Bielite : an evaluation of alternative silvicultural treatments in sub alpine spruce forest - structure, ingrowth and growth

Målet med försöket har varit att utvärdera hur olika behandlingar påverkar beståndsstruktur, inväxning och volymtillväxt i fjällnära granskog. De behandlingar som ingått i försöket har varit blädning, dimensionshuggning, upptagande av luckor samt kontroll. Försöksområdet ligger i Vilhelmina kommun, på breddgrad 64° 55' N, i nordsluttning mot sjön Bielite som ligger 487 m.ö.h. Försöket är randomiserat och upplagt i block med fyra parceller i varje block, varje parcell har en yta på cirka 0,5 ha. Under försommaren 1989 mättes parcellerna in varefter de fyra behandlingarna genomfördes i vardera block under sommaren. Parcellerna mättes igen under hösten 1989 samt under hösten 2010. Vid mätningen på hösten 1989 markerades även permanenta mätpunkter i brösthöjd, på alla träd med dbrh på över 4 cm. Vid alla inmätningar klavades alla träd med dbrh över 4 cm och provträd togs ut för höjdmätning. Resultaten visade ingen strukturförändring för kontrollparcellerna samt de blädade parcellerna. Parcellerna behandlade med luckor uppvisade visserligen vissa strukturförändringar men dessa var till stor del förknippade med slumpfaktorn och extrema värden. Höjdkurvan för de dimensionshuggna parcellerna blev lägre i jämförelse med kontrollparcellernas höjdkurvor. Även volymfördelningen ändrades för de dimensionshuggna parcellerna, med en minskad skillnad i volym efter behandlingen. Trots de strukturförändringar som noterades vid dimensionshuggning, tycks strukturen för dessa typer av fler skiktade granskogar vara tämligen stabila. Den löpande årliga volymtillväxten var positivt korrelerad med ökande volym med en relativ årlig tillväxt på ca 1,5 % av den totala stående volymen. Inget samband gick dock att finna mellan inväxning av träd med >6 cm dbrh och behandlingar eller mellan inväxning och stående volym.  The aim of this study was to evaluate how different silvicultural treatments affect stand structure, ingrowth and volume increment in uneven-aged Norway spruce stands. The different silvicultural treatments that have been tested in the study were: selective cutting, partial cutting, small clear-cut patches and control. The area for the study is on the 64° 55' N latitude, in the county of Vilhelmina, lying in a northern slope toward the lake Bielite which is 487 m above sea level. The study was randomized and divided into two blocks with four plots in each block, each plot with an area of 0,5 ha. The first time the plots were inventoried was in the early summer of 1989 and the different silvicultural treatments were executed later during the summer. Inventories were also done in the autumn of 1989 and the autumn of 2010. During the inventory in the autumn of 1989, permanent measuring points were attached 1,3 m above ground, to all tress with a diameter greater than 4 cm. In the course of the inventories, the diameter for all trees with a diameter that was greater than 4 cm, 1,3 m above ground, was measured. Random trees were also picked for height measurement. The result didn’t show any structural changes for the control plots or the plots treated with single tree selection. The plots treated with small clear-cut patches showed some structural changes, but these changes were more affected by extreme values and coincidence, then the treatment. The height curve, for the plots that were treated with partial cutting, became lower in comparison than the height curves in the control plots. Also the volume dispersal changed in the partial cut plots. The general impression, analyzing structural changes, was that uneven-aged Norway spruce stands are structurally stabile. The annual volume increment has been was positively correlated with standing volume and the relative annual volume increment is approximately 1,5 % of the standing volume. Furthermore no correlation could be found between ingrowth of trees with a diameter greater the 6 cm, 1,3 m above ground, and different silvicultural treatments, or between ingrowth and standing volume.

Stand development and growth in uneven-aged Norway spruce and multi-layered Scots pine forests in boreal Sweden

The use of the selection system has always been a marginal part of Swedish forestry, and so has research about the system under Swedish conditions. However, the interest in Sweden for uneven-aged forest management has increased because of a rising concern for the ecological and aesthetical consequences from use of the dominating rotation forests system, which creates even-aged forest and has clear-cutting as primary harvesting method. In this thesis I have studied the possibilities and limitations of the selection system in Swedish boreal forests. Stand development, ingrowth and volume increment has been studied in both Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests. My studies of uneven-aged Norway spruce show that 1) these forests have the capacity to spontaneously create and maintain an uneven-aged stand structure, 2) there is a positive relation between standing volume and volume increment, and 3) there is no clear relation between the level of ingrowth and stand density. My studies of multi-layered Scots pine forests show that 1) a multi-layered stand structure is more likely the result of size stratification and not of continuous ingrowth, 2) There is positive relation between standing volume and volume increment, and 3) that a low stand density is seems required for ingrowth to occur on a sustainable level. The results imply that for boreal Norway spruce forests, a high standing volume would be recommended when the selection system is applied, whereas for boreal Scots pine forest, uneven-aged management should be motivated by other values than stem production, e.g. aesthetical or ecological

Conflict, violence, and warfare amongst early farmers in north western Europe

Bioarchaeological evidence of interpersonal violence and early warfare presents important insights into conflict in past societies. This evidence is critical for understanding the motivations for violence and its effects on opposing and competing individuals and groups across time and space. Selecting the Neolithic of northwestern Europe as an area for study, the present paper examines the variation and societal context for the violence recorded in the human skeletal remains from this region as one of the most important elements of human welfare. Compiling data from various sources, it becomes apparent that violence was endemic in Neolithic Europe, sometimes reaching levels of intergroup hostilities that ended in the utter destruction of entire communities. While the precise comparative quantification of healed and unhealed trauma remains a fundamental problem, patterns emerge that see conflict likely fostered by increasing competition between settled and growing communities, e.g., for access to arable land for food production. The further development of contextual information is paramount in order to address hypotheses on the motivations, origins, and evolution of violence as based on the study of human remains, the most direct indicator for actual small- and large-scale violence

Investeringsfonders påverkan på hållbara bolags marknadsvärdering

Sustainable investments have without doubt grown rapidly the last few years. Stock funds have recently implemented sustainability into their investments decisions and reallocated their assets from fossil assets to more green and sustainable choices. The purpose of this study is to show the impact of stock fund reallocations on the sustainable companies’ market valuations through a purpose-designed theoretical framework. The theoretical way to fundamentally analyze a company's market valuation is through financial ratios, e.g. price/earnings, price/book and price/sales, and will be this study’s platform. The empirical data comes from over 400 Nordic companies’ annual reports over the last 10 years. Since there is not a definite definition of what a sustainable company is, the study will use the stock funds own definitions of sustainability, and their holdings are therefore to be treated as sustainable. Companies that are not allocated by any of the funds but listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, are considered unsustainable. The data is processed and compared, using the companies’ annual reports data figures, and presented with graphical tables and descriptions. The result and findings of the study shows that there is an abnormally high valuation on sustainable holdings in investment funds compared to the average valuation of Nasdaq Stockholm. Two out of three financial ratios show that sustainable companies have a higher valuation, and the more sustainable industries show similar results. One out of three financial ratios show that sustainable companies have a higher valuation than unsustainable companies. Hence, our conclusion is that sustainable companies have a higher valuation than Nasdaq Stockholm in general, but not a significantly higher valuation than the unsustainable companies.Implementering av hållbarhetsaspekter i investeringsbeslut är ett nytt fenomen på aktiemarknaden. Nya fenomen skapar alltid obalans i en tidigare balanserad marknad och i detta fall innebär det att investerares kapital omallokeras till nya tillgångar, bort från bolag verksamma inom fossila och icke-förnybara tillgångar till istället hållbara och utvecklande bolag med framtiden för sig. Omallokeringar och sektorrotationer skapar kortsiktiga och även långsiktiga differenser i bolagens tidigare marknadsvärdering. Det senaste decenniet har nya lagar införts och Sveriges största institutionella investerare har gjort stora förändringar i policys och investeringsbeslut. Hållbarhet och hållbar utveckling ska från och med nu innefattas i investeringsbesluten. Hållbara bolag är av stort intresse för investerare, men risken är att marknadsvärderingarna av bolagen ökat för snabbt och att förväntningarna på framtida vinster blivit för höga. Studiens syfte är att undersöka om det råder en rimlig värdering på de bolag som de institutionella investerarna definierar som hållbara bolag, samt om omallokeringar av kapital återfinns i branschernas nutida- och historiska värdering. Givet syftet avser studien att bidra med ett ramverk som kan användas för att undersöka eventuella diskrepanser på rådande aktiemarknad för investerare eller andra intressenter. Studien önskar även bevisa att de hållbara bolagens värderingar och förväntningar är för högt ställda, samt att riskerna kopplade till dessa investeringar är betydande och bör ges stor vikt i investeringsbesluten. Studien avser genom ett eget konstruerat ramverk samla in och analysera empiri från ett urval av investeringsfonders bolag. Utvalda fonder definierar sig själva som hållbara och således även de ingående bolagen. Empirin består av nyckeltalsdata insamlade från bolagens årsredovisningar. De utvalda nyckeltal som används i studien är price/book, price/earnings och price/sales. Analysen utgörs av jämförelser mellan urvalet bolag som definieras som hållbara och Stockholmsbörsens samtliga bolag för att hitta samband som kan tyda på en övervärdering. Tidigare forskning har funnit att hållbara bolag värderas lägre, samt att fondbolagens kapitalflöden har stor betydelse för bolagens historiska och framtida avkastning. Analysen av empirin har resulterat och eventuellt funnit belägg för att hållbara bolag har en högre värdering än de bolag som inte klassificeras som hållbara enligt fondbolagen. Bolag och branscher som utpekas som hållbara per fondernas definition är bland annat elektronikverksamma bolag. Det finns även belägg för att de branscher på Stockholmsbörsen som förknippas med hållbarhet har en betydande högre värdering än de branscher som inte är förknippade med hållbarhet. Studien fann att hållbara bolag värderas högre än ohållbara bolag och Stockholmsbörsen enligt vissa av de jämförande finansiella nyckeltalen. Två av tre nyckeltal visar att hållbara bolag har en högre värdering än Stockholmsbörsen. Ett av tre nyckeltal visar att hållbara bolag har en högre värdering än ohållbara bolag. Analys av resultatet visar på att det existerar samband som kan förklara och som tyder på att det eventuellt finns en ohållbar värdering av hållbara bolag

Multi-layered Scots pine forests in boreal Sweden result from mass regeneration and size stratification

Understanding historic development of multi-layered Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands and how they became multi-layered is essential for assessing the feasibility of using the selection system in these stands. To address this we measured trees (dbh ≥ 4 cm) and saplings (height > 0.5 m dbh < 4 cm) and used increment cores from 244 sample trees to reconstruct stand structure development, ingrowth and basal area increment in four multi-layered Scots pine stands in Sweden. Age distributions were quite homogeneous, three of the four stands had age distributions that were dominated by one or two 20 year age classes, suggesting that the irregular diameter distributions displayed in 2013 had developed from more homogeneous distributions. Analyses of the historical ingrowth of Scots pine into the tree layer suggested that the multi-layered structure was created by mass regeneration followed by size stratification caused by differences in growth rates within even-aged cohorts of regeneration. Large reductions of the basal area in the past resulted in abundant regeneration and ingrowth of Scots pine. When the over-story increased in basal area over time, there was a growth differentiation among the saplings and small trees, gradually creating a multi-layered stand structure as some of the trees grew into the larger size classes while others remained in the smaller size classes. When the stands reached a basal area of about 13 m2 ha−1 the ingrowth of saplings past 1.3 m height essentially stopped but the size stratification among the small trees continued, further enhancing the multi-layered structure. The results indicate that to receive regeneration pulses and sustain a multi-layered structure in Scots pine forests, the basal area needs to be significantly reduced. The growth consequences of this need to be studied

International EANM-SNMMI-ISMRM consensus recommendation for PET/MRI in oncology

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional non-profit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The merged International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is an international, nonprofit, scientific association whose purpose is to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology and other related topics and to develop and provide channels and facilities for continuing education in the field.The ISMRM was founded in 1994 through the merger of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM members are physicians, technologists, and scientists specializing in the research and practice of nuclear medicine and/or magnetic resonance imaging. The SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM will periodically define new guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and/or magnetic resonance imaging and to improve the quality of service to patients throughout the world. Existing practice guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated. Each practice guideline, representing a policy statement by the SNMMI/EANM/ISMRM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The SNMMI, ISMRM, and EANM recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging and magnetic resonance imaging requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. Reproduction or modification of the published practice guideline by those entities not providing these services is not authorized. These guidelines are an educational tool designed to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, the SNMMI, the ISMRM, and the EANM caution against the use of these guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question. The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by the physician or medical physicist in light of all the circumstances presented. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the guidelines, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the guidelines. The practice of medicine includes both the art and the science of the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment. Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these guidelines will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of these guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective

Protect old-growth forests in Europe now

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Transient dynamics of terrestrial carbon storage : mathematical foundation and its applications

Terrestrial ecosystems have absorbed roughly 30 % of anthropogenic CO2 emissions over the past decades, but it is unclear whether this carbon (C) sink will endure into the future. Despite extensive modeling and experimental and observational studies, what fundamentally determines transient dynamics of terrestrial C storage under global change is still not very clear. Here we develop a new framework for understanding transient dynamics of terrestrial C storage through mathematical analysis and numerical experiments. Our analysis indicates that the ultimate force driving ecosystem C storage change is the C storage capacity, which is jointly determined by ecosystem C input (e.g., net primary production, NPP) and residence time. Since both C input and residence time vary with time, the C storage capacity is time-dependent and acts as a moving attractor that actual C storage chases. The rate of change in C storage is proportional to the C storage potential, which is the difference between the current storage and the storage capacity. The C storage capacity represents instantaneous responses of the land C cycle to external forcing, whereas the C storage potential represents the internal capability of the land C cycle to influence the C change trajectory in the next time step. The influence happens through redistribution of net C pool changes in a network of pools with different residence times. Moreover, this and our other studies have demonstrated that one matrix equation can replicate simulations of most land C cycle models (i.e., physical emulators). As a result, simulation outputs of those models can be placed into a three-dimensional (3-D) parameter space to measure their differences. The latter can be decomposed into traceable components to track the origins of model uncertainty. In addition, the physical emulators make data assimilation computationally feasible so that both C flux- and pool-related datasets can be used to better constrain model predictions of land C sequestration. Overall, this new mathematical framework offers new approaches to understanding, evaluating, diagnosing, and improving land C cycle models.This work was partially done through the working group, Nonautonomous Systems and Terrestrial Carbon Cycle, at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, an institute sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the US Departmernt of Homeland Security, and the US Department of Agriculture through NSF award no. EF-0832858, with additional support from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Research in Yiqi Luo EcoLab was financially supported by US Department of Energy grants DE-SC0008270, DE-SC0014085, and US National Science Foundation (NSF) grants EF 1137293 and OIA-1301789.Ye

Replacing monocultures with mixed-species stands: Ecosystem service implications of two production forest alternatives in Sweden

Whereas there is evidence that mixed-species approaches to production forestry in general can provide positive outcomes relative to monocultures, it is less clear to what extent multiple benefits can be derived from specific mixed-species alternatives. To provide such insights requires evaluations of an encompassing suite of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and forest management considerations provided by specific mixtures and monocultures within a region. Here, we conduct such an assessment in Sweden by contrasting even-aged Norway spruce (Picea abies)-dominated stands, with mixed-species stands of spruce and birch (Betula pendula or B. pubescens), or spruce and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). By synthesizing the available evidence, we identify positive outcomes from mixtures including increased biodiversity, water quality, esthetic and recreational values, as well as reduced stand vulnerability to pest and pathogen damage. However, some uncertainties and risks were projected to increase, highlighting the importance of conducting comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluations when assessing the pros and cons of mixtures

A large committed long-term sink of carbon due to vegetation dynamics

The terrestrial biosphere shows substantial inertia in its response to environmental change. Hence, assessments of transient changes in ecosystem properties to 2100 do not capture the full magnitude of the response realized once ecosystems reach an effective equilibrium with the changed environmental boundary conditions. This equilibrium state can be termed the ‘committed state’, in contrast to a ‘transient state’ in which the ecosystem is in disequilibrium. The difference in ecosystem properties between the transient and committed states represents the ‘committed change’ yet to be realized. Here an ensemble of Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM) simulations was used to assess the changes in tree cover and carbon storage for a variety of committed states, relative to a pre‐industrial baseline, and to attribute the drivers of uncertainty. Using a subset of simulations, the committed changes in these variables post‐2100, assuming climate stabilization, were calculated. The results show large committed changes in tree cover and carbon storage, with model disparities driven by residence time in the tropics, and residence time and productivity in the boreal. Large changes remain on‐going well beyond the end of the 21st century. In boreal ecosystems, the simulated increase in vegetation carbon storage above pre‐industrial levels was 20‐95 Pg C at 2 K of warming, and 45‐201 Pg C at 5 K, of which 38‐155 Pg C was due to expansion in tree cover. Reducing the large uncertainties in long‐term commitment and rate‐of‐change of terrestrial carbon uptake will be crucial for assessments of emissions budgets consistent with limiting climate change