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Seriell anaerob nedbrytning av jordbrukssubstrat
Get PDFAs the global demand for sustainable energy rises, optimizing biogas production and minimizing post-digestion GHG emissions are crucial. This study compared two serially connected continuously stirred anaerobic reactors (CTRSs) with different volume configurations (65:35% and 35:65%) with a conventional single-step reactor (B1). The study aimed to investigate the effects of system configuration on biogas production, degradation, process efficiency, and stability, while also evaluating the possibility of mitigating post-digestion methane emission during storage and improving digestate quality. All systems were fed with agricultural substrate (manure and crop residue), with an overall organic loading (OLR) for the study of 2.2 L/day, with a retention time of 55 days. The study was repeated for a 1.3 hydraulic retention time (72 days) at a mesophilic temperature of 37°C.
Methane production was highest in the 65:35% serial configuration (C-system), producing 2.3-4.8% more specific methane than the single system and the 35:65% serial configuration (D system). In both serial systems, 70-90% of the methane was produced by the first reactors, with a small quantity, 20-30 % from the second reactors. Process stability was high for all reactors despite an initial volatile fatty acids (VFA) accumulation in the first 30 days, indicating a temporary microbial inhibition, which later decreased due to improved VFA conversion and microbial adaptation.
The serial C system had the highest volatile solids (VS) reduction (86%), indicating a higher substrate degradation, followed by the single-stage B1 (85%) and the D system (84%). Ammonium levels increased across all systems, showing mineralisation of proteins, with the serial systems having slightly higher levels than the single stage B1.
These findings suggest that serial digestion could enhance methane production and degradation efficiency, specifically with a larger to smaller volume configuration. However, its effectiveness depends on retention time, system configuration, and microbial adaptation with implications for improving digestate quality and reducing residual methane emissions during post-digestion storage
Environmental impacts of two snack foods in relation to their nutritional composition : a comparative life cycle assessment of Råggyberry and rice pudding
Get PDFThe rapid growth of the global food system has had a substantial negative impact on the environment. Simultaneously dietary habits in the west have continually degraded due to the increased availability of nutritionally inadequate and energy dense foods, often consumed as snacks. There is a need for both healthy and sustainable foods. Axfoundation has developed such a product, Råggyberry (RB), an alternative to the popular snack-food rice pudding (RP). The aim of this study was to assess the environmental impact of RB and compare it to the impact of RP while relativizing these impacts to each products nutritional content. This was done by the conduction of a nutritional life cycle assessment (n-LCA), using the Nutrient rich food index 11.3 (NRF11.3) as a nutritional indicator. The system boundaries for the assessment were cradle to ready-to-eat products (at production site). The results showed that RB had lower environmental impact than its conventional counterpart, both in general and especially in relation to its nutritional content. Moreover, the assessment showed that primary production was the production stage with the highest impact across all impact categories for both products. Although primary production and transportation in RB was more evenly distributed within the climate impact category due to the transportation of apples. In both products the dairy-based ingredients had the biggest impact on Climate impact and land use. The apples in RB, accounted for the biggest impact to water use, while for RP its the strawberries and rice. In conclusion, RB is both a healthier and more sustainable alternative to a conventional RP. However, given the fact RB is a niche product dependent on waste-streams and is produced at small scale, there might be challenges in upscaling production and reaching wide market success
Translokeringens effekter på den rödlistade gölgrodan (Pelophylax lessonae)
Get PDFDen globala minskningen av amfibier har gjort translokering till en allt vanligare naturvårdsåtgärd,
men resultaten varierar och kunskapen om åtgärdernas långtidseffekter är begränsad. I Forsmark,
Uppland, pågår ett projekt där den rödlistade gölgrodan (Pelophylax lessonae) som en ekologisk
kompensationsåtgärd translokeras till nyanlagda gölar i och med bygget av Sveriges första
slutförvar för kärnbränsle. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur denna translokering
påverkat kroppskonditionen samt överlevnaden under tidsperioden 2023–2025 hos både
populationen av grodor som translokerats samt populationen av grodor som sedan tidigare
etablerat sig i mottagargölen.
Resultatet visade ingen signifikant skillnad i kroppskondition mellan populationerna eller i
deras förändring över tid, vilket tyder på att translokeringen inte haft någon större negativ effekt
på gölgrodorna under projektets gång. En påtaglig minskning av antalet återfunna grodor i båda
populationer noterades men har med största sannolikhet skett till följd av naturliga orsaker.
Slutsatsen är att translokeringen i Forsmark hittills inte lett till några större negativa effekter på
de två berörda populationerna, men fortsatt uppföljning med ett större antal studerade parametrar
vore centralt vid framtida studier av de långsiktiga effekter som translokering har på den rödlistade
gölgrodan.The global decline of amphibians has made translocation an increasingly common conservation
measure, though its long-term outcomes remain uncertain. In Forsmark, Sweden, a project is
underway in which the endangered pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) is translocated to newly
constructed ponds as an ecological compensation measure linked to the development of the
country’s first nuclear waste repository. This study aimed to evaluate how the translocation
affected body condition and survival during the years 2023–2025, both in the translocated
population and in the population already established in the recipient pond.
The results showed no significant differences in body condition between populations or in their
development over time, indicating that the translocation has not had any major negative effects. A
noticeable decline in recaptured individuals was observed in both populations, most likely due to
natural demographic factors.
In conclusion, the translocation project in Forsmark has seemingly not yet resulted in any
significant negative impacts on either population, although continued monitoring incorporating
additional parameters is essential to assess the long-term effects of translocation on the endangered
pool frog
Registration of certificates of customary ownership in Northern Uganda : analysing the perspectives and experiences of an FAO project through the livelihood approach
Get PDFThis thesis seeks to examine the implemented project intervention, the registration of the Certificate of Customary Ownership, by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of United Nations funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency in two communities in Northern Uganda. This study aims to understand the perspectives and lived experiences of both project implementers and community members (adopters) of the certificates. By applying the livelihood approach, the study explores if the certificates contributed to securing customary land and supported sustainable livelihoods.
I applied two qualitative research methods: semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Initially, I conducted individual interviews with key-information informants to gain an overview of the project implementation process and the implementers’ perspectives on the outcomes of the certificates. The focus group discussions provided insights into how adopters experienced the project intervention and how the certificates may have affected their rights to land, capabilities in realizing their livelihood strategies.
The findings indicate that the project intervention has contributed to securing access to land, influencing the discriminatory perceptions of land ownership and increased women’s decision-making over land. The certificates have supported the communities in realizing livelihood strategies and achieve their livelihood goals. However, to fully understand the effectiveness of the certificates in supporting sustainable livelihoods and their long-term impacts, further participatory field studies are required
Fuzzy Neighbours or Hairy Enemies : assessing habitat use in central and northern Sweden using camera traps on pine marten and red squirrel
Get PDFThe pine marten (Martes martes) and Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) are old forest specialists in Sweden, experiencing historic and current population declines, possibly due to climate change and habitat loss. However, studies have shown mixed results regarding pine marten predation on red squirrels. Earlier theories suggest that the marten is thought to have evolved specifically to hunt red squirrels, even though its current main food source is other small rodents.
Camera trap data was utilised from two areas in boreal Sweden, collected over seven months from September to March. Cameras were baited with peanut butter to identify individual martens in another project. There were a total of 1290 pine marten, 687 small rodent and 29 red squirrel observations. A time until the first event was recorded for each camera, along with the average tree height, standard deviation of tree height, and the proportion of trees under 6 m, in a 50 m radius around the camera, were included as variables. Intraspecies spatiotemporal interactions between marten and red squirrel, as well as between small rodents and marten, were analysed. Tree height significantly shortened the time until first detection for rodents and pine martens, but not for red squirrels, while the other factors had no significant effect. Earlier literature suggests that both rodents and martens favour older forests, possibly due to better shelter and thermal protection provided by these habitats. A higher chance of detecting rodents after marten observation was found, but no significant effect for squirrels. Martens were more likely to be observed shortly after squirrels and rodents. Martens likely follow the other species due to predation. The few squirrel observations could be because of strong avoidance of martens, obscuring the true response, as martens were observed at 45 out of 53 cameras. The apparent disregard of rodents towards their predator may stem from their exposure to many different predators, making it impossible to evade all threats, or possibly an attraction to the bait, which might also affect the squirrels. The conclusions, therefore, are that clearcuts in forestry create worse conditions for the pine marten and rodents, while more pine marten might be worse for the red squirrel, which might make it necessary to adapt forestry practices in the future
Minskningen av en mesopredator : är det på grund av återkomsten av stora rovdjur?
Get PDFThe relative strength of top-down and bottom-up trophic control vary depending on abiotic and biotic conditions. Predators occupying the highest level, such as wolf (Canis lupis) and lynx (Lynx lynx), have the potential to exert a negative impact mesopredators, such as the red fox (Vulpes Vulpes). This study investigates the population development of the fox population at Grimsö Wildlife Research Area in south central Sweden. The analysis was based on a dataset that spans over 50 years including top-down (wolf, lynx and sarcoptic mange), and bottom-up variables (voles (Clethrionomys glareolus and Microtus agrestics), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and hares (Lepus europaeus and Lepus timidus)) which have previously been identified to have a significant effect on the population dynamics of the fox. The temporal scope of this dataset includes the time prior to, during and post-reestablishment of wolves and lynx. The presence of sarcoptic mange and wolves had a significant and negative effect on the fox population. A similar result was not found for lynx. Nonetheless, lynx had already established in the area before wolves, which coincided with a decline in the fox population. This indicates that the presence of both apex predators has led to a negative cumulative effect on the fox population. In addition, it was demonstrated that voles continue to be of positive significance for foxes as this relationship remain strong in the absence and presence of apex predators and sarcoptic mange, however with a marked decrease. It is evident that the fox population is limited by both top-down and bottom up forces. This study is of importance in the context of biodiversity as the return of apex predators may result in cascading effects that benefit lower trophic levels and contribute to greater biodiversity
Evaluation of hprGallring for automatic thinning monitoring in coniferous forests
Get PDFI modernt skogsbruk är det avgörande att gallringsåtgärder kan följas upp på ett tillförlitligt sätt. Denna uppföljning har traditionellt genomförts manuellt, vilket är både tidskrävande och resurskrävande. För att effektivisera arbetet har Skogforsk utvecklat hprGallring, ett digitalt beslutsstödsystem som använder skördardata för att kontinuerligt beskriva beståndets struktur och möjliggöra automatiserad uppföljning.
Syftet med denna studie var att utvärdera tillförlitligheten och den praktiska tillämpningen av hprGallrings automatiska gallringsuppföljningar. För att undersöka om skillnaderna mellan metoderna förhöll sig inom ± 10 %, inventerades tio förstagallrade bestånd manuellt i fält och jämfördes med motsvarande skattningar från hprGallring. De variabler som utvärderades var grundyta, stamantal, uttagsandelen från stickvägar, grundytevägd medeldiameter, volym (total och per hektar), ståndortsindex och trädslagsfördelning.
Statistiskt signifikanta skillnader mellan metoderna identifierades för trädslagsfördelning, uttagsandel från stickvägar samt stickvägsandel. I samtliga fall visade hprGallring genomgående lägre värden jämfört med den manuella metoden. På objektsnivå låg resultaten från de båda metoderna i linje med genomsnittet, men uppvisade något större variation. För sju av de elva undersökta variablerna låg medelskillnaden mellan metoderna inom det fastställda avvikelseintervallet på ± 10 %. Motsvarande gällde för sex av elva variabler på objektsnivå. Resultaten visar att hprGallring är ett användbart verktyg för gallringsuppföljning, och kan ersätta delar av manuella mätningar. Resultaten indikerar att automatiserad uppföljning med hprGallring har potential att öka effektiviteten i skogsbrukets kvalitetskontroller.In modern forestry, reliable it is essential that follow-up of thinning operations can be followed up in a reliable manner. Traditionally, this follow-up has been conducted manually, which is both time-consuming and resource intensive. Therefore, Skogforsk has developed the program hprGallring, a decision support system that continuously estimates forest structure and the impact of thinning operations based on harvester data and can perform an automatic follow-up on thinning.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and practical applicability of hprGallring’s automatic thinning follow-up. To assess whether the differences between methods fell within ± 10 %, ten first-thinned stands were manually inventoried in the field and compared with corresponding estimates from hprGallring. The evaluated variables included basal area, number of stems, extraction proportion from strip roads, basal area-weighted mean diameter, volume (total and per hectare), site index, and tree species distribution.
Statistically significant differences between the methods were found for tree species distribution, proportion of harvest in strip roads, and proportion of strip road. In all cases, hprGallring’s estimates were generally underestimated. At stand level, the results largely aligned with the overall average. For seven out of eleven evaluated variables, the systematic deviation was within the acceptable range of ± 10 %. The same applied to six of the eleven variables at the stand level. Despite certain limitations, the results show that hprGallring can already today largely replace manual measurements. The study suggests that automated thinning follow-ups using hprGallring has the potential to improve the efficiency of quality control in forestry operations
The importance of balconies in special housing for the elderly : with a focus on the experience of the surrounding landscape
Get PDFDetta arbete handlar om utsikten från balkonger på särskilda boenden för äldre (SÄBO). Syftet med arbetet är att ta reda på vad de boende som använder balkongerna värdesätter och uppskattar med utsikten. Sverige, liksom många andra länder, har en alltmer åldrande befolkning. Samtidigt fi nns ett fokus på hemhjälp där de äldre bor kvar hemma så länge som möjligt. Och när de väl fl yttar till ett särskilt boende är det för att de är i ett så pass skört tillstånd att de behöver tillgång till konstant omvårdnad. De har då delvis inte förmågan att ta sig ut på egen hand på ett enkelt vis.
Samtidigt fi nns det många studier och undersökningar som visar på hälsofrämjande effekter av att vistas i en grön utemiljö, eller att ha tillgång till en sådan. För att ta del av detta är det för dessa äldre individer kanske en möjlighet att kunna använda balkongen istället. I detta arbete undersöks vilka aspekter i utsikten som är särskilt uppskattade, och ses som extra värdefulla , av de äldre själva. Detta görs med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer, som sedan analyseras på ett tematiskt vis.
Resultatet visar att balkongerna har betydelse för de äldre genom att de gör utemiljön mer tillgänglig, samt att det är aspekter inom kategorierna natur, kultivering, samhälle och regelbundet återkommande händelser som har betydelse. Balkongen fyller en viktig funktion i de äldres vardag för de individer som har fysiska begränsningar som gör att de inte självständigt kan ta sig till utemiljön.This work is about the view from balconies in special housing for the elderly (SÄBO). The aim of the study is to fi nd out what the residents who use the balconies value and appreciate about the view. Sweden, like many other countries, has an increasingly aging population. At the same time there is a focus on home help where the elderly remain at home as long as possible. So when they do move to a nursing home, it is because they are in such a fragile state that they need access to constant care. And they may no longer have the ability to go outside on their own in an easy way.
At the same time there are many studies and surveys that show the health-promoting effects of staying in a green outdoor environment, or having access to such an environment. To take advantage of this, it is an alternative opportunity for these elderly individuals to be able to use the balcony. This work examines which aspects of the view are particularly appreciated and valued by the elderly themselves. This is done using semi-structured interviews, which are then analyzed in a thematic manner.
The results show that balconies are important for the elderly in that they make the outdoor environment more accessible, and that aspects within the categories of nature, cultivation, society and regularly occurring events are signifi cant. The balcony fulfi lls an important function in the everyday lives of the elderly for individuals who have physical limitations that prevent them from independently accessing the outdoor environment
French heartworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) in Skåne : First Swedish hotspot?
No full textFransk hjärtmask (Angiostrongylus vasorum) är en nematod som kan orsaka stora skador och stundvis död hos hunddjur. Sjukdomen heter angiostrongylos och förekommer sporadiskt i Sverige, med undantag för på Kosteröarna. Hösten 2023 avled tre av fyra valpar från en uppfödning i centrala Skåne efter en tids hosta. Efter valparnas död provtogs avföring från den kvarlevande valpen som även den uppvisade hosta. I avföringen påvisades larver av A. vasorum. De vuxna hundarna från uppfödningen provtogs och åtta av tio hundar var även de positiva för A. vasorum. Detta väckte en misstanke om etablering av ett första högriskområde (hotspot) i Sverige. Syftet med denna studie var att följa upp förekomsten av A. vasorum i sniglar och hundar i området följande vår och höst efter det att åtgärder vidtagits för att motverka smittspridning.
Sniglarna samlades in under två tillfällen. En gång i mars och en gång i september 2024. De ana-lyserades genom digestion och mikroskopering. Nematodlarver som påträffades sparades för art-bestämning med PCR. Avföring från hundar i området skickades in och analyserades genom Baer-mann tratt-metod.
Resultatet från sniglarna insamlade i mars var genomgående negativa. Däremot prover undersökta i september visade på en hög förekomst nematodlarver (viktat medelvärde 5,79 larver 95 % KI ± 0,61) i uppfödarens trädgård där hundarna bor, jämfört med provtagningsplatser längre bort. Där varierade det viktade medelvärde mellan 0-0,17 (95 % KI ± 0,08). PCR-analys av positiva diges-tioner /larverna var dock negativt för både A.vasorum och rävens lungmask, Crenosoma.vulpis. Alla avföringsprover (22 st) från hundarna var negativa för A.vasorum men det påvisades lung-mask i ett fåtal prover (Crenosoma vulpis, n=2)
De negativa avföringsproverna samt negativa PCR-resultaten tyder på att detta inte är ett högrisk-område. Det är dock viktigt att nämna att trots en lyckad PCR (med fungerande positiva och nega-tiva kontroller) så är det möjligt att A.vasorum larver missades för analys på grund av begränsad erfarenhet av metoden (tvättning av larver och DNA-extraktion). Utökade analyser inkluderade andra hunddjur i området såsom räv är motiverat för att säkert avfärda misstanken om högrisk-område. Vidare diskuteras även i arbetet den till synes bristande effekten av milbemycin på sym-tom och utskiljning av larver i träcken.The French heartworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a bursate nematode that can cause major and sometimes even lethal damages in the canine species. The disease is called angiostrongylosis. Sweden has previously only had sporadic cases of angiostrongylosis, with the exception of the Koster islands. During fall 2024, three out of four puppies from a breeder in central Skåne died after a period of coughing. After their death the remaining puppy started coughing and a faecal sample was the tested for A. vasorum. The test came back positive. Adult dogs from the breeder was then also tested and eight out of ten dogs were positive for A.vasorum. This raised the suspicion of Sweden’s first documented hotspot. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of A. vasorum in snails and dogs in the area to identify what could be Sweden’s first hotspot.
The slugs were collected during two different occasions (once in March and once in September, 2024). They were digested and the material was then examined microscopically. To determine if the nematode larvae found with microscope belonged to A. vasorum or Crenosoma vulpis (the fox lungworm), species-specific PCR assays were conducted. Fecal samples from dogs in the same area were submitted and analysed with the baermann funnel method.
All the slugs collected in March were negative for nematode larvae. The slugs collected in Sep-tember in the breeder’s yard were infected (weighted mean 5,79 nematode larvae 95% CI ±0,61) and harbored more larvae compared to the other sampling sites. The other sampling sites weighted mean varied between 0 – 0,17 larvae (95% CI ±0,08). Despite the frequent occurrence in the yard, PCR tests of the nematodes were negative for both A. vasorum and C. vulpis. All of the fecal samples were negative for A. vasorum even if lungworm larvae were found in some samples (C. vulpis, n=2).
The negative fecal samples combined with the negative PCR from the slugs indicate that this is not a hotspot. It is important to mention that despite a successful PCR setup (with fully working posi-tive and negative controls) it is possible that because of limited experience with sample prepara-tion (purification of larvae from snails and DNA extraction from this material) some A.vasorum larvae were missed. Further analysis including repeated tests on potential intermediate hosts as well as on faecal samples and/or necropsy examination of other canine species in the area, such as foxes, is motivated to safely discard the suspicion of a hotspot completely.
This study also discusses the potential lack of efficacy of milbemycin against the clinical symp-toms and the faecal excretion of A. vasorum larvae
Far-right ecologism : the Sweden Democrats and the energy transition
Get PDFIn line with the growing need to adapt to climate change, a paradoxical phenomenon has emerged, with far-right movements appropriating environmental policies to promote their own ideology. This thesis aims to highlight this phenomenon and therefore examines how the Sweden Democrats, a far-right political party, engage with environmental issues, with a particular focus on the energy transition and renewable energy sources. The empirical material for the thesis is based on three official documents from the Sweden Democrats (SD), as well as seven interviews conducted with SD politicians. The thesis uses the theoretical approach of far-right ecologism as described by Balša Lubarda (2023) and highlights concepts such as populism, localism, and nostalgia to examine the SD's rhetoric and framing of the energy transition. The key findings of the thesis show that SD's energy policy is characterised by a nationalist ideology that emphasises self-sufficiency, centralised control, and opposition to EU influence. The party uses energy policy as a tool to promote Swedish sovereignty, emphasising nuclear power as stable and technologically superior, while renewable energy sources such as wind power are dismissed as inefficient. At the same time, a distinction is made between local environmental issues and global climate issues, reinforcing criticism of global cooperation, and emphasising national interests. The thesis shows the importance of continued scrutiny of (still) democratic states to prevent environmental policies from being appropriated to spread an exclusionary agenda. The democracy and justice aspects are central to future environmental work, especially for the energy transition, which otherwise may risk excluding and marginalising certain social groups in the transition to a more sustainable future