Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

About: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is a education organization based out in Uppsala, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Soil water. The organization has 13510 authors who have published 35241 publications receiving 1414458 citations. The organization is also known as: Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet & SLU.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services in forest ecosystems: a research agenda for applied forest ecology

Abstract: Summary Given the substantial contributions of forest biodiversity and ecosystem services to society, forest sciences have a large potential to contribute to the integrity and sustainability of our future. This is especially true when the roles of biodiversity for sustaining ecosystem services are considered. The rapid expansion of sustainable forest management (SFM) has resulted in the adoption of various forest management frameworks intended to safeguard biodiversity. Concurrently, the importance of forest ecosystem services has been increasingly recognized. Although some initiatives aimed at conserving both biodiversity and ecosystem services are emerging, knowledge gaps still exist about their relationships and potential trade-offs in forests. Given recent advancements, increasing opportunities and some lags in forest ecology, further research on biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services will play substantial roles in the development of SFM practices. Here, we identified key issues including (i) relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function as a foundation of ecological integrity, (ii) resilience thinking to better prepare for and adapt to environmental changes, (iii) social–ecological perspectives that facilitate real-world conservation and management and (iv) theory-driven restoration that bridges science and practice. Thus, we illustrate priorities and future possibilities in applied ecology studies in forests, which will help society and ecosystems to build capacity and resilience to face uncertainty in the changing environment. Synthesis and applications. Under substantial human influences, forests are highly likely to be largely altered, potentially leading to the emergence of novel ecosystems or alternative stable states. Management thus needs more flexible, novel measures to address the significant uncertainty this generates. Resilience-based approaches are important to respond adaptively to future changes and cope with surprises, potentially providing multiple options. Although challenges exist, theory should play an important role in managing, conserving and restoring forest ecosystems. The issues discussed here should receive further attention in the context of the multiple goals of sustainable forest management.

Fitness loss and germline mutations in barn swallows breeding in Chernobyl

Abstract: The severe nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986 resulted in the worst reported accidental exposure of radioactive material to free-living organisms1. Short-term effects on human populations inhabiting polluted areas include increased incidence of thyroid cancer2, infant leukaemia3, and congenital malformations in newborns4. Two recent studies5,6 have reported, although with some controversy7,8, that germline mutation rates were increased in humans and voles living close to Chernobyl, but little is known about the viability of the organisms affected9. Here we report an increased frequency of partial albinism, a morphological aberration associated with a loss of fitness, among barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, breeding close to Chernobyl. Heritability estimates indicate that mutations causing albinism were at least partly of germline origin. Furthermore, evidence for an increased germline mutation rate was obtained from segregation analysis at two hypervariable microsatellite loci, indicating that mutation events in barn swallows from Chernobyl were two- to tenfold higher than in birds from control areas in Ukraine and Italy.

Organic Material: The Primary Control on Mercury Methylation and Ambient Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Estuarine Sediments

Abstract: Estuarine environments that have no direct sources of mercury (Hg) pollution may have sediment concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) as high as those of polluted marine environments. In this study we examined the biogeochemical factors affecting net methylation and sediment MeHg concentrations in an unpolluted estuarine environment, the Ore River estuary, which discharges into the Bothnian Bay (20−120 ng total Hg g-1 dry sediment, salinity 3−5‰). We analyzed the spatial and temporal differences in surface sediment profiles of MeHg concentration, Hg methylation, MeHg demethylation, and concentrations of sulfide and oxygen between accumulation and erosion type bottoms. The main difference between the bottoms studied was in the proportion of organic material (OM) in the sediment, ranging between 0.8% and 10.8%. The pore water sulfide concentration profiles also differed considerably between sites and seasons, from 0 to 20 μM, with 100 μM as the extreme maximum. The sediment MeHg concentration profiles (0−10...

The Baltic Sea as a time machine for the future coastal ocean

Abstract: Coastal global oceans are expected to undergo drastic changes driven by climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures in coming decades. Predicting specific future conditions and assessing the best management strategies to maintain ecosystem integrity and sustainable resource use are difficult, because of multiple interacting pressures, uncertain projections, and a lack of test cases for management. We argue that the Baltic Sea can serve as a time machine to study consequences and mitigation of future coastal perturbations, due to its unique combination of an early history of multistressor disturbance and ecosystem deterioration and early implementation of cross-border environmental management to address these problems. The Baltic Sea also stands out in providing a strong scientific foundation and accessibility to long-term data series that provide a unique opportunity to assess the efficacy of management actions to address the breakdown of ecosystem functions. Trend reversals such as the return of top predators, recovering fish stocks, and reduced input of nutrient and harmful substances could be achieved only by implementing an international, cooperative governance structure transcending its complex multistate policy setting, with integrated management of watershed and sea. The Baltic Sea also demonstrates how rapidly progressing global pressures, particularly warming of Baltic waters and the surrounding catchment area, can offset the efficacy of current management approaches. This situation calls for management that is (i) conservative to provide a buffer against regionally unmanageable global perturbations, (ii) adaptive to react to new management challenges, and, ultimately, (iii) multisectorial and integrative to address conflicts associated with economic trade-offs.

Uptake of metals in the brain via olfactory pathways

Abstract: In the olfactory epithelium the dendrites of the primary olfactory neurons are in contact with the nasal lumen, and via the axons these neurons are also connected to the olfactory bulbs of the brain. Materials which come into contact with the olfactory epithelium can be taken up in the primary olfactory neurons and be transported to the olfactory bulbs and even further into other areas of the brain. The present review deals with the mechanism of uptake and transport of metals in the olfactory system. Metals discussed are mainly manganese, cadmium, nickel and mercury. Among the metals so far examined, manganese has been found to have a unique capacity to be taken up via the olfactory pathways and pass transneuronally to other parts of the brain. It is considered that the occupational neurotoxicity of inhaled manganese may be related to an uptake of the metal into the brain via the olfactory pathways. Studies with nickel indicate that this metal, following a transport to the terminal parts of the primary olfactory neurons in the glomeruli of the bulbs, slowly passes to secondary and tertiary olfactory neurons. Cadmium and mercury are transported along the primary olfactory neurons to their terminations in the olfactory bulbs, but these metals appear unable to continue along secondary olfactory neurons. Occupational inhalation of nickel or cadmium can be toxic to the olfactory sense. It is not yet known whether mercury is toxic to the olfactory system in mammals, but this metal is known to alter olfaction and olfactory-related behaviour in fish. Data in the literature dealing with a potential olfactory-related neurotoxicity of aluminum are also discussed in the paper.