<p></p><p>In Sweden, the County Administration board is responsible for improving the water quality in lakes and watercourses according to the European Union Water Framework Directive. In Västmanland county, where river Lillån is situated, the County Administration of Västmanland have the main responsibility for the aquatic environment in that area. The knowledge about the different watercourses in the chatchment of river Lillån is today limited. The aim with this study was to evaluate the ecological quality of River Lillån based on water chemistry analyses and benthic fauna investigations. The aim was also for the benthic fauna to compere different samplingsites and sampling methods with each other in order to see how the species composition changes in the river, and to see the advantages and disadvantages with different sampling tecniques. The methods used for the assessment was presented in a handbook composed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The results of the study showed that Lillån have good quality concerning acidity and the general ecological status. The benthic fauna investigations indicated high levels of nutrients and thereby resulted in poor status concerning that parameter. The conclusion of the study was that river Lillån does not fulfill the criteria of good status according to the Water Framework Direcive composed by the European Union.</p><p> </p><p><em>Keywords: Water directive, water quality evaulation, benthic fauna, acidification, nutrients, methods for sample-taking.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Nyckelord: Vattendirektiv, statusbedömning, bottenfauna, försurning, näringsämnen, provtagningsmetoder.</em></p><p> </p>

An organism that is transferred from one place to another, causing major problems to the native species is termed invasive. Its natural dispersal across barriers may have been prevented but as man has turned able to rapidly travel all over the world organisms are brought to sites where they were never before observed. Adding the increasing global warming organisms may find it necessary to move around even further. This might cause major disturbance to the biological diversity, and hybridization and homogenization is one of many scenarios that could disturb the native diversity. In Sweden more that 2/3 of all alien plant species have been introduced to disturbed areas and the major introduction mechanism is gardening. The object of study in this presentation, Pimpinella major (Apiaceae) was introduced in Sweden alongside garden grasses during the 19th century but has so far spread only marginally from the areas of introduction. The aim of the study was to quantify the appearance of Pimpinella major in different types of vegetation apart from road verges, where it has been noted systematically for over a decade. The investigation area covers most of the Tullgarn nature reserve. The result shows an astonishing tendency of P. major to remain growing only along the roads in the area. The very few findings besides next to roads are from deciduous and coniferous forests and fields. It seems that Pimpinella major almost without exception prefers heavily disturbed areas and access to large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer from exhaust fumes

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The main purpose of this study was to obtain insight into what students and teachers think about field trips in ecology and whether they think that fieldtrips result in increase of students’ learning. Open questionnaires and half structured interviews were used to investigate this. Persons who answered the questionnaires and participated in the interviews were senior high school teachers in biology or science and high school science students. All the teachers and most of the students thought that field trips in ecology resulted in increased learning. Those students who had spent more time on field trips found it more learning and fun than students which had spent less time on field trips, which can indicate that if students spend more time on field trips they think it is more fun and that they learn more. The teachers realized some difficulties with taking students out on field trips such as lack of money, lack of time, large groups and fitting the field trips into the school schedule. Earlier studies confirm to a large extent my results regarding teachers’ views upon field trips and they also show that field trips result in an increase of students’ knowledge. My study is unique because I investigate the students’ views on field trips, if they experience that they learn on field trips and if field trips make them motivated to learn more about ecology.

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In Sweden, the County Administration board is responsible for improving the water quality in lakes and watercourses according to the European Union Water Framework Directive. In Västmanland county, where river Lillån is situated, the County Administration of Västmanland have the main responsibility for the aquatic environment in that area. The knowledge about the different watercourses in the chatchment of river Lillån is today limited. The aim with this study was to evaluate the ecological quality of River Lillån based on water chemistry analyses and benthic fauna investigations. The aim was also for the benthic fauna to compere different samplingsites and sampling methods with each other in order to see how the species composition changes in the river, and to see the advantages and disadvantages with different sampling tecniques. The methods used for the assessment was presented in a handbook composed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The results of the study showed that Lillån have good quality concerning acidity and the general ecological status. The benthic fauna investigations indicated high levels of nutrients and thereby resulted in poor status concerning that parameter. The conclusion of the study was that river Lillån does not fulfill the criteria of good status according to the Water Framework Direcive composed by the European Union.   Keywords: Water directive, water quality evaulation, benthic fauna, acidification, nutrients, methods for sample-taking. Nyckelord: Vattendirektiv, statusbedömning, bottenfauna, försurning, näringsämnen, provtagningsmetoder.

Abstract   The purpose of this work is to investigate children’s perception of Swedish birds. Through qualitative questions there were twelve children interviewed. I showed the pictures for the children of different animals that we discussed but with focus on birds. The children could partly distinguish which of the pictures that represented birds and who did not. But they could not distinguish a particular species of birds they only saw similarities in the birds shape and color. Overall, had the children their own ideas what ecology is like what the birds eat seeds, bread and fish they sound like pipip and that the bird in the winter travel to a warmer place or are hiding in their nest.       Keywords: Ecology, biological phenomena, pre-school, knowledge

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2008. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Karlstad : Karlstads universitet, 2008. / Härtill 2 uppsatser.

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