based regression models performed well in evergreen needleleaf forest (R2 = 0.69–0.78, RMSE = 1.97–2.28 g C m−2 d−1, and NRMSE =9-11.0%, eight sites), whereas the LRF and MOD17 performed slightly worse (R2 = 0.65 and 0.57, RMSE = 2.49 and 2.72 g C m−2 d−1, NRMSE = 12 and 13.0%, respectively). In deciduous broadleaf forest all models, except the LRF, showed close agreements with the observed GPP (R2 = 0.75–0.80, RMSE = 2.23–2.46 g C m−2 d−1, NRMSE = 11–12%, three sites). For the LRF model, R2 = 0.57, RMSE = 3.21 g C m−2 d−1, NRMSE = 16%. The results highlighted the necessity of improved models in evergreen needleleaf forest where the LUE approach gave poorer results., The simplest regression model using only PPI performed well beside more complex models, suggesting PPI to be a process indicator directly linked with GPP. All models were able to capture the seasonal dynamics of GPP well, but underestimation of the growing season peaks were a common issue. The LRF was the only model tending to overestimate GPP. Estimation of interannual variability in cumulative GPP was less accurate than the single-year models and will need further development. In general, all models performed well on local scale and demonstrated their feasibility for upscaling GPP in northern forest ecosystems using Sentinel-2 data.

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Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) Hermetia illucens is fastest growing and most promising insect species especially recommended to bring high-fat content as 5th generation bioenergy. The fat content can be fully optimized during the life-cycle of the BSFL through various organic dietary supplements and environmental conditions. Enriched fat can be obtained during the larval stages of the BSF. The presence of high saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in their body helps to produce 70 % of extractable oil which can be converted into biodiesel through transesterification. The first-generation biodiesel process mainly depends on catalytic transesterification, however, BSFL had 94 % of biodiesel production through non-catalytic transesterification. This increases the sustainability of producing biodiesel with less energy input in the process line. Other carbon emitting factors involved in the rearing of BSFL are less than the other biodiesel feedstocks including microalgae, cooking oil, and non-edible oil. Therefore, this review is focused on evaluating the optimum dietary source to produce fatty acid rich larvae and larval growth to accumulate C16–18 fatty acids in larger amounts from agro food waste. The process of optimization and biorefining of lipids using novel techniques have been discussed herein. The sustainability impact was evaluated from the cultivation to biodiesel conversion with greenhouse gas emissions scores in the entire life-cycle of process flow. The state-of-the-art in connecting circular bioeconomy loop in the search for bioenergy was meticulously covered.

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The combination of preharvest treatments with calcium chloride and fungicides, and storage of maturity graded fruit were assessed in five European plum cultivars. At harvest, samples of fruit within a commercially suitable range in ripening were divided into two categories: less-ripe (tree ripe-) and more-ripe (tree ripe+). The fruit were stored for 10–14 days at 4 °C followed by 2–3 days at 20 °C before the assessment of fungal decay. If calcium chloride was applied six times each season, postharvest fruit decay was significantly reduced in four of nine experiments, with a total mean reduction of around 50%. Two calcium applications in combination with a fungicide treatment reduced decay by approx. 60% compared to the untreated in one experiment. In six of seven experiments there was no effect of preharvest fungicide applications. In six of 10 experiments, fruit of the category tree ripe- had fewer fruit with fungal decay after storage than the tree ripe+fruit. The higher incidence in the category tree ripe+fruit was primarily due to brown rot, Mucor rot, and blue mould. For the category tree ripe+, there was two to ten times more decay than on tree ripe- fruit after a simulated shelf-life period. To ensure low incidence of fungal decay, fruit of commercial harvest maturity may thus be separated in two ripening categories, one for rapid distribution to the market (tree ripe+) and another for extended distribution time (tree ripe-).