Farm cooperation to improve sustainability

In this paper, it is demonstrated that partnership arrangements between farmers might be a way to secure the economic viability of their farms as well as to increase profitability. The article discusses empirical analyses of three different forms of collaboration, with an emphasis on the environmental improvements associated with collaboration. Collaboration between a dairy farm and a crop farm is analyzed in the first case. The results show that potential gains from improved diversification and crop rotation are substantial, and even larger when the collaboration also involves machinery. The second analysis considers external integration between farrowing and finishing-pig operations. Gains from collaboration originate from biological and technical factors, such as improved growth rate of the pigs and better utilization of buildings. Finally, an evaluation of a group of collaborating crop farmers is performed. In this case, the benefits that arise are mainly due to reduced machinery costs and/or gains due to other factors, such as improved crop rotation and managerial/marketing strategies.     

Statistical control of hygienic quality of bathing water

In Denmark the hygienic quality of the bathing water has been controlled, based on general guidelines since 1978. Today more than 1100 control sites in marine areas have been established to ensure safe bathing water quality. According to EEC directives and Danish tradition, the control is usually performed by measuring the content of the indicator bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) in 5 to 20 test samples each bathing season.In Denmark, control programmes and data are evaluated using basic statistical quality control principles. This paper presents general guidelines for bacterial control, their statistical background and practical application. Furthermore, the evaluation and application of a specific programme for control of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are presented. This programme was used in a Danish bay where the authorities prescribe direct control of these potentially harmful bacteria.     

Estimating residential air pollution exposure among citizens in Oslo 1974-1998 using a geographical information system

Annual concentration fields of SO2 and NOx for the period 1974-1998 are calculated for a 22 x 18 km2-grid in Oslo. In a study of lung cancer and air pollution in Oslo, 16209 men living in Oslo have been followed from 1972/73 to 1998. This paper presents a method for estimating their annual residential air pollution exposure for SO2 and NOx. In the exposure assessment the National Population Register provided information on home addresses. Each participant was given an annual average air pollutant concentration outdoors of the address he lived the largest part of that year. Persons living close to streets with high traffic were given an additional concentration, and persons who moved outside Oslo were given a region value for each year. Due to regulations of the sulfur content in fuel oil and a general change of local heating systems to electricity or distant heating, the SO2-concentrations in Central Oslo were reduced during the period from about 60 microg m(-3) in 1974-75 to about 4 microg m(-3) in 1997-98. Due to the increasing traffic the NOx-concentrations have increased slowly, from about 40 microg m(-3) in 1974-84 to about 60 microg m(-3) in 1989. After the introduction of catalyst cars the concentrations were reduced to about 45 microg m(-3) in 1997-98.     

Spatial patterns of organic chlorine and chloride in Swedish forest soil

The concentration of organic carbon, organic chlorine and chloride was determined in Swedish forest soil in the southern part of Sweden and the spatial distribution of the variables were studied. The concentration of organically bound chlorine was positively correlated to the organic carbon content, which is in line with previous studies. However, the spatial distribution patterns strongly indicate that some other variable adds structure to the spatial distribution of organic chlorine. The distribution patterns for chloride strongly resembled the distribution of organic chlorine. The spatial distribution of chloride in soil depends on the deposition pattern which in turn depends on prevailing wind-direction, amount of precipitation and the distance from the sea. This suggests that the occurrence of organic chlorine in soil is influenced by the deposition of chloride or some variable that co-varies with chloride. Two clearly confined strata were found in the area: the concentrations of organic chlorine and chloride in the western area were significantly higher than in the eastern area. No such difference among the two areas was seen regarding the carbon content.     

Conflict resolution by participatory management: remote sensing and GIS as tools for communicating land-use needs for reindeer herding in northern Sweden

When seeking to resolve complex land-management issues, geographical assessment of resources that are in short supply or in dispute can aid the communication of knowledge and the understanding among and between different stakeholders. In this paper, we illustrate how remote sensing and GIS can be used to gather and compile information regarding land-use activities and patterns among reindeer herders and other land users (forestry, mining, tourism, etc) in northern Sweden. The project represents a novel user-oriented effort largely based on the work carried out by the principal end user, i.e. the reindeer herders themselves. The basis for development of land-use plans for reindeer husbandry, was the following: to collect and digitally systemize traditional ecological and landscape knowledge of reindeer habitat use; to integrate this information with results from field inventories and satellite-based vegetation classifications; to map activities of other land users. The resulting land-use plans provide information that can facilitate consultation between the reindeer herders and other stakeholders and can facilitate operational work in reindeer management. This project can serve as a model for participatory involvement and planning, bringing indigenous knowledge and advanced remote-sensing techniques together in an interactive process.     

Genomics meets ethology: a new route to understanding domestication, behavior, and sustainability in animal breeding

Animal behavior is a central part of animal welfare, a keystone in sustainable animal breeding. During domestication, animals have adapted with respect to behavior and an array of other traits. We compared the behavior of junglefowl and White Leghorn layers, selected for egg production (and indirectly for growth). Jungle-fowl had a more active behavior in social, exploratory, anti-predatory, and feeding tests. A genome scan for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) in a junglefowl x White Leghorn intercross revealed several significant or suggestive QTLs for different traits. Some production QTLs coincided with QTLs for behavior, suggesting that pleiotropic effects may be important for the development of domestication phenotypes. One gene has been located, which has a strong effect on the risk of being a victim of feather pecking, a detrimental behavior disorder. Modern genomics paired with analysis of behavior may help in designing more sustainable and robust breeding in the future.     

Carbon dynamics in wood products

The carbon (C) reservoir of wood products in Finnishconstruction and civil engineering was estimated by three inventoriesincluding the years 1980, 1990 and 1995. The inventory method ismainly based on the statistics of Finnish building stock. The use of differentconstruction materials in different parts of buildings is estimated for eachbuilding type. Information collected through building permits includes thematerials of bearing frames and facades. More information about the useof wood products in construction is gathered by many enquiries. The mixof construction materials has changed during each decade. Furthermore, thetimber stocks in construction not subject to permission and in civilengineering (e.g. bridges) were estimated. The C reservoir is calculated onthe basis of dry matter content of wooden construction materials. The timeparameters of a simple exponential decay model and a more detailed Cbalance model of wood products were calibrated to the inventory resultsusing the estimated wood flows to construction as model inputs.According to the inventories the C pool in sawn wood and wood-basedpanels of the Finnish building stock was 8.7 Tg C in 1980, 10.7 Tg C in1990 and 11.5 Tg C in 1995. The mean annual increases, 0.20 Tg Cfrom 1980 to 1990 and 0.15 Tg C from 1990 to 1995, areapproximately 1.3% and 0.8% of the fossil fuel C emissions in Finlandduring the same periods. When also taking into account construction notsubject to permission and civil engineering works, the estimated C stock ofwood products in Finland was 16.5 Tg C in 1995, which is about 3.3 MgC per capita and approximately 2.4% of the C reservoir in Finnish forestbiomass. The total C reservoir of wood products (excluding wood wasteand paper products) coming from Finnish forests might be as much as 7%of the standing biomass if exported wood products are also included. Theaverage lifetime of sawn wood in Finnish construction is less than 40 years.     

大型动物的种群恢复:大象种群增长的生态学效应

博茨瓦纳北部及其毗邻地区分布着世界上最大的非洲象种群(Loxodonta africana),而在100年前,由于过度捕猎,大象的种群数量极为稀少.     

Testing the Norwegian phosphorus index at the field and subcatchment scale

Simple risk assessment tools for agricultural phosphorus (P) losses, like the P index, have been developed in the U.S.A. and in some European countries. Despite its popularity, there have been surprisingly few studies, which try to test the index close to the field scale. For Norway, the P index approach comprises the risk related to both the source of P (soil P status, amount of fertilizer and manure as well as method of application, plant P release by freezing and P balance) and the risk related to transport of P (erosion, flooding, surface runoff, contributing distance, modified connectivity, soil profile, subsurface drainage). In this paper, we have applied the Norwegian P index to farmer fields within a small agricultural catchment, the Skuterud catchment (450 ha), in southeastern Norway. The Norwegian P index was tested for two agricultural fields (0.3–0.4 ha) and nine subcatchments (6–65 ha). Total P concentrations in runoff from the 11 study areas were measured during the year from May 2001 to April 2002. Results from the testing showed that the Norwegian P index described 66% of the variation in measured relative total P concentration for fields and subcatchments included in this study. Additionally, the P index was able to detect fields and subcatchments with the highest measured P concentrations. Results also showed that the source factor contributed most to the variation between fields and hence were important for the identification of high-risk areas in Skuterud catchment. It was found that the soil P status described 66% of the variation in the source factor. Among the transport variables, it was found that both erosion risk and contributing distance had an important influence on the transport factor. Overall, the study illustrated the potential of the P index to detect areas with the highest risk of P loss.     

Regional eco-efficiency indicators – a participatory approach

Eco-efficiency emerged in the 1990s as a measure of “the efficiency with which ecological resources are used to meet human needs.” Eco-efficiency indicators as tools for regional sustainability policy were demonstrated in a Life-Environment project, ECOREG, in the Finnish region of Kymenlaakso. A participatory approach was utilised to produce indicators that are relevant for regional decision-makers and that will actually be used. The approach established a system through which decision-makers are able to monitor changes using several economic-environmental ratio indicators, and at the same time obtain information on the social progress taking place in the region. In the future, there will be a need for an ongoing dialogue among the different actors in the region in order to ensure that the indicators are indeed used to promote sustainable development.