In this study, the efficiency of a newly launched predatory mite, Amblydromalus limonicus, has been examined for its potential to use as a biological control agent in cucumber production. A. limonicus can be used for biological control of two thrips species, Frankliniella occidentalis and Thrips tabaci. Field trials were conducted in greenhouses of two conventional cucumber growers in Scania, the southern part of Sweden. The basic control agent used against thrips was the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii. In selected areas, additional A.

According to the Swedish strategy for forest protection, additionally 40 000 ha productive forestland will be protected in the county of Västerbotten, between 1999 and 2010. A national project was carried out to distinguish the proportion of forest with a high biological value, in all counties. The project resulted in demarcation of small landscape areas or small ?biological value regions? (bvr), with higher concentrations of forests with conservation values and red listed species than the surroundings. In Västerbotten, 26 such bvr?s were identified and the Counties Agency and Forest Agency in Västerbotten developed a regional strategy for forest conservation to standardize the forest protection process.

Pathogenic microorganisms pose a big threat towards food production. Meanwhile, negative impacts on humans and environment are seen by the use of pesticides. Biological control agents are an alternative to the use of chemical pesticides, and plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria, such as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has been shown to have good properties as biocontrol agents. Before these bacteria can be used commercially their impact on other soil organisms has to be evaluated. This thesis looks into what biocontrol bacteria are and how they might affect earthworms.

This report is a thesis work for a B.Sc. in Forestry exam at the School for Forest Engineers, SLU. The work was an assignment from Södra Skogsägarna and the aim of the work was to investigate the economical and biological output after mechanical planting with Eco-Planter compared with traditional manual planting. Eco-Planter is a tool for mechanized planting, fixed at the end of the boom on a conventional harvester. The study confirms that manual planting is less expensive under normal conditions. However, the differences between mechanized and manual planting are not that big and with technical development and/or increased labor costs together with an improved work organization the system with Eco-Planter could be competitive. The biological output, e.g. planting result and survival rate, seems to be quite good.

The Swedish boreal forests are limited by nitrogen (N) availability. While biological N2 fixation by cyanobacteria hosted by pleurocarpous feather mosses are important sources of N input to natural boreal forest ecosystems, little is known about the patterns of N2 fixation in silvicultural systems. This study investigates the biological N2 fixation rates of two boreal feather moss species (Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens) along a chronosequence from clear-cut to mature forest, as well as the vegetation characteristics along the chronosequence. Measurements and samples were collected from 32 forest sites that were classified into four age classes (clear-cut, pre-commercially thinned, thinned and mature forest). The sites were located near the city of Arvidsjaur in northern Sweden.

The aim of this study was to examine if biological early maturing girls and girls that percieved that boys treated them as older than they actually where drank more alcohol, were more delinquent, had more romantic relationships and sexual intercourse. Our data was collected from seven schools in Sweden. Significant relationships where found between early maturation and all four dependent variables. Significant relationships could also bee seen between how girls perceived that boys treated them and alcohol use, romantic relationships and sexual intercourse. For two of our dependent measures we found week interaction effects, for girls biological maturation and there perception of how boys treated them according to there age.

Fibroblast growth factors are signaling peptides that controls important cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, adhesion and survival. Through binding to different types of receptors on the cell surface, these peptides can have different effect on the target cell. Which effect that is achieved depends on many factors. Thus, each of the 24 known FGFs different biological responses. The FGF receptors (FGFR 1-4) initiates different intracellular pathways which in turn leads to different biological responses.

Environment and sustainable development are very current topics in today's society, bothnational and international. The government's bill 2004/05:150 ?Swedish environment objectives - a common commission? contains several environmental quality objectives, that in turn is divided up in smaller secondary objectives. One of the secondary objectives says: ?Latest year 2010 shall at least 35% of the food waste from households, restaurants, largescale kitchens and shops be recycled through biological treatment.

The practice of landscape architectural involves forming the space in our cities and suburbs, as well as the landscape surrounding. The need of exploiting green environment leads up to, among other issues, flood problem during heavy rain and overfed water environments. The problem is partially caused by the shortage of knowledge, how the environment is responding of the innovations made by the city- urban planning and how to get sustainability. Research and knowledge how to take care of our environment, in a natural way, is increasing. The object of the thesis is to propose control and balance in urban wetlands, and discuss the difference a plant design can do. The thesis deals with discourses in the field of landscape architecture, biological diversity, dam construction, limnology, planting design and management, pollution of the environment and urban design practice.

The aim of this paper is to examine how gender and religion is described and portrayed in relation to one another in Swedish textbooks. The research questions used in order to reach the aim of the study is what interpretation of gender and feminism is represented in the textbooks and is the gender perspective consistent regarding all religions described in the textbooks, or does it vary depending on which religion that is described?This study is based on four Swedish textbooks used when teaching religion in Swedish upper secondary school. The books chosen are published after the most recent curriculum for the upper secondary school, published in 2011. The curriculum gave new directions stating that questions of gender in relation to religion should be a part of the education.

This study focuses on a reconstruction proposal of a small part of a rural churchyard that has lost a big part of its history, in form of its conformation and plant material. The chosen part of the cemetery was established in 1938, and this proposal is an interpretation of the architect?s original plan, the workers wishes and my own observations and experiences of the place. In this proposal I have tried to balance the plants composition to create an environment that can benefit the biological diversity, that fits the locations habitat and today?s maintenance.

Biogas is a renewable energy produced through anaerobic digestion, which means that organic matter is degraded by microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. The produced biogas can then be used for cogeneration, electricity, heat or upgraded to vehicle gas. Eskilstuna Energy & Environment AB has four digesters at Ekeby water sewage treatment plant, Eskilstuna. One of the biogas reactor (RK4) is equipped with a jet-mixing system while the remaining digester uses top-mixing. The mixing system is an important parameter to achieve optimum operating conditions for the process regarding gas production and degree of digestion.

To curb greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change is one of the biggest challenges human society face today. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has accumulated rapidly in the atmosphere as a consequence of burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The aim of this study is to explore two methods to store carbon dioxide in geological formations and biological sinks. The aim is also to discuss the two mitigation options from a sustainable perspective and whether it can lead to a better environment and benefits for local and global societies. The research questions are: Which method to store carbon dioxide, geological or biological, is the most effective? Which method to store carbon dioxide, geological or biological, has the greatest potential to promote sustainable development for local communities?The method used is a comparative case study and presents four case studies that explore the potential for CO2 storage offshore in Norway and Brazil; and in tropical forests in Mexico and Brazil.

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) combined with biological phosphorous treatment (Bio-P) has been investigated if that could be an alternative to the future expansion with conventional active sludge treatment at Lundåkra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the proximity of Landskrona, Sweden.The results showed that the surface demand in the biological treatment will be reduced with 67% with the MBR-alternative compared to a conventional activated sludge process. The nutrient removal in the MBR-solution was decreased or unchanged for nitrogen-, phosphorous- and organic parameters. However, the energy demand will increase with an estimated cost of approximately 1 million SEK annually. Moreover, the extra chemical consumption is estimated to cost 370 000 SEK annually.The disturbances caused by filamentous bacteria such as sludge dispersal could be resolved with MBR-technology because the membranes are not affected by these organisms. The Bio-P process combined with MBR-technology works if the wastewater recirculates from the membranes to an aerobic zone.In the proposal, there will be a new pre-treatment step, for instance hole screens.

Dimensional stability is an important aspect of fuel mechanical design and licensing of new fuel designs for nuclear power plants. Dimensional changes within the reactor can affect the safety margins against overheating of the cladding and the pellets, therefore it is crucial that the dimensional changes are kept to a minimum.The profits per produced kiloWatt hour continue to decrease for the Swedish nuclear power plants. Some reactors are even operated with a calculated loss. To reduce fuel costs and thereby improve the profit some reactors are operated with higher uranium enrichment, so that the assemblies can reach a higher average burnup. This increases the neutron fluence to the pellets, cladding an spacers.