Growth models are very useful tools for forestry to predict growth and yield. With growth models and optimising tools you can manage forest stands in a way that maximize benefit and income. There are three major types of growth models. Stand models; stage structured models and single-tree models. The most advanced models give the most accurate forecasts.

The aim of this work is to demonstrate how the net present value (NPV) at the time of the first thinning depends on the spacing after pre-commercial thinning, and show how net value from first thinning in same stand is influenced. This study is performed with models based on non-distant dependent growth models for single trees. Two different growth models have been used, one for cleaning (pre-commercial thinning) and one for thinning. The first one yields stem density distributed over diameter classes. In the second one, (the thinning model), it is possible to choose when thinning should be done, the thinning method, thinning grade and numbers of thinning.

Hybrid aspen is a crossbreed between European and North American aspen. It is a fast growing tree species that has shown strong growth in the South of Sweden. The follow-ups that have been made on hybrid aspen stands, have mainly been done on plant material in the South of Sweden. In the North of Sweden, only occasional studies have been made, and the knowledge of Northern hybrid aspen stands is, thus, unsatisfactory.In the South of Norrland, land owners have planted hybrid aspen, but what kind of plants it is, and how well these stands have established, is not ascertained, since data has not been compiled on the subject.The objective of this study is to evaluate practical plantations of hybrid aspen in the South of Norrland regarding height growth, survival and damages. The ambition is to increase the knowledge about practical plantations regarding height growth, survival and damages, and from the conclusions thereof, give recommendations for future establishments of hybrid aspen in the area.For the study, eight hybrid aspen stands in the South of Norrland were localised.

Syfte: Vi ämnar med uppsatsen att undersöka om det råder en skillnad i avkastning mellan portföljer indelade efter kriterier som kännetecknar värde samt tillväxtaktier. Studien genomförs specifikt på svenska marknaden och portföljernas avkastning skall utvärderas utifrån en årlig buy and hold strategi. Vi ämnar även utvärdera om något av urvalskriterierna (Price to book, Price to earnings och Dividend yield) i de polära strategierna är mer framgångsrikt än de andra under perioden 1996 till 2007 ochvilken/vilka faktorer som kan vara avgörande för framgången..

Entrepreneurship as playing a important role for economic growth has been discussed by a number of theorists such as Joseph Schumpeter and Israel M. Kirzner. William J. Baumol developed these theories as he considered that all entrepreneurship doesn?t lead to economic growth, some entrepreneurial activities may even lead to stagnation.

Populism has been an integral part of the Finnish political system since the late 1950's. At that time the Agrarian Populist Party, better known as The Rural Party, emerged and thrived for decades until the party financially broke down in the 1990's. Reemerging on the political scene as the True Finns, the party is more radical and more influential than ever, gaining enough support to be the third largest party of the 2011 parliamentary election. Sweden, Finland?s neighbor, in contrast has a history with very little populist presence or radical right populist parties (RRP-parties).

The average age of the working population in Sweden is increasing, along with the number of retirements. Meanwhile, the number of people entering the labour market is declining. In order to avoid a loss of key skills and competences because of the resulting labour gap, and to ensure future economic growth, it is vital to utilise the aging labour force more efficiently. Nevertheless, many Swedish companies are inefficient in managing their aging workforce. In fact, it has emerged that senior workers in Sweden are discriminated against their age and not attractive on the labour market.

This thesis aims to investigate if peer-groups based on industry classification perform as well as, or better than, peer-groups based on other measures that represent factors affecting the price-to-earnings multiple. In contrast with previous empirical studies, a solid theoretical approach is used in defining which factors, according to valuation theory, affect the P/E-ratio. The factors identified as explanatory are accounting measures, risk and growth. Furthermore, we have recognized several measures that represent these factors. These measures are tested for accuracy of prediction in terms of the P/E-ratio for peer-groups based on these measures relative to an industry classified peer-group.

The natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) is one of three species of toads living in Sweden. During the last decades declines in population numbers have been detected and are thought to be primarily due to loss of habitat, overgrown breeding ponds and competition from common toad (Bufo bufo) and common frog (Rana temporaria). In 2012 20 ponds in the location of Glommeskallen in Smögen were restored by clearing the ponds from overgrowth. The aim of this study was to investigate if natterjack toads used the restored ponds and if the restoration had made an impact on the natterjack population on the location. Presence of common toad and common frog was recorded, as was the presence of eggs and larvae of any of the three species.

This study puts emphasis on an international discourse describing how cities frequently compete against each other, and also describing factors that cities should enhance to make themselves more competitive. The discourse in this study has therefore been used to seek understanding how three different municipalities Borlänge, Karlstad and Malmö strive for growth by applying central factors from the discourse on the municipalities strategic documents. What the study shows is that the central factors from the discourse strongly imprints the strategic documents, but the presence of the factors varies between the municipalities and also to what meaning that lies behind the strategic goals..

The purpose of this thesis is to expose the political myth in the West about the ageing population seen as a threat against the welfare society. To do so I have described what a political myth is, and showed how it is presented in the most influential newspapers and organisations in the West. I have also presented alternative perspectives to the dominating view on the ageing population and it's impacts on welfare. In this way I have tried to point out that the subject has a political dimension. In the thesis last section I compare the message presented in the newspapers and the organisations with the characteristics of a political myth.

Crop efficiency in utilizing available nutrients is an important factor in increasing produc-tivity and reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. Nitrogen is the nutrient that plants need in the largest quantity and wheat, along with maize and rice, is the world's most cultivated crop. In this work, the Nitrogen Use Efficiency, NUE, during the major growth period, HTP, of twelve different spring wheat varieties, were examined. The NUE was calculated as the product of uptake efficiency of nitrogen, UN, and the conversion effi-ciency of nitrogen to biomass, EN. The purpose of this work was to find if there are varietal differences in NUE and its components among the twelve varieties and to link a high NUE to specific characteristics of the varieties.

Om världen till följd av klimatförändringarna blir mycket varmare kommer förutsättningarna för hur vi planerar städer, infrastruktur och jordbruk helt att vändas upp och ner. De delar av världen som idag står för världens livsmedelsproduktion kommer vid bara några graders förändring bli obrukbara som betes och odlingsmark. Dessa förändringar kan komma att starta konflikter, och stora flyktingströmmar som tillsammans med förändrade klimatzoner helt kommer att rita om världskartan. i Skandinavien är det då troligt att vi behöver bygga samhällen och städer för miljontals nya immigranter, och detta samtidigt som vi befinner oss mitt i den mest fruktbara jordbruksmarken i världen. Om hundra år måste vi dessutom, oavsett detta, dubbla livsmedelsproduktionen globalt sett.Vårt samhälle blir allt mer rörligt och infrastrukturen utvecklas i allt snabbare takt.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a hereditary disease that in Sweden is especially common in German shepherds. The Swedish German shepherd club has currently no plan of action for decreasing disease prevalence in the breed. The purpose of this study was to review existing literature about the disease and also to perform an inventory of the disease in the Swedish dog population. Special focus was laid on the German shepherd breed. The inventory was later compared to an unpublished inventory of the disease with data from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences from 1997. During the period 2002-06-01 to 2007-09-26 (ca 64 months) 2961 blood samples were analyzed for cTLI. 274 samples were positive (cTLI .

Rapporten behandlar aeroba dränkta biobäddar som biologiskt reningssteg i avloppsreningsverk. Syftet med examensarbetet är att studera de dränkta biobäddarna i Järbo och Kungsgården avseende reduktion av näringsämnen och parametrar som pH, syre och belastning. Rapporten har dels en teoridel där funktionen hos dränkta biobäddar genomgås samt en praktisk del där avloppsreningsverken i Järbo och Kungsgården studerats avseende reduktion av bland annat fosfor, kväve, COD, BOD. Studien omfattades av två provtagningsomgångar om vardera en vecka. Studien har utförts under våren 2004..