No description available.

The study examined the goal fulfillment in edge zones along rivers and lakes in precommercial thinning stands based on national targets which is the basis for Swedish forestry. Pre-commercial thinning has a major impact on the future forest, as it determines how the tree species distribution will turn out. The study was conducted as a field study in February 2018 based on 30 precommercial thinning sites, aged 5–15 years, in connection to rivers and / or lakes. Of these, 25 rivers and five lakes were surveyed. 22 of the surveyed stands were privately owned and 8 were company-owned forests. The edge zones had between 0–100% shadowing of the water surface. Few sites with soil damage were detected and also a varying amount of tree species and deadwood. The most common deadwood was standing and lying dead wood with a diameter of 10 cm for both company and privately-owned forests. The percentage of number of stems per ha of deciduous trees in the edge zones was 52%, Norway spruce 41% and Scots pine 7% respectively. Within the edge zones, the sample areas closest to rivers and lakes had 55% of number of stems per ha deciduous trees, 40% spruce and 6% pine. In the sample areas closest to the stand, the number of deciduous trees was 48%, spruce 44% and pine 9%. Company-owned forests had more spruce (59%) along the waterfront compared to privately owned forests, who had a significantly higher proportion of deciduous trees (61%). By actively working with the composition of the edge zones, creating deadwood, saving trees for shadow and by thinning dense areas, particularly spruce-dominated, increased biodiversity can be achieved. Dense, spruce-dominated areas are those areas where the goal fulfillment is insufficient in many places.

<p>Worldwide amphibians and reptiles are declining with habitat fragmentation and destruction as the primary cause. Riparian areas are important for the herpetofauna, but as land is converted to agriculture or harvested for timber the areas are diminishing. The aim of this study was to examine amphibian and reptile abundance in relation to distance from water and in relation to habitat characteristics, foremost per cent deciduous trees. The survey was conducted during spring at six different locations, with continuous forest along streams or rivers, outside of Karlstad, Sweden. Animals were searched along four lines parallel to the water and each study area was visited five times. Statistical analyses were made for grass snake (<em>Natrix natrix</em>), common lizard (<em>Lacerta vivipara</em>) and frogs with joined data of common frog (<em>Rana temporaria</em>) and moor frog (<em>R. arvalis</em>). As expected both reptiles were positively correlated with per cent deciduous trees, with the strongest significance for the common lizard. For grass snake there was also a difference between survey periods, which might reflect the importance of weather. Frogs revealed no trends to trees, but there was a significant difference for habitat characteristics like amount woody debris and per cent bare ground. None of the species were correlated with distance from water which was surprising, especially for the frogs which is more dependent on water than the reptiles. Grass snakes hunt in the water, but the common lizard has no such associations to the water, yet the latter did reveal a slight trend towards being more numerous closer to the water. The causes behind lacking correlation to distance from water may be many, but water characteristics seem very important. Many amphibians prefer warm and calm ponds over running water that in general are colder and likely to inhabit more predators. It was assumed that the amphibians breed in the streams or rivers, but it is possible that other water bodies may have served as breeding sites, which mean the starting point was incorrect.</p>

Worldwide amphibians and reptiles are declining with habitat fragmentation and destruction as the primary cause. Riparian areas are important for the herpetofauna, but as land is converted to agriculture or harvested for timber the areas are diminishing. The aim of this study was to examine amphibian and reptile abundance in relation to distance from water and in relation to habitat characteristics, foremost per cent deciduous trees. The survey was conducted during spring at six different locations, with continuous forest along streams or rivers, outside of Karlstad, Sweden. Animals were searched along four lines parallel to the water and each study area was visited five times. Statistical analyses were made for grass snake (Natrix natrix), common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) and frogs with joined data of common frog (Rana temporaria) and moor frog (R. arvalis). As expected both reptiles were positively correlated with per cent deciduous trees, with the strongest significance for the common lizard. For grass snake there was also a difference between survey periods, which might reflect the importance of weather. Frogs revealed no trends to trees, but there was a significant difference for habitat characteristics like amount woody debris and per cent bare ground. None of the species were correlated with distance from water which was surprising, especially for the frogs which is more dependent on water than the reptiles. Grass snakes hunt in the water, but the common lizard has no such associations to the water, yet the latter did reveal a slight trend towards being more numerous closer to the water. The causes behind lacking correlation to distance from water may be many, but water characteristics seem very important. Many amphibians prefer warm and calm ponds over running water that in general are colder and likely to inhabit more predators. It was assumed that the amphibians breed in the streams or rivers, but it is possible that other water bodies may have served as breeding sites, which mean the starting point was incorrect.

The European red click beetle, Elater ferrugineus L., is associated with wood mould in old hollow deciduous tree. As a result of severe habitat fragmentation caused by human disturbance, it is threatened throughout its distribution range. A new odour-based trapping method, which is very efficient in attracting males, was used in the present study to relate the occurrence of E. ferrugineus to the density of deciduous trees using a recently completed regional survey recording &gt;120, 000 deciduous trees. Results showed that the occurrence of E. ferrugineus increased with increasing amount of large hollow and large non-hollow trees in the surrounding landscape. Quercus robur was found as an important substrate for E. ferrugineus and two groups of tree species (Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Ulmus glabra, vs. Acer platanoides, Aesculus hippocastanum, Fraxinus excelsior and Tilia cordata) could be a complement to the existence of Quercus in sustaining the beetle’s population. E. ferrugineus responded to the density of Quercus at two different spatial scales, 327 m and 4658 m, suggesting that a multi-scale approach is important for studying the species. In conclusion, for conservation management, priority should be given to Quercus, and also to all deciduous trees in the genera listed above, regardless of the tree quality. The response showed by E. ferrugineus on the amount of substrate at two different scales indicates that using multi-scale approach in studying this particular species is the better option as single-scale approach may result in poor decision support.

For several decades, Moose population (Alces alces) in Sweden has been growing considerably. This increase has resulted in a greater impact and damage in trees, especially in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) which is the basis of Swedish forestry and, therefore the economical losses are considerable. For this reason, for several years, to know Moose feeding behaviour and to look for measures to reduce it is impact on forestry have marked the guidelines of research. The Moose damages the pine mainly in winter, when there are no herbaceous plants and deciduous trees to eat. This project has focused on reducing the moose damage from a biodiversity point of view, following a line similar to the "Optimal forage theory". According to this theory, a moose selects the food according to the composition and the richness of the species. Results have conducted to relation plant-richness with Moose Browsing Damage on Scots pine and with more abundance of trees around a Scots pine, Moose Browsing Damage decreases considerably. In this project I also study the association between Moose activity and the plant-richness. Both (Moose Browsing damage on Scots pine and Moose activity) were tested with Shannon´s and Simpson´s index, two biodiversity indexes. The amount of different plants species nearby a Scots pine were measured and studied, as well. Also, I did the Pearson´s coefficient as an initial relationship between the variables (and observed if it is negative or positive) and ANOVA analysis. Although the conclusions weren´t as clear as I expected, in my opinion this study offered another tool to reduce the before mentioned impact.

Sett över hela landet växer ädellövskog endast på en procent av den produktiva skogsmarken. I det studerade området Dalsland utgörs virkesförrådet uppskattningsvis av tre procent ädla lövträd. Dess förekomst är därför att betrakta som relativt sällsynt. Denna studie hade för avsikt att intervjua markägare som har valt att nyetablera med ädellövskog och genom det förstå vad det är som bidragit till att de föryngrat med dessa trädslag. Undersökningen utfördes genom att sex individer som nyetablerat med ädellövskog intervjuades. Resultatet sammanställdes därefter genom att se på gruppen som en helhet och lyfta fram samtliga påverkande faktorer. Utifrån resultatet kunde 13 faktorer identifieras som bidragande och en förståelse kring dem redogöras för.  Det kan konstateras att ett flertal faktorer påverkat markägarna i valet att plantera ädellövskog.

No description available.

Due to biodiversity loss being large as well as threatening ecosystem functions necessary for oursociety, the UN and EU have created regulations, strategies, and targets to improve biodiversity.Nationally in Sweden, and locally in Stockholm municipality, actions have also been taken. Oakhabitat is especially interesting for the municipality due to its high biodiversity values. This is whyin this study biodiversity connected to potential oak habitats was analysed by a GIS-basedconnectivity model; through which maps depicting possible movements by a model speciescomplex were created. An interview study was performed to investigate the use of GIS-basedplanning support tools for biodiversity, from the perspectives of professionals. Results suggestthat the methods for making choices regarding friction values need to be more transparent andbetter communicated, or standardised, both alternatives with the goal of facilitating interpretationof maps by physical planners. Also, depending on where in the planning process GIS-basedplanning support tools are used, they can be used in different ways. Early in the process, or evenbefore planning starts, they can act as decision support. After the implementation of a plan, theycan instead be beneficial for follow-up of biodiversity aspects. / Förlust av biologisk mångfald är problematisk och påverkar effektiviteten hos naturligaekosystem. De planetära gränserna för biologisk mångfald har sedan länge överskridits. Mål,lagar, och strategier från FN, EU och nationellt visar att frågor kopplade till biologisk mångfald ärbåde viktiga och aktuella. År 2020 antogs Stockholms stads första Handlingsplan för Biologisk Mångfald, vilken påverkarflertalet lokala åtgärder och mål. Ekar, som är en del av det svenska ädellövsbeståndet, ärprioriterade i Stockholms arbete med biologisk mångfald. I GIS-analyser har vissa skalbaggsarteranvänts som indikatorer för bedömning av naturvärden hos dessa bestånd. I denna studie genomfördes en litteraturstudie och fyra intervjuer för djupare insikt i relationenmellan GIS-baserade verktyg för planeringsstöd för biologisk mångfald, och fysisk planering, iStockholms stad. Ytterligare litteraturstudier genomfördes, inriktade på modellarter för biologiskmångfald i ekhabitat, samt tillvägagångssätt vid skapande av friktionsraster.Konnektivitetsanalyser av potentiella ekhabitat, i studieområdet Skarpnäck i södra Stockholm,genomfördes i ArcGIS och Linkage Mapper. Dessa fokuserade på analysens känslighet vidvariation av utvalda parametrar. Huvudsakliga resultat utgörs av kartor där korridorer och kostviktade avstånd beskrivermöjligheten till rörelse mellan habitat, samt hur dessa kan variera drastiskt av attparametervärden ändras. Den största skillnaden uppstod när större vägar betraktades sombarriärer. Det andra huvudsakliga resultatet består av en sammanställning av de intervjuer somutfördes. Där framgår att tidigt i planeringsprocessen, eller innan planprocessen påbörjas, kanGIS-baserade planeringsverktyg användas som beslutstöd. När planen genomförts kan de iställetvara användbara för uppföljning av konsekvenser för biologisk mångfald. Där dessa delar möts uppstår en diskussion om hur GIS-baserade verktyg kan utgöra ett stöd vidplanering för biologisk mångfald, hur det idag används på flertalet sätt och att användningen bådekan utökas och förbättras. Brister i transparens, och rättfärdigande av val av metod ochfriktionsvärden i konnektivitetsanalyser, ses i ljuset av möjligheten att som icke-professionellinom GIS kunna tolka kartor menade att användas som planeringsstöd.

Denna studie undersökte hur heterogenitet i skogsbestånd samt omgivningsfaktorerna träddiameter, variation i träddiameter, död ved och lövinslag påverkar förekomsten av 18 skogsfågelarter i södra Sverige. Fågelinventeringen utfördes med hjälp av linjetaxering längs 100 meter långa transekter. Omgivningsfaktorerna mättes i varje transekt i fem provcirklar med diametern 10 meter. Analysen av träddiameter visade att det främst var diameter på barrträd, men inte på lövträd som inverkade på förekomsten av fåglarna. Sambanden mellan diameter på barrträd och totalt antal fågelarter var övervägande negativa vid 0-30 centimeter i diameter och övervägande positiva vid 30-80 centimeter i diameter. Totalt antal fågelarter samt förekomsten av taltrast och nötväcka ökade även signifikant vid ökad variation i träddiameter. Vid ökad grundyta död ved sågs tendenser till att totalt antal fågelarter och förekomsten av flera enskilda fågelarter ökade. Att antalet arter ökade vid en diameter över 30 centimeter kan kopplas till att förekomsten av håligheter då är högre. I Sverige avverkas granar när de är cirka 30 centimeter i diameter. Resultatet tyder alltså på att avverkningen av gran sker vid den storlek då träden börjar få en positiv inverkan på antalet fågelarter. Att antalet arter ökade vid ökad variation i träddiameter kan bero på ett större utbud av mikrohabitat. Slutsatsen av resultaten är att framförallt diameter på träd, variation i träddiameter och till viss del död ved är viktiga omgivningsfaktorer som påverkar antalet fågelarter. För att bevara artrikedomen av fåglar i svenska skogar bör därför dessa parametrar ingå i den naturhänsyn som tas i samband med skogsbruk. / In this study, the occurrence of 18 forest bird species in southern Sweden was investigated in relation to parameters such as forest heterogeneity and the environmental factors tree diameter, variation in tree diameter, dead wood and fraction of deciduous trees. Birds were recorded along transects of 100 meters. The relationships between coniferous tree diameters and total number of bird species were predominantly found to be negative at trunk diameters of 0-30 centimeters, while mainly positive at trunk diameters of 30-80 centimeters. Also, the total number of species significantly increased with increasing variation in trunk diameter. There was also a tendency towards an increase of the total number of species with increasing basal area of dead wood. In Swedish forestry, spruces are felled when they are about 30 centimeters in trunk diameter. Thus the results indicate that felling of spruce is at the size when the trees start having a positive effect on the number of bird species. That the number of species increased at trunk diameter above 30 centimeters can be connected to the fact that the number of cavities is higher. That the number of species increased with increasing variation in trunk diameter can be due to a larger range of micro habitats. In conclusion, tree diameter, variation in tree diameter and dead wood were demonstrated as important environmental factors affecting the number of bird species. In order to maintain bird species richness in Swedish forests, these environmental factors should be considered in the context of forestry.