Due to the lack of foliar fungicide use, the organic production of Brassica seeds free of Alternaria spp. is difficult. Therefore, effective seed treatments certified for use in organic farming are needed to eradicate or at least effectively reduce the seed-borne inoculum. We here report results of greenhouse and field experiments in which non-chemical seed treatments were tested for control of A. brassicicola on cabbage seeds naturally infested with the pathogen. In greenhouse experiments, significant improvements were obtained by seed treatment with some commercialised and experimental microbial biocontrol agents, an emulsion of thyme oil in water (0.1%) and by the tested physical seed treatments methods (i.e. hot water, aerated steam and electron seed treatment). Resistance inducers tended to increase the percentage of healthy plants, but the effects were statistically not significant. Generally the combination of physical treatments with the effective agents did not result in improved performance. Positive effects on crop establishment and yield by the same treatments were also observed in field tests. Overall the results indicate that several options for non-chemical control of A. brassicicola on Brassica seeds exist that are comparable in efficacy to the chemical standard Aatiram (active ingredient thiram) used in this study.

Wheat bran and rye bran are mostly used as animal feed today, but their high content of dietary fiber and bioactive components are beneficial to human health. Increased use of bran as food raw material could therefore be desirable. However, bran mainly contains unextractable dietary fiber and deteriorates the sensory properties of products. Processing by extrusion could increase the extractability of dietary fiber and increase the sensory qualities of bran products. Wheat bran and rye bran were therefore extruded at different levels of moisture content, screw speed and temperature, in order to find the optimal setting for increased extractability of dietary fiber and positive sensory properties. A water content of 24% for wheat bran and 30% for rye bran, a screw speed of 400 rpm, and a temperature of 130 °C resulted in the highest extractability of total dietary fiber and arabinoxylan. Arabinoxylan extractability increased from 5.8% in wheat bran to 9.0% in extruded wheat bran at those settings, and from 14.6% to 19.2% for rye bran. Total contents of dietary fiber and arabinoxylan were not affected by extrusion. Content of β-glucan was also maintained during extrusion, while its molecular weight decreased slightly and extractability increased slightly. Extrusion at these settings is therefore a suitable process for increasing the use of wheat bran and rye bran as a food raw material.

The term green infrastructure captures the need to conserve biodiversity and to sustain landscapes’ different ecosystem services. Maintaining green infrastructures through protected areas, management and landscape restoration requires knowledge in geography, spatial data about biophysical, anthropogenic and immaterial values, spatial comprehensive planning, and thus geographical information systems (GIS). To understand land use planning practices and planning education regarding GIS in Sweden we interviewed 43 planners and reviewed 20 planning education programmes. All planners used GIS to look at data but did not carry out spatial analyses of land covers. BSc programmes included more GIS than MSc programmes but very few taught analyses for spatial planning. As key spatial planning actors, municipalities’ barriers and bridges for improved GIS use for collaborative learning about green infrastructures are discussed. A concluding section presents examples of how GIS can support spatial planning for green infrastructures.

Abstract

The research in the interdisciplinary field of natural-human-health-design has in recent decades gainedmomentum and led to new or new-old ways of thinking and acting in terms of planning and design of outdoorenvironments with the aim of health promotion. Concrete concept models and design guides have begun toemerge as a result of this research.The purpose of this work is to use these guides to develop a design proposal for a supposed health garden,with Wij Trädgårdar in Ockelbo as a base. This has been done in the form of a process description. The targetgroup for the design proposal is long-term unemployed and people who have come to Sweden as refugees.Since the specific design recommendations could not be found for the selected target group, the main materialwas general guidelines for health gardens in combination with guidelines for health gardens directed to targetgroups with stress-related problems, which is a broad target group for which there are relatively much currentresearch.The result is a process description of the progression towards a sketch on a health garden, designed for aspecific spot on Wij Trädgårdar, but available for use in other locations, provided adjustments is made to thespecific location. The sketch is supplemented with plant suggestions to different parts of the garden. A sketchof an alternative proposal is included as a smaller, faster and cheaper version of the main design proposal.

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of herbal medicine for vasomotor symptoms during menopause. The questions posed were which herbs that were used, what parts of the herbs that were used, and how the plant parts were prepared and utilized. The last question covered how much the plants alleviated the vasomotor symptoms.

A review of the scientific literature was carried out. In the articles, 20 herbs and plants were used, but only five of them were said to relieve the vasomotor symptoms. The five plants were Actaea racemosa, Angelica sinensis, Ginkgo biloba, Glycine sp. and Pimpinella anisum.  The most commonly used parts of the herbs were the roots, often through extracts that were processed in order to increase the concentration and to transform the plant parts into powder. The powder was then for the most part transformed to tablets and capsules. Sometimes, information was missing, such as the scientific names of the plants, what parts of the plants that were used and how the herbs were prepared and utilized.

On average, the herbs alleviated the vasomotor symptoms by 60 %. Most of the herbs appeared to relieve mild symptoms more than they alleviated strong symptoms. An exception was P. anisum, which decreased both the amount of and the strength of the flushes by 74 %.

This literature study shows that there are plants that influence the vasomotor symptoms in a positive direction. At the same time, it shows that the information in the articles is sometimes incomplete and that the scientists do not always study if the herbs can give side effects.

Herbal medicine could be an alternative for women who, for different reasons, cannot or do not want to take synthetic hormones or other pharmacological medicines. However, in order to make herbal medicine part of the treatment offered by public health care, longitudinal studies that also investigate possible side effects or risks are needed for securing the effect of the herbs on the human body.

We synthesized available data for decomposition of pine (Pinus) needle litter in pine forests to determine the litter chemical characteristics and climate factors that explained variation in the limit value, i. e. the level of accumulated mass loss at which the decomposition process either continues at a very low rate or possibly stops. Our data base included 56 separate studies on decomposition of pine needle litter, spanning Scots pine, lodgepole pine, Aleppo pine, stone pine and white pine, mainly incubated at the site of collection. Studies had 5 to 19 samplings, on average 10, and the decomposition was followed to a mass loss ranging from 47 to 83%, on average 67%. The periods from 3.0 to 5.4 years, on average 3.9 years, were of sufficient duration to allow estimates of limit values of decomposition. We used a linear mixed model with regression effects to relate limit values to potential explanatory variables, namely the sites' long-term mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) and to substrate-chemistry factors. Regarding the latter, we explored two models; one that included initial concentrations of water solubles, lignin, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Mn and one that included only lignin, N, Ca, and Mn to focus on those nutrients known to influence lignin degradation. Using backward elimination significant explanatory variables were determined. For litter decomposed in its site of origin we found the limit value to depend mainly on the initial concentration of Mn, with higher Mn concentrations resulting in higher accumulated mass loss. Thus, litter with higher Mn reached a higher limit value and left a smaller stable fraction. This is likely due to the fact that Mn is an essential component of ligninolytic enzymes important for degrading litter in the later stages of decomposition. Manganese has received little attention in decomposition studies to date. Given its significance in this synthesis, the role of Mn in influencing variation in the late stages of decomposition among ecosystems and among litters of other genera besides Pinus deserves further attention.

We have reviewed the literature on the role of manganese (Mn) in the litter fall-to-humus subsystem. Available data gives a focus on North European coniferous forests. Manganese concentrations in pine (Pinus spp.) foliar litter are highly variable both spatially and temporally within the same litter species and for the genus Pinus we found a range from 0.03 to 3.7mgg-1. Concentrations were related negatively to site mean annual temperature (MAT) and annual actual evapotranspiration (AET) for pine species litter but not for that of Norway spruce (Picea abies) as a single species. Combined data for several species showed a highly significant relationship to MAT.Manganese peroxidase is an Mn-dependent enzyme, found in white-rot fungi, essential for the degradation of lignin and ligninlike compounds. The decomposition rates of lignified litter tissue (late phase) is positively related to the litter’s Mn concentration. Further, the Mn concentration is positively related to the limit value for decomposition - the higher the Mn concentration the smaller the stable litter fraction. Manganese release from decomposing litter appears at least in part to be species related. Thus was release from pine needle litter significantly faster (p<. 0.001) than that from the Mn-richer litter of Norway spruce. Over Northern Europe concentrations of total Mn in mor humus as well as extractable Mn in the mineral soil increase with decreasing MAT and over a climatic gradient the Mn concentrations in Norway spruce mor increase more with decreasing MAT than in a gradient with Scots pine. Higher Mn concentrations in humus appear to decrease its stability and result in a higher release of carbon dioxide (CO<inf>2</inf>) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We conclude that this may explain (i) the lower amount of carbon (C) in mor layers under Norway spruce as compared to Scots pine as well as the higher amount of C in mineral soil under spruce. The increase in nitrogen (N) concentration in humus, following N fertilization resulted in a decrease in that of Mn. We have found four cases - empirical - with negative interaction between Mn and N; (i) in pine foliar litter fall concentrations of Mn decrease with site MAT whereas those of N increase, (ii) in decomposing late-stage litter with N retarding and Mn stimulating decomposition, (iii) for the stable phase, limit values are related negatively to N and positively to Mn, and (iv) Mn concentrations in humus decrease with MAT whereas those of N increase.

We have synthesized available data for calcium (Ca) dynamics in decomposing foliar litter of mainly pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), and birch (Betula) species to determine patterns of Ca concentration with climate in newly shed litter and its dynamics in decomposing litter as well as a possible role for Ca as regards limit values. Initial Ca concentration was negatively related to mean annual precipitation (MAP) with different relationships among genera. A limited data set showed a positive relationship across species (p &lt; 0.05) to extractable Ca in soil. In paired stands, litter of both Norway spruce (Picea abies) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) had higher Ca concentrations than Scots pine (Pinus silvestris), Norway spruce litter even twice as high. Relationships between initial concentrations of Ca and those of other nutrients appeared to be dominated by the positive ones to potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) and specifically for deciduous litter there was a negative relationship to nitrogen (N). In decomposing litter, Ca concentration followed a negative quadratic (Ca = a + t − t2) function and had a maximum, which was variable. The Ca maximum concentration during decomposition was positively related to initial Ca concentration both within and among species. Separate linear relationships based on species were combined into one, in common for all investigated species and genera (R2 = 0.914, n = 63, p &lt; 0.001). Limit values for decomposition were positively related to maximum Ca concentration at p &lt; 0.05 with separate functions for pine and spruce litter. Calcium net release started directly after the incubation and was linear to accumulated mass loss of litter, giving a slope coefficient for each study. The net release rates were linear to initial Ca concentration both within and across species/genera. All studies combined gave a negative linear relationship (R2 = 0.894, n = 67, p &lt; 0.001).

To determine sequestration rates of carbon dioxide (CO2) we calculated the carbon (C) storage rate in humus layers of Swedish forests with Podsolic soils, which account for 14.2 x 106 ha of the 22.7 x 106 ha of forested land in Sweden. Our data set covered 41 years of humus inventories and mean humus layer thickness in 82513 plots. We analysed three forest types: (i) all combinations of tree species, (ii) forests dominated (>70%) by Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), and (Ui) forests dominated (>70%) by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). To relate changes in humus layer thickness to land area we used the intersections in 25 km x 25 km grids and used kriging interpolation, permitting calculations for each forest type. For each intersection mean humus thickness for each year was calculated and regressed against time to obtain the rate of change. This rate, humus bulk density, and humus C concentration were used, to calculate sequestration rates. The mean sequestration rate was 251 kg C-ha-1'year1, which is higher than theoretical values. The sequestration rate was positively related to temperature sum, albeit including effects of forest management. The pine-dominated forest type had a mean rate of 283 kgCha⁁year-1, and. the spruce-dominated had a mean rate of 239 kg Cha-1-year1. Under similar site conditions, pine sequestered more C than spruce (difference of 71 kg Cha-1'year-1; p < 0.0001), showing the importance of this type of ecosystem for C sequestration.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate relationships between decomposition rates of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta) needle litter in the late stage of decomposition (>30% accumulated mass loss), and the progressively changing concentrations of manganese (Mn), nitrogen (N), and acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR), as well as mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). Using available long-term decomposition studies on pine needle litter in a climate gradient in Sweden, we calculated annual mass loss and related to concentrations of Mn, N, and AUR at the start of each one-year period as well as to MAT and MAP. We investigated these relationships for (i) all data on annual mass loss combined and (ii) annual mass loss for five different decomposition categories as defined by accumulated mass loss. We found highly significant, negative, and dominant relationships between annual mass loss and N (R2=0.39) and AUR (R2=0.39), a slight but significant positive relationship to Mn (R2=0.08) and a significant negative relationship to MAT (R2=0.06). The relationships were dynamic, and changed with accumulated mass loss. The rate-dampening effect of N decreased to be a rate-enhancing effect at c. 60-80% accumulated mass loss. A similar trend was found for AUR, becoming rate-enhancing at 70-80% accumulated mass loss. For Scots pine needle litter the effect of MAT on mass loss decreased with increasing accumulated mass loss and changed to a rate-dampening effect at c. 50-70% accumulated mass loss. Mn showed a stimulating effect on mass loss rate in all categories whereas MAP showed no effect in this mainly boreal climatic gradient. The current approach indicates a method for detailed studies of rate-regulating factors for litter decomposition. 

The nutrition bound in macroalgae, also known as seaweed, contains high amounts of all the nutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and plant hormones, necessary for plants, animals and humans. Totally for free it is floating in the oceans around the world and has been harvested and used by people for thousands of years. A problem that has arisen in the wake of Industrialism during the past 200 years is that human beings spread non-desirable substancesto air, water and soil, for example heavy metals. Macroalgae accumulate the heavy metals, which may become a problem if we want to eat seaweed or use it to grow plants in.  In a growth trial using macroalgal compost made from Fucus radicans collected from the Baltic Sea, the uptake heavy metals in the edible tubers of potatoes of the cultivar ‘Cherie’ was investigated. The following heavy metals were analyzed: lead(Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and copper (Cu). There were no differences in the uptake of heavy metal between potatoes grown in macroalgal compost and soil, but the potato tubers from both cultivations contained concentrations of Cd and As higher than those normally found in Swedish potatoes. The concentrations are, however, much lower than the limits set by EFSA. The macroalgal compost and the soil used in the experiment were also analyzed for heavy metal content. The Cd concentration in the compost exceeded the limit for Swedish compost. However, the high levels of Cd in the compost were not reflected in the Cd content of the potato tubers. Soil conductivity and pH values were also investigated. The high conductivityof the macroalgal compost was probably due to insufficient rinsing of the macroalgae, and thus it was not ideal for use in crop cultivation. In spite of this, the crop yield was good. In conclusion, macroalgal compost can be recommended as a cultivation substrate for potatoes.

The ground is an important factor to consider in today's tough climate for our urban trees. Especially for the trees that shall live in the most vulnerable parts of the city, such as the square, along heavily trafficked roads or surrounded by only paved surfaces. One solution is structured soils which is used in many cities in Sweden but also in other countries. An interesting new development of structured soils where AMA-soil has been replaced with biochar is now being tested in a project in Stockholm. The focus in this paper will therefore be on how biochar is used practically in the tree plant beds and the effects this has on the trees' development.

The purpose of this paper is to get an insight on how biochar in urban tree plant beds are used with examples from Stockholm Biochar Project. And also to examine the parameters used to measure the effect biochar have on tree growth, and to assess the impact of biochar has on the trees.

The work of this paper was carried out as an interview study and was then also combined with research in scientific books and articles. The interviewee is active in the area and works as a tree specialist at the traffic office,Stockholm city and complicit in Stockholm Biochar Project. Researched have been done in various databases where the keywords biokol, biochar, terra preta, urban city trees and tree inventory have been used.

The construction of the plant bed with biochar in Stockholm city has proved to be similar to the old model, but it differs in that the AMA-soil has been exchanged for biochar and also in that the dimensions of the macadam instructured soil is changed.

The parameters used in the Stockholm city to measure tree growth are stem circumference. But there are also other parameters that could be used to measure growth and these could also be applied to assess effect of the biochar on the tree.

In a comparison of tree growth, where tree of the same species had grown in similar conditions but in three different types of plant beds, the results showed that the trees planted in biochar did not have the best growth.

FOREWORD

Geoinformatics 2004, the 12th International Conference on Geoinformatics, is the premier research forum for Geospatial Information Research. It commenced in 1992 in Buffalo, and has been held every year since. Meetings have been held in North America and Asia in Beijing (1993), Calgary (1994), Hong Kong (1995), West Palm Beach (1996), Taipei (1997), Beijing (1998), Ann Arbor (1999), Monterey (2000), Bangkok (2001), Nanjing (2002), and Toronto (2003, cancelled due to the outbreak of SARS). This is the premier event organized by the University of Gävle, together with the Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Science (CPGIS-abroad).

This conference is the first of the series that takes place in Europe, hence the subtitle of the conference - bridging the Pacific and Atlantic. I believe it offers an opportunity for all professionals involved in research and development of geographic information systems, global position systems and remote sensing to discuss new theories and technologies around geoinformatics research.

Based on the extended abstracts and following advice from the program committee, the organizing committee selected 108 papers (involving 264 authors from 29 different countries) around 10 different themes included in the proceedings. The conference themes include some emerging research issues such as location-based services and geovisualization as well as long studied conventional issues. As a post-conference publication effort, some selected papers around special themes will go another round of review process to be published in special issues with some scientific journals.

The organization of the event is rather team-oriented work. On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to thank CPGIS, the University of Gävle, our sponsors and all those individuals involved in making it a successful event, in particular, Kickan Fahlstedt, the conference secretary who took most administrative and organizational matters into her hands; Anders Brandt who read the papers and provided useful comments to the authors; Bengt Eriksson, Stig-Göran Mårtensson, and Bengt Rystedt who are always very supportive for the event; Peter Fisher and David Maguire who share their vision on current geoinformatics research; and all the authors who contribute with their papers of high quality.

Last but not least, the following colleagues or students deserve special thanks for their contributions to the organization of the conference: Gunter Göckelmann, Pia Ollert- Hallqvist, Anna Hansson, Neta Hedberg, Elisabeth Hugg, Mikael Johansson, Rebecca Jonsson, Hendrik Loch, Bengt-Olof Lundinger, Staffan Nygren, Kaj Wejander, and Wenjun Xie.

Welcome to the Geoinformatics 2004, and enjoy your stay in Gävle!

Bin Jiang

Co-chair of the organizing committee

---

CONTENTS - VOLUME 1

Keynote session

The logic of fuzzy detecting change in geographical information, p. 3

P. Fisher

Distributed GIS: computing in the internet age, p. 4

D. Maguire

Plenary session

About egocentric geovisualisation, p. 7

L. Meng

Shannonian, semantic and pragmatic geoinformation, p. 15

J. Portugali

Spatio-temporal modelling and analysis of geolifelines, p. 22

C. Claramunt

Location-based service, mobile GIS and GPS

Location-based solutions for application services, p. 25

K.H. Kim, S.G. Hong, J.H. Park and J.H. Lee

A test-bed simulator for GPS and GIS integrated navigation and positioning research: - bus positioning, using GPS observations, odometer readings and map matching, p. 31

J. Li, G. Taylor, C. Brunsdon, A. Olden, D. Steup and M. Winter

Real-time map labelling for personal navigation, p.  39

Q. Zhang and L. Harrie

Multi-criteria decision analysis for location based services, p.  47

M. Raubal and C. Rinner

Map generalization for OSMasterMap data in location based services & mobile GIS applications, p. 54

S. Anand, J.M. Ware and G.E. Taylor

The media and the messages of location-based services (LBS): death of distance or the revenge of geography?, p. 61

D.Z. Sui

Real time community mapping: evaluating two wireless technology approaches, p. 69

Y. Lao

Digital data collection and analysis techniques for forestry applications, p. 77

M.G. Wing and L.D. Kellogg

A review of research and development on intelligent transport systems in Hong Kong - a geographic information system perspective, p. 84

W.Z. Shi and H.K. Lam

A distributed architecture for WAP-based mobile GIS, p. 92

Wang F., Bian F. and Hou Y.

Efficient routing service for the open LBS services, p. 99

S.-S. Kim and J.-H. Park

Network perspective for spatial data distribution on wireless environments, p. 107

E. Lee, M.-J. Kim, M. Kim and B.-T. Jang

Precise navigation with the use of buffer zones, p. 115

A. Banachowicz and J. Uriasz

The implementation of presentation service using JAVA web services, p. 120

T.-W. Heo and J.-H. Park

An open architecture of common core component for location based service, p. 127

J.-C. Kim, J.-H. Park and J.-H. Lee

Open LBS solution architecture using service chaining webservices technology, p. 134

S.-G. Hong, K.-H. Kim and J.-H. Park

Analysis accuracy integrated position of hyperbolic system JEMIOLUSZKA and satellite navigation system GPS, p. 139

A. Banachowicz and R. Kamiński

Spatio-temporal modelling and databases

A web-based multimedia framework for diffusing spatio-temporal information: application to natural hazards, p. 149

P-A. Davoine, J. Gensel and H. Martin

Continuous data warehouse: concepts, challenges and potentials, p. 157

T.O. Ahmed, M. Miquel and R. Laurini

An extended locking method for geographical database with spatial rules, p. 165

Cheng C., Shen P., Zhang M. and Lu F.

A hybrid approach to detect spatial-temporal outliers, p. 173

T. Cheng and Z. Li

A knowledge-based restricted problem solving method in GIS applications, p. 179

Wei H., Xu Q. and Bai Y.

Representation of moving objects along a road network, p. 187

N. Van de Weghe, A.G. Cohn, P. Bogaert and P. De Maeyer

A three-dimensional temporal GIS for the analysis of morphometric changes, p. 195

M. Sriti, R. Thibaud and C. Claramunt

Quality assessment and uncertainty handling in spatial data mining, p. 203

B. He, T. Fang and D. Guo

From the schema matching to the integration of updating information into user geographic databases, p. 211

A. Braun

Construction and specification of spatial configurations in a geographical information retrieval context, p. 219

M. Ould Ahmed Limam and M. Gaio

A new tetrahedral network (TEN) generation algorithm for 3-D GIS, p. 226

Song Z., Liu Y. and Niu W.

GIS data modeling of 17th century fortresses on Dardanelles, p. 233

C. Guney, B. Yuksel and R.N. Celik

The spatial data server based on open GIS standards in heterogeneous distributed environment, p. 241

M.-J. Kim, E. Lee, B.-W. Oh and M. Kim

Vector cellular automata based geographical entity, p. 249

Hu S. and Li D.

A method for testing low-value spatial clustering, p. 257

G. Lin and T. Zhang

Research on Petri Net based spatiotemporal data model, p. 265

Yin Z. and Li L.

Advances in earth observation technologies

Lossless inter-array predictive coding for subpixel-shifted satellite images based on texture analysis, p. 275

Gao S., Zhang X.J. and Sun W.D.

Visualizing distributions from multi-return lidar data to understand forest structure, p. 283

D. Kao, M. Kramer, A. Love, J. Dungan and A. Pang

3D scanning and photogrammetry for heritage recording: a comparison, p. 291

W. Boehler and A. Marbs

On modelling and visualisation of high resolution virtual environments using LIDAR data, p. 299

S. Ahlberg, U. Söderman, M. Elmqvist and Å. Persson

The utilization of GPR data in GIS, p.  307

Chen B.Z., Hu Z.Q. and Li W.D.

APIAS - Airborne photos and images attainment system, p. 311

J.C.C. Gonçalves Junior, E.C. Piovesan, G.C. Silveira and E.A. Silva

Geovisualisation

Representation of geographic terrain surface using global indexing, p. 321

J. Kolar

Geo-visualization support for multidimensional clustering, p. 329

G. Andrienko and N. Andrienko

Annotated observations as knowledge construction elements in visual data analysis, p. 336

I. Denisovich

3D geovisualization as a communication and analysis tool in fluvial geomorphology, p. 339

S.A. Brandt and B. Jiang

A study on algorithms of a 3D visualization dynamic modification system based on TIN, p. 347

P. Yang, H. Lin, S.J. Mao and D. Shen

A multi-user mobile system to visualize environmental processes, p. 355

J. Danado, E. Dias, T. Romão, N. Correia, A. Trabuco, C. Santos, J. Serpa, M. Costa and A. Câmara

Interacting with 17th century fortresses on Dardanelles through web-based geo-visualization, p. 363

C. Guney and R.N. Celik

Visualization of landscape data in digital maps by exclusive use of XML-based languages, p. 370

K. Neumann, P. Ahlbrecht, S. Eckstein, B. Mathiak and A. Kupfer

Embedding digital rights in geovisualizations, p. 375

J. Döllner

Experimental research on web-based 3D terrain visualization - using Java3D and Microsoft.Net, p. 383

Wang Y., Tan H. and Liu J.

The principles of designing CIS - cartographic information system, p. 389

Zheng S. and Chen Y.

A network common data form (NetCDF) utility for efficient environmental data processing and visualization, p. 397

J. Liu, J.M. Chen, D.T. Price, and S. Liu

Design and implementation of high precision map symbol library based on GDI+, p. 405

Wu X., Du Q., Cai Z. and Xu Z.

User-centered 3D geovisualisation, p. 412

A. Nielsen

Studying groundwater resource by volume visualization technology, p. 417

Zhu G., Xu Z., Wu X. and Yan H.

Cognition theory-based research on adaptive user interface for GEO-visualization system, p. 424

Ling Y., Chen Y. and Wang Y.

CONTENTS - VOLUME 2

GIS in urban planning and modelling

Spatial patterns of urban growth in Nepal: a GIS-assisted analysis, p. 435

M. Adhikari, B.A. Portnov and M. Schwartz

What's planning (support system design)?, p. 443

M. Campagna and G. Deplano

GIS and remote sensing for urban planning: a case of Festac town, Lagos, Nigeria, p. 451

M.J. Fasona and A.S. Omojola

Geographical information systems on the web for public participation in planning, p. 459

O. Gudes, E. Stern and T. Svoray

Study on China National Park planning supported by spatial information technology, p. 464

Dang A., Liu X., Yang R. and Zhuang Y.

Uncertainty and data quality

Uncertainty evaluation of military terrain analysis results by simulation and visualization, p. 473

P. Horttanainen and K.Virrantaus

Defuzzification operators for geographical data of nominal scale, p. 481

T. Hatzichristos and J. Potamias

Fuzzy model and Kriging for imprecise soil polygon boundaries, p. 489

R. Sunila, E. Laine and O. Kremenova

Fuzzy description of fuzzy direction relations and their similarities, p. 496

Du S., Wang Q. and Yang Y.

A new approach for modeling uncertainty in remote sensing change detection process, p. 503

A. Alimohammadi, H.R. Rabiei and P.Z. Firouzabadi

GIS in environmental management and decision making

Mapping landslide susceptibility in the Three Gorges area, China using GIS, expert systems and fuzzy logic, p. 511

A-X. Zhu, R. Wang, J. Qiao, Y. Chen, Q. Cai and C. Zhou

A 3D GIS for managing building rehabilitation process, p. 518

F. Ramos, D. Siret and M. Musy

Spatial-temporal carbon sequestration under land USE and land cover change, p. 525

S. Liu, J. Liu and T.R. Loveland

GIS based analysis of store closure: a case study of an Office Depot store in Cincinnati, p. 533

Y. Xu and L. Liu

Branch bank closures in Sydney: a geographical perspective and analysis, p. 541

L. Zhao, B. Garner and B. Parolin

Integration of multidisciplinary knowledge and modelling techniques for a river-SDSS, p. 549

J. Möltgen and G. Schmidt

Applications of GIS and RS for land use dynamics monitoring in the rim zone of North China, p. 557

Z. Qin, B. Xu, J. Liu and W. Zhang

A methodology for siting a water harvesting reservoir, p. 565

W.M. Jabre and F.A. Awar

Landscape indices for comparison of spatial forest patterns in different geographical regions, p. 573

E.M. De Clercq and R.R. De Wulf

GIS in spatial management on a local level of administration in Poland, p. 578

P. Fogel and J. Fiszczuk-Wiktorowicz

Development of spatial GIS database for monitoring on dynamic state of grassland productivity, p. 585

and animal loading balance in Northern China

B. Xu, X. Xin, Z. Qin, H. Liu, Z. Chen, G. Yang, W. Wu, Q. Zhou and X. Wu

Remote sensing coupled to a database of catchments and coastal zones, p. 593

S.G. Halldórsdóttir and H. Þorbergsson

Regionalization of N2O measurements for the North China Plain, p. 599

G. Bareth and M. Kogge

Application of RS and GIS in ecological environmental dynamic monitoring and management information system, p. 607

Liao K.

Geospatial cancer analysis for the state of Santa Catarina, brazil - environmental parameters considered, p. 615

C.E. Hübner and F.H. Oliveira

Information extraction from remote sensing data

Object-based updating of land-use maps of urban areas using satellite remote sensing, p. 623

R.J. Dekker

Multiscale object-specific analysis: scale problems and multiscale solutions, p. 631

O. Hall, G.J. Hay and D.J. Marceau

A greedy point algorithm derived by Gabor filter bank for IKONOS satellite image segmentation, p. 639

N. Nezamoddini-Kachouie and J. Alirezaie

A modeling-based threshold approach to derive change/no change information over vegetation area, p. 647

Y. Hu, S.M. de Jong and R. Sluiter

A neural network approach for information extraction from remotely sensed data, p. 655

J. Liu, G. Shao, H. Zhu and S. Liu

New stereo matching and 3D view generation algorithms using aerial stereo images, p. 663

J.-C. Kim and J.-H. Park

Comparison of remote sensing based analysis of crop diseases by using high resolution multispectral and hyperspectral data - case study: Rhizoctonia solani in sugar beet -, p. 670

R. Laudien, G. Bareth and R. Doluschitz

A comparison of land-use classification with sampled IKONOS and TM imagery, p. 677

Tang Z. and Zhu L.

Quality study of ASTER data geometry by digitize contour lines in ILWIS, p. 683

A. Partovi, K. Grabmaier and J. Hendrikse

A new algorithm for map projection reverse transformation in GIS, p. 691

Teng J., Huang W. and Sun M.

Exploitation of geospatial techniques for studying the snow and water runoff parameters, p. 699

A.S. Almas, M. Azam, M.J. Butt and S. Amer

Land cover mapping of Khulna City applying remote sensing technique, p. 707

M. Billah and G.A. Rahman

Integration of ground sampling with satellite imaging through GIS database to monitor rangeland productivity for grazing in north China, p.  715

Z. Qin, B. Xu, W. Li, W. Zhang and J. Liu

Forestry inventory and information systems in developing countries: constraints and benefits, p. 723

S.M. Malaza, P.G. Abbot and S. Mabena

Multi-scale representation and generalisation

Building a multi-granularity based spatial database, p. 733

Cheng C. and Lu F.

Automated generalisation in a multiple representation database, p. 741

M. Dunkars

Data update across multi-scale databases, p. 749

H.-K. Kang, J.-W. Moon and K.-J. Li

Modelling urban road networks integrating multiple representations of complex road and junction structures, p. 757

N.N. Ulugtekin, A.O. Dogru and R.C. Thomson

Streaming of compressed multi-resolution geographic vector data, p. 765

J. Persson

Metadata and spatial data infrastructure

A hierarchical framework to aid the entry of metadata, p. 775

J.-H. Hong, Y.-H. Chen and H.-P. Liao

Building a taxonomy of GI knowledge - using Bloom's taxonomy to evaluate non-professional users' understanding of GI, p. 783

M. Arleth

Opportunities and challenges for SDI development in developing countries - a case study of, p. 789

Uganda

M. Musinguzi, G. Bax and S.S. Tickodri-Togboa

SDI and network-based GIS for disaster management, p. 797

A. Mansourian, A. Rajabifard and M.J.V. Zoej

Discovering structure in geographical metadata, p. 805

I. Podolak and U. Demšar

Map interface valid coverage analysis based on XML metadata, p. 812

H.-P. Liao and J.-H. Hong

A cadastral domain model, p. 820

J.M. Paasch

Kartografiska sällskapets utbildningssektion genomför varje år de så kallade lärardagarna, en utbildningskonferens som kretsar kring geografisk information. Tilltänkta deltagare är alla, både utbildare och avnämare, som har intresse av utbildningsfrågor från skol- till universitetsnivå. Den 17 till 18 augusti detta år stod KTH som värd, med Hans Hauska hållande taktpinnen, och med 19 deltagare från ett tiotal olika arbetsgivare.

A case study of the Eskilstuna River in Sweden is presented. This study is carried out within the project KRIS-GIS®, a Swedish initiative of handling crisis situations, including flooding. The purpose is to show how different resolutions in input elevation data affect the resulting inundation maps. Terrain elevation points at the sides of the river were gathered from an airborne laser altimetry survey, and river bed elevations were gathered from an echosounding survey. The terrain model was constructed in ArcView GIS as a triangulated irregular network (TIN), which served as the base for all later modeling. The hydraulic modeling was done as one-dimensional steady flow in HEC-RAS flow routing software. High-resolution elevation data resulted in better inundation delineation than did lowresolution elevation data. If the mean water discharge was used in the modeling and if the river is narrow, a low resolution could even lead to that the river itself would not be marked as inundated. At high water discharges, the river was usually inundated, but there was great uncertainty if the riparian areas really would be flooded or not. With steep side slopes, the delineation of inundation becomes more certain, while at gentler side slopes, the flow is distributed on a larger surface with a risk that the raster cells will be incorrectly marked regarding inundation. Finally, the use of high-resolution elevation data compared with lowresolution data, makes estimates of friction factor, Manning’s n, relatively more important for correct results in inundation studies.

Under senare tid har översvämningar alltmer uppmärksammats av allmänhet, politiker, myndigheter och organisationer. Samtidigt har allt fler insett att det inte är en fråga om en översvämning kommer att ske utan när och hur stor den blir. Detta innebär att översvämningsrisker ständigt måste vara en närvarande del i politikers, planerares och krisberedskapsorganisationers arbete. Ett sätt att vara väl förberedd inför översvämningar är att ta fram översvämningsområden för olika stora vattenflöden. Därför har det inom projektet KRIS-GIS®, beställt och finansierat av Krisberedskapsmyndigheten, gjorts en mer detaljerad specialstudie över översvämningar kring Eskilstunaån. Tillförlitligheten hos framtagna översvämningsområden beror framför allt av två faktorer: korrekt vattenflödessimulering och korrekt beskrivning av terrängen. I denna studie har den endimensionella modellen HEC-RAS använts för flödessimuleringen och för beskrivning av terrängen har en flygburen 3D-laserskanning över området kring Eskilstunaån utförts. Dessutom har ekolodning utförts för att möjliggöra beskrivning av bottentopografin i Eskilstunaån. Samtliga höjddatapunkter kopplades ihop i ett GIS till ett triangulärt oregelbundet nätverk, TIN. Därefter lades sektioner tvärs över vattendraget och omgivande terräng. Dessa tvärsektioner tilldelades höjdvärden från TIN-modellen innan de exporterades till HEC-RAS. Fyra olika vattenföringar simulerades i HEC-RAS: medelvattenföringen på 23,7 m3/s, årsfloden på 70 m3/s, 100-årsflödet på 123 m3/s samt högsta beräknade flödet på 198 m3/s. Dessutom har det gjorts några alternativa körningar med varierande värden på Mannings n, dvs. markfriktion. Efter körningar i HEC-RAS, exporterades resulterande vattennivåer tillbaka till GISet där ett resultatraster skapades, där varje rastercell visades som översvämmad eller ej, och i förekommande fall översvämmat djup. Resultaten av översvämningsanalyserna visar att betydligt säkrare översvämningsprognoser nu kan göras när tillgång till terrängmodeller av hög kvalitet finns. Vid tidigare studier har Lantmäteriets höjddatabas använts, där höjder finns representerade med ett värde per 50-metersruta. Från att terrängmodellen har varit den begränsande faktorn övergår i stället en korrekt beskrivning av markens råhet eller friktion, uttryckt som Mannings n, till att vara den begränsande faktorn. Det rekommenderas därför att differentiera råhetsvärdena beroende på vilken markanvändningstyp som finns längs med vattendraget. Speciellt viktigt är detta i flacka områden. För Eskilstunaåns nordligaste delar är det viktigt att vattennivån i Mälaren bedöms korrekt. För att sprida och kunna dra nytta av resultaten framtagna i KRIS-GIS®-projektet rekommenderas det att färdiga översvämningspolygoner kan användas av kommuner, räddningstjänst osv. i deras arbete. De kan ringa eller automatiskt få information, från t.ex. SMHI eller vattenregleringsföretag, som innehåller upplysningar om förväntade flöden. Motsvarande polygon för förväntat flöde visas i ett GIS och direkt har man lägesbilden klart för sig. Utöver detta har även visualiseringsaspekter behandlats.

With the implementation of the Bologna declaration, European and other universities must change or adjust courses and programmes so they fit into the Bologna model. In Sweden this will take place during 2007. The intention with the declaration, for example, is that a basic course in one subject at one university should be treated as equivalent to the same type of course at another university. Once a year, the recently formed section for education of the Swedish Cartographic Society gathers university lecturers and others for an education conference to discuss matters concerning higher education in geomatics, geoinformatics, geography, etc. Last year’s conference identified the need for a harmonized course curriculum in basic GIS. One of the advantages of such a course is easier transfer of study records for inclusion of course credits in study programmes at other universities. Therefore, an attempt has been made to write a harmonized course curriculum for basic GIS. The course will contain about 50% common content and about 50% of content decided by the individual university. The common content will be described as learning outcomes, and then it is up to the universities to place the learning outcomes into a context. Thanks to this common core, the course can be given for such diverse programmes as archaeology, land surveying, or economy, and still be able to include the required knowledge for students to continue on more advanced courses at other universities.

I ett tidigare nummer av Kart & Bildteknik beskrevs ett pågående forskningsprojekt som försökte ta reda på om det finns en optimal kvalitet på geografisk information som underlag för detaljerad översvämningskartering (Bergquist, Brandt & Klang, 2008). Projektet är nu avslutat och avrapporterat i Brandt (2009) och Klang och Klang (2009). Av resultaten framgår bland annat hur mycket tillförlitligheten av en översvämningskartering minskar med graden av försämrad höjdmodell, vilken utgör ett av de viktigaste underlagen för en översvämningsanalys. I samband med EUs översvämningsdirektiv (Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv, 2007) föranleder detta en diskussion om vilka översvämningskarteringar som krävs för att uppfylla direktivet.

På Kartografiska Sällskapets årsmöte i Jönköping den 21 mars beslutades att inrätta en ny sektion inom sällskapet – en utbildningssektion. Denna artikel beskriver bakgrunden till sektionen och dess verksamhetsidé. Utbildningssektionens embryo tillkom för tre år sedan efter förslag från ULI som delegerade uppgiften till Geomatikprogrammet vid Högskolan i Gävle. Tanken vara att skapa ett forum för lärare inom geomatikområdet. Både för att sammanföra lärare från olika lärosäten, för att öka förståelsen för varandras arbeten, och för att kunna förbättra möjligheterna till samarbete.

Decomposition studies were carried out at sites throughout Sweden, including the four Integrated Monitoring sites. Scots pine needle litterbag weight loss measurements over 3 or 5 years were determined at 26 sites and repeated up to 27 times, depending on the site. Humus layer respiration rates were determined for 20 sites in 1987-1989 and repeated in 2007-2008. Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to elucidate the relative importance of climatic and soil factors. Annual needle weight losses decreased only slowly (20-10%) over 3-5 years for all northern (> 60A degrees N) sites but decreased sharply from 30 to 10% in the third year in southern (< 60A degrees N) sites. Respiration rates of southern sites were less (40% on average) than those of northern sites. Humus layer N was positively correlated to needle weight loss during the first and the second years, but negatively correlated in the third year and to respiration rates. The results indicated that litter formed in southern Sweden became more recalcitrant in later stages of decomposition compared to litter produced in northern Sweden.

The communication systems are changing. Cognitive Radio is an automatic adaptative system to improve the spectrum efficiency. It has intelligence to adapt itself to the environment to improve the transmission performancies. For this system, spectrum sensing function is very important so a signal detector is necessary. In this work a signal detector has been implemented in GNU Radio environment. GNU Radio is a platform that respects the Cognitive Radio aproach. It is flexible, software defined and cheap.

BACKGROUND: The fruit of two apple cultivars - 'Braeburn', which is susceptible to inoculation with Botrytis cinerea, and the less susceptible cv. 'Golden Delicious' - were investigated with respect to their response to inoculation with B. cinerea. Successful infection by B. cinerea leads to an oxidative burst and perturbation of plant redox homeostasis. To investigate the interaction between apple fruit and B. cinerea, antioxidant metabolism in fruit samples from sun-exposed and shaded sides of different tissue types was measured over time.

RESULTS: The sun-exposed tissue of 'Braeburn' had higher initial levels of total vitamin C in the peel and phenolic compounds in the flesh than 'Golden Delicious', despite its greater susceptibility to gray mold. A substantial antioxidant response was recorded in diseased 'Braeburn' fruit 14 days after inoculation, which involved an elevated superoxide dismutase activity and ascorbate peroxidase activity, a progressive oxidation of total vitamin C, and a decrease in peroxidase activity and phenolic content. Disease development was slower on the sun-exposed sides than on the shaded sides.

CONCLUSION: The two cultivars appeared to utilize different strategies to defend themselves against B. cinerea. 'Golden Delicious' almost entirely escaped infection. Preharvest exposure of apple fruit to high light / temperature stress appears to prepare them to better resist subsequent postharvest attack and disease. 

Our identity is tied to where we are and how we engage with the landscapes in which we find ourselves. But what happens if the landscape which we use for our everyday life is drastically altered by a catastrophic upheaval, for example, when forest fires ravage the landscape? In this paper, interviews with individuals affected by the largest forest fire in modern Swedish history are used to exemplify our conceptualisation of how landscape identity is impacted by dramatic change. We address the phases of stability, change and progression in relation to the case. Finally, we propose that landscape identity can be utilised as a central concept for engaging with the social aspects of the impact of forest fires.

In this paper, we address the relevance of recreational foraging, picking berries and mushrooms, for developing connection to nature and what happens when that practice is interrupted by drastic landscape change. We use the site of the largest forest fire in modern Swedish history as a case to examining the relevance of foraging. In previous studies, positive associations have been observed between the activity of picking berries and mushrooms with landscape-identity prior to forest fires. The results suggest that the more participants enjoyed foraging, the stronger their attachment to the landscape as well as memories and reasoning about the landscape. These relationships remainedafter the area has been drastically altered by fire, implying a significant role of foraging for keeping “alive” the positive feelings and memories of the forest landscape. Through questionnaires and semistructured interviews, we examine why individuals forage, what foraging meant for them before the event and how they relate to the landscape and foraging after the fire. Our findings suggest that these connections are built on an interplay between place, practice and intimate knowledge. We conclude that foraging play an essential role in defining and developing connections to landscape which can act as the basis for stewardship of the landscape. Management implications: • In order to facilitate reconnection to the landscape after a forest fire there is a need to understand how individuals and communities related to the landscape before the fire. • Foraging will always be reliant on issues of access, and specific management regimes. • Cultural values and small-scale activities play an essential role in defining and developing connections to landscape. Connections which can ultimately inform a sense of responsibility and stewardship. • Activities such as foraging are reliant on more than just the affordance provided by the physical and visual character of a landscape.

We assessed the influence of stand age on fine root biomass and morphology of trees and understory vegetation in 10-, 30-, 60- and 120-year-old Norway spruce stands growing in sandy soil in southeast Norway. Fine root (< 1, 1–2 and 2–5 mm in diameter) biomass of trees and understory vegetation (< 2 mm in diameter) was sampled by soil coring to a depth of 60 cm. Fine root morphological characteristics, such as specific root length (SRL), root length density (RLD), root surface area (RSA), root tip number and branching frequency (per unit root length or mass), were determined based on digitized root data. Fine root biomass and morphological characteristics related to biomass (RLD and RSA) followed the same tendency with chronosequence and were significantly higher in the 30-year-old stand and lower in the 10-year-old stand than in the other stands. Among stands, mean fine root (< 2 mm) biomass ranged from 49 to 398 g m–2, SLR from 13.4 to 19.8 m g–1, RLD from 980 to 11,650 m m–3 and RSA from 2.4 to 35.4 m2 m–3. Most fine root biomass of trees was concentrated in the upper 20 cm of the mineral soil and in the humus layer (0–5 cm) in all stands. Understory fine roots accounted for 67 and 25% of total fine root biomass in the 10- and 120-year-old stands, respectively. Stand age had no affect on root tip number or branching frequency, but both parameters changed with soil depth, with increasing number of root tips and decreasing branching frequency with increasing soil depth for root fractions < 2 mm in diameter. Specific (mass based) root tip number and branching density were highest for the finest roots (< 1 mm) in the humus layer. Season (spring or fall) had no effect on tree fine root biomass, but there was a small and significant increase in understory fine root biomass in fall relative to spring. All morphological characteristics showed strong seasonal variation, especially the finest root fraction, with consistently and significantly higher values in spring than in fall. We conclude that fine root biomass, especially in the finest fraction (< 1 mm in diameter), is strongly dependent on stand age. Among stands, carbon concentration in fine root biomass was highest in the 30-year-old stand, and appeared to be associated with the high tree and canopy density during the early stage of stand development. Values of RLD and RSA, morphological features indicative of stand nutrient-uptake efficiency, were higher in the 30-year-old stand than in the other stands.

The growing seal populations of the Baltic have led to more frequent interactions with coastal fisheries. The motivation for seals to interact with fishing gear is high. It provides high densities of fish. A successful means of mitigating the conflict is the pontoon trap. Seal visits here have been frequent. Seals have access to most parts of the trap system including the middle chamber, which is an overhead environment. Concerns have been raised about seals possible entanglement in this specific part of the trap. As a means of keeping seals from entering the middle chamber, two different Seal Exclusion Devices (SEDs) were tested. A diamond mesh SED and a square mesh SED, which was rotated 45. The aim was to compare the functionality of the different SEDs with respect to seal deterrent abilities and catch composition. The hypothesis tested were (i) that seals would not be able to enter the middle chamber, (ii) that the catch would increase and (iii) that the SED would deter larger fish from swimming into the middle chamber. Catch data and underwater film were collected. Larger salmons were caught in traps equipped with SEDs. The SEDs did not affect the number of caught fish or the total catch per soak day. © 2018 Calamnius et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Food companies worldwide must constantly engage in product development to stay competitive, cover existing markets, explore new markets, and meet key consumer requirements. This ongoing development places high demands on achieving quality at all levels, particularly in terms of food safety, integrity, quality, nutrition, and other health effects. Food product research is required to convert the initial product idea into a formulation for upscaling production with ensured significant results. Sensory evaluation is an effective component of the whole process. It is especially important in the last step in the development of new products to ensure product acceptance. In that stage, measurements of product aroma play an important role in ensuring that consumer expectations are satisfied. To this end, the electronic nose (e-nose) can be a useful tool to achieve this purpose. The e-nose is a combination of various sensors used to detect gases by generating signals for an analysis system. Our research group has investigated the scent factor in some foodstuff and attempted to develop e-noses based on low-cost technology and compact size. In this paper, we present a summary of our research to date on applications of the e-nose in the food industry.

The aim of this paper is to examine how a tree replacement is carried out in a place that is protected as a cultural heritage. The places described are the Baroque garden in Uppsala Botanical Gardens and the baroque garden in the palace garden at Drottningholm. Both gardens are owned by the state and managed by the National Property Board. The National Heritage Board has overall responsibility that the facilities are not distorted. The Botanical Garden in Uppsala belongs to Uppsala University and is managed by the University. The gardens have a high historical value that make them worthy of protection. Because of this there are restrictions and regulations that dictate how the locations should be maintained and administered. The thesis is based on interviews with the project manager for both of the tree-replacements and the garden Director and 1st gardener at the Botanical Garden in Uppsala. The old lime trees at Drottningholm were planted in the late 1600s and early 1700s and was largely dutch lime, Tilia x europaea 'Pallida', imported from Holland. The old lime trees in the botanical garden was planted in the 1970s, when the garden was restored under the direction of Walter Bauer. The tree replacement at Drottningholm was conducted between 1997–2011 in five stages and the restoration in the Botanical Garden is carried out in autumn 2016 and is expected to be completed in June 2017. Both the construction work and a five-year warranty maintenance is performed under contract. The paper describes what influences the choice of the trees at the facilities. There have been studies to determine the species and varieties of the original lime trees in the avenues at Drottningholm. The new lime trees planted there and those that will be planted in the spring of 2017 in the Botanical Garden, are of the same type as the original lime trees at Drottningholm. A large number of measures have been carried out at the installation and maintenance of the trees to ensure that they establish themselves properly and develop well.

Projektet ”Förstudie av integrativ hälsomottagning vid Fjärran Höjder” har genomförts under hösten 2008. Arbetet har varit inriktat på att följa och genomföra den projektbeskrivning som gavs i samband med ansökan om medel. Till stöd i arbetet har projektledaren haft Arbetsgruppen för en integrativ hälsomottagning vid Fjärran Höjder, vilken sammanträtt fyra gånger under projekttiden. Flera av medlemmarna i arbetsgruppen har också deltagit i studieresorna och föreläsningsserien som anordnats. I syfte att undersöka förutsättningarna för en etablering av hälsomottagningen har en attitydundersökning genomförts bland ett antal utvalda vårdtagare och vårdgivare, politiker, anställda och arbetsgivare, samt besökare vid Fjärran Höjder. Undersökningen visar i korthet att det finns ett stöd för anläggandet av en hälsopark vid Fjärran Höjder. De studieresor och den föreläsningsserie med avslutande dialogmöte som genomförts, har syftat till att förankra idén hos de hälsoaktörer som kan tänkas bli involverade i projektet framöver. Arbetet i arbetsgruppen har mycket handlat om att arbeta fram en projektidé, ett program eller en projektplan för den föreslagna integrativa hälsomottagningen. En viktig del i en sådan plan har varit att sätta in mottagningen i ett större sammanhang, det vi nu vill kalla Hälsoparken Fjärran Höjder. Hälsomottagningen skulle då ingå i en större helhet, en miljö vars samtliga delar syftar till att främja hälsan hos parkens besökare. Visioner och mål för hälsoparken har arbetats fram, liksom ett preliminärt förslag till utformning av hälsoparken och verksamhet där vid. I fortsättningen av projektet avses att söka medel från Osherstiftelsen och i det fall projektet får fortsatt stöd från Gävle Kommun och Region Gävleborg även EU-medel, eftersom det krävs egenfinansiering vid sådana ansökningar. Förslag till hur projektet kan vidareutvecklas lämnas i rapportens avslutande del.

Afforestation of new unconsolidated volcanic deposits is a practice used to stabilize barren areas and enhance the accumulation of organic matter in the developing soil. Changes in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, including the soluble and microbial fractions, within the first decades since afforestation have been poorly investigated. Therefore the objective of the present study was to investigate how key C and N pools vary in litter and soil of four forests planted on barren volcanic deposits from recent Mount Vesuvius eruptions. We examined three forest stands (40, 70 and 100 years old) afforested with Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) and a 40-year old forest of Black pine (Pinus nigra Arn.). As a baseline of C and N pools prior to afforestation, data from treeless sites were included in the study. Both the inputs with litter fall and soil C and N stocks increased with forest age in the Stone pine stands. In the mineral soil, C concentration per gram soil dry weight and C:N ratio increased with age from treeless sites to the oldest forest. Microbial biomass C and fungal biomass as a fraction of organic carbon (OC) and respiration per unit OC (an index of organic matter mineralization potential) decreased significantly with stand age. The results suggest that a main driver of C accumulation in the mineral soil is the decline with increasing stand age of the microbial fraction of organic matter and its activity. The comparison between the two pine species revealed that litter production was more abundant in the Black pine than in the even-aged, 40-year-old, Stone pine stand; moreover Black pine litter was more acidic and had a higher stable residue than Stone pine litter. Therefore a different pattern of C sequestration occurs with a higher C stock in the organic layers and a lower C stock in the mineral soil of Black pine compared to Stone pine.

Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litter and methodologies, adding major uncertainty to syntheses, comparisons and meta-analyses across different experiments and sites. In the TeaComposition initiative, the potential litter decomposition is investigated by using standardized substrates (Rooibos and Green tea) for comparison of litter mass loss at 336 sites (ranging from −9 to +26 °C MAT and from 60 to 3113 mm MAP) across different ecosystems. In this study we tested the effect of climate (temperature and moisture), litter type and land-use on early stage decomposition (3 months) across nine biomes. We show that litter quality was the predominant controlling factor in early stage litter decomposition, which explained about 65% of the variability in litter decomposition at a global scale. The effect of climate, on the other hand, was not litter specific and explained <0.5% of the variation for Green tea and 5% for Rooibos tea, and was of significance only under unfavorable decomposition conditions (i.e. xeric versus mesic environments). When the data were aggregated at the biome scale, climate played a significant role on decomposition of both litter types (explaining 64% of the variation for Green tea and 72% for Rooibos tea). No significant effect of land-use on early stage litter decomposition was noted within the temperate biome. Our results indicate that multiple drivers are affecting early stage litter mass loss with litter quality being dominant. In order to be able to quantify the relative importance of the different drivers over time, long-term studies combined with experimental trials are needed.

The Short Food Supply Chain (SFSC) has increased in recent decades, significantly impacting the environment, CO2 emissions, and biodiversity loss. This study focuses on the SFSC and its components by examining the logistics strategies and the value of simple communication strategies in the SFSC. The study aims to gain insight into how these strategies can provide competitive advantages for food producers and align with the desired perception by customers. The SFSC is a direct and shortened food distribution system from producer to consumer, reducing the number of intermediaries involved in the supply chain and promoting a more sustainable and efficient food supply chain system. The study analyses case studies of Swedish food producers and intermediaries to understand the impact of SFSC on reducing food waste and packaging research. The growth of SFSCs is expected to lead to a more locally produced food industry and improved small business development, product range, and energy efficiency.

Despite the importance of decomposition for biogeochemical cycles, it is still not clear how this process is affected by different forms of nitrogen (N). Equal amounts of N with different ratios of inorganic N: organic N (0 : 0, 10 : 0, 7 : 3, 5 : 5, 3 : 7, and 0 : 10) were added to the soil in a steppe. We studied the response of litter decomposition to different forms of N enrichment. The treatment with 30% organic N resulted in the fastest decomposition, which was higher than with inorganic N or organic N addition alone. Our results highlight the need for studies of N deposition on carbon cycles that consider different components in N deposition.

Growing is a creative activity in lower school subject matter. It is an outdoor activity that creates movement. Gardening activities give favorable effects for the social teamwork in studentgroups and cultivation is a way to increase students' awareness of our food production. This argument exists in earlier studies that it is significant when school staff have motivated reasons to create school gardens. Of course, school gardens have always created problems. To get enough resources for management and lesson planning and to handle summer supervision presents in modern times as the largest obstacles for growing activities to work. Against this background, the purpose of this thesis is to find a way forward for gardening as a school activity that increases students' consciousness of sustainable food production. 

Forest gardening is a cultivation model within the Agro Forestry movement. Using literature study as a methodology, it is found that forest gardening principles can be applied to school gardening to solve the identified isues with cultivation in primary schools. 

Regarding forest gardening principles, one can create a cultivation that occupies a small  area and recieves the ideal microclimate with an array of plants with different hights. This cultivation model lowers the work time required and the need for summer supervision. In addition, this cultivation gives the ecosystem increased biodiversity and carbon storage. Another advantage with this cultivation model is that through plant selection, one can control harvest times to spring and autumn, when students are in school. However, it appears that this cultivation model is knowledge- intensive during the construction phase and that it is a good idea to get outside help from an expert, for example, a gardener with expertise in forest gardening.

A design proposal for lower school grades is also included, with a plant list and design plan that can be adapted and suited to schools. 

Syftet med examensarbetet är att försöka förklara de markfysikaliska egenskaperna hos en sandjord och hur det med hjälp av olika kornstorlek är möjligt att uppnå dessa egenskaper i en odlingsbädd. Sandjordar kan anses som problematiska då de har svårare att behålla fukten i jorden och dessutom är näringsfattiga. Detta gäller såväl artificiella som naturliga sandjordar. Vattnet kan beroende på kornstorlek och tillförsel av mull ha lättare eller svårare att förflytta sig i marken. Detta kan vara avgörande för hur en växt överlever och trivs i en sådan miljö. Den värmehållande förmågan varierar på grund av sandjordens kornstorlek och inblandning av mull. En sandbädd blir varm tidigare på våren än en bädd av mull och därför kan odlingssäsongen förlängas. En planta som är härdig t ex, till zon II, har om den står i sandjord större chans att klara vinterhalvåret i en högre belägen zon, än om den är planterad i mulljord men jordens fukthalt har också en avgörande betydelse. Det är viktigt att sandjorden har en bra sammansättning – är det för stor andel mycket små partiklar dräneras inte överflödigt vatten bort och vattnet blir stående i sandbädden - vilket medför ökad risk att plantan fryser under vintern. Syftet med uppsatsen har också varit att undersöka hur en odlingsbädd av sandjord kan anläggas. Under uppbyggnaden av stenpartiet har jag kunnat se med vilka medel det går att ändra förutsättningarna i en sandbädd så att växter som inte är helt härdiga i vårt klimat eller som kräver speciella miljöer ändå kan överleva och trivas i vår del av världen. Studien av de markfysikaliska egenskaperna hos sandjordar har hjälpt till att förklara hur de sandbäddar som anlagts fungerar. Under arbetets gång har det även framkommit att de metoder som studerats inte kan användas överallt och att det finns flera problem med sandjordar. De är näringsfattiga och när näring sprids ut kan den på grund av sandjordens dåliga förmåga att behålla näring, orsaka näringsläckage i närliggande vattendrag.

Syftet med det här examensarbetet är att undersöka hur pil, eller mer specifikt, sorter inom släktet Salix sp. odlas för användning inom hantverk och trädgård. Bland dessa sorter kan nämnas korgvide (Salix viminalis). Denna typ av odling är småskalig och syftet är att få material till flätning av exempelvis korgar eller grövre arbeten som hägn och staket i trädgård. Materialet som används är vanligen ettåriga skott av odlade pilsorter som skördas när plantan är i vintervila. Därefter torkas skotten i ca 6 månader för att sedan blötläggas innan flätningen påbörjas. Blötläggningen gör pilskotten mjuka och böjliga. Pil kan även användas färsk till att skapa levande hägn genom att pilskott sticks ner i jorden och får rota sig.

I detta arbete finns information om hur man kan gå tillväga för att anlägga och sköta en pilodling samt vilka markförhållanden och skötselmetoder som krävs. Fakta har samlats in genom att studera litteratur inom området, studiebesök samt mailkontakt med pilodlare. Här finns även en sammanställning av pilsorter som är härdiga att odla i zon 5.

Även odling av Salix sp. för användning till biobränsle, s.k. energiskog har studerats. Anledningen till detta är att dessa odlingar, som även kallas salixodlingar, till stor del består av ovan nämnda sort korgvide (S. Viminalis). Då det har forskats mycket inom detta område har informationen varit av nytta både vad det gäller odlingsbetingelser och härdighet för Salix sp.

Slutsatsen är att tillräckligt mycket information har hittats för att svara på syfte och frågeställningar. Fakta från energiskogsodlingen har inom vissa områden gett vägledning om hur skötsel av en småskalig odling kan förbättras. Även kommunikationen med verksamma pilodlare har lyft fram förslag till förbättringar.

Habitats of Swedish conservation interests are in general small and fragmented following the extensive and intensive forest management history. This study covering 71 000 ha of boreal Sweden investigates how history influences present-day distribution and composition of forests identified as high conservation value habitats and how they are protected. We also investigated if the habitat criteria used to describe reservations differed between reservation types and if habitat criteria were associated with the size of Woodland Key Habitats. The results show strong effects from historical ownership and historical forest type on the probability of an area being set aside as formally protected or as voluntary protected Woodland Key Habitats. We also found that both formal reservations and Woodland Key Habitats primarily cover coniferous forest in the age interval 70-110 years but not the presumably most valuable oldest coniferous category >110 or deciduous forests, which are as common in reservations as in other areas. Old deciduous forests (>110 years) are significantly more rare in formal reservations compared to the forest matrix. When viewed in a context of fragmentation and edge effects the results underline the importance of evaluating reserved areas and Woodland Key Habitats in a wider temporal and larger spatial perspective to optimize conservation management efforts. Maximal representation and biodiversity can be better achieved if new reservations are chosen to represent different ownership and forest history, and if they are selected in a landscape context related to present reservations and the present surrounding production forest.

In this study we reconstruct forest composition during the 1860s for a 71000 ha area in southern boreal Sweden. The aim is to show how historical ownership and associated anthropogenic disturbances act as a source of heterogeneity in the present-day distribution and composition of coniferous and deciduous forest within the commercial production forest. We use older (>110 years) and mature (70-110 years) forest as response variables in generalized linear models with a binominal error distribution. The explanatory variables include size of zone, historical type of ownership zone (village, company, and farm), amount of forest, and forest type. We focus in particular on investigating effects from interacting explanatory variables. The significant statistical associations in the study indicate that patterns of deciduous and coniferous older patches differ, and that deciduous patches differ in relation to age interval. The oldest deciduous patches, for example, are today more likely on areas that had deciduous cover also in the past and stood on forestland managed by farmers, but less likely on the same habitat managed by companies. We show that there are strong effects on present forest composition from historical ownership and forest composition. We argue that by including local data on past ownership combined with knowledge on use patterns management could be better adapted to local landscape dynamics compared to the application of overly generalized patterns or models of boreal dynamics that excludes interactions with management.

Urban ecosystem services are crucial for human well-being and the livability of cities. A central challenge for sustaining ecosystem services lies in addressing scale mismatches between ecological processes on one hand, and social processes of governance on the other. This article synthesizes a set of case studies from urban green areas in Stockholm, Sweden—allotment gardens, urban parks, cemeteries and protected areas—and discusses how governmental agencies and civil society groups engaged in urban green area management can be linked through social networks so as to better match spatial scales of ecosystem processes. The article develops a framework that combines ecological scales with social network structure, with the latter being taken as the patterns of interaction between actor groups. Based on this framework, the article (1) assesses current ecosystem governance, and (2) develops a theoretical understanding of how social network structure influences ecosystem governance and how certain actors can work as agents to promote beneficial network structures. The main results show that the mesoscale of what is conceptualized as city scale green networks (i.e., functionally interconnected local green areas) is not addressed by any actor in Stockholm, and that the management practices of civil society groups engaged in local ecosystem management play a crucial but neglected role in upholding ecosystem services. The article proposes an alternative network structure and discusses the role of midscale managers (for improving ecological functioning) and scale-crossing brokers (engaged in practices to connect actors across ecological scales). Dilemmas, strategies, and practices for establishing this governance system are discussed.

Several cultural and weather factors during the season influence the susceptibility of apple fruit to post-harvest pathogens. In the present study, the effect of different weather parameters on postharvest susceptibility of apples of the cv. ‘Ingrid Marie’ to grey mould was investigated. In 2015, apple fruit were collected from orchards in Southern Sweden, where local weather stations monitored different parameters. After harvest, the fruit were tested for susceptibility to grey mould by artificially inoculating them with%FLQHUHD. Lesion development was monitored over a 10-day-period. Analysis of results for a few orchards showed that cold weather for over a month preceding harvest and a low total number of growth degree days gave apples that were more susceptible to grey mould. This study was carried out in conventional orchards, but the conclusions can be important also for organic production, since they deal with the general effect of sunshine, temperature and rain, factors that may strengthen fruit during cultivation, regardless of production type. Future studies may focus on organic production to investigate whether these effects are general and also apply to organic production.

Företag och organisationer arbetar mycket med att förstärka sin position på marknaden, att leva upp till sin image och stärka sin identitet. En viktig del i arbetet handlar om att bygga ett starkt varumärke utifrån verksamhetens kärnvärden som når ut till kunderna. Det gäller att vara tydlig i sin kommunikation. Ofta kan man se en röd tråd genom ett företags grafiska profil, hur lokalerna är utformade och hur man marknadsför sig. Att inomhusmiljön speglar företagets profil och värden är lika vanligt som att ha en tydlig grafisk profil och en logotype på sitt visitkort. Däremot har de flesta företag inte någon tydlig koppling mellan miljön inomhus och den yttre miljön. Ofta är det bara företagsnamnet och loggan på husfasaden som vittnar om att företaget huserar där. Genom Corporate garden kan företag som en del i en genomtänkt företagsprofilering kommunicera sin verksamhet. Syftet med mitt examensarbete är att undersöka hur ett kommunalt tjänsteföretag kan kommunicera sitt varumärke eller sitt verksamhetsområde genom den yttre miljön.  Jag har använt mig av Sandviken Energi som studieobjekt. Till dem har jag gjort ett gestaltningsförslag, en Corporate Garden, som en del i examensarbetet. Min grundtanke har varit att kombinera funktion med kommunikation där jag använt mig av material från verksamheten som delvis kommunicerar vad företaget arbetar med. Genom att göra en processbeskrivning kommer arbetet kunna följas löpande fram till ett slutförslag. Processen omfattar informationsinsamling, analys av platsen, skissfas, skissmetod, problemlösning kring bristen på parkeringsplatser, resonemang kring idéer samt ett slutförslag som visar en utemiljö där innehållet speglar företaget och dess verksamhet.

This study analyses the perceptions of consumers with regard to local produced and organic food in the region of Gävleborg, Sweden. The aim of the study is to investigate consumers` attitudes by giving insight in why consumers buy local produced and organic food and how they conceive them. Quantitative data was collected through the use of structured questionnaire. We approached six hundred seventeen consumers outside twelve grocery stores directly after their shopping.  The study shows consumers have the opinion that local produced and organic food have higher quality than other kind of food,  their production supports sustainable environmental development and promotes the local society and local business. Consumers older than 65 years are more positive than younger ones to local produced and organic food and women are willing to pay more for purchasing the food.

The results illustrate that consumers think it is difficult to allocate local produced and organic food in the stores, the assortment is poor and the prices of organic food are high. The correlations between attitudes regarding Organic, Organic Local produced, and Local produced foods show that the consumers consider them as related, but not identical. It also indicates that consumers have vague attitudes about Local Produced foods and lack knowledge to define them.

Differences in price sensitivity demonstrate that consumers are willing to pay more for Organic and Local produced foods, showing there is value in, and demand for reliable guarantee label systems such as KRAV. We suggest a cooperation between public authorities and business organizations to develop trustworthy guarantee label system for Local produced foods.

We see a need for marketing and information campaigns to develop knowledge of what Organic and Local produced foods stand for to increase trust and awareness. By emphasizing on positive partial characteristics such as non-Genetically modified organisms (GMO) in marketing/information campaigns, negative connotation to organic as expensive may be avoided when educating consumers about the definition of organic foods.

We propose comparative studies in other regions and countries as well as studies about visibility and availability of organic and/or local produced foods in the shops.

Abstract

In my study I have investigated how a constructed outdoor green environment can be

used, managed and how it works. The study also investigates the concept of social

sustainability, where, for example, civil dialogue is a method to promote this. This

investigation mainly gives account for the inhabitants viewpoint but also a gardeners

perspective. The study focuses on the planning process of the study object, what the

outcome has been and how the users of the green environment, think about the result. In

the process there has been a strong concern of involving the residents and others using

the area. I also discuss the results concerning plantation problems, which I can see may

influence the site identity and the quality of green areas, which in turn also can affects

the residents relationship to it. The result also suggests that there still are possibilities

for improvements in the dialogue and the participation of the residents of the area under

the concept that’s been named "Dynamic habitat". The outdoor green environment can

also further provide life quality for the inhabitants and other users, while it hopefully at

the same time, promote the knowledge of ecosystem services.

Urban nature is and will be the most common provider of nature interactions for humankind. The restorative benefits of nature exposure are renown and creating human habitats that simultaneously support people’s wellbeing and ecological sustainability is an urgent priority. In this study, we investigate how the relationship between environmental attitudes and healthy ecosystems influences restorative experiences combining a place-based online survey with geographical data on ecosystem health in Stockholm (Sweden). Using spatial regression, we predict the 544 restorative experiences (from 325 respondents), with people’s environmental attitudes, natural land covers, ecosystem health, and the statistical interactions among these variables as predictors. Our results show that restorative experiences can happen anywhere in the urban landscape, but when they occur in natural environments, the combined levels of biodiversity and ecological connectivity are better predicting factor than the mere presence of nature. That is, healthy ecosystems seem to be more important than just any nature for restorative experiences. Moreover, the statistical interaction between one’s environmental attitudes and natural environments predict almost all restorative experiences better than when these variables are independent predictors. This suggests that there is synergistic compatibility between environmental attitudes and healthy ecosystems that triggers restorative processes. We call this synergy regenerative compatibility. Regenerative compatibility is an unexploited potential that emerges when people’s attitudes and ecosystems are aligned in sustainability. We consider regenerative compatibility a valuable leverage point to transform towards ecologically sustainable and healthy urban systems. To this end, we encourage multifaceted policy interventions that regenerate human-nature relationships holistically rather than implement atomistic solutions.