Karplanter, moser, lav og sopp i Bergsåsen naturreservat, Snåsa, Nord-Trøndelag : en kunnskapsstatus med fokus på rødlisteartene

Formålet med denne undersøkelsen har vært å kartlegge og dokumentere mangfoldet av karplanter, moser, lav og sopp i Bergsåsen naturreservat i Snåsa, Nord-Trøndelag. Området har vært vernet siden 1977 og har vært kjent for rike forekomster av orkidéer. Reservatet har spesielt gode forekomster av kalkfuruskog, men også en del kalkgranskog og andre rike naturtyper. Kunnskapen om karplanter og moser har vært rimelig god mens lav og sopp har vært relativt dårlig kjent. Til sammen er det registrert 194 taksa (arter og underarter) av karplanter, 308 moser, 180 lav og 274 sopp. Av disse var det 34 rødlistearter. Seks arter er vurdert som direkte truet (EN) i Norge; skorpelavene Petractis clausa og Placynthium stenophyllum, hårklokkemose Encalypta spathulata, krokblygmose Seligeria campylopoda, karstslørsopp Cortianrius diosmus og fagervokssopp Hygrophorus calophyllus. Åtte arter fra reservatet er vurdert som sårbar (VU) i den norske rødlista; huldreblom Epipogium aphyllum, rosa tusselav Schismatomma pericleum, småklokkemose Encalypta vulgaris, trådflette Hypnum sauteri, nurkblygmose Seligeria pusilla, praktrødspore Entoloma bloxamii, melrødspore Entoloma prunuluoides og vrangstorpigg Sarcodon lundellii

Restoring heathlands after afforestation on two islands in western Norway

The ongoing loss of red-listed coastal heathlands is a threat to biodiversity and cultural heritage legacies throughout the Atlantic coastal regions of Europe. It is possible to restore degraded and afforested heathlands, but restoration interventions are often labour-intensive and costly, and the outcome of specific restoration actions are not well documented. We assess the efficiency of restoring coastal heathlands through natural succession (i.e. ‘passive restoration') after removal of Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. plantations. The study was replicated on two neighbouring islands in a nature reserve in Western Norway. Low-intensity free-range sheep grazing was implemented as part of the reserve management plan. Furthermore, we tested the effect of leaving the clear-felled woody material as chips on site, this being a cost-efficient strategy on islands. Succession was monitored 1, 2, 4/5 and 8 years after clear-felling, and revegetation of vascular plants and bryophytes was compared to target heathland vegetation. Surprisingly, we found different successional trajectories on the two islands. Species composition on one island approached target heathland vegetation during succession, but not on the other. Wood chips reduced species richness and slowed the restoration process, but these negative effects were only short-term (<8 years). Differences in seed bank composition and soil conditions due to land use may explain the deviating successional trajectories on the two islands. We also found that management actions beyond clear-felling and introducing sheep grazing are necessary due to the rapid seed regeneration of the Sitka spruce.publishedVersio

Short stories from Sphagnum of rare species, taxonomy, and speciation

Conserving species and their genetic variation are a global priority to safeguard evolu-tionary potential in a rapidly changing world. Species are fundamental units in research and nature management, but taxonomic work is increasingly undermined. Increasing knowledge on the species genetic diversity would aid in prioritizing conservation ef -forts. Sphagnum is a diverse, well- known bryophyte genus, which makes the genus suited to study speciation and cryptic variation. The species share specific character-istics and can be difficult to separate in the field. By combining molecular data with thorough morphological examination, new species have recently been discovered. Still, there are taxonomic uncertainties, even for species assessed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Here, we use molecular data to examine three rare species within the subgenus Acutifolia described based on morphological characters. All spe -cies have narrow distributions and limited dispersability. First, we confirm the genetic origin of S. skyense. Second, we show that S. venustum is a haploid species genetically distinct from morphologically similar species. Lastly, S. nitidulum was found to have a distinct haplotype, but cannot be genetically separated from other red Acutifoliaspecies. We also found high genetic variation within red Acutifolia specimens, indicat -ing the need of further morphological examination and possibly taxonomic revision. Until then, our results have shown that genetic data can aid in prioritizing targets of conservation efforts when taxonomy is unresolved. All three taxa should be further searched for by field biologists to increase knowledge about their distribution ranges. genetic structure, microsatellites, molecular data, morphology, peatmosses, speciation, species identification, TaxonomypublishedVersio

Utvikling av autonomt system på landbasert plattform - GPS-uavhengig navigering i trange miljøer

I den teknologiske utviklingen er det et større fokus på hvordan autonome systemer fungerer enn tidligere. Forsvaret har økt sin satsing innen autonomi som endrer måten operasjoner planlegges og gjennomføres på. Med bakgrunn i denne utviklingen forsøker oppgaven å gi en større forståelse rundt hvordan et konkret autonomt system kan fungere. Gjennom arbeidet av plattformen er det forsøkt å videreføre modulariteten i konstruksjonen, ved å gi en enkel og oversiktlig enhet å jobbe med. Etter anbefaling fra plattformens utviklere ble motorkontrollene erstattet med en mer robust type. Det er også fjernet moduler fra PLS og ultralyd-baserte avstandsmålere som ble overflødige, grunnet oppgradering av sensorpakken. Disse ble erstattet med en Lidar som brukes til hurtig skanning av plattformens miljø. Raspberry Pi, PLS og ROS er brukt som styrings – og kommunikasjonsenheter. ROS er en linuxbasert programvare for utvikling av software til roboter. Videre er plattformen utvidet på hardwaresiden med en Arduino, som primært benyttes gjennom puls bredde modulasjon for å styre motorene. Disse motorkontrollsignalene blir sendt via programmeringsspråket Node-Red som fungerer som et bindeledd mellom plattformens ulike enheter. Det implementerte Lidar systemet er kompatibelt med en rekke programmeringsspråk. Etter flere vurderinger av ulike språk falt valget på Python, da det er et utbredt programmeringsspråk som er lett å integrere i ROS. Siden oppstarten av bachelorperioden, har tanken vært å bruke systemer som brukes i utdannelsen ved Sjøkrigsskolen. Gjennom arbeidsprosessen har det blitt identifisert flere områder hvor plattformen kan videreutvikles. Det har vært en prioritet å begrense bruken av ukjente programmeringsspråk, slik at fokuset kan legges på integreringen av nye komponenter. Plattformen kan styres på tre ulike måter, gjennom Dualshock PS4 kontroller, gjennom PLS og via ROS. Dette gjør at brukere har mulighet til selv å kunne velge hvordan plattformen skal komme seg fra A til B, og åpner muligheten til å utvide systemet fra forskjellige innfallsvinkler. Oppgaven tar utgangspunkt i Sheridan og Verplank (Hareide, 2018) sin rangering av hvor autonomt et system er, i den hensikt å få et bilde over hva som kreves i et autonomt system. Datamaskinen utfører plattformens handlinger automatisk, og informerer brukeren i etterkant om hva den har gjort. Oppgaven har lyktes med å få plattformen til å kjøre autonomt innendørs. Muligheten til å kjøre autonomt utendørs med GPS-støtte ble også undersøkt. Navio2 anses å ha relevant sensorpakke og brukersystem for videreutvikling av plattformen

Kalkområdene i Snåsa og Steinkjer, Nord-Trøndelag – oaser for sjeldne karplanter, moser, lav og sopp

The calcareous areas of Snåsa and Steinkjer municipalities have for a long time been well known for their rare vascular plants including several redlisted orchids such as Cypripedium calceolus, Epipogium aphyllum and Ophrys insectifera. However, the diversity of bryophytes, lichens and fungi in the same areas has until recently been much less known. This paper summarizes 10 years of floristic field work in calcareous coniferous forests in the Snåsa and Steinkjer municipalities. Of particular interest are the high number of mycorrhizal fungi recorded close to hotspot areas of orchids, including species of Cortinarius, Hygrophorus, Ramaria and Sarcodon. A number of crustose lichen specialists of calcareous rock were also recorded, many of which are rarely collected. Petractis clausa is a characteristic member of this group. The bryophyte flora is diverse with several nationally scarce species. Especially bryophytes of calcareous rock walls, in both spruce and pine forest, include many rare and red listed species. A mixture of phytogeographic elements are present in the area including both southern/southeastern, northern and western species. Several southern species are probably relict populations from the warmer period after the last glaciation. Some of the forest types are unique for the Scandinavian peninsula, like certain types of moist calcareous spruce forests on shallow soils.acceptedVersio

Sphagnum magniporosum (Sphagnaceae, subgenus Subsecunda) a new peatmoss species from Venezuela

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. This is an Open Access article.We describe Sphagnum magniporosum sp. nov. in Sphagnum subgen. Subsecunda (Sphagnaceae) Bryophyta. The new species is described and characterized using morphological methods. The description is based on qualitative examination of morphological characters of shoots, stems, branches and leaves. The new peatmoss is known from a single locality at a tabletop (tepui) mountain in the Chimantá Massif, Canima National Park in the state Bolívar of Venezuela. The morphology of the species is compared and evaluated using keys, descriptions and illustrations of ten South American and one African Subsecunda species.Peer reviewe

Forvaltningsmål for Stallvikmyran naturreservat, Røyrvik kommune, Nord-Trøndelag

Formålet med denne undersøkelsen var å vurdere tilstanden for Stallvikmyran naturreservat ved kartlegging av naturtyper, vegetasjon og fuglefauna. På bakgrunn av disse kartleggingene er det utarbeidet forslag til forvaltningsmål for verneområdet. Stallvikmyran ble vernet som naturreservat i 1988, men det finnes ingen forvaltningsplan for reservatet. Forut for denne undersøkelsen var også kunnskapsstatus om det biologiske mangfoldet svært begrenset. Søk i Artskart viste ingen tidligere registeringer hverken for vegetasjon eller fuglefauna. Kartlegging av naturtyper, vegetasjon og fuglefauna ble gjennomført i perioden juni – oktober 2015. Det ble registrert 108 karplantearter, 101 lavarter, 97 mosearter, 18 sopparter og 30 fuglearter. For vegetasjon ble det påvist fire rødlistearter, de tre lavartene gubbeskjegg Alectoria sarmentosa (NT), sukkernål Chaenotheca subroscida (NT) og skorpeglye Rostania occultata (VU), og levermosen torvflik Lophozia laxa (VU). Det ble registrert tre rødlistede fuglearter, vipe Vanellus vanellus (EN), lirype Lagopus lagopus (NT) og fiskemåke Larus canus (NT). Viktigste naturtyper i reservatet er minerotrofe bakkemyrer med variasjoner i vegetasjonen fra fattig til rik. Ellers finnes det også områder med ombrotrof myr, rik fukteng og flere granskogsutforminger. Tilstanden i naturreservatet vurderes som god, og i samsvar med verneformålet. Det er ikke behov for skjøtselstiltak. Resultatene fra kartleggingsarbeidet er sammen med formålsparagrafen og verneforskriften benyttet til å utarbeide forslag til forvaltningsmål for verneområdet. De fem forvaltningsmålene er relatert til ulike organisasjonsnivå for biologisk mangfold.Røyrvik kommune og Fylkesmannen i Nord-Trøndela

Linked Selection and Gene Density Shape Genome‐Wide Patterns of Diversification in Peatmosses

ABSTRACTGenome evolution under speciation is poorly understood in nonmodel and nonvascular plants, such as bryophytes—the largest group of nonvascular land plants. Their genomes are structurally different from angiosperms and likely subjected to stronger linked selection pressure, which may have profound consequences on genome evolution in diversifying lineages, even more so when their genome architecture is conserved. We use the highly diverse, rapidly radiated group of peatmosses (Sphagnum) to characterize the processes affecting genome diversification in bryophytes. Using whole‐genome sequencing data from populations of 12 species sampled at different phylogenetic and geographical scales, we describe high correlation of the genomic landscapes of differentiation, divergence, and diversity in Sphagnum. Coupled with evidence from the patterns of covariation among different measures of genetic diversity, phylogenetic discordance, and gene density, this provides strong support that peatmoss genome evolution has been shaped by the long‐term effects of linked selection, constrained by distribution of selection targets in the genome. Thus, peatmosses join the growing number of animal and plant groups where functional features of the genome, such as gene density, and linked selection drive genome evolution along predetermined and highly similar routes in different species. Our findings demonstrate the great potential of bryophytes for studying the genomics of speciation and highlight the urgent need to expand the genomic resources in this remarkable group of plants

Future directions and priorities for Arctic bryophyte research

The development of evidence-based international strategies for the conservation and management of Arctic ecosystems in the face of climate change is hindered by critical knowledge gaps in Arctic floristic diversity and evolution. Particularly poorly studied are the bryophytes, which dominant the vegetation across vast areas of the Arctic, and consequently, play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles. Currently, much of what is known about Arctic floristic evolution is based on studies of vascular plants. Bryophytes, however, possess a number of features, such as poikilohydry, totipotency, several reproductive strategies, and the ability to disperse through microscopic diaspores, which may cause their responses to Arctic environments to differ from those of the vascular plants. Here we discuss several priority areas identified in the Arctic Council's ‘Arctic Biodiversity Assessment’ that are necessary to illuminate patterns of Arctic bryophyte evolution and diversity, including dispersal, glacial refugia, local adaptation, and ecological interactions within bryophyte-associated microbiomes. A survey of digitally available herbarium data archived in the largest online aggregate, GBIF, across the Arctic to boreal zones, indicates that sampling coverage of mosses is heterogeneous, and relatively sparse in the Arctic sensu stricostricto. A coordinated international effort across the Arctic will be necessary to address knowledge gaps in Arctic bryophyte diversity and evolution in the context of ongoing climate change

Highly overlapping winter diet in two sympatric lemming species revealed by DNA metabarcoding

Sympatric species are expected to minimize competition by partitioning resources, especially when these are limited. Herbivores inhabiting the High Arctic in winter are a prime example of a situation where food availability is anticipated to be low, and thus reduced diet overlap is expected. We present here the first assessment of diet overlap of high arctic lemmings during winter based on DNA metabarcoding of feces. In contrast to previous analyses based on microhistology, we found that the diets of both collared (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus) and brown lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatus) on Bylot Island were dominated by Salix while mosses, which were significantly consumed only by the brown lemming, were a relatively minor food item. The most abundant plant taxon, Cassiope tetragona, which alone composes more than 50% of the available plant biomass, was not detected in feces and can thus be considered to be non-food. Most plant taxa that were identified as food items were consumed in proportion to their availability and none were clearly selected for. The resulting high diet overlap, together with a lack of habitat segregation, indicates a high potential for resource competition between the two lemming species. However, Salix is abundant in the winter habitats of lemmings on Bylot Island and the nonSalix portion of the diets differed between the two species. Also, lemming grazing impact on vegetation during winter in the study area is negligible. Hence, it seems likely that the high potential for resource competition predicted between these two species did not translate into actual competition. This illustrates that even in environments with low primary productivity food resources do not necessarily generate strong competition among herbivores