Press releases

Agriculture

Threatened beetles benefit from forest thinning

27 May, 2019 - Göteborgs universitet

Wood-living beetles that use oak trees are a species-rich and threatened animal group in modern forestry and agriculture in southern Sweden. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that management with conservation thinning can be an effective way to promote these beetles in the long term.

Hotade skalbaggar gynnas av skogsgallring

7 May, 2019 - Göteborgs universitet

Vedlevande skalbaggar som utnyttjar ekar är en artrik och hotad djurgrupp i det moderna sydsvenska skogs- och jordbrukslandskapet. Ny forskning från Göteborgs universitet visar att skötsel med naturvårdsgallring kan vara ett effektivt sätt att långsiktigt gynna dessa skalbaggar.

När traditionellt skogsbruk övergick i modernt under 1900-talet, blev många av de syd- och mellansvenska skogarna tätare och mörkare än de tidigare varit. För många arter i solbelysta och öppna skogar, och som har eken som sitt livsutrymme, har det inneburit en ökad risk för utdöende.

New research project on the impact of extreme weather on biodiversity and pollinating insects

13 March, 2019 - Linnéuniversitetet

Markus Franzén, doctor in ecology at the department of biology and environmental science at Linnaeus University, has been granted SEK 3 million by Formas for his research project Cascading effects of drought on farming/grazing and farmland biodiversity. The drought in Sweden during the summer of 2018 led to acute food shortage for livestock and became […]

New research will lead to better design of sustainable wooden buildings

12 December, 2016 - Linnéuniversitetet

The annual rings of a tree not just tell us how old it is, they are also vital to the strength and stiffness of wood. A new project from Linnaeus University has received SEK 3 million from Formas to study the mechanical properties of wood using both computer models and advanced experiments. The results will […]

Clubroot parasite of Brassicaceae sequenced

26 June, 2015 - SLU

The genome of the parasite that is causing clubroot disease on several agricultural and horticultural crops is now released. The new knowledge will hopefully be useful to develop better diagnostic methods, breeding strategies and elucidating the biology of this unique plant pathogen group.

New methods increases food and bioenergy production from cassava

24 September, 2013 - SLU

New ways to utilize starch from cassava can provide food to an additional 30 million people without taking more arable land than today. By 2030 the figure will be 100 million. In addition, the same land can also contribute to an increased production of bioenergy. This is shown in a new study from researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and China Agricultural University (CAU).

Religious leaders can be key to biological diversity

5 September, 2013 - SLU

Leaders of the major world religions can play a key role in preserving biological diversity. A new study carried out by ecologists at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), among others, indicates that if the world’s religious leaders wished to bring about a change, they would be ideally positioned to do so.

Humans causing rapid evolution in Baltic Sea fish

17 June, 2013 - Stockholms universitet

Human beings have affected virtually the entire environment of the earth, and the Baltic Sea has been impacted especially hard by toxic emissions and eutrophication in the last few decades. Animals that live in highly polluted environments can either die out locally or adapt and survive. In a new dissertation in natural science, Emma Lind, of Stockholm University and Södertörn University, shows that the three-spined stickleback fish have developed genetically in a short time in response to the environmental impact of humans.

Sustainable agriculture more likely with educated women

16 January, 2013 - Göteborgs universitet

The more years of education a woman has, the more likely it is that her household uses sustainable farming practices. By combining certain sustainable farming methods, many poor farmers would increase farm income without depleting their soils. This is the conclusion of new research from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg