During natural conditions cattle live in large herds, which are divided into subgroups of 10-15 animals. Humans have held cattle for over 9000 years. Today we mostly have cows for milk and meat production during more or less intensive forms. Most of the Swedish cattle have the opportunity to graze during the summer time. This partly arises from the Swedish Animal Protection law which stipulates that cattle must have the option to be outside and graze, also partly because it makes it easier for the farmer.

The purpose of this study was to examine vitamin A and E in equine nutrition and especially in relation to forages. A literature review was conducted to examine factors that influence the level of vitamins present in forage, the vitamin A and E requirement of horses, and the absorption of vitamin A and E in horses. The influence of DM level on alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene content in ensiled forage was investigated in a controlled ensiling study using baled silage and haylage. The results from the ensiling study were combined with data of vitamin A and E concentrations collected from literature. Calculations were done to theoretically establish how well the vitamin content in ensiled forage can cover the maintenance requirements of vitamin A and E in horses.

AbstractA prerequisite to be able to use semi-natural pastures in an optimal way is knowledge about their conditions and properties. One thing to consider is the amount of herbage mass that can be produced during one season on different types of semi-natural pastures. That knowledge makes it easier to choose which type of animals and how many you are able to have in each paddock to maintain a high biodiversity and achieve the desired production of the animals at the same time.This study was performed in nine different semi-natural pastures around Uppsala. The paddocks were already mapped with regard to different vegetation types. Exclosure cages were placed on previously fertilized, mesic, dry, shaded and wet vegetation.

The purpose of this essay is to analyze and show possibilities how a city can grow into the scenery of a oak dominated landscape and how this encounter can add values to the city. The city in focus is Linköping, a city that is approaching one of Sweden?s largest oak dominated cultural landscapes. To this landscape high ecological and cultural values are connected. The recreational values are also of importance especially because of its urban location also because the city is mainly surrounded by flat agricultural land.

Att uppfylla Sveriges lag om betesgång under sommarhalvåret är inte helt lätt för alla mjölkbönder. Särskilt i de större besättningarna krävs noggrann planering inför betessäsongen, exempelvis gällande drivgångar, kotrafik och tillhandahållande av betesareal. Inte alla gårdar släpper ut sina kor, och inte alla lantbrukare tycker att kor i lösdriftsbesättningar behöver komma ut på bete. Nio av tio svenska konsumenter anser dock att kor under sommarmånaderna ska ha rätt till bete. I denna litteraturstudie undersöks betets påverkan på mjölkkor, betets fördelar samt nackdelar och hur de påverkar djurens hälsa och produktion. Tjänar bönderna då på att släppa ut sina mjölkkor på bete eller kan de lika gärna fortsätta ha kvar dem inomhus även under sommarhalvåret? Självklart finns det risker med att släppa ut korna ? risken för stångningsskador, andra traumatiska skador och övriga olyckor ökar under betesperioden.

In this work I have tried to reconstruct the forest history within Särna-Idre forest common in northern Dalarna from the 19th century until present time. The Särna-Idre region has been an extensively used landscape for a long time. Pollen which indicates Grazing has been found in samples orginating from the 10th century. Early travellers from the 18th and 19th centuries seem to have been passing trough a "used" landscape. Burned forests on naked ground are described as common. Also large areas are mentioned as undisturbed with lots of large trees, snags and dead wood.

Several radioactive nuclides were deposited in Sweden after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The greatest attention was given to 137Cs because of its relative long physical half life of about 30 years. 137Cs will be present in nature for more than 100 years before it has vanished completely. When radiocaesium decays to a stable end product ionizing radiation is emitted, which can cause cancer in humans that has been exposed to a high radiation dose. Radiocaesium behaves like potassium and is easily taken up into biological systems.

To investigate the possibilities for effective soil tillage, that could imply lower costs, lower negative environmental impact and in addition a meaningful occupation for foraging pigs, a field experiment was carried out in Gränna, Småland, during growing season 2006. The experiment contained two treatments that were repeated three times and were carried out on a couch grass-infected fallow on a light soil close to Sweden?s second largest lake, Vättern. Ploughing was one treatment and pig rooting followed by ploughing, was the other. The experiment was conducted according to the guidelines of organic growing and seedbed preparation was done the same way in the two treatments. The pigs, three groups of five half-year old Linderödssvin (an old Swedish breed), was encouraged to perform an even tillage by strip-Grazing, i.e.

En beteendestudie med nötkreatur utfördes under maj-september 2014 på försöksytor sådda i juli 2012 med fyra vallfröblandningar (A-D). Fröblandning A och B innehöll båda 35 % ängsgröe (Poa pratensis), 10 % Rödsvingel (Festuca rubra) och 20 % vitklöver (Trifolium repens) men skilde sig genom att fröblandningen för vall A innehöll 35 % engelskt rajgräs (Lolium perenne) och B innehöll 35 % rörsvingel (Festuca arundinacea). Fröblandningarna C och D hade arter i samma proportioner men skilde sig med avseende på sorter där C bestod av grässorter av fodertyp medan D bestod av sorter för sport ändamål. Både C och D innehöll 44 % ängsgröe, 12 % rödsvingel och 44 % engelskt rajgräs och ingen vitklöver, men vall C syftade i övrigt till att ha likartad sammansättning som A. Syftet med beteendestudien var att studera om nötkreatur föredrar eller undviker någon av vallarna.

Ekoturism har utvecklats som ett alternativ till annan typ av turism, med inriktning på att undvika negativa effekter på lokala ekosystem. I Sverige finns ekoturism som bedrivs i relativt orörda naturmiljöer, men också ekoturism som bedrivs i miljöer som påverkats av människan på olika sätt och som rymmer både kulturvärden och naturvärden. På gården Sjögetorp i Östergötland bedrivs ekoturismverksamhet i familjeföretaget Urnatur. Mitt syfte med studien var att undersöka vilka kulturvärden och naturvärden som finns på gården idag, och hur dessa värden hänger ihop med ekoturismen. Jag genomförde en inventering av hela fastigheten där jag registrerade ägoslag och strukturer viktiga för kultur och naturvärden. För mer information om gårdens skötsel och ekoturismverksamheten intervjuade jag ägarna. Jag undersökte också historiskt kartmaterial för att kunna sätta gårdens skötsel idag i perspektiv till hur jordbrukslandskapet sett ut historiskt. I min inventering dokumenterade jag många olika typer av naturvärden, bland annat död ved i många former, hamlade träd, slåtterängar, betesängar och skog skött till förmån för lövträd. Kulturvärden som fanns var ofta kopplade till naturvärden, som till exempel slåtter, hamlade träd och skogsbete.

The tick-borne disease bovine anaplasmosis is primarily caused by Anaplasma marginale. A variety of wild animals act as reservoirs for A. marginale, but the understanding of their role in the epidemiology of A. marginale is yet poor. This cross-sectional study was conducted to establish if proximity of wildlife affect the prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis in cattle.

During the late 1800s fire suppression became increasingly effective in northern Sweden which led to decreased areas of fire-disturbed woodland and successive changes in the structure of forests. In the long run this can pose a serious threat to fire-dependent and fire-favored species. Today some fire-prone forest reserves are burned as a nature conservation act. Often partial cuttings are made before burning, with somewhat different motives. The purpose of the study in Långsidberget nature reserve was to give a general picture of forest history and its affect on today?s forest condition, and to show how partial cuttings affect burning conditions and results. Långsidberget is located close to areas that were colonized during the Middle Ages.

In Kenya the Maasai pastoralists have based their livelihoods on dairy production and the production goal is to maintain a sufficient milk supply throughout the year. The pastoral dairy production has two vital characteristics; breeding and milking. Traditionally, breeding is the men?s responsibility, while milking is the duty of women. Depending on this partition of chores between men and women, they also have different management routines, ambitions and strategies regarding the milk production.

Swedish farmers have the possibility to be subsidized by EU rural development programme for Grazing animals on pastures to promote the biodiversity of flora and fauna. The environmental remedy sometimes does not allow supplementary feed and at the same time the Swedish Animal Welfare Act and the Swedish Agricultural Board?s regulations for animal welfare and protection states that animals, in this case horses, shall be fed with food of good quality and adapted for the species. The regulations also state that they should have an individual feeding regime that enables them to maintain a normal body condition. The aim with this master thesis has been to investigate if it is possible to keep Gotland ponies on extensive pastures, during late spring and summer and still maintain animal welfare. The horses were assessed every fourth week using a welfare assessment protocol developed in line with the Welfare Quality® project (submitted, Viksten et al) where physical, behavioural and resourcebased parameters were observed. Twelve one-year old stallions of the breed Gotland ponies purchased from different breeders were used in the study.

About 80 % of all Swedish dairy cows are kept in tie-stalls, but loose housing is increasing, probably because it is more profitable for the farmer. The design of the floors is of cruicial importance to the cows well-being. Traditionally, the most common type of floor in the alleys of a cubicle system still is a slatted manure-draining floor made of concrete. The typical Swedish design has 125-mm slats and 40-mm slots, maximally. With too wide slots, there is an increased risk of injuries to the claws when the cow makes a hasty move.