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.

One of the environmental problems today in seas, lakes and streams is eutrophication. This is often caused by nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) that leak from agricultural areas. A measure to partly prevent the nutrient discharge is to construct or restore wetlands.In order to control the efficiency of nutrient reduction of existing wetlands in the county, the administrative board in Västra Götaland wants to find different criterias for reference wetlands. These reference wetlands should represent other wetlands and be used in future evaluations of reduction of nutrients and design of constructed wetlands. According to the administrative board in Västra Götaland the reference wetlands should have a catchment area of about 50 hectare consisting of at least 70 % arable land, to represent wetlands created to remove nutrients.

Sapa Heat Transfer is a company that produces aluminum heat-exchanger strips for the automotive industry. Sapa Heat Transfer wish to chart their emissions of carbon dioxide in order to meet future demands on carbon dioxide reporting. They also would like to examine the meaning of the term ?green electricity? which is marketed as carbon dioxide free, and the sort of electricity that they purchase. This report includes both direct (liquefied petroleum gas and diesel) and indirect (water, process-water, long distance heating, waste) emissions from their company.

The aims of the silvicultural method natural regeneration of spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) in birch (Betula pendula and pubescens) shelterwoods are to establish a new stand of tree seedl-ings and to protect those from high groundwater levels, frost damages and grass competition during its first life years. The aim of this work has been to (i) describe how shelterwood and stand characteristics influ-ence the results from using natural regeneration of spruce protected by a shelterwood of birch, and to (ii) compare those regeneration results with planting of spruce after soil scarification in clear-cut areas. Totally 17 harvesting sites have been inventoried and 15 of those included natural regenera-tion in birch shelterwoods, and two were subjects to soil scarification and planting of spruce. The sites represented 7-10 year old final cuts and are located in the coastal (eastern) region of the province of Norrbotten in Sweden. In all areas shelterwood and stand characteristics, as well as the number of main crop seedlings and the height of the highest main crop spruce seedling, were estimated and registered in all areas.

ABSTRACTMany wind turbines have problems with icing and there is still no effective method to de-ice without stoppage of production and power loss. Here I therefore consider other methods than those available today, and particularly, I consider how these methods could be applied to wind turbines of the company Oxel. A surface where the water droplets do not attach might be the basis for a useful method. If no water attaches, no ice could form. To accomplish this a hydrophobic surface is nessesary, for example wax.

This report deals with handling and interim storage of soils which are planned tobe reused in construction works. The types of soils that are dealt with are gravel, topsoil and sand. The thesis work has been carried out in collaboration with Skanska Sverige Väg och Anläggning Sydost. The main goal is to find an area for using to store soil in between projects.Studies of laws and regulations regarding exploitation and storage of soil has led to a theoretical background upon which the report is based. Background informationhas also been gathered in meetings with the employees at Tekniska Kontoret and Länsstyrelsen in Jönköping.On the basis of literature studies results, a general template has been developed for which desirable properties a possible location should meet.The model was applied to find a number of possible options in the vicinity of Jönköping.

This study examines patterns of consumption during the 1780s in Öjaby and Virestad parishes. I have examined the clothes and jewelry in estate inventories using the concept of status. Then I have used Pierre Bourdieu's theories to understand fashion mechanisms.I have identified five different groups, each distinguished by their formal wear. Men have similar clothes but in Virestad they have more items and more silver. Four people were divergent, they choose other materials and models.

In two feeding experiments Bacillus induced priming of plant defense was tested for its effect against the generalist insect pest Spodoptera littoralis. The main hypothesis for the study was that Bacillus induced priming would enable the plant Arabidopsis thaliana to defend itself better against this insect herbivore since this priming seems to involve jasmonic acid, known to be important for plant defense to insects. A secondary objective of the study was to examine if any differences in a primed defense capability could be seen between different natural genetic variants (ecotypes) of A. thaliana reflecting habitat differences in pest pressure. The methods used for plant cultivation and Bacillus inoculation were aimed at reflecting conditions that can be expected in an agricultural cropping system. This meant that all plants were cultivated in soil, and the feeding experiments were conducted with the plants growing intact in the soil system.

Green manuring is a way of creating an organic fertilizer by growing a crop that is mowed down. Besides the fertilizing effect this method has been shown to have a positive influ-ence on soil organic matter as well as weed flora, and green manure is an important me-thod of weed control in organic farming in parts of Sweden. However, the release of nu-trients from the green manure varies and can therefore be difficult to control. Risks for losses of nutrients are also present. Although the area of organic farmland is increasing in Sweden, the use of green manure is decreasing.This report contains a literature study which compiles research on the functions of green manure in a cropping system and also how the crop can be used if harvested, for example to produce biogas.

We are heading towards a huge switch of how energy is produced with fossil fuels being replaced by renewable energy sources. It is not difficult to replace the energy you use in the house and there is no need for futuristic technology. There are already many established products on the market such as high efficiency vacuum solar collectors, heat pumps & small wind power stations that can supply the energy being used in a house. The company Sol & Energiteknik SE AB in Huskvarna has many different products which can reduce the need for an outside energy distributor. An average house in Sweden uses 15 000 kWh for heating, 5000 kWh for tap water and 5000 kWh for electricity.

AbstractThe knowledge about pesticide residue in private wells is not well documented in Sweden.Previous studies have detected pesticide residue in private wells, this issue is what made themunicipality of Laholm commission the study. The purpose was to collect water samples from50 private wells in Laholm and have them analyzed for traces of pesticides. The wells in thestudy are spread geographical over the entire municipality. The analysis of the water sampleswas carried out by the accredited laboratory Eurofins. Nine of the 50 wells in this studycontained residue of pesticides and two of these exceeded the allowed concentration of 0,1 ?g/l.Nine different pesticides were detected, among these were BAM, Atrazin and breakdownproducts from Metribuzin.

This essay aims to investigate how students raised in Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced their career counseling during their middle and high school education. My main objectives are, based on the testimonies of former Jehovah's Witnesses, to investigate how career counselors can find a strategy to approach these students in a non-threatening way. I also try to take into account the contextual elements which are of great importance when counseling students raised as Jehovah's Witnesses. A qualitative study has been carried out with five informants with a background in the movement. The material has then been analyzed using a qualitative, narrative method.

AbstractAt Saltvikens copperindustry, which is located in the municipality of Oskarshamn, copper was refined from sulphiteore some hundred years ago. The ore underwent several steps in the process before the final product was received. These steps all had an influence on the environment through discharge of heavy metals. The area where the copper industry was located is today considered to be of specific national interest due to its valuable nature and cultural values, as well as its value for recreational outdoor activities. Therefore, it is important to determine the present level of contamination and if any transport of contaminants have occurred, and to identify the risks that are associated with the site both at present and in a longer time perspective.Thirtynine soil samples and 16 sediment samples have been analyzed.

Through previous studies during my education, I have experienced that chemical deicing road salt is a known problem, mainly in southern Sweden. Road salt causes damage to the environment and also damage to vehicles and structures such as bridges, etc. Road salt causes vehicles and steel constructions to rust, leading to increased costs for repairs of damage to structures. Road salt also causes damage to the plants and the economy to suffer, when plant material and soil needs to be replaced. In order to get closer to a solution, I put up three questions.

Urban trees have very little in common with trees on natural sites, such as forests or pastures. Trees in urban environments are often planted in packed soil and in small volumes. This can lead to decreased availability of water and oxygen, as well as deteriorated ability for the soil to store nutritional elements. Also above ground the tree usually have limited space in cities. Regulations on free height over roads and cycle tracks demands high stems at an early stage of their development.