<p>Assessment of impacts on nature and reindeer husbandry by the considered mountain road between Borgafjäll and Saxnäs- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institutes method for assessment of damage to heritage assets</p><p>There are plans regarding the building of a new road from Borgafjäll/Båtas to Saxnäs, and two road alternatives have been presented. The road has been localized to an area which is protected as a nature reserve and listed as a Nature 2000 area. This report aims to determine the effects on the Nature 2000 area and reindeer husbandry, and to be a source of knowledge for future environmental impact assessment in that project. In order to assess the impact on nature values and reindeer husbandry a method from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has been used. A literature review has been made to prescribe the effects and consequences. Interviews and geographical information system analysis compliments the report. Both alternatives are going to affect arctic birch forests and specially protected mires. Almost one fifth of the protected arctic birch forest in Gitsfjällets nature reserve will be affected by the alternatives. The distribution and reproduction of arctic fox and wolverine will also be complicated and inhibited. The alternatives are going to create a barrier and fragment the area for reindeer husbandry. This will disturb the reindeer’s mating and calving. On the basis of VTI’s method for the assessment of damage to heritage assets the conclusion is that both road alternatives will affect the nature value and reindeer husbandry negatively. The prerequisite to build the road depends on whether the community</p>

Assessment of impacts on nature and reindeer husbandry by the considered mountain road between Borgafjäll and Saxnäs- Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institutes method for assessment of damage to heritage assets There are plans regarding the building of a new road from Borgafjäll/Båtas to Saxnäs, and two road alternatives have been presented. The road has been localized to an area which is protected as a nature reserve and listed as a Nature 2000 area. This report aims to determine the effects on the Nature 2000 area and reindeer husbandry, and to be a source of knowledge for future environmental impact assessment in that project. In order to assess the impact on nature values and reindeer husbandry a method from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has been used. A literature review has been made to prescribe the effects and consequences. Interviews and geographical information system analysis compliments the report. Both alternatives are going to affect arctic birch forests and specially protected mires. Almost one fifth of the protected arctic birch forest in Gitsfjällets nature reserve will be affected by the alternatives. The distribution and reproduction of arctic fox and wolverine will also be complicated and inhibited. The alternatives are going to create a barrier and fragment the area for reindeer husbandry. This will disturb the reindeer’s mating and calving. On the basis of VTI’s method for the assessment of damage to heritage assets the conclusion is that both road alternatives will affect the nature value and reindeer husbandry negatively. The prerequisite to build the road depends on whether the community

The castle Vivesholm is located about two miles north of Klintehamn on the west side of Gotland. The castle was built around year 1395 and burned down in the end of the 14thcentury. Around the 17th and the 18th century the castle was re-used. However, the emphasis on its use is during the middle ages. This paper aims at getting an insight in the animal husbandry at Vivesholm by analyzing the osteological material. The analysis revealed that bones from sheep/goat were more common than bones from cattle. This means the inhabitants most probably eat meat from smaller herbivores more often than meat from cattle. Pigs have also been consumed at the castle but not in the same extent as sheep/goat and cattle. Hunting as well as fishing hasn’t had a significant role for the inhabitants of Vivesholm, at least not in terms of bones found from e.g. game and fish. The inhabitants of the castle probably had its own stock but also a supply of meat products from elsewhere. Further aim with this paper was to illustrate the use of the house foundations at Vivesholm. For this, the result from the osteological analysis was compared with the archaeological finds. The analysis revealed that Vivesholm probable were built to be in use for a long period, but when the castle was burned down in the end of the 14thcentury, the castle had an abrupt end. The different foundations, both within and outside the dyke, have been interpreted into a smithy, a storehouse, a house for cooking and a lodging house. Inside the northern parts of the castle there was a place for butchery and most of the osteological material comes from this place.

In Legehennenbeständen wurde die Schutzwirkung von vier Impfprogrammen, die der Zentralverband der Deutschen Geflügelwirtschaft e.V. empfiehlt und einer Impfung nach der Hühner-Salmonellen-Verordnung untersucht. Unterschiede in den Impfschemata konnten unter den gewählten Versuchsbedingungen nicht festgestellt werden. Eine Impfung gegen Salmonellen garantiert keine vollständige Elimination des Erregers, sondern eine Reduktion der Besiedelung der Organe sowie der Ausscheidung und der Eikontamination. Auch eine zusätzliche Impfung mit Inaktivatimpfstoffen erbrachte keinen effektiveren Schutz vor Salmonella Enteritidis und Salmonella Thyphimurium. Die Schutzwirkung einer Impfung ist am besten, wenn die Salmonellen-Exposition gering ist.

Disputats. Universität Hohenheim, 2005.

Recent debate concerning the suitability of mortality profile analysis for identifying secondary product utilisation within archaeozoological assemblages has prompted the search for alternative methodologies. This research explores the potential of using weaning age to provide insight into herding strategies in ovicaprines, determined through the prevalence of developmental enamel defects. A histological methodology was developed, adapted to the specific nature of sheep molars through an understanding of formation processes and enamel structures. This established a relationship between weaning and developmental defects in modern sheep, revealed as distinct patterns in defect distribution within the enamel. Based on historical/archaeological data a weaning age model was developed for the North Atlantic region by which herding strategies could be recognised, specifically: mixed milk/meat subsistence, with an emphasis on milk (0-2 months) or on meat (2-4 months), and the optimisation of meat and/or wool (4-6 months). This methodology was then tested on archaeological material to interpret husbandry at Iron Age and Norse/Viking period sites. The results of this analysis showed that interpretations were in general agreement with those of mortality profile and correspondence analysis conducted as a methodological comparative. Some disparity, however, highlighted the ability of this new technique to provide more sensitivity in cases of mixed subsistence systems, possibly identifying the economic focus of husbandry, or where mortality profiles are confused. It was concluded that the study of weaning age has potential to provide valuable insight into ovicaprine husbandry in archaeological contexts, adding to the understanding of faunal assemblages, especially when supported with other evidence.

Effects of stand type on ground lichen height and species richness in boreal forests.   P. contorta as an alternative to P. sylvestris in terms of providing a suitable habitat   Maria Johansson     Abstract     Lichen-rich forests are essential to reindeer but up to 50 % of the lichen-rich areas in Sweden have been lost since the 1950s. Ground lichens thrive in pine-heaths and with an increasing area of plantations of the non-native tree species Pinus contorta, as an alternative to the native P. sylvestris, it is important to investigate if P. contorta can provide such an optimal habitat to ground lichens. The purpose of this study was to assess if forest characteristics, such as tree density, canopy cover and production capacity, affect the abundance and growth of five lichen species (Cladonia rangiferina, C. arbuscula/mitis, C. stygia, C. stellaris and Cetraria islandica) and whether these characteristics differ between forests dominated by P. contorta and forests dominated by P. sylvestris. Fieldwork was conducted in Norrbotten and Västerbotten on sample plots previously used by the Swedish National Forest Inventory (SNFI). The statistical analysis was based on data collected from 22 sample plots, 11 of each forest type, visited during July and September 2015. No statistical significant differences were found between forest characteristics of the two forest types, and none of the forest characteristics were found to relate to lichen height. Forest age did not seem to have an effect on ground lichens, while both canopy cover and production capacity were found to negatively relate to the proxy for lichen biomass as well as the abundance of the most common lichen species, C. rangiferina and C. arbuscula/mitis. The result suggests that a shadier canopy as well as a higher production capacity contributes to a reduced distribution of ground lichens.   Keywords: Ground lichens, Pinus contorta, Pinus sylvestris, forest characteristics, forestry, reindeer husbandry

Darbo tikslas: Išanalizuoti ir palyginti gyvulių elgseną ir kiaulienos technologines bei juslines savybes auginat kiaules ekologinius reikalavimus atitinkančiose ir įprastinės gamybos sąlygose Darbo tikslui pasiekti išsikelti tokie uždaviniai: Įvertinti ekologinių ir įprastinių kiaulių auginimo būdų zoohigienines sąlygas; Atlikti Lietuvoje ekologiškai ir įprastiniu būdu išaugintų kiaulių mėsos juslinę analizę; Nustatyti talpinimo tankio įtaką kiaulių elgsenai ir technologinei mėsos kokybei; Nustatyti skirtingų kiaulių laikymo sąlygų įtaką gyvulių elgsenai ir technologinei mėsos kokybei; Pateikti pasiūlymus neigiamiems aplinkos veiksniams sumažinti siekiant gauti geresnės kokybės kiaulieną. Neskaitant padidėjusio susidomėjimo alternatyviais gyvulių laikymo būdais, šiuo metu atlikta nedaug darbų tyrinėjančių ekologinio kiaulių laikymo būdo įtaką kiaulienos kokybei. Taip pat daugumos mokslininkų atliktų tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad ekologiškai augintų kiaulių mėsos kokybės rodikliai nėra nuoseklūs, o kartais net prieštaringi. Apibendrinus matyti, kad dauguma tyrėjų analizavo alternatyvių laikymo būdų įtaką tik produkcijos kokybei. Dėl to kartais sunku paaiškinti rezultatų nenuoseklumą. Lietuvoje tokio pobūdžio tyrimai atlikti pirmą kartą. Išnagrinėjus ekologinių ir įprastinių kiaulių auginimo būdų ypatumus ir jų įtaką produkcijos kokybei taip pat, kaip ir literatūroje, gauti nenuoseklūs rezultatai. Tačiau, įtraukus į tyrimus gyvulių elgsenos analizę, buvo galima tiksliau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of research: Despite an increased interest in alternative production systems for pig meat there are, to date, few and often inconsistent reports on how these changes in production systems affect pork quality. With a holistic approach, the overall objective of the thesis was to study the effects of production factors and to evaluate their impact on pig’s behavior, performance, technological and sensory meat quality Specific task for the present work were: to evaluate organic and conventional rearing conditions for pigs; make analysis of meat samples which were collected from organic and conventional pig farms from Lithuania; to access the effects of rearing space on growing pig’s behavior, performance and meat quality; to compare indoor and outdoor raising systems for growing/finishing pigs regarding behavior, performance and meat quality traits; to generalize conclusions of an optimized rearing system for pigs. A comprehensive investigation of the most common pig keeping techniques in Lithuania: restricted, spacious, enriched and with access to outside was carried out for the first time. An influence of those rearing conditions on pig’s behavior, performance and meat quality was estimated. It was established that pig rearing conditions has a big influence on animal’s behavior, performance and meat quality. Due to the strict organic animal husbandry regulations, lack of education and information, organic pork is not popular in Lithuania yet. According to the research... [to full text]

The mental and physical benefits of pet ownership are well established; however, pets can also transmit pathogens to people, with children, elderly, pregnant and immunocompromised individuals at greatest risk of disease. Little is known about the public’s knowledge and practices related to pet-associated disease. Questionnaires were distributed at two general practice physician clinics and to parents/guardians of children diagnosed with diabetes or cancer at specialty practice clinics. Pet ownership and contact were common, with 64-66% of participants having a pet in their household. Acquisition of a new pet, including high-risk pets, was common (20%) following a diagnosis of cancer in children. Pet exposure outside the home was frequently reported for individuals in pet and non-pet owning households (25-52%). Education of respondents about diseases was poor, as only approximately one-third recalled receiving pet-associated disease information. Parents of cancer patients were more likely than parents of diabetes patients to recall receiving this information, yet proportions were low in both groups (32% and 13%, respectively). Respondents’ knowledge of pet-associated pathogens was similar between the groups, with pet owners and parents of diabetic children having higher knowledge. Pet (30-36%) and non-pet (~10%) owning households reported dog/cat bites or scratches during the preceding year. Within the general practice respondents, lower-risk households did not differ from higher-risk households regarding perceived disease risk of pets, zoonotic disease knowledge, recall of being asked by their medical provider if they owned pets, or recall of having received information regarding pet-associated disease risks and preventive measures. Pet ownership, husbandry and infection control practices were similar between low- and high-risk households. Husbandry practices that increase zoonotic disease risk were frequently identified, including feeding high-risk diets, allowing children to clean up fecal material and allowing reptiles to roam through the kitchen. With few exceptions, practices were not associated with the presence of higher-risk members in the household or recall of having previously received zoonotic disease education. There is a need for improved education on zoonotic disease prevention practices for pet- and non pet-owning households, particularly those with individuals at higher risk of infection and those with high-risk species.

Biodiversity losses are often influenced by humans due to increased demand over natural resources and retaliatory killing of wildlife as a result of human–wildlife conflicts. Large carnivores are in decline globally due to the current human–carnivore conflicts. This study was conducted in the Maasai steppe of northern Tanzania to understand the role of traditional husbandry techniques in reducing livestock predation, herding challenges that place livestock at risk for predation, willingness of pastoralists to participate in schemes for livestock security improvement, and the role of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) in mitigating human–carnivore conflicts. Data were collected using interviews with individuals in households and with herders in grazing fields and were reinforced with field observations. The primary husbandry strategies for livestock protection in homesteads were the bomas where livestock were enclosed at night, while in the grazing fields the strategies included: splitting livestock herds, herder among livestock, herder carrying weapons, and noise. There was no significant correlation between the wealth of an individual and the type of livestock protection strategy used at homesteads. All traditional strategies used by pastoral communities were equally ineffective in preventing livestock predation both at homesteads and in the grazing fields. However, over a four year period, there were no successful predations in any boma reinforced with chain-links, suggesting that reinforcing bomas with studier materials such as chain-link can be effective against livestock predation. Grazing in groups was found to provide more effective livestock protection in the grazing fields than any other strategy. While losing livestock by herders in the grazing fields contributed most to increased livestock predation, other herding challenges exposing livestock to predation included the seasonal nomadic lifestyle and long distances travelled by pastoral communities. The majority of respondents (91%) were willing to improve their livestock security by the use of chain-link fences at homesteads, while 87% were willing to participate in an insurance scheme for livestock security. Neither experience of livestock attack nor level of awareness of insurance scheme influenced willingness to participate in the scheme. There is growing awareness among pastoral communities of the benefits provided by carnivores and wildlife at large. Therefore, major conservation agencies such as TANAPA, Wildlife Division (WD) and other stakeholders should focus more than they have been on addressing the actual conflicts i.e. human–carnivore conflicts and helping to improve husbandry practices against predation to achieve conservation objectives by reducing retaliatory killing of carnivores.