Mountain forests are an important part of the landscape in our country. In the last three decades they have been seriously damaged by anthropogenic influence, especially immissions. The immissions make worse the health status of Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests, which cause changes in a structure of herbaceous layer, in which the health status of forest stand is reflected. The main goals of my work were to map the cover of herbaceous and mossy layers in two permanent research plots in the Giant Mountains ( Alžbětinka, Modrý důl), to create maps of herbaceous cover, to digitize them and to compare these maps with the extent in years 1993-1994 using a developing analysis in GIS and to detect influence of light conditions on herbaceous layer. Using digitizing and static evaluation of prepared detailed vegetation maps of the both permanent research plots, some important changes were found out in dominant soil cover categories. In the first research plot Alžbětinka, decline of the grass Calamagrostis villosa and increasing of Vaccinium myrtillus cover were evident. In the second research plot Modrý důl, decline of both investigated species, Avenella flexuosa and Calamagrostis villosa, was observed. Another goal of my research was to detect influence of the light conditions on herbaceous layer and nature regeneration of the Norway spruce on permanent research plot Modrý důl. Dependence of the basic categories of the soil cover on the percentual ratio of the light gaps in the crown canopy was proved. Dependence of the height of the seedlings on the ratio of the light gaps was also tested but it was not statistically proved. The negative dependence of survival on the ratio of the light gaps of the seedlings germinated in 1996 was proved, but not of the seedlings germinated in 2004.

The main aim of my thesis was to evaluate natural regeneration status of Norway spruce on three research plots with different forest managment after windstorm disturbance in January 2007. In addition, evaluation of micro-site conditions and shade effects on germination and surviving of spruce seedlings and assessment of crown conditions in forest research plot was performed. Research work was carried out on the Černá hora Mt. in the Šumava Mts. in 2009 - 2010. Obtained results could provide information to help to decide the choice of management of forest stands after disturbance in protected areas.

This essay seeks to discern the motives of the aid allocation of western governments. The aim of the essay is to find differences between three highly similar aid donors: namely Denmark, Norway and Sweden, by doing a comparative case study according to the most similar case method. The research has been conducted by analyzing material from two ministers of each government, the Foreign Ministers and Ministers for International Development, by using a motive-analysis method. Social constructivism and structural realism have been used as a theoretical explanation. These two theories have been helpful in understanding how International Relations work.The results showed that although the three countries were highly similar, they showed some crucial differences in their motivation for aid allocation, especially in the case of Denmark. Theoretically, this could be explained by social constructivism, i.e. that the states have different priorities and experiences.

Submitted by Maria Dulce (mdulce@ndc.uff.br) on 2014-02-25T16:57:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Birro, Renan-Dissert-2013.pdf: 3670709 bytes, checksum: 4d591521c20672aebc47b8cbf08a3702 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-25T16:57:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Birro, Renan-Dissert-2013.pdf: 3670709 bytes, checksum: 4d591521c20672aebc47b8cbf08a3702 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / A pesquisa de mestrado intitulada Rex perpetuus norvegiæ: a sacralidade dos reis noruegueses e a santificação de Óláfr Haraldsson (c. 995-1030) à luz da literatura nórdica latina e vernacular (sécs. XI-XII) é um inquérito sobre as diferentes tradições de sacralidade régia na Noruega durante a Era Viking e a Escandinávia Medieval, sobre a santificação do viking, rei, mártir e santo norueguês Óláfr Haraldsson, além da utilização de sua imagem como padroeiro do reino para consolidar a monarquia, a Igreja da Noruega e a recepção da biografia sagrada do santo norueguês por parte dos fieis. Óláfr Haraldsson (c.995-1030) viveu como viking durante alguns anos. Em 1015 ele retornou à Noruega para reclamar o trono após ser batizado em Rouen. A grande tarefa deste rei foi consolidar a conversão de seu povo ao cristianismo, tarefa que cumpriu à maneira de Carlos Magno: conversões forçadas e destruição de objetos e espaços de veneração pagãos. Ele foi banido do reino após a derrota na Batalha de Helgeå (1026). Após como proscrito, ele retornou em 1030, mas foi morto na Batalha de Stiklestaðir (1030). O rei morto transformou-se num objeto de veneração pouco após a sua morte, e um ano após a derradeira batalha, seu corpo foi transladado das cercanias de Nidaróss para o seio dessa cidade, que ficava na região onde este rei encontrava o maior número de seus detratores. Há indícios de peregrinações em massa para o seu santuário, e os inimigos do controle dinamarquês sobre a Noruega viram em Óláfr a possibilidade de se fortalecer, assim como a Igreja local, que tentava se unir a monarquia para ganhar forças e sobreviver num território recém-convertido à fé cristã. Seus sucessores empenharam- se em utilizar o rei-mártir para fortalecer seu poder político no reino. Entrementes, elementos da antiga sacralidade régia pagã foram reaproveitados, como o hamingja (“sorte”), além da incorporação da sacralidade régia cristã e do monarca defunto como padroeiro do reino e rei perpétuo da Noruega. O modelo inicial da biografia sagrada do santo seguia o padrão anglo-saxão de reis mártires, embora tenha sofrido influências da cultura local e respondido aos anseios da comunidade. / The master’s research entitled Rex perpetuus Norvegiae: the sacred kingship in the Norwegian monarchy and the sanctification of Óláfr Haraldsson (c. 995 – 1030) in the light of latin and vernacular literature (11th and 12th centuries) is an inquiry on the different traditions of sacred kingship in Norway during Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia, on the sanctification of the Viking, king, martyr and Norwegian saint Óláfr Haraldsson, and the use of his image as patron saint of the kingdom to consolidate the monarchy, the Norwegian church and the reception of the sacred biography by the faithful. Óláfr Haraldsson (c. 995-1030) lived as a Viking during some years. At 1015 he come back to Norway to claim the throne after his baptism in Rouen. The main task of this king was the conversion of his people to the christianism. He did it with forced conversions and destruction of temples and sacred pagan objects. He was banned of the kingdom after his defeat at the Battle of Helgeã (1026). The dead king became quickly in an object of veneration after their death, and one year late, his body was translated from the vicinity of Nidaróss for this town, place where his main opponents lived. There are indications of massive pilgrimage to his shrine, and some powerful Norwegian nobles utilized Óláfr as a tool to improve the Norwegian opposition and the local church. The church, by turn, united with the monarchy, wanted to strengthen the Christianism at the kingdom. The rulers after Óláfr utilized him to improve their political power in the kingdom. The rulers after Óláfr utilized him to improve their political power in the kingdom. Meanwhile, elements of the pagan sacred kingship were reused, as the hamingja (“luck”). At the same time, the Christian sacred kingship and the dead king were utilized in the same purposes, and the last became the patron saint and the everlasting king of Norway. The initial model of sacred biography of Óláfr followed the anglo-saxon pattern of martyr kings, but he suffered influences from local culture and from the needs of faithful community.

To provide an increased breadth in the knowledge of tephra dispersal, this pilot study examines a peat core from Lakselv in Finnmark County in northern Norway. Peat samples are exposed to burning, HCl, density separation and polarized light microscopy. One sample from a depth of 37.5-40 cm was analysed using an electron microprobe analyser (EMPA). At least two tephra horizons were identified, one at a depth of 12.5-17.5 cm and one at 37.5-40 cm. The lower horizon shows a chemical composition similar to eruptives from Jan Mayen and São Miguel, Azores while the origin of the upper horizon is unknown as no geochemical analysis was performed for that depth.

The purpose of this study is to illustrate why Norway is not a member of the EU from a rational choice perspective. In order to fulfil this purpose, two questions will constitute the framework of the study. These are: 1. What are the arguments of the EU-opposers in the Norwegian EU-debate? 2. Is it rational for Norway to stand outside the EU? The first question was answered by analyzing and mapping out the arguments of the Norweigan EU-opponents and then using a critical literature study to analyse them. To demarcate the study, only the arguments of the parliamentary parties that are opposing a Norwegian EU-membership, and the official organisation Nei til EU (No to the EU) were included. The second question was tested by using a rational choice theory and a number of keywords from the classical rational actor model; objectives, alternatives, consequences and choice. These keywords constituted the main analyzing instrument of the study and was applied on the empirical material. The main arguments of the opposers of a Norweigan EU-membership, are widely spoken democracy, freedom of action, environment and solidarity. The debate is hard to map out because of its general character but is very homogeneous. The second question is answered partly in the light of the first one and the result shows that it is rational for Norway to stay outside the EU today, but the question may have to be reassessed in the future, and probably will be since the debate is still so fervent.

Over the past five years, Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have become a prominent phenomenon in contemporary capitalism. Described as government investment vehicles that invest state wealth in financial markets, the majority of the world's 60-plus funds have been established since the year 2000. Despite extensive treatments of SWFs' geopolitical and international significance, ethical and domestic level analyses are sparse. In response, this thesis interrogates three key normative questions raised by the funds for the domestic citizen-state relationship: (1) How (and by whom) should sovereign funds be managed? (2) How should sovereign wealth be invested? (3) How should the earnings of sovereign fund investment be distributed? In answering these questions, this thesis aims to dispel ambiguity over the ownership status of sovereign funds, evident in popular and academic discourse and within communities that establish these entities. For this task, it draws on recently revived fiduciary theory of the citizen-state relationship to argue that the rightful owner of these funds is the citizenry - not states or governments who enjoy physical and legal possession of SWFs. It goes on to examine the implications of this fiduciary state conception of SWF ownership, asking how citizen-owners should enjoy control over and benefit from the distinct constituent parts of their SWF property: the institution of the fund, the underlying sovereign wealth and the financial returns earned on the investment of its assets. The model of citizen ownership defended demands substantially increased popular control over SWF management and the investment of sovereign wealth, as well as direct benefit rights for citizen-owners to fund income through individualised distribution of investment returns. Examination of existing practice among SWFs demonstrates that this normative ideal is far, although not impossibly distant from current institutional practice.

The kings of Norway issued coins on a regular basis starting in the mid-11th century, and probably conducted renovatio monetae whenever a new king came to power. As a privilege of bona regalia, the king could use coin production to serve his own interests. Economic factors are usually the main focus of discussions on coinage, but there were also political, religious and cultural dimensions that must have been important both for the production of coins and in the choice of motives, form and style. From the outset, manipulation of the coinage is visible in the debasement of silver content, followed by a reduction in weight to re-establish the silver level.  In the 12th century, the weights continued to drop and single-faced coins and bracteates became the standard; only a few biface coins are known. These small coins and bracteates from the 12th century carry little or no information concerning issuer, date or place of production. This lack of information has resulted in a gap in our knowledge about the role of these coins in medieval society in Norway. This role was dependent both on the intentions of the producer and on how the coins were perceived by the people, and their will to use them in certain ways. What were the reasons behind issuing the smallest coins ever produced in coin history, and what impact did this dramatic reduction in weight have on the understanding and use of the coin? To advance the discussion it has been vital to establish new knowledge about chronology, coin-issuing authority and mints. These areas have been addressed through two analyses using numismatic and archaeological methods. The results of the initial analyses are combined with an investigation of the size of the coin production and a study of archaeological contexts, in order to reveal how, where and when the bracteates were used.  The theoretical approach to understanding the role of coins is inspired by theories in anthropology and sociology about the many ways in which money can be incorporated in a society, emphasising the complex social component of coins in contrast to the traditional economic emphasis on their neutral qualities as a means of exchange. Central to this are the concepts behind formalism and substantivist and post-substantivist theory. The study concludes with a discussion that explores what can be said about economy and economic systems based on the 12th-century Norwegian coins.

The aim of this diploma thesis is a proposal of a methodology used for an assessment of the measure of defoliation based on the multispectral satellite images from missions Landsat and Sentinel-2. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to the introduction of the problematics of remote sensing using multispectral sensors and the basics of research into forest vegetation. Following on this part, there is a chapter considering possibilities of monitoring defoliation using resources of remote sensing, and the closely connected problematics of the health condition of forest vegetation. After that comes a description of the used data (the satellite images and the data of ground investigation by VÚLHM) and logically compounded process of transformation of the data from satellite images on the levels of defoliation. Outcomes of the thesis include analysis of the ability of single spectral bands and vegetation indices to predict defoliation of Norway spurce (Picea abeis) and Scots pine (Pius sylvestris) vegetation. The assessment of the measure of defoliation is demonstrated on single band in near-infrared region with used of linear regression model.

Acidification of precipitation is an important environmental problem that emerged during the past century, especially after the Second World War. Acidification was primarily caused by human-made emissions of SOx (mostly SO2) and NOx, which are oxidized sulfur and nitrogen gases. The main sources of anthropogenic SOx emissions are non-ferrous ore refining, and the burning of fossil fuels and biofuels. SO2 emitted to the atmosphere combines with water vapor to produce sulfuric acid, which is one of the main compounds responsible for acid precipitation. In the 1970s and 1980s, more strict regulations regarding emissions of air pollutants such as SOx were established in Western Europe and North America, which led to declining levels of SO2 emissions and by this, declining levels of acidification in surface waters. This project was preformed by assembling and analyzing existing, publicly- available datasets of anthropogenic SO2 emissions for the period 1970 to 2010 from ten different regions in the Northern Hemisphere, and compare them with SO42- concentrations in precipitation and river chemistry in Sweden and Norway for the same period. It was discovered that it is the SO2 emissions from Northwestern Europe, the UK & Ireland and from the USA that have the greatest influence over the SO42- concentration in Scandinavian rivers. The SO42- concentration in stream water is also declining faster than the concentration in precipitation, with a faster decline in the southern parts of Scandinavia. / Försurning av nederbörd är ett miljöproblem som uppstod under det senaste århundradet, särskilt efter andra världskriget. Försurningen orsakades främst av mänskliga utsläpp av SOx (mestadels SO2) och NOx, vilka är oxiderade svavel- och kvävgaser. Huvudkällorna för dessa antropogena SOx-utsläpp är malmförädling samt förbränning av fossila bränslen och biobränslen. SO2 som släpps ut i atmosfären reagerar med vattenånga och bildar svavelsyra, vilket är en av huvudföreningarna ansvarig för sur nederbörd. På 1970- och 1980-talet fastställdes strängare bestämmelser beträffande utsläpp av luftföroreningar (som SOx) i Västra Europa och i Nordamerika. Detta ledde till minskande nivåer av SO2-utsläpp och genom denna sänkning även en minskning av försurning av ytvatten. Det här arbetet utfördes genom att befintlig, offentligt tillgänglig data samlades in och analyserades. Antropogena SO2-utsläpp för perioden 1970-2010 från tio olika regioner på norra halvklotet jämfördes med koncentrationer av SO42- i nederbörd och i vattendrag i Sverige och Norge för samma period. Genom detta fastslogs att de regioner som har störst inflytande över koncentrationen i skandinaviska vattendrag är SO2-utsläpp från nordvästra Europa, Storbritannien och Irland samt från USA. SO42- koncentrationen i vattendragen sjunker också snabbare än koncentrationen i nederbörden, med en snabbare nedgång i de södra delarna av Skandinavien.