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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
Landskap, terrestriske
økosystemer og
biomangfold, friluftsliv
og kulturmiljø (LAND)
1
Wolverines in a Changing
World
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Landa, Arild Seniorforsker
Prosjektnr:
152782/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-31.12.2007
2003: 600,000 2004: 612,000 2005: 623,400
2006: 634,200 2007: 344,400
The principal objective is to gain better insight in the
ecological role wolverines have in ecosystem dynamics
and their adaptation to ecosystem change. This is
important to accomplish viable and inter-connected
wolverine populations and its implications for sustainable
management of the natural environment. This objective
will be achieved by focussing on the following research
aims.
- Investigate fine-scale interactions between wolverines
and intra-guild species to evaluate competition and
possible connemensalism effects among large carnivores.
- Investigate habitat requirements of wolverines and the
impact of landscape changes to predict availability of
suitable habitat and the degree of inter-connectivity of
wolverine populations.
Predators are important keystone species in the
structuring of communities, and ultimately of the integrity
and health of ecosystems. By accelerating the rate and
expanding the scope of disturbance and habitat change,
man has undermined the resilience and viability of large
carnivore populations causing widespread declines. The
wolverine, whose fragmented range is now limited to
central and northern Fennoscandia, is generally labelled
as vulnerable, but with distinct populations at the risk of
extinction. Investigating the role wolverines have in
ecosystem dynamics and their adaptation to ecosystem
changes are important to ensure effective wolverine
conservation and maintaining a healthy ecosystem
diversity. Focussing on the possibly isolated South
Norwegian wolverine population, the project is designed
to enable predictability of the impact wolverines have on
ecosystem dynamics, including human conflicts. Studies
of intra-guild interactions to evaluate the competition and
possible commensalism effects among large carnivore
species are also included. If conservation and
management is to be successful, knowledge of habitat
requirements and population dynamics are equally
important in determining the ability of individuals to
travel between sub-populations in order to preserve
viable populations. Adaptability to changing
environments will be studied along with habitat
requirements, to predict the availability of suitable
wolverine habitat.
2
Coastal Sami landscapes:
Communities and management
regimes in the twenty-first
century
Prosjektansvarlig:
Tromsø Museum Universitetsmuseet,Universitetet i Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Eythórsson, Einar Seniorforsker
Prosjektnr:
153237/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-28.2.2008
2003: 178,050 2005: 672,300 2006: 204,705
2007: 696,000 2008: 135,038
Principal objective: to explore the institutional
preconditions for implementation of the principles in
Agenda 21, chapter 26, on indigenous people and their
communities, in management and policy regimes which
interfere with coastal Sami landscapes and use of natural
resources in coastal Sami areas.
Sub-goals:
(1)
Analysis of the demographic and economic
situation in four coastal Sami communities
(2)
Documentation of local understandings of
coastal Sami landscapes
(3)
Analysis of the responses ofcoastal Sami
communities to new challenges listed in project summay
(4)
Analysis of opportunities of coastal Sami
communities to influence management and policy regimes
The project will analyse the conditions in coastal Sami
communities, for realisation of the principles laid down
by the Sami Rights Commission and in Agenda 21,
regarding the rights of indigenous people and their
communities to participate in decision making on
management, use and development of their lands,
territories and other resources. It is a study of local
communities in coastal Sami areas, and the opportunities
of these communities to exert influence on existing
managment and policy regimes which interfere with
coastal sami landscapes. The focus is on six specific
challenges/development trends:
1. Changes in agricultural policy related to the WTO
negotionations and to multifunctional
agriculture.
2. Growth of the aquaculture sector, creating pressure on
marine environments.
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
3. Introduction of the Alaska king crab into the Barents
Sea.
4. Extended area conservation by national parks and
marine reserves.
5. Extended land use for recreational and tourism
purposes.
6. Offshore gas production in Finnmark.
The main research question is how the coastal Sami
communities are responding to these challenges, and what
kind of influence the communities are able to exert on
planning, management and policy regimes that affect the
outcomes of these processes.
3
Reindeer and caribou;
tolerance limits to habitat
fragmentation and
anthropogenic activities
Prosjektansvarlig:
Biologisk institutt,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Reimers, Eigil Professor
Prosjektnr:
154020/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.2.2004-31.1.2007
2004: 1,267,500 2005: 1,321,000 2006: 1,312,000
2007: 58,000
Critically evaluate the international litterature on
interference between Rangifer and humans and publish
the result as a review paper. - Determine vigilance and
fright and flight behavior in Norwegian subpopulation of
reindeer of different origin. -Determine reindeer area use
in relation to tourism and various construction activities
and test the hypothesis that avoidance of developed areas
affects much larger areas than that of the physically
altered footprints of development. - Establish
methodology necessary for the evaluation of key
population parameters (calf recruitment, calf mortality
and body weight) and possible paramenter responses to
various human impacts.
Reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a prominent
key species in the Arctic/Alpine environment.
Anthropogenic activities including oil, gas and mineral
exploration, hydroelectric development, and tourism have
expanded rapidly in these environments during the last
decades. In spite off numerous publications and annotated
reviews on the issue of anthropogenic effects on Rangifer,
the debate is as heated as ever among scientists and hence
among the public. There is time for a critical evaluation of
the current state of the art on anthropogenic effects to be
published as a review article. A follow up of the national
conservancy responsibility for the species requires
additional in dept studies of vigilance, fright and flight
behavior, and habitat avoidance related to human
infrastructure. In order to apply the primary behavioral
effects to energy budgets and secondary effects on animal
body size, reproduction and mortality, one needs to
develop and refine methods for remote estimation.
4
Phylogeny and biogeography
of lamioid mints as affected by
Tertiary and Quaternary
environmental change in
northern latitudes
Prosjektansvarlig:
Naturhistorisk museum,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Roaldset, Elen Museumsdirektør
Prosjektnr:
154145/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-1.4.2008
2004: 1,777,584 2005: 1,039,200 2006: 605,900
2007: 112,666 2008: 56,334
This project will assess the impact of environmental
events at different time scales on the diversification of a
worldwide lineage of mints (Lamioideae: Lamiaceae)
represented in Scandinavia by several independent
lineages. The intent is to dissect out the components of
diversity within Lamioideae and relate them to geological,
climatic aud ecological conditions of the past.
Specifically, phylogenetic evidence will be sought for
biogeographic correlates of episodic environmental
changes, particularly with reference to transatlantic versus
transberingian relationships, intracontinental disjunctions,
hybrid ciadogenesis, and the interglacial invasion of
Fennoscandia.
Historical biogeography conjectures that cladogenesis, the
origins of species and lineages of organisms, is directly
related to geographic migration and isolation of clade
members over time. The geologic and environmental
history of the Northern Hemisphere shows great
consistency with most organismal phylogenies that have
so far been produced. Barriers to plant migration have
been created and lifted alternately throughout the Tertiary
and Quaternary, leading to some general geographic
patterns that are repeatedly recovered in phylogenetic
studies of disparate flowering plant groups.
The project will utilize members of the monophyletic
mint subfamily Lamioideae (Leppeblomstfamilien) to
uncover phylogenetic evidence for episodic
environmental changes, particularly with reference to
transatlantic versus transberingian relationships,
intracontinental disjunctions, hybrid cladogenesis, and the
interglacial invasion of Fennoscandia. Results of the
project will form a case study toward the development of
a model for mosaic evolution of the Northern Hemisphere
flora, and will advance knowledge of the phylogeny and
taxonomy of a species-rich and ecologically important
lineage of the mint family.
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
5
Ecosystem Finnmark:
Determinants of changes in
structure and function of an
Alpine/low Arctic tundra
ecosystem
Prosjektansvarlig:
Det matematisk-naturvitenskapelige
fakultet,Universitetet i Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Ims, Rolf Anker Professor
Prosjektnr:
154440/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-31.12.2008
2003: 1,887,000 2004: 3,887,000 2005: 3,928,000
2006: 3,122,000 2007: 1,468,666 2008: 734,334
Main objective To investigate the roles of environmental
and social forces in shaping the current geographic
variation in reindeer density and production in Finnmark
and its consequenses for ecosystem sustainability. Subobjectives - To provide an analysis of spatial and
temporal variation in reindeer density and habitat use, its
environemtal correlates and the realation to herd
productivity. - To analyse the socio-cultural mechanisms
that may contribute to geographic variation in reindeer
numbers and how these mechanisms may interact with
decisions by management authorities and spatial and
temporal environmental variability. - To explore the
possibility for transitions between alternative states of
vegetation structure and primary productivity, and to
assess the feedback of such transitions on reindeer
productivity.
Reindeer husbandry constitutes one of the main pillars of
Saami cultural identity in Finnmark, the northern-most
district of the European continent. Yet how reindeer
husbandry is presently practised is controversial, as the
grazing intensity has been claimed to be non-sustainable.
The project is interdisciplinary covering the axis ecologysocial sciences aiming at identifying the determinants of
how reindeer husbandry is presently practised and what
are the consequences.
The novelty of the research approach is that it focuses on
the often ignored large, geographic variation in reindeer
numbers and production in Finnmark. These geographic
differences have been temporally persistent for at least 20
years. The paradigm is the following: If one is to devise
efficient management strategies, according to
internationally recognised goals for ecosystem
sustainability, one needs to understand the political,
socio-cultural and environmental basis for the current
variation in reindeer husbandry and its consequences.
The project will conduct studies that analyze spatial
variability in environmental and socio-cultural factors. It
explicitly addresses the hypothesis that a shifting pattern
and intensity of reindeer herbivory in conjunction with
climatic variability and internal dynamics within plant
communities can bring about long lasting transitions in
vegetation structure and quality which may feed back on
the produetivity within reindeer herds. Productivity will
be studied with respect to the influence of reindeer
density, habitat/resource use and climatic variation. The
social science studies are based on the expectation that
socio-cultural processes and variable economic
constraints at the level of the "siidas" (Saami reindeer
herding units), as well as their interactions with the
decisions of management authorities, will be forceful
social and political determinants of reindeer herding
practices and reindeer numbers. Reindeer
numbers/husbandry practice/production as well as the
general spatial research design will be the main
interdisciplinary denominators of the project.
6
Land use and ecosystem
function in Norwegian forest
landscapes
Prosjektansvarlig:
Universitetet for miljø- og biovitenskap,Institutt
for naturforvaltning
Prosjektleder:
Ohlson, Mikael Professor
Prosjektnr:
154442/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.5.2003-30.7.2009
2003: 2,147,850 2004: 3,821,200 2005: 4,434,200
2006: 3,178,200 2007: 1,557,733 2009: 778,867
The principal objective is two-fold: (i) to analyse the
interaction of human land-use, ecosystem function,
biodiversity dynamics, and abiotic factors in Norwegian
boreal forests, and (ii) to develop improved policy
instruments for managing biodiversity in forests.
Sub-goals: 1) Determine the relative importance of forest
history, habitat configuration and habitat quality as
determinants of species distributions; 2) Establish
improved indicators of biological diversity; 3) Identify
forest management strategies to secure ecosystem
functioning, biodiversity, and to restore damaged forest
ecosystems; 4) Analyse the efficiency and risks of
different policy means.
The relationships between human use of forest, natural
ecosystem dynamics, biodiversity, ecosystem function,
and long-term change of forest ecosystems are complex
and occur at different spatial- and temporal scales.
Analyses of such complex relationships must be focused
and at the same time require expertise from several
disciplines. The approach entails multi-disciplinary
modelling involving forest ecology, forest history,
archaeology, quantitative palaeoecology, population
biology, economics, and stake holder involvement.
Observationally and experimentally assessed measures of
habitat qualities, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
will provide information on present-day ecosystem and
landscape properties.
Combinations of several retrospective vegetation history
and archaeological methods will provide information on
long-term natural changes, human settlement, timber
logging, grazing pressure, economics, and human wellbeing. The project will thereby be able to analyse patterns
in biodiversity and ecosystem processes in relation to
human land-use and landscape history. The project will
study forest landscapes along east-western gradients in
South-and Central Norway, in particular forest landscapes
close to Oslo, where strong and different interests are in
conflict as regards the value, management, and use of the
forests. The modelling approach enables us to produce
decision relevant information through more efficient
incorporation of existing knowledge and new data
collected in the project.
and intensity of reindeer herbivory in conjunction with
climatic variability and internal dynamics within plant
communities can bring about long lasting transitions in
vegetation structure and quality which may feed back on
the produetivity within reindeer herds. Productivity will
be studied with respect to the influence of reindeer
density, habitat/resource use and climatic variation. The
social science studies are based on the expectation that
socio-cultural processes and variable economic
constraints at the level of the "siidas" (Saami reindeer
herding units), as well as their interactions with the
decisions of management authorities, will be forceful
social and political determinants of reindeer herding
practices and reindeer numbers. Reindeer
numbers/husbandry practice/production as well as the
general spatial research design will be the main
interdisciplinary denominators of the project.
7
8
Ecosystem Finnmark:
Determination of changes in
structure and function of an
Alpine/low Artic tundra
ecosystem. Samfinansiering
154440/720
Prosjektansvarlig:
Det matematisk-naturvitenskapelige
fakultet,Universitetet i Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Ims, Rolf Anker Professor
Prosjektnr:
158307/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-31.12.2007
Reindeer husbandry constitutes one of the main pillars of
Saami cultural identity in Finnmark, the northern-most
district of the European continent. Yet how reindeer
husbandry is presently practised is controversial, as the
grazing intensity has been claimed to be non-sustainable.
The project is interdisciplinary covering the axis ecologysocial sciences aiming at identifying the determinants of
how reindeer husbandry is presently practised and what
are the consequences.
The novelty of the research approach is that it focuses on
the often ignored large, geographic variation in reindeer
numbers and production in Finnmark. These geographic
differences have been temporally persistent for at least 20
years. The paradigm is the following: If one is to devise
efficient management strategies, according to
internationally recognised goals for ecosystem
sustainability, one needs to understand the political,
socio-cultural and environmental basis for the current
variation in reindeer husbandry and its consequences.
The project will conduct studies that analyze spatial
variability in environmental and socio-cultural factors. It
explicitly addresses the hypothesis that a shifting pattern
Land use and ecosystem
function in Norwegian forest
landscapes. Samfinansiering
154442/720
Prosjektansvarlig:
Universitetet for miljø- og biovitenskap,Institutt
for naturforvaltning
Prosjektleder:
Ohlson, Mikael Professor
Prosjektnr:
158308/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2003-31.12.2007
The relationships between human use of forest, natural
ecosystem dynamics, biodiversity, ecosystem function,
and long-term change of forest ecosystems are complex
and occur at different spatial- and temporal scales.
Analyses of such complex relationships must be focused
and at the same time require expertise from several
disciplines. The approach entails multi-disciplinary
modelling involving forest ecology, forest history,
archaeology, quantitative palaeoecology, population
biology, economics, and stake holder involvement.
Observationally and experimentally assessed measures of
habitat qualities, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes
will provide information on present-day ecosystem and
landscape properties.
Combinations of several retrospective vegetation history
and archaeological methods will provide information on
long-term natural changes, human settlement, timber
logging, grazing pressure, economics, and human wellbeing. The project will thereby be able to analyse patterns
in biodiversity and ecosystem processes in relation to
human land-use and landscape history. The project will
study forest landscapes along east-western gradients in
South-and Central Norway, in particular forest landscapes
close to Oslo, where strong and different interests are in
conflict as regards the value, management, and use of the
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
forests. The modelling approach enables us to produce
decision relevant information through more efficient
incorporation of existing knowledge and new data
collected in the project.
9
A molecular phylogeny of the
brown-spored agarics
(Basidiomycota)
Prosjektansvarlig:
Biologisk institutt,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Schumacher, Trond Professor
Prosjektnr:
164731/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-30.6.2008
2005: 713,000 2006: 734,000 2007: 635,000
Main objective:
Our superior goal is to use sequence data from multiple
loci in understanding historical relationships, taxonomy
and character evolution (morphology/ecology) between
brown-spored agarics of the families Cortinariaceae,
Strophariacae, Bolbitiaceae and Tubariaceae.
Sub-goals:
Re-analyse the current classifications schemes of the
brown-spored agarics and define monophyletic groups.
Track and analyse the evolution of various mycorrhizal
and saprotrophic life-forms.
Analyse infrageneric molecular phylogeny in Galerina
and test species boundaries and character evolution, using
a multi-locus phylogenetic approach.
Perform a critical examination of the G. atkinsoniana and
G. marginata species complexes, using a combination of
multi-locus sequencing and AFLP fingerprints.
The agarics with brownish spore prints embrace the
families Cortinariaceae, Strophariaceae, Bolbitiaceae and
Tubariaceae. In the Northern hemisphere, there is a vast
number of brown-spored agarics, adapted to a variety of
habitats. The phylogenetic relationships between the
large, brown-spored genera Cortinarius, Inocybe,
Hebeloma, Galerina and Pholiota are largely unexplored.
The main objective is to accumulate knowledge on the
taxonomy, phylogeny and ecological diversification of
brown-spored agarics. The genus Galerina, which
includes ca. 350 species world-wide, will be particularly
focused. Species and infrageneric units in Galerina have
hitherto been based on morphological and to a less extent
ecological characters. We will infer the molecular
phylogeny and test species boundaries and character
evolution of the brown-spored agarics and the genus
Galerina. The project is a DNA-sequence-based multi-
locus phylogenetic approach. In addition, the AFLP
technique, microscopy of sporocarps and compatibility
testing of living culture isolates of species complexes in
Galerina will also be accomplished. The genetic variation
will be analysed by likelihood and parsimony-based
inferential techniques. The project includes a PhD
candidate and the contributions from four senior
researchers.
10 The management of cultural
heritage in marginalised
coastal communities
Prosjektansvarlig:
Universitetet i Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Bertelsen, Reidar Professor
Prosjektnr:
165683/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,249,000 2006: 594,666 2007: 1,126,334
Principal objectives
1.
To investigate models for local involvement in
the management of cultural heritage.
2.
To establish an efficient and reliable method of
mapping the cultural resources through focus on
landscape and to develop tools for prognosis
3.
To establish a scholarly cultural history which is
closely linked to the cultural landscape of the study areas.
Secondary goals
1.
To improve the capacity of the regional
museums to maintain a consultative function in the
cultural heritage management
2.
Make available resources for development of
local strategies for the use of marginalized cultural
landscapes
The cultural heritage management works within the
political, economic, cultural and social reality of the
modern society not the past society. The sum of priorities
does not always mirror the diversity throughout time and
space. One typical category of landscape to be left out is
what we call the marginalised coastal communities.
This project aims at investigating the cultural heritage
resources of this landscape type as well as its potential.
Another field of inquiry is to establish a professional
network and introduce new methods and strategies for a
new management regime with active participation of the
local population and the municipal administration. The
project brings together different research disciplines,
different management levels and institutions that have no
tradition for cooperation.
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
11 Design, change and
management of Sami
resicences in Tysfjord
Prosjektansvarlig:
Samisk høgskole,Nordisk samisk institutt
Prosjektleder:
Skålnes, Sunniva Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165689/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-28.2.2008
2005: 841,000 2006: 740,000 2007: 776,000
2008: 116,000
The principal objective is to interpret the modern built
landscape, focusing on private dwellings, as they appear
in a coastal Sami environment today. Sub-goals are:
- to develop new knowledge on Sami vernacular
architecture in the post war period.
- to reveal changes and development of dwellings
- to analyse variations and developments of the symbolic
value of dwellings
- to discuss the role of social housing programmes carried
out in the area and the
meeting between the bureaucratic level and the local
level
- to offer insight for management strategies in residential
areas
- to develop new theoretical understandings of vernacular
arcitecture as material and
symbolic manifestations
- to include a minor comparative study of dwellings in a
village in the eastern Sami border area Notozero in
Northern Russia.
The project´s objects of study are Sami dwellings in the
Tysfjord area in Nordland, and the period chosen is from
the 1960´s and up to today. For comparison, a small
study will be carried out in a village in the eastern Sami
area Notozero, by the Lotta River on the Kola peninsula
in Northern Russia, where the inhabitants were
centralized and relocated around 1960.
A dwelling can be interpreted as both product and
process. As a product, it has tangible character, and can
be seen as communicating with the landscape. It also has
abstract connotations, associated with memory, symbolic
value, emotional ties and identification. The dwelling as
process involves those who participate in the process and
the conditions they have for participation.
The landscape of private homes (dwellings) is formed
through an interplay between the house builder and the
framework defined by public management policies and
practices. The architecture thus mirrors the society´s
principal and partly invisible conditions and perequisites,
as well as the buildes´s possibilities and choises.
National aprogrammes for social and economic
development in Sami areas in the post-war period
included in Tysfjord a programme for relocation of
inhabitants and erecting homes in central areas. This
affected the built landscape in a substantial way, and also
demanded new social and economic strategies.
The project´s theoretical perspective is broad-spectered,
including theories on vernacular architecture, on
attachment to places (topophilia) and on the meanings and
effects of materiality. The analyses will focus on
- the dwelling as product; in the landscapes and on the
parcel
- the dwelling and work
- the dwelling and the social environment
- the dwelling as process
- the dwelling as symbol
12 Spatial economic analyses in
wildlife management
Prosjektansvarlig:
Biologisk institutt,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Gundersen, Hege Høgskolelektor
Prosjektnr:
165695/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.4.2005-30.11.2007
2005: 705,000 2006: 696,000 2007: 169,000
The aim is to study the spatial economics of moose,
which is a species of high harvest value in Norway. I will
introduce the application of continuous spatial
distributions to analyse habitat - moose relations. Spatial
ecological data (e.g. distribution of organisms and their
habitat) are often sampled as points in space, or linear
transects. I will explore how I can use the whole
landscape as smoothed spatial distributions to:
1) Study the spatial distribution of a species with a high
economic value - the moose. I will use already existing
large datasets in this approach, by the use of Kernel
probability density distributions.
2) Study the predictability of the spatial model from
smoothed distributions by extrapolating to larger
landscapes with known moose distribution.
3) Study the various landowners economics associated to
moose.
4) Simulate habitat changes and study the various
landowners' economic profit in a game theoretical
framework.
In this project I will explore how continuous spatial
distributions of habitat may be applied to explain the
spatial distribution of a species with high economic value
- the moose. Continuous habitat distributions may be
estimated from spatial data for instance by the use of
Kernel methods. The Kernel method estimates the density
of a given habitat variable at each spatial location given
the whole spatial distribution of that habitat. Compared to
the traditional use of discrete point- or grid cell estimates,
continuous habitat distributions have some beneficial
properties: 1) Smoothing out missing observations; 2) it is
partly independent of arbitrary choice of spatial
resolution; and 3) continuous habitat distributions may be
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Miljø 2015
Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
an index that describes the whole aspect of the landscape
mosaic and may therefore give better predictability to the
spatial model.
Here, I suggest correlating continuous spatial habitat and
animal distributions to map the association between
habitat and organism. I will further extrapolate the spatial
model into larger areas to study the predictability of the
model. The actual landowner configuration will then be
used to study the spatial economics of the species and
how this may vary through various changes of the
landscape. The economic profit for each landowner
dependent on how the various landowners manage their
habitat may then be studied by applying game theory.
I will develop these ideas at the CEES at UiO in close
collaboration with prof. Nils Chr. Stenseth and his group.
In addition I will collaborate with highly competent
environments at the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, Fairbanks, where I plan to stay for a 10 month
period. The large datasets and the knowledge of the
ecological system to be studied will be elaborated through
researchers working on bio-economics at HUC and a
large mammal group at NINA in Trondheim.
13 Coastal landscape changes at
the top of Europe: Threats and
opportunities for maintenance,
restoration and development
(TOPCOAST)
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA - Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Tømmervik, Hans Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165786/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,100,000 2006: 1,100,000 2007: 1,100,000
The main objective of the present project is to identify, by
the use of an inter-disciplinary approach, significant
landscape changes in the archipelagos of Lofoten and
Vesterålen, Northern Norway. Objectives include the
following subgoals:
1) To identify and document significant coastal landscape
changes, by use of various scientific techniques, in
Lofoten and Vesterålen, with emphasis on the shipping
lane - used by the coastal express liner (Hurtigruten) between Svolvær and Harstad.
2) To explore how landscapes and landscape changes are
perceived by foreign passengers on the coastal express
liner and motor tourists from abroad.
3) To evaluate implications of landscape changes on
biodiversity, cultural heritage values, agriculture, forestry,
reindeer husbandry, and tourism.
4) To advance methods for identification, analysis and
assessments of landscapes and landscape qualities.
5) To propose measures for countryside maintenance,
restoration and (novel) rural tourism that can have a
balanced and sustainable effect on the landscapes.
Norwegian coastal landscapes are now subject to change,
both physically, due to changes in climate, agricultural
policy, industry and housing development but also
resulting from transformations in perception, because of
new knowledge and transformations of local ways of life,
such as dissemination of romantic attitudes among both
tourists and locals. Among the most significant visual
alterations both in the case area and elsewhere are general
re-growth and overgrowth. These changes might lead to
problems such as overgrowth of cultural remains,
decrease in biodiversity, deterioration of the vistas for
sightseers, reduced local access to valued values, and
probably also a loss of placeness to the local population.
The main objective of the present project is to identify, by
the use of an inter-disciplinary approach, significant
landscape changes in the archipelagos of Lofoten and
Vesterålen, Northern Norway, to evaluate implications of
such changes, and to clarify foundations for maintenance
and restoration together with opportunities for
development, especially accentuating tourism-related
issues. Moreover, the project will explore how landscapes
and landscape changes are perceived by tourists and
evaluate implications of landscape changes on
biodiversity, cultural heritage values, agriculture, forestry,
reindeer husbandry, and tourism. The project will advance
methods for identification, analysis and assessments of
landscapes and landscape qualities and finally propose
measures for countryside maintenance, restoration and
novel rural tourism (new employment opportunities) that
can have a balanced and sustainable effect on the
landscapes.
14 Cultural heritages and value
creation. Estimating economic
effects of cultural heritage in
the city of Røros
Prosjektansvarlig:
ECON Analyse a.s
Prosjektleder:
Bowitz, Einar Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165787/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,040,000 2006: 1,320,000 2007: 640,000
The overall objective is to estimate economic effects of
cultural heritage in the community of Røros; including
both the effects of cultural heritage in general, and the
effects associated with the site’s World Heritage
registration. Other objectives include revealing how
management of cultural heritage can affect economic
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value, and exploring the inherent conflicts between value
creation and conservation of cultural heritage. The study
aims to increase the knowledge about the possibilities and
limitations in the management strategy “conservation
through use” to support a common understanding among
local actors of the action space for use and management
of cultural heritage.
Management of cultural heritages in a manner that
generates values are of importance in order to obtain a
sustainable development (SD). Cultural heritage can
affect the three objectives for SD; environmental, social
and economic development. There is a need for more
knowledge especially of the economic and social effects.
The economic values associated with cultural heritage can
arise from development of commercial activities, and
from making a place more attractive both for people and
business. Despite growing awareness that cultural
heritage can generate potential value, data and methods
that confirms this linkage is lacking. Knowledge of how
cultural heritages create values, and hence affects the
economy, and methods to estimate these values are of
main concern in this study. In the project we will estimate
the economic effects of the use and management of
cultural heritage at Røros. The study will visualise and
make the material and immaterial values linked to cultural
heritage concrete, together with methods to assess and
distribute the value in an experience and/or business
related setting. The project consists of 7 work packages:
1) Identifying and analysing the cultural heritage
management regime at Røros during the last 20 years. 2)
A theoretic approach to value creation incl. a literature
survey and establisment of a theoretic model. 3)
Estimating value created in business sectors, directly and
indirectly (e.g., branding). 4) Estimating values among
inhabitants through mobility surveys. 5) An in-depth
analysis of conflict handling between conservation and
use of cultural heritage. 6) A synthesis of the previous
WP, adjusting the theoretical model with the empirical
findings. 7) A scenario project for Røros. Central
outcomes will be: a method to estimate value creation
from cultural heritage; establisment of a knowledge base
for central and local administration and other actors,
especially with regards to the policy perspective
“conservation through use".
15 Critical components for
sustainable development of
National parks (PARKS) - The
interactions of social,
ecological and economic
factors
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA,Avd. for naturbruk
Prosjektleder:
Nellemann, Christian Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165795/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,000,000 2006: 1,000,000 2007: 1,000,000
To identify the role, mechanisms and impacts of public
and private sector investments in and surrounding
national parks for promoting sustainable development,
including the interactions between local communities and
the public sector, economic activity and environmental
protection. The project will specifically analyze and
identify best-practices from mountain park management
in Norway, USA, Canada, and Nepal. This will include
cross-disciplinary studies of:
•
the demand for tourism products contingent upon
protected areas
•
the collaboration, strategies, realization and
extent of public investment, local participation and private
business;
•
impacts of different tourism management
policies on distribution and range use of ungulates
including critical thresholds and buffer zones;
•
the role of the parks for hosting large predator
communities and subsequent conflicts with domestic
livestock;
•
produce scenarios for environmental pressures
given different management regimes
In recent years, a large number of mountain protected
areas and parks have been established in Norway, Nepal
and North-America, including what is now the largest
continuous protected area in continental Europe.
Pressures from the private sector to develop economic
activities in and surrounding parks in return for foregone
development opportunities are increasing substantially,
but there are few or no major assessments available to
identify the criteria crucial for balancing environmental
protection with economic development. Furthermore,
development pressures are increasing in the perimeter of
the parks. Little experience is available in Norway on how
parks can be managed to promote economic activity,
involve local communities, and maintain protection of
areas. There is also limited knowledge on how activity in
the perimeter of the parks impacts the ecology of the
protected areas, such as by increase in generalist
predators, increased disturbance of migration routes of
migratory animals and birds, or by potential increase of
larger predators within the parks. Despite many
controversies, there are no assessments in place to
document the potential disturbance of wildlife caused by
trails and trekking tourists within the parks in Norway. In
USA, Canada, and Nepal, there are both recent and longterm experiences with mountain park management, park
research, income generating tourism in protected areas,
and economic activity that could provide crucial
knowledge to Norwegian authorities on best-practices and
the local assumptions and requirements needed for
successful implementation of such activities. This study
will provide a cross-disciplinary assessment of the
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ecological, economic and social components required for
sustainable development in mountain parks, and generate
scenarios of environmental pressures given different
management, business regimes and mitigation systems.
16 Large carnivores and human
communities II: Conserving
interacting species in the
transboundary south-central
Scandinavian ecosystem
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Linnell, John D. C. Seniorforsker
Prosjektnr:
165814/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,100,000 2006: 1,100,000 2007: 1,100,000
o Develop tools and provide advice relevant for managers
implementing carnivore management policy.
o Promote ecosystem level thinking by giving geographic
identity to the research that is being conducted on large
carnivores and large herbivores in south-central
Scandinavia.
o Explore similarities and differences between the
conservation of, and conflicts associated with, large
carnivores on both sides of the border in this
transboundary ecosystem.
o Investigate attitude patterns concerning wildlife in
general and large carnivores in particular to assess the
impact of such attitudes on the feasibility of management
options.
o Profile the multi-disciplinary research in this ecosystem
to make it into a classic research area for the study of
conservation in multi-use landscapes
o Stimulate inter-disciplinarity by focusing on a common
sense of place (the ecosystem) and a common purpose
(large carnivore-human coexistence).
o Continue limited, but targetted field research on large
carnivores.
To meet the escalating demands for scientific knowledge,
to help address human-wildlife conflicts, research activity
on large carnivores (LCs) and large herbivores (LHs) has
been intense in the last decade in Scandinavia. This
research has been available to politicans formulating
policy. In the coming years there is a need to to focus on
four main areas. (1) Develop tools to help implement
policy. (2) Monitor the effect of policy implementation on
the conflicts. (3) Place the enormous body of existing
knowledge into a holistic, ecosystem context. (4)
Continue the limited collection of field data on certain
targetted areas. In order to address these needs we
propose a new project that seeks to expand upon the
partnerships established in the NFR funded ROSA project
(2000-2004). In this phase the project will contain
integrated components on wolves, moose, lynx, roe deer,
bears and human dimensions. Integration will occur by
examining these species along four conceptual axes. (1)
The use of harvest and control in active management
which involves collection of LC demographic data and
surveys of human attitudes to various management
measures. (2) The effects of LC predation on LH
populations, and how this is modulated by prey
movement and landscape, which requires studying LC kill
rates and LH mortality. (3) Intraguild interactions
between LCs (and human hunters). These elements will
be further unified by embracing them within a
geographically defined area, the transboundary South
Central Scandinavian Ecosystem (Østlandet & Svealand).
The differences between Norwegian and Swedish
management systems, in similar landscapes, provides a
unique opportunity to study how these different systems
affect wildlife populations, human attitudes, and the form
of human-wildlife conflict. We will also examine to what
extent management practices in one country affect those
in the other. Throughout the project we will interact with
managers at all levels from both sides of the border.
17 Redefining Rural Resources;
Local capacity-building in
sustainable management of
cultural historic environments
of mountain summer farming
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning
Prosjektleder:
Swensen, Grete Forsker 2
Prosjektnr:
165817/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 1,100,000 2006: 1,100,000 2007: 1,000,000
Main goal
- to analyse the planning praxis in use to govern potential
conflicting interests in areas of active mountain summer
farming
- to examine the interplay that takes place between these
cultural environments being used in active farming and
the representation they make as heritage products, and
scrutinise the role they play today in a value-creating
process
Sub-goal
- through a selection of empirical case-studies throw light
upon what functions these environments fill in to days
farming.
- look closer at alternatives in use that ensure a
sustainable development of such cultural historic
environments by maintaining historic values as well
representing an economical basis to their owners.
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- establish relevant international contacts and thereby
gather information about the present situation in a
selection of European countries where mountain summer
farming historically has played an important role and
exchange ideas about means of revitalising such resources
One of the major cultural historic asset that hillside and
mountain regions in Norway offer is mountain summer
farming (”seter”). Today their owners find themselves in
the intersection between several tendencies: agricultural
readjustments leading to either reduction or
discontinuance of mountain summer farming – a
developing tourism industry appreciating national
heritage products – and expanding areas of modern
holiday homes and sport-centres in central mountain
regions. The project will analyse the opportunities as well
as the threats these important cultural historic areas are
facing, and through empirical examples bring forward
suggestions towards sustainable use and management.
Sustainability reflects a growing concern for the
environment. While the environmental impact of tourism
has been given attention for some time, focus is now
directed towards an increasing tendency to develop new
attractions in former remote mountain areas where the
ecological balance as well as a declining tradition of
mountain summer farming needs special consideration.
When such vulnerable resources are being redefined
according to modern economical opportunities and
settings, the planning process as well as the cultural
environments must be scrutinised to add to the
identification, understanding and possible solutions to
potential subsequent problems which the process of value
creation may arise.
The methods and sources which are being applied, are
founded on an interdisciplinary basis (geography,
planning, archaeology, ethnology). The results will be
published in international journals as well as in userorientated magazines. Emphasis will be placed on
building up international contacts, and an international
workshop will be arranged where focus is directed
towards environmental effects as well as challenges
arising when active farming is being combined with
tourism.
18 How to make it. Private-public
partnerships in mananging
sustainable development in
mountain regions.
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for by- og regionforskning
Prosjektleder:
Hovik, Sissel Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165821/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 475,000 2006: 735,000 2007: 790,000
The main purpose of this project is to investigate
conditions for sustainable development in terms of a
balance between nature, landscape and culutral qualities
and rural development in mountain regions. We will lay
emphasis on partnership models and their capacity to
initiate and achieve sustainable development in three
mountain regions in Norway. Our main assumption is that
the capacity of the partnership to create a sustainable
development will depend both on the actors participating
in the partnership and on institutional features. In
addition, we will compare the findings from the
Norwegian study with the experiences with similar
arrangements in Sweden. The Swedish -Norwegian
comparison will be based on this research proposal and
compatible research projects in the Swedish Mountain
MISTRA research programme.
Sustainable development in rural areas is currently a
major political focal point. Public – private partnerships
for rural development have been established, with the aim
of utilizing local nature resources and qualities for
commercial purposes, in an ecologically sustainable
manner. The main purpose of this project is to investigate
conditions for partnerships to plan and implement
sustainable development in terms of a balance between
nature protection and rural development in mountain
regions.
Our main assumption is that the system capacity of
partnerships for sustainable development will depend both
on the actor constellation and the institutional setting of
the cooperative process. Thus, our theoretical point of
departure is an actor-centred institutionalism. The focus is
how different private – public partnership established and
manage to achieve sustainable and rural development in
mountain areas. The success of these initiatives - or their
problem solving capacity- will be measured in their
ability to effectively develop legitimised strategies, and
achieve legitimised economical and ecologically
sustainable development. The input is the different
partnerships and their problem solving capacity. Their
achieved results are divided between policy output and
policy outcome. Policy output is development of
strategies and plans, and decisions on allocation of
resources for these purposes. Policy outcome is about
actual results.
The reseach proposal includes a formalised cooperation
with Umeå Univeristy, a core institution in the Swedish
"Mountain MISTRA research programme". The aim for
this cooperation is to compare different kinds of
management and their problem solving capacity in
mountain regions in Norway and Sweden - both
partnerships and the public management system.
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19 Down by the riverside: Urban
public nature-related attitudes
and activities as a knowledge
base for river restoration and
management
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA,Avd. for naturbruk
Prosjektleder:
Krange, Olve K.
Prosjektnr:
165823/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 500,000 2006: 500,000 2007: 500,000
Principal objective: Identify attitudes, cultural interests,
use, and inhibitors for use in demographic groups
(emphasising youths and ethnic minority groups), and
relate data to quality of life, place identity, and
physical/ecological management of an urban river
corridor.
Sub-goals: 1) Measure nature-related attitudes and
activities among children and adolescents; identify use,
barriers, and influencing cultural/socialising variables.
2) Measure nature-related attitudes, activities, and cultural
interests among adults, identify preferences regarding
river restoration, and relate urban residential outdoor
activities to quality of life.
3) Identify culture-specific norms and socialisation factors
influencing nature-related activities among various
minority groups.
4) Use data on nature-related attitudes, outdoor activities
and uses, and reported preferences of types of river
corridor restoration measures, to develop strategies for
further river restoration efforts and management
The beneficial, restorative effects of activities and
experiences in natural environments are well documented.
Since a majority of the population live in urban areas,
more attention should be given to the establishment,
availability, use, and management of urban natural areas.
Such areas usually include an abundance of remains of
former human activities, the result being a landscape or
environment where nature and culture are integrated in a
mosaic being of large importance for the outdoor
activities taking place there. In this interdisciplinary
project the main aim is to identify relations between
quality of life, use patterns, attitudes, preferences, and
use-inhibiting factors, and restoration and management of
the greenway area along the Alna River in Oslo. This
research area has a large variety of natural milieus as well
as cultural remains from various historical periods.
Five main foci constitute this project. First, attitudes,
preferences, and out door activities of children and
adolescents (10-17 yrs.) will be surveyed. Second, these
issues will be analysed targeting a representative sample
of the adult population in the area, with the additional aim
to relate out door experiences and activities to people’s
quality of life. Third, a focus will be on the importance of
ethnicity for residential nature-related activities and
attitudes, emphasising influences of differential
socialisation and culture-specific norms. Fourth, the
importance and effects of the information about and
existence of historically and culturally central sites and
events along the river corridor will be measured. Finally,
as a synthesis, information collected in these four parts
will be related to existing and future landscape planning
in the area.
20 Harvesting strategies for
optimizing size and structure
of Norvegian moose
popultions: Constraints and
optiones
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Sæther, Bernt-Erik Professor
Prosjektnr:
165827/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 950,000 2006: 950,000 2007: 900,000
The purpose of the present project is to
"
examine theoretically how different harvest
strategies that involve changes of the structural
composition of moose populations affect the rate of loss
of genetic variance,
"
analyze quantitatively how the demography of
moose change with size and structural composition (sexratio, age-composition) of the population,
and
"
examine the decision processes involved when
management goals and harvest strategies for local
populations are determined,
From this, we will
"
give recommendations for different regions of
maximum population densities to avoid serious densitydependent reduction in the productivity of the moose
populations,
"
derive a set of overall goals for the structural
composition of local moose populations that can serve as
local management guidelines,
"
give general guidelines for local management
bodies to avoid unwanted or unforeseen effects from local
processes, and to improve interactions between local
authorities and intermunicipal or regional bodies,
and
"
develop from 'Sett elg'-data robust indices of
changes in the size and structural composition of the
population that can be rapidly used by local managers .
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During the last decades Norwegian there has been a large
increase in the size of Norwegian moose populations.
However, large moose populations also represent a
considerable cost. Thus, the central challenge will be to
derive management strategies that give fluctuations of
moose populations around some predetermined
population level. Our aim is based on a new theoretical
framework to derive recommendations about optimal
population sizes for different types of Norwegian moose
populations. These population levels will however not
only influenced by density-dependent processes but will
also be strongly affected by structural changes in the ageand sex-composition because of harvest strategies that are
directed against certain age- and sex-groups. Another aim
with this project will therefore be to derive robust harvest
strategies that minimizes the risk of loss of genetic
variation. Furthermore, a potential unfortunate
consequence of the large local influence on the choice of
harvest strategies is the development of large local
variation in management practices even within the same
region. Thus, we will study the decision processes
involved when the goals and strategies for the
development of the local moose populations are chosen.
This knowledge will be useful for obtaining more unified
management practices of moose population over larger
areas. Such information is badly needed because previous
studies of moose population dynamics have shown that
regulation of moose numbers through hunting requires
that local moose managers rapidly obtain information on
population fluctuations and are able to convert this
knowledge immediately into decisions about changes in
quotas. To shorten this time-delay, a central focus for this
project will be by advanced statistical methods to obtain
indexes based on ‘Sett elg’-data that can be used by local
managers for obtaining information about changes in the
size and structural composition of the moose population.
21 Cultural landscapes,
agricultural activity and Arctic
goose populations; a possible
combination?
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA,Avd. for arktisk økologi
Prosjektleder:
Tombre, Ingunn Forsker
Prosjektnr:
165836/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 393,000 2006: 260,000 2007: 347,000
In the present project we use an interdisciplinary approach
to study processes in a conflict system linked to the
cultural landscapes along the coast of Norway. Based on a
cumulative body of knowledge from a previous integrated
project, we will develop innovative solution models to
provide guidelines for the long-term management and
conservation of resources. Although the intention is to
support local resolutions, the models will be applicable
for corresponding systems, hence giving the project a
general and broad perspective. The conflict between
agricultural interests and geese will be the main focus of
the project.
Objectives:
A)
To compare the vulnerability of agriculture to
goose grazing, with an integrated focus on differences in
farming and cultural landscapes.
B)
To evaluate the attitudes to the problems of
geese grazing among farmers, administrators and wildlife
managers.
C)
To measure and predict ecological responses in
Arctic goose populations to perturbations and
management schemes in the cultural landscape.
D)
To merge the findings from A), B) and C) in
innovative solution models balancing the various interests
from involved parts, in order to develop an interdisciplinary foundation for a cost-effective and integrated
solution to management.
In the present project we use an interdisciplinary approach
to study processes in a conflict system linked to the
cultural landscapes along the coast of Norway. Due to
increasing goose populations in Europe, conflicts between
farmers and geese foraging in the agricultural landscapes
have intensified. Finding optimal solutions for these
conflicts is a challenge for the authorities. Based on a
cumulative body of knowledge from a previous integrated
project, we will in the present project develop innovative
solution models providing guidelines for the long-term
management and conservation of resources, based on
existing knowledge from previous projects. Although the
intention is to support local resolutions, the models will
be applicable for corresponding systems, hence giving the
project a general and broad perspective. In the project we
will compare the vulnerability of agriculture to goose
grazing in two spring staging sites for geese, with an
integrated focus on differences in farming and cultural
landscapes. Furthermore we will evaluate the attitudes to
the problems of geese grazing among farmers,
administrators and wildlife managers and measure and
predict ecological responses in Arctic goose populations
to perturbations and management schemes in the cultural
landscape. Finally we will merge the findings in
innovative solution models balancing the various interests
from involved parts in order to develop an interdisciplinary foundation for a cost-effective and integrated
solution to management.
22 Ecological effects of sheep
grazing and the economy of
sustainable husbandry in
alpine habitats
Prosjektansvarlig:
Biologisk institutt,Universitetet i Oslo
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Prosjektleder:
Mysterud, Atle Professor
Prosjektnr:
165846/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2005-31.12.2007
2005: 800,000 2006: 800,000 2007: 800,000
Determine the links between sheep density and key
ecological effects in alpine habitats, and to evaluate what
are the economic costs of reaching these specific sheep
density levels on Hardangervidda and in Setesdal Vesthei
and Ryfylkeheiene.
Sub-objectives
By a combination of small-scale experiments and
monitoring within our unique landscape-scale
experimental facility (2.7 km2); we aim to:
1: Determine how plants respond to sheep grazing in two
contrasted alpine habitats at different spatial and temporal
scales, and determine the demographic mechanisms
behind these patterns for selected herbs.
(seed addition experiments; long-term monitoring)
2: Determine the interaction between sheep, plants and
voles during the winter season
(experimentally release individually marked (with pittags) voles under snow and monitor survival and
movement; follow plant community to assess relative
impact of large and small herbivores on plants).
3: Determine the relationship between sheep density and
bird communities.
4: Determine the role of sheep grazing for important
plants for game species, in particular lichens and Salix
spp. used extensively by reindeer.
5: Determine what factors affect sheep foraging at
different temporal and spatial scales.
Further, given these links between sheep density and
ecological effects and production, we aim to
6: Calculate the economic costs of reaching specific
(sustainable) density levels of sheep on 1)
Hardangervidda and 2) Setesdal Vesthei and
Ryfylkeheiene relative to alternative husbandry options.
7: Linking explicitly ecology and economy by
constructing a bioeconomic (dynamic) model to analyse
the vegetation-sheep interaction and determining the
optimal stocking level and grazing pressure.
Sheep husbandry is an important part of the rural
economy in Norway, with a tradition going some 5000
years back into the Bronze age. However, increases in
numbers (2-2.5 million sheep on summer pasture) and a
more extensive use of alpine habitats (made accessible by
roads) during the last century have caused considerable
controversy during the last decade. On the one hand, it is
urgent from a conservation perspective to assess the role
of sheep grazing as a potential factor for some observed
recent and dramatic changes in mountain ecosystems
(e.g., more irregular rodent cycles). On the other, it is
urgent for sheepherders to get documentation of sheep
grazing effects, as the uncertainty in itself has lead to
several grazing contracts not being renewed. Here we
propose a multi-disciplinary project analysing ecological
and economic factors determining the optimal degree of
sheep grazing for the two most controversial alpine ranges
in Norway – Hardangervidda and Setesdal Vesthei og
Ryfylkeheiene. The novelty of our project is the explicit
landscape-scale experimental design addressing scaling
issues, the three levels of grazing enabling assessments of
sustainable grazing levels, the contrast between fairly rich
(such as Hardangervidda) and poor (Setesdal Vesthei og
Ryfylkeheiene) alpine habitat, and the inclusion of
economic calculations of what reaching (suggested)
sustainable levels (as defined by explicit ecological
effects) will cost to the sheep herders and landowners as
well as to the society. In the research proposal, we
describe both specific botanical and zoological studies
and analyses empirically addressing how sheep grazing
effects (on plants, rodents and birds) depend on sheep
population density, temporal and spatial scales and
ecosystem properties (such as nutrient levels). The
economic part of the project aims first to assess the
various cost and income components of sheep farming,
and the various indirect income effects in the study areas.
Next, based on this cost and benefit structure, a
bioeconomic (dynamic) model analysing the vegetationsheep interaction will be formulated. Through model
simulations, the costs of reaching specific (‘sustainable’)
sheep density levels may be quantified. The focus on
assessment related to different levels of sheep density on
alpine ranges will be the main interdisciplinary
denominator of the project.
23 LAND: Comparing, contrasting
and integrating large carnivore
predation and hunter harvest
into sustainable ecosystem
management
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Linnell, John D. C. Seniorforsker
Prosjektnr:
183176/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 2,100,000 2009: 2,200,000 2010: 2,100,000
2011: 2,100,000
Main goal
Analyse the ecology of large carnivore predation on
ungulates and hunter harvest on both ungulates and large
carnivores in such a manner that we can enhance the
sustainability of managing a multiple trophic level
ecosystem
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1. Explore the ecological and evolutionary differences and
similarities between predation and hunting.
2. Develop models to help managers harvest multiple
trophic levels.
3. Explore how hunters perceive their role as predators.
4. Determine the extent to which hunters differently
perceive their relationship with wild ungulates and large
carnivores, especially with respect to extinction risk and
adherrence to regulations.
5. Conceptually explore the relationship between
Scandinavian wildlife management and global
conservation biology.
This project aims to bring together data from a range of
ongoing projects on the ecology of large carnivores and
wild ungulates and the sociology of human interest groups
to focus on a set of topics that cut across the different
species. These are the topics of human harvest and
carnivore predation - which between them embrace both
the major interaction between these species groups
(predation) and the main management instrument directed
at their populations (harvest). Although both have the
same proximate effect (increased mortality) there are
potentially major differences in both the ecological and
evolutionary effects and their perception by interest
groups. There are also many fundamental differences
between harvesting ungulates and harvesting carnivores.
Understanding how these processes work and interact is
vital to achieve sustainable management of an ecosystem
in which the species groups interact so strongly. We shall
also try and utilise the available data to develop a rnage of
user-friendly models that are suitable for managers to use
when trying to make decisons about how to manage
increasingly complex multi-trophic systems. The social
science component will focus on how hunters percieve
themselves as predators and hwo they relate to predators
as compared to ungulates. This has clear implications for
the potential of managing large carnivores within the
same management structures as large herbivores. Finally,
we shall explore the potential lessons that Scandinavian
wildlife management has for the global scale application
of conservation biology. These goals will be achieved by
linking a large multi-disciplinary team from 4 Norwegian
institutes with an international network (Sweden, Estonia,
Latvia, Croatia, France & Quebec) that will contribute
data from different systems as well as cutting edge
analytical experience.
24 Policy for harmonising
national park management and
local business development
Prosjektansvarlig:
Vestlandsforsking
Prosjektleder:
Gössling, Stefan
Prosjektnr:
183182/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2010
2008: 1,391,000 2009: 1,310,000 2010: 1,110,000
The overall objective of the study is to obtain knowledge
on how changes in policy regimes and management
models could stimulate harmonisation of local economic
development, nature and cultural protection within, and in
the surroundings of national parks and other large
protected areas.
The sub-objectives are to obtain knowledge about:
- How pre-conditions laid out in national policy making
and international treaties affect the potential for
harmonising local economic development and nature
protection in relation to large protected areas.
- The local socio-economic effects of different policy
regimes and management models for large protected
areas.
- Possible consequences for nature protection and cultural
heritage of putting more weight on how large protected
areas can strengthen local economic development.
The role and legitimacy of large protected areas (LPA) is
questioned in most countries in the world, and there is a
quest for new management models and policy regimes
capable of integrating regional development and
conservation goals. The project will review how conflicts
in connection to PA have been handled in the past and
study recently commenced processes in Norway on
designating new LPA that can serve as new models for
the integration of regional development and LPA. We will
apply a horizontal perspective which involves changes in
management models for LPA, and a vertical latter
changes in policy regimes that directly or indirectly
influence the management of LPA. We will compare the
situation in Norway with Austria, as Austria is a step
ahead in harmonising goals on regional socio-economic
development with goals on nature protection in relation to
LPA. In order to address all of these aspects, the overall
theoretical framework of the project, environmental
governance, will be complemented with theory derived
from political ecology and development economics (civic
entrepreneurship). We will use case studies as the main
methodological approach. The work will be divided into
four work packages: In WP1 we will study the debate
initiated by the scientific evaluation of four test areas for
local-regional management of protected areas in Norway.
In WP2 we will carry out a comparative case study in
Jostedalsbreen NP in Norway and Hohe Taurn NP in
Austria. In WP3 we will carry out two sub-cases: i) the
designation of Breheimen national park, and ii) the
establishment of a management model for the UNESCO
site of Nærøyfjorden. In WP4 we will sum up the
experiences from WP1, 2 and 3 in order to fulfil the
superior objective of our project; obtaining insight into
how management models could stimulate harmonisation
of local economic development, nature and cultural
protection within, and in the surroundings of national
parks and other large protected areas.
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25 LAND: Long-term ecological
effects of sheep grazing in
alpine ecosystems and its
integration with management
Prosjektansvarlig:
Biologisk institutt,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Mysterud, Atle Professor
Prosjektnr:
183268/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 1,475,000 2009: 1,920,000 2010: 1,914,000
2011: 1,791,000
Main objective
The overall aim is to facilitate the sustainable
management of sheep grazing in alpine habitats; by
providing a scientific basis, relating management
alternatives (sheep density) to specific long-term
ecological effects of grazing in contrasting alpine
ecosystems in Setesdal Vesthei and Hardangervidda, two
of the most important mountain areas in southern
Norway.
Sub-objectives:
Perform the first fully experimental, long-term (10 year)
study on the ecological effects of sheep grazing in two
contrasting ecosystems (rich and poor):
(1) to assess long-term and cascading effects on the
ecosystems;
(2) to assess the effect of sheep grazing on tree-line
dynamics along a taiga-tundra ecotone;
(3) to assess grazing effects on soil physical and
biogeochemical processes and properties;
(4) to link density dependent sheep grazing ecology and
life history to long-term plant development.
We aim (5) to integrate data from ecological experiments
with management scale
We propose to further develop two unique experimental
studies in contrasting alpine ecosystems (running from
2000 in Setesdal Vesthei and 2002 in Hol) to address
several important new research questions: The overall aim
is to facilitate sustainable management of sheep grazing in
alpine habitats by providing a scientific basis for relating
management alternatives (sheep density) to specific longterm ecological effects of grazing. The initial 6-8 yrs of
these two sheep grazing experiments revealed that shortterm effects differ for plants, invertebrates, rodents and
birds. In addition, effects depend on factors like sheep
density and habitat productivity. However, these shortterm impacts may differ from long-term ones, because
many effects are likely to be indirect, mediated through
plants and processes in the soil. Specific objectives are to
perform the first experimental, long-term (10 year) study
of sheep grazing effects in two contrasting ecosystems
(rich and poor), to assess (1) long-term and cascading
ecosystem effects; (2) tree-line dynamics along a taiga-
tundra ecotone and (3) soil physical and biogeochemical
processes and properties; (4) to link density dependent
sheep grazing ecology and life history to long-term plant
development to understand better how climate and density
affect ungulate life history at different temporal scales,
and (5) to integrate data from ecological experiments with
management scale data on animal density and satellite
derived vegetation maps (i.e. up-scaling processes). Our
previous project has already demonstrated a direct impact
on management in the Setesdal Vesthei and
Hardangervidda region, and the outcomes from this
proposal will be applicable to sheep grazing in alpine
areas and also relevant to semi-domestic reindeer
(summer) grazing management.
26 Cultural heritage as an asset
for economic added value;
selection processes from a
coast - inland perspective
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk senter for bygdeforskning
Prosjektleder:
Daugstad, Karoline Forskningsleder
Prosjektnr:
183300/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 818,000 2009: 1,094,000 2010: 1,094,000
2011: 1,094,000
Principal objective to investigate: When cultural heritage
is activated as an asset for economic added value, what
kind of selection processes are at play and what are their
consequences?
Sub-goals:
Through studying processes of "selected heritage" in the
inland area of Valdres and the coastal area of Vega, we
ask the following:
What perceptions do different stakeholders locally hold of
cultural heritage?
Which type of cultural heritage is activated as an
economic asset and what are the physical effects on the
cultural heritage and on the perception of the same?
How do landscape features and land use/cover changes
relate to the selection processes and does the change have
a feedback effect on perceptions and selection?
Which public and private measures are activated; what are
their effects and their degree of coordination?
How can improved understanding of the selection
processes serve as an input into planning and
management?
The subject matter for this proposal is how cultural
heritage is defined, assessed and activated for economic
use, further, addressing such selection processes in a
coast/inland perspective. A coast/inland dimension has
previously been documented regarding the uptake of
measures towards cultural heritage and landscape
maintenance, attitudes towards cultural heritage, and in
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the objectives of cultural heritage NGOs. Further, a
coast/inland dimension is rooted in the different status
ascribed to coast and inland cultural heritage in Norway
historically. A case study approach is used, with the
inland mountain region of Valdres and the coastal
community of Vega selected as study sites. Methods
cover analysis of land-use change based on aerial photos;
Investigation of current land use and physical state of
cultural heritage; Interviewing key actors (farmers,
cultural heritage owners, community associations, tourism
entrepreneurs, planners, politicians etc), either
individually or in focus groups; Document analysis of
municipal plans, strategic documents, etc. from key
actors; Assessment of other written material in order to
convey "storylines" and representations of cultural
heritage past and present (e.g. local historic literature,
tourist brochures etc). The project will be undertaken by
a collaborative Norwegian team from three national
research institutions: Centre for Rural Research,
Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, and
the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute. In
addition, international collaborative partners are involved
in Austria and Scotland. A multi-disciplinary approach,
involving natural science, humanities and social science,
will be pursued in all parts of the project. Joint field work
will be undertaken, as well as joint analysis, publishing
and dissemination.
27 Norwegian Insect Red Lists
2010 and 2015: optimising the
use of species occurrence
data for objective evaluation of
endangered status
Prosjektansvarlig:
Naturhistorisk museum,Universitetet i Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Gusarov, Vladimir Førsteamanuensis
Prosjektnr:
183318/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.8.2008-31.7.2012
2008: 425,000 2009: 825,000 2010: 825,000
2011: 620,000 2012: 105,000
Principal objective: to develop and test a novel and
objective approach to evaluate endangered status of the
Norwegian Red List insect species using species
occurrence data
Subgoals:
- To establish how much data (localities) is needed, to
infer species distributions using ecological niche
modelling
- To test whether predicted distribution can be used to
evaluate the endangered status of the Red List species
- To explore how the data on species occurrence outside
Norway can be used to infer species distribution within
Norway
- Using predictions, to identify the areas in Norway where
the endangered species are concentrated, and to test these
predictions
- To evaluate how well protected territories are covering
the areas with high concentration of endangered species
- To identify how many observations are needed to detect
changes in species distributions
- To provide recommendations to experts preparing the
new editions of the Norwegian Red List and to inform
decision makers
The project will use species occurrence data, obtained
from existing databases, natural history museum
collections and field work, to develop a scientifically
sound and objective approach to evaluation of the
endangered species status for the new editions of the
Norwegian Red List (planned by Artsdatabanken for 2010
and 2015). Our evaluation will be built on species
distribution predictions, based on ecological niche
modelling using published algorithms and existing
software.
The project will be led by a group of experts at the
Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, in
cooperation with colleagues from other Norwegian and
Scandinavian museums.
The project will include one PhD student (stipendiat) (cofunded by NFR and NHM), and several Master students
and interns (no NFR funding required).
The project will directly contribute to our understanding,
sustainable use and efficient management of the natural
environment. The new approaches will be implemented in
preparation of the Norwegian Red Lists 2010 and 2015,
aiming to provide decision makers, scientists and general
public with up-to-date information about the status of the
most vulnerable component of the Norwegian biota.
28 Conservation Covenants in
Norway (CoCoviN) moderating conflicts, reducing
bio-diversity loss and
improving resource
management?
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA - Lillehammer
Prosjektleder:
Vistad, Odd Inge Forsker
Prosjektnr:
183385/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 300,000 2009: 900,000 2010: 900,000
2011: 900,000
Our prinicipal goal is to implement and evaluate case
projects with conservation covenants (CoCos), in order to
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study this as an alternative to traditional conservation
methods.
Sub-goals:
a) To study whether, when, what kind of, and why
conflicts appear in former cases of nature conservation?
b) What are the crucial elements in developing and
implementing well-functioning CoCos in nature
conservation?
c) How do we achieve conservation goals in terms of
maintenance or re-establishment of biodiversity in the
chosen habitats?
d) Can conservation through CoCos improve and ease
maintenance of the cultural heritage?
e) Are there special gains or problems with the necessary
interaction between the ecologist, the cultural heritage
scientist and the farmer?
f) What are the outcomes (concerning moderating
conflicts, achieving conservation goals, adapting resource
management, increasing local involvement etc?) from
using CoCos, in a Norwegian context?
Our main aim is to study the use of voluntary, but
formally binding private-public partnership in nature
conservation and management.
Our hypotheses are: 1) Conflicts around designation of
nature conservation areas are seldom founded on
disagreement about preservation goals; meaning: The
conflicts are less related to WHAT and WHY, but more to
HOW designation and management is implemented. 2)
CoCos have the potential to moderate conflicts in nature
conservation, and thereby increase the conservation
efficiency and help reducing loss of biodiversity and cult.
heritage. 3) CoCos can improve sustainable utilisation and
necessary maintenance of the actual resources.
In natur conservation there is a need for closer
interdisciplinary work, especially between biologists and
social sciences. A broad spectrum of theoretical
approaches is needed in order to analyse successes and
conflicts in conservations practise. This interdisciplinary
spectrum is established in our research consortium.
We want to focus on habitats with distinct conservation
goals connected to biodiversity and/or cultural heritage
values (primarily agricultural landscape).
There will be four basic elements in the project:
1) To analyse specific present and former conservation
and management cases (learn about conflicts). 2) To help
identify relevant case projects with CoCo; study the
implementation, and later on follow the development of
the projects 3) To have a special focus on the following
management and maintenance of the protected resources:
who are involved, allocation of responsibility, economical
input, the element of land use continuity, monitor the
ecological and cultural heritage conditions, effects on the
stakeholders etc. 4) To study international experiences
with conservation covenants.
This NFR project will finance the research aspects, not
the implementation of each CoCo, as such.
29 Towards sustainable
management of moose, red
deer and their food resources
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Solberg, Erling Johan Seniorforsker
Prosjektnr:
184036/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 1,375,000 2009: 1,375,000 2010: 1,375,000
2011: 1,375,000
The principal objective of the proposed project is to
improve the basis for an ecosystem-based management of
moose, red deer and their food resources. We will achieve
this by:
(1) analysing long term variation in moose and red deer
population condition (body mass, fecundity and
recruitment rates) in relation to spatial and temporal
variation in plant variables derived from local and
national monitoring programs,
(2) experimentally examine the effects of moose and red
deer browsing on plants in two contrasting regions for
each species.
Based on the results from these analyses we will
(3) suggest critical densities of moose and red deer based
on plant and animal responses in different habitats, and
(4) evaluate what plant variables are most suitable for
monitoring variation in range condition and herbivore
population condition.
The density of moose and red deer has increased
dramatically in Norway during the last three decades. In
general, large herbivores can have profound impact on
ecosystem structure and processes (e.g. succession,
biodiversity), which is mainly mediated by
browsing/grazing impacts on plants. In turn, plant
responses may provide early warnings on the possible
feedback effects on the herbivores, such as changing body
weights and reproductive rates (i.e. population condition).
Knowledge about the interactions between herbivores and
their food plants is recognized as fundamental for the
conservation and management of wildlife species and
their habitats. However, current information on critical
densities of moose and red deer in Norway is limited.
Meanwhile, we have strong indications of over-browsing
measured as reduction in body-growth and depletion of
important food plants in several regions of southern
Norway. In this project we will focus on the interaction
between moose, red deer and their food resources with the
main aim of increasing our knowledge on how to deal
with high densities of both moose and red deer in the
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context of limited food resources and impact on other
biodiversity.
30 Fire history in Trillemarka
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for skog og landskap
Prosjektleder:
Rolstad, Jørund Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184059/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2010
2008: 750,000 2009: 750,000 2010: 750,000
The project have two components.
(1) The main focus will be on documenting fire history in
Trillemarka on a time scale of about a millennium and a
spatial scale of 100-200 km2.
(2) The other component will contribute to
methodological issues regarding sampling scheme,
interpretation of fire scar records, and spatial delineation
of fires.
Results from the project will improve the scientific
knowledge basis that guides the implementation of
ecosystem-based forest and park management.
Fire is the principal disturbance process in boreal forests,
and little is known about the historical variability of fire
frequency in Norway. An understanding of the historic
variability in disturbance regimes is essential for
implementing ecosystem management. This Ph.D. project
will study fire history in Trillemarka, Buskerud County,
Norway, at a spatiotemporal scale of 100-200 km2 and
1000 years, mainly using dendroecological methods. A
major component of the work will be to outline and
unequivocally document an indicated period of frequent
anthropogenic fires. Another component will contribute to
methodological issues regarding sampling scheme,
interpretation of fire scar records, and spatial delineation
of fires. The project will contribute to a better
understanding of the ecological basis for managing both
protected nature reserves and commercially utilized
forests in Norway, in particular, and boreal forests, in
general.
31 Trees as drivers of
silvopastoral system function
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA Hovedadm.
Prosjektleder:
Rusch, Graciela M. Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184065/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 977,000 2009: 977,000 2010: 977,000
2011: 877,000
We will study the trees as drivers of fundamental
ecological processes in the silvopastoral system in Central
America through their effect on pasture species and
attribute composition and on herbivore spatial use
behaviour.
Specifically, we will : 1. Establish the structure of
silvopastoral farms (e.g. amount and type of tree cover,
species richness, farm and paddock size) along climate
and topography gradients. 2. Assess the effects of trees
on spatial patterns of i) composition (species and
attributes) of the vegetation, ii) primary productivity, soil
nutrient content, iii) livestock behaviour. 3. Link the
magnitude and quality of processes at the pasture level to
the farm according to the farm structure identified under
1. 4. Disseminate recommendations about silvopastoral
farm structure.
The silvopastoral system is a livestock production option
that involves the interaction of woody components
(shrubs and trees), herbaceous forage and the different
species of domestic herbivores. This system of meat and
milk production has many advantages in the tropics both
for food production and for conservation of biodiversity
and ecosystem functions. Despite these advantages, the
adoption of the practice in Central America faces
considerable challenges that threaten the ecological
sustainability of the livestock production system. In the
silvopastoral system, the properties of the tree cover,
which depend on farmer decisions, have important
consequences on pasture and farm productivity. The tree
cover sets the environment (light, nutrients and water
availability) for the pasture vegetation, and through its
effect on the animal behaviour determines the spatial
distribution of the impact of grazing, trampling and, dung
and urine deposition. The project will study the tree cover
as a driver of pasture composition and of animal grazing
behaviour and their interactive effects on pasture primary
productivity and soil resources for the pasture. The
novelty of the study relies on the focus on the various
roles of the tree cover in determining pasture species
composition and productivity, first through a direct effect
on the availability of resources for under-storey plant
growth and second, by determining the spatial distribution
of grazing and trampling. We will study these
interactions to gain knowledge about essential ecological
functions of the system that determine pasture and farm
productivity and which encompasses 60% of the land-use
form in Central America.
32 LAND - Local heritage values
and cultural heritage plans in
urban fringe areas
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning
Prosjektleder:
Swensen, Grete Forsker 2
Prosjektnr:
184067/S30
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Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.2.2008-31.12.2010
2008: 900,000 2009: 900,000 2010: 900,000
Principal objective:
- To examine to what degree cultural heritage
environments in the fringe areas of towns are paid
attention to in cultural heritage plans
- To analyse if the use of local participation in the process
of developing cultural heritage plans in towns under
growth contributes to a larger appreciation of the cultural
heritage assets in such areas and to local residents
identification with the place
Sub goals:
- To provide more knowledge on how the cultural
heritage management in suburban areas takes place by use
of interdisciplinary approaches
- To relate the situation in Norway to other European
countries by partaking in international interdisciplinary
research networks
Urban areas today defy traditional notions of what a city
is. Old definitions of urban, suburban and rural fail to
capture the complexity of regions with motorways,
industrial areas, office parks and residential districts
pushing far into the countryside. Urban sprawl is now a
common phenomenon throughout Europe and is
characterised by a low density mix of land uses on the
urban fringe. Urban development has impacts far beyond
the land consumed directly by construction and
infrastructure and its immediate surroundings. The impact
urban sprawl has on the cultural environments is in need
of being paid attention to. The characters of today`s urban
areas often appear diffuse despite the fact that these areas
consists of layers from different historical periods and still
maintain various degrees of continuity. The project has
relevance for problems called attention to in MILJØ 2015,
and questions raised in this project are: Do cultural
heritage plans relate to the diversity of historic structures
such suburban areas contain, and do they make people in
these areas aware of the heritage assets in their local
communities through user involvement? Based on
interdisciplinary research involving methods developed
by landscape architects/ planners, archaeologists and
social scientists, this study will provide more knowledge
on how the cultural heritage management in suburban
areas takes place and will provide more insight into what
local residents pay special attention to and appreciate in
their environments. It focuses on cultural heritage
management`s role as part of a broader field of planners
that has to relate to an increasing degree of mobility in to
towns and cities.
33 How to prevent invasion of
alien species onto urban hills
and coastal heathland
ecosystems: Sustaining
biodiversity in cultural
landscapes
Prosjektansvarlig:
UNIFOB AS,Universitetsforskning Bergen
Prosjektleder:
Vetaas, Ole Reidar Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184099/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.4.2008-30.9.2011
2008: 1,515,000 2009: 2,037,000 2010: 2,006,000
2011: 1,242,000
To assess the effects of alien trees on the biodiversity of
native species and ecosystem functioning, and to develop
a science-based monitoring and management plan with
local environmental authorities to minimize harmful
spread of alien trees.
Ecosystem effect
Quantify the effect of alien conifers on biodiversity of
primary producers, primary consumers, and predators,
and assess the risk for coastal heathland ecosystems and
urban hills.
Community interaction
Test if sheep-grazing reduces the spread of alien conifers
into heathlands.
Simulate the interaction between native and alien trees
under future climate scenarios.
Experiment:ecosystems drivers
Test if more rainfall, including the estimated nitrogen
deposition, increases the growth of target species.
Magnitude of risk
Find the potential distribution of target species in Norway
and how this is likely to change under future climate
scenarios.
Management plan based on risk assessment and
communty interaction
The coastal heath ecosystem is classified as greatly
endangered under the EU Habitats Directive. This is
because of land-use changes resulting in a dramatic
decrease in the utilisation of outfields for grazing. The
threatened heathlands are invaded not only by native
scrub and trees, but also by large alien coniferous species.
The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA 2005)
states that alien species will represent a major threat to
biodiversity and ecosystem services. Norway is
responsible for the management of northern heaths of
Europe, but we do not have an official plan to prevent
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Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
these ecosystems becoming dominated by alien trees. A
similar process is found on urban hills where alien
conifers are spreading from old plantations (>100yrs).
There are three main drivers that change the heathland
ecosystems: in addition to reduced grazing, nitrogen
deposition and rainfall are increasing, especially in the
winter. This may drive the ecosystem towards a closed
forest, i.e. secondary succession. It is likely that the alien
conifers will become dominant in this succession and will
alter the ecosystem and its function. The main intruder is
Sitka spruce that invades from plantations. It may shade
out local flora and reduce the biodiversity because of its
size (3-4 times local trees). Mountain pines (Pinus mugo
complex) are invading coastal ecosystems and mountains.
We will assist the environmental authorities to quantify
the effects of alien trees on the biodiversity of native
species and ecosystem functioning, and find possible
measures for limiting the spread. This will be done in
collaboration with the Environmental Department of the
county governor, a PhD-student and a team of
researchers, i.e. international specialists on invasive
conifers, experts on heathlands and the species groups
involved. This will facilitate the implementation of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (1993), EU Habitats
Directive (92/43/EEC), and the strategic plan to manage
alien species.
34 A new model approach to
assess genetically modified
plants: their ecotoxicity and
potential interactions with
environmental pollutants
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for Genøkologi
Prosjektleder:
Bøhn, Thomas Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184107/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 1,696,000 2009: 1,696,000 2010: 1,726,000
2011: 1,282,000
Main objective
Test the ecotoxicity and potential impact of important GM
plants on non-target organisms and study how
environmental pollutants may interact with GM plants.
Sub-objectives
-Test experimentally the nutritional quality and potential
toxicity of transgenic Bt-maize and roundup ready (RR)
soy in an already established D. magna ecotoxicological
model.
-Measure responses on life history parameters on
individual D. magna and use these to build age- or sizeclassified population models and projection matrices.
-Follow up potential treatment effects of GM versus
unmodified (UM) plants by studying molecular
mechanisms (e.g. gene regulation/expression
patterns/hormone regulation) in order to understand
causes and effects of potential change.
-Study potentially interacting effects of endocrine
disrupting chemicals/glyphosate and GM plants,
measured on the fitness performance of the D. magna.
-Study potential horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the
experimental food chains
Genetically modified (GM) plants from modern
biotechnology have already a history as commercialised
feed and food products. The agricultural industry using
GM techniques is rapidly increasing and represents large
scale options and challenges for both societies and
ecosystems. Environmental impacts of GM crops
continue to be a highly controversial issue. Some claims
little to no effect and others express concern over growing
documentation that non-target biodiversity is negatively
affected by GM plants and that such impacts may go
unnoticed for a long time as many adverse effects
detected in the lab may realize only slowly in the
environment. Additionally, environmental factors may
interact in complex ways with GM plants, but our
ecological knowledge on the role of environmental
context is premature. No studies to date have explored
interaction effects of GM crops with environmental
pollutants, e.g. endocrine disrupters, that can occur
widespread but at low concentrations in the environment.
In the case of herbicide resistant plants, chemicals like
glyphosate are applied in large quantities together with
the GM plants. An increased understanding of GMOs
interacting with various environmental factors is
necessary for the future management and conservation of
biological diversity and its functions. In this project, we
plan to use an already established ecotoxicological model
for testing GM crop plants with or without the additional
stress of environmental pollutants. We aim at assessing
two important GM plants (Bt-maize and herbicide
resistant soy) together with selected environmental
pollutants (two endocrine disrupting chemicals and
glyphosate) in Daphnia magna cell cultures, in D. magna
feeding studies and in a tri-trophic food chain with
cyanobacteria or green alga ? D. magna ? zebrafish Danio
rerio.
35 LAND: VEGA 2045: World
heritage and local knowledge integrated modelling and
scenario building for nature
and cultural heritage
management
Prosjektansvarlig:
NINA - Oslo
Prosjektleder:
Svarstad, Hanne Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184119/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
6.1.2008-31.5.2011
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Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
2008: 499,000 2009: 1,670,000 2010: 2,320,000
2011: 1,011,000
PO1: Elaborate an innovative research approach to interdisciplinary landscape studies with components of
integrated modelling and scenario building, with a central
role given to local knowledge, systematised through
narrative analysis. PO2: Apply integrated modelling and
scenario building to support management on Vega
underpinning a combination of sustainable use and
conservation of natural and cultural heritage. SG1 is to
present ontological knowledge and contribute to
epistemology based on a narrative analysis. SG2 and SG3
are to bring results from terrestrial and marine ecology
studies and results from studies of cultural heritage and
livelihoods connected to nature uses in past and present
into the integrated modelling. SG4 is to carry out the
integration. SG5 is to build scenarios for possible futures
of Vega by 2045.
The project VEGA 2045 will address three important and
inter-connected environmental challenges related to ongoing developments along coastal areas in general, and
along the coast of North Norway in particular. Firstly,
there is the challenge of establishing ways of conserving
biodiversity and biological resources for the future;
secondly to sustain cultural heritage; and thirdly, to secure
employment and income in ways that are ecologically and
economically sustainable. Through the main elements of
integrated modelling and scenario building, VEGA 2045
aims at elaborating inter-disciplinary methodology in
order to contribute with research knowledge to deal
adequately with the complex, inter-related and multidimensional challenges. The project involves researchers
and integrates elements from social, cultural as well as
natural sciences. Through inventive elaborations and
application of a narrative analysis, VEGA 2045 will take
seriously the need to understand and adequately integrate
local knowledge with the various types of research
knowledge. The specific focus of the project is the
UNESCO World Heritage site of the Vega archipelago.
Vega provides a case that illustrates well all of the three
mentioned environmental challenges. Furthermore, it has
a wealth of existing information on various aspects that
allows rapid progress towards the integration ambitions of
the project. Besides, Vega is in great need for an
integrated approach to future management. Key
components of the Vega identity are its comprehensive
natural and cultural heritage values with rare and
distinctive biotypes and geology, remnants of prehistoric
settlement, rich later cultural heritage environments and a
unique history of a frugal way of life based on fishing,
agriculture, egg-collection and eider down production.
VEGA 2045 aims at elaborating new empirical insights as
well as contribute to epistemology to meet the
environment challenges and the need for a sustainable
development.
36 Testing and adapting
recreational planning systems
to urban woodlands
Prosjektansvarlig:
Norsk institutt for skog og landskap
Prosjektleder:
Gundersen, Vegard Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184126/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.7.2008-1.7.2011
2008: 300,000 2009: 600,000 2010: 600,000
2011: 300,000
The overall aim of the project is to give a state of the art
of planning for outdoor recreation in forest, and to
identify, develop and test out promising planning methods
for use in forestry sector and municipal multiple-use
plans.
Sub goals are to:
1) Give a comprehensive theoretical literature review of
planning methods for outdoor recreation.
2) Give by using a web-survey a state of the art
presentation of how outdoor recreation are integrated in
forestry and multiple-use plans in Norway.
3) Describe examples of good management by using websurvey and interviews.
4) Adapt promising planning methods and make
recreational maps in case area by using field work.
5) Test out to what degree there is coherence between
mapped plans and peoples actual use of the area and their
preferences, by using web-survey and in situ
observations.
6) Suggest planning methods for use in practical forestry
planning.
The project will describe, analyze and evaluate spatial
planning methods for integration of outdoor recreation in
urban forestry plans. The project is rooted in a Nordic
outdoor life tradition characterized by simplicity and
popularity, in which the right of public access is a key
element and empirical research studies as a rule. Outdoor
recreation behaviour and preferences are in change,
challenging the traditional way to plan and manage the
forest. At the same time, there is an increasingly attention
to the importance of forests for public health and wellbeing, especially urban woodlands. Sustainability and
conservation is today an important part of outdoor
recreation, but the interconnection between these values
in planning are not well developed. In general, forestry
sector have no official or common used methods to
allocate social values in forestry plans. We are a
multidisciplinary group of researchers, representing three
institutions from Norway, two from Sweden and one from
New Zealand. Our project will be built upon ongoing
research and founding in the three countries, with special
synergy effects to the Swedish research programme
"Outdoor recreation in change", project C and project D.
The overall aim of the project is to give a state of the art
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Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
of planning for outdoor recreation in forest, and to
identify, develop and test out promising planning methods
for use in forestry sector and municipal multiple-use
plans. Our research plan includes reviews, web-surveys,
field work, interviews, workshops and seminar, with
Oslomarka as case. The length of the projects is proposed
as three years, to allow comprehensive review, field work
in case area and publishing of reports and reviewed
articles. The total budget for the project is 1.8 million
NOK.
37 Driving forces in vegetation
dynamics and their
consequences for ecosystem
services
Prosjektansvarlig:
Det matematisk-naturvitenskapelige
fakultet,Universitetet i Bergen
Prosjektleder:
Grytnes, John-Arvid Forsker
Prosjektnr:
184133/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.1.2008-28.2.2011
2008: 1,232,000 2009: 1,324,000 2010: 1,592,000
2011: 102,000
The project aims at identifying the relative importance of
four of the drivers most relevant for vegetation changes in
Northern Europe, and assess how changes in vegetation
may affect pollination as an ecosystem service.
Five main questions will be answered:
1.
Has species composition changed more than
should be expected by chance (natural dynamics under
relatively constant environmental conditions)?
2.
If there is significant evidence for non-random
changes, to what extent can these be explained by
environmental factors, and can these factors be related to
ecosystem drivers?
3.
Do the important drivers for vegetation change
differ between habitats and between regions?
4.
How do pollination and pollinator diversity
depend on vegetation changes?
5.
By comparing areas with different influences of
specific drivers, will these differences result in changes in
species composition and diversity, and do they confirm
the results found by the temporal comparison?
This project looks at four specific human-related driving
forces of ecosystem change that are identified as major
threats to biodiversity today or are predicted to become
major threats in the near future. These are (1) habitat
change, (2) climate change, (3) pollution, and (4) invasive
species. The project focuses on terrestrial vegetation in
mires, forests, and alpine areas, which are the major
habitats in "northern areas". In addition to investigating
the effects of these drivers on vegetation, we will also
study how vegetational changes in turn have
consequences for ecosystem services, focusing on
pollination. For this purpose we have assembled a
research team ideally composed to meet the challenges of
such a project, including specialists in palaeoecology,
community ecology, pollination, forest ecology, culturallandscape ecology, and numerical analyses including
multivariate and univariate statistics and randomization
procedures.
38 There is more to the picture
than meets the eye endophytic fungi in boreal
forest bryophytes
Prosjektansvarlig:
Universitetet for miljø- og biovitenskap
Prosjektleder:
Ohlson, Mikael Professor
Prosjektnr:
184137/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.3.2008-28.2.2011
2008: 1,165,000 2009: 1,353,000 2010: 1,194,000
2011: 188,000
Principal objective:
Integrate microbiological, chemical, mycological and
ecological competences to explore the biodiversity of
endophytic fungi and their functional role in boreal forest
bryophytes.
Sub-goals:
1) Describe the hidden diversity of endophytic fungi in
three abundant boreal forest bryophytes across different
habitats and spatial scales, ranging from the single
bryophyte shoot up to the intercontinental scale.
2) Examine how the diversity of endophytes in forest
bryophytes is affected by environmental pollution, i.e.
nitrogen deposition and acidification.
3) Examine how the diversity of endophytes in forest
bryophytes is affected by land-use, i.e. forestry.
4) Chemically characterize secondary metabolites
produced by fungal endophytes in boreal forest
bryophytes.
5) Estimate the role of fungal endophytes in the
relationship between bryophytes and herbivores.
Fungi that live hidden inside plant tissues without causing
injuries to the host plant are endophytes and appear to be
ubiquitous. Endophytic fungi are sources of biologically
active secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical
importance and large potential ecological importance.
Results from a pilot study indicate a remarkably high
diversity of endophytic fungi in boreal forest bryophytes.
Nothing of this immense diversity is visible by eye, but it
is hypothesized that the relationship between the
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Prosjektkatalog 2008 LAND
endophyte and the host plant play a pivotal role for the
function of boreal forest ecosystems because bryophytes
make up a large part of the biomass in boreal forests.
down negative forcing on vulnerable tundra wildlife and
biodiversity as well as increased predation on semidomestic reindeer.
The project is motivated for four main reasons: First, we
need information on the hidden biological diversity and
its functional role in order to maintain ecosystem
function, robustness and biodiversity. Second, it is likely
that effects of anthropogenic impact on boreal forests are
mediated via the relationship between fungal endophytes
and bryophytes. Third, we hypothesize that the production
of secondary metabolites by the endophytic fungi protect
the bryophytes from being consumed by herbivores, and
if this should be the case, we will provide a completely
novel causal explanation to the well-established
observation that bryophytes are generally not eaten by
herbivores. Fourth, secondary metabolites produced by
endophytic fungi are proven to be commercially
important in pharmaceutical and agricultural perspectives,
and species-specific endophytes in boreal forest
bryophytes have an unknown, but potential role to
contribute positively to human well fare and development.
Here it is of particular interest that bryophytes are known
to contain high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty
acids (i. e. Omega-3/6 acids), which are not produced by
plants, but by fungi.
Establishing ecosystem based guideline for sustainable
reindeer numbers in tundra ecosystem
39 LAND-Ecosystem Finnmark
(EcoFinn): Ungulate
overabundance, trophic
cascades and subsidies
Prosjektansvarlig:
Det matematisk-naturvitenskapelige
fakultet,Universitetet i Tromsø
Prosjektleder:
Ims, Rolf Anker Professor
Prosjektnr:
184140/S30
Bevilgningsperiode og finansiering fra Norges
forskningsråd:
1.7.2008-31.12.2011
2008: 200,000 2009: 2,953,000 2010: 3,276,000
2011: 3,071,000
We will use the framework of current food web theory for
elucidating two likely cascading ecosystem impacts of
reindeer overabundance in Finnmark. One cascade we
predict to be induced by loss and fragmentation of
riparian willow habitats due to reindeer overbrowsing,
which in turn lead to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem
functions. The other cascade we predict to be induced by
a temporal subsidy of reindeer carrion to generalist
predators in winter. This predator subsidy effects, likely
to result from reindeer overabundance, we predict to
induce a top-down cascade, working though increased
generalist predation on vulnerable wildlife as well as a
negative feedback on reindeer productivity though calf
predation. The two cascades are likely to be coupled and
thus need to be studied simultaneously. We will adopt a
comprehensive empirical project design consisting of
large-scale hypothesis-targeted surveys, combined with in
depth observational studies and experiments. The national
societal relevance of the project is its contribution in
resolving the underlying causes of the current decline of
certain alpine/arctic wildlife species in Fennoscandia as
well as provide new insight in how reindeer
overabundance affect the carnivore guild. In an
international context the project may lead to insights
which may help counteracting the circumpolar shrub
encroachment in alpine and arctic tundra.
Main objective: To use the framework of current food
web theory for elucidating two likely cascading
ecosystem impacts of reindeer overabundance in
Finnmark and their implications for pressing management
issues
Sub-goals
Testing for cascading impacts of willow overbrowsing:
i.e. that loss and fragmentation of riparian willow habitat
due to reindeer overbrowsing leads to trophic meltdown
process within the food web and loss of biodiversity hot
spots and ecosystem functions
Testing for cascading impact of subsidies to generalist
predators: i.e. that a subsidy to generalist carnivores due
to reindeer overabundance/underharvesting induces a top-
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