This study investigates whether the site index curve method (SICM) and the growth intercept method (GIM) can be used for site index predictions in younger Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands than recommended by current guidelines. For SICM it was thus investigated whether the method could be used for stands younger than ten years, and for GIM it was tested whether a starting point for the intercept measurements could be used below the recommended 2.5 meter. This was tested based on measurements taken from experimental stands in Tönnersjöheden Research Forest. For GIM it was found that the method can only be used when the TH-trees of a stand have five complete intercepts above 2.5 meters. For the method to be applicable beyond this, it will be necessary to adapt the underlying equations, perhaps following the Canadian example where a 1.3 meter intercept start is used. In conclusion it is not currently possible to apply the approach beyond the current recommendations. For SICM, SI predictions are accurate for the study area already form year three.

Som ett led i de åtaganden som ställs på de länder som har undertecknat Kyotoprotokolletmåste landvisa kolbudgetar fastställas. För att fastlägga bra kolbudgetar ärdet viktigt att kunna göra bra uppskattningar av kolmängden inom olika geografiskaområden. Detta dels för att kunna uppskatta befintliga mängder och dels för att kunnapåvisa förändringar över tiden.Denna studie hade som huvudmål att uppskatta kolmängden i trädform inom ett 28,3hektar stort, hundraårigt skogsområde vid Norunda i Uppland. Den metod somanvändes medför relativt låga krav på utrustning och förkunskaper. Metoden byggerpå att trädens brösthöjdsdiameter, höjd och kronlängd mäts in inom ett antalmätplottar.

This essay is about democracy and how a democracy index can be used as a tool to illustratethe gap between reality and ideal. The purpose of this study can be expressed by two researchquestions: Does the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) democracy index illustrate thedistance between reality and the ideal of democracy presented by Dahl? and Can the EIU'sdemocracy index be modified by a) internal adjustments and b) using the variables includedin World Economic Forum?s (WEF) equality index?By using a combination of theories (Dahl?s theory of democracy, Rawls theory of justice andchosen theories critical to liberal democracy) as an analytical framework the following twoquestions have been answered:1) Which of the variables included in the EIU's democracy index have the potential to capturethe level of political equality?2) Which of the variables included in the WEF?s equality index have the potential to capturethe degree of political equality?By using a quantitative method the study?s third and last question has been answered:3) How strong is the rank correlation between the EIU?s democracy index and the WEF?sequality index, that is; how strong is the rank correlation coefficient (rho)?The data presented by the WEF?s equality index indicate that women are systematicallydiscriminated against as a group. From a democratic perspective the EIU may need tomeasure inequalities at a group level in order to capture the lack of political equality betweenindividuals. By reformulating some of the EIU?s variables, by revising the EIU?s point systemand by using the variables included in the WEF's equality index to extend EIU?s democracyindex, the chances of capturing the gap between reality and the ideal of democracy presentedby Dahl would likely increase..

The purpose of this study was to analyze the two thinning models: Bergvik Skog´s thinning model, which is based on total stems and dominant height, And Swedish forest agency´s thinning model which is based on basal area, habitat index, dominant height and recommended number of stems at final felling in Heureka´s StandWise and PlanWise. The data we chosen for our study were taken from the Swedish National Forest Inventory and we were creating a simulated stand based on a great number of sample plots in Region three from The Swedish National Forest Inventory. We had chosen to create one stand with low habitat index (T20) and one with high habitat index (T24). Our purpose were to come as close as possible to a natural stand in central Sweden. We performed the thinning in StandWise and analyzed the data I Excel files. Our thinning optimizing´s were performed and analyzed in PlanWise. There wasn´t any big differences between the thinning on the lower habitat index.

This essay is about democracy and how a democracy index can be used as a tool to illustratethe gap between reality and ideal. The purpose of this study can be expressed by two researchquestions: Does the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) democracy index illustrate thedistance between reality and the ideal of democracy presented by Dahl? and Can the EIU'sdemocracy index be modified by a) internal adjustments and b) using the variables includedin World Economic Forum?s (WEF) equality index?By using a combination of theories (Dahl?s theory of democracy, Rawls theory of justice andchosen theories critical to liberal democracy) as an analytical framework the following twoquestions have been answered:1) Which of the variables included in the EIU's democracy index have the potential to capturethe level of political equality?2) Which of the variables included in the WEF?s equality index have the potential to capturethe degree of political equality?By using a quantitative method the study?s third and last question has been answered:3) How strong is the rank correlation between the EIU?s democracy index and the WEF?sequality index, that is; how strong is the rank correlation coefficient (rho)?The data presented by the WEF?s equality index indicate that women are systematicallydiscriminated against as a group. From a democratic perspective the EIU may need tomeasure inequalities at a group level in order to capture the lack of political equality betweenindividuals. By reformulating some of the EIU?s variables, by revising the EIU?s point systemand by using the variables included in the WEF's equality index to extend EIU?s democracyindex, the chances of capturing the gap between reality and the ideal of democracy presentedby Dahl would likely increase..

Syftet är att undersöka om Sverige tillsammans med ett eller flera av de nordiska länderna kan utgöra en optimal valutaunion. Utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv visar resultaten att det är lämpligast för Sverige att ingå i en valutaunion med Norge och Danmark eftersom den ekonomiska integrationen mellan dessa länder har varit störst. Taylors ränteregel visar att Sverige och Norges räntebanor samvarier mest och Optimal currency area-index (OCA-index) visar att Sverige, Danmark och Norge präglas av störst ekonomisk integration.Vi har använt två olika metoder för att undersöka en optimal nordisk valutaunion utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv, OCA-index och Taylors ränteregel. De båda tillvägagångssätten fokuserar på hur ekonomiskt integrerade länderna är, men genom olika variabler och ekonomiska storheter. Ett OCA-index har skapats och skattningen visar att variabeln som beskriver konjunkturcykeln är den som har störst inverkan på den beroende variabeln, växelkursvolatilitet.

The depth-to-water-index (DTW-index) is derived from digital elevation models (DEM) to map soil wetness, in terms of distance from soil surface to the ground water table. The aim of this GIS based study was to investigate the existence of a relationship between DTW-index and forest site productivity (SP). The belief of such an assumed relationship was based on knowledge that the ground water level is related to site properties that can either promote or impede tree growth. Data primarily comprised rasters of the Krycklan catchment in northern Sweden and depicted DTW-index and a laser scanned vegetation height. The 100th height percentile of each pixel in the vegetation raster was assumed to mirror the top-height, letting it act as a relative measure of SP within a delineated area of equal stand age.

Beans are a global source of plant-based protein, and in some countries, they constitute a primary source of protein intake. With ongoing climate change, including rising temperatures, it is necessary to adapt beans to ensure a reliable food supply. An important mechanism that many plants have, to cope with high temperatures, is cooling through transpiration. During transpiration, stomata open and release water vapor. Water molecules use heat energy from the leaf to convert into gas, thereby cooling the leaf.

Productivity of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) was studied on 12 sites in coastal areas of northern Sweden. On each site, sample plots were placed in adjacent Norway spruce and Scots pine stands with similar ages in between. Basal area, tree height, Site Index, volume production, simulated maximum mean annual increment (MAImax) and tree vitality were compared for the two species. Average basal area at the time of measurement was 30.4% larger for Scots pine stands than for Norway spruce stands. The difference between the two species in basal area increment during the last 10 years was related to stand age.

Companies have in the past decades changed fromtraditional manufacturing organizations into serviceorganizations. For these service organizationsinformation and competence have become animportant resource. The traditional view oninformation is that an employee use and search forinformation to reduce uncertainty for their decisionmaking. Even though information is strategicallyimportant for organizations, information is not valuedin any way. Hence, this thesis aims to valueinformation in terms of the utility it brings to theorganization.The conclusion is that four factors are important whenvaluing information in terms of utility.

Today, high-yielding leys of good quality are a must for Swedish dairy and beef enterprises if they are to become profitable. Thus, it is of interest to evaluate the quality of the recently released high-yielding Festulolium hybrids ((Festulolium braunii (K.Rich.) A.Camus). The aim of this project was to determine at what phenological stage three different Festulolium hybrids should be cut in order to get the highest nutritional value. The hybrids studied were Hykor, Perun and Paulita. In the study I also investigated if leaf proportion of the crop could be useful for predictions of the crop content of metabolizable energy. The cultivars were grown in plots within a variety trial with ryegrasses.

The main purpose of the essay was to evaluate whether investments in index-linked bonds were suitable investments for smaller investors on the international finance market. To determine whether the index-linked bonds are good investments, the variables yield, cost and risk were used to measure the index-linked bonds against investments in stocks and funds. The reason for the interest in this subject is that investments in index-linked bonds have grown furiously the last few years. With the growth of the investments the criticism of index-linked bonds has also grown stronger. The critics? main point is the cost of the product, and they imply that investors can create their own index-linked bond and thereby avoid the bank fees.This study used a quantitative approach, because all the data of yield, cost and risk consist of numbers.

I denna undersökning konstrueras fundamentala aktieindex med aktier innefattade av indexetStockholm OMX30 under perioden 1999-04-01 till och med 2009-03-31. Dels konstruerasenskilda index där indexeringen sker efter faktorerna bokvärde, utdelning, försäljning, resultat,kassaflöde och antal anställda, dels ett index där faktorerna sammanvägs. Detta för att undersökahuruvida fundamentala index bättre speglar företags fundamentala värde och därmed genererarhögre riskjusterad avkastning i förhållande till ett marknadsvägt referensindex. De enskildaindexen bokvärde, utdelning, försäljning, antal anställda samt det sammanvägda indexet visarhögre riskjusterad avkastning än referensindexet. Kassaflödes- och resultatindexet presterardäremot markant sämre än referensindexet.

The number of data centers and their capacity is increasing throughout the world. Theenergy used in these data centers and the emissions from the use are increasing at thesame rate. The total use of energy will double from 2008 to 2011 based on the trends indata centers use. Research in this area says that the emissions from data centers willhave surpassed the level of airline traffic in 2020. The index used today to compare howefficient a data center is, called PUE, is lacking some information.

In this thesis, a computer program that in a simple way can calculate the performance of control loops at the refinery Preemraff Lysekil has been created. The computer program has been adapted to the environment at Preemraff Lysekil. Theories for evaluation has been studied in aspect of reliability and of automatic implementation. The evaluation has been carried out from data collected directly from control loops at the refinery and from simulated control loops with implemented errors. Among the studied methods are Harris index and Stattin´s oscillation index.