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Exploring the conditions for a shift to Continuous Cover Forestry in Sweden : a practice-based approach to understanding what enables and challenges forest management practitioners to practice Continuous Cover Forestry
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the adoption of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) in response to mounting environmental concerns stemming from conventional forestry in Sweden. Utilising a social practice-based approach with qualitative interviews and observations of forest managers who engage in CCF “on the ground”, the study uncovers a complex of practices connected to CCF, encompassing policy and regulation, research, advice, services, and forest ownership. By investigating the elements and interlinkages of these practices, the study finds key enabling factors and challenges within the intricate web of CCF practices. Emphasised challenges are; lack of competencies in CCF, predominant advice advocating conventional forestry, scarcity of CCF service providers, entangled timber contracts, insufficient research and concerns of forest expropriation due to high nature values attributed to CCF-managed forests. Enabling factors include knowledge-sharing interactions in networks and collaborations with diverse stakeholders, including independent CCF companies, forest owners, foresters, entrepreneurs, service workers, researchers and non-governmental organisations. Additionally, recreational activities, environmental stewardship, and improved workplace conditions motivate forest managers to embrace CCF practices. The research highlights the need to re-evaluate the division between conservation and production forests, urging the extension of CCF promotion into productive forests. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of diverse perspectives in advisory practices and advocates for increased, nuanced, and collaborative research on CCF's viability within Sweden's evolving forestry landscape
Labor requirements and production costs for ranching compared to traditional husbandry with buildings
Get PDFDet svenska lantbruket är bara en av många näringar i Sverige där kostnaderna för verksamheten har ökat kraftigt den senaste tiden. Detta har gjort att många lantbrukare har det tuffare rent ekonomiskt när det kommer till investeringar. För dikoproducenter är det redan tufft sen innan då inkomsterna kontra utgifterna är relativt lika.
För att dikoproducenterna ska få det bättre ekonomiskt bör de undersöka andra sätt om hur de kan hålla djuren under vinterperioden. Utedrift utan ligghall är ett bra och ekonomiskt djurhållningssystem för lantbrukare förutsatt att de har rätt marker till det.
I detta arbete kommer den som är intresserad av utedrift utan ligghall få ta del utav information gällande utedrift utan ligghall samt djurhållning i byggnader. Det kommer att presenteras två kvantitativa undersökningar som har gjorts för vartdera system via enkäter. Utifrån undersökningen får man ta del utav arbetsbehovet för varje system samt vissa ekonomiska aspekter exempelvis investeringskostnad för byggnaden respektive för stängslet. Bland de viktigaste resultaten är att arbetstiden för den dagliga skötseln av dikor i utedrift utan ligghall i medeltal tar 1,8 minuter per diko och dag under vinterperioden och 2 minuter per diko och dag för system med djurstall. Det är stor variation i arbetstid mellan minsta och högsta arbetstid för båda systemen. Det ska också nämnas att det var stor variation för investeringskostnaden per dikoplats för de olika systemen. Systemet som hade högst investeringskostnad per dikoplats var ett system med byggnader med en kostnad på 47 095 kr medan ett system med utedrift utan ligghall hade en kostnad på 3 900 kr per diko.
Slutsatsen är att det är mer ekonomiskt att ha utedrift utan ligghall eftersom investeringskostnaden är lägre per djur jämfört kostnaden som är för djur som hålls i djurstall. Dessutom kan lantbrukare som har utedrift kan spara tid med sitt system jämfört om de skulle ha djuren i en byggnad då de har färre arbetsmoment kring djuren.Swedish agriculture is just one of many industries in Sweden where the costs of operations have increased sharply recently. This has meant that many farmers have a tougher financial time when it comes to investments. For beef cow producers, this is already tough since before due to the income versus expenses are relatively equal.
For the beef cow producers to be better off financially, they should check other ways about how they can keep the animals during the winter period. Ranching without any buildings is a good and economical animal husbandry system for farmers, provided they have the right land for it.
In this work anyone who is interested in ranching without any buildings will be able to take part in information regarding ranching without any buildings and keeping animals in buildings. Two quantitative studies have been done for each system with the help of surveys. Based on the surveys, one can take part in the work requirements for each system as well as certain financial aspects such as the investment cost of the building compared with the fence. Among the most important results is that the working time for the daily care of the cows in outdoor operation without a lying shed takes an average of 1,8 minutes per cow and day during the winter period and 2 minutes per cow and day för systems with animal stalls. There is a large variation in working hours between the minimum and maximum working hours for both systems. It should also be mentioned that there was a large variation in the investment cost per cow place for the different systems. The system with the highest investment cost per cow place was a system with buildings with a cost of 47 095 SEK, while an outdoor operation without a lying shed had a cost of 3 900 SEK per cow.
The conclusion is that it is more economical to have a ranch without any buildings. As the cost is lower per animal compared to the cost of animals kept in buildings. And that the farmers that have this kind of system can save time compared to if they would keep the animals in a building as they have less time around the animals
Economic and environmental consequences, opportunities and requirements in case of lumber transport on roads with load capacity class 4 compared to load capacity class 1.
Get PDFFör drygt 700 år sedan påbörjades arbetet med virkestransporter i Sverige, då för att försörja gruvor och stålindustrier. Sedan dess och förmodligen en lång tid framåt kommer virkestransporter att utgöra en vital del av samhällsstrukturen i Sverige. De dåtida transporterna skedde fram till mitten av 1900-talet i princip endast på rinnande vatten, så kallad flottning. Men lastbilarna och tågen utvecklades snabbt och tog marknadsandelar av flottningen i högt tempo.
Att vi nu enbart transporterar rundvirket till industrierna med lastbilar innebär inte att de, eller vägnätet, är färdigutvecklade. Senast 2018 började man upplåta delar av det svenska vägnätet för större timmerbilar med en totalvikt på 74 ton jämfört med tidigare begränsning på 64 ton.
I denna studie har skillnaderna i lönsamhet och miljöpåverkan jämförts mellan BK4-ekipage (lastbil tyngre än 64 ton) kör med full vikt eller med en bruttovikt om 64 ton. Detta genom att studera insamlad statistik från det transportledande företaget Westan. Datainformationen är från år 2022 och innehåller bland annat dieselförbrukning, lastvikt och körsträcka. Utöver databearbetningen genomfördes en studie av befintlig litteratur som behandlar ämnet och intervjuer med åkare som kör för Westan.
Utifrån datan kan det inte statistiskt bevisas att en BK4-bil som har mer än 50 procent körningar på BK4-väg är mer bränsleeffektivt än om samma bil har färre än 50 procent BK4-körningar. Det förekommer även ett stort antal variabler och felkällor som påverkar resultaten, exempel på dessa är förarens yrkesskicklighet, geografins topografi och skillnader i lastbilarnas utförande.In the 14th Century the first timber transportation took place in Sweden in order to provide for mines and the steel industry. Since then and probably a long time in the future timber transportation will continue to be a vital part of the whole Swedish society. The first method of transport was floating in the rivers and in other watercourses. Floating was mainly used until the mid-20th century when trains and trucks started to develop at a rapid pace.
Today, trucks are mainly used in timber transport from the forest to the industries. They have not been perfected. In 2018 a process of allowing heavier trucks (74 tons compared to 64 tons) on selected parts of the Swedish road network.
In this study the difference in profitability and environmental impact between a heavy truck with full load or a heavy truck driving with 64 tones has been investigated. The data was collected by Westan, a transport leading company. The data is from the year 2022 and contains among other things fuel consumption, load weight and mileage. Besides from data processing a study of existing literature about the subject was carried out and interviews with truck owners whom have a contract with Westan.
Based on the data material it could not be statistically proven that a BK4 carriage is more fuel efficient than a BK1 carriage. There are also a great number of variables and error sources that effects the results. Example on these are the drivers professional skill, the topography in the geography and difference in the design of the trucks
Kulturljudzon Sofielund, Malmö:
Get PDFTo become better at planning vibrant mixed-use cities, we need to know more about soundscapes
and noise perception in urban environments. The development towards culture being pushed out
from the cities lead to the creation of a kulturljudzon in Malmö, where culture and industry sounds
are allowed to exist almost unrestricted. This thesis aims to examine the perspective of the residents
living in vicinity and how their perceived health and well-being is affected. It contributes through
assisting professional planners in navigating the work with soundscapes in the planning of vibrant
cities and enhancing peoples’ health and well-being at the same time. The mixed-method approach
is based on a quantitative part in form of a questionnaire that gave an overall image of the residents’
attitude towards the kulturljudzon and helped identifying follow-up interview partners for the
qualitative part, that emphasized diverse narratives with individual experiences for a deeper
understanding of their perspectives. The study indicates that traffic noise seems to be the main
problem among the residents in the kulturljudzon, whereas the mentioning of bird song and other
natural sounds as appreciated suggest their positive effects on health and well-being. Sounds that fit
their surroundings and have a function seems to alleviate the annoyance and increase the acceptance.
Also, the engagement with the environment plays a role. However, the more in-depth interviews
revealed some differences in the perception of diverse sounds and individual background stories,
which indicate the complexity of noise perception. Creating restorative soundscapes in urban
environments must take consideration for the dimensions of urban sound. Thereby both the physical
environment and the psychological processes must be considered, which highlights the importance
of cooperation between landscape architecture and environmental psychology
Serology as a diagnostic tool for Parascaris spp. in foals – A pilot study
Get PDFParascaris spp. are prevalent equine gastrointestinal nematodes that predominantly infect foals. The infection causes impaired welfare and can have a lethal outcome due to complications such as intestinal obstruction. Due to a prepatent period of 10-14 weeks, diagnosis with coprological techniques is limited and therefore most foals are routinely dewormed during their first year without knowledge of infectious status. The parasite is showing an alarming emerging resistance to numerous anthelmintic drug classes, limiting the possibilities of treatment. Diagnostics through serological techniques have been developed for the related pig roundworm, Ascaris suum, using an indirect ELISA targeting either Ascaris suum haemoglobin (AsHb) or L3-Lung antigens. This study investigated the possibility of using a modified version of the indirect ELISA protocol, targeting the same AsHb and L3-Lung antigens to identify Parascaris spp. infection in foals. Two farms were included with a total of 15 foals concluding the study. The foals were sampled for blood for serum extraction from two weeks of age and followed at four-week intervals. Faecal samples were examined from six weeks with about two-week intervals until positive for Parascaris spp. eggs to determine a patent infection. The results showed that antibodies for Parascaris spp. could be detected with both the AsHb ELISA and L3-Lung ELISA. Moreover, an initial increase in antibody levels were observed for both antigens. A significant correlation between antibody levels in twoweek-old foals and their mother was found, indicating passive transfer of antibodies via colostrum. The antibody levels of the foals thereafter decreased from the first to the second and third sampling occasion and then significantly increased to the fourth occasion for both AsHb and L3-Lung ELISAs, indicating an immunological response to the Parascaris spp. infection. This study shows the potential of developing a clinically applicable serological technique for Parascaris spp. The possibility of a clinically applicable test could be used for targeted deworming and decrease the anthelmintic use, thereby limiting the emerging anthelmintic resistance in Parascaris spp. and reducing the environmental contamination with residues of anthelmintic compounds
Dog owner knowledge and attitudes towards oral vaccination
Get PDFRabies is a fatal viral disease causing around 59,000 deaths each year worldwide. Out of all deaths, 95% occur in Africa and Asia. In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) rabies is endemic with dogs being the main virus reservoir. All mammals can be infected by the rabies virus but up to 99% of human rabies cases are transmitted by dogs. The virus is mainly transmitted through saliva contact with wounds or mucosa and the incubation time is generally 20-60 days, but it can be several years. Symptoms include behavioral changes, anorexia, vomiting, excessive salivation, ataxia, paralysis and seizures and results in death through paralysis of the breathing musculature. Rabies is 100% preventable by vaccination. WHO (World Health Organisation), WOAH (World Organization for Animal Health) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) have together formed the UAR (United Against Rabies) platform. The goal is to have zero dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. WHO finds rabies vaccination of dogs to be an important measure to reach this goal, however it’s considered difficult to reach adequate vaccination coverage with parenteral vaccination only. Therefore, there has been a promotion of oral rabies vaccination, which has helped eliminate rabies in wildlife in Europe. Oral rabies vaccines have been shown in studies to be safe, effective and stable in field conditions, however, there has been a few incidents of vaccine induced rabies cases in animals and vaccine induced skin infections in humans. Bait preferences have been shown to vary between countries. Oral vaccine baits can be distributed in different ways, including handing out the bait to dogs and distributing them in the environment. Oral rabies vaccination has been shown to be more cost effective and less time consuming than other methods. The goal of this study was to investigate knowledge and attitudes towards oral rabies vaccination campaigns among dog owners in Lao PDR. The study was carried out in three different provinces in Lao PDR during 2022. Participants included dog owners in these districts, who answered questionnaires and some also participated in group discussions, as well as village leaders who were interviewed. Dog owner knowledge was low regarding rabies hosts, transmission, vaccines, seriousness and symptoms. Most dog owners (87.6%) would prefer to vaccinate their dogs against rabies through an injection, while 12.4% would prefer the oral route. However, 60.2% thinks oral vaccination is a very good idea. Dog owners and village leaders considered oral vaccination to be easier, safer when vaccinating aggressive, and more ethical. It was considered an advantage that dog owners could perform the vaccination themselves. Concerns were the risk of the vaccine not being effective, being bitten while providing vaccine, potential side effects and the dogs not consuming the baits. Almost all (98.1%) dog owners claimed to be willing to pay to rabies vaccinate their dog. To reach the Zero by 30 goal, there need to be information campaigns on rabies to fill the knowledge gaps. This study shows an openness among dog owners to oral rabies vaccination, however further research is needed on this topic
Sockerskattens roll i utvecklingen av hälsosamma matvanor för barn - en studie som belyser hur en sockerskatt kan påverka svenska livsmedelsföretag.
Get PDFAllt fler länder börjar se ett växande folkhälsoproblem samt att det samhällsekonomiska perspektivet påverkas negativt till följd av en hög sockerkonsumtion bland befolkningen. I Sverige har man börjat se en minskning av direktkonsumtionen av socker (råsocker och bitsocker) samtidigt som intaget av socker i form av choklad, konfektyr som bakverk, godis samt läskedrycker har ökat kraftigt. De nordiska näringsrekommendationerna menar att den dagliga energin i maten som kommer ifrån tillsatt socker högst ska vara 25 gram/dag för barn mellan 2–5 år. Barn under två år ska helst helt undvikas att serveras söt mat och dryck. Redan tidigt i livet etableras goda matvanor och därför kan en punktskatt mot sockerhaltiga livsmedelsprodukter speciellt riktade till småbarn ge de största långsiktiga hälsoeffekterna.
Således är syftet med denna studie att undersöka hur livsmedelsföretag som producerar mat riktade till småbarn kan påverkas av en sockerskatt. Studien vill även utreda förutsättningarna för att införa en sockerskatt i Sverige och belysa sockrets påverkan på folkhälsan. De teoretiska ramverk som studien grundas på är teorier om strategi, beslutsteori, samt SWOT-analys. Genom en kvalitativ forskningsmetod, med en narrativ litteratur-genomgång. Två livsmedelsföretag och en representant med ett myndighetsperspektiv intervjuades på ett semistrukturerat sätt. Deras svar återges i kapitel 4.
Studiens resultat visar att livsmedelsföretag tror att de kommer påverkas av en sockerskatt på ett eller annat sätt. I dagsläget är det svårt att fastslå exakt på vilket sätt de kan påverkas. Det kan däremot konstateras att en sockerskatt kan innebära en minskad efterfrågan och högre administrativa kostnader. För ”högkonsumenter” kan en sockerskatt ge stora hälsoeffekter. En sockerskatt kan även signalera att produkten inte är hälsosam för individer att äta. Däremot förespråkas inte en sockerskatt av respondenterna, de tror att det går att minska överkonsumtionen av socker bland befolkningen på andra sätt.More countries are seeing a growing public health problem and that the socio-economic perspective is negatively affected as a result of high sugar consumption. In Sweden, there is a decrease in the direct consumption of sugar (raw sugar and bitter sugar) while the intake of sugar in the form of chocolate, confectionery such as pastries, sweets and soft drinks has increased sharply. The Swedish food agency recommend that the daily energy in food that comes from added sugar should be no more than 25 grams/day for children between 2-5 years. Children under the age of two should preferably be completely avoided being served sweet food and drinks. Good eating habits are established early in life and a tax on sugary foods aimed at young children can have the greatest long-term health effects.
Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate how food companies that produce food aimed at young children can be affected by a sugar tax. The study also wants to investigate the conditions for introducing a sugar tax in Sweden and highlight the impact of sugar on public health. The theoretical framework on which the study is based are theories of strategy, decision theory, and SWOT analysis. Through a qualitative research method this study is carried out and a narrative literature review is used. Two food companies and a representative with a government perspective were interviewed in a semi-structured way. Their answers are reproduced in Chapter 4.
The results of this study show that food companies believe they will be affected by a sugar tax in one way or another, even if it is difficult to determine exactly in what way. On one hand, it can be stated that a sugar tax can mean a reduction in demand and higher administrative costs. For "high consumers", a sugar tax can have major health effects. A sugar tax can signal that the product is not healthy for individuals to eat. However, a sugar tax is not advocated by any of the respondents, they believe that it is possible to reduce the overconsumption of sugar among the population in other ways
Food waste handling behaviour and their predictors
Get PDFAround one-third of the total food provided for human consumption goes to waste every year. Previous literature shows that throughout the entire production-consumption chain, the final household stage generates the largest proportion of food waste compared to all the other stages. Through the adoption of an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study investigates the drivers of four consumers’ food waste practices derived from a survey involving 250 consumers in the municipality of Uppsala. It has been shown that attitude, Perceived Behavioural Control, knowledge, language, education level, children and involvement in a pro-environmental organization were significant predictors for the examined practices. Therefore, policy implications and possible solutions for food waste were suggested
The Edible Park : composition and selection of woody plants with edible parts for a park in northern Sweden
Get PDFDet här arbetet initierades efter att parker med ätbart tema nyligen tillkommit på flera platser i Sverige
och utifrån antaganden om att tillförandet av ätliga växter i offentliga grönområden har potential att
öka deras funktioner och värden. Syftet med arbetet var att undersöka möjligheter och begränsningar i
gestaltningsarbetet och växtvalet för en park med ätbart tema, med fokus på vedartade växter med ätliga
delar och som fungerar i norra Sveriges inland. Målet var att sammanställa kunskap i området, samt
utifrån den samlade kunskapen utforma ett konceptuellt gestaltningsförslag för en park med ätbart tema i
Östersund i Jämtland.
Kunskap och idéer till gestaltningsarbetet har hämtats från referensmiljöer, vilka bestått av tre samtida
parker med ätbart tema samt sex exempel på landskap i natur- och kulturmiljöer som innehåller växter med
ätliga delar. För att hitta lämpliga växter för norra Sverige, samt för att undersöka möjligheter och utmaningar
som finns vid en användning av fruktträd och bärbuskar i offentliga miljöer har kunskapsinhämtningen till
stor del baserats på intervjuer med personer som har kunskap och erfarenhet inom området.
Slutsatserna är att det finns en särskilt stor andel fruktträd och bärbuskar från Finland, Ryssland, Ukraina
och Baltikum som är lämpliga att använda i norra Sverige. För växtkompositionen av en park med ätliga
växter är det passande att studera landskap med välfungerande vegetationssystem som innehåller växter
som producerar frukt, bär, nötter eller annat ätbart. Särskilt viktigt i gestaltningsarbetet är att ha strategier
för växternas etablering, där några exempel på tänkbara modeller presenteras i arbetet.This work was initiated based on the assumption that an addition of edible plants in public green spaces has
the potential to increase their functionalities and values and the fact that edible parks has been introduced
at several places in Sweden the last years. The purpose was to examine possibilities and limitations in the
design work and plant choice for a public park with an edible theme, with a focus on woody plants that
produce fruit, berries or nuts and that are suited for northern Sweden. The goal was to compile knowledge
in the field and based on the collected knowledge make a conceptual design proposal for an edible park in
Östersund in the province of Jämtland.
Ideas for the design work have been collected from reference landscapes, consisting of three contemporary
parks with an edible theme, as well as six examples of landscapes containing edible plants. To find suitable
plants for northern Sweden, and to examine the possibilities and challenges associated with usage of
fruit trees and berry bushes in public environments, the knowledge acquisition has been largely based on
interviews with individuals who have expertise and experience in the field.
The conclusions are that there is a particularly large proportion of fruit trees and berry bushes from
countries such as Finland, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states that are suitable for use in northern Sweden.
For the vegetation design it is appropriate to study environments with well-functioning vegetation systems
that have the desired qualities and needs. Particularly important, regarding the design work, is to have
strategies for the establishment of the plant material, where some examples of conceivable models are
presented in the work
The County Administrative Board's custody of cats and dogs
Get PDFIn Sweden animal protection falls under the responsibilities of the County Administrative Board. And the employees working for the animal protection unit in the County Administrative Board are responsible for making sure that the animal owners show the animals respect and protect them from unnecessary harm. This is done through legislation dictating how the animals are supposed to be treated and cared for. The legislation put in place covers everything from farm animals to animals held within families like dogs and cats, in fact it covers all animals held in captivity by man. If animals suffer and come to harm from the actions of their owner, and it’s considered hopeless that this suffering will end, animal welfare officers from the County Administrative Board may have to step in and remove the animal from the custody of its owner. Afterwards the animal welfare officers will have to decide what to do with the animal, they can transfer the animal to a shelter or someone willing to adopt the animal, they can also sell it or lastly decide to euthanize the animal. Every decision made is done so based on the animal welfare legislation, and the health status of the animal in question, which determines how attractive the animal may be if put up for adoption or transfer. During the time the animal is taken into custody, and a decision is made, many other stakeholders work in unison with the County Administrative Board to make sure everything goes smoothly, these other stakeholders may be transportation companies, farmers, animal shelters, police, and veterinarians. All of them plays different, yet important parts in making sure animals get the protection they need