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Djursjukskötarstudenters attityder, erfarenhet och självförtroende inom smådjursodontologi
Get PDFHundar och katters munhälsa är mycket viktigt för deras välfärd. Trots detta är tandproblem mycket
vanligt men underdiagnostiserat. Kunskapen hos både djurägare och djurhälsopersonal har visat sig
vara bristande. Studier har tidigare gjorts på veterinärstudenters odontologiutbildning, men inget
liknande har utförts för djursjukskötarstudenter. Denna enkätstudie riktade sig till
djursjukskötarstudenter inom årskurs två och tre på Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, samt
legitimerade djursjukskötare examinerade år 2022. Studiens syfte var att undersöka respondenternas
attityder till odontologiutbildningen samt utvärdera utbildningens kapacitet att förbereda dessa inför
deras framtida karriär gällande kunskap och självförtroende.
Antal respondenter var 107 (svarsfrekvens 42%) och resultatet visar att det finns en
förbättringspotential då många studenter saknar självförtroende och upplever sig tveksamma till om
de besitter tillräcklig kunskap för att inleda sin framtida karriär. Den generella uppfattningen är att
kvaliteten av undervisningen är god men kvantiteten saknas. På grund av ett stort bortfall av
examinerade djursjukskötare som ej arbetar/arbetat med smådjursodontologi kunde inga slutsatser
dras från denna respondentgrupp. Vidare studier i form av uppföljningar, större mängd examinerade
djursjukskötare samt undersökning av studenternas faktiska färdigheter krävs för att ge en rättvis
bild av utbildningens förberedande förmåga.The oral health of dogs and cats is very important for their welfare. Despite this, dental problems
are highly prevalent but under-diagnosed. The knowledge of both pet owners and animal health
professionals has been found to be lacking. Studies have previously been carried out on veterinary
students' dental education, but nothing similar has been carried out for veterinary nursing students.
This survey study was aimed at veterinary nursing students in the second and third year at the
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, as well as licensed veterinary nurses graduated in
2022. The purpose of the study was to investigate the respondents' attitudes to their dental education
and evaluate the capacity of the education to prepare them for their future career in terms of
knowledge and confidence.
The number of respondents was 107 (response rate 42%) and the results show that there is a
potential for improvement as many students lack self-confidence and feel uncertain whether they
have sufficient knowledge to start their future career. The general perception is that the quality of
teaching is good but the quantity is lacking. Due to a large dropout of graduated veterinary nurses
who do not work/worked with small animal dentistry, no conclusions could be drawn from this
respondent group. Further studies in the form of follow-ups, larger numbers of graduated veterinary
nurses and examination of the actual skills of the students are required to give a fair picture of the
preparatory ability of the education
Riding school students attitudes and knowledge about horse welfare
Get PDFHorse welfare is a subject widely talked about today connected to ethics, empathy and much more. This study used an online survey divided in three parts to explore if there is a connection between riding school students knowledge of horse welfare in theory and practice and their reaction to common scenarios within horse handling as well as where they collect their information about the subject. The survey was sent out to a few riding schools as well as public groups on Facebook aimed towards horse enthusiasts. Due to the small sample size of the study no definite or general conclusions can be made that students with higher knowledge collect their information about horse welfare from a different place than those with lower knowledge.
Furthermore, most students scored high points on the quiz about horse welfare indicating that most have a good and similar level of knowledge about the subject. According to the results, riding school students choose to handle real life horse handling situations similarly regardless of their level of knowledge. Further research could be beneficial to map the education about horse welfare in riding schools throughout Sweden and thus possibly spot potential needs for improvement in the curriculum. This to try to secure the welfare of horses within all sport genres and to make sure that it is up to the standard for the Swedish Equestrian Federation and the animal welfare legislation in Sweden
Undesirable behaviors in horses when saddled : a behavioral study conducted at Swedish riding schools
Get PDFHorses display a variety of behaviors when stressed or in pain, some of these are subtle and difficult for humans to read and understand, while others such as biting or kicking are more obvious. Horses' unwanted behaviors are often dismissed and ignored, and this can negatively affect their welfare. Most riding horses are saddled at least once per day, and it is common that horses show aggressive behaviour during saddling. An ill–fitting saddle can be detrimental to the horses’ back and could also be the cause of aggressive behavior which could pose a risk to riding school students’ safety. The aim of this study was to investigate how saddling affected riding school horse behavior. The study also aimed to compare if more behaviors were displayed when novice riders or experienced riders saddled. A third aim was to analyse if there were differences in the horses’ behavior when the saddle was fitted by a professional saddlemaster or not. An ethogram, based on previous research, comprised twelve different behaviors. In total thirty-five horses from two different riding schools were observed during saddling, eight of these were observed twice, once with novice riders and once with experienced riders. The results showed that horses expressed many undesirable behaviors during saddling, especially when the rider lifts the saddle toward the horse and when the girth is tightened. Out of the thirty-five horses 67% showed painface, which indicates that these horses may feel pain and/or discomfort when saddled. The most common behavior shown was ears back and the most common aggressive behavior shown was biting. The study found no significant difference in horses' behaviors neither if novices or experienced riders saddled nor if the riding school utilized a professional saddlemaster. However, there were tendencies towards horses showing more behaviors when novice riders saddled and when no professional saddlemaster was utilized. More research on a larger group of horses would therefore be beneficial to understanding how saddling affects horse behavior and the impact this has on horse welfare and human safety
Evaluation of which treatment methods are used for bovine foot rot and digital dermatitis in Sweden
Get PDFAntibiotikaresistens är ett globalt problem som kan förebyggas genom att minska antibiotikaanvändningen. Infektiösa klövsjukdomar som drabbar nötkreatur behandlas huvudsakligen med antibiotika. De senaste åren har mer forskning och nya antibiotikafria preparat tillkommit i behandlingsarsenalen, vilket möjliggör andra behandlingsmetoder. Syftet med detta arbete var att utvärdera vilka behandlingsmetoder som används vid klövspaltsinflammation och digital dermatit i Sverige. En enkätundersökning skickades till svenska lantbrukare och klövvårdare för att undersöka hur behandlingsmetoder har ändrats de senaste tio åren. Undersökningen visade att antibiotikabehandling av sjukdomarna har minskat, samtidigt som användandet av bandage, salicylsyra och smärtlindrande preparat har ökat. Resultaten från enkätundersökningen överensstämmer väl med självrapporteringar från veterinärer och klövvårdare samt med de behandlingsrekommendationer som tagits fram de senaste åren. Utifrån detta dras slutsatsen att lantbrukare och klövvårdare nu mer behandlar sjukdomarna lokalt med alternativa behandlingsmetoder utan antibiotika i första hand, och att allmän (systemisk) antibiotikabehandling, företrädesvis penicillin, huvudsakligen används vid mer allvarliga fall av klövspaltsinflammation.Antibiotic resistance is a global problem that can be prevented by reducing the use of antibiotics. Infectious claw diseases affecting cattle are primarily treated with antibiotics. In recent years, more research and new products without antibiotics have emerged to the treatment arsenal, allowing for alternative treatment methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate which treatment methods are used for bovine foot rot and digital dermatitis in Sweden. A questionnaire was sent to Swedish dairy farmers and claw trimmers to investigate how treatment methods have changed over the past ten years. The questionnaire showed that antibiotic treatment has decreased, while the use of bandages, salicylic acid and pain-relieving drugs have increased. The results of the questionnaire align with self-reports from veterinarians and claw trimmers, as well as with the treatment recommendations developed in recent years. Based on this, the conclusion is that farmers and claw trimmers currently treat these diseases with alternative local treatment methods without antibiotics as the first-hand choice, and that general antibiotic (systemic) treatment, preferably penicillin, is mainly used in more severe cases with foot rot
Feeding procedures for the feline patient and its demonstrated inappetence, along with the diagnosis impact regarding nutrition and time of admission : an observational study at a Swedish veterinary hospital
Get PDFInappetens hos katter med systemisk sjukdom som vårdas på djursjukhus är vanligt förekommande.
Inskrivna katter skiljer sig ofta gällande diagnos, men att inappetens uppkommer sekundärt till dess
primära sjukdomstillstånd förekommer frekvent oavsett diagnos. I kliniska sammanhang prioriteras
nutritionella insatser allt mer och nutritionen ses idag som en viktig del i behandlingen av olika
sjukdomsdiagnoser. Trots nutritionens ökade kliniska tillämplighet har tidigare studier visat att djur
som är inlagda på djursjukhus inte får i sig tillräckligt med energi under inskrivningstiden. Syftet
med kandidatarbetet var att genom en litteraturgenomgång kombinerat med en observationsstudie
av 27 individer på ett svenskt djursjukhus, undersöka vilka diagnoser som främst kunde kopplas till
inappetens hos katter som vårdas på en stationärvårdsavdelning. Syftet var även att undersöka hur
sjukdomstillstånden påverkar foderordinationer avseende fodersort och resting energy requirement
(RER) liksom möjligheter och begränsningar att påverka inskrivningstid och tillfrisknande genom
nutritionella insatser.
Litteraturen visade att katter har specifika näringsbehov och att perioder av svält påverkar dem
negativt. I litteraturen framkom att ett flertal underliggande sjukdomstillstånd samt andra faktorer
kan ge upphov till inappetens och nutritionen kan ha stor betydelse i behandling av olika diagnoser.
Resultatet från observationen visade att gastrointestinal sjukdom var den sjukdomskategori med
flest antal rapporterade fall av inappetens hos inskrivna katter (41 %). Andra diagnoser som
noterades bland katter med inappetens var multifaktoriell systemisk sjukdom (10 %), övriga
sjukdomstillstånd inkluderat smärta och feber (9 %), leversjukdom (6%), tumörsjukdom (6 %),
urinvägssjukdom (3 %), njursjukdom (3 %), ortopedisk sjukdom (3 %) samt respiratorisk sjukdom
(3 %). En stor andel av inskrivna katter (43 %) ordinerades foderintag på 25 % av RER samt en
valfri kost utan restriktioner (64 %). Skonkost var den foderkategori som användes mest frekvent
vid utfodring oberoende av sjukdomstillstånd. Katter som var inskrivna på vårdavdelningen under
flest antal dagar (n=5) hade det högsta medelvärdet (32,5 %) intaget RER/dag.
Katter med en diagnos kopplad till gastrointestinal sjukdom behöver i högre grad åtgärder som
syftar till att öka foderintag på grund av inappetens. Katter med gastrointestinal sjukdom utfodras
inledningsvis med mindre mängd RER med hänsyn till det gastrointestinala systemet. Utökad
kunskap bland legitimerade djursjukskötare gällande utfodringens inverkan på sjukdomstillstånd
gynnar både patienter och yrkesgruppen legitimerade djursjukskötare.Cats with systemic disease that are showing signs of inappetence while treated in animal hospitals
are a common occurrence. In-patient cats often differ regarding their diagnosis, but the fact that cats
show signs of inappetence secondary to a primary medical condition is something they often have
in common regardless of diagnosis. In clinical contexts, nutritional interventions are prioritised to a
greater extent, and nutrition in today's practice is increasingly being viewed as an important part in
treatment of various diseases. Despite the increased importance of nutrition in clinical practice,
previous studies have shown that animals admitted to an animal hospital do not have an optimal
energy intake during hospitalisation. The purpose of this bachelor thesis was to, through a literature
review combined with an observational study of 27 individuals at a Swedish animal hospital,
investigate which diagnoses could primarily be related to inappetence amongst in-patient cats at a
care unit, how the clinical condition affects prescriptions regarding feed and resting energy
requirement, RER, as well as possibilities and limitations to affect hospitalisation time and recovery
through nutritional support.
The literature showed that cats have specific nutritional needs and a period of starvation has a
negative impact on the species. In the literature, it became evident that several underlying diseases
and other factors can lead to inappetence, and nutrition can be of great importance in the treatment
of various diagnoses.
The results from the observation showed that the disease category most frequently associated
with inappetence amongst in-patient cats was gastrointestinal disease (41 %). Other occurring
diagnoses were multifactorial systemic disease (10%), other diseases including pain and fever (9
%), liver disease (6 %), tumour disease (6 %), urinary tract disease (3 %), kidney disease (3 %),
orthopaedic disease (3 %) and respiratory disease (3 %). A large number of hospitalised cats (43 %)
were prescribed a feed intake of 25 % of their RER and an optional diet without any restrictions (64
%). A highly easily digestible bland diet was the feed category most frequently used in practice,
regardless of diagnosis. Cats admitted in the care unit for the highest number of days (n=5) had the
highest mean (32,5 %) intake of RER/day.
Cats with a diagnosis related to gastrointestinal disease need nutritional support to a higher extent
due to inappetence. Initially, cats with a diagnosis related to gastrointestinal disease are fed with a
smaller amount of feed with respect to the gastrointestinal system. A wider understanding and
knowledge among veterinary nurses regarding the effects of nutritional support on different diseases
is beneficial both for the patients and for the profession of licensed veterinary nurses
Ectomycorrhizal fungi community shift along gradient from forest to clearcut : two field seasons after harvest of old growth Scots pine forests
Get PDFIt is known that the number of ECM decline and the community composition is altered by clearcutting. This study aims to investigate impacts at a more detailed scale. This study investigates 1) how the ECM community (composition and species richness) change along a gradient from old growth Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest to 30m out on 2-year-old clearcuttings. 2) and how the ECM community (composition and species richness) change along a gradient reaching 30 m from retention trees left on the same clearcuts. This is achieved by extracting fungi DNA from 120, respectively 75 soil samples, from 4 sites in Dalarna County, Sweden.
The study shows that the number of ECM species is lower on 1–2-year-old clearcuts of old growth pine forest, compared to intact old growth pine forest, and that the number of ECM species decline along the 30 m long gradient from the forest edge. The proportion of ECM abundance compared to total fungal abundance remains constant along the same gradient. The study shows that the number of ECM species and roportion of ECM abundance compared to total fungal abundance decline
along 30 m long gradients from single retention trees. The ECM species composition changes significantly with the distance from the forest edge, the change occur between 3-7 m. The ECM species composition did not change with the distance from single retention trees.
The study shows that clearcutting affects fungal communities associated with old-growth forest and that single retention trees can lifeboat a few more species compared to a clearcut without retention trees but have a small effect in preserving fungal communities associated with old growth forest in clearcuts. These findings implies that reservation of ECM diversity associated with later stages of forest succession require a higher level of forest tree continuity than clear-cut management within forest management of today results in
Horse owners attitude towards life-long medication against EMS
Get PDFEquine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) är ett samlingsnamn för särskilda riskfaktorer som kan leda till fång. Det har visat sig i en studie att 90 procent av de hästar som får fång har en bakomliggande endokrin sjukdom och hela 60 procent av hästarna de 90 procenten hade EMS. EMS är en sjukdom där hästen är insulinresistens vilket gör att den normala funktionen som insulinet har att reglera glukosen inte funkar som det ska och hästen producerar då ännu mer insulin vilket resulterar i att både insulin- och glukosnivåerna är onormalt höga. Det har forskats en del på en medicin som på humansidan används för att behandla diabetes. Medicinen har visat sig sänka både insulin- och glukosnivåerna och just nu pågår studier för att fastställa rätt dosering.
En intervjustudie gjordes för att få svar på frågeställningarna kring hur mycket hästägare och hästverksamhetsägare är villiga att betala för att medicinera sina hästar mot EMS och hur ofta de kan medicinera. 19 av 20 personer som deltog i studien var positiva till att medicinera sina hästar mot EMS. Studien visade att hästverksamheter var villiga att betala något mer och att medicinera hästarna något ofta än vad privathästägare var, samtidigt som studiens enda deltagare som var negativt inställd till medicinering var en hästverksamhetsägare.
Studien visar att det troligtvis finns en marknad av hästägare och verksamhetsägare som kommer att välja att medicinera sina hästar mot EMS om behovet skulle uppstå och möjligheten ges.Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is an umbrella term for some risk factors that can lead to laminitis. It has been shown in a study that 90 percent of the horses that have laminitis have an underlying endocrine disease and as many as 60 percent of that 90 percent had EMS. EMS is a disease where the horse is insulin resistant, which means that the normal function that insulin has to regulate glucose does not work as it should, and therfore the horse produces more insulin. This results in both insulin and glucose levels being abnormally high. There has been some research with medicine that is used on the human side to treat diabetes. The medicine has been shown to lower both insulin and glucose levels, and studies are currently trying to determine the correct dosage.
A small interview study was done to get answers to the questions about how much horse owners and business owners are willing to pay to medicate their horses against EMS and how often they are avaliable to medicate. 19 out of 20 people who participated in the study were positive about medicating horses against EMS. The study showed that buisiness owners were willing to pay slightly more and to medicate the horses somewhat more often than private horse owners were, while the study's only "naysayer" to medication was a business owner.
Most likely, there is a market of horse owners and business owners who will choose to medicate their horses against EMS if the need for it should come
För träd i staden
Get PDFAllt eftersom städer växer blir de urbana miljöerna mer hårdgjorda. De hårdgjorda ytorna skapar ett varmare lokalklimat och skapar en ökad ytavrinning. Det tuffa förhållandet i städerna med hårdgjorda ytor kan göra det svårt för stadsträd att bli gamla och vidare exploatering i städer riskerar att skada träden. För att skapa ett hållbart trädbestånd med vitala träd som kan bidra till att minska den lokala temperaturökningen och ta hand om dagvatten krävs styrdokument som prioriterar träden. Inom kommuner arbetar man med olika styrdokument som ska bidra till att värna om stadsträden, ett av de övergripande styrdokumenten är en trädpolicy. Arbetets syfte är att undersöka om olika kommuners trädpolicyer är likvärdiga och om de är aktuella samt användbara dokument. För att svara på syftet genomfördes en dokumentanalys och en intervjustudie. Dokumentanalysen berör fyra svenska kommuner och i intervjustudien tre personer som arbetar inom kommunerna. Av resultatet kan man se skillnader på vad policyerna innehåller och hur dem används. Innehållet i trädpolicyerna är i några fall bristfällig i jämförelse med den forskning som finns kring stadsträd och viktiga värden att arbeta för. Likheter som vi kan dra slutsatser om är att alla kommuner värnar om biologisk mångfald. Genom studien har vi märkt en skillnad på att två av de granskade trädpolicyer är mer omfattade kring antal av trädens värden och målsättningar som tas upp. Användandet av policyn skiljer sig då de granskade kommunerna använder dokumentet olika, några använder det i stor utsträckning från planering till utförandeärenden och andra har dokumentet som grund för andra mer användbara dokument. Även om dokumentet används på olika sätt fyller policyn en viktig funktion eftersom dokumentet är politiskt beslutad vilket stödjer personalens arbetssätt kring vilka riktlinjer och mål man ska förhålla sig till.Our cities are growing which leads to an increase in impervious urban surfaces. The impervious urban surfaces create a warmer local climate and increased surface runoff. The harsh urban climate can make it difficult for urban trees to grow old, and further exploitation in cities risks damaging the trees. In order to create a sustainable tree population with vital trees that can contribute to reducing the local temperature and take care of stormwater runoff, municipal documents are required that prioritize the urban trees. Within municipalities, they work with various municipal documents that contribute to protecting the city's trees, one of the overarching municipal documents is tree policy. The purpose of the work is to investigate whether different municipalities tree policies are equivalent and whether they are relevant and useful documents. To answer the purpose, a document analysis and an interview study are implemented. The document analysis concerns four Swedish municipalities and in the interview study included three people who work within the municipality. The results show differences in what the policies contain and how they are used. The content of the tree policies is in some cases deficient in comparison with research that exists around urban trees and important values to work for. Similarities that we can draw conclusions about are that all municipalities contain biodiversity. Through the studies, we have noticed a difference in that the two of the reviewed tree policies are more comprehensive in terms of tree values and objectives that are addressed. The use of the policy differs as some use it extensively from planning to execution matters and others use the document as a basis for other more useful documents. Even if the document is used in different ways, the policy fulfils an important function because the document is politically decided, which supports the staff's way of working through the guidelines and goals that are stated in the policy
Wetland restoration on Öland
Get PDFWetlands are recognized as important types of ecosystems, inhabiting rich biodiversity and performing multiple ecosystem services. However, many have been lost because of anthropogenic activities and a majority of the remaining wetland habitats are in bad conditions, displaying both loss of functionality and biodiversity. Despite large scale global incentives and extensive conservation programs, there are large gaps of knowledge in how to restore and maintain wetlands, where variable success rates have been reported. Here, a short term evaluation was conducted in Petgärdeträsk and Djustadträsk on Öland, after restorations had been initiated three years prior, focusing on the vascular plant community. Patches where vegetation had previously been completely removed were here compared to neighbouring untreated vegetation in order to study potential effects of restoration measures on biodiversity and plant community composition. As patches of different ages existed, these were further compared to evaluate the regeneration of vegetation and formation of community composition over time. In addition, two sites were evaluated in this study accordingly to the standardized national guidelines based on the European habitat protection directive. Studied either as an alkaline fen (EU-code 7230) or a potential Molinia meadow (EU-code 6410), the purpose was to evaluate if and what effect the restoration has had on the vegetation and the trajectory goal of reaching favourable conditions. As an alternative to functional groups, Ellenberg indicator values were applied to analyse the community composition and to study if the existing vegetation would indicate favourable ecological conditions.
Results showed no clear pattern of regrowth or change in species composition over time after vegetation had been removed, although species unique to the scraped patches were observed. However, due to the short time since the initiation of the restoration, it remains unclear whether these species will persist and lead to a shift in community composition or are more opportunistic species that eventually will be outcompeted as the old vegetation establish further. For the Natura 2000-habitats, no evident improvement of the conditions were seen. The differences in the number of characteristic species and in vegetation height that were observed in the vegetation here, could be due to seasonal fluctuations and can therefore not be determined as effects of the restoration only.
Three years is a relatively short time to evaluate effects of restorations, and despite inconclusive results hopefully this material can provide insight to the further development of the vegetative community if the same sites would to be revisited in the future. As discussed lastly, the need for thorough evaluations persists, where adopting wider perspectives and including analyses of functional diversity could improve our understanding of how vegetative communities function and hopefully facilitate the maintenance of valuable wetland habitats
Möjligheten för biologisk mångfald på bostadsgårdar
Get PDFBiologisk mångfald i staden är avgörande för flertalet livsviktiga funktioner. Dessa
inkluderar omhändertagande av dagvatten, luftrening och minskning av buller.
Stadens grönytor bidrar till ökat välmående hos människorna och synlig
biodiversitet har en positiv inverkan på människor. Den biologiska mångfalden
befinner sig i en negativ trend där mängden arter ständigt minskar vilket gör att det
nu är viktigare än någonsin att arbeta för en ökad biologisk mångfald. För att uppnå
miljöer som kan erhålla biologisk mångfald krävs sammanhållna nät av ekologisk
infrastruktur. Bostadsgårdar erhåller en outnyttjad potential och om dessa gestaltas
med biologisk mångfald i åtanke hade det varit ett viktigt bidrag i det urbana
landskapet.
Syftet med litteraturstudien var att skapa en översikt över beståndsdelarna som
bygger upp begreppet biologisk mångfald, undersöka av hur vi historiskt sett byggt
innergårdar samt sammanställa vegetationens betydelse för den biologiska
mångfalden. Utifrån litteraturstudien skapas ett analysverktyg med syftet att vara
en vägledning för ökad biologisk mångfald på bostadsgårdar. Platsbesök
genomfördes på totalt sex bostadsgårdar utifrån de tre stadsbyggnadsidealen
stenstadskvarter med gårdshus, storgårdskvarter och lamellhus och höghuskvarter.
Platsbesöken hade målet att både undersöka och utveckla analysverktyget. Studien
begränsades till bostadsgårdar i Stockholm.
Resultatet mynnade ut i att olika bostadsgårdar har olika goda förutsättningar för
att erhålla biologisk mångfald. Storgårdskvarteren har stora värden för den
biologiska mångfalden tack vare dess stora sammanhängande arean vilket gav
möjlighet för mycket vegetation. Lamellhus och höghuskvarter innehöll viktiga
värden i dess öppenhet vilket gav en stark koppling till omgivningen som ökar
möjligheten för arternas rörelsefrihet. Den stadsbyggnadsideal med minst möjlighet
till biologisk mångfald var stengårdskvarter med gårdshus då bostadsgårdarna är
stängda och ofta hårdgjorda med begränsade möjligheter för vegetation.Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms and species and is crucial for
numerous components in urban landscapes. It plays a critical role in sustaining the
function of ecosystems and the services they provide to humans such as the
regulation of air and water quality and the retention of sound pollution. Parks and
other green spaces provide positive effects on mental health and it is proven that
visual biodiversity is a contributing factor. Biodiversity is under threat from a range
of human activities, including habitat destruction, overexploitation, pollution, and
climate change.
Loss of biodiversity can have significant negative impacts on ecosystems, including
reduced resilience and an increase of endangered species. This, in turn, can have
detrimental effects on human well-being and the sustainability of our planet. To
achieve environments that have the capability to retain biodiversity it is crucial to
achieve ecological connectivity. This refers to the degree to which natural habitats
and ecological processes are connected and allow for the movement of organisms.
It is an important concept in ecology and conservation, as it is critical for the
maintenance of biodiversity. Courtyards have the capability of providing a
connection between green spaces allowing species to move between habitats. This
can increase the size of the available habitat and create a network of habitats that
can support a more divorce range of species.
The purpose of the literary study was to achieve a deeper understanding of the
meaning and significance of biodiversity, urban planning and compile the
significance of vegetation for biodiversity. The literary study generated an analysis
tool with the sole purpose of providing guidance for achieving an increased
biodiversity in courtyards. Site visits were carried out on a total of six courtyards
chosen from the three studied urban planning ideals. The purpose of the site visits
was to both investigate and develop the analysis tool.
The result of the study showed that different residential courtyards have varying
potential for biodiversity. Large courtyard blocks have high potential for
biodiversity due to their extensive, connected areas that provide ample
opportunities for vegetation growth. Lamella and high-rise blocks have important
values in their openness, which provides a strong connection to the surrounding
environment and increases the potential for species movement. The least favorable
urban design for biodiversity was found in stone courtyard blocks with enclosed
yards that are often paved with limited vegetation