There are around 855 000 on-site sewage systems in Sweden and some 1 800 of these are located in the municipality of Sigtuna. The Sigtuna local authority has set the goal that all sewage systems with insufficient function should be improved before the end of year 2010. A malfunctioning on-site sewage system may cause three main problems: spreading of diseases, discharge of eutrophicating compounds and wastage of resources. The municipality strives to reduce these problems already at the stage of granting permits for installation of on site sanitation systems. The municipality has recently adopted new guidelines, which demands certain minimum reductions for different compounds. The guidelines also state that it is preferred that neighboring house-owners cooperate in jointly built and operated sewage systems and that the system should be able to recycle plant nutrients.

Peat litter is a soft material with high absorbency. About hundred years ago many farmers in Sweden used peat litter to their dairy cows. After the World War II the use of peat litter decreased and the farmers used more straw. Nowadays (year 2007), when it is harder to find straw and sawdust to buy, peat litter is advancing again. The purpose with this study is to investigate peat as a litter to dairy cows.

The primary goal of this study was to investigate how the radial growth of retained trees responds after thinning-from-above. The National Board of Forestry which initiated this study, was interested in whether there were differences in the growth-response between the tree species Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Another question of issue was if there were differences in the growth response between trees of different sizes. It is within the framework of the National Board of Forestry?s, Continuous Forests Project that these urgent questions are to be answered.

Thinning is the partial removal of trees in a forest stand prior to final harvest. The term can be divided in pre-commercial thinning where little if any volume is removed from the stand and commercial thinning where removals are intended to provide a positive economic result. From a silvicultural point of view, the goal of thinning is to enhance future crop tree quality by removing low-quality stems and providing sufficient space for the accelerated development of retained ones (Huuskonen & Hynynen, 2006). The goals of this study was to see if commercial thinning could positively affect the short and medium term timber supply (MTTS) in the Interior regions of British Columbia (BC), and whether or not Scandinavian forestry practices could be adopted in the BC context. The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) has created significant forest planning problems in BC. The annual allowable cut (AAC) was raised to capture beetle-killed timber while still merchantable.

Det vatten som avrinner från hårdgjorda ytor, så kallat dagvatten, innehåller ofta en mängd olika föroreningar, så som tungmetaller och näringsämnen, som kan göra stor skada om vattnet inte renas innan det når recipienten. Ett vanligt sätt att rena detta vatten är genom öppna system, som dammar och våtmarker, eftersom de fungerar både som flödesutjämnare och som sedimentationsmagasin.I Steningedalen, Märsta, finns en dagvattenanläggning med dammar och översilningsytor, vars syfte är att rena dagvatten från ett avrinningsområde på ca 7200 ha. Vattnet leds till dammarna via en dagvattentunnel vars primära syfte var att leda vattnet förbi Märsta centrum. Tunneln är ca 3100 m lång, sprängd och delvis i betong, och har ett skibord installerat i tunnelmynningen med syfte att skapa ett sedimentationsmagasin samt att vid höga flöden leda vattnet förbi dammarna direkt till Märstaån. I denna studie har reningseffekten av denna dagvattentunnel utretts.

Beef cattle wintering outdoors should be provided a shelter, e.g. a type of barn or corresponding. This type of production requires appropriate soil types and secured animal welfare. For example, a clean and dry resting place needs to be provided to the animals. To receive an exemption for buildings the farmer has to have something equivalent that provides an adequate shelter.

Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning: Kvävebelastningen på sjöar och hav har ökat markant de senaste tiotal åren. Jordbruket stårför ca 50 % av de svenska kväveutsläppen som människan bidrar till. En ökadkvävebelastning på haven kan leda till övergödning, vilket får en stor negativ effekt påvattenekosystemen. Ett sätt att minska övergödningsproblematiken är att öka vattnetsuppehållstid i landskapet genom att anlägga nya eller restaurera gamla våtmarker ijordbruksintensiva områden som t ex. Halland och Skåne.

This thesis is made by Carl Persson and Alejandro Saavedra for Gryaab. Gryaab is Gothenburg?s water processing plant and produces about 60 GWh biogas annually with a flow around 1150 Nm3/h. Gryaab wants to research their possibilities to become independent with electrical energy and the possibilities to enrich, upgrade biogas. The use of methane rich gases like biogas and natural gas is today low in Sweden compared to major parts of the world.