Forest regeneration and edge effects : an ecophysiological analysis after gap-cutting

As continuous cover forestry is an ongoing topic in todays forest debate, questions are raised about eventual issues connected to the management. It is known that seedling performance can be poor near the edge of harvested areas, and around retained trees. This is a critical issue in transitioning toward continuous cover forestry. In the current thesis, seedling abundance and biomass was quantified as a function of the distance to overstory trees after gap-cutting. The gaps had been either planted, planted and scarified, or left as untreated controls. In each gap, sample plots (2m radius) were laid out at distances -10 m (outside the gap, under canopy), 3 m, 10 m and 20 m. Incoming radiation and soil moisture was also measured in each gap. Seedling foliar nitrogen and isotopic analyses (13C/12C and 15N/14N ratio) were also performed to investigate potential causes of observed patterns. Results showed a clear reduction of growth (94%) at the edge compared to the center of the gaps. Proximity to edge-trees had negative effect on both seedling density and biomass, irrespective of treatment. Nitrogen concentration and 15N/14N was lower along the gap edge, while 13C/12C showed the opposite. No signs of light and soil moisture as limiting factors for seedlings growth could be observed. The results implied that competition for nutrients, mainly N, from retained edge-trees was restraining seedlings. The results also indicated presence of a Nsource accessible for center-seedlings but not edge-seedlings, which could be decomposing mycorrhizal mycelium

Real estate agent views on wooden multistorey construction : a comparison of real estate roles

Sverige har en väl utvecklad tradition att bygga småhus i trä och mycket resurser till detta. Trots det så är andelen flerbostadshus i trä på marknaden låg. Tidigare studier visar att konsumenterna inte har så stor kunskap om dessa bostäder i trä. Dialogen mellan alla inblandade aktörer, myndigheter och politiker måste förbättras för att främja hållbar utveckling och flerbostadshus i trä. Lagkrav om klimatdeklaration för nyproduktion från regeringen leder till konsekvenser för byggbranschen. Valet av material måste analyseras mer ingående för att påverka miljön så lite som möjligt. Denna studie syftar till att identifiera faktorer som påverkar hur mäklare arbetar för att främja flerbostadshus i trä. För att identifiera dessa faktorer genomfördes en kvalitativ fallstudie med tre registrerade fastighetsmäklare för två olika projekt av flerbostadshus i trä. Studien avser att förstå och ge uttryck åt respondenternas uppfattning om flerbostadshus i trä och dess position på marknaden vilket lett till att ett teoretiskt ramverk tagits fram. Ramverket utformades utifrån teoretiska begrepp inom området. Dessa begrepp är institutionell teori, service dominant logic och varumärkesterritorium. Litteraturgenomgång genomfördes för att få en uppfattning om tidigare studier inom området. Empirin för studien baseras på objektsbeskrivningar för projekten och skriftliga intervjuer med ansvarig fastighetsmäklare. Empirin analyseras med det teoretiska ramverket. Därefter tas empirin upp i diskussionen i dialog med tidigare forskningsresultat. Studien visar att respondenterna inte förmedlar någon gemensam nämnare för vilka mervärden de förmedlar till kunden. De anger att kunden har ett större intresse för priset än konstruktionsmaterialet. I studien framgår det att mäklarens roll i att främja flerbostadshus i trä inte är omfattande. I detta fall tyder empirin istället på att de som kan påverka positionen på marknaden främst är byggbranschen.Sweden has a well-established tradition of building wooden houses and has a lot of resources suitable for this. Despite that, the proportion of wooden multistorey construction on the market is low. Previous studies show that the consumers lack knowledge of these kinds of buildings. To promote sustainable development and these wooden buildings, the dialogue between all the involved actors, governments and politicians needs to be improved. Legal requirements from the government of climate declaration for new production leads to consequences for the construction industry. The choice of material will have to be analyzed in depth to reduce the negative effect on the environment. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect how real estate agents work to promote multistorey wooden constructions. To identify these factors, a qualitative case study was implemented. The case study consists of three registered real estate agents for two different projects. The study refers to understand and give expression to the respondents’ perception of wooden multistorey constructions and its position on the market. Based on the purpose of the study, a theoretical review was conducted and a conceptual framework was selected. The framework is based on theoretical concepts for the subject area. These concepts are; institutional theory, service dominant logic and brand territory. The literature review was also made to get an understanding of previous studies of the subject. The empirical part of the study is based on descriptions of the real estate objects and written interviews with the responsible estate agents. The descriptions of the objects and the interview-answers were analyzed based on the conceptual framework. After the analysis, the findings are discussed in dialogue with results from previous studies in the discussion chapter. In conclusion, the study shows that the respondents do not have any common understanding of what added values they mediate to the customer. The respondents' answers also show that their understandings of the customers’ interests of apartments focuses on the price rather than of what material the building is made of. The study shows that the role of the real estate agent to promote wooden multistorey constructions is not well founded. In this case, the results instead suggest that the constructions industry are the ones that can affect the position on the market for wooden multistorey constructions