kth.sePublications
Change search
Refine search result
1234 51 - 100 of 196
CiteExportLink to result list
Permanent link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Rows per page
  • 5
  • 10
  • 20
  • 50
  • 100
  • 250
Sort
  • Standard (Relevance)
  • Author A-Ö
  • Author Ö-A
  • Title A-Ö
  • Title Ö-A
  • Publication type A-Ö
  • Publication type Ö-A
  • Issued (Oldest first)
  • Issued (Newest first)
  • Created (Oldest first)
  • Created (Newest first)
  • Last updated (Oldest first)
  • Last updated (Newest first)
  • Disputation date (earliest first)
  • Disputation date (latest first)
  • Standard (Relevance)
  • Author A-Ö
  • Author Ö-A
  • Title A-Ö
  • Title Ö-A
  • Publication type A-Ö
  • Publication type Ö-A
  • Issued (Oldest first)
  • Issued (Newest first)
  • Created (Oldest first)
  • Created (Newest first)
  • Last updated (Oldest first)
  • Last updated (Newest first)
  • Disputation date (earliest first)
  • Disputation date (latest first)
Select
The maximal number of hits you can export is 250. When you want to export more records please use the Create feeds function.
  • 51. Engqvist, Anders
    et al.
    Stenström, Petter
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Flow regimes and long-term water exchange of the Himmerfjarden estuary2009In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, ISSN 0272-7714, E-ISSN 1096-0015, Vol. 83, no 2, p. 159-174Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A numerical model of processes determining the water exchange encountered in Baltic coastal archipelagos is calibrated and validated against salinity and temperature field data spanning two decades with approximately bi-weekly resolution assessed in the Himmerfjärden estuary. This area is resolved into 17 basins interconnected by 38 individual straits of varying geometrical properties using GIS-based methods. All formulations of the strait exchange flows are free from parameters that need calibration and permit computations of the flow through a strait contraction with or without a coincident sill under a flow classification scheme, of which the first one (a) consists of two groups of multiple layers including aspirated layers from levels beneath the sill crest. The other regimes are as follows. (b) Pure barotropic flow; (c) rotationally controlled flow and (d) plug-flow, which serves as resort solution for flow situations that cannot be solved with (a) and also for computation of the barotropic part of the total flow. For long canals where friction effects act to reduce the flow, a fifth exchange regime is used. The vertical mixing formulation is based on energy balances between supplied wind energy and its work against buoyancy forces. The values of semi-empirical parameters involved in the mixing scheme have been established by calibration against measured data of the first decade period. A statistical evaluation is performed comparing the model results with the measurements of the second decade. It is found that the accuracy of the model is yet limited by the poor temporal resolution in the boundary and the thermal forcing. The overall accuracy of this approach is found to be comparable to earlier model studies in the same area. Since the exchange flows are now based on first principles and are applied to four times more basins, it seems that this more articulated model approach can confidently be applied to more complex archipelago areas.

  • 52.
    Engström, Rebecka
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Urban Planning and Environment, Environmental Strategies.
    Land use in the future - needs and limitations2005In: Ecosystems and Sustainable Development V / [ed] Tiezzi, E; Brebbia, CA; Jorgensen, SE; Gomar, DA, ASHURST: WIT PRESS , 2005, Vol. 81, p. 365-374Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Suitable cropland is needed for production of food, forest products, bioenergy and other crops, and in all areas future projections have been made on the need for land. Projections of future contribution from biomass to the global energy system often take food production into consideration. But there is not only a conflict between different kinds of production: land has to be set aside also for protection of biological diversity. Saving species is important for reasons such as current and future commercial benefits, but also because of functional values of the ecosystems, to maintain productivity. In this study projections of future land use for different purposes are compared with total suitable land on a global scale. It discusses possibilities for realisation of the projections and potential strategies for making the fulfilment of the different needs compatible. Strategies for reducing land use are for example changed food consumption and energy saving measures. A main finding is that the available land can suffice for the needs according to the studied projections, but we might have to consider alterations for example in diet.

  • 53.
    Ernstson, Henrik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History of Technology, History of Science, Technology and Environment. University of Cape Town.
    Sörlin, Sverker
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History of Technology, History of Science and Technology.
    Ecosystem services as technology of globalization: On articulating values in urban nature2013In: Ecological Economics, ISSN 0921-8009, E-ISSN 1873-6106, Vol. 86, p. 274-284Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The paper demonstrates how ecosystem services can be viewed and studied as a social practice of value articulation. With this follows that when ecosystem services appear as objects of calculated value in decision-making they are already tainted by the social and cannot be viewed as merely reflecting an objective biophysical reality. Using urban case studies of place-based struggles in Stockholm and Cape Town, we demonstrate how values are relationally constructed through social practice. The same analysis is applied on ecosystem services. Of special interest is the TEEB Manual that uses a consultancy report on the economic evaluation of Cape Town's 'natural assets' to describe a step-by-step method to catalog, quantify and price certain aspects of urban nature. The Manual strives to turn the ecosystem services approach into a transportable method, capable of objectively measuring the values of urban nature everywhere, in all cities in the world. With its gesture of being universal and objective, the article suggests that the ecosystem services approach is a technology of globalization that de-historicizes and de-ecologizes debates on urbanized ecologies, effectively silencing other and often marginalized ways of knowing and valuing. The paper inscribes ecosystem services as social practice, as part of historical process, and as inherently political. A call is made for critical ethnographies of how ecosystem services and urban sustainability indicators are put into use to change local decision-making while manufacturing global expertise.

  • 54. Escamilla Nacher, M.
    et al.
    Ferreira, C. S. S.
    Jones, M.
    Kalantari, Zahra
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering. Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society (CERNAS), Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Agrarian School of Coimbra, Bencanta, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal.
    Application of the adaptive cycle and panarchy in la marjaleria social-ecological system: Reflections for operability2021In: Land, E-ISSN 2073-445X, Vol. 10, no 9, article id 980Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The adaptive cycle and panarchy are recognised tools for resilience assessment prior to establishing new management approaches aligned with Anthropocene needs. This study used the adaptive cycle and panarchy to assess the dynamics of the social-ecological system (SES) of La Marjaleria, Spain, which experienced increasing human pressure and environmental degradation in recent decades, and developed the ‘adaptive curve’ as a novel graphical representation of system change in the presentation of the results. Based on a literature review of historical changes in La Marjaleria, a SES analysis was performed using the adaptive cycle and panarchy, following the Resilience Alliance’s Practitioners Guide. The assessment offered new insights into the social and ecological dynamics of La Marjaleria through identification of causes and consequences from a complex systems perspective. Previous land-use management in the area has generated tensions between different stakeholders and reduced environmental resilience. The systems thinking approach highlighted the complexity of change processes, offering the possibility of new routes for dialogue and understanding. The ‘adaptive curve’ developed as a method of illustrating interactions across scales in this study could be useful for synthesising the results of a panarchy analysis and supporting their interpretation, offering relevant departure points for future planning and decision-making. 

  • 55.
    Fonseca, Joana
    et al.
    KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Intelligent systems, Decision and Control Systems (Automatic Control). KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Centres, ACCESS Linnaeus Centre.
    Aguiar, M.
    Borges De Sousa, Joao
    Univ Porto, Underwater Syst & Technol Lab LSTS, Porto, Portugal.
    Johansson, Karl H.
    KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Intelligent systems, Decision and Control Systems (Automatic Control). KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Centres, ACCESS Linnaeus Centre.
    Algal Bloom Front Tracking Using an Unmanned Surface Vehicle: Numerical Experiments Based on Baltic Sea Data2021In: Oceans Conference Record (IEEE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , 2021Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We consider the problem of tracking moving algal bloom fronts using an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) equipped with a sensor that measures the concentration of chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll a is a green pigment found in plants, and its concentration is an indicator of phytoplankton abundance. Our algal bloom front tracking mission consists of three stages: deployment, data collection, and front tracking. At the deployment stage, a satellite collects an image of the sea from which the location of the front, the reference value for the concentration at this front and, consequently, the appropriate initial position for the USV are determined. At the data collection stage, the USV collects data points to estimate the local algal gradient as it crosses the front. Finally, at the front tracking stage, an adaptive algorithm based on recursive least squares fitting using recent past sensor measures is executed. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm and its sensitivity to measurement noise through MATLAB simulations. We also present an implementation of the algorithm on the DUNE onboard software platform for marine robots and validate it using simulations with satellite model forecasts from Baltic sea data.

  • 56. Francke, W.
    et al.
    Karalius, V.
    Plass, E.
    Lehmann, L.
    Dos Santos, A.
    Buda, V.
    Borg-Karlson, Anna-Karin
    KTH, Superseded Departments (pre-2005), Chemistry.
    Mozuraitis, Raimondas
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemistry, Organic Chemistry.
    New type of sesiidae sex pheromone identified from the hornet moth Sesia apiformis2004In: Journal of Chemical Ecology, ISSN 0098-0331, E-ISSN 1573-1561, Vol. 30, no 4, p. 805-817Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Two components of the female-produced sex pheromone of the hornet moth, Sesia apiformis, were identified as (3Z, 13Z)-octadeca-3,13-dien-1-ol (3Z, 13Z-18:OH) and (2E, 13Z)-octadeca-2,13-dienal (2E, 13Z-18:Al), a pheromone structure new in Sesiidae. Pooled gland extracts showed the two major compounds in a proportion of ca. 2:3, while SPME-investigations on single calling females revealed a ratio of ca. 1:7. Although the single compounds were not attractive, a 2: 3 mixture proved to be highly active towards males in field tests. Small amounts of (2E, 13Z)-octadecadienol (2E, 13Z-18:OH) were found in the sex pheromone gland of females, however, the biological significance of the compound remains unclear. Methyl sulfide was found to readily react with 2-alkenals, providing an effective new method for the characterization of this type of compound upon GC/MS. The derivatives, 1,1,3-tris(methylthio)alkanes, are the products of the addition of methyl sulfide to the double bond and the transformation of the carbonyl group into the corresponding bis(methylthio)acetal. The mass spectra of these compounds are characterized by diagnostic signals at m/z 107 and/or m/z 121. These fragments represent the first carbon unit or the first two carbon units of the derivative, respectively. The parent signal in the spectra of thiomethyl derivatives of 2-alkenals showing no other double bonds is represented by m/z M+-121, formed upon loss of the first two carbon units. By employing a solution of methyl sulfide in dimethyl sulfide, the double bond positions in 2E, 13Z-18:Al could be fully characterized by GC/MS.

  • 57.
    Geilhufe, R. M.
    et al.
    Nordita SU.
    Olsthoorn, Bart
    KTH, Centres, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics NORDITA.
    Balatsky, Alexander V.
    KTH, Centres, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics NORDITA. Department of Physics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
    Shifting computational boundaries for complex organic materials2021In: Nature Physics, ISSN 1745-2473, E-ISSN 1745-2481, Vol. 17, no 2, p. 152-154Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 58.
    Gröndahl, Fredrik
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Brandt, Nils
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Karlsson, Sara
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Malmström, Maria E.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Sustainable use of Baltic Sea natural resources based on ecological engineering and biogas production2009In: ECOSYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT VII / [ed] Brebbia CA; Tiezzi E, 2009, Vol. 122, p. 153-161Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Eutrophication is a major threat to the Baltic Sea, causing algae blooms and hypoxic bottoms. Ecological engineering methods aiming at help mitigating the nutrient imbalance problems have already been initiated or are being planned in the coastal zones of the Baltic Sea. This includes harvesting of reed, macro algae and blue mussels as nutrient and energy natural resources. The potential and feasibility of such methods to form the basis for sustainable use of natural resources is governed by the ecological, technical, economic and social aspects associated with the whole chain of processes from biomass to end products, e.g. biogas, fertilizers, and wastes. As a first step in a sustainability assessment, we show that biogas production from algae and reed is associated with a net energy benefit. Blue mussels do not result in a net energy benefit if used for biogas production, but represent the most efficient way of removing nutrients. Based on these preliminary results, we suggest that biogas production from reed and macro algae is worthy of further investigation, whereas for blue mussels, an alternative product must be found.

  • 59.
    Gulbinskas, Saulius
    et al.
    Klaipeda Univ, Coastal Res & Planning Inst, Klaipeda, Lithuania.
    Mileriene, Rosita
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Blazauskas, Nerijus
    Klaipeda Univ, Coastal Res & Planning Inst, Klaipeda, Lithuania.
    Sand Sources for Beach Replenishment: ocean observations, ecosystem-based management & forecasting2008In: 2008 IEEE/OES US/EU-Baltic International Symposium  , 2008, p. 391-391Conference paper (Other academic)
  • 60.
    Gutting, Alicia
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment.
    Högselius, Per
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment.
    Burkhardt-Holm, Patricia
    Atomic Rivers: The (Un)sustainability of Nuclear Power in an Age of Climate Change2023Conference paper (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The increasingly noticeable effects of climate change are leading to increased advocacy of nuclear energy. Even though the so-called nuclear renaissance has come to an abrupt halt, especially due to the Fukushima disaster, proponents of nuclear energy are promoting it as an inevitable solution to decarbonise electricity production. Yet it has been known since the 1960s that waste heat from nuclear power plants has devastating effects on river ecosystems. Even though countries like Germany and Switzerland have taken measures to limit the thermal load of the Rhine and Aare, the Rhine is still the most thermally polluted river in the world in relation to its water resources. This raises the question of whether the socio-technical promise of sustainability of the current nuclear power plants is at all tenable from a river perspective.

    On this basis, this paper explores the (un)sustainability of riverine nuclear energy in past, present, and future, tracing its evolution over time from the early days of nuclear planning and construction to today’s – as of yet unfulfilled – dreams of a “nuclear renaissance”. We look at several European rivers that underwent nuclearization from the 1950s onwards, reconstructing the often-harsh struggles among a diverse group of actors for access to sufficient volumes of cooling water, the fight against “thermal pollution”, the negotiations about allowed temperature limits, and the emergence of technical fixes such as cooling towers and artificial lakes as – partly successful, partly failed – solutions to such problems.

  • 61.
    Hader, John D.
    et al.
    Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691 Sweden.
    Frenzel, Marcus
    Käppalaförbundet Södra Kungsvägen 315, 181 63 Lidingö Sweden, Södra Kungsvägen 315, Lidingö.
    Scullin, Jerome
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Plaza, Elzbieta
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Water and Environmental Engineering.
    MacLeod, Matthew
    Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691 Sweden.
    Prioritizing toxic shock threats to sewage treatment plants from down-the-drain industrial chemical spills: the RAVEN STREAM online tool2023In: Environmental Science: Advances, E-ISSN 2754-7000, Vol. 2, no 9, p. 1235-1246Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Down-the-drain chemical spills that reach a sewage treatment plant (STP) can cause a biological “toxic shock” that may reduce or eliminate the capability of STP microorganisms to remove organic matter and nutrients for weeks to months. Thus, chemical spills are a threat to water quality. Here, we present a case study of toxic shock threat prioritization for chemicals used at industrial facilities connected to the Käppala STP in Stockholm, Sweden. We surveyed 60 facilities, collected information on the use and storage of bulk chemical products, and documented 8676 uses of constituent chemicals. In situ chemical tracer experiments were conducted in the primary sewer tunnel leading to Käppala to measure chemical spill dilution during transit to the plant. To assess chemical risks to the plant, we extracted data on toxicity to STP microorganisms for 6168 chemicals from European Chemicals Agency brief profiles and estimated exposure concentrations in the plant using conservative assumptions. Under a high-end spill scenario, the majority of chemicals in the survey posed a negligible risk for adverse effects on plant microorganisms, however 28 chemicals were identified as posing a potential risk and were prioritized for additional information gathering to refine our conservative assumptions. The analysis framework was built into an online tool (RAVEN STREAM) provided as free, open-source software for STP operators to screen for threats posed by possible chemical spills at connected facilities. The threat identification framework can facilitate communication between STPs and their upstream industrial clients to mitigate possible high-risk chemical spills before they happen.

  • 62.
    Halder, Dipti
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Bhowmick, Subhamoy
    Biswas, Ashis
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Mandal, Ujjal
    Nriagu, Jerome
    Mazumdar, Debendra Nath Guha
    Chatterjee, Debashis
    Bhattacharya, Prosun
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Consumption of Brown Rice: A Potential Pathway for Arsenic Exposure in Rural Bengal2012In: Environmental Science and Technology, ISSN 0013-936X, E-ISSN 1520-5851, Vol. 46, no 7, p. 4142-4148Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study assesses the arsenic (As) accumulation in different varieties of rice grain, that people in rural Bengal mostly prefer for daily consumption, to estimate the potential risk of dietary As exposure through rice intake. The rice samples have been classified according to their average length (L) and L to breadth (B) ratio into four categories, such as short-bold (SB), medium-slender (MS), long-slender (LS), and extra-long slender (ELS). The brown colored rice samples fall into the SB, MS, or LS categories; while all Indian Basmati (white colored) are classified as ELS. The study indicates that the average accumulation of As in rice grain increases with a decrease of grain size (ELS: 0.04; LS: 0.10; MS: 0.16; and SB: 0.33 mg kg(-1)), however people living in the rural villages mostly prefer brown colored SB type of rice because of its lower cost. For the participants consuming SB type of brown rice, the total daily intake of inorganic As (TDI-iAs) in 29% of the cases exceeds the previous WHO recommended provisional tolerable daily intake value (2.1 mu g day(-1) kg(-1) BW), and in more than 90% of cases, the As content in the drinking water equivalent to the inorganic As intake from rice consumption (C-W,C-eqv) exceeds the WHO drinking water guideline of 10 mu g L-1. This study further demonstrates that participants in age groups 18-30 and 51-65 yrs are the most vulnerable to the potential health threat of dietary As exposure compared to participants of age group 31-50 yrs, because of higher amounts of brown rice consumption patterns and lower BMI.

  • 63. Hallberg, M.
    et al.
    Renman, Gunno
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Byman, L.
    Svenstam, G.
    Norling, M.
    Treatment of tunnel wash water and implications for its disposal2014In: Water Science and Technology, ISSN 0273-1223, E-ISSN 1996-9732, Vol. 69, no 10, p. 2029-2035Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The use of road tunnels in urban areas creates water pollution problems, since the tunnels must be frequently cleaned for traffic safety reasons. The washing generates extensive volumes of highly polluted water, for example, more than fivefold higher concentrations of suspended solids compared to highway runoff. The pollutants in the wash water have an affinity for particulate material, so sedimentation should be a viable treatment option. In this study, 12 in situ sedimentation trials were carried out on tunnel wash water, with and without addition of chemical flocculent. Initial suspended solids concentration ranged from 804 to 9,690 mg/L. With sedimentation times of less than 24 hours and use of a chemical flocculent, it was possible to reach low concentrations of suspended solids (< 15 mg/L), PAH (< 0.1 mu g/L), As (< 1.0 mu g/L), Cd (< 0.05 mu g/L), Hg (< 0.02 g/L), Fe (< 200 mu g/L), Ni (< 8 mu g/L), Pb (< 0.5 mu g/L), Zn (< 60 mu g/L) and Cr (< 8 mu g/L). Acute Microtox (R) toxicity, mainly attributed to detergents used for the tunnel wash, decreased significantly at low suspended solids concentrations after sedimentation using a flocculent. The tunnel wash water did not inhibit nitrification. The treated water should be suitable for discharge into recipient waters or a wastewater treatment plant.

  • 64.
    Hamd, Wael
    et al.
    Univ Balamand, Fac Engn, Chem Engn Dept, El Koura, Lebanon..
    Daher, Elie A.
    Lebanese Univ, Fac Engn 3, Sci Res Ctr Engn CRSI, Petrochem Engn Dept, Hadat, Lebanon..
    Tofa, Tajkia Syeed
    Mil Inst Sci & Technol MIST, Dept Civil Engn CE, Dhaka, Bangladesh..
    Dutta, Joydeep
    KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Applied Physics, Materials and Nanophysics.
    Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Removal of Microplastics: Mechanisms, Kinetic Degradation, and Reactor Design2022In: Frontiers in Marine Science, E-ISSN 2296-7745, Vol. 9, article id 885614Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Plastic products are used in almost all aspects of our daily life. Due to their low cost, portability, durability, and resistance to degradation, these products are affecting the health of the environment and biota on a global scale. Thus, the removal and mineralization of microplastics is an important challenge in the 21st century. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently been identified as a viable treatment technique for tackling recalcitrant organic molecules and polymers. However, information on kinetic degradation mechanisms and photocatalytic reactor design is insufficient. This review discusses the fundamentals of photocatalysis and photo-Fenton processes in addition to the photocatalytic degradation mechanisms. We also introduce different characterization techniques of the major microplastic pollutants such as PE, PP, PVC, PS, PMMA, and PA66. In addition, a detailed overview of the major existing photocatalytic plants and the scaling-up methods of photoreactors are discussed.

  • 65.
    Hansson, Sven Ove
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History of Technology, Philosophy.
    Joelsson, Karin
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History of Technology, Philosophy.
    Crop Biotechnology for the Environment?2013In: Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, ISSN 1187-7863, E-ISSN 1573-322X, Vol. 26, no 4, p. 759-770Article, review/survey (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In public debates, agricultural biotechnology is almost invariably discussed as a potential threat to the environment and to human health. Without downplaying the risks associated with this technology we emphasize that if properly regulated, it can be a forceful tool to solve environmental problems and promote human health. Agricultural biotechnology can reduce environmental problems in at least three ways: it can diminish the need for environmentally damaging agricultural practices such as pesticides, fertilizers, tillage, and irrigation. It can reduce the land area needed for agriculture, thus reducing the CO2 effect of agriculture and improving biodiversity. It can produce energy in a CO2-neutral way (especially if new technologies involving the cultivation of microalgae become successful). Furthermore, agricultural biotechnology can have positive effects on human health by decreasing occupational and dietary exposure to pesticides, improving the nutritional value of food, and producing pharmaceuticals more efficiently. We argue that those who wish to give high priority to environmental goals cannot afford any longer to be mere onlookers while others decide the future directions of agricultural biotechnology.

  • 66.
    Harvey, Clarissa
    et al.
    KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Applied Physics, Laser Physics.
    Mühlberger, Korbinian
    KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Applied Physics, Laser Physics.
    Oriekhov, Taras
    KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Applied Physics, Laser Physics.
    Fokine, Michael
    KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Applied Physics, Laser Physics.
    Optimising draw parameters for the fabrication of low loss silicon-core optical fibre2022In: Micro-Structured And Specialty Optical Fibres VII / [ed] Kalli, K Peterka, P Bunge, CA, SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng , 2022, Vol. 12140, article id 121400AConference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Optical fibre consisting of a pure silicon core in silica cladding combines the advantageous properties of silicon waveguides with the convenience of optical fibre. However, the optical quality of these fibres is highly dependent on the crystalline structure and the purity of the silicon. The fabrication of these fibres requires engineering of the thermal gradients during the drawing process to ensure optimal crystallisation of the silicon. Here, we investigated the effects of draw speed and analyse the induced stresses at multiple stages in the fabrication process. The thermal exposure of the silicon while in contact with a silica cladding was found to increase the optical losses. This was attributed to the diffusion of impurities from the silica cladding into the silicon core.

  • 67. Hasselstrom, Linus
    et al.
    Håkansson, Cecilia
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Environmental Strategies Research (fms).
    Detailed vs. fuzzy information in non-market valuation studies: the role of familiarity2013In: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, ISSN 0964-0568, E-ISSN 1360-0559, Vol. 57, no 1, p. 123-143Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We apply a split-sample contingent valuation survey to test whether the level of ecological information affects the willingness to pay (WTP) and valuation uncertainty for improved water quality. For respondents who are unfamiliar with water quality problems, the WTP is significantly different between the sample that received detailed ecological information and the sample that received fuzzy information. This study also provides new empirical evidence for the counterfactual; in a situation with high familiarity, more information does not affect mean WTP. The main recommendation to future valuation practice is to provide detailed ecological information in the case when many respondents are unfamiliar with the good. The level of information did not influence valuation uncertainty.

  • 68.
    Hasselström, Linus
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Gröndahl, Fredrik
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Payments for nutrient uptake in the blue bioeconomy & ndash; When to be careful and when to go for it2021In: Marine Pollution Bulletin, ISSN 0025-326X, E-ISSN 1879-3363, Vol. 167, article id 112321Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Harvesting of marine biomass for various applications may generate ecosystem services that currently lack a market price. One of these is nutrient uptake, which could counteract eutrophication. Market-based instruments (MBIs) such as cap & trade, compensatory mitigation, and payment for ecosystem services could help internalize such positive externalities. However, activities of the blue bioeconomy are diverse. We show that identifiable market characteristics can provide guidance concerning when to use these instruments and not. We find that the activities most suitable for MBIs are those that have positive environmental impacts but that are not (yet) financially viable. For activities that are already profitable on the biomass market, ensuring 'additionality' may be a significant problem for MBIs, especially for cap & trade systems or compensatory mitigation. We provide an overview of how some current biomass options fit into this framework and give suggestions on which biomass types to target.

  • 69.
    He, Hongxing
    et al.
    Univ Gothenburg, Dept Biol & Environm Sci, POB 460, S-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden..
    Jansson, Per-Erik
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering. Royal Inst Technol KTH, Dept Land & Water Resources Engn, S-10044 Stockholm, Sweden..
    Gardenas, Annemieke, I
    Univ Gothenburg, Dept Biol & Environm Sci, POB 460, S-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden..
    CoupModel (v6.0): an ecosystem model for coupled phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon dynamics - evaluated against empirical data from a climatic and fertility gradient in Sweden2021In: Geoscientific Model Development, ISSN 1991-959X, E-ISSN 1991-9603, Vol. 14, no 2, p. 735-761Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This study presents the integration of the phosphorus (P) cycle into CoupModel (v6.0, referred to as Coup-CNP). The extended Coup-CNP, which explicitly considers the symbiosis between soil microbes and plant roots, enables simulations of coupled carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and P dynamics for terrestrial ecosystems. The model was evaluated against observed forest growth and measured leaf C/P, C/N, and N/P ratios in four managed forest regions in Sweden. The four regions form a climatic and fertility gradient from 64°N (northern Sweden) to 56°N (southern Sweden), with mean annual temperature varying from 0.7-7.1 °C and soil C/N and C/P ratios varying between 19.8-31.5 and 425-633, respectively. The growth of the southern forests was found to be P-limited, with harvested biomass representing the largest P losses over the studied rotation period. The simulated P budgets revealed that southern forests are losing P, while northern forests have balanced P budgets. Symbiotic fungi accounted for half of total plant P uptake across all four regions, which highlights the importance of fungal-tree interactions in Swedish forests. The results of a sensitivity analysis demonstrated that optimal forest growth occurs at a soil N/P ratio between 15-20. A soil N/P ratio above 15-20 will result in decreased soil C sequestration and P leaching, along with a significant increase in N leaching. The simulations showed that Coup-CNP could describe shifting from being mostly N-limited to mostly P-limited and vice versa. The potential P-limitation of terrestrial ecosystems highlights the need for biogeochemical ecosystem models to consider the P cycle. We conclude that the inclusion of the P cycle enabled the Coup-CNP to account for various feedback mechanisms that have a significant impact on ecosystem C sequestration and N leaching under climate change and/or elevated N deposition.

  • 70.
    Hedberg, Yolanda S.
    et al.
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemistry, Surface and Corrosion Science. Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
    Lidén, Carola
    Odnevall Wallinder, Inger
    KTH, School of Chemical Science and Engineering (CHE), Chemistry, Surface and Corrosion Science.
    Correlation between bulk- and surface chemistry of Cr-tanned leather and the release of Cr(III) and Cr(VI)2014In: Journal of Hazardous Materials, ISSN 0304-3894, E-ISSN 1873-3336, Vol. 280, p. 654-661Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    About 1-3% of the adult general population in Europe is allergic to chromium (Cr). The assessment of the potential release of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from leather is hence important from a human health and environmental risk perspective. The Cr(VI) content in leather was recently restricted in the European Union. The aim of this study was to assess possible correlations between the bulk and surface chemistry of leather, released Cr(III) and Cr(VI), and capacities of co-released leather specific species to reduce and complex released Cr. Four differently tanned leathers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and the diphenylcarbazide colorimetric method. Their characteristics were compared with results on Cr(III) and Cr(VI) release into artificial sweat (ASW, pH < 6.5) and phosphate buffer (PB, pH 7.5-8.0), measured by means of spectrophotometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Co-released leather-specific species were shown to reduce Cr(VI), both in ASW and in PB. Their reduction capacities correlated with findings of the surface content of Cr and of released Cr. Leather samples without this capacity, and with less aromatic surface groups visible by ATR-FTIR, revealed Cr(VI) both at the surface and in solution (PB).

  • 71.
    Herlemann, D. P. R.
    et al.
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Rostock, Germany.;Estonian Univ Life Sci, Ctr Limnol, Elva Parish, Tartu County, Estonia..
    Markert, S.
    Ernst Moritz Arndt Univ Greifswald, Inst Pharm, Dept Pharmaceut Biotechnol, Greifswald, Germany.;Inst Marine Biotechnol eV, Greifswald, Germany..
    Meeske, C.
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Rostock, Germany..
    Andersson, Anders F.
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab.
    de Bruijn, Ino
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab.
    Hentschker, C.
    Ernst Moritz Arndt Univ Greifswald, Dept Microbial Prote, Inst Microbiol, Greifswald, Germany..
    Unfried, F.
    Ernst Moritz Arndt Univ Greifswald, Inst Pharm, Dept Pharmaceut Biotechnol, Greifswald, Germany.;Inst Marine Biotechnol eV, Greifswald, Germany..
    Becher, D.
    Ernst Moritz Arndt Univ Greifswald, Dept Microbial Prote, Inst Microbiol, Greifswald, Germany..
    Juergens, K.
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Rostock, Germany..
    Schweder, T.
    Ernst Moritz Arndt Univ Greifswald, Inst Pharm, Dept Pharmaceut Biotechnol, Greifswald, Germany.;Inst Marine Biotechnol eV, Greifswald, Germany..
    Individual Physiological Adaptations Enable Selected Bacterial Taxa To Prevail during Long-Term Incubations2019In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, ISSN 0099-2240, E-ISSN 1098-5336, Vol. 85, no 15, article id UNSP e00825-19Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Enclosure experiments are frequently used to investigate the impact of changing environmental conditions on microbial assemblages. Yet, how the incubation itself challenges complex bacterial communities is thus far unknown. In this study, metaproteomic profiling, 16S rRNA gene analyses, and cell counts were combined to evaluate bacterial communities derived from marine, mesohaline, and oligohaline conditions after long-term batch incubations. Early in the experiment, the three bacterial communities were highly diverse and differed significantly in their compositions. Manipulation of the enclosures with terrigenous dissolved organic carbon resulted in notable differences compared to the control enclosures at this early phase of the experiment. However, after 55 days, bacterial communities in the manipulated and the control enclosures under marine and mesohaline conditions were all dominated by gammaproteobacterium Spongiibacter. In the oligohaline enclosures, actinobacterial cluster I of the hgc group (hgc-I) remained abundant in the late phase of the incubation. Metaproteome analyses suggested that the ability to use outer membrane-based internal energy stores, in addition to the previously described grazing resistance, may enable the gammaproteobacterium Spongiibacter to prevail in long-time incubations. Under oligohaline conditions, the utilization of external recalcitrant carbon appeared to be more important (hgc-I). Enclosure experiments with complex natural microbial communities are important tools to investigate the effects of manipulations. However, species-specific properties, such as individual carbon storage strategies, can cause manipulation-independent effects and need to be considered when interpreting results from enclosures. IMPORTANCE In microbial ecology, enclosure studies are often used to investigate the effect of single environmental factors on complex bacterial communities. However, in addition to the manipulation, unintended effects ("bottle effect") may occur due to the enclosure itself. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial communities that originated from three different salinities of the Baltic Sea, comparing their compositions and physiological activities both at the early stage and after 55 days of incubation. Our results suggested that internal carbon storage strategies impact the success of certain bacterial species, independent of the experimental manipulation. Thus, while enclosure experiments remain valid tools in environmental research, microbial community composition shifts must be critically followed. This investigation of the metaproteome during long-term batch enclosures expanded our current understanding of the so-called "bottle effect," which is well known to occur during enclosure experiments.

  • 72. Herrmann, T. M.
    et al.
    Sandström, P.
    Granqvist, Karin
    KTH.
    D’Astous, N.
    Vannar, J.
    Asselin, H.
    Saganash, N.
    Mameamskum, J.
    Guanish, G.
    Loon, J. -B
    Cuciurean, R.
    Effects of mining on reindeer/caribou populations and indigenous livelihoods: Community-based monitoring by Sami reindeer herders in Sweden and First Nations in Canada2014In: The Polar Journal, ISSN 2154-896X, E-ISSN 2154-8978, Vol. 4, no 1, p. 28-51Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper explores the effects of human disturbances associated with mine development in the Arctic on habitat and populations of reindeer/caribou (both Rangifer tarandus), and implications for reindeer husbandry and caribou hunting of indigenous Sami people in Sweden and First Nations in Canada. Through three case studies, we illustrate how Cree and Naskapi communities develop community- based geospatial information tools to collect field data on caribou migration and habitat changes, and how Sami reindeer herders use GIS to gather information about reindeer husbandry to better communicate impacts of mining on reindeer grazing areas. Findings indicate impacts on the use of disturbed habitat by reindeer/caribou, on migration routes, and northern livelihoods. The three cases present novel methods for community-based environmental monitoring, with applications in hazards mapping and denote the active engagement of indigenous communities in polar environmental assessments, generating community-oriented data for land use management decisions. They also illustrate how technology can lead to better communication and its role for empowerment. 

  • 73.
    Hope, H
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Messmann, S
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Olsson, Monika
    Brandt, Nils
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Industrial Ecology.
    Water Operation Lifelong Learning: An European Approach2006In: Proceedings of the 2nd International IWA Conference on Sewer Operation and Maintenance. October 26-28, 2006, Vienna, Austria., 2006Conference paper (Other academic)
  • 74.
    Howells, Mark I.
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Hermann, Sebastian
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Welsch, Manuel
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Bazilian, Morgan
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Segerström, Rebecka
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Alfstad, Thomas
    Gielen, Dolf
    Rogner, Holger
    Fischer, Guenther
    van Velthuizen, Harrij
    Wiberg, David
    Young, Charles
    Roehrl, R. Alexander
    Mueller, Alexander
    Steduto, Pasquale
    Ramma, Indoomatee
    Integrated analysis of climate change, land-use, energy and water strategies2013In: Nature Climate Change, ISSN 1758-678X, E-ISSN 1758-6798, Vol. 3, no 7, p. 621-626Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Land, energy and water are our most precious resources, but the manner and extent to which they are exploited contributes to climate change. Meanwhile, the systems that provide these resources are themselves highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Efficient resource management is therefore of great importance, both for mitigation and for adaptation purposes. We postulate that the lack of integration in resource assessments and policy-making leads to inconsistent strategies and inefficient use of resources. We present CLEWs (climate, land-use, energy and water strategies), a new paradigm for resource assessments that we believe can help to remedy some of these shortcomings.

  • 75.
    Howells, Mark
    et al.
    KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Energy Technology, Energy Systems Analysis.
    Rogner, H-Holger
    Water-energy nexus: Assessing integrated systems2014In: Nature Climate Change, ISSN 1758-678X, E-ISSN 1758-6798, Vol. 4, no 4, p. 246-247Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 76.
    Hu, Yue
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO).
    Microbial DNA Sequencing in Environmental Studies2017Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The field of microbial ecology has just entered a new era of rapid technological development and generation of big data. The high-throughput sequencing techniques presently available provide an opportunity to extensively inventorize the blueprints of life. Now, millions of microbes of natural microbial communities can be studied simultaneously without prior cultivation. New species and new functions (genes) can be discovered just by mining sequencing data. However, there is still a tremendous number of microorganisms not yet examined, nor are the ecosystem functions these carry out. The modern genomic technologies can contribute to solve environmental problems and help us understand ecosystems, but to most efficiently do so, methods need to be continuously optimised.

     

    During my Ph. D. studies, I developed a method to survey eukaryotic microbial diversity with a higher accuracy, and applied various sequencing-based approaches in an attempt to answer questions of importance in environmental research and ecology. In PAPER-I, we developed a set of 18S rRNA gene PCR primers with high taxonomic coverage, meeting the requirements of currently popular sequencing technologies and matching the richness of 18S rRNA reference sequences accumulated so far. In PAPER-II, we conducted the first sequencing-based spatial survey on the combined eukaryotic and bacterial planktonic community in the Baltic Sea to uncover the relationship of microbial diversity and environmental conditions. Here, the 18S primers designed in PAPER-I and a pair of broad-coverage 16S primers were employed to target the rRNA genes of protists and bacterioplankton for amplicon sequencing. In PAPER-III, we integrated metagenomic, metabarcoding, and metatranscriptomic data in an effort to scrutinise the protein synthesis potential (i.e., activity) of microbes in the sediment at a depth of 460 m in the Baltic Sea and, thus, disclosing microbial diversity and their possible ecological functions within such an extreme environment. Lastly, in PAPER-IV, we compared the performance of E. coli culturing, high-throughput sequencing, and portable real-time sequencing in tracking wastewater contamination in an urban stormwater system. From the aspects of cost, mobility and accuracy, we evaluated the usage of sequencing-based approaches in civil engineering, and for the first time, validated the real-time sequencing device in use within water quality monitoring.

     

    In summary, these studies demonstrate how DNA sequencing of microbial communities can be applied in environmental monitoring and ecological research.

    Download full text (pdf)
    doctoral_thesis_Yue
  • 77.
    Hugerth, Luisa
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology. Science for Life Laboratory.
    High-throughput DNA Sequencingin Microbial Ecology: Methods and Applications2016Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Microorganisms play central roles in planet Earth’s geochemical cycles, in food production, and in health and disease of humans and livestock. In spite of this, most microbial life forms remain unknown and unnamed, their ecological importance and potential technological applications beyond the realm of speculation. This is due both to the magnitude of microbial diversity and to technological limitations. Of the many advances that have enabled microbiology to reach new depth and breadth in the past decade, one of the most important is affordable high-throughput DNA sequencing. This technology plays a central role in each paper in this thesis.

    Papers I and II are focused on developing methods to survey microbial diversity based on marker gene amplification and sequencing. In Paper I we proposed a computational strategy to design primers with the highest coverage among a given set of sequences and applied it to drastically improve one of the most commonly used primer pairs for ecological surveys of prokaryotes. In Paper II this strategy was applied to an eukaryotic marker gene. Despite their importance in the food chain, eukaryotic microbes are much more seldom surveyed than bacteria. Paper II aimed at making this domain of life more amenable to high-throughput surveys.

    In Paper III, the primers designed in papers I and II were applied to water samples collected up to twice weekly from 2011 to 2013 at an offshore station in the Baltic proper, the Linnaeus Microbial Observatory. In addition to tracking microbial communities over these three years, we created predictive models for hundreds of microbial populations, based on their co-occurrence with other populations and environmental factors.

    In paper IV we explored the entire metagenomic diversity in the Linnaeus Microbial Observatory. We used computational tools developed in our group to construct draft genomes of abundant bacteria and archaea and described their phylogeny, seasonal dynamics and potential physiology. We were also able to establish that, rather than being a mixture of genomes from fresh and saline water, the Baltic Sea plankton community is composed of brackish specialists which diverged from other aquatic microorganisms thousands of years before the formation of the Baltic itself.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 78.
    Hugerth, Luisa
    et al.
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology. Science for Life Laboratory.
    Lindh, Markus
    Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems - Linnaeus University.
    Sjöqvist, Conny
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology.
    Carina, Bunse
    Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems - Linnaeus University.
    Legrand, Catherine
    Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems - Linnaeus University.
    Pinhassi, Jarone
    Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial model Systems - Linnaeus University.
    Andersson, Anders
    KTH, School of Biotechnology (BIO), Gene Technology.
    Seasonal dynamics and interactions among Baltic Sea prokaryoticand eukaryotic plankton assemblagesManuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    One of the main goals of microbial ecology is to identify the mechanismsthat regulate patterns in community structure at temporal scalescompatible with populations’ turnover times across complete seasonalcycles. Here, we examined high-frequency temporal dynamics of marineplankton from a sampling effort covering 2011-2013, roughly twice weekly,comprising 144 samples. Bacterial and eukaryotic communities wereprofiled by 16S and 18S high-throughput sequencing, respectively.Interestingly, we found that no combination of the measured environmentalparameters could predict a significant proportion of the variation inpopulation dynamics of bacterioplankton, and even less so for eukaryoticplankton. Large differences in physicochemical conditions and communitycomposition typical of temperate climates mean that different regimes canquickly succeed each other over the year, with the relative importance ofdifferent drivers changing equally rapidly. Nevertheless, our approachrevealed interesting recurrent co-occurrence patterns across distinctenvironmental changes. Hence, we could make abundance predictions formore than half of the most frequent OTUs based on interactions with otherOTUs. These results suggests that a complex set of biotic interactions arecontributing to temporal patterns among planktonic assemblages despiterapid changes in environmental conditions.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 79.
    Hyder, A. H. M. Golam
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Begum, Shamim A.
    Egiebor, Nosa O.
    Sorption studies of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution using bio-char as an adsorbent2014In: Water Science and Technology, ISSN 0273-1223, E-ISSN 1996-9732, Vol. 69, no 11, p. 2265-2271Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The characteristics of sorption of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) onto bio-char derived from wood chips (spruce, pine, and fir) were evaluated as a function of pH, initial Cr(VI) concentration and bio-char dosage using synthetic wastewater in batch tests. The initial Cr(VI) concentrations were varied between 10 and 500 mg/L to investigate equilibrium, kinetics, and isotherms of the sorption process. About 100% of Cr(VI) was removed at pH 2 with initial Cr(VI) concentration of 10 mg/L using 4 g of bio-char after 5 hours of sorption reaction. The maximum sorption capacity of the bio-char was 1.717 mg/g for an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 500 mg/L after 5 hours. The sorption kinetics of total Cr onto bio-char followed the second-order kinetic model. The Langmuir isotherm model provided the best fit for total Cr sorption onto bio-char. The bio-char used is a co-product of a down draft gasifier that uses the derived syngas to produce electricity. Bio-char as a low cost adsorbent demonstrated promising results for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The findings of this study would be useful in designing a filtration unit with bio-char in a full-scale water and wastewater treatment plant for the Cr(VI) removal from contaminated waters.

  • 80.
    Höhler, Sabine
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment.
    Earth, a technogarden: Planting for the planet in Sweden's first phytotron, 1950 - 19702021In: Geschichte und Gesellschaft, ISSN 0340-613X, E-ISSN 2196-9000, Vol. 46, no 4, p. 706-728Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    This paper studies the new repositories of specimens and knowledge that emerged from Sweden's first “phytotron,” a modern climate laboratory for plant research established in Stockholm in the 1960s. Different aspects and scales of technoscientific plant and crop growth came together under one roof: inhouse trials on the timing and spacing of trees and crops, postwar domestic policies to modernize a largely rural country, and Swedish forest geneticists' expertise in international efforts to improve forest stand and productivity globally. I argue that a scalar analysis of scientific forestry can help identify and assess the historical contingencies and contexts that formed the interventions in planetary order invoked by the Anthropocene. 

  • 81.
    Höhler, Sabine
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment.
    Lajus, J.
    Roberts, Peder
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment.
    Wråkberg, U.
    Troubling the northern seas: The turbulent history of Norwegian and Russian fisheries2019In: The Politics of Arctic Resources: Change and Continuity in the "Old North" of Northern Europe, Informa UK Limited , 2019, p. 181-199Chapter in book (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Chapter 10, continuing the marine theme, discusses the development of marine governance of oceanic resources and environment. Focused on the historical development of Norwegian and Russian fisheries and the Barents Sea as a joint fishing region, the chapter highlights the numerous uses that the sea has been put to historically. It also illustrates the scientific, technological and legislative interventions that influence how the environmental changes taking place today are perceived.

  • 82. Ishikawa, N.
    et al.
    Kourtit, Karima
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Urban Planning and Environment, Urban and Regional Studies. KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Centres, Center for the Future of Places.
    Nijkam, P.
    Urbanization and quality of life: An overview of the health impacts of urban and rural residential patterns2015In: The Rise of the City: Spatial Dynamics in the Urban Century, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. , 2015, p. 259-317Chapter in book (Other academic)
  • 83.
    Iwaszkiewicz-Eggebrecht, Elzbieta
    et al.
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Granqvist, Emma
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Buczek, Mateusz
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Prus, Monika
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Kudlicka, Jan
    Department of Data Science and Analytics, BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway.
    Roslin, Tomas
    Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Tack, Ayco J.M.
    Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Andersson, Anders F.
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab. KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Gene Technology.
    Miraldo, Andreia
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Ronquist, Fredrik
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Łukasik, Piotr
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Optimizing insect metabarcoding using replicated mock communities2023In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution, E-ISSN 2041-210X, Vol. 14, no 4, p. 1130-1146Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Metabarcoding (high-throughput sequencing of marker gene amplicons) has emerged as a promising and cost-effective method for characterizing insect community samples. Yet, the methodology varies greatly among studies and its performance has not been systematically evaluated to date. In particular, it is unclear how accurately metabarcoding can resolve species communities in terms of presence-absence, abundance and biomass. Here we use mock community experiments and a simple probabilistic model to evaluate the effect of different DNA extraction protocols on metabarcoding performance. Specifically, we ask four questions: (Q1) How consistent are the recovered community profiles across replicate mock communities?; (Q2) How does the choice of lysis buffer affect the recovery of the original community?; (Q3) How are community estimates affected by differing lysis times and homogenization? and (Q4) Is it possible to obtain adequate species abundance estimates through the use of biological spike-ins? We show that estimates are quite variable across community replicates. In general, a mild lysis protocol is better at reconstructing species lists and approximate counts, while homogenization is better at retrieving biomass composition. Small insects are more likely to be detected in lysates, while some tough species require homogenization to be detected. Results are less consistent across biological replicates for lysates than for homogenates. Some species are associated with strong PCR amplification bias, which complicates the reconstruction of species counts. Yet, with adequate spike-in data, species abundance can be determined with roughly 40% standard error for homogenates, and with roughly 50% standard error for lysates, under ideal conditions. In the latter case, however, this often requires species-specific reference data, while spike-in data generalize better across species for homogenates. We conclude that a non-destructive, mild lysis approach shows the highest promise for the presence/absence description of the community, while also allowing future morphological or molecular work on the material. However, homogenization protocols perform better for characterizing community composition, in particular in terms of biomass.

  • 84.
    Iwaszkiewicz-Eggebrecht, Elzbieta
    et al.
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Łukasik, Piotr
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Buczek, Mateusz
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Deng, Junchen
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland; Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Hartop, Emily A.
    Station Linné, Färjestaden, Sweden; Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde-Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.
    Havnås, Harald
    Station Linné, Färjestaden, Sweden.
    Prus-Frankowska, Monika
    Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
    Ugarph, Carina R.
    Station Linné, Färjestaden, Sweden.
    Viteri, Paulina
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Andersson, Anders F.
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab. KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Gene Technology.
    Roslin, Tomas
    Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Tack, Ayco J.M.
    Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Ronquist, Fredrik
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    Miraldo, Andreia
    Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
    FAVIS: Fast and versatile protocol for nondestructive metabarcoding of bulk insect samples2023In: PLOS ONE, E-ISSN 1932-6203, Vol. 18, no 7, p. e0286272-, article id e0286272Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Insects are diverse and sustain essential ecosystem functions, yet remain understudied. Recent reports about declines in insect abundance and diversity have highlighted a pressing need for comprehensive large-scale monitoring. Metabarcoding (high-throughput bulk sequencing of marker gene amplicons) offers a cost-effective and relatively fast method for characterizing insect community samples. However, the methodology applied varies greatly among studies, thus complicating the design of large-scale and repeatable monitoring schemes. Here we describe a non-destructive metabarcoding protocol that is optimized for high-throughput processing of Malaise trap samples and other bulk insect samples. The protocol details the process from obtaining bulk samples up to submitting libraries for sequencing. It is divided into four sections: 1) Laboratory workspace preparation; 2) Sample processing-decanting ethanol, measuring the wet-weight biomass and the concentration of the preservative ethanol, performing non-destructive lysis and preserving the insect material for future work; 3) DNA extraction and purification; and 4) Library preparation and sequencing. The protocol relies on readily available reagents and materials. For steps that require expensive infrastructure, such as the DNA purification robots, we suggest alternative low-cost solutions. The use of this protocol yields a comprehensive assessment of the number of species present in a given sample, their relative read abundances and the overall insect biomass. To date, we have successfully applied the protocol to more than 7000 Malaise trap samples obtained from Sweden and Madagascar. We demonstrate the data yield from the protocol using a small subset of these samples.

  • 85. Jamil, N. A. M.
    et al.
    Gomes, C.
    Gomes, Ashen
    KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Electrical Engineering, Electric Power and Energy Systems.
    Abdul Kadir, M. Z. A.
    Effects of electrical stimulation on the yield of tuber of tiger's milk mushroom2019In: Engineering in Agriculture, Environment and Food, ISSN 1881-8366, Vol. 12, no 4, p. 526-533Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The growth rate of mycelium of the tiger's milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerotis) at intermediate development stage was successfully increased up to 16% by the application of corona discharge through multiple needles at a steady state voltage of 5 kV generated by a Van der Graff generator, for 5 h a day, for four weeks. The same method could enhance the yield of tuber up to 56%. Myco-chemical analysis on the tuber of the corona treated group did not show any significant variation in the total flavonoid content and metabolite chromatogram pattern in comparison with that of the control groups and the reference groups. The experiment shows that the enhancement of the harvest of tuber of the tiger's milk mushroom is much more significant than the growth rate improvement of the mycelium of the same type of mushroom, as it was reported previously.

  • 86. Jamil, N. A. M.
    et al.
    Gomes, C.
    Kadir, Z.
    Gomes, Ashen
    KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Electrical Engineering, Electric Power and Energy Systems.
    Impact of electrical stimulation on the growth of mycelium of lignosus rhinocerus (cooke) ryvarden2020In: Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, ISSN 1536-8378, E-ISSN 1536-8386, Vol. 39, no 4, p. 356-363Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Corona discharge from multiple needles at an electrical potential of 5 kV generated by a Van de Graff generator increased the growth rate of the mycelium of tiger’s milk mushroom by 10.3% at the end of the first eight days. A similar growth rate enhancement was observed for the next eight days as well. Mycelium of tiger’s milk mushroom was cultured on agar media in Petri dish for five days prior to the exposure to various forms of electrical stimulations. The direct current injection (1.1–1.3 A) to the growing medium, application of an electric potential to the growing environment at low strength (30 V) and high strength (5 kV) with single and multiple needles showed varying degrees of success. This suggests that the mycelium of tiger’s milk mushroom could positively be stimulated by specific electrical stimulation techniques with selected parameters. This will pave the way to a highly beneficial growth enhancement technique that can be up-scaled to apply in mass production of mushroom.

  • 87.
    Janssen, Rene
    et al.
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Biol Oceanog, Rostock, Germany..
    Beck, Aaron J.
    GEOMAR Helmholtz Ctr Ocean Res Kiel, Marine Biogeochem, Kiel, Germany..
    Werner, Johannes
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Biol Oceanog, Rostock, Germany..
    Dellwig, Olaf
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Marine Geol, Rostock, Germany..
    Alneberg, Johannes
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab. KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Gene Technology.
    Kreikemeyer, Bernd
    Univ Rostock, Inst Med Microbiol Virol & Hyg, Rostock, Germany..
    Maser, Edmund
    Univ Med Sch Schleswig Holstein, Inst Toxicol & Pharmacol Nat Scientists, Kiel, Germany..
    Bottcher, Claus
    State Minist Energy Agr Environm Nat & Dig & Atio, Kiel, Germany..
    Achterberg, Eric P.
    GEOMAR Helmholtz Ctr Ocean Res Kiel, Marine Biogeochem, Kiel, Germany..
    Andersson, Anders F.
    KTH, Centres, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab. KTH, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), Gene Technology.
    Labrenz, Matthias
    Leibniz Inst Baltic Sea Res Warnemunde, Biol Oceanog, Rostock, Germany..
    Machine Learning Predicts the Presence of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene in Sediments of a Baltic Sea Munitions Dumpsite Using Microbial Community Compositions2021In: Frontiers in Microbiology, E-ISSN 1664-302X, Vol. 12, article id 626048Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Bacteria are ubiquitous and live in complex microbial communities. Due to differences in physiological properties and niche preferences among community members, microbial communities respond in specific ways to environmental drivers, potentially resulting in distinct microbial fingerprints for a given environmental state. As proof of the principle, our goal was to assess the opportunities and limitations of machine learning to detect microbial fingerprints indicating the presence of the munition compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in southwestern Baltic Sea sediments. Over 40 environmental variables including grain size distribution, elemental composition, and concentration of munition compounds (mostly at pmol.g(-1) levels) from 150 sediments collected at the near-to-shore munition dumpsite Kolberger Heide by the German city of Kiel were combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing libraries. Prediction was achieved using Random Forests (RFs); the robustness of predictions was validated using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). To facilitate machine learning with microbiome data we developed the R package phyloseq2ML. Using the most classification-relevant 25 bacterial genera exclusively, potentially representing a TNT-indicative fingerprint, TNT was predicted correctly with up to 81.5% balanced accuracy. False positive classifications indicated that this approach also has the potential to identify samples where the original TNT contamination was no longer detectable. The fact that TNT presence was not among the main drivers of the microbial community composition demonstrates the sensitivity of the approach. Moreover, environmental variables resulted in poorer prediction rates than using microbial fingerprints. Our results suggest that microbial communities can predict even minor influencing factors in complex environments, demonstrating the potential of this approach for the discovery of contamination events over an integrated period of time. Proven for a distinct environment future studies should assess the ability of this approach for environmental monitoring in general.

  • 88.
    Jeppsson, Tobias
    Department of Ecology, The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Centre of Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo.
    The many forms of beta diversity: a comment on McGill et al. and some notational suggestions2017In: PeerJ Preprints, E-ISSN 2167-9843, article id 5:e3157v1Article in journal (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Fundamentally, beta diversity is a measure of species turnover across time or space. In practice, it is sometimes unclear exactly what aspect of beta diversity that is implied in studies. For instance, a trend in ’spatial beta diversity’ can be used to refer to both differences in spatial beta diversity between sites, as well as a temporal trend in spatial beta diversity (at the same site). In a recent review, McGill et al. [1] provide a useful and much needed overview of different aspects of biodiversity change, and show areas where we lack knowledge. Even so, McGill et al. ignore some aspects of beta diversity and sometimes pool different types of beta diversity under the same heading. However, their review mainly focused on temporal trends in diversity, while I here want to highlight spatial patterns in temporal β -diversity (species turnover) as an important but somewhat overlooked component of biodiversity change. Furthermore, I propose a slightly modified classification and nomenclature of metrics of biodiversity change, with the aim of complementing their review. The notation used here can hopefully be useful to other authors as well.

    Download full text (pdf)
    fulltext
  • 89.
    Jeppsson, Tobias
    et al.
    Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
    Forslund, Par
    Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
    Can Life History Predict the Effect of Demographic Stochasticity on Extinction Risk?2012In: American Naturalist, ISSN 0003-0147, E-ISSN 1537-5323, Vol. 179, no 6, p. 706-720Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Demographic stochasticity is important in determining extinction risks of small populations, but it is largely unknown how its effect depends on the life histories of species. We modeled effects of demographic stochasticity on extinction risk in a broad range of generalized life histories, using matrix models and branching processes. Extinction risks of life histories varied greatly in their sensitivity to demographic stochasticity. Comparing life histories, extinction risk generally increased with increasing fecundity and decreased with higher ages of maturation. Effects of adult survival depended on age of maturation. At lower ages of maturation, extinction risk peaked at intermediate levels of adult survival, but it increased along with adult survival at higher ages of maturation. These differences were largely explained by differences in sensitivities of population growth to perturbations of life-history traits. Juvenile survival rate contributed most to total demographic variance in the majority of life histories. Our general results confirmed earlier findings, suggesting that empirical patterns can be explained by a relatively simple model. Thus, basic life-history information can be used to assign life-history-specific sensitivity to demographic stochasticity. This is of great value when assessing the vulnerability of small populations.

  • 90.
    Jeppsson, Tobias
    et al.
    Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet.
    Forslund, Pär
    Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet.
    Species' traits explain differences in Red list status and long-term population trends in longhorn beetles2014In: Animal Conservation, ISSN 1367-9430, E-ISSN 1469-1795, Vol. 17, no 4, p. 332-341Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Some species are more likely to go extinct than others and this is partially due to species' traits. Therefore, it is important to establish links between traits and extinction risks. Different aspects of a species' biology also relates to different sources of threat, such as fragmented populations or low population growth rate. In a comparative study of Swedish longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), we related species' traits to two aspects of extinction risk - population decline and small/fragmented populations - measured by long-term population trends and IUCN Red list classifications. Trait relationships were analysed with generalized linear models and multi-model inference. We found that extinction risk generally increased with longer generation times, corresponding to slower life histories. Adult activity period was also related to both metrics of extinction risk, but in different ways. We also found that extinction risk increased with larval host plant specialization, but only for Red list classification. Large body size was related to increased Red list classification in species overwintering as adults, and overwintering stage also structured the effects of several other traits. Our results show that both intrinsic demographic traits and ecological traits affect extinction risks, and also suggest that risks are shaped by multiple mechanisms. Therefore, researchers should carefully choose their metric of extinction risk for comparative studies, as the Red list classification may best capture current risk, whereas population trends can be used more proactively but may reflect historical relationships between traits and extinction risk.

  • 91.
    Jeppsson, Tobias
    et al.
    Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
    Lindhe, Anders
    Gardenfors, Ulf
    Swedish Species Informat Ctr.
    Forslund, Par
    Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
    The use of historical collections to estimate population trends: A case study using Swedish longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)2010In: Biological Conservation, ISSN 0006-3207, E-ISSN 1873-2917, Vol. 143, no 9, p. 1940-1950Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Long term data to estimate population trends among species are generally lacking. However, Natural History Collections (NHCs) can provide such information, but may suffer from biases due to varying sampling effort. To analyze population trends and range-abundance dynamics of Swedish longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), we used collections of 108 species stretching over 100 years. We controlled for varying sampling effort by using the total number of database records as a reference for non-red-listed species. Because the general frequency of red-listed species increased over time, a separate estimate of sampling effort was used for that group. We observed large interspecific variation in population changes, from declines of 60% to several hundred percent increases. Most species showed stable or increasing ranges, whereas few seemed to decline in range. Among increasing species, rare species seemed to expand their range more than common species did, but this pattern was not observed in declining species. Historically, rare species did not seem to be at larger risk of local extinction, and population declines were mostly due to lower population density and not loss of sub-populations. We also evaluated the species' declines under IUCN red-list criterion A, and four currently not red-listed species meet the suggested threshold for Near Threatened (NT). The results also suggested that species' declines may be overlooked if estimated only from changes in species range. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  • 92. Johnson, A. F.
    et al.
    Lidström, Susanna
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Philosophy and History, History of Science, Technology and Environment. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA, United States.
    The balance between concepts and complexity in ecology2018In: Nature Ecology & Evolution, E-ISSN 2397-334X, Vol. 2, no 4, p. 585-587Article in journal (Refereed)
  • 93.
    Juston, John
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Andrén, Olof
    Department of Soil and Environment, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Kätterer, Thomas
    Department of Soil and Environment, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden.
    Jansson, Per-Erik
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Uncertainty analyses for calibrating a soil carbon balance model to agricultural field trial data in Sweden and Kenya2010In: Ecological Modelling, ISSN 0304-3800, E-ISSN 1872-7026, Vol. 221, no 16, p. 1880-1888Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    How do additional data of the same and/or different type contribute to reducing model parameter and predictive uncertainties? Most modeling applications of soil organic carbon (SOC) time series in agricultural field trial datasets have been conducted without accounting for model parameter uncertainty. There have been recent advances with Monte Carlo-based uncertainty analyses in the field of hydrological modeling that are applicable, relevant and potentially valuable in modeling the dynamics of SOC. Here we employed a Monte Carlo method with threshold screening known as Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) to calibrate the Introductory Carbon Balance Model (ICBM) to long-term field trail data from Ultuna, Sweden and Machang'a, Kenya. Calibration results are presented in terms of parameter distributions and credibility bands on time series simulations for a number of case studies. Using these methods, we demonstrate that widely uncertain model parameters, as well as strong covariance between inert pool size and rate constant parameters, exist when root mean square simulation errors were within uncertainties in input estimations and data observations. We show that even rough estimates of the inert pool (perhaps from chemical analysis) can be quite valuable to reduce uncertainties in model parameters. In fact, such estimates were more effective at reducing parameter and predictive uncertainty than an additional 16 years time series data at Ultuna. We also demonstrate an effective method to jointly, simultaneously and in principle more robustly calibrate model parameters to multiple datasets across different climatic regions within an uncertainty framework. These methods and approaches should have benefits for use with other SOC models and datasets as well.

  • 94.
    Kale, Manoj Ashokrao
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Dudhe, Nandkishor
    Bombay Nat Hist Soc, Hornbill House,Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rd, Bombay 400001, Maharashtra, India..
    Ferrante, Marco
    Aarhus Univ, Dept Agroecol, Flakkebjerg Res Ctr, Forsogsvej 1, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark..
    Ivanova, Tatiana
    ICPO Biologists Nat Conservat, 24 Line VO 3-7, St Petersburg 199106, Russia..
    Kasambe, Raju
    Bombay Nat Hist Soc, Hornbill House,Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rd, Bombay 400001, Maharashtra, India..
    Trukhanova, Irina S.
    Univ Washington, Polar Sci Ctr, Appl Phys Lab, 1013 NE 40th St, Seattle, WA 98105 USA..
    Bhattacharya, Prosun
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Lovei, Gabor L.
    Aarhus Univ, Dept Agroecol, Flakkebjerg Res Ctr, Forsogsvej 1, DK-4200 Slagelse, Denmark..
    The effect of urbanization on the functional and scale-sensitive diversity of bird assemblages in Central India2018In: Journal of Tropical Ecology, ISSN 0266-4674, E-ISSN 1469-7831, Vol. 34, p. 341-350Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Diversity changes can be evaluated at various spatial scales, and the relationship between changes in diversity at the local, landscape and regional scales is not evident. The overall patterns of functional and beta diversity of bird assemblages were evaluated along a five-stage urbanization gradient, censused over the months of January to April in the years 2010-2013, in and around Amravati city, Deccan Plateau, Central India. We expected the abundance of large and predatory species to decline along the gradient, and urbanization to homogenize species richness at the landscape level. Overall, 112,829 birds belonging to 89 species were identified in the region, and species richness decreased from the rural forest (73 species) to more urbanized areas (lowest at the centre of Amravaty city with 29 species). Along the urbanization gradient, bird assemblages contained more small species, and the share of frugivorous and omnivorous species also increased, while that of insectivorous species decreased. Diversity partitioning indicated that of the overall pattern, local (alpha) diversity accounted for 50.1% of the total (gamma) diversity, and urbanization stages another 36.2%; the contribution of within-stage, local diversity was rather small (2.7%), indicating fairly homogeneous assemblages.

  • 95.
    Kale, Manoj Ashokrao
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Ferrante, M.
    Dudhe, N.
    Kasambe, R.
    Trukhanova, I. S.
    Ivanova, T.
    Bhattacharya, Prosun
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology. KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering.
    Lövei, G. L.
    Nestedness of bird assemblages along an urbanisation gradient in central India2018In: Journal of Urban Ecology, ISSN 2058-5543, Vol. 4, no 1Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    We censused terrestrial bird assemblages along a five-stage urbanisation gradient (rural forest, industrial zone, peri-urban, suburban and urban habitats) in and around Amravati City, Central India, between January and April 2010-2013. A total of 89 species of birds were recorded, with the highest detected species richness in the rural areas (67 species) and the lowest in the urban one (29 species). The rural habitats had the highest diversity, followed, in a decreasing order, by industrial, periurban, suburban and urban areas, supporting Gray's increasing disturbance rather than Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The densities were, however, highest in the urban habitats, supporting the resource concentration hypothesis. The assemblages were significantly nested, indicating a common origin from the rural forest.

  • 96.
    Karlberg, Louise
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Irrigation with saline water using low-cost drip-irrigation systems in sub-Saharan Africa2005Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other scientific)
    Abstract [en]

    In the scope of future population support, agricultural productivity, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, has to increase drastically to meet the UN’s millennium development goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Water availability in the root-zone limits crop production in large parts of the developing world. As competition for fresh water increases, water of lower quality, for example saline or polluted water, is often used for irrigation. Low-cost drip systems are suitable for saline water irrigation because they effectuate a minimisation of salt accumulation, leaf burn and peaks in salt concentration. Nonetheless, all types of saline water irrigation contain the risk for causing soil salinisation. Thus, in order to achieve long-term sustainability of these systems, appropriate management strategies are needed. The choice of management practices may be influenced by local conditions such as climate, soil and irrigation water salinity. A litera-ture review showed that there is a potential for saline water irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa in water scarce areas. Low-cost drip irrigation with saline water (6 dS m-1) was successfully used to irrigate two consecutive crops of tomato in semi-arid South Africa. An integrated ecosystems model was developed to simulate long-term yield and salt accumulation in a drip-irrigated agricultural system for a range of salinities, climates and management techniques. Crop, salt and water balance data from two field experiments conducted in Israel and South Africa, respectively, were used to parameterise and test the model. Emphasis was placed on testing the usability of the model as a tool for evaluating the importance of certain plausible management options of low-cost, drip-irrigation systems. Therefore, particular focus was directed towards correctly describing soil salinity stress on plant growth and soil evaporation from a distributed (wetted and dry) surface. In addition, the model was developed to function for different climates without having to change any other parameters or variables except for the actual climatic data. Simulations were subsequently run over a 30-year period to study long-term yield and salt accumulation in the soil profile for two sites in South Africa, demonstrating the applicability of the model. Model simulations showed that high soil salinities reduced crop growth and thus increased both drainage and soil evaporation. Further, covering the soil with a plastic sheet led to a reduction of soil evaporation and a subsequent increase in both transpiration and drainage. Rainfall was crucial for the leaching of salts from the soil, and thus in regions with low levels of rainfall, a higher leaching fraction of supplied saline irrigation water has to compensate for the lack of rain. However, a high leaching fraction also causes large amounts of salt leaching, which could potentially pollute underlying groundwater and downstream ecosystems. This risk can be mitigated using mulching, which minimises non-productive water losses, thereby lowering irrigation water needs. The choice of irrigation water salinity, frequency of irrigation and soil coverage may differ between the farmer and the regional water manager due to different preferences. Furthermore, the study highlighted how environmental variables such as water use efficiency and radiation use efficiency can be used as indicators of system performance. Whereas the latter is first and foremost a general stress indicator, water use efficiency more precisely describes specific factors such as plant size, allocation patterns and evaporative demand, which will affect the exchange of carbon dioxide and water through the stomata.

    Download full text (pdf)
    FULLTEXT01
  • 97.
    Karlberg, Louise
    et al.
    KTH, Superseded Departments (pre-2005), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Annandale, John G
    University of Pretoria.
    Jansson, Per-Erik
    KTH, Superseded Departments (pre-2005), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Rockström, Johan
    Stockholm Enivironment Institute.
    Steyn, J Martin
    University of Pretoria.
    Long-term impact of different management strategies for low-cost drip-irrigation systems using saline water: modelling two hypothetical agricultural systems in South AfricaIn: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, ISSN 0168-1923, E-ISSN 1873-2240Article in journal (Other academic)
  • 98.
    Karlberg, Louise
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Ben-Gal, Alon
    Gilat Research Centre, Israel.
    Jansson, Per-Erik
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Shani, Uri
    Modelling transpiration and growth in salinity-stressed tomato under different climatic conditions2006In: Ecological Modelling, ISSN 0304-3800, E-ISSN 1872-7026, Vol. 190, no 1-2, p. 15-40Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Models aiming to simulate growth under salinity stress and varied climatic conditions must rely on accurate methods for predicting transpiration and photosynthesis. Traditionally, models have described salinity stress as a decrease in water uptake caused by a low osmotic potential in the soil; however, many physiological studies suggest that reduced plant growth observed under saline conditions could be caused by increased respiration. Explicit calculation of photosynthesis and respiration enables both approaches to be tested and compared in a simulation model. We used an integrated ecosystems model (the CoupModel) to simulate photosynthesis and transpiration over a range of salinities. The model was calibrated and tested on two sets of data (two different seasons) on saline water, drip-irrigated tomato from lysimeter trials in the Arava Valley, Israel. Yields for the spring season were significantly lower than during the first autumn season even though transpiration was higher. As a result, water use efficiency differed by a factor of two between seasons. The model was successful in capturing this large variation, which was caused primarily by high levels of radiation and vapour pressure deficits during spring. For autumn the salinity stress approach in which water uptake was reduced performed well, whereas during spring the increased respiration approach correlated better with measurements. The concept of water use efficiency was found to be a useful tool for interpreting the accumulated effects of climatic and environmental conditions on particular agricultural systems. An attempt to simulate tomatoes grown in production beds indicated that the model set-up was also able to describe conventional cropping systems

  • 99.
    Karlberg, Louise
    et al.
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Jansson, Per-Erik
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Gustafsson, David
    KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry and Ecotechnology.
    Model-based evaluation of low-cost drip-irrigation systems and management strategies using saline water2007In: Irrigation science, ISSN 0342-7188, E-ISSN 1432-1319, Vol. 25, no 4, p. 387-399Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A drip-irrigation module was developed and included in an ecosystem model and tested on two independent datasets, spring and autumn, on field-grown tomato. Simulated soil evaporation correlated well with measurements for spring (2.62 mm d(-1) compared to 2.60 mm d(-1)). Changes in soil water content were less well portrayed by the model (spring r(2) = 0.27; autumn r(2) = 0.45). More independent data is needed for further model testing in combination with developments of the spatial representation of below-ground variables. In a fresh-water drip-irrigated system, about 30% of the incoming water was transpired, 40% was lost as non-productive evaporative flows, and the remainder left the system as surface runoff or drainage. Simulations showed that saline water irrigation (6 dS m(-1)) caused reduced transpiration, which led to higher drainage and soil evaporation, compared with fresh water. Covering the soil with plastic mulch resulted in an increase in yield and transpiration. Finally, two different drip-irrigation discharge rates (0.2 and 2.5 l h(-1)) were compared; however the simulations indicated that the discharge rate did not have any impact on the partitioning of the incoming water to the system. The model proved to be a useful tool for evaluating the importance of specific management options.

  • 100.
    Karlberg, Louise
    et al.
    KTH, Superseded Departments (pre-2005), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
    Penning de Vries, Frits W T
    International Water Management Institute.
    Exploring potentials and constraints of low-cost drip irrigation with saline water in sub-Saharan Africa2004In: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, ISSN 1474-7065, E-ISSN 1873-5193, Vol. 29, no 15-18, p. 1035-1042Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Irrigation with saline water could provide an interesting opportunity to meet increasing food demands without competing with other pressing needs for fresh water such as domestic and industrial water use in water scarce regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, saline groundwater could be a plentiful and under-utilised resource; however, there is a lack of data to confirm this assumption. Saline water is deliberately and successfully used for irrigation of field and garden crops in several countries. The water saving characteristics and the distribution patterns of water in the soil under drip irrigation make this water application technique suitable for use in combination with saline water. Low-cost drip irrigation has already been successfully implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. It is suggested that low-cost drip irrigation with saline groundwater for the cultivation of horticultural crops can be a feasible option under conditions of water shortage, and has the potential to contribute to improved and sustainable crop production for smallholder farmers.

1234 51 - 100 of 196
CiteExportLink to result list
Permanent link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf