Two field experiments were conducted in central Sweden in order to: 1) Determine a relationship between the number of approaching pine weevils (Hylobius sp.) and the number of attacks by pine weevils, in relation to the size of seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). 2) Determine if application of methyljasmonate (MJ) on seedlings of Scots pine will result in higher resistance towards attacks by pine weevils and/or have any effect on the number of approaching pine weevils. The field experiments were designed with two separate parts in close vicinity on the same clear cuttings: a) pitfall traps placed in patches of scarified soil that caught approaching pine weevils at 2.5 cm from the bait, which consisted of different sized seedlings of Scots pine some of which were subjected to application of MJ and b) the same type of seedlings planted out in patches of scarified soil. The first field experiment was conducted on a 1-year old clear cutting outside Uppsala in east central Sweden and the trapping part of the experiment consisted of 8 blocks with 6 treatments: 1) control, 2) small over-wintered seedling, 3) medium sized seedling, 4) medium sized seedling treated with 0.5 ml 100 mmol MJ 4 days prior to start of experiment, 5) large seedling, 6) vial with 9.5 ml of ?-pinene. The trapping experiment lasted for 6 weeks in the early summer.

According to the Water Framework Directive of the European Union, macrophytes should be used as indicators in the ecological and environmental monitoring of lakes. In the member state Sweden the Environmental Protection Agency has elaborated assessment criteria for determining lake status based on macrophytes. The main focus of this thesis is to evaluate the efficiency of the assessment criteria for macrophytes. In addition the concordance between the ecological status classes of the four quality factors included was analysed.The assessment criteria for macrophytes are based on the total phosphorus preference of the respective species. The focus is thus mainly on the nutrient level of the investigated lakes and the environmental problem monitored is eutrophication.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) has for many years been used in products to reduce their flammability, mainly in electronic products, textiles and construction materials. In 2003, Sweden imported 300 tons of brominated flame retardants. Leakage of these compounds has polluted natural environments. Fishes has shown increased contents of these substances, especially fat fish, since brominated flame retardants tends to accumulate in fatty tissues. They are also regarded as persistent and that gives them the ability to travel long distances. What also is really scary is that increased levels of brominated flame retardants have been detected in human breast milk. The knowledge of the brominated flame retardants is limited and not so much research has been done in this field. There are many reasons though, to keep the research going. Partly their structural resemblance to well-known toxics as PCB, but also their ability to accumulate in biological systems and enrich in food chains. In which way they affect humans we really don?t know yet.

Meat and fish was the most important food for the Sami people in northern Scandinavia until the beginning of the 20th century. It is not so well known that the Sami people also used a lot of wild plants as food and medicine although that kind of food was relatively common among them until the end of the 19th century. The purpose of this master thesis has been to describe which plants the Sami people used in general and also which plants were the most commonly used, and when and how these plants were harvested. I also wanted to measure the quantities of Angelica archangelica and Rumex acestosa within traditional harvest sites. Furthermore I wanted to find out if the plant use differed among Sami groups geographically.

Timber floating operations in Scandinavia during the 19th and 20th centuries has contributed to severe negative impacts on riverine ecosystems. Increase in water velocity and lack of stream bed heterogeneity as a result of stream channelization lead to increased bed load transport. Since availability and recruitment of new suitable spawning substrate in Scandinavian watercourses is sparse, spawning habitats for salmonids has become a scarce commodity. Lately, increasingly more attention has been given to the recreation and improvement of brown trout (Salmo trutta) spawning habitats in restoration projects. While much of the research on spawning habitat has been focused on evaluation of the influence that the constructed spawning grounds have on fish populations, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the persistence of these constructions over time. I evaluate erosion of constructed spawning beds as an effect of sediment transport attributable to water discharge.

Efter att en rad uppmärksammade nationella fusioner stoppats av EU-kommissionen har en debatt huruvida konkurrensreglerna ska tolkas och huruvida de är rättvisa utlösts. Utifrån denna bakgrund var uppsatsen syfte att skapa förståelse för olikheter i svenska företags respektive EU-kommissionens syn på konkurrenseffekter i fusionssammanhang. Författarna i denna studie hade för avsikt att beskriva de olika parternas syn på konkurrenseffekter samt analysera vad olikheternabaseras på. För att kunna besvara syftet genomfördes en kvalitativ studie med intervjuer som tillsammans med EU-kommissionens perspektiv i de olika fusionerna utgör grunderna i empirikapitlet. Teorikapitlet baseras på Porters branschstrukturanalys, PIMS och teori om olika marknadsstrukturer.

There are five endemic populations of migratory Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Salmonidae) remaining in Lake Vänern, whereof two are salmon and three are trout. There is one population of each species in Klarälven, also one of each in Gullspångsälven and there is a population of trout still remaining in Tidan River. Since the beginning of the 20th century endemic populations of salmon and trout have either vanished or declined dramatically due to the construction of hydropower in the rivers around the lake, and still today the future of the remaining populations remains uncertain. To manage salmonid fishes effectively more knowledge of their ecology throughout their different life-stages is needed. A large part of the Lake Vänern salmonoids lives are spent in the lake, where a mayor mortality factor is recreational fishing, especially angling.

Transformation of inorganic mercury (Hg) to methyl mercury (MeHg) is a biotic process that is proposed to be conducted primarily by sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB). The formation of MeHg is of great interest because it is the mercury species that biomagnifies to the greatest extent in the aquatic food webs; about 90 % of all Hg in fish is MeHg. Our understanding of factors involved in the production of MeHg is very important for making a reliable risk assessment. The purposes of this study were to investigate the different factors that control the solubility of Hg and the production of MeHg in a contaminated lake sediment. The lake Ala-Lombolo, Kiruna municipality, is well-known to be contaminated by mercury from different sources. Sediment cores were sampled at three different locations (N, SW and SE) in the lake and divided in three different layers; 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 cm.

The last decades have shown increased nitrogen leeching from soil to water recipients. This is inSweden mainly due to over-manuring of agriculture land, effectivization of drainage systems and thedeclining extent of wetlands. The accumulated amount of nitrogen in water doesn?t only make itunsuitable for use by humans and cattle, but also decreases the biological diversity as well as negativelyaffect tourism and fish industry. In the most severe cases shallow maritime grounds can be completelydepleted of oxygen due to decomposition of the increased amount algae and plankton growth.This study have the aim to describe and quantify the nitrogen leeching from the Genevad drainagebasin, located in southern Halland, Sweden.

The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the influencing factors on the businesspotential of products with health claims, using PrimaLiv as an example. And togive recommendations on how a dairy producer, which is present in the Swedishmarket, could improve the sales rates of products with health claims. We have chosento put a main focus on the consumer, as he or she determines the business potential.This is an unusual approach since most studies cover the producer?s perspective. Wethereby wish to contribute with new knowledge on the area in question.

Denna uppsats handlade om att genom en textanalys studera hur två hälsotidskrifter, Hälsa och Må Bra, framställde ämnet kost och hälsa. Hälsoupplysningen började under 1700-talet, med skrifter och utvecklades därefter till ett allt större forum i takt med samhällsutvecklingen. I dagsläget kunde jag identifiera flertalet sätt där hälsoupplysning förekom som tex. via TV, internet, massmedia, reklamannonser, apotek, hälsokostaffärer, dagstidningar, tidskrifter, etc. Av detta urval valde jag att genom en textanalys, samt genom att hämta inspiration av några analysredskap, som metaforer, intertextualitet samt modalitet, studera hur tidskrifterna genom sina artiklar valde att framställa kost och hälsa.

SAMMANFATTNINGÖvergödning har de senaste åren blivit en stor och omdebatterad fråga i många EU- länder.Även om problemen har minskat en del är detta inte tillräckligt, vi ser fortfarande fiskdöd,syrefria bottnar och giftiga algblomningar. Hur långt ska vi gå för att kunna övervinnaövergödningsproblemen? Genom olika sorters lagstiftning, ekonomiska styrmedel ochrådgivning har vi nått en bit på vägen, men fortfarande krävs det mycket arbete innan vi haruppnått målet. Jordbruket har pekats ut som en av de största källorna till övergödning pågrund av överskottet av kväve och fosfor som varje år urlakas ur våra jordbruksmarker.Inom EU finns sedan 1991 en gemensam lagstiftning; Nitratdirektivet. Syftet med direktivetär att minska nitratföroreningar och andra föroreningar från jordbruket, då dessa påverkarsåväl yt- och grundvatten som kust- och havsvatten.