Controlling role in the crisis management

This article explores the role of labour mobility as a potential cluster advantage. We review the theoretical arguments as for how and why labour mobility could enhance the dynamism and performance of clusters of similar and related firms. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data from two information and communication technology (ICT) clusters is used to answer two research questions: (1) What is the role of mobility enhancing (or restricting) institutions in clusters? and (2) In what ways does labour mobility contribute to knowledge transfer within clusters? The two ICT clusters studied in the article generally seem to have higher levels of mobility, compared to the labour market at large. Although it is regarded as beneficial in theory, most cluster firms try to restrict mobility of workers since they fear the risk and costs of losing staff. Labour mobility is also rarely viewed as a viable way to increase the knowledge bases or contact networks of firms. However, when firms need to recruit the clustered labour markets seem to benefit them by facilitating the use of informal recruitment processes. By way of conclusion it is suggested that cluster firms might be under-investing in mobility and that innovative institutional solutions could help realize clusters mobility potential.This is the authors’ version of the following article:Dzamila Bienkowska, Mats Lundmark and Anders Malmberg, Brain circulation and flexible adjustment: Labour mobility as a cluster advantage, 2011, Geografiska Annaler. Series B. Human Geography, (93), 1, 21-39.which has been published in final form at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0467.2011.00359.xCopyright: Blackwell Publishershttp://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Brand/id-35.htm

Evaluating preprocessing methods of digital elevation models for hydrological modelling

With the introduction of high-resolution digital elevation models, it is possible to use digital terrain analysis to extract small streams. In order to map streams correctly, it is necessary to remove errors and artificial sinks in the digital elevation models. This step is known as preprocessing and will allow water to move across a digital landscape. However, new challenges are introduced with increasing resolution because the effect of anthropogenic artefacts such as road embankments and bridges increases with increased resolution. These are problematic during the preprocessing step because they are elevated above the surrounding landscape and act as artificial dams. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of different preprocessing methods such as breaching and filling on digital elevation models with different resolutions (2, 4, 8, and 16m) and to evaluate which preprocessing methods most accurately route water across road impoundments at actual culvert locations. A unique dataset with over 30,000 field-mapped road culverts was used to assess the accuracy of stream networks derived from digital elevation models using different preprocessing methods. Our results showed that the accuracy of stream networks increases with increasing resolution. Breaching created the most accurate stream networks on all resolutions, whereas filling was the least accurate. Burning streams from the topographic map across roads from the topographic map increased the accuracy for all methods and resolutions. In addition, the impact in terms of change in area and absolute volume between original and preprocessed digital elevation models was smaller for breaching than for filling. With the appropriate methods, it is possible to extract accurate stream networks from high-resolution digital elevation models with extensive road networks, thus providing forest managers with stream networks that can be used when planning operations in wet areas or areas near streams to prevent rutting, sediment transport, and mercury export

Drought response of the boreal forest carbon sink is driven by understorey-tree composition

The boreal forest is an important global carbon sink, but its response to drought remains uncertain. Here, we compiled biometric- and chamber-based flux data from 50 boreal forest stands to assess the impact of the 2018 European summer drought on net ecosystem production (NEP) across a 68 km2 managed landscape in northern Sweden. Our results reveal a non-uniform reduction in NEP (on average by 80 +/- 16 g C m-2 yr-1 or 57 +/- 13%) across the landscape, which was greatest in young stands of 20-50 years (95 +/- 39 g C m-2 yr-1), but gradually decreased towards older stands (54 +/- 57 g C m-2 yr-1). This pattern was attributed to the higher sensitivity of forest-floor understorey to drought and its decreasing contribution to production relative to trees during stand development. This suggests that an age-dependent shift in understorey-tree composition with increasing stand age drives the drought response of the boreal forest NEP. Thus, our study advocates the need for partitioning ecosystem responses to improve empirical and modelling assessments of carbon cycle-climate feedbacks in boreal forests. It further implies that the forest age structure may strongly determine the carbon sink response to the projected increase in drought events across the managed boreal landscape.Carbon sink in young boreal forests is more vulnerable to drought than in mature forests due to the greater contribution and drought sensitivity of understorey relative to trees, according to carbon flux assessments of managed boreal forests in northern Sweden during the 2018 European summer drought

Long-term nitrogen addition raises the annual carbon sink of a boreal forest to a new steady-state

The boreal forest is an important global carbon (C) sink. Since low soil nitrogen (N) availability is commonly a key constraint on forest productivity, the prevalent view is that increased N input enhances its C sink-strength. This understanding however relies primarily on observations of increased aboveground tree biomass and soil C stock following N fertilization, whereas empirical data evaluating the effects on the whole ecosystem-scale C balance are lacking. Here we use a unique long-term experiment consisting of paired forest stands with eddy covariance measurements to explore the effect of ecosystem-scale N fertilization on the C balance of a managed boreal pine forest. We find that the annual C uptake (i.e. net ecosystem production, NEP) at the fertilized stand was 16 +/- 2% greater relative to the control stand by the end of the first decade of N addition. Subsequently, the ratio of NEP between the fertilized and control stand remained at a stable level during the following five years with an average NEP to N response of 7 & PLUSMN; 1 g C per g N. Our study reveals that this non-linear response of NEP to long-term N fertilization was the result of a cross-seasonal feedback between the N-induced increases in both growing-season C uptake and subsequent winter C emission. We further find that one decade of N addition altered the sensitivity of ecosystem C fluxes to key environmental drivers resulting in divergent responses to weather patterns. Thus, our study highlights the need to account for ecosystem-scale responses to perturbations to improve our understanding of nitrogen-carbon-climate feedbacks in boreal forests.Peer reviewe

Long-term nitrogen addition raises the annual carbon sink of a boreal forest to a new steady-state

The boreal forest is an important global carbon (C) sink. Since low soil nitrogen (N) availability is commonly a key constraint on forest productivity, the prevalent view is that increased N input enhances its C sink-strength. This understanding however relies primarily on observations of increased aboveground tree biomass and soil C stock following N fertilization, whereas empirical data evaluating the effects on the whole ecosystem-scale C balance are lacking. Here we use a unique long-term experiment consisting of paired forest stands with eddy covariance measurements to explore the effect of ecosystem-scale N fertilization on the C balance of a managed boreal pine forest. We find that the annual C uptake (i.e. net ecosystem production, NEP) at the fertilized stand was 16 +/- 2% greater relative to the control stand by the end of the first decade of N addition. Subsequently, the ratio of NEP between the fertilized and control stand remained at a stable level during the following five years with an average NEP to N response of 7 & PLUSMN; 1 g C per g N. Our study reveals that this non-linear response of NEP to long-term N fertilization was the result of a cross-seasonal feedback between the N-induced increases in both growing-season C uptake and subsequent winter C emission. We further find that one decade of N addition altered the sensitivity of ecosystem C fluxes to key environmental drivers resulting in divergent responses to weather patterns. Thus, our study highlights the need to account for ecosystem-scale responses to perturbations to improve our understanding of nitrogen-carbon-climate feedbacks in boreal forests.Peer reviewe

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

12 framgångsfaktorer för en lyckad IS/IT strategi

Vad är det som gör en IS/IT strategi lyckad? Det är en fråga som har ställts av ADB/Data/IT chefer och forskare inom datorteknikens område mycket länge och som det idag inte finns ett entydigt svar på. I denna uppsats gör vi ett försök att ge ledtrådar till vad som kan göra en IS/IT strategi framgångsrik, även om vi inte kan presentera en absolut sanning i frågan. Tanken har varit att göra en genomgång av det litteraturmaterial som finns om ämnet och plocka ut godbitarna, samt att studera ett företag i vårt fall Morgonbladet. Genom att läsa och studera olika författare och se vad de har sagt, jämföra de olika åsikterna och ta vara på det som skiljer dem åt kom vi fram till en 12 punkters lista med saker att tänka på i arbetet med att få fram en lyckad IS/IT strategi. Några av dessa punkter är: Klargör vad mål/vision/strategi betyder Involvera ledningen från början. De måste vara aktiva genom hela processen Involvera ALL nyckelpersonal i planeringsarbetet IS/IT strategier skall vara kopplade till affärsstrategien Meningen med denna lista är att den kanske kan starta en diskussion och eftertanke i arbetet att ta fram eller revidera en IS/IT strategi

The Persistence of Society-Driven Engagement in Swedish Cinema: A Locational Analysis, 1936-2016

This article underlines the importance of grass-roots civic society involvement in cinema exhibition in villages and towns in Sweden throughout the twentieth century. We investigate geographic patterns of cinema exhibition and ownership over time in a mixed rural cum (post)industrial region in the central part of Sweden known as Bergslagen. In a systematic comparison across temporal and geographic entities our analysis details the extent of civic society engagement in cinema. Our analysis suggests that civic societies contributed to the high number of cinemas in rural and small town Sweden as well as to the persistence of a surprisingly evenly distributed and decentralized pattern of cinema exhibition up until this day

"Let's keep it informal, guys" : a study of the effects of teacher communicative strategies on student activity and collaborative learning in internet-based English courses

The paper explores the quantity and quality of communication produced by teachers in Internet courses of academic English, particularly during the initial stages of course activity. The courses are entirely conducted in virtual learning environments without physical meetings, and are part of the Bachelor programme (A–C level) of English at Mid Sweden University. The pedagogic design of the courses is based on collaborative learning, which presupposes a communicative environment with positive interdependence and interaction, where knowledge is shared by students questioning and challenging each other. Consequently, the teacher’s role in setting communicative norms which encourage an environment of high acceptance, where students feel that they can express their opinions freely, is of utmost importance. The results suggest that there are two important factors that affect student activity in the initial stages of an online course: how much the teacher communicates with the class and the manner in which he or she does so