Cooperation and expertise for a sustainable future Remote Sensing of Environmental Variables for ... more Cooperation and expertise for a sustainable future Remote Sensing of Environmental Variables for National Biodiversity Indicator Systems NiN National Biodiversity Indicator System EBV Species response Landscape management / change Remote sensing Environmental variables Remote sensing-a basis for gluing things together? A hypothesis for future research and development is that remote sensing can improve • the management relevance of a National Biodiversity Indicator System like the NI through modeling of environmental variables and • it`s data base by means of tracking biodiversity indicators. Thus it can be seen as a basis for linking activities on biodiversity monitoring, research on ecosystem response, and environmental policies.
This report suggests monitoring necessary for operationalization of "System for good ecological c... more This report suggests monitoring necessary for operationalization of "System for good ecological condition". Determination of ecological condition is based on knowledge of indicators for ecosystem structure, function and productivity. Existing monitoring and remote sensing will be important, but not sufficient, data sources, and need to be supplemented by new monitoring. "System for good ecological condition" underlines that establishment of spatially representative as well as ecosystem-based monitoring is required for determination of ecological condition and its development over time. "Spatially representative mapping and monitoring of nature types" (AKO) is a proposed system for obtaining national statistics for nature types for mainland Norway (Strand 2016). We discuss possibilities and limitations with using the proposed AKO-program as a platform for sampling of data for indicators for ecological condition. A set of variables to be registered in an AKO pilot, preferably in 2018, is proposed. The variables are related to species and species abundances (plants) and to vegetation structure (cover and height of vegetation layers).
Dette er en ny, elektronisk serie fra 2005 som erstatter de tidligere seriene NINA Fagrapport, NI... more Dette er en ny, elektronisk serie fra 2005 som erstatter de tidligere seriene NINA Fagrapport, NINA Oppdragsmelding og NINA Project Report. Normalt er dette NINAs rapportering til oppdragsgiver etter gjennomført forsknings-, overvåkings-eller utredningsarbeid. I tillegg vil serien favne mye av instituttets øvrige rapportering, for eksempel fra seminarer og konferanser, resultater av eget forsknings-og utredningsarbeid og litteraturstudier. NINA Rapport kan også utgis på annet språk når det er hensiktsmessig. NINA Temahefte Som navnet angir behandler temaheftene spesielle emner. Heftene utarbeides etter behov og serien favner svaert vidt; fra systematiske bestemmelsesnøkler til informasjon om viktige problemstillinger i samfunnet. NINA Temahefte gis vanligvis en populaervitenskapelig form med mer vekt på illustrasjoner enn NINA Rapport. NINA Fakta Faktaarkene har som mål å gjøre NINAs forskningsresultater raskt og enkelt tilgjengelig for et større publikum. De sendes til presse, ideelle organisasjoner, naturforvaltningen på ulike nivå, politikere og andre spesielt interesserte. Faktaarkene gir en kort framstilling av noen av våre viktigste forskningstema.
Valuation of ecosystem services has been advocated as a tool for communicating the importance of ... more Valuation of ecosystem services has been advocated as a tool for communicating the importance of nature and biodiversity to policy makers. The complexity of the relationships between ecosystem functions and the biodiversity that supports them challenges conceptualization of ecosystem services and calls for comprehensive ecological frameworks as basis for valuation and policy. In this article, we discuss relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of the Nature Index for Norway, recently developed as a biodiversity measurement framework. We suggest supplementing the Nature Index by complementary indicators for ecosystem services, in order to consider how the ecosystem services approach as a policy tool can be enhanced by taking into account an ecological framework for biodiversity measurement.
Cadmium accumulation was studied in two closely related bird species, willow ptarmigan and rock p... more Cadmium accumulation was studied in two closely related bird species, willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan, in Central Norway. The concentration of cadmium in liver and kidneys was very high in both species, but rock ptarmigan had a significantly lower accumulation of cadmium than willow ptarmigan. The high accumulation of cadmium in these bird species was due to high cadmium concentrations in willows (Salix sp.) which were important food plants. Willows had much higher cadmium concentrations than other food plants examined.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-norwegian Journal of Geography, Dec 1, 2012
ABSTRACT The aim of the Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is to provide an overview of the state of bio... more ABSTRACT The aim of the Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is to provide an overview of the state of biodiversity within and across major ecosystems. The index is composed of a series of indicators, each representing individual species or diversity measures. The indicators are standardized and scaled in relation to a reference state, and combined for ecosystems or geographical regions, to give a number between 1 (reference state) and 0 (seriously degraded biodiversity). In 2010, the state of biodiversity was highest in mountains, ocean, coastal waters, and freshwater (NI=0.69–0.80), intermediate for mires and wetlands (NI=0.55), and lowest for open lowlands and forests (NI=0.43–0.44). The NI increased 8–10% in freshwater and the ocean (bottom and pelagic) from 1990–2010, but decreased by>10% in open lowlands during the same period. Since its launch in September 2010, the Nature Index has been approved by the Ministry of Finance as an indicator for biodiversity in the set of sustainable development indicators and approved by the Ministry of Environment as an indicator of the state of major ecosystems.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Aug 1, 1996
Birds that feed in acidified areas may be exposed to an increased intake of aluminum, while their... more Birds that feed in acidified areas may be exposed to an increased intake of aluminum, while their intake of calcium and phosphorus may simultaneously be low. In particular, juvenile birds foraging in acidified areas may suffer from increased effects of aluminum due to high demands of calcium. Day old chicks were fed six different diets where aluminum was combined with normal and low concentrations of dietary calcium and phosphorus for 14 days. The normal calcium-available phosphorus (Ca-P) level was 1.05%-0.45%, and the low dietary CaP level was 0.49%-0.21%. Aluminum was given in dietary levels of 0%, 0.13%, and 0.31%. Aluminum had no effects on growth, mortality, or hematocrit, but induced hypocalcemia. Bones accumulated more aluminum than kidneys. A high dietary concentration of aluminum (0.31%) increased the accumulation of aluminum twofold in bones and threefold in kidneys when the dietary concentration of calcium and phosphorus was halved. Opposed to the predictions, bone mineralisation was stimulated by an intermediate increase in dietary aluminum (0.13%) at both levels of dietary calcium and phosphorus. Bone stiffness was also stimulated at this dietary aluminum concentration, but only at the diet low in calcium and phosphorus. A high dietary aluminum concentration did not have any effect on bone stiffness or calcium concentration. Bone stiffness correlated positively with the calcium concentration in bone, and negatively with the aluminum concentration in bone. The effect of dietary aluminum on bone stiffness is probably caused by an alteration in bone mineralization, rather than by the presence of aluminum in bones.
Signe nyBø assisterende forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. Olav SKarPaaS Se... more Signe nyBø assisterende forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. Olav SKarPaaS Seniorforsker, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. 1 iUlie aSlaKSen Forsker, Statistisk sentralbyrå SSB. eriK FraMStad Forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-norwegian Journal of Geography, Dec 1, 2012
ABSTRACT The Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is a general, integrated framework developed to synthesi... more ABSTRACT The Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is a general, integrated framework developed to synthesize and communicate the current knowledge of the state and development of biodiversity. It is designed to make the most of the available knowledge in the ecological research community, including expert judgment. The authors present the basic concepts and definitions of the NI, the associated quantitative expressions, and the practical implementation of data collection and integration of expert judgment and data on biodiversity in Norway. The NI can be implemented in data-rich and data-poor areas, it contains information on both the state of biodiversity and the state of knowledge, and it can be aggregated or disaggregated to address specific management themes, which gives the framework the potential to become an efficient management tool.
Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. (red.). 2008 Naturindeks. Bakgrunnsdokumenter for utprøving av metode... more Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. (red.). 2008 Naturindeks. Bakgrunnsdokumenter for utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 426. 69 s. Rapporten er en sammenstilling av bakgrunnsdokumenter som har vært utarbeidet i forbindelse med utprøving av metode for naturindeks i Midt-Norge (se NINA-rapport 425). Kapittel 1 viser veiledning for innlegging av data i tilstandsdatabasen, skjermbilde av databasen, data om tilstandsindikatorene som inngår i pilotprosjektet og hvordan åtte indikatorer er transformert. Dette er indikatorer som øker i mengde når utviklingen er på vei bort fra referansetilstanden. Kapitelet gir en oversikt over personer som har bidratt med data til pilotprosjektet, i alt 44 stk. indikator, overvåking, kartlegging, biologisk mangfold, biodiversitet, hovednaturtyper, arter, skog, myr, våtmark, ferskvann, hav, kyst, åpen mark i lavland, trua arter, indicator, index, monitoring, mapping, biodiversity, species, forests, mires, wetlands, mountains, marine area coast, freshwater, open, semi-natural habitats, endangered specie
We examined the exposure of White-throated Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) to aluminum and mercury in a... more We examined the exposure of White-throated Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) to aluminum and mercury in acidified and non-acidified streams in two regions of Norway. Both metals showed significantly higher concentrations in the body tissues of dippers in acidified streams at southern sites compared to non-acidified streams in central Norway. Elevated concentrations of aluminum in acidified areas could not be explained by a corresponding elevated level of aluminum in the invertebrate foods of dippers. During our study period in 1993–1995, deposition rates of mercury by long-range air pollution were higher in southern than central Norway. High levels of mercury in dippers could have been due to higher levels of atmospheric deposition or higher water acidity in southern Norway. We found a high correlation between mercury levels in body tissues of females and their eggs, but not for aluminum. Thus, eggs are suitable for monitoring mercury levels but not for aluminum in female dippers. Our data ...
Nature habitats for climate adaptation. Effects of climate change and climate adaption interventi... more Nature habitats for climate adaptation. Effects of climate change and climate adaption interventions on biodiversity and ecosystem services.-NINA Report 1157. 98 pp.] This report compiles existing knowledge about the effects of climate change and physical interventions for adaptation on natural and semi-natural habitats and their ecosystem services in Norway (except marine habitats, basic biological processes, carbon sequestration and carbon storage). The report provides recommendations that can help conserve habitat function and ecosystem services, taking into account the need by management authorities to conserve, consider and bring into use ecosystem services provided by natural habitats as a means to mitigate climate effects on nature and society. We selected a set of habitats that is most affected by climate change and that may substantially contribute to preventing damage caused climate change, at the same time that physical interventions aimed as climate adaptation measures may threaten the provision of their services.
Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. 2008. Naturindeks. Utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 4... more Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. 2008. Naturindeks. Utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 425. 45 s. Utvikling av en naturindeks er initiert av Stoltenbergregjeringen gjennom Soria Moriaerklæringen. Naturindeksen skal bidra til å måle om Norge når målet om å stanse tapet av biologisk mangfold slik vi har forpliktet oss til gjennom internasjonale avtaler, formidle informasjon om tilstanden i norsk natur på en enkel måte, gi tidlig varsling om endringer, og å bidra til å øke forståelsen for kartleggings- og overvåkingsbehov Denne rapporten tester ut metodikken i Midt-Norge, med tanke på å vurdere om det er mulig å utvikle en naturindeks for hele Norge i 2009. Naturindeksen tar utgangspunktet i arealer av naturtyper, og en beregning av tilstanden i disse arealene. Tilstand i arealet måles med et sett med indikatorer som er valgt ut etter gitte kriterier. Dette for at naturindeksen skal gi et mest mulig riktig bilde av utviklingen i naturen. Tilstandsindikatorene er enten arter eller indirekte mål på bestander av arter (surrogater). Overvåkingsprogrammer, statistikk og ekspertvurderinger gir data om indikatorene. I MidtNorge er det samlet inn data på 126 indikatorer fordelt på 7 hovednaturtyper, i alt ca 19 000 datapunkter fordelt på 52 kommuner og tre årstall (1990, 2000, 2005) Resultatene indikerer at tilstanden er dårligst i hovednaturtypene åpent lavland, hav, skog og kystvann, mens tilstanden er god i fjell, ferskvann og myr og våtmark i Midt-Norge Samtidig viser naturindeksen at tilstanden i Midt-Norge vesentlig bedre enn for lignende naturtyper i Nederland. Rapporten viser at det er mulig å lage temaindekser for ulike geografiske enheter så som fylker, kommuner og arealer med andre avgrensninger (kystområder, fjordområder, fjellområder, osv.), temaindekser for trua arter og artsgrupper, samt temaindeks for påvirkningsfaktorer. Temaindeks viser hvilke påvirkninger som påvirker bestandene mest i et område .. Slike temaindekser er imidlertid helt avhengig av et godt datagrunnlag. Per i dag er grunnlaget i mange tilfeller ikke godt nok, men rapporten peker på mange muligheter til forbedring. Hvis datagrunnlaget kommer på plass, vil man også kunne framstille temaindeks knyttet til trua naturtyper/ utvalgte naturtyper. Temaindeksene, og enkelte indikatorer som inngår i naturindeksen, vil trolig vil bli mer interessante for tidlig varsling og politikkutforming enn den helhetlige naturindeksen, som egner seg best til å få et overblikk over den samlede utviklingen. Pilotprosjektet viste at det finnes en god del biologiske data som kan benyttes i en naturindeks. Imidlertid er mange av dataseriene knyttet til enkeltlakaliter, og dataene kan ikke brukes direkte, men inngår i kunnskapsgrunnlaget for ekspertvurderingene For en del artsgrupper, særlig invertebrater (både terrestriske og marine), sopp og lav er kunnskapsgrunnlaget særdeles dårlig Rapporten peker på kunnskapshull som må fylles for å få en naturindeks med tilstrekkelig utsagnskraft på sikt. Nye biologiske data vil etter hvert bli samlet inn gjennom oppfølgingen av EUs vanndirektiv, de marine forvaltningsplanene og bærekraft-indikatorene for biologisk mangfold, samt gjennom overvåking av trua arter og naturtyper. Disse nye dataene, vil komme godt med når naturindeks for Norge skal produseres. I tillegg er det behov for nye data som ikke dekkes gjennom disse initiativene. Arealinformasjon kan ikke baseres på ekspertvurderinger, og oppdatert arealdekkekart anbefales å framskaffes i løpet av de nærmeste 1-3 årene. Videre peker rapporten på en del erfaringer fra pilotprosjektet som medfører utviklingsarbeid i 2009: det bør tas i bruk mer sofistikerte statistiske metoder for å øke utsagnskraften i naturindeksen, det bør gjøres et bredere og mer balansert utvalg av indikatorer som skal inngå i naturindeks for Norge, og det bør trolig innføres en vekting mellom indikatorene innen hver hovednaturtype slik at naturindeksen skal gi et riktigere bilde av utviklingen i norsk natur. Videre bør mulighetene for å gi enkelte områder høyere verdi for biologisk mangfold enn andre vurderes. Områder med intensivt jordbruk er ikke inkludert i naturindeksen i pilotprosjektet, men en første metodisk tilnærming er prøvd ut. For disse områdene kreves mer utviklingsarbeid Vi foreslår at naturindeks for Norge skal presenteres på internett, der datagrunnlaget og bergningsmåtene gjøres lett tilgjengelig, slik at resultatet kan etterprøves av den som ønsker det. Nøkkelord : indikator, overvåking, kartlegging, biologisk mangfold, biodiversitet, naturtyper, arter, skog, myr, våtmark, fjell, hav, kyst, ferskvann, åpen mark i lavland, trua arter, indicator, index, monitoring, mapping, biodiversity, landcover, species, forests, mires, wetlands, mountains, marine area, coast, freshwater, open, semi-natural habitats, endangered specie
This is a electronic series beginning in 2005, which replaces the earlier series NINA commissione... more This is a electronic series beginning in 2005, which replaces the earlier series NINA commissioned reports and NINA project reports. This will be NINA's usual form of reporting completed research, monitoring or review work to clients. In addition, the series will include much of the institute's other reporting, for example from seminars and conferences, results of internal research and review work and literature studies, etc. NINA report may also be issued in a second language where appropriate. NINA Special Report (NINA Temahefte) As the name suggests, special reports deal with special subjects. Special reports are produced as required and the series ranges widely: from systematic identification keys to information on important problem areas in society. NINA special reports are usually given a popular scientific form NINA Report 1112
Effective evidence-based nature conservation and habitat management relies on developing and refi... more Effective evidence-based nature conservation and habitat management relies on developing and refining our methodological toolbox for detecting critical ecological changes at an early stage. This requires not only optimizing the use and integration of evidence from available data, but also optimizing methods for dealing with imperfect knowledge and data deficiencies. For policy and management relevance, ecological data are often synthesized into indicators, which are assessed against reference levels and limit values. Here we explore challenges and opportunities in defining ecological condition in relation to a reference condition reflecting intact ecosystems, as well as setting limit values for good ecological condition, linked to critical ecological thresholds in dose-response relationships between pressures and condition variables. These two concepts have been widely studied and implemented in aquatic sciences, but rarely in terrestrial systems. In this paper, we address practical considerations, theoretical challenges and possible solutions using different approaches to determine reference and limit values for good ecological condition in terrestrial ecosystems, based on empirical experiences from a case study in central Norway. We present five approaches for setting indicator reference values for intact ecosystems: absolute biophysical boundaries, reference areas, reference communities, ecosystem dynamics based models, and habitat availability based models. We further present four approaches for identifying indicator limit values for good ecological condition: empirically estimated values, statistical distributions, assumed linear relationships, and expert judgement-based limits. This exercise highlights the versatile and robust nature of ecological condition assessments based on reference and limit values for different management purposes, for situations where knowledge of the underlying relationships is lacking, and for situations limited by data availability.
Nature Index (NI) is a policy tool, which synthesises biodiversity data and helps in monitoring t... more Nature Index (NI) is a policy tool, which synthesises biodiversity data and helps in monitoring the status of biodiversity in an ecosystem. NI measures the state and trend of biodiversity in the major ecosystems based on a large selection of indicators. In India, a pilot study was carried out in the two identified biodiversity rich areas, namely Chilika Lake (Ramsar Wetland) and Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) (Heritage site). The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) have jointly tested this tool in collaboration with the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) Authority. For undertaking the pilot study, 25 indicator species from Chilika Lake and 14 species from GHNP were selected. These indicators were scaled in such a way that they measure deviation from a reference state, which is specified as an ecologically sustainable state for the indicator. NI is an average of the scaled values and values range between 1 (reference state) and 0 (very poor state). A polygon map of Chilika lagoon was obtained from CDA and the map was divided into 5 distinct ecological sectors based on salinity and depth, namely (i) Southern Sector (SS), (ii) Central Sector (CS), (iii) Northern Sector (NS) and (iv) Outer Channel Sector (OCS). Similarly, GHNP was divided into 3 regions, namely Jeenewal, Sainj and Tirthan ranges and polygon maps were prepared and integrated into the NI database by NINA. Chilika lake is one of the largest brackish water lagoons in Asia and is an assemblage of marine, brackish and freshwater ecosystems. The analysis results of the fish indicator species have shown that the pearl spot and grey eel-catfish are showing high NI value in all the sectors. These two species are resident species and they are well- adapted to live both in brackish water and freshwater habitats. It was observed that Hilsa shad population was good in NS but declined in other sectors. This might be due to siltation, decrease of depth in the deeper anadromous migratory routes, heavy weed infestation and over exploitation. The thematic NI value of fish shows that the NI value of OCS was high when compared with other sectors. It was noticed that SS, NS and CS displayed a declining trend from the year 2005. The declined NI value may be due to the capture of immature and juvenile finfishes in absence of enforcement of regulatory measures. Chilika lake is well known for its migratory water birds. The NI value of bird population was high in OCS, CS and island region when compared with NS and SS. The high value observed was due to the availability of shallowness, natural drawdown, high vegetation density and mudflats with extensive shorelines. Some of the bird species showing a positive trend are Little cormorant, Lesser whistling duck, Purple swamp hen, Asian open bill stock, Common coot and Brown headed gull. A declining trend was observed in Northern pintail and Eurasian wigeon Gadwall in the NS and SS regions. Some of the initiatives taken by the CDA, such as protection of migratory waterfowl from poaching, eviction of the illegal prawn gharries, maintenance and dredging of the feeder channel and creeks (facilitates migration of fish juveniles), catchment area treatment, weed control, pollution control and community participation helps the Chilika lake to revive or rehabilitate with varied biodiversity wealth and has resulted increase in the population of residential and migratory bird population. In GHNP, birds such as Koklass, Western tragopan, Monal and Cheer pheasant have showed high NI value in all the three ranges. However, the bird Kalij pheasant displayed a declining trend. For mammals, the Jeenewal and Tirthan ranges displayed a good population trend and in the Sainj range, the NI value declined. Mammals such as the Himalayan black bear, brown bear, gray langur and Rhesus macaque displayed a good population trend in the Jeenewal and Sainj ranges. The population of black bear, brown bear, common Leopard, Himalayan thar and Musk deer are declining in the Tirthan range. A good NI value of birds and mammalians was noticed in the Jeenwal and Sainj ranges. This may be due to higher levels of protection imposed in the forest areas and also due to reduction of anthropogenic pressure in the form of collection of medicinal plants or fuel wood and grazing from national park area. The results of NI can be used for policy-making and developing targeted action plans for better management of biodiversity. The bilateral collaborative initiative between India and Norway has increased the capacity of policy makers, biodiversity experts or scientists in using the NI tool for assessing or monitoring biodiversity in the wildlife- protected areas and ecologically fragile wetland ecosystems. In Chilika and GHNP, the biodiversity data was scattered among different institutions and collating the time series data was a herculean task. However, this project…
Tingstad, L., & Nybø, S. 2019. Radioaktiv forurensning i ville planter. Overvåking av radioaktivt... more Tingstad, L., & Nybø, S. 2019. Radioaktiv forurensning i ville planter. Overvåking av radioaktivt cesium-137 i utvalgte områder i norsk natur. NINA Rapport 1739. Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Radioaktive stoffer fra menneskelig aktivitet som slippes ut i naturen i større mengder kan utgjøre en fare for både planter, dyr og mennesker. Etter ulykken i Tsjernobyl i 1986 fikk flere områder i Norge til dels store nedfall av radioaktivt materiale, deriblant nedfall av radioaktivt cesium (Cs-137) som har en fysisk halveringstid på 30 år. Dette nedfallet har ført til forurensning av flere områder, og grunnet den lange halveringstiden er Cs-137 fremdeles tilstede i naturen. Gjennom et overvåkingsprogram har man i utvalgte områder kunnet følge nivåene av radioaktivt cesium fra tidlig på 90-tallet og frem til i dag. Formålet med overvåking av radioaktive stoffer i naturen er å bygge opp referansekunnskap om nivåer, opptak og transport av radioaktiv forurensning i ulike arter og økosystem...
Cooperation and expertise for a sustainable future Remote Sensing of Environmental Variables for ... more Cooperation and expertise for a sustainable future Remote Sensing of Environmental Variables for National Biodiversity Indicator Systems NiN National Biodiversity Indicator System EBV Species response Landscape management / change Remote sensing Environmental variables Remote sensing-a basis for gluing things together? A hypothesis for future research and development is that remote sensing can improve • the management relevance of a National Biodiversity Indicator System like the NI through modeling of environmental variables and • it`s data base by means of tracking biodiversity indicators. Thus it can be seen as a basis for linking activities on biodiversity monitoring, research on ecosystem response, and environmental policies.
This report suggests monitoring necessary for operationalization of "System for good ecological c... more This report suggests monitoring necessary for operationalization of "System for good ecological condition". Determination of ecological condition is based on knowledge of indicators for ecosystem structure, function and productivity. Existing monitoring and remote sensing will be important, but not sufficient, data sources, and need to be supplemented by new monitoring. "System for good ecological condition" underlines that establishment of spatially representative as well as ecosystem-based monitoring is required for determination of ecological condition and its development over time. "Spatially representative mapping and monitoring of nature types" (AKO) is a proposed system for obtaining national statistics for nature types for mainland Norway (Strand 2016). We discuss possibilities and limitations with using the proposed AKO-program as a platform for sampling of data for indicators for ecological condition. A set of variables to be registered in an AKO pilot, preferably in 2018, is proposed. The variables are related to species and species abundances (plants) and to vegetation structure (cover and height of vegetation layers).
Dette er en ny, elektronisk serie fra 2005 som erstatter de tidligere seriene NINA Fagrapport, NI... more Dette er en ny, elektronisk serie fra 2005 som erstatter de tidligere seriene NINA Fagrapport, NINA Oppdragsmelding og NINA Project Report. Normalt er dette NINAs rapportering til oppdragsgiver etter gjennomført forsknings-, overvåkings-eller utredningsarbeid. I tillegg vil serien favne mye av instituttets øvrige rapportering, for eksempel fra seminarer og konferanser, resultater av eget forsknings-og utredningsarbeid og litteraturstudier. NINA Rapport kan også utgis på annet språk når det er hensiktsmessig. NINA Temahefte Som navnet angir behandler temaheftene spesielle emner. Heftene utarbeides etter behov og serien favner svaert vidt; fra systematiske bestemmelsesnøkler til informasjon om viktige problemstillinger i samfunnet. NINA Temahefte gis vanligvis en populaervitenskapelig form med mer vekt på illustrasjoner enn NINA Rapport. NINA Fakta Faktaarkene har som mål å gjøre NINAs forskningsresultater raskt og enkelt tilgjengelig for et større publikum. De sendes til presse, ideelle organisasjoner, naturforvaltningen på ulike nivå, politikere og andre spesielt interesserte. Faktaarkene gir en kort framstilling av noen av våre viktigste forskningstema.
Valuation of ecosystem services has been advocated as a tool for communicating the importance of ... more Valuation of ecosystem services has been advocated as a tool for communicating the importance of nature and biodiversity to policy makers. The complexity of the relationships between ecosystem functions and the biodiversity that supports them challenges conceptualization of ecosystem services and calls for comprehensive ecological frameworks as basis for valuation and policy. In this article, we discuss relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of the Nature Index for Norway, recently developed as a biodiversity measurement framework. We suggest supplementing the Nature Index by complementary indicators for ecosystem services, in order to consider how the ecosystem services approach as a policy tool can be enhanced by taking into account an ecological framework for biodiversity measurement.
Cadmium accumulation was studied in two closely related bird species, willow ptarmigan and rock p... more Cadmium accumulation was studied in two closely related bird species, willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan, in Central Norway. The concentration of cadmium in liver and kidneys was very high in both species, but rock ptarmigan had a significantly lower accumulation of cadmium than willow ptarmigan. The high accumulation of cadmium in these bird species was due to high cadmium concentrations in willows (Salix sp.) which were important food plants. Willows had much higher cadmium concentrations than other food plants examined.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-norwegian Journal of Geography, Dec 1, 2012
ABSTRACT The aim of the Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is to provide an overview of the state of bio... more ABSTRACT The aim of the Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is to provide an overview of the state of biodiversity within and across major ecosystems. The index is composed of a series of indicators, each representing individual species or diversity measures. The indicators are standardized and scaled in relation to a reference state, and combined for ecosystems or geographical regions, to give a number between 1 (reference state) and 0 (seriously degraded biodiversity). In 2010, the state of biodiversity was highest in mountains, ocean, coastal waters, and freshwater (NI=0.69–0.80), intermediate for mires and wetlands (NI=0.55), and lowest for open lowlands and forests (NI=0.43–0.44). The NI increased 8–10% in freshwater and the ocean (bottom and pelagic) from 1990–2010, but decreased by>10% in open lowlands during the same period. Since its launch in September 2010, the Nature Index has been approved by the Ministry of Finance as an indicator for biodiversity in the set of sustainable development indicators and approved by the Ministry of Environment as an indicator of the state of major ecosystems.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Aug 1, 1996
Birds that feed in acidified areas may be exposed to an increased intake of aluminum, while their... more Birds that feed in acidified areas may be exposed to an increased intake of aluminum, while their intake of calcium and phosphorus may simultaneously be low. In particular, juvenile birds foraging in acidified areas may suffer from increased effects of aluminum due to high demands of calcium. Day old chicks were fed six different diets where aluminum was combined with normal and low concentrations of dietary calcium and phosphorus for 14 days. The normal calcium-available phosphorus (Ca-P) level was 1.05%-0.45%, and the low dietary CaP level was 0.49%-0.21%. Aluminum was given in dietary levels of 0%, 0.13%, and 0.31%. Aluminum had no effects on growth, mortality, or hematocrit, but induced hypocalcemia. Bones accumulated more aluminum than kidneys. A high dietary concentration of aluminum (0.31%) increased the accumulation of aluminum twofold in bones and threefold in kidneys when the dietary concentration of calcium and phosphorus was halved. Opposed to the predictions, bone mineralisation was stimulated by an intermediate increase in dietary aluminum (0.13%) at both levels of dietary calcium and phosphorus. Bone stiffness was also stimulated at this dietary aluminum concentration, but only at the diet low in calcium and phosphorus. A high dietary aluminum concentration did not have any effect on bone stiffness or calcium concentration. Bone stiffness correlated positively with the calcium concentration in bone, and negatively with the aluminum concentration in bone. The effect of dietary aluminum on bone stiffness is probably caused by an alteration in bone mineralization, rather than by the presence of aluminum in bones.
Signe nyBø assisterende forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. Olav SKarPaaS Se... more Signe nyBø assisterende forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. Olav SKarPaaS Seniorforsker, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina. 1 iUlie aSlaKSen Forsker, Statistisk sentralbyrå SSB. eriK FraMStad Forskningssjef, norsk institutt for naturforskning nina.
Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift-norwegian Journal of Geography, Dec 1, 2012
ABSTRACT The Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is a general, integrated framework developed to synthesi... more ABSTRACT The Norwegian Nature Index (NI) is a general, integrated framework developed to synthesize and communicate the current knowledge of the state and development of biodiversity. It is designed to make the most of the available knowledge in the ecological research community, including expert judgment. The authors present the basic concepts and definitions of the NI, the associated quantitative expressions, and the practical implementation of data collection and integration of expert judgment and data on biodiversity in Norway. The NI can be implemented in data-rich and data-poor areas, it contains information on both the state of biodiversity and the state of knowledge, and it can be aggregated or disaggregated to address specific management themes, which gives the framework the potential to become an efficient management tool.
Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. (red.). 2008 Naturindeks. Bakgrunnsdokumenter for utprøving av metode... more Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. (red.). 2008 Naturindeks. Bakgrunnsdokumenter for utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 426. 69 s. Rapporten er en sammenstilling av bakgrunnsdokumenter som har vært utarbeidet i forbindelse med utprøving av metode for naturindeks i Midt-Norge (se NINA-rapport 425). Kapittel 1 viser veiledning for innlegging av data i tilstandsdatabasen, skjermbilde av databasen, data om tilstandsindikatorene som inngår i pilotprosjektet og hvordan åtte indikatorer er transformert. Dette er indikatorer som øker i mengde når utviklingen er på vei bort fra referansetilstanden. Kapitelet gir en oversikt over personer som har bidratt med data til pilotprosjektet, i alt 44 stk. indikator, overvåking, kartlegging, biologisk mangfold, biodiversitet, hovednaturtyper, arter, skog, myr, våtmark, ferskvann, hav, kyst, åpen mark i lavland, trua arter, indicator, index, monitoring, mapping, biodiversity, species, forests, mires, wetlands, mountains, marine area coast, freshwater, open, semi-natural habitats, endangered specie
We examined the exposure of White-throated Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) to aluminum and mercury in a... more We examined the exposure of White-throated Dippers (Cinclus cinclus) to aluminum and mercury in acidified and non-acidified streams in two regions of Norway. Both metals showed significantly higher concentrations in the body tissues of dippers in acidified streams at southern sites compared to non-acidified streams in central Norway. Elevated concentrations of aluminum in acidified areas could not be explained by a corresponding elevated level of aluminum in the invertebrate foods of dippers. During our study period in 1993–1995, deposition rates of mercury by long-range air pollution were higher in southern than central Norway. High levels of mercury in dippers could have been due to higher levels of atmospheric deposition or higher water acidity in southern Norway. We found a high correlation between mercury levels in body tissues of females and their eggs, but not for aluminum. Thus, eggs are suitable for monitoring mercury levels but not for aluminum in female dippers. Our data ...
Nature habitats for climate adaptation. Effects of climate change and climate adaption interventi... more Nature habitats for climate adaptation. Effects of climate change and climate adaption interventions on biodiversity and ecosystem services.-NINA Report 1157. 98 pp.] This report compiles existing knowledge about the effects of climate change and physical interventions for adaptation on natural and semi-natural habitats and their ecosystem services in Norway (except marine habitats, basic biological processes, carbon sequestration and carbon storage). The report provides recommendations that can help conserve habitat function and ecosystem services, taking into account the need by management authorities to conserve, consider and bring into use ecosystem services provided by natural habitats as a means to mitigate climate effects on nature and society. We selected a set of habitats that is most affected by climate change and that may substantially contribute to preventing damage caused climate change, at the same time that physical interventions aimed as climate adaptation measures may threaten the provision of their services.
Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. 2008. Naturindeks. Utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 4... more Nybø, S. & Skarpaas, O. 2008. Naturindeks. Utprøving av metode i Midt-Norge. – NINA Rapport 425. 45 s. Utvikling av en naturindeks er initiert av Stoltenbergregjeringen gjennom Soria Moriaerklæringen. Naturindeksen skal bidra til å måle om Norge når målet om å stanse tapet av biologisk mangfold slik vi har forpliktet oss til gjennom internasjonale avtaler, formidle informasjon om tilstanden i norsk natur på en enkel måte, gi tidlig varsling om endringer, og å bidra til å øke forståelsen for kartleggings- og overvåkingsbehov Denne rapporten tester ut metodikken i Midt-Norge, med tanke på å vurdere om det er mulig å utvikle en naturindeks for hele Norge i 2009. Naturindeksen tar utgangspunktet i arealer av naturtyper, og en beregning av tilstanden i disse arealene. Tilstand i arealet måles med et sett med indikatorer som er valgt ut etter gitte kriterier. Dette for at naturindeksen skal gi et mest mulig riktig bilde av utviklingen i naturen. Tilstandsindikatorene er enten arter eller indirekte mål på bestander av arter (surrogater). Overvåkingsprogrammer, statistikk og ekspertvurderinger gir data om indikatorene. I MidtNorge er det samlet inn data på 126 indikatorer fordelt på 7 hovednaturtyper, i alt ca 19 000 datapunkter fordelt på 52 kommuner og tre årstall (1990, 2000, 2005) Resultatene indikerer at tilstanden er dårligst i hovednaturtypene åpent lavland, hav, skog og kystvann, mens tilstanden er god i fjell, ferskvann og myr og våtmark i Midt-Norge Samtidig viser naturindeksen at tilstanden i Midt-Norge vesentlig bedre enn for lignende naturtyper i Nederland. Rapporten viser at det er mulig å lage temaindekser for ulike geografiske enheter så som fylker, kommuner og arealer med andre avgrensninger (kystområder, fjordområder, fjellområder, osv.), temaindekser for trua arter og artsgrupper, samt temaindeks for påvirkningsfaktorer. Temaindeks viser hvilke påvirkninger som påvirker bestandene mest i et område .. Slike temaindekser er imidlertid helt avhengig av et godt datagrunnlag. Per i dag er grunnlaget i mange tilfeller ikke godt nok, men rapporten peker på mange muligheter til forbedring. Hvis datagrunnlaget kommer på plass, vil man også kunne framstille temaindeks knyttet til trua naturtyper/ utvalgte naturtyper. Temaindeksene, og enkelte indikatorer som inngår i naturindeksen, vil trolig vil bli mer interessante for tidlig varsling og politikkutforming enn den helhetlige naturindeksen, som egner seg best til å få et overblikk over den samlede utviklingen. Pilotprosjektet viste at det finnes en god del biologiske data som kan benyttes i en naturindeks. Imidlertid er mange av dataseriene knyttet til enkeltlakaliter, og dataene kan ikke brukes direkte, men inngår i kunnskapsgrunnlaget for ekspertvurderingene For en del artsgrupper, særlig invertebrater (både terrestriske og marine), sopp og lav er kunnskapsgrunnlaget særdeles dårlig Rapporten peker på kunnskapshull som må fylles for å få en naturindeks med tilstrekkelig utsagnskraft på sikt. Nye biologiske data vil etter hvert bli samlet inn gjennom oppfølgingen av EUs vanndirektiv, de marine forvaltningsplanene og bærekraft-indikatorene for biologisk mangfold, samt gjennom overvåking av trua arter og naturtyper. Disse nye dataene, vil komme godt med når naturindeks for Norge skal produseres. I tillegg er det behov for nye data som ikke dekkes gjennom disse initiativene. Arealinformasjon kan ikke baseres på ekspertvurderinger, og oppdatert arealdekkekart anbefales å framskaffes i løpet av de nærmeste 1-3 årene. Videre peker rapporten på en del erfaringer fra pilotprosjektet som medfører utviklingsarbeid i 2009: det bør tas i bruk mer sofistikerte statistiske metoder for å øke utsagnskraften i naturindeksen, det bør gjøres et bredere og mer balansert utvalg av indikatorer som skal inngå i naturindeks for Norge, og det bør trolig innføres en vekting mellom indikatorene innen hver hovednaturtype slik at naturindeksen skal gi et riktigere bilde av utviklingen i norsk natur. Videre bør mulighetene for å gi enkelte områder høyere verdi for biologisk mangfold enn andre vurderes. Områder med intensivt jordbruk er ikke inkludert i naturindeksen i pilotprosjektet, men en første metodisk tilnærming er prøvd ut. For disse områdene kreves mer utviklingsarbeid Vi foreslår at naturindeks for Norge skal presenteres på internett, der datagrunnlaget og bergningsmåtene gjøres lett tilgjengelig, slik at resultatet kan etterprøves av den som ønsker det. Nøkkelord : indikator, overvåking, kartlegging, biologisk mangfold, biodiversitet, naturtyper, arter, skog, myr, våtmark, fjell, hav, kyst, ferskvann, åpen mark i lavland, trua arter, indicator, index, monitoring, mapping, biodiversity, landcover, species, forests, mires, wetlands, mountains, marine area, coast, freshwater, open, semi-natural habitats, endangered specie
This is a electronic series beginning in 2005, which replaces the earlier series NINA commissione... more This is a electronic series beginning in 2005, which replaces the earlier series NINA commissioned reports and NINA project reports. This will be NINA's usual form of reporting completed research, monitoring or review work to clients. In addition, the series will include much of the institute's other reporting, for example from seminars and conferences, results of internal research and review work and literature studies, etc. NINA report may also be issued in a second language where appropriate. NINA Special Report (NINA Temahefte) As the name suggests, special reports deal with special subjects. Special reports are produced as required and the series ranges widely: from systematic identification keys to information on important problem areas in society. NINA special reports are usually given a popular scientific form NINA Report 1112
Effective evidence-based nature conservation and habitat management relies on developing and refi... more Effective evidence-based nature conservation and habitat management relies on developing and refining our methodological toolbox for detecting critical ecological changes at an early stage. This requires not only optimizing the use and integration of evidence from available data, but also optimizing methods for dealing with imperfect knowledge and data deficiencies. For policy and management relevance, ecological data are often synthesized into indicators, which are assessed against reference levels and limit values. Here we explore challenges and opportunities in defining ecological condition in relation to a reference condition reflecting intact ecosystems, as well as setting limit values for good ecological condition, linked to critical ecological thresholds in dose-response relationships between pressures and condition variables. These two concepts have been widely studied and implemented in aquatic sciences, but rarely in terrestrial systems. In this paper, we address practical considerations, theoretical challenges and possible solutions using different approaches to determine reference and limit values for good ecological condition in terrestrial ecosystems, based on empirical experiences from a case study in central Norway. We present five approaches for setting indicator reference values for intact ecosystems: absolute biophysical boundaries, reference areas, reference communities, ecosystem dynamics based models, and habitat availability based models. We further present four approaches for identifying indicator limit values for good ecological condition: empirically estimated values, statistical distributions, assumed linear relationships, and expert judgement-based limits. This exercise highlights the versatile and robust nature of ecological condition assessments based on reference and limit values for different management purposes, for situations where knowledge of the underlying relationships is lacking, and for situations limited by data availability.
Nature Index (NI) is a policy tool, which synthesises biodiversity data and helps in monitoring t... more Nature Index (NI) is a policy tool, which synthesises biodiversity data and helps in monitoring the status of biodiversity in an ecosystem. NI measures the state and trend of biodiversity in the major ecosystems based on a large selection of indicators. In India, a pilot study was carried out in the two identified biodiversity rich areas, namely Chilika Lake (Ramsar Wetland) and Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) (Heritage site). The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) have jointly tested this tool in collaboration with the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) and Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) Authority. For undertaking the pilot study, 25 indicator species from Chilika Lake and 14 species from GHNP were selected. These indicators were scaled in such a way that they measure deviation from a reference state, which is specified as an ecologically sustainable state for the indicator. NI is an average of the scaled values and values range between 1 (reference state) and 0 (very poor state). A polygon map of Chilika lagoon was obtained from CDA and the map was divided into 5 distinct ecological sectors based on salinity and depth, namely (i) Southern Sector (SS), (ii) Central Sector (CS), (iii) Northern Sector (NS) and (iv) Outer Channel Sector (OCS). Similarly, GHNP was divided into 3 regions, namely Jeenewal, Sainj and Tirthan ranges and polygon maps were prepared and integrated into the NI database by NINA. Chilika lake is one of the largest brackish water lagoons in Asia and is an assemblage of marine, brackish and freshwater ecosystems. The analysis results of the fish indicator species have shown that the pearl spot and grey eel-catfish are showing high NI value in all the sectors. These two species are resident species and they are well- adapted to live both in brackish water and freshwater habitats. It was observed that Hilsa shad population was good in NS but declined in other sectors. This might be due to siltation, decrease of depth in the deeper anadromous migratory routes, heavy weed infestation and over exploitation. The thematic NI value of fish shows that the NI value of OCS was high when compared with other sectors. It was noticed that SS, NS and CS displayed a declining trend from the year 2005. The declined NI value may be due to the capture of immature and juvenile finfishes in absence of enforcement of regulatory measures. Chilika lake is well known for its migratory water birds. The NI value of bird population was high in OCS, CS and island region when compared with NS and SS. The high value observed was due to the availability of shallowness, natural drawdown, high vegetation density and mudflats with extensive shorelines. Some of the bird species showing a positive trend are Little cormorant, Lesser whistling duck, Purple swamp hen, Asian open bill stock, Common coot and Brown headed gull. A declining trend was observed in Northern pintail and Eurasian wigeon Gadwall in the NS and SS regions. Some of the initiatives taken by the CDA, such as protection of migratory waterfowl from poaching, eviction of the illegal prawn gharries, maintenance and dredging of the feeder channel and creeks (facilitates migration of fish juveniles), catchment area treatment, weed control, pollution control and community participation helps the Chilika lake to revive or rehabilitate with varied biodiversity wealth and has resulted increase in the population of residential and migratory bird population. In GHNP, birds such as Koklass, Western tragopan, Monal and Cheer pheasant have showed high NI value in all the three ranges. However, the bird Kalij pheasant displayed a declining trend. For mammals, the Jeenewal and Tirthan ranges displayed a good population trend and in the Sainj range, the NI value declined. Mammals such as the Himalayan black bear, brown bear, gray langur and Rhesus macaque displayed a good population trend in the Jeenewal and Sainj ranges. The population of black bear, brown bear, common Leopard, Himalayan thar and Musk deer are declining in the Tirthan range. A good NI value of birds and mammalians was noticed in the Jeenwal and Sainj ranges. This may be due to higher levels of protection imposed in the forest areas and also due to reduction of anthropogenic pressure in the form of collection of medicinal plants or fuel wood and grazing from national park area. The results of NI can be used for policy-making and developing targeted action plans for better management of biodiversity. The bilateral collaborative initiative between India and Norway has increased the capacity of policy makers, biodiversity experts or scientists in using the NI tool for assessing or monitoring biodiversity in the wildlife- protected areas and ecologically fragile wetland ecosystems. In Chilika and GHNP, the biodiversity data was scattered among different institutions and collating the time series data was a herculean task. However, this project…
Tingstad, L., & Nybø, S. 2019. Radioaktiv forurensning i ville planter. Overvåking av radioaktivt... more Tingstad, L., & Nybø, S. 2019. Radioaktiv forurensning i ville planter. Overvåking av radioaktivt cesium-137 i utvalgte områder i norsk natur. NINA Rapport 1739. Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Radioaktive stoffer fra menneskelig aktivitet som slippes ut i naturen i større mengder kan utgjøre en fare for både planter, dyr og mennesker. Etter ulykken i Tsjernobyl i 1986 fikk flere områder i Norge til dels store nedfall av radioaktivt materiale, deriblant nedfall av radioaktivt cesium (Cs-137) som har en fysisk halveringstid på 30 år. Dette nedfallet har ført til forurensning av flere områder, og grunnet den lange halveringstiden er Cs-137 fremdeles tilstede i naturen. Gjennom et overvåkingsprogram har man i utvalgte områder kunnet følge nivåene av radioaktivt cesium fra tidlig på 90-tallet og frem til i dag. Formålet med overvåking av radioaktive stoffer i naturen er å bygge opp referansekunnskap om nivåer, opptak og transport av radioaktiv forurensning i ulike arter og økosystem...
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