Pathways of introduction of alien species in Norway: analyses of an exhaustive dataset to prioritise management efforts

1. Alien species constitute one of the major threats to global biodiversity. Stopping alien species at an early stage, preferably before establishment, is crucial for the effectiveness of management actions. To enable early detection and prevent future introductions, knowledge of pathways of introduction and their absolute and relative importance is crucial. 2. Based on an exhaustive impact assessment of alien species in Norway (all multicellular neobiota), the relations of taxonomy, lifestyle and ecological impact of alien species to their pathways of introduction are investigated. This taxonomically and ecologically unbiased dataset contains 2267 unique pathways of 1180 alien species. 3. Ecological and taxonomic patterns indicate that terrestrial organisms were predominantly introduced by means of escape (mainly perennial plants escaped from gardens), parasites as contaminants (mainly fungi and insects parasitising plants), freshwater organisms by release (mainly vertebrates) and marine organisms as stowaways (mainly invertebrates and algae). Unaided introductions were most common among insects and marine organisms. 4. Alien species with high ecological impact were mainly introduced along the same pathways as other alien species. In relative terms, high-impact species were overrepresented among released species, even though this pathway was subordinate in absolute terms. The number of pathways and the overall introduction pressure were important predictors of ecological impact, especially of the species' invasion potential, and area of occupancy. 5. Introduction rates of novel alien species have seen recent increases in all taxa and along almost all pathways. This acceleration was especially pronounced for insects and fungi introduced as contaminants and for marine organisms introduced as stowaways. In absolute terms, introduction rates were highest for plant escapes, reaching more than five novel species per year. 6. Synthesis and applications. Introductions of new alien species cannot be prevented by closing one or two introduction pathways, since none can be singled out as the main pathway of high-impact alien species. Yet each pathways closedmakes a difference, as this reduces the overall introduction pressure. The highest priorities for management are the pathways that are easiest to address, such as release, and those with the highest volumes, such as plant trade. ecological impact, escape, introduction pathway, invasive species, spread, stowawaypublishedVersio

Wooded hay meadows as viable production systems in sustainable small-scale farming

Wooded hay meadows provide livestock fodder in the form of both foliage from pollarded trees and hay from the understorey, and can be part of an environmentally friendly agroforestry system. However, trees may also have a negative effect on fodder production. Such trade-offs between productivity and sustainability in farming are poorly understood, especially in high-latitude areas. We studied hay production in two sites in the same wooded meadow in western Norway, one restored 6 years earlier than the other, to examine whether there were differences in hay production over a 4-year pollarding cycle. We measured production in transects starting from the trunks of pollarded and non-pollarded (reference) trees and running out into open meadow, and transects entirely in open meadow. We examined whether pollarding influenced hay production, and whether hay production was related to the distance from the tree trunk. Total production differed between the two sites, indicating that both time since restoration and differences in overall tree influence affected hay production. We observed a strong and immediate pollarding effect (increase in hay production) due to reduced tree influence. Trees have a negative influence on production as demonstrated by the increase in hay production with increasing distance from the tree trunk. However, additional dry fodder produced by harvesting leaves from pollarded trees more than compensates for reduction in hay production under pollarded trees. Moreover, the understorey production in the wooded hay meadow is at the same level as fertilized meadows in Norway when we include the fodder consumed by sheep during spring and autumn grazing. A wooded hay meadow is an environmentally friendly production system that does not compromise food production. Its tree component can also play an important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and supports higher biodiversity than industrial food production systems. Canopy cover, Management, Plantplant interactions, Pollarding, Production,Tree-influencepublishedVersio

Plastic Population Effects and Conservative Leaf Traits in a Reciprocal Transplant Experiment Simulating Climate Warming in the Himalayas

Climate warming poses considerable challenges for alpine plant species, especially for competitively inferior ones with resource-conservative adaptations to cold climates. The Himalayas are warming at rates considerably faster than the global average, so it is particularly important to assess how and through which mechanisms alpine plant species are affected there. We employed a demographic approach in a climate change experiment, where vegetation turfs were transplanted reciprocally between the central parts of the study species’ (Viola biflora L. var. rockiana) range and the warmer range margin, with a temperature difference of ca. 1°C. In addition, turfs were also transplanted outside the range to warmer habitats, simulating two different scenarios of climate warming, +1 and +4°C. Transplanting to warmer sites negatively impacted population growth rates (λ), survival and clonality, but did not affect growth and fecundity, while the productivity of the plant community increased. The reciprocal transplants to the colder habitat showed the opposite effects, for both V. biflora and the plant community, indicating plastic responses of the study species, driven by changes in plant–plant competition. However, the leaf traits underlying the modeled population growth rates were origin-site specific and not affected by the climate-change treatments over the study period, suggesting local adaptation of growth form to competition in the warmer range margin, and to climate adversity in the colder range center. The transplants outside the present species’ range showed consistently stronger reductions in population growth rate and survival, with mortality of 90–100% in the +4°C treatment. This illustrates that climatic changes beyond species’ present climatic ranges pose a serious risk for range contraction and extinction for Himalayan alpine species in the near future. As V. biflora seems mostly limited by competition under warming, its persistence in a future climate may become increasingly dependent on keeping competitive effects from the surrounding community low, for instance by management interventions like grazing and mowing

Инженерно-геологические условия Всеволожского района Ленинградской области и проект инженерно-геологических изысканий под строительство жилого многоэтажного дома со встроенно-пристроенными помещениями по адресу г. Кудрово, ул. Пражская

Произведена оценка инженерно-геологических условий участка, изучение состава, состояния и свойств грунтов, геологических процессов и явлений, обоснование оптимальных видов, объемов работ и методики изысканий для получения достоверности инженерно-геологической информации об условиях строительства. В результате исследования намечены и обоснованы виды и объемы комплексных изысканий на стадии "рабочая документация", выбраны современные методики их выполнения, составлена смета на выполнение работ. Разработана карта инженерно-геологических условий и расчетная схема основания свайного фундамента.The assessment of engineering-geological conditions of the site, the study of the composition, condition and properties of soils, geological processes and phenomena, the rationale for the optimal types, scope of work and methods of research to obtain the reliability of engineering-geological information about the conditions of construction. The study identified and justified types and amounts of comprehensive research on the stage "working documentation", selected modern methods for their implementation, is composed of estimates for execution of works. The map of engineering-geological conditions and the design scheme of the pile Foundation base is developed

Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant

Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with observational field data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived herb, Plantago lanceolata, we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait-environment relationships. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field-observed trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related to fitness

Phenotypic plasticity masks range-wide genetic differentiation for vegetative but not reproductive traits in a short-lived plant

Publication history: Accepted - 19 May 2021; Published - 5 August 2021.Genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity jointly shape intraspecific trait variation, but their roles differ among traits. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with observational field data throughout the range of a widespread short-lived herb, Plantago lanceolata, we (1) disentangled genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and (2) assessed how genetic differentiation and plasticity shape observational trait–environment relationships. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that largely determined observational patterns, but only when correcting traits for differences in biomass. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and opposite genetic and plastic responses, masking the genetic component underlying field-observed trait variation. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related to fitness.Eesti Teadusagentuur, Grant/Award Number: PRG609 and PUT1409; Academy of Finland; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada; Science Foundation Ireland, Grant/Award Number: 15/ERCD/2803; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Grant/Award Number: IJCI-2017- 32039; European Regional Development Fun

The Index-Based Ecological Condition Assessment (IBECA) - Technical protocol, version 1.0

Töpper J. & Jakobsson S. 2021. The Index-Based Ecological Condition Assessment (IBECA) - Technical protocol, version 1.0. NINA Report 1967. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Planet Earth experiences substantial and rapid losses of ecological values, primarily driven by human impacts such as habitat loss due to human land use, exploitation, pollution, introduction of alien species and anthropogenic climate change. Although science and politics have recognised these imminent threats to the world’s ecosystems, and despite many initiatives for conservation, restoration, and sustainable management, the ecological degradation continues. One of the central challenges towards a sustainable future for our ecosystems is the knowledge basis, where we still fall short of effective and applicable frameworks for evaluating the ecological con-dition of ecosystems. The Norwegian ‘system for assessment of ecological condition’ for terrestrial and marine ecosystems aims to fill such a function, by providing a sound and measurable representation of ecosystem condition. This should function as an ecological foundation for authorities when deciding management goals, and assist in designing measures to reach these goals. One of the methods developed within this system is the Index-Based Ecological Condition Assessment (IBECA). A key aspect of IBECA is the quantitative aggregation of scaled indicators into ecological condition indices. The scaling procedure relies primarily on the concept of a reference condition, representing intact nature, and limit values for what is regarded good ecological condition. This technical report presents the methods for the IBECA framework. We address (i) how reference conditions for indicators in IBECA are defined, including reference values, limit values for good ecological condition, and minimum/maximum values of indicators, (ii) the scaling procedures that make the indicators comparable, (iii) the aggregation procedures for calculating estimates for ecological condition for the ecosystem as a whole as well as for single ecosystem characteristics and ecosystem pressures, (iv) how uncertainty is treated in IBECA, and finally (v) the requirements for indicators and data used in IBECA.Töpper J. & Jakobsson S. 2021. The Index-Based Ecological Condition Assessment (IBECA) - Teknisk protokoll, versjon 1.0. NINA Rapport 1967. Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Planeten vår er utsatt for betydelige og raske tap av økologiske verdier, hovedsakelig drevet av menneskelige påvirkninger som tap av habitat på grunn av menneskelig arealbruk, beskatning, forurensning, spredning av fremmede arter og menneskeskapte klimaendringer. Selv om vitenskap og politikk har anerkjent disse pågående truslene mot verdens økosystemer, og til tross for mange initiativer for bevaring, restaurering og bærekraftig forvaltning, fortsetter tapet av økologiske verdier. En av de sentrale utfordringene mot en bærekraftig fremtid for våre økosystemer er kunnskapsgrunnlaget, der vi fortsatt mangler effektive og anvendbare rammer for å evaluere økologisk tilstand. I Norge tar ‘fagsystemet for vurdering av økologisk tilstand for terrestriske og marine økosystemer’ sikte på å fylle en slik rolle ved å gi en faglig og målbar representasjon av økologisk tilstand i økosystemene. Dette skal danne et faglig grunnlag for myndighetene når det skal fastsettes forvaltningsmål og for å innrette den samlede virkemiddelbruken for å nå slike mål. En av metodene som er utviklet i dette systemet er ‘Indeksmetoden’ (Index-Based Ecological Condition Assessment, IBECA). Et sentralt aspekt ved IBECA er den kvantitative aggregeringen av skalerte indikatorer til økologiske tilstandsindekser. Skaleringsprosedyren relaterer i hovedsak til begrepet referansetilstand, som representerer intakt natur, og grenseverdier for det som anses som god økologisk tilstand. Denne tekniske protokollen presenterer metodene for IBECA-rammeverket. Vi tar for oss (i) hvordan referansetilstanden for indikatorer i IBECA er definert, inkludert referanseverdier, grenseverdier for god økologisk tilstand og minimum/maksimumsverdier for indikatorer, (ii) skaleringsprosedyrene som gjør indikatorene sammenlignbare, (iii) aggregeringsprosedyrer for beregning av indekser for økologisk tilstand for økosystemet som helhet, samt for enkelte økosystemegenskaper og påvirkninger, (iv) hvordan usikkerhet behandles i IBECA, og til slutt (v) krav til indikatorer og data brukt i IBECA