In this essay a model of a potential illegal hunter?s decision-making is created and presented in order to provide an overview of important parts of the complexities associated with the current Swedish predator policy. A comparison is made between a livestock owner?s economic incentives, and the expected costs faced by the potentially caught lawbreaker. In accordance with economic theory the benefits and costs of illegal hunting are compared and thus the optimal choice is determined where marginal costs and benefits are equal.

Since the end of the eighteenth century forest damage caused by the pathogen Gremmeniella abietina has been observed and documented. During the latest epidemic in Sweden more than 480 000 hectares forest land have been injured and this has lead to considerable economic losses. For the pathogen to succeed with infection, spore dispersal and colonization the right environmental conditions is required. The aim of this paper is to describe the diseased stands using site and stand characteristics and to evaluate the effect of these variables on the disease incidence. Further, the thinning performed during the time for spore dispersal and its relationship to injured stands is examined.

I Sverige är trakthyggesbruk med kalhuggning det dominerande skötselsystemetmen intresset för kalhyggesfritt skogsbruk har ökat de senaste åren. Alternativentill kalavverkning är omdiskuterade och kritiseras ofta för att inte vara lönsamma.Målet med detta examensarbete är att analysera ett långtidsförsök med olikaskogsskötselsystem och att diskutera eventuella produktionsskillnader. De fem skötselåtgärdersom undersöktes var 1) kalavverkning med plantering av gran och tall,2) naturlig föryngring under fröträd, 3) blädningsbruk, 4) dimensionsavverkningoch 5) orörd skog (referensyta). Fältförsöket ligger på Siljansfors försökspark iDalarna och anlades 1923. Alla försöksytor har en areal av 1 ha.

Forestry in Sweden is currently conducted in a manner aiming at equating the production objectives and the biodiversity. To ensure that biodiversity is maintained, patches that are considered to be valuable now or in the future is saved in final fellings. How the tree retention areas will grow into the future forest stands is yet unknown.The purpose of this study was to visualize how different scenarios of natural consideration taken at final felling will evolve in a long term perspective, for two rotation periods. Projections of the forest conditions were executed with the decision support system Heureka and its applications PlanStart and PlanWise. The information about the projected forests was then used for the visualizations which were created in the software Visual Nature Studio.

Nature conservation has for a long time been founded on the assumption that high ecological values depend on low human impact. In Sweden this has led to forests with these characteristics being strictly protected from human influences. However, it is also known that historical land-use can enhance ecological values in forests. Mountainous forests in Sweden, which have not been affected by modern forestry, have for a long time been considered as untouched by people. However, forest history research has in recent years shown that even these areas have been used by people for a long period of time.

Large areas of Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) were planted in the 1970s - and '80s. The purpose of the fast-growing species was to increase growth and with short rotation periods allow a rapidly increased harvest level. Today a large proportion of the young forests owned by Holmen Skog, Iggesund are covered by Lodgepole pine and an active forest management is required to spread the harvested volume over time which is desirable by a market perspective. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the possibility of spreading the harvested volume of Lodgepole pine over time.

Obesity is a growing global health problem among both humans and cats with the risk of several medical conditions as a result. This can be detected and prevented by body condition assessment methods in order to visualize and detect possible or potential weight problems in cats.To achieve the best results, owner and cat should be introduced to this as soon as possible in their contact with veterinary care.Purina Body Condition System and Walthams Feline Body Mass Index are both morphometric assessment methods that are quick, relatively cheap and simple to perform. 20 cats with owners and a veterinary nurse student participated in a study to compare pet owners and a veterinary nurse student's assessment of the Purina Body Condition System and WALTHAM's Feline Body Mass Index. The body condition assessment methods were compared with each other, and it was investigated which method was preferred, the body condition distribution among the studied cats and if long-haired cats' body condition was more often misjudged. Results of the study showed a significant difference between pet owners and the veterinary nurse student's assessment of Purina BCS with a difference in median of 1.

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.

Decomposition of organic matter is a critical process in the ecosystem, which involves many essential biotic and physical parts. Decomposition is therefore an important process both above and below ground. The rate of decomposition is dependent of many environmental factors for example: pH, moisture and supply of oxygen. The decomposition can therefore be affected by large scaled environmental influences, such as acidification and climatic changes. The root litter in the forest is in different ways affected by acidification, liming and manuering.

The aims of this project were to describe the circumstances around dogs being left alone in cars, to investigate owners? knowledge of the risks associated with leaving dogs in cars and the relevant legislation and, finally, to study how changes in the air temperature and air composition in the car affect the dog. The project consisted of a survey of the literature, a questionnaire part and an experimental part. An important conclusion is the importance of the level of knowledge of owners, since there are several ways in which an owner can prevent their dog from heat stroke and, in the case of an eventual accident, their action can have direct consequences in minimizing the long-term damage to the dog and even whether or not it survives. Fewer than half of the owners in the study knew that for a dog suffering heat stroke, the most important thing is to bring the body temperature down. Only a third of dog owners knew that if a dog is left in a warm car and showing signs of heat stress, then the police should be contacted and the dog quickly helped out of the car.

An era ended in 1920 when the Walloon ironworks village of Strömsberg closed. The Wallon people had lived on the spot for 300 years and influenced the region was a lot. The kitchengarden in Stromsberg was a gardencenter 1920-50. The count´s good profits made him reinvest a lot of capital in the Wallon ironworks village to make it better and to construct forges, buildings and gardens. The kitchen garden´s history in Stromsberg started in 1660-70s, when Johan Vervier, built Strömsbergs first manor house.

The society of today is dependent of secure transports and deliveries of electrical power. Interruptions in different activities because of fallen trees cost a great deal of money in form of reparations and claimed damages for transport companies and electrical suppliers. Fallen trees along some railway sections are a severe problem. For instance, to repair the damages of the storm of week 5 year 2002, costed 2 800 000 SEK for the line region of Hässleholm. Today, the Banverket railroad company has no norms in general for how close to the railway the forest is allowed to grow.

Sweden has today the highest moose (Alces alces) population in the world. The population has been very high since the late seventies and in the beginning of the eighties there was a big ?moose explosion?. The main food source for moose during the winter is young pine (Pinus sylvestris) and birch (Betula spp.). The high moose population has therefore lead to high damage on pine forests over big areas.

About a quarter of the Swedish land area is covered with shallow or thick peat. There is a potential to increase forest production in Sweden with almost 2 million m3/year in selected peatlands with low conservation values. This increase can be accomplished by drainage, complementary drainage, ditch maintenance operations and fertilization. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge regarding the management of forests on peatlands and was restricted to selected forest companies in Västerbotten County, with offices in Umeå. Three companies were chosen, SCA, Holmen and Norra Skogsägarna.

This Master thesis is made at the request of the local municipality of Uppsala in Sweden. The purpose of this work is to create a guiding management plan. Recreation, conservation of the cultivated landscape and the historical environment, conservation biology and the aim of the landowners are all considerd. The area is almost 34 hectares and located north of the centre of Uppsala. Landowners are the National Heritage Board, the diocese of Uppsala, the university of Uppsala, the local municipality of Uppsala and one private landowner.