An excessive input of nutrients to lakes and other water bodies has created a problem with eutrophication in Sweden. Untreated, or partially treated, domestic sewage is a major source for discharge of phosphorus (P), which is the nutrient most frequently responsible for eutrophication of most fresh waters and the Baltic Sea. The waste water can be cleaned by filter materials, which have a high P-retention ability and which after saturation may be used as fertilizers. Four potentially suitable filter materials were tested in batch- and column experiments in this study. In the batch experiments, the following materials were shaken with waste water in time series ranging from 5 seconds to 60 minutes: coarse (1-4 mm) and fine (0-2 mm) Polonite® (heated bedrock from Poland); Filtralite® (light expanded clay aggregates with limestone added before burning); water cooled blast furnace slag (BF-slag) and BF-slag mixed with 10% burned limestone.

The problem with keeping horses with to little social contact has come to attention in a new regulation that comes into effect august 1st 2009. It states that horses? need of social contact has to be accommodated. That?s why it feels important to try to survey the horse owners? awareness about the regulation and its present fulfillment.

Det här examensarbetet på D-nivå har utförts i samarbete men företaget XM reality i Linköping. Företaget jobbar med att ta fram olika system inom området mixed reality, som på svenska översätts till förhöjd verklighet. Syftet med projektet var att utforma två olika handhållna projektorsystem. Produkterna skulle utformas för att passa in i sjukhusmiljö. Båda enheterna har samma funktion men innehåller olika komponenter. Produkterna är anpassade till en ny teknik som företaget har utvecklat.

Aspen (Populus tremula L.) and goat willow (Salix caprea L.) are two important tree species in the aspect of nature conservation. Due to the elimination of forest fires, a former negative attitude towards deciduous trees in forestry and a strong herbivore pressure, these tree species have been negatively affected during the last fifty years. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of aspen and goat willow could be related to either human impact or to site properties, such as ground moisture and vegetation type. A side study included an inventory of a number of cyanobacterial tree lichens on aspen and goat willow in order to try to relate the occurrence of these lichens species to stand history and stand properties. The study was performed in Hamra State Forest in northern Dalarna. Nature reserves were compared with stands in managed areas.

Broad beans are becoming a larger crop in Sweden. This is probably due to the current discussion about the cultivation of soya beans that are imported to be used as protein fodder. Broad beans are a good break crop in a small grain intensive crop rotation and works as a protein source for animals together with for example ley. At present little research has been done on broad beans and more knowledge is needed. This study is about fungal communities and diseases on broad beans and the impact of these fungi on seed germination.

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.

Kan man få fram blandrabatter (mixed borders) som i sin växtkomposition fyller en kunds önskemål trots att man ståndortsanpassar växtvalet hårt?  Kundens önskemål kan vara: lättskött, friskt och härdigt växtmaterial, och vilken stil de har tänkt sig att rabatten ska ha..

In southern Sweden, beech (Fagus silvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) are two species with similar demands on soil properties. With increased global warming and high acid deposition the future may bring larger areas were the two species are overlapping, competing for the same soil. The aim of this study was to compare spruce and beech concerning distribution, cultivation and soil properties. From available data comparisons were made between spruce and beech forests in Sweden. Soil analyses were made on samples from beech forest in southern Sweden, with and without natural regeneration of spruce.

Freshwater environments are threatened worldwide, of which many of the species associatedwith freshwater. In 2014, 243 freshwater mussels were on the international Red List. One ofthem is the freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, which because of itscomplex life cycle can be counted as an indicator of whether a stream is worth protecting. It's since the early 1900's in decline throughout their range. Sweden is counted as a core area which is why we have not only a national but an international responsibility to conserve the species.

The return of large predators to regions where they were previously extirpated has created a need for knowledge about their effect on prey species, not only their lethal but also their behavioural or risk effects. In this study the behavioural risk effects of brown bear (Ursus arctos) were tested on fallow deer (Dama dama), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), moose (Alces alces) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). This was done by using patches of fur to simulate the presence of the novel predator (brown bear), a novel nonpredator (reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and no fur as control. These three treatments were then compared. The response variables measured were increased vigilance, decreased feeding time and change in patch use.

There are two species of voles that cause damage in Swedish fruit production: the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) and the field vole (Microtus agrestis). Both species make the most damage during the winter season. The water vole makes subterranean burrows and cause serious damage by gnawing on the tree roots. The field vole seldom makes burrows and gnaws the bark at the base of the tree trunk. In recent years there have been several reports about increasing vole damage.

7 % of children in preschool have some sort of language disorder. How should preschool teachers best help these children? In a small special group where they can focus on the child´s individual linguistic development or in an ordinary group were the other children can be linguistic models for the child and help his or hers development?The purpose of this paper is to see what preschool teachers, who work with children who has language impairment, says about working with these children in a special group as compared with working with them in an ordinary group together with children without language impairment. What are the advantages and the disadvantages related to the different ways of working? Another focus point is how the children collaborate with each other.

A literature review of contaminants; cadmium, methylmercury, dioxins, and PCB, for eleven different fish species (Greenland halibut, gilt headed bream, sea bass, wolffish, hoki, ocean perch, angler, Nile perch, pangasius, red snapper and tilapia) that were selected in concurrence with the National Food Administration. The result can be used by the National Food Administration to gain further knowledge about the different fish species to be able to continue to give advice to varied risk category and the public. The gilt headed bream and sea bass were the only fishes whose values for mercury exceeded the limit of 0,5 mg/kg (EU Reg. 1881/2006). In the angler, Nile perch and pangasius the mean value of mercury didn?t exceed the limit, however in some individuals the mercury content did exceed what is allowed.

Pigs are often mentioned as relatively intelligent animals when compared to other nonhuman species. Despite this knowledge, the vast majority of pigs are kept under conditions that lack opportunities to satisfy their cognitive needs. Therefore, a need to evaluate the present scientific studies about pig cognition was acknowledged, in order to evaluate to what extent the knowledge is applied in the husbandry of finishing pigs. If a considerable lack of application was determined, suggestions about how to use the obtained information to improve pig welfare were also to be made. A synthesis of the present literature was made, and it could be concluded that a considerable amount of studies had been carried out in the present area. The pigs of today appear to have the same behavioural and cognitive needs as their ancestor, the wild boar.

Dragonflies are fascinating. The larvae stays larvae from a couple of weeks up to 5 years, it depends on the species (Hansen, 1981). The temperature, nourishment and time of the year also play a role for the growing factor for the larvae. Both Sahlén (1985) and Begon a.o (1990) say so. My report contains information about the branched setae on the front legs from the family damselflies (Zygoptera) and the species Coenagrion.