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The Impact of EU Accession on Agricultural Self-Sufficiency in Sweden and Finland : a Nordic Comparison
Get PDFUsing a Difference-in-Difference analysis, this thesis tests the hypothesis that Sweden and Finland experienced a decrease in overall self-sufficiency ratio after their EU accession compared to the control group during the given time period. The data is compiled of quantity produced, imported and exported for eleven agricultural goods for the years between 1990-2000 for each respective country. The trade-off between being self-sufficient and trade reliant is of great concern, especially in times of trade-disrupting events like Covid-19 or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, we identify if any specific categories of agricultural goods were particularly affected by the EU accession. The study contributes to existing research by using the self-sufficiency ratio with a Difference-in-Difference approach to understand the causal effects of EU accession on Sweden and Finland compared to other Nordic countries.
The results indicate that there was no statistically significant change in the overall self-sufficiency ratio for agricultural goods in Sweden and Finland following EU accession when compared with the control group consisting of Norway and Denmark. However, when examining specific categories of goods, the findings suggest that crops experienced a significant decrease in SSR, vegetables showed a slight but statistically significant increase, while meats did not exhibit any statistically significant change. Because of the noise in the data and the bias introduced by the method and assumptions, we suggest further research to strengthen the results of this thesis
Shrubs Effects on Soil Temperatures, Snow Depth, and Vegetation Greenness in Arctic-alpine Tundra
Get PDFArctic ecosystems experience rapid changes in temperatures due to climate-induced warming and as an effect, deciduous shrub abundance is increasing throughout the northern hemisphere. The expansion of tall shrubs can affect snow coverage, soil temperatures, nutrient cycles, and, in turn, the life cycle of many other arctic organisms. Since 2018, the project ALTER has experimentally removed vegetation with certain mycorrhizal connections from sub-arctic tundra heath in Abisko. In this study, I use data from the ALTER project alongside snow measurements made on April 24th, 2024 to explore how the removal of tall deciduous shrubs with ectomycorrhizal associations affects soil temperatures, greenness, snow depth, and, snow coverage compared to a no-removal control. Removal of tall shrubs showed no significant correlation, only trends affecting spring and summer temperatures. The removal did not affect snow depth or snow coverage with differences most likely dependent on other factors such as microtopography. Differences in greenness were not significant and most likely too small to show any meaningful results but did, however, highlight a need for extended greenness measurements to capture differences throughout the growing season. This study further emphasizes the need for long-term ecological research to gain insight into slow-moving ecological effects following climate change.Arktiska ekosystem upplever snabba förändringar i temperatur på grund av klimat-inducerad uppvärmning och som en effekt ökar förekomsten av lövfällande buskar över det norra halvklotet. Denna utbredning av höga buskar kan påverka snötäckning, marktemperaturer, växtnäringskretslopp och till följd livscyklerna hos många andra arktiska organismer. Sedan 2018 har projektet ALTER gjort experimentell borttagning av vegetation baserad på mycorrhizainteraktioner från subarktisk tundrahed i Abisko. I den här studien använder jag data från ALTER projektet tillsammans med egna snömätningar från den 24e April 2024 för att utforska hur borttagning av höga lövfällande buskar med ectomyccorhizala associationer påverkar marktemperaturer, grönhet, snödjup och snötäcke jämfört med en kontroll utan vegetationsborttagning. Borttagning av höga buskar visade ingen signifikant korrelation, endast trender mot att påverka vår och sommartemperaturer. Borttagning påverkade inte snödjup eller snötäcke och skillnader beror sannolikt på andra faktorer som mikrotopografi. Skillnader i grönhet var inte signifikanta och var till största sannolikhet för små för att visa något meningsfullt resultat. Resultatet uppmärksammade däremot ett behov för att utöka mätningarna för grönhet så att skillnader över växtsäsongen kan fångas upp. Den här studien betonar även nödvändigheten av långvarig ekologisk forskning som kan ge insikt gällande långsamma ekologiska effekter som följer klimatförändringar
Kväveeffekt i spannmål och andra grödor av mobil gröngödsling
Get PDFMobil gröngödsling (MGG) är en metod för att bättre utnyttja det organiskt bundna kvävet i
växtrester som lämnas kvar i fält vid exempelvis gröngödslingsvallar, fröodling eller användning av
mellangrödor. Vid MGG förflyttas växtresterna, som vanligen lämnas i fält, till andra fält för att dels
användas som kvävegödsel, men även för att öka kvävefixeringen i den befintliga grödan som annars
kan hämmas när kväve mineraliseras. Syftet med denna rapport är att samla information om mobil
gröngödsel i Sverige och internationellt för att veta vilka grödor som lämpar sig att använda, vilken
skördeeffekt och kväveeffektivitet som mobil gröngödsel kan åstadkomma samt hur nederbörd och
temperatur påverkar mineraliseringen av gröngödsel.
Två försök i spannmål har genomförts i Sverige vilka utvärderades och jämfördes med studier
om mobil gröngödsel i andra länder, i spannmål men även andra grödor. Resultatet visade att olika
gröngödselmaterial hade olika skördeeffekt, där blandvall i flera försök orsakade en
nettoimmobilisering medan rena baljväxtvallar orsakade en nettomineralisering, där vitklöver vid
jämförelse hade högst skördeeffekt per kg N. Skördeeffekten per kg N visade sig även generellt vara
något högre i vårsådda grödor jämfört med höstsådda. Då temperatur och nederbörd jämförts mellan
försöksplatser och år så kan en högre nederbörd ha lett till en ökad kvävemineralisering, men ingen
entydig slutsats har kunnat dras från befintliga data. Slutsatserna blev att MGG kan vara ett bra
alternativ till annan gödsling samt att det är ett bra sätt att utnyttja växtnäring som annars kan gå
förlorad. Vid rätt nederbörds och temperaturförhållanden samt spridning vid rätt tidpunkt kan det ge
en hög kväveeffekt i spannmål, men även andra grödor. Dock är valet av MGG mycket viktigt då
höga C:N-kvoter kan orsaka nettoimmobilisering.Mobile green manure or cut and carry fertilizers is a method to better utilize the plant residues that
is left in the field when growing green manure crops, catch crops and seed cultivars. When practicing
mobile green manure methods, the plant residues from the crop is moved to another field and is then
cultivated in to the soil. The nitrogen in the plant residue is there mineralized and becomes available
for the next crop. The purpose of this research was to gather information about mobile green manure
and different green manure-fertilizers to evaluate the nitrogen effect to see how it is effected by
precipitation and temperature.
Two Swedish field trials with mobile green manure has been studied and have been compared
with international studies. Mainly cereals have been examined, but also some other crops have been
investigated to increase the perspectives of mobile green manure application. Multiple green manure
crops such as mixed lays and forage legumes has been compared to investigate the yield effects of
the green manure-fertilizers. Weather data was also summarized for a few studies and was related
to the yield effect. It was shown that the mobile green manures effects on yields generally was higher
in spring- rather than autumn sown crops. This difference was later linked to the higher risks for
leaching and denitrification during winter. Furthermore it was concluded that there are striking
differences between the yield effects of mobile green manures. White clover hade the highest yield
effect per applied kg N but similar effects was shown in alfalfa and red clover. Negative yield effects
was also shown in multiple studies where grass-clover lays was applied as mobile green manure.
This effect was linked to the higher C:N-ratio of the mixed lay compared to forage legumes. No
unambiguous conclusion could be drawn regarding weather factors due to the lack of materials
regarding the topic in the field of mobile green manures. Though it is thought that a higher
precipitation during one year of the field trials compared to the other could have had a positive effect
on the N-mineralization
En god bebyggd miljö från ord till handling
Get PDFDet finns idag ett uttalat behov av att skapa en mer holistisk syn pa hur landets kommuner kan bidra till en hallbar samhallsutveckling dar ideer om hur utvecklingen ska hanteras i stort foregatts av storstadernas tolkningsforetrade. Det finns en stor variation av bade utmaningar och forutsattningar som maste beaktas dar de mindre kommunerna i landet har svarare att tillgodose de globala malen, Agenda 2030, och Sveriges miljokvalitetsmal. Utgangspunkten for arbetet har varit att genom en fallstudie av det goda exemplet Ronneby kommun studera forutsattningar for implementering av miljokvalitetsmalet "God bebyggd miljo" vid fysisk planering i en mindre svensk kommun. Analysen har skett utifran ett teoretiskt perspektiv dar samverkans- och larandeprocesser antas kunna bygga upp en organisations kapacitet och legitimitet att driva planprocesser i onskad riktning. Forskning och kunskap kring dessa perspektiv ar utbrett, men hur och om den mindre kommunen kan arbeta effektivt genom dessa metoder for att aka chanserna att bidra till hallbarhetsmalen ar inte lika tydligt.
Resultatet starker manga av de teoretiska ingangarna men ur den mindre kommunens perspektiv. For att inleda ett organisatoriskt forandringsarbete visar studien att tillampning av ett vetenskapligt baserat designkoncept, sasom Cradle to Cradle ®, kan utgora god grund for en gemensam riktning, larande och kapacitetsuppbyggnad. Bland annat visar studien ocksa att forandringsarbete med fordel kan initieras i projektform, vid sidan av befintliga administrativa strukturer. I sammanhanget kan ocksa engagemang och bred forankring utlasas som framgangsfaktorer. Mellankommunal och regional samverkan samt samverkan med naringsliv framgar ocksa som viktiga forutsattningar for att bygga upp kapacitet och resurser for det egna hallbarhetsarbetet, samtidigt som det framjar ett holistiskt perspektiv av stadsutveckling. Att verka for transparens och kunskapsspridning kring kommunens hallbarhetsarbete gentemot medborgare kan ocksa antas ha en positiv inverkan vid planrelaterade medborgardialoger. Med utgangspunkt i fysisk planering framgick att kommunen haft mycket goda forutsattningar for framgangsrik implementering nar kommunen agt hela processen, da mer specifika klimatanpassningsatgarder kunnat implementeras. Trots hog kapacitet samt tydliga och genomarbetade riktlinjer kvarstod dock behovet av mer flexibla forhallningsatt vid extern byggherre, da den mindre kommunens laga byggrattsvarde inte gatt att franga utifran radande marknad och regelmassiga ramverk
Djursjukvårdens möjligheter och vilja att hantera och vårda svenskt småvilt
Get PDFUnder den verksamhetsförlagda praktiken på veterinärkliniker uppmärksammades författarna på att
man som personal i praktiken ofta kommer i kontakt med vilda skadade eller sjuka djur, trots att
detta inte är något som ingår i djurhälsopersonalens utbildning. Att vårda och behandla svenskt
småvilt i en klinisk miljö är inte helt enkelt och begränsningar såsom kompetens, kostnader och
lagstiftning verkar förekomma. Studiens syfte var att samla kunskap kring processen att vårda
svenskt småvilt för djurhälsopersonal samt utvärdera vilka möjligheter det finns för
djurhälsopersonal att vårda svenskt småvilt inom den svenska lagstiftningen.
Då vetenskaplig litteratur från Sverige kring detta ämne var begränsad togs beslutet att göra en
webbaserad enkätstudie utförd i verktyget Netigate. Enkäten riktades till anställda inom
djursjukvård och skickades ut till totalt 105 kliniker och djursjukhus runt om i Sverige där den sedan
distribuerades vidare till alla anställda. Totalt erhölls 102 slutförda enkätsvar som inkluderades i
studien. Enkäten undersökte veterinärklinikernas möjligheter och vilja att hantera och vårda svenskt
småvilt och även hur de hanterar djuren som kommer in och i vilken omfattning de vårdas. Av
respondenterna hade 80 % någon gång haft kontakt med småvilt. Trots att ingen myndighet
rekommenderar att upphittat skadat småvilt ska tas till en veterinärklinik svarade 75 % att det är
allmänheten som kommer till kliniken med de skadade djuren.
Lagstiftningen kring vilda djur i Sverige är inte helt enkel att förstå och det verkar vara skillnader
i hur man tolkar dessa lagar på kliniker runt om i landet. Nästan hälften av respondenterna (45 %)
svarade att de är osäkra kring vad som gäller för vård av vilda djur enligt svensk lag.
I slutet på enkäten fanns det möjlighet för respondenterna att skriva ner egna tankar och
funderingar kring ämnet där det framkom en önskan om mer utbildning om de vilda djuren.
Kompetens ansågs vara den största begränsningen till varför arbetsplatsen inte tog emot vilda djur
(59 %).
Enligt Naturvårdsverkets föreskrifter och allmänna råd får vem som helst ta hand om ett vilt djur
under 48 timmar. Efter det måste de antingen släppas ut i det fria eller tas om hand av en
viltrehabiliterare. En veterinärklinik får alltså ta in ett skadat eller sjukt vilt djur för behandling under
en kort tid men för att göra detta krävs kompetens och kontakt med viltrehabiliterare som sedan kan
ta över vården av djuret. Samarbetet mellan veterinärkliniker och viltrehabiliterare är viktigt för en
lyckad viltrehabilitering.
Nyckelord: djursjukskötare, djursjukvård, lagstiftning, rehabilitering, småvilt, vilda djur,
viltrehabiliterareDuring the work experience for the veterinary nursing programme, the authors of this essay noticed
that animal health staff in practice often came into contact with injured or sick wild animals.
However, treating wild animals is not included in animal health staff’s education. Treating and
caring for Swedish small game in a clinical veterinary setting appears complicated and limits such
as lack of competence, costs and legislation seem to occur. The purpose of this study was to gather
information for animal health staff in Sweden about the process of receiving and caring for Swedish
small game. The study also sought to evaluate what possibilities there are to care for these animals,
according to Swedish legislation.
As scientific literature about this subject was limited in relation to Swedish conditions, a decision
was made to design a web-based survey study using the tool Netigate. The survey’s target audience
was staff in animal health care and it was sent to a total of 105 clinics and animal hospitals in
Sweden. There the survey was distributed to all employees. A total of 102 completed survey
responses were included in the study. The survey investigated veterinary clinics’ possibilities and
will to handle and care for Swedish small game and how the clinics handled and cared for the animals
that got admitted. Of the respondents, 80% had at some point been in contact with small game. Even
though no state authority recommended that injured small game be brought to a veterinary clinic,
75% of the respondents answered that citizens of the public came in with injured small game.
Wildlife legislation in Sweden is difficult to comprehend and how veterinary clinics interpret these
laws seem to differ. Almost half of the respondents (45%) answered that they were uncertain about
what rules and regulations apply, according to Swedish legislation, when caring for small game. At
the end of the survey,there was an opportunity for the respondents to write down their own thoughts.
Some of the respondents wished for more education about small game. Lack of competence was
considered the largest limitation (59%) as to why the veterinary clinic did not accept small game.
According to the Swedish environmental protection agency regulations and general advice
anyone is allowed to take care of a wild animal for 48 hours. After 48 hours, the animal must be
released back into nature or be brought to the care of a wildlife rehabilitator. A veterinary clinic can
therefore admit an injured or sick wild animal for treatment for a short period of time. However, this
requires competence and contact with a wildlife rehabilitator, who may care for the animal after the
48-hour limit. The collaboration between veterinary clinics and wildlife rehabilitators is important
for successful wildlife rehabilitation.
Keywords: animal health care, legislation, rehabilitation, small game, veterinary nurse, wild
animals, wildlife rehabilitato
Stressade katter på polikliniken
Get PDFKatter visar ofta tecken på rädsla och frustration i samband med veterinärbesök. Kattens möjligheter
att agera på dessa känslor med önskat beteende blir ofta begränsade på kliniken. Dessa
begränsningar i kombination med de många stressorer som kan finnas för en katt på veterinärklinik
kan leda till stress hos katten. Stressen ger fysiologiska och emotionella effekter hos katten. Detta
kan i sin tur leda till ett utåtagerande beteende hos katten som försvårar en undersökning och kan
även ge avvikande diagnostiska fynd. Möjligheten att ställa korrekt diagnos kan således påverkas.
Kattägare upplever i stor utsträckning att deras katt blir stressad på poliklinik och det har visats att
kattägare därför undviker att ta sin katt till veterinären.
Det finns råd i vetenskaplig litteratur för hur stress hos katt kan minimeras i samband med
veterinärbesök som i denna studie benämns stressreducerande åtgärder. Hur användandet av dessa
stressreducerande åtgärder för katt ser ut på veterinärkliniker i Sverige idag undersöks i detta
kandidatarbete.
En litteraturöversikt utfördes för att utröna vilka stressreducerande åtgärder som rekommenderas
i vetenskaplig litteratur och utifrån denna sammanställning skapades en online-enkät. Denna enkät
med frågor om stressreducerande åtgärder skickades ut till 160 kliniker runt om i Sverige och hade
en svarsfrekvens på 27,5 %.
Av dessa uppgav 56,8 % av respondenterna att de använde stressreducerande åtgärder vid en
majoritet av kattbesöken och en majoritet angav att de använde 5 av 15 efterfrågade
stressreducerande åtgärder "Alltid” eller ”Ofta”. Av 13 åtgärder för vänt- och undersökningsrum
hade 7 införts på en majoritet av klinikerna.
De mest frekvent upplevda hindren för införande av stressreducerande åtgärder var utformningen
och/eller klinikens befintliga lokaler, tidsbrist och kunskapsbrist. Om kliniken hade nedskrivna
rutiner fanns det genomgående också en mer omfattande användning av stressreducerande åtgärder.
Upplevda hinder för tillämpning av stressreducerande åtgärder är ett önskvärt ämne för framtida
studier. Detta för att ta reda på vad som krävsför att fler veterinärkliniker ska anta ett mer omfattande
arbete med stressreducering för katt.Cats commonly show signs of fear and frustration in connection with veterinary visits. The cat’s
ability to respond to these emotions with the desired behavior is often limited at the veterinary clinic.
These limitations, in combination with the many stressors that can be present for a cat at a veterinary
clinic, may lead to stress for the cat. Stress may have physiological and emotional implications for
the cat. This, in turn, may lead to the cat acting out, making an examination more difficult and result
in abnormal diagnostic findings. The possibility of making a correct diagnosis can thus be affected.
Cat owners experience, to a large extent, that their cat becomes stressed in outpatient clinics, and it
has been shown that cat owners therefore avoid taking their cat to the veterinary.
There is advice in scientific literature focused on minimizing stress in cats during veterinary
visits, in this study termed as stress-reducing measures. How widespread the use of these stress
reducing measures is for cats are in veterinary clinics in Sweden is investigated in this bachelor's
thesis.
A literature review was conducted to establish which stress reducing measures are recommended
in the literature and based on this review an online survey was created. This survey, with questions
regarding stress reducing measures, was distributed to 160 veterinary clinics in Sweden and had a
response rate of 27.5%. Out of these 56.8% of respondents reported that they used stress-reducing
measures in a majority of cat visits and a majority stated that they used 5 out of 15 requested stress
reducing measures “Always” or “Often”. Of the 13 measures for waiting and examination rooms, 7
had been introduced in a majority of the clinics.
The most frequently perceived obstacles to the implementation of stress reducing measures were
the layout and/or the clinic’s existing premises, lack of time and lack of education. If the clinic had
written routines, there was consistently also a more extensive use of stress-reducing measures.
Perceived obstacles for the application of stress-reducing measures are a desired subject for
future studies. This to ascertain what is needed for more veterinary clinics to adopt a more extensive
work with stress reduction for cats
What is a Better Chicken?
Get PDFChickens raised for meat, termed broilers, convert feed at high rates and are reared in highly efficient systems where meat is produced with comparatively low emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). However, the intensive nature of these systems and of the hybrids they use are associated with severe animal welfare concerns. Alternative systems introducing several welfare features have been proposed to reduce these issues. However, some welfare features are expected to reduce the efficiency of the system which indicates a goal conflict between minimizing welfare concerns and GHG emissions. To develop a better understanding of this trade-off, this thesis aimed to examine how two prominent welfare interventions, a reduced stocking density in broiler houses and a switch to slower-growing broiler hybrids, affect welfare and the carbon footprint of chicken meat.
With this goal in mind, the current scientific evidence of these interventions’ influence on welfare was identified using a systematized review and their impacts on welfare indicators quantified. Furthermore, the carbon footprint of chicken meat produced in Swedish conventional systems was determined and adjusted to investigate the impact of introducing the welfare features. In both cases, the focus was to determine the relative impacts of the welfare interventions to avoid confounding factors and to allow a comparison of both aspects. Reducing stocking densities was found to moderately increase some welfare indicators but lower improvements were generally found when stocking densities were reduced below the density used in Swedish broiler houses. A switch to slower-growing broilers had a considerable effect on most of the investigated indicators, while the highest improvement was found when the two interventions were combined. Opposite trends were found for GHG emissions as a reduced stocking density of 24 kg/m2 increased the carbon footprint by 2%, a switch to slower-growing broilers by 16-32%, and a combination of both to 18-34%. The largest goal conflict was found for a switch to slower-growing broilers followed by stocking slower-growing broilers at reduced densities, while a slight conflict was found for reducing the stocking densities in conventional broiler houses. Trade-offs of using a slower-growing hybrid was reduced if a moderately-slow growing hybrid was used and if this was combined with a reduction in stocking density
Drivers for adopting intermediate crops
Get PDFExtreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and nutrient leakage increasingly threaten farmers' viability
in the 21st century. Soil management practices, such as intermediate crops, aim to increase
soil carbon sequestration and may contribute to yield stability and food security if the local farming
environment and farmers' preferences are properly considered.
This study examined ecological, social, and behavioural drivers among Swedish farming professionals
for implementing intermediate crops into crop regimes in the context of a recently implemented
agri-environmental scheme. Previous research on adopting farming practices and participation
in subsidy schemes was reviewed, emphasising the role of network structures, economic considerations,
and geophysical constraints.
A comprehensive interdisciplinary approach was chosen, analysing a survey sample utilising structural
equation modelling and binary logistic regression. This rigorous methodology bridged separate
research streams and identified drivers for future implementation goals.
The findings of this study have implications in understanding the socio-structural environment's
impact on the implementation of intermediate crops. The study identified several socio-ecological
drivers, including existing crop regimes, soil types, and prior application. It also highlighted the
influence of education and recent contact with the farming advisory service Greppa Näringen.
This study has made a unique and significant contribution to understanding the drivers of implementing
carbon sequestration practices among Swedish farmers. It has underscored the crucial role
of local information access and the need to consider geographical differences. The novelty of the
interdisciplinary conceptual framework has allowed for a comprehensive analysis of drivers, further
enhancing the relevance and importance of this research.Extrema väderförhållanden, förlust av biologisk mångfald och näringsläckage hotar lantbrukarnas
lönsamhet under 2000-talet. Mellangrödor, syftar till att öka kolbindningen i marken och kan bidra
till stabila skördar och tryggad livsmedelsförsörjning om den lokala jordbruksmiljön och jordbrukarnas
preferenser beaktas på rätt sätt.
Denna studie undersökte de individuella miljö-, social- och beteendedrivande drivkrafterna för att
använda mellangrödor i svenskt lantbruk i samband med ett nyligen implementerat stödsystem. Tidigare
forskning granskades om användning av jordbruksmetoder och deltagande i stödsystem, med
betoning på nätverksstrukturer, ekonomiska överväganden och geofysiska begränsningar.
Denna studie speglar ett omfattande tvärvetenskapligt synsätt där en enkätdata bearbetades med
hjälp av strukturell ekvationsmodellering och binär logistisk regression. Metoden överbryggade separata
forskningsströmmar och identifierade drivkrafter för att uttrycka framtida implementeringsmål.
Resultaten av denna studie har praktiska konsekvenser, särskilt när det gäller att förstå den sociostrukturella
miljöns inverkan på genomförandet av mellangrödor. Studien identifierade flera socioekologiska
drivkrafter, inklusive befintliga grödoregimer, jordtyper och tidigare användning. Det
framhölls också att inflytandet av utbildning och nyligen kontakt med jordbruksrådgivningstjänsten
Greppa Näringen.
Denna studie har bidragit på ett unikt och betydelsefullt sätt till förståelsen av drivkrafterna för att
implementera metoder för kolinlagring bland svenska lantbrukare. Den har understrukit den avgörande
betydelsen av lokal tillgång till information och behovet av att ta hänsyn till geofysiska skillnader.
Nyheten med det tvärvetenskapliga konceptuella ramverket har möjliggjort en omfattande
analys av drivkrafter, vilket ytterligare förbättrar relevansen och vikten av denna forskning
Taste of Tomorrow’s Fish
Get PDFAquaculture is a food industry that has grown over the past century, and which still is growing. Development also entails challenges. The largest challenge in sustainable aquaculture development is the feed. Today, raw materials such as fish oil, fish meal, and soybeans are utilized. These are often considered unsustainable, and possible replacements are thus widely investigated. The aim of this thesis was to compare one soy-based control diet (Glycine max; Control) and four novel sustainable alternatives based on: Black solider fly Protein (Hermetia illucens; BSF prot); Black solider fly oil (H. illucens; BSF oil); Seasquirt (Ciona intestinalis; Ciona); and a Singe cell fungi protein (Paecilomyces variotii; SCP), to evaluate their effect on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) muscle metabolite composition and sensorial attributes. Water soluble metabolites were extracted from the white muscle tissue of Rainbow trout, and 1H-NMR was performed to determine the metabolic profile of fishes fed the different feeds. The metabolite data was evaluated statistically by ANOVA, PCA, and sPLS-Da and compared to the sensory data. The results showed that Black Soldier fly protein caused higher tissue concentration of Methionine, and Betaine. The single cell protein diet gave a similar pattern as the control feed. The metabolome of the Seasquirt and Black soldier fly groups were partially overlapping the control, i.e. similar to some extent. The sensorically attributing metabolites did probably affect taste the most. BSF prot was the feed category which indicated the most differences compared to the other treatments. It had lower concentrations of IMP, and higher levels of Hypoxanthine, which indicates that the diet generates a fillet which might lose freshness faster than the other feed categories. AMP acts as a bitterness blocker and is found in higher concentration in the SCP-group. The muscle of the BSF oil group had higher amounts of Lysine which indicates a potentially sweeter taste. Betaine, which was higher in the BSF prot treatment, acts as an osmoregulator in the muscle, and could improve the texture or mouthfeel. The sensory panel did not pinpoint any large differences between the groups, and no clear connections to the metabolite data could be seen. However, sensoric experiences is a complex mixture of several molecules, and it is not possible ta draw a conclusion based on the result from this study
Can video games be an educational tool for explaining tree mortality with or without thinnings?
Get PDFNatural mortality in the form of self-thinning and wind damages can cause substantial harm to forest stands. The thinning operations can reduce or increase the possibility of their occurrence. It could therefore be beneficial to produce an effective method of presenting this knowledge to not only forestry students and professionals, but also to a broader audience. In this paper, the author explores the possibility to use educational video games as such medium.
A PC video game about the topic called “To cut or not to cut” was created. In this game, the players are supposed to choose the trees for thinning in four different forest stands. According to the percentage of trees chosen and the specific condition of the stand, the forest will avoid the natural mortality or not. The players were, throughout the game, instructed and helped in the form of game dialogues.
Upon finishing the game, the players were asked to complete the survey, which checks the effectiveness of the game in the form of a knowledge quiz and opinion questions about the quality and educational value of the game.
The quiz answers showed that with higher completion rate of the game, a higher proportion of knowledge questions were answered correctly. The results of the opinion survey showed that the game was highly regarded as an educational tool by most players. Some of the players not connected to forestry expressed less engagement and understanding of the dialogues than other groups.
These findings show that educational video games about forestry topics could be beneficial and engaging. However, they should be correctly targeted and modified towards specific audiences, e.g. forestry professionals, people from related fields etc. The author explores the possibility of such modifications