Influence of vole cycles and other environmental factors on pine marten (Martes martes) population dynamics and abundance in southeastern Norway

The pine marten in Norway lives at the northern edge of their distribution area. At this latitude, regular fluctuations in vole population sizes are common, where the amplitudes get more pronounced with increasing latitude. This dynamic plays an important role in the ecosystem, as voles are prey for many predators, being a major part of the diet for the pine marten. However, the temporal and causal relationship between pine marten and vole fluctuations has received little attention, particularly regarding how vole peaks and lows affect pine marten population dynamics. Using snow tracking indices from previously sampled 618 yearly line transects covering eleven years in Hedmark county, Southeastern-Norway, I estimated the pine marten abundance, and investigated how pine marten abundance responded to vole fluctuations. I studied how these potential co-dynamics behaved in a north-south gradient, including the parameters snow depth and vole abundance (from prior data collections) upon the response variable pine marten abundance from snow tracks (i.e., tracks per km2 ). Pine marten abundance was expressed as binomial in order to reduce noise, and binomial regression models were used with snow depth, vole abundance and human settlement density. In order to test for cyclicity, snow track indices were used in Partial Rate Correlation Function, and the combined residuals was used as a response variable with snow depth, elevation and vole coefficient of variation. I predicted that pine martens were synchronized with vole fluctuations, and that the cyclicity was more pronounced in the northern part of the study area. The results showed that pine marten population size was positively associated with the previous year’s vole abundance and snow depth. A possible explanation can be the pine marten physiology, and adaptation to snow. The pine marten abundance was negatively associated with human settlement density, indicating vulnerability towards anthropogenic impacts. Pine marten population dynamics displayed a strong density-dependent growth pattern and showed no signs of cyclicity. The growth pattern was negatively affected by variation in vole abundance and increased elevation, while positively associated with snow depth, indicating that the population dynamics differs on a north-south gradient. The prediction that the pine marten is cyclic was not supported, albeit it is clear that voles are a vital part of the pine marten diet, it’s life history traits might explain why it is not synchronized with vole fluctuations. Possible explanations here include food caching, shifting to alternative prey and intraspecific regulation mitigating effects of varying access to voles as prey

Wave energy potential in the area of Sulafjorden and Breisundet

Masteroppgave i meteorologi og oseanografiGEOF399MAMN-GEO

Empathic Expressions among Three-year-olds in play and interaction in ECEC institutions in Norway: Bodily empathic Expressions ourposed for peers' wellbeing and confirming relationships.

This article is based on video observations of three-year-old children’s empathic expressions in the context of playful interactions in Early Childhood and care institutions (ECEC) in Norway. The data were analysed within a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, searching for a system of the children’s self-initiated empathic expressions in their play and interaction. The findings show that young children’s inherent empathy largely appears as an embodied intonation in the other’s emotional state, expressed through facial and bodily intersubjective expressions, followed up with empathy-related responses adapted to the context through physical communication. This study reveals that funny behaviour and play-invitations are empathically motivated actions, making peers happy again and confirming relationships. This new insight contributes to a broader understanding of young children’s empathy and may contribute to developing the knowledge of how ECEC’s educational work can support children’s empathic development based on an understanding of the body’s phenomenology and integrated in children’s play.acceptedVersio

An Operator’s Perspective on Ottawa’s Article 5

Cost-effectiveness in the traditional sense of the word has many aspects and can be displayed in many ways. Several practical examples have been presented at various occasions involving issues like coordination, toolboxes, complementarities of methods, technologies, etc. I will attempt not to prod any further into that here

Union Density in Norway and Sweden: Stability versus Decline

The aim is to explain why union density is not only considerably higher in the Ghent country Sweden than in non-Ghent Norway but also why it has declined much more in Sweden, in particular among blue-collar workers. We show how changes to Swedish unemployment insurance in 2007–2013 were followed by a decline in union density and how white-collar unions were more successful than blue-collar unions in developing supplementary income insurance schemes that counteracted membership losses. This type of institutional explanation is nevertheless insufficient. In Norway, too, blue-collar density has decreased while white-collar workers have maintained their density rate. Norwegian data further show that even without unemployment insurance funds, it is possible to achieve a fairly high union density at workplaces with collective agreements. However, without unemployment benefits like we find in Sweden, it is increasingly challenging to establish an institutional foundation for a social custom of unionization

Estimating survival and population size of the smooth newt and the great crested newt in a small farm pond over four years.

I Norge er det to salamanderarter, storsalamander (Triturus cristatus) og småsalamander (Lissotriton vulgaris). Dette er det nordligste utbredelsesområdet for salamandere i Europa. Salamandere lever mesteparten av livet sitt på land, men vil dra tilbake til vann når det er parringstid på våren. I denne oppgaven estimerte jeg populasjonsstørrelse og overlevelse for begge artene i en liten gårdsdam i Eidskog i Sørøst-Norge basert på en 4-årig tidsserie. Området rundt dammen er preget av kulturlandskap, myr og skog. I noen tidligere år har dammen tørket inn. Jeg benyttet meg av fangst-gjenfangst metoden, og brukte ruser for å fange salamanderne i seks uker i månedene april til juni. Jeg brukte programmet Amphident for å identifisere individer basert på individuelle bukmønstre. Jeg tok bilder av bukmønsteret på salamanderne, og sammenlignet det med individer fra tidligere fangster. Jeg analyserte dataene jeg samlet inn i MARK, som er et merking-gjenfangstprogram under lukket populasjonsforventning. Mine resultater viste at det var en forskjell i gjennomsnittlig overlevelse mellom storsalamander (74%) og småsalamander (42%) over 4-år. Det var derimot ingen tydelig forskjell i overlevelse mellom kjønn for storsalamander, og heller ikke for småsalamander. Det var derimot en forskjell i overlevelse hos hunnene hos både storsalamander (79%) og småsalamander (37%). Populasjonsestimatet viser at bestanden til storsalamanderne sakte øker fra år til år, (76 til 112 fra 2016 til 2019 for hunner, og 75 til 124 for hanner). Småsalamandernes populasjonsutvikling viser også en svak økning (234 til 262 for hunner, og 271 til 332 for hanner), bortsett fra i året 2018, hvor dataene viser et høyere estimat. Trolig har ikke tørken påvirket salamanderpopulasjonen i noen nevneverdig grad, men man kan kanskje se en forsinket effekt av en manglende årsklasse i senere år. Salamanderes levealder gjør at de kan avvente med reproduksjon til forholdene igjen ligger til rette. Skulle det derimot være tørke i flere år, er det rimelig å anta at man kan se tydelige negative effekter hos begge artene. Fra et forvaltningsperspektiv er det viktig med kunnskap om dammene i nærområdet, samt oppvekst og overvintringsområder, og konnektiviteten mellom dem. Salamanderpopulasjonene er trolig stabile, og har en god overlevelse. Jeg anbefaler at området rundt dammen blir fortsatt ivaretatt, og at arealinngrep som flatehogst ikke gjennomføres da det er oppvekst- og overvintringsområde for salamandere. Jeg foreslår også at man kan gjøre tiltak for å hindre at dammen tørker inn.In Norway, there are two salamander species, great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris). This is the northernmost distribution area for salamanders in Europe. Salamanders live most of their lives on land but will return to water during the breeding season in the spring. In this study, I estimated population size and survival for both species in a small farm pond in Eidskog in southeast Norway based on a 4-year time series. The area around the pond is characterized by cultural landscapes, marshes, and forests. In some previous years, the pond has dried up. I used the mark-recapture method, and used funnel traps to catch the salamanders for six weeks in the months of April to June. I used the Amphident program to identify individuals based on individual abdominal patterns. I took pictures of the abdominal pattern of the salamanders and compared it to individuals from previous catches. I analyzed the data I collected in MARK, which is a mark-recapture program under the expectation that the population was closed. My results showed that there was a difference in average survival between great crested newts (74%) and smooth newts (42%) over 4 years. There was no clear difference in survival between the sexes for great crested newts, nor for smooth newts. On the other hand, there was a difference in the survival of females in both great crested newts (79%) and smooth newts (37%). The population estimate shows that the population of the great crested newt is slowly increasing year by year, (76 to 112 from 2016 to 2019 for females, and 75 to 124 for males). The population of smooth newts also shows a slight increase (234 to 262 for females, and 271 to 332 for males), except in the year 2018, where the data show a higher estimate. Probably, the drought has not affected the salamander population to any significant degree, but one may see a delayed effect of a lack of cohort in later years. Salamanders' longevity means that they can await reproduction until conditions are right again. However, should it be drought for several years, it is reasonable to assume that one can clearly see negative effects in both species. From a management perspective, it is important to have knowledge of the ponds in the immediate area, as well as growing up and wintering areas, and the connectivity between them. Salamander populations are probably stable and have a good survival rate. I recommend that the area around the pond is still maintained and that area intervention such as clear-cuts is not carried out as it is a nursery and hibernation area for salamanders. I also suggest that measures can be taken to prevent the pond from drying in

Det gjør ikke så vondt når jeg går : sykepleierens rolle i smertelindringen av brystkreftpasienter

Studentarbeid i sykepleie (bachelorgrad) - Universitetet i Nordland, 201