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The restoration period : a new era in forestry
Get PDFIn the last 200 years the boreal forests of Sweden have undergone a dramatic transformation. After a long history of high grading the largest trees foresters grew increasingly concerned about the state of logged over forests. The big question was how to regenerate and increase the productivity of sparse forests. Single storied forest management had been successively introduced in the beginning of the 20th century and in the 1940ties foresters came to the conclusion that this was the best way to create what they considered as healthy productive forest stands. This led to the creation of a “forest restoration program” initiated on the state-owned forests in 1950. A 20 year program that aimed at replacing forests with poor growth and low standing volumes with young growing stands that ensured long term yield. In this study I have investigated why the restoration program was initiated and what ecological and forestry related effects it has resulted in. The study is based on both historical management plans for a state owned forest management unit that was restored, articles in the Journal of the Forestry Association of Northern Sweden and a field inventory of an area that was not restored.
Three driving forces that initiated the restoration program was found in my analysis. Firstly, foresters came to the conclusion that forests did not regenerate themselves as fast as they were harvested. Secondly, foresters agreed that the insufficient regeneration was due to the forestry method used, i. e. selective logging. Thirdly, forestry laws and policies progressed over time and came to include demands on forest regeneration, this resulted in so called “restart’s” in areas where no new stands had established after harvest.
My results from the time series analysis showed that the growing stock of the studied management unit has increased from 32 to 76 m³sk/ha from 1907 to 2022. At the same time, there is a severe lack of old forests and multistoried forests have been entirely eradicated from the management unit. The forests in Hästkullens nature reserve, an area within the management unit that was not restored, looks very different. Old trees, dead wood and trees of different sizes and ages are present in the area. This makes the area important from a biodiversity perspective. The restored forests surrounding Hästkullen share its early history but do not hold the same nature values. My conlusion is that the forests in northern Sweden would have looked very different and todays negative trend for nature conservation ad biodiversity could have looked very different if the restoration program had never occurred.De senaste 200 åren har den boreala barrskogen i Sverige genomgått stora förändringar. Efter en lång tidsperiod av upprepad plockhuggning av de största träden grodde en begynnande oro för skogens framtid hos de svenska jägmästarna. Den stora frågan som skapade debatt var hur återväxten skulle säkras och hur nya produktiva skogsbestånd skulle ersätta glesa och oväxtliga skogar. Kalhyggesbruket hade successivt vunnit mark i det svenska skogsbruket under början av 1900 talet och under 1940 talet började jägmästarna enas om att kalhyggesbruk var det bästa sättet att skapa deras bild av sunda produktiva skogsbestånd. Detta ledde till att Domänverket 1950 initierade ett ”restaureringsprogram” som på 20 år skulle åtgärda misslyckade föryngringar samt ersätta glesa oväxtliga skogar och därmed säkra långsiktig avkastning från skogen.
I denna studie har jag undersökt varför restaureringsprogrammet kom till och vilka skogliga och ekologiska konsekvenser det resulterade i. Studien är baserad på gamla skogsindelningsplaner över ett block i en kronopark, artiklar i Norrlands skogsvårdsförbund tidskrift och en fältinventering av ett område som istället för att restaureras blev lämnat och idag är ett naturreservat.
Från analysen av Norrlands skogsvårdsförbunds tidskrift identifierade jag tre övergripande orsaker som ledde fram till restaureringsprogrammet. Den första var att jägmästarna insåg att skog avverkades snabbare än vad ny skog etablerades. Den andra orsaken var att jägmästarna kom fram till att den dåliga återväxten var resultatet av blädning som skogsbruksmetod. Blädningen var inte alltid det vi kallar blädning idag, ofta liknade den plockhuggning av stora träd och ibland tedde den sig även som luckhuggning. Den tredje orsaken var att lagar och skogspolicys utvecklades över tid och fick fler inslag av krav på åtgärder som genererade återväxt. Det resulterade i slutsatsen att många skogsbestånd behövde ”börja om” för att uppnå kraven som ställdes i skogsvårdslagen.
Mina resultat från tidsserieanalysen av ett block inom kronoparken Sucksåive visade att virkesförrådet har ökat från i snitt 32 till 76 m³sk/ha från år 1907 till år 2022, trots att 44% av skogarna 2022 var under 40 år. Restaureringen i området ur produktionssynpunkt tycks alltså varit lyckad. Samtidigt är det en stor brist på gammal skog i området och flerskiktade skogar har försvunnit helt. I Hästkullens naturreservat, ett område inom det studerade blocket som inte restaurerats, är situationen annorlunda. Gamla träd, död ved och träd i varierande storleksklasser förekommer i hela området. Området är därför viktigt från ett biologiskt mångfaldsperspektiv och det är också anledningen till att området är skyddat idag. Skogarna som omger Hästkullen delar dess tidigare historia men idag håller de inte samma naturvärden som Hästkullen. Jag drar slutsatsen att skogarna i norra Sverige hade hade sett annorlunda ut och den negativa situationen för många rödlistade arter också hade sett annorlunda ut
Claws and Effect : how Small Carnivore Richness Responds to Habitat Diversity and Ecological Productivity
Get PDFSpecies distribution and composition research has gained significance in light of global warming and its impact on biodiversity. Understanding the factors shaping species richness is crucial for wildlife ecology and conservation. Previous studies have shown a general pattern of positive correlation between terrestrial species richness and primary productivity. However, the productivity-species richness relationship varies across regions and spatial scales. Additionally, the link between habitat diversity and species richness remains ambiguous, with studies reporting both positive and negative correlations. This thesis focuses on small carnivores, a diverse group with ecological importance and vulnerability to climate change. I aimed to address the knowledge gaps in what shapes the species richness of small carnivores in Europe. I hypothesize that small carnivore species richness increases with study area productivity and habitat richness. I also hypothesize a positive relationship between small carnivore species richness and decreasing habitat evenness.
To test these hypotheses, I employed a multi-scale and multi-species hierarchical modelling approach, estimating the species richness of small carnivores across 64 sites in Europe. These estimates were then used in a meta-analysis that tested the correlation between species richness, productivity, habitat richness and habitat evenness.
The occupancy model performance confirms the accuracy of species richness estimates based on expected associations between species' site-use probabilities and environmental covariates. The result of the meta-analysis found a weak association between productivity and species richness but no association between species richness and habitat richness or evenness. While the productivity-species richness relationship shows uncertain results, previous research suggests the presence of additional factors influencing the correlation. The link between habitat diversity and small carnivore richness is inconclusive, with contrasting findings across different studies and definitions of habitat diversity.
In conclusion, this study provides insights into the species richness of small carnivores in Europe and their relationships with productivity and habitat factors. However, further investigations are required to understand the complex interactions among productivity, habitat diversity, and species richness. Accounting for indirect effects through trophic levels and considering habitat fragmentation and connectivity will enhance future studies. Understanding these factors is vital for effective conservation and management strategies for small carnivores in the face of global change
The effect of heat and UVC treatments on seed germination and seed-borne fungi of Pinus sylvestris, Pinus contorta and Pseudotsuga menziesii used in Swedish nurseries
Get PDFPathogen free seeds are critical to produce healthy plants for forest regeneration. However, recent
studies have shown that tree seed carry a high diversity of fungi including known and unknown
pathogens. There is a need to control seed-borne fungi to minimize the introduction of fungal
pathogens, during plant propagation in reforestation nurseries. Thermotherapy treatments, such as
heat and UVC light, are recognised as environmentally safe methods for controlling fungal
infestation, but effects of such methods on tree seed fungi are poorly understood. Moreover,
inadequate dose and duration of these methods can also weaken the viability of the seed by
negatively affecting germination.
This study assessed the infection levels and diversity of all and potentially pathogenic fungi (with a
focus on known seed-borne pathogen Sphaeropsis sapinea) in five seed lots of Lodgepole pine
(Pinus contorta; PC14 and PC15), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris; PS18 and PS20) and Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii; PM14) before and after the heat treatment at 55 °C for 8 h and treatments
with the UVC light one or three times. Fungi were cultured from 300 seeds per seed lot on nutrient
media and identified using Sanger sequencing. Seed germination was also assessed from
approximately 300 seeds per seed lot, before and after the treatments were used.
Almost all tested seeds yielded fungi. The high infection level and diversity of fungi, including plant
pathogens, was showed for control seed lots of Lodgepole pine and Scots pine. Control Douglas-fir
seed lot were highly infected, but fungal diversity was low. High infection level by S. sapinea was
detected in the control PS18 seed lot. The fungus was also detected in the control PC14 seed lot, but
in much lower frequency. The heat treatment reduced fungal infection levels and diversity to varying
degrees in Lodgepole pine and Scots pine seeds. This was the case for all fungi, potentially
pathogenic fungi and S. sapinea. However, the reduction did not occur in Douglas-fir seed lot.
Unlike the heat treatment, UVC treatments did not reduce the fungal infection of any tree species.
Considering only potentially pathogenic fungi, UVC reduced the infection in PS18 and PM14 seed
lots, however the infection levels were increased in PC15 and PS20 seed lots. Occurrence of S.
sapinea in PS18 seed lot, as well as diversity of all and potentially pathogenic fungi in all seed lots,
compare to control treatment, was lower after the UVC treatments. Finally, none of the treatments
had a significant negative effect on the germination of the tested seeds.
The study demonstrates that tested thermotherapy treatments can be used to reduce or eliminate
fungi in conifer seeds without adversely effecting germination, and that the heat treatment at 55 °C
for 8 h gives better results than UVC treatments. However, more research is needed to determine
the most appropriate dose and duration, depending on the tree species
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence : the Swedish Quick Service Restaurant Sector
Get PDFThis thesis project looked at the preparedness of the Quick Service Restaurant Sector
(QSRS) in Sweden for the introduction of a new EU law in 2024, the Corporate Sustainability
Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Food systems play a major role in the climate crisis,
contributing up to one third of all greenhouse gas emissions, with the QSRS playing a
significant role in this across the globe. The QSRS is also associated with a number of health
issues, with their supply chain also presenting a number of human rights risks. The aim of this
study was to identify the challenges in meeting the CSDDD in the service sector. The
theoretical perspective of the Triple Bottom Line served as a point of ontological departure.
Focus was placed on due diligence reporting as seen in the sustainability reports published in
the QSRS. The project assessed preparedness of due diligence processes and sustainability
strategies of the Swedish QSRS for the implementation of the CSDDD. It addressed human
rights and environmental issues along the supply chains of the three biggest Quick Service
Restaurants (QSRs), McDonald’s, Max Hamburgers, and Burger King. A case study was
carried out that analysed the sustainability reports and codes of conduct of these QSRs, as
well as interviewing two sustainability professionals on due diligence practices. The results
showed that McDonald’s and Max Hamburgers have the due diligence processes in place to
work towards meeting the requirements of the CSDDD, though Burger King has significant
work ahead to reach this level
Kvalitetsutvärdering för operationell och strategisk verksamhetsutveckling av offentliga grönytor : en studie med utgångspunkt i NGSA Nordic Green Space Awards kvalitetsramverk
Get PDFNordic Green Space Award, (NGSA), var en kvalitetsutmärkelse, ett nätverk och ett
kvalitetutvärderingsramverk (Lindholst et al. 2016). Syftet med uppsatsen är att diskutera vilken syn
NGSA’s ramverk har på kvalitet, med målet att förstå om NGSA´s kvalitetsramverk kan användas
som operationellt eller strategiskt verktyg för styrning och utveckling av grönytor i staden. Detta
givet de utmaningar grönyteförvaltarna står inför idag. I uppsatsen diskuteras NGSA syn på kvalitet
och kvalitetsutveckling med hjälp av litteraturstudien. En jämförelse med Green Flag Award, ett
annat kvalitetutvärderingsverktyg och utmärkelse för parker utförs även.
Strategiska aktiviteter och styrning och ledning av grönytor innebär att utveckla dess tjänster och
funktioner långsiktigt med fokus på att skapa värde för användare (Randrup, Shelley & Jansson
2020; Dempsey & Smith 2014, Jansson et al. 2020b). Givet denna definition, är GFA ett mer
lämpligt verktyg att arbeta med strategisk kvalitetsutveckling av grönytor i kommunal miljö än
NGSA. GFA frågar kring parkens styrdokument, liksom förmågan att förstå och sätta användarnas
behov i fokus och hur parken arbetar systematiskt med kvalitetsutveckling. NGSA ställer inte lika
tydligt frågor kring förståelse och anpassning av grönytan efter användarnas behov. Syftet med
NGSA var att jämföra högkvalitativa parker och därmed skapa inspiration till förbättring, men
NGSA ställer inga frågor kring hur detta arbete skall bedrivas (Lindholst et al 2016).
Grönytecheferna i Nordic Urban Green Space Survey uttrycker ett behov av ett strategiskt
helhetsgrepp för förvaltningen av grönytor i staden liksom samarbete kring metoder och verktyg
(Randrup, Svännel & Sunding 2020). Kan GFA vara ett sådant verktyg och samarbete?
Många utmaningar som grönytecheferna står inför idag är relaterade till utkomsten av
planeringsprocessen. Exempel är konnektivitet, grönstruktur, multifunktionalitet och att möta
användarnas mång facetterade behov trots reducerad storlek på grönytor (Randrup, Svännel &
Sunding 2020). NGSA tar ett större perspektiv än GFA och ställer ett flertal frågor relaterade till
utkomst av planeringsprocessen och kring design och estetisk utformning av parken. NGSA
fokuserar därför på frågor relaterade till place-making processen. Där place-making, är processen
relaterat till skapandet eller designen av en plats, liksom planeringsprocessen (Jansson et al. 2020b).
Den andra huvudprocessen i landskapsprofessionen är upprätthållande av en plats, eller placekeeping processen, vilken GFA i huvudsak fokuserar på. NGSA följer även upp på place-keeping
processen, men inte lika omfattande som GFA gör.Nordic Green Space Award, (NGSA), was a network-based organization working for the quality
improvement of parks in the Nordic countries. NGSA was also an award and quality assessment
score card (Lindholst et al. 2016). This thesis reviews how NGSA relates to quality and if NGSA
can be used as a tool for strategic as well as operational development of green spaces, given the
challenges urban green space managers meet today A comparison with Green Flag Award, (GFA),
another quality assessment tool and award has been carried out.
Strategic management of green spaces aims at developing the space and its functionality long
term with the goal of fulfilling user needs (Randrup, Shelley & Jansson 2020). Given this definition,
GFA is a more usable tool for working with strategic and operational development of green spaces.
GFA focuses on how the park and its management works with quality development and how it
understands and create value for its users. NGSA does not ask questions related to development and
is not as user centred. However, NGSA also relates to the users of the park in different ways. The
Nordic Green Space Managers express a need for a cooperative network, strategic tools as well as
quantitative goals and well-defined policies to meet new and old challenges (Randrup, Svännel &
Sunding 2020). Could GFA be the wished for tool and network?
Many challenges the green space managers meet today are related to the outcome of the planning
process: connectivity, green infrastructure, multifunctionality as well as meeting different users need
under the pressure from the diminishing size of green spaces (Randrup, Svännel & Sunding 2020).
NGSA is more focused on the planning process. It is also focused on questions related to park design.
Therefore, NGSA is evaluating the place-making process. Where place-making is related to the
creation, planning and design of a place (Jansson et al. 2020b). Place-keeping, which is the other
main process in the landscape profession is focused on the maintenance of a place. GFA is more
focused on place-making. NGSA is also following up on the outcome of the place-keeping process,
however GFA is more comprehensive in this area
Ammonium och nitrat sorption på biokol
Get PDFBiochar has recently drawn attention due to its ability to increase soil fertility, sequester carbon and its expected effect on reducing the leaching of elements from the soil, especially nitrogen. The possibility of using biochar as a soil amendment to reduce the amount of nitrogen leaching, and then reducing the quantities of nitrogen fertilizers used in agriculture to avoid the bad environmental effects has become a matter of great interest. In this study, the possibility of using biochar to reduce nitrogen leaching from soil was investigated by studying the adsorption capacity and subsequent release of ammonium (NH4 + ) and nitrate (NO3 - ) from three different biochars, vermiculite, perlite and two synthetic ion exchange resins (cation and anion exchangers). The release of NH4 + and NO3 - over time from biochars and other materials were studied with a dialysis bag method. Through the comparison of desorption between the materials with known charge and porosity properties the potential sorption mechanisms by biochar is discussed. All three kinds of biochar had negligible capacity to retain NO3 - . The biochar behaved similarly to the cation exchange resin. This suggests that the capacity to retain NO3 - is more dependent on the porosity of the material rather than its charge properties. Biochar had an ability to sorb and subsequently release a significant amount of NH4 + over the experimental period. The results indicated that adsorption through ion exchange plays the major role in this process. There were only small differences in sorption behavior between the three kinds of biochar from different feedstock materials.Intresset för biokol har ökat på senare tid på grund av biokolets positiva effekter på markbördighet, kolinbindning och dess potentiella bidrag till att minska utlakning av framförallt kväve. Detta ses som en möjlighet till att öka effektiviteten i kväveutnyttjandet och på så sätt minska gödslingsbehovet.
I den här studien undersöktes sorptionskapaciteten och den efterföljande desorptionen av ammonium (NH4+) och nitrat (NO3-) från tre olika biokol, vermikulit, perlit och två syntetiska jonbytarmaterial (en katjon- och en anjonbytare). De tre biokolen hade framställts genom pyrolys av majshalm, kaffeskal och kokosnötskal i ett tidigare projekt.
Sorption och desorptionen av NH4 + och NO3- från biokolet och de andra materialen studerades med en dialysbaserad metod.
Den potentiella sorptionskapaciteten för de olika biokolen diskuteras genom jämförelse med hur material med känd laddning och porositet uppträder under liknande förhållanden. Alla tre biokolen hade en försumbar kapacitet att adsorbera NO3 -. Biokolens sorptions- och desorptionsegenskaper liknande katjonbytarens.
Detta indikerar att eventuell sorptionskapacitet för NO3
- kommer att vara mer beroende på materialets porositet (vattenhållande förmåga) än på dess laddningsegenskaper.
Samtliga biokol uppvisade en liknande kapacitet för sorption av NH4 + under experimentet. Detta trots varierande kemiska egenskaper. Resultaten indikerar att sorption genom jonbyte är den kvantitativt mest betydelsefulla bindningsformen för NH4 +
Implementation of shepherdism in the reclamation of the Bełchatów brown coal mine as care for the environment, people and the economy
Get PDFThe EU is currently under an energy transition and the phase-out of coal mining and
burning. The Bełchatów brown coal mine is scheduled to stop its operations in 2036. It is crucial to
analyse the transformation of the coal mining regions as a multilayered problem, which requires an
insight into the creation of new employment opportunities, restructuring of the social institutions
and remediation and revitalisation of the degraded environment. I focused on the implementation of
wood pastures, which are currently not researched in the context of post-coal mining landscapes.
Wood sheep pastures have a positive influence on degraded landscapes by enhancing the
accumulation of soil organic carbon, soil formation, water-holding capacity, development of soil
microorganisms and provision of varied habitats for different species. Local employment will have
higher resilience if industrial heritage tourism is supported by pastoral tourism and the
manufacturing of sheep-derived products. Through literature review, I found that the local economy,
society and landscape altogether will benefit from shepherdism if it is implemented along with
social change and land management transition towards community-led common pool resource
institutions. They are advantageous by being governed by a group of members, local and scientific
knowledge diversity, high consent with decisions, improved monitoring and socio-ecological
endurance. Finally, the application of sheep pastoralism in multiple post-coal mining sites can
contribute to the revival of sheep farming in Poland
Differences and similarities in stand characteristics after prescribed burning and wildfire
Get PDF1. Wildfires are a natural disturbance in the boreal forests of Fennoscandia and have shaped and formed forests in the past, resulting in very heterogeneous forests containing large amounts of dead and living trees in various age classes. Over the past centuries, forest management simplified forests, so that they today are much less variable than historically. Further, the economic value of timber has incentivized more effective fire suppression methods. As a result, fire events have become rare and together with the effects of industrial forestry led to a decline of forest-dwelling species. Those species depend on the heterogeneity and structures which today sparsely occur. Today, prescribed burning is seen as an effective tool to restore forests that lost their historical values.
2. In this study, I describe and compare differences and similarities between natural fires and prescribed burnings in Sweden. Further, I identify if, and which goals of prescribed burnings can be reached. For goals that are difficult or not possible to achieve with prescribed burning, I present what changes that may improve the results of prescribed burning and what possible alternative measures can be undertaken to achieve such goals.
3. Data was collected in the summer of 2022 in ten areas within the wildfire area around Kårböle, Ljusdal, in central Sweden, as well as in ten prescribed burns in Gävleborg, Västernorrland, Dalarna, and Jämtland county.
4. Wildfires and prescribed burnings generate significantly different outcomes for most variables studied. Pine mortality was 93% greater in the wildfire sites. Sites that were exposed to wildfire had up to 276% higher volumes of coarse woody debris than sites exposed to prescribed burning. Regeneration of Populus tremula, Salix caprea, Betula spp., and Pinus sylvestris was significantly higher in wildfire sites and was, depending on species, 202% to 875% greater in the latter. The proportion of fire-killed birches with fruit bodies of Daldinia loculata was more than 26 times as high in the wildfire sites compared to the prescribed burning sites. For signs of woodpeckers’ feeding activity on dead trees, results showed that feeding activity on pines was greater in the wildfire sites, whilst feeding on spruce and birch was greater in the prescribed burning sites. Targets of prescribed burns were not always clearly stated in the County Administrative Board reports, and it was thus difficult to evaluate if they were met or not. Differences in tree mortality, volumes of deadwood, and regeneration between wildfires and prescribed burns are likely due to differences in the fire severity. General targets such as creating fire-shaped forests with prescribed burning, enhancing the regeneration of deciduous trees, and creating deadwood can be reached, tough not to the same level as by wildfires.
5. Practical implications: If prescribed burnings aim to mimic the effects of wildfire, they should be executed under drier and warmer periods, and burning strokes should be allowed to reach higher severity. Conifers could be girdled, or manually felled in advance to guarantee thinning and creation of deadwood, especially of trees with greater diameters. The humus layer could be manually removed after the burn to expose mineral soil and favor deciduous tree regeneration
Att bryta barriärer
Get PDFMed ett allt mer heterogent samhälle till följd av globalisering och migration har det lagts ett större fokus på att universiteten ska jobba med att integrera och rekry-tera underrepresenterade grupper. Inom Sverige är det idag stora klyftor mellan vilka personer som väljer att studera vidare till högre utbildningar och individers förutsättningar samt bakgrund har en stor påverkan i detta vägval. Det leder till att universitet har åtskilliga utmaningar att hantera. Hur ska de underrepresenterade grupperna nås och hur ska en mer diversifierad studentsammansättning, som speglar samhället främjas?
Syftet med studien är att analysera och jämföra två olika universitets aktiva arbete med breddad rekrytering och marknadsföring. Det görs genom en jämförande fallstudie av Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet och Uppsala universitet, för att utvärdera och jämföra universitetens arbete, ta upp komplikationer samt ge förslag på utveckl-ing genom en tematisk innehållsanalys av det empiriska materialet. Datat består av intervjuer, tidigare studier, dokument och rapporter från de analyserade universiteten.
Ett flertal parametrar har identifierats som är viktiga för utvärderingen av breddad rekrytering vilket är: könsfördelningen, etnisk bakgrund och akademisk bakgrund av individerna. Båda universiteten har använt sig av liknande åtgärder såsom riktad rekrytering, digital annonsering och studentambassadörer för att öka rekrytering bland grupperna. Däremot skiljer sig universitetens marknadsföring av image och rekryteringsprocess. SLU är ett universitet med mer nischat utbildningsutbud, me-dan Uppsala universitet har ett bredare utbud av olika program, det urskiljs i respektive universitets marknadsföring.
Att få en studentpopulation som speglar samhället i stort är en svår utmaning för universiteten idag. Det finns många faktorer att ha i åtanke och alla universitet har inte samma förutsättningar. En viktig aspekt är i hur mycket universiteten själva kan påverka för att diversifiera studentsammansättningen. Det är även svårt att bedöma hur mycket enskilda åtgärder direkt påverkar rekryteringen, vilket är något universiteten själva har svårt att utvärdera.With a growing heterogeneous society as a consequence of globalisation and migration there has been an increasing demand on universities, to in a larger extent work with integration and recruitment of underrepresented groups. Currently in Sweden there is a large disparity between which students chose to continue their studies at universities and the students background affects their career path in life. This leads to the following questions that need to be addressed: How do universities reach out to underrepresented groups and how do they promote a diverse student population?
The purpose of the study was to analyse and compare two different universities active work for widening participation and their marketing. Through a case study of Swedish university of agriculture and Uppsala university, in order to evaluate the universities work, identify complications and to propose suggestions for improvement. A thematic content analysis is made from the empirical data, which consists of: interviews, earlier studies, documents and reports from the universities.
Multiple important groups and consumers were identified in the evaluation of work done for widening participation in both universities. These include ethnic back-ground, academic background and gender of the student population. Both universities have used similar measures such as targeted marketing, digital advertisements and student ambassadors to increase recruitment from these groups. However the universities differ in how they market their brand and their recruitment process of students. Swedish university of agriculture is a university focused on more niched subjects, while Uppsala university has a larger variety of different education programmes. Which is reflected in the respective universities' marketing.
Widening participation of students is a difficult challenge that universities face. While there are opportunities for improvement for both universities, there are several factors that need to be kept in mind regarding how much the universities can do by themselves. It is also hard to assess how much the measures directly influence recruitment, which the universities themselves struggle with
Activity patterns of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and the transmission of East Coast Fever (ECF) to domestic cattle in Laikipia County, Kenya
Get PDFIn this study we examined the potential connection between East Coast Fever (ECF) and the local activity pattern of African buffalo in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC), in Laikipia county, Kenya. Buffalo activity was examined at OPC’s wildlife corridors, which work as the only gates for the animals to pass in and out of the area, by looking at approximately 32 000 pictures taken by infra-red cameras during the year 2019. In these pictures, 2859 buffaloes were counted. A correlation between number of buffaloes and the number of pictures taken was then tested and proven highly positive. We then proceeded to test if there was a liaison between the number of buffalo-pictures for the years 2016-2019 and the ECF-related deaths during the same years.
The results showed that there was no correlation between increased buffalo activity and increased cases of ECF. However, a correlation between number of buffaloes and numbers of ECF cases could still exist, but the methods used in this study are suspected to not be sensitive enough to find one. More detailed research is needed about the buffaloes’ movements inside the reserve, in relation to cattle movement. In this study, we had access to the number of ECF-related deaths. For a correct picture, the total amount of ECF-cases is needed to be able to examine a liaison. The buffalos’ movements should also be examined in relation to rainfall since rainfall affects buffalos´ movement, and it can also influence the number of ECF-cases.
We also tested the interval for spraying the cattle with anti-tick treatment. The interval used at the OPC was considered necessary under the current circumstances for the trial. During the testing period there had been more rainfall than usual. Different intervals should be tested during different weather conditions to see if the interval can be prolonged during drier seasons.I denna studie undersöktes det om det finns ett samband mellan buffelaktivitet och antalet dödsfall hos kor i sjukdomen East Coast Fever (ECF) på Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC) i Laikipia County Kenya. Buffelaktiviteten registrerades genom att studera runt 32 000 bilder på bufflar, tagna av infra-röda kameror som är uppsatta längs OPC:s så kallade korridorer, vilka fungerar som de enda portar för djuren att passera in eller ut i området. På bilderna kunde 2859 bufflar räknas. Vi testade om det fanns en korrelation mellan antalet bilder och bufflar, vilket tydligt fanns. Efter detta fortsatte vi med testa om det fanns ett samband mellan antalet bilder på bufflar (buffelaktivitet) och antal dödsfall i ECF.
Resultaten visade att det inte fanns något samband mellan ökad buffelaktivitet och ökat antal ECF fall på OPC. Ett samband kan dock ändå finnas, men de metoder som användes i denna studie var inte tillräckligt känsliga för att hitta detta. Det behövs mer detaljerade studier där bufflarnas rörelser inom området, och rörelser i relation till kornas undersöks. I studien hade vi endast tillgång till antalet dödsfall för ECF, och inte totalantalet ECF-fall, vilka bör inkluderas för en mer korrekt bild. Bufflarnas rörelser bör också undersökas i relation till nederbörd, då detta påverkar både bufflar och fall av ECF.
I studien testades även intervallet för när OPC sprayar sina kor med antiparasitära medel. Spray-intervallet som användes under tiden för studien ansågs nödvändig under de omständigheter som rådde. Under perioden var det mer nederbörd än vanligt. Intervallet bör testas under flera olika väderomständigheter för att se om intervallet kan förlängas under torrare perioder