Wood pellets are an upgraded product of residuals from several wood processing industries, for example saw mills and pulp industries. The pellets are produced by pressing the milled and dried sawdust to cylindrical units with a higher density than the initial raw material. Pellets have great benefits compared to the raw material: high energy per volume, good transport and storage properties and homogeneity. Several parameters collaborate in the whole process, which makes it complex. Wood is a heterogeneous material, chemically and structurally dependent on wood parts, habitat and storage procedures.

The aim of this review is to assess the ethical implications of aquaculture, regarding fish welfare and environmental aspects. The aquaculture industry has grown substantially the last decades, both as a result of the over-fishing of wild fish populations, and because of the increasing consumer demand for fish meat. As the industry is growing, a significant amount of research on the subject is being conducted, monitoring the effects of aquaculture on the environment and on animal welfare. The areas of concern when it comes to animal welfare have here been divided into four different stages: breeding period; growth period; capturing and handling; and slaughter. Besides these stages, this report includes a chapter on the current evidence of fish sentience, since this issue is still being debated among biologists.

The Lodgepole pines susceptibility to Heterobasidion spp. was investigated in three parts ofthis study. In the first part, discs from freshly cut stumps were collected and analyzed to seeif the fungi can spread and grow naturally in Lodgepole pine stands. In the second part, rootsamples were collected from Lodgepole pines planted in former infected Norway sprucestands to see if the fungi can spread through root contacts. For the third part, new stumpswas created and artificially infected with spores of both the S?type (H.

Vole populations in northern Scandinavia vary in cycles with peaks every third or fourth year as described by the National Environmental Monitoring Programme of small mammals (NEMP). Some vole species have declined in population numbers since the NEMP started in 1971, especially the grey-sided vole (Myodes rufocanus) which is nearly extinct in the forested region. Since small mammals are an important food source for several avian and mammalian predators, the decline in vole numbers is expected to have consequences for the whole food chain, especially if other vole species start to decline in numbers. This study tried to test the hypothesis that presence and abundance of M. rufocanus (a specialist species) and Myodes glareolus (a generalist species) can be predicted by patch size and connectivity of forest patches >60 years old with a minimum of 15% pine >100years old.

Urban trees contribute significantly to our society. By providing ecosystem services and a habitat that other urban species and ecosystems depend on, both biodiversity and the people in the city benefit. Some characteristics that the trees possess include functioning as biological filters for the atmosphere and water, as well as positively impacting people's mental health. However, urban trees are challenged by stressors such as pollution and a drier environment, making them particularly sensitive to climate change. The goal of this study was to estimate the expected magnitude of climate change in Gothenburg and compare it with the current urban species' natural climate boundaries to understand the extent of the climate threat and which species appear to be most at risk.

Stone walls in agricultural land are incorporated in the general protection of biotopes. They are protected because they provide a habitat for endangered species. Therefore it is illegal to carry out proceedings in an area that is included in the protection of biotopes. In order to do that, exemption is needed which can only be granted if there are special reasons. The essay stipulates what these special reasons are.In an exemption errand the interest for nature conservation must be weighed against a public or a private interest.

Kantzoner är områden där olika ekosystem möts och de varierar i skarphet och omfattning. Områdena erbjuder hög biologisk diversitet då de är en blandning av de mötande ekosystemen samt erbjuder särskilda mikroklimat. Den biologiska diversititen påverkas av bredden, längden och strukturen på kantzonen och de har en biologisk betydelse i och med att de erbjuder habitat, skydd och föda till flera arter. För att påvisa var i landskapet det finns kantzoner kan verktyget GIS användas. I arbetet användes GIS för att avgränsa områdena som arbetet skulle handla om samt för att slumpa ut punkter för inventering i kantzonerna i dessa områden.

Den största delen av vår svenska kust gränsar till Östersjön, vilket gör att vi alla påverkas av dess miljötillstånd. Östersjön är ett förorenat innanhav med ett känsligt djur- och växtliv. Östersjön är redan, utan de antropogena föroreningarna, ett ogästvänligt habitat att leva i för både djur och växter. Detta beror delvis på att vattnet är bräckt och att arterna måste anpassa sig till dessa förhållanden, dels att det råder en naturlig syrebrist i vattnet. Även andra faktorer spelar in.

Naturbetesmarker är artrika och näringsfattiga habitat vars utbredning kraftigt har minskat under 1900-talet. Historiskt fyllde de en viktig funktion som fodermarker men har idag till stor del ersatts av åker och vallodling. Naturbetesmarker bör idag bevaras av andra syften, både biologiska och kulturella. De rymmer en stor mängd rödlistade arter och visar spår av historisk markanvändning. Många naturbetesmarker har tidigare varit betesmarker eller slåtterängar och när hävden upphör växer det öppna landskapet igen. I denna studie har effekterna av restaurering genom kraftig röjning och förnyat bete studerats.

Genom att undersöka begrepp som natur, det vilda och det sublima, i en idéhistorisk tillbakablick baserad i västerländsk kulturtradition, presenteras en ny möjlighet för efterbehandling av kalkstensbrottet Västra brottet i Slite på Gotland. En analys av platsen och tidigare nämnda begrepp leder till en förändring av det befintliga förslaget på efterbehandlingsplan. Denna aktuella efterbehandlingsplans tyngdpunkt ligger i införande av habitat. Förslaget i detta arbete är att en ?social efterbehandling? som har möjlighet att aktivera hela orten tillförs.

The countries in the European Union have agreed to increase their percentage renewable energy sources to 20 %. To reach this goal an increase of biomass production needs to be made. One way of achieving this is by using nonnative species. Poplar in Sweden produces biomass faster than the domestic trees. In the southern parts of Sweden plantations has been made with good results. In the northern parts survival is a problem that needs to be solved before plantations can be made for commercial use.

The purpose of zoos has changed over the decades. From being menageries where wealthy people showed their collections of exotic animals to today?s zoos where science, conservation and education has become a central part of their work. Education in zoos gives them the opportunity to spread the knowledge about ecology, biology and biodiversity to the general public. Their aim is to change the public?s attitudes towards our wildlife and raise awareness about the threats that exists against our planets biodiversity.

The survival of hatchery reared smolts is generally low after release. To get a better understanding of what variables affecting migration success, Atlantic salmon smolts were studied during their out-migration in the old river channel in the lower part of river Umeälven. The area consists of shifting habitat and complex structures which causes difficulties for smolt on their migration out to sea. The aim of this study was to try to determine the effects of feed restriction, fin conditions and different physical barriers in the river, on the migratory behavior of Atlantic salmon smolts in the river Umeälven. The river was divided into six different sections using acoustic receivers strategically deployed along the river. Two-year old hatchery-reared smolts (n=150), in three different weight classes, were tagged with acoustic transmitters.

Local differentiation may occur during a short period of time and is part of the formation of new species. The isopod Asellus aquaticus is an example of a species in which local adaptation has occurred during a short period of time. An establishment of stonewort (Chara spp.) vegetation in Lake Tåkern (in the 2000) resulted in two different Asellus ecotypes; a lighter pigmented, smaller one that lives among stoneworts grazing periphytic algae, and a darker, larger ecotype that feeds on decaying leaves in reed (Phragmites australis vegetation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences in growth between ecotypes, depending on whether the food was periphytic algae or leaves, and to study the choice of substrates between the two food types. For the study, animals from both habitats were brought in from Lake Tåkern to the laboratory.

Häcken är ofta ett självklart och naturligt element i en trädgård. Som trädgårds-ingenjör kan det vara svårt att välja en lämplig häck till ett gestaltningsförslag. Det krävs att vi tar hänsyn till flera parametrar, både för att häcken ska trivas men också för att kunden ska bli nöjd. Det kan därför ta mycket tid att leta upp en häck som uppfyller alla krav och önskemål som finns, tid man oftast inte har. Syftet med det här arbetet är att studera lämpliga arter för häckar till villaträdgårdar i det småländska inlandet. Arbetet har gjorts med hjälp av litteraturstudier samt intervjuer med plantskolor.