There are several thousands shallow bays along the Swedish east coast. Most of them are disturbed by different human activities, and undisturbed bays can be considered as quite unique. In the sheltered shallow bays water warms up more rapidly than adjacent water favoring the growth of vegetation, which in turns is beneficial to spring spawning fish species like perch and pike. It is nowadays more common that coastal habitats are inventoried to facilitate future preservation and planning. The aim of this study was to investigate the shallow bay Utanåfladen (59° 53`31.38 N 19°00`44.90 E) in the north Stockholm archipelago and evaluate its habitat value.

In the 1970?s it was predicted that in the beginning of the 21st century there would be a timber shortage in Sweden and a large scale introduction of the exotic tree species lodgepole pine started. An introduction of a foreign tree species means a risk of a negative influence on the forests ecosystem. Today, the stands that were established in the 70?s are middle-aged and the effect on the forest floor vegetation can be studied.

SAMMANFATTNING: Bostadsgårdar bör vara både funktionella och vackra för att uppskattas av de boende. För att uppnå detta är vegetation på bostadsgården ett viktigt element. Bostadsgården bör även vara relativt lätt att sköta för fastighetsförvaltaren. För att vegetationsytorna ska vara långsiktigt hållbara ur både en funktionell och ekonomisk aspekt krävs goda kunskaper om utformning, anläggning och förvaltning av vegetationsytor. Bristande kunskaper kan leda till att det krävs mer skötsel än vad som annars varit nödvändig eller att en sämre funktion på platsen får accepteras på grund av felaktigt växtval för platsen, brister i anläggningsskedet eller brister i förvaltningsskedet.

This project investigated how elevation and vegetation type influences variation in plant litter phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity among and within common plant species for two different vegetation types, heath and meadow, in a subarctic ecosystem in the Abisko region of northern Sweden. As nutrient availability generally decreases with increasing elevation as a result of decreasing temperature, I hypothesised that phenolic content would increase with elevation and be higher on the heath than the meadow. To test this, the total phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity was estimated in leaf litter from 13 species in both heath and meadow vegetation across an elevational gradient ranging from 500 to 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in the study region. The results showed that elevation and vegetation type both had a strong impact on both variables. Total phenolic concentrations decreased with elevation for the meadow, and were greater for the heath than the meadow.

Hantering av regnvatten på ett hållbart sätt är en av flera strategier som behöver utvecklas för att bygga resilienta städer. I detta projekt undersöks relationen mellan vatten och vegetation och de unika förutsättningarna detta ger för gestaltning. Genom en fördjupad studie av naturlika biotoper, främst olika typer av klibbalskogar, har jag samlat material som tecknar sambanden. Detta material fungerar som bakgrund till ett förslag till utforming av en öppen dagvattenhantering med särskilt fokus på träd i en befintlig stadsmiljö. Genom en kort introduktion till Köpenhamn kommuns strategiska klimatarbete med dagvattenhantering i Klimakvarter på Østerbro förhåller sig detta småskaliga projekt till ett större sammanhang.

This project investigated how elevation and vegetation type influences variation in plant litter phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity among and within common plant species for two different vegetation types, heath and meadow, in a subarctic ecosystem in the Abisko region of northern Sweden. As nutrient availability generally decreases with increasing elevation as a result of decreasing temperature, I hypothesised that phenolic content would increase with elevation and be higher on the heath than the meadow. To test this, the total phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity was estimated in leaf litter from 13 species in both heath and meadow vegetation across an elevational gradient ranging from 500 to 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in the study region. The results showed that elevation and vegetation type both had a strong impact on both variables. Total phenolic concentrations decreased with elevation for the meadow, and were greater for the heath than the meadow.

Effekterna på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet till följd av en avverkning av kantzonsvegetationen har undersökts i ett fältexperiment, där två av de potentiella effekterna av en skogsavverkning simulerades. Fokus låg på de två faktorerna ökad ljusinstrålning och minskat nedfall av terrestra evertebrater. Ökad ljusinstrålning har simulerats med hjälp av montage av lysrör och nedfall av terrestra evertebrater med hjälp av plasttält. Frågeställningarna rör andelen terrester föda i olika behandlingar och årstider, dietskillnader mellan äldre och yngre öringindivider, skillnader i mängden akvatisk föda vid ökad ljusinstrålning samt en taxonomisk översikt av dietens sammansättning. Signifikanta skillnader mellan behandlingarna fanns, där individerna i kontrollbehandlingen åt signifikant mer terrester föda än individer i tältbehandlingen och den kombinerade tält- och ljusbehandlingen.

Effekterna på öringens (Salmo trutta) diet till följd av en avverkning av kantzonsvegetationen har undersökts i ett fältexperiment, där två av de potentiella effekterna av en skogsavverkning simulerades. Fokus låg på de två faktorerna ökad ljusinstrålning och minskat nedfall av terrestra evertebrater. Ökad ljusinstrålning har simulerats med hjälp av montage av lysrör och nedfall av terrestra evertebrater med hjälp av plasttält. Frågeställningarna rör andelen terrester föda i olika behandlingar och årstider, dietskillnader mellan äldre och yngre öringindivider, skillnader i mängden akvatisk föda vid ökad ljusinstrålning samt en taxonomisk översikt av dietens sammansättning. Signifikanta skillnader mellan behandlingarna fanns, där individerna i kontrollbehandlingen åt signifikant mer terrester föda än individer i tältbehandlingen och den kombinerade tält- och ljusbehandlingen.

This project investigated how elevation and vegetation type influences variation in plant litter phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity among and within common plant species for two different vegetation types, heath and meadow, in a subarctic ecosystem in the Abisko region of northern Sweden. As nutrient availability generally decreases with increasing elevation as a result of decreasing temperature, I hypothesised that phenolic content would increase with elevation and be higher on the heath than the meadow. To test this, the total phenolic content and protein precipitation capacity was estimated in leaf litter from 13 species in both heath and meadow vegetation across an elevational gradient ranging from 500 to 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in the study region. The results showed that elevation and vegetation type both had a strong impact on both variables. Total phenolic concentrations decreased with elevation for the meadow, and were greater for the heath than the meadow.

This study has investigated how urban vegetation can be used in a multifunctional way to support ecosystem services in urban environments. Nacka municipality is in the start-up phase of building what is to become Nacka city. This provides a unique possibility to study and analyse what role the vegetation play in making the city a healthy living environment and how it needs to be adapted in order to be resilient against changing climate conditions and how the effects of those changes can be regulated. The study further investigates how airborne pollution, caused by urbanization processes, can be regulated or reduced by vegetation or species selection. Methods used in this study were a combination of qualitative interviews and literature studies, seeking to answer the questions: Which specific ecosystem functions are needed in the urban environment and which aspects will influence the ecosystems ability to deliver the functions in demand? And which plant species have the right mechanisms needed to deliver those functions? These questions have been studied and analysed in a local based context where the local conditions ands site specific needs of Nacka define criteria for plant selection.

The stretch from the riparian zone of a major river, through the mouth and upstream in tributaries forms a range of differing habitats. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of these different habitats on the riparian frog community in primary rain forest in Borneo; i.e. examine whether any gradients could be demonstrated in terms of species composition, diversity and density of frogs, as well as which environmental characteristics that seem to be of most importance in forming habitats of high conservational value. A major river, Segama, and three of its tributaries were investigated. The surveys were carried out at night by searching for frogs visually and acoustically along the streams, from the shore of the Segama river and 400 metres upstream in the tributaries.

This is a study of the insect community associated to the wood-decaying fungus Inonotus radiatus found on Alnus glutinosa trees growing in riparian forests at the northern and southern shores of boreal lakes in the province Uppland. Little is known about this particular bracket fungus and its inhabitants. Insects were reared out at the laboratory from samples of fruiting bodies of the fungus taken at five lakes. During the fieldwork in 2009, data about several environmental variables was also taken. After the rearing period, these variables and their effects over the insects were analyzed.

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 with this study is to find out how much dead wood we can expect us to find in a Russian reference river and compare with studies from Swedish streams. Dead wood are an important structure for the biodiversity in forest streams, studies have shown that population of trout can increase with up to 300 % when the amount of dead wood are increasing from 0 to 8 ? 16 LWD (Large woody debris)/100 m2. Dead wood are also an important structure for the stream character, formations of dams and pools which are important habitats and reproduction areas for salmon and brown trout. The study where taken place in tributaries to the Russian river Varzuga in the North West part of Russia outside Murmansk. Varzuga has low impact of human activity and is considered to be a reference river to rivers in northern Sweden.

Det här arbetet har undersökt huruvida konceptet reglerande ekosystemtjänster är möjligt att konkretisera och applicera i planerings-och gestaltningsarbeten. Målet med arbetet var att skapa ett gestaltningsförslag till Kloster Kyrkopark i Eskilstuna med fokus på partikel- och bullerreglering med vegetation. De frågeställningar som har besvarats i arbetet är: Hur kan man planera och gestalta med vegetation för ekosystemtjänsterna partikel- och bullerreglering och är den tillgängliga kunskapen om reglerande ekosystemtjänster idag tillräckligt konkret för att vara applicerbar i ett gestaltningsarbete? Metoden i arbetet har baserats på forskning för gestaltning. Genom en litteraturstudie, observationer, analys och samtal har allmänna gestaltningsprinciper för partikel- och bullerreducering, samt specifika krav och förutsättningar för projektet sammanställts. Resultaten från forskningen, de allmänna principerna och de specifika kraven och förutsättningarna, har sedan prövats i gestaltningsförslaget. Resultatet från gestaltningsarbetet visar att den tillgängliga kunskapen om reglerande ekosystemtjänster är tillräckligt konkret för att kunna appliceras i en gestaltning. Men det finns ett stort glapp mellan den konceptuella litteraturen som behandlar reglerande ekosystemtjänster och den litteratur som konkret beskriver hur man bör gå till väga vid luft- och bullerreglering med vegetation.