No description available.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to investigate how two nearby areas, both located close to the village Tärnaby, Västerbottens län, differ in terms of natural values and occurance of wood-inhabiting fungi. The two areas have similar geology, hydrology and vegetation, but one area, area A, is affected by modern forestry and the other, area B, is not affected. The degree of human impact has so far been small in the coniferous forest compared to areas further south in Sweden, which has resulted in old growth forests with high biodiversity still remaining. It is important to locate and protect these remaining forests. A template for natural value assessment in combination with species indicators can be used as a tool for assessing natural values. This study was based on a thorough inventory of five replicates in each area. An assessment of natural values was made on site and the occurrence of both total amount of wood-inhabiting fungi as well as the occurrence of red listed wood-inhabiting fungi was inventoried in both areas. The results show that there is a significant difference between area A and B, where area B has higher natural values and a greater amount of wood-inhabiting fungi aswell as a greater amount of red listed fungi than area A. Many of the discovered wood-inhabiting fungi in area B is placed in the upper part of the value pyramid for wood-inhabiting fungi in natural spruce forests, which confirms the presumed high natural values based on the natural value assessment.

No description available.

The aim of the study was to investigate natural values and the occurrence of pendulous lichens species in two areas located in subalpine coniferous woodland in Tärnaby, Västerbotten county in northern Sweden. The two areas have similar geology, hydrology and vegetation. Area A is affected by forestry, whilst area B isn’t. Forestry is one of the biggest threats to woodland species because it causes habitat fragmentation a loss of habitat. Pendulous lichens are most occurring in old growth forests where natural processes have been left undisturbed. Therefore, red-listed pendulous lichens are often used as a nature value indicator for identifying old-growth forests. In each study area, five sample areas was studied. In each sample area, a nature value assessment and an inventory of pendulous lichen species and red-listed pendulous lichen species was performed. In area A, three species of pendulous lichen where found, and five species were found in area B. In area B, two of the species found were Alectoria sarmentosa and Bryoria nadvornikiana, both listed as NT in the IUCN red list. In area A, no red listed species were found. Results also showed a higher natural value in the area not affected by forestry, area B, than in area A. The natural values and occurrence of pendulous lichen and red-listed pendulous lichen was higher in area B than in area A. The cause of the differences can’t be identified by this study, but the effect of forestry is probably one of the causes.

Browsing patterns in large herbivorous mammals are complex and decisions regarding food items occur at different levels depending on internal or external factors such as energy requirements and available food sources. A broader understanding of the behavior of animals living in habitats of economic interests for humans enables human exploitation with as little impact as possible on the animals' habitats. In this study, individual moose (Alces alces) tracks in the snow were surveyed in a mountainous environment with spruce-dominated forest, to map out what was browsed in relation to what was available in forests of two age classes: young and older. The following hypotheses were made: (1) every potential tree a moose passes will not be browsed and the browsed trees will be browsed to different degrees, and (2) the amount of available forage and the amount of used forage will differ between young and older forest. The moose tracks were followed on skis or on foot and all trees within browsing distance along a transect of 50 meters were counted and signs of browsing were recorded. Control transects (without fresh tracks) were also surveyed in the same forest areas where moose tracks were found. The data showed a higher proportion of available trees in young forest (60%) compared to older forest (40%) (all trees along the track transects), and a higher proportion of browsed trees in young forest (26%) compared to older forest (17%) (excluding Norway spruce, Picea abies). Downy birch (Betula pubescens) was the most abundant tree (56%) and Scots pine (Pinus silvestris) the least abundant (<1%). Only 20% of all available trees along the track transects were freshly browsed to some extent, and even among the more selected species no more than around 50% of all available trees were freshly browsed. In young forest, Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and willow (Salix spp.) were the most selected by moose, while common juniper (Juniperus communis) was the least selected. In older forest, however, gray alder (Alnus incana) was the most selected, followed by willow and rowan, while downy birch was the least selected. No browsing on Ericaceous shrubs were recorded in any of the transects. The study underlines that many different factors influence moose browsing choices, but generally a varied diet is sought and forests of different age classes, not exclusively young forests, are used for winter foraging. / Betesmönster hos stora växtätande däggdjur är komplext och val kopplade till föda sker på olika nivåer beroende på inre och yttre faktorer så som energibehov och tillgänglig föda. En bredare förståelse om beteenden hos djur som lever i habitat där människan har ekonomiska intressen möjliggör mänsklig exploatering med så lite påverkan som möjligt på djurens livsmiljöer. I den här studien spårades individuella älgar (Alces alces) i snö i en fjällnära miljö med grandominerad skog för att kartlägga vad som betades i relation till vad som fanns tillgängligt inom två åldersklasser; ung och äldre skog. Jag ställde upp två hypoteser: (1) varje potentiellt födoträd som en älg passerar kommer inte att vara betat på och de betade träden kommer att vara betade i olika grad, samt (2) mängd tillgängligt foder och mängd nyttjat foder kommer skilja sig mellan ungskog och äldre skog. Älgspåren följdes på skidor eller till fots och alla träd inom betesavstånd längs en transekt om 50 meter räknades samt kontrollerades för bete. Även kontrolltransekter (utan färska spår) inventerades i samma skogsområden där älgspår återfunnits. Datan visade på en högre andel träd i ungskog (60%) jämfört med äldre skog (40%) (alla träd längs spårtransekterna), och en högre andel betade träd i ungskog (26%) jämfört med äldre skog (17%) (gran, Picea abies, undantaget). Glasbjörk (Betula pubescens) var det mest förekommande trädet (56%) och tall (Pinus silvestris) det minst förekommande (<1%). Enbart 20% av alla tillgängliga träd längs spårtransekterna var färskbetade i någon mån, och även hos de högre selekterade arterna var inte mer än runt 50% av alla tillgängliga träd färskbetade. I ungskog var asp (Populus tremula), rönn (Sorbus aucuparia) och sälg (Salix spp.) högst selekterade, medan en (Juniperus communis) var lägst selekterad. I äldre skog var däremot gråal (Alnus incana) högst selekterad följt av sälg och rönn, medan glasbjörk var lägst selekterad. Inget bete på bärris noterades längs någon av transekterna. Studien understryker att många olika faktorer påverkar betesval hos älg, men att en varierad diet generellt eftersträvas och skogar av olika åldersklasser, inte enbart ungskogar, nyttjas till födosök vintertid.