Answers to fundamental questions about pattern and process in the ecological and human world often comes from within the boundaries of one discipline or another, neglecting the relationships between the ecological and social systems. One manifestation of these relationships, which also forms the focus of this study, is conflicts over how to use urban green areas. Various scholars imply that civil society organisations and individual citizens can play an important role in articulating the ecological and social values that exist in much disputed green areas, and can therefore create a “protective story” to prevent exploitation. Following these implications and using a social network or social capital perspective, this study investigates a current conflict concerning Årstafältet, or the Årsta field, in Stockholm, which is suggested for exploitation, and focuses on the civic actors’ ability to participate in influencing the future of this green area. Although the conflict is still ongoing, the actors in the case study have at the present stage not been successful in protecting their green area. The results from interviews and participatory observations show the importance of accessing useful artefacts to incorporate into a protective story, and being able to present the artefacts in appropriate social arenas something that has been a limitation for the actors of Årstafältet. The actor groups’ ability to balance bridging and bonding social capital is also a factor that can have affected their success. The study further reveals a lack of democracy in the decision making process and suggest that public actors impede the participation of civic actors in contributing in the planning of urban green areas rather than facilitate their participation. In addition to highlighting some of the social and political factors that affect the emergence of green spatial structures in urban landscapes this study also establishes that the ecological perspective has been neglected in the case of Årstafältet. Following the results of the study a contemporary approach of studying urban ecology which includes attention on the mixture of social, political and ecological perspectives is encouraged for future research.

How terrestrial vegetation influences microclimate and what effects this has on associated ecosystems is well studied, but it is less known if and how aquatic macrophytes affect their microclimate. In this study I therefore aim to investigate the question of how aquatic macrophytes influence their microclimate, and how these effects in turn may affect associated aquatic organisms and ecosystems. This was done by conducting a literature search and review of relevant scientific articles. I found that aquatic macrophytes influence microclimate in several ways. First, their photosynthetic activity can affect water and sediment chemistry by changing carbon and oxygen levels, which also influences pH. Secondly, local temperature can also be influenced by macrophytes through shading and heat retention, which in turn also can affect water movement via density differences. Third, aquatic macrophytes can affect light levels in the water column, both negatively through shading, and positively by reduction of particles in the water. I conclude that aquatic macrophytes do influence microclimate. This influence can change the local environment, thus also affecting associated organisms and ecosystems. These conclusions are important for future research of aquatic environments when looking at challenges such as climate change and maintaining and protecting biodiversity and whole ecosystems.

Assessment of knowledge is a key part of all programs. In higher education, the assessment process since 2006 also has had an ambition to be equivalent in Europe through a joint agreement in Bologna. Standards and guidelines for quality assurance are made, for example that criteria for and method of assessment are published in advance to enhance transparency. Course objectives are formulated as student-centered learning outcomes coupled with assessment criteria that describe what the learner is expected to do and to what level. At some Swedish universities, the reform was completed in 2007. A question is thus, how learning outcomes and assessment criteria are expressed in biology courses of today. All course plans and course documents from the academic year 2015/2016 in biology at one university have been collected and categorized according to type of assessment criteria. This study focuses qualitatively expressed assessment criteria, i.e. differences in quality are expressed with words. Three different categories were found. The quality of student answers are assessed as different levels of abilities, different levels of relational complexity or different levels of attributes. Possible knowledge taxonomies affecting the criteria are discussed as well as the lack of critical analysis of assessment practice in higher education courses. The influence of view of knowledge is highlighted and differences in preconditions for knowing in different sub disciplines. Consequences for teaching and learning and possible solutions are raised.

Apis mellifera L. is the only commercially cultivated bee species in Bangladesh nowadays and has been practicing for migratory beekeeping since 1990. Notably, without taking initiatives to improve the bee stocks, intensified beekeeping has been making the species vulnerable to different threats of diseases, pests and inbreeding depression. Reproductive potentiality of the queens has been declining severely. The investigation was carried out to diagnose present problems regarding reproductive potentiality of the queen bees and finding out the possible solutions. Firstly, 56 numbers of naturally mated queens (Apis mellifera L.) were collected from problematic and non-problematic hives from three districts of Bangladesh. Samples were weighed, body length and thorax width were measured, and dissected to study spermathecae appearance. Average queen body weight (160.75±3.65 mg) was found much lower than the earlier studies in different countries. Moreover, 32.33% spermathecae of the queens were found poor in appearance. Again, 3 different queen rearing and mating procedures were applied in 12 replications each: naturally mated queen (NM), grafted and naturally mated queen (GNM) and grafted and artificially inseminated queen (AIQ). NM and GNM queens were allowed to mate naturally where AIQ queens were inseminated artificially in the laboratory. Interestingly, GNM (196.65±3.13 mg) and AIQ(196.55±2.41 mg) queens were significantly heavier than the NM (159.07±6.94 mg) queens. Likewise, their spermathecae radius, respective workers, drones, brood occupation area showed much better strength than the NM queens, though, latency period of AIQ queens were higher. Since grafted queens were reared with good larvae and implemented in artificial queen cups with increased brood support, hence that could make the queens heavier and reproductively more potential, whereas NM queens were left to grow naturally and found less potential. The findings will encourage beekeepers for practicing grafting procedure as the better queen rearing procedure in field condition. However, the procedure of AIQ queens also could be used for stock improvement and bee research because of its control mating system.

Commercial plantations are primarily managed for timber production, and are frequently considered poor for biodiversity, particularly for mammalian species. Bats, which constitute one fifth of mammal species worldwide, have undergone large declines throughout Europe, most likely due to widespread habitat loss and degradation. Bat use of modified landscapes such as urban or agricultural environments has been relatively well studied, however, intensively managed plantations have received less attention, particularly in Europe. We assessed three of the largest, most intensively managed plantations in the UK for the occurrence of bats, activity levels and relative abundance in response to environmental characteristics at multiple spatial scales, using an information theoretic approach. We recorded or captured nine species; Pipistrellus pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus were the most commonly recorded species on acoustic detectors and female P. pygmaeus were the most commonly captured. The influence of environmental characteristics on bat activity varied by species or genus, although all bat species avoided dense stands. Occurrence and activity of clutter and edge adapted species were associated with lower stand densities and more heterogeneous landscapes whereas open adapted bats were more likely to be recorded at felled stands and less likely in areas that were predominantly mature conifer woodland. In addition, despite morphological similarities, P. pipstrellus and P. pygmaeus were found foraging in different parts of the plantation. This study demonstrates that with sympathetic management, non-native conifer plantations may have an important role in maintaining and supporting bat populations, particularly for Pipistrellus spp.

This study was designed to examine the spatial and temporal capabilities of ESA’s OLCI on the Sentinel-3A platform to monitor the water quality parameters: chlorophyll-a, turbidity, and CDOM in the Baltic Sea when compared to more traditional monitoring techniques such as monitoring by ship or mooring. The measurement frequency of OLCI/Sentinel-3A data is also compared to the frequency of MERIS/ENVISAT data (from 2008 and 2010).

OLCI S3A full resolution level 2 data from 2017 and 2018 of the NW Baltic proper’s coastal region was processed to remove pixels of low data quality using predetermined flags. The number of valid scenes per year was determined and the level 2 products: chlorophyll-a (chl_NN), turbidity (derived from TSM_NN), and CDOM (using ADG_443_NN as a proxy) were calculated by averaging the values of 9 pixels surrounding, and including, a central sampling site.  These measurements were then compared to paired in situ measurements, taken on the same day +/- 3 hours of satellite overpass, to examine the correspondence and variability between measurements. Measurements from a WetLabs WQM mooring were also examined and compared to in situ measurements. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine covariance between OLCI S3A’s measurements and in situ measurements and mean normalized bias, root mean square error, and mean absolute percentage difference were used to evaluate the performance of OLCI S3A and the optical mooring compared to in situ measurements.

OLCI S3A produced a higher number of valid observations per month than its predecessor MERIS for both stations: B1 and BY31.  It also produced more valid observations per month at stations B1 and BY31 than ship-based monitoring teams. OLCI S3A’s current method of processing underestimated chlorophyll-a concentrations (MNB = -7%, RMSE = 40%, APD = 49%, r = 0.48, p < .00001, N = 156) especially if chlorophyll-a concentrations were measured during peak production periods. The optical mooring showed a much higher correlation but more relative error and bias (MNB = -39%, RMSE = 43%, APD = 39%, r = 0.94, p < 0.00001, N = 12) also underestimating chlorophyll-a concentrations.  OLCI S3A’s current ocean color processing method drastically overestimates turbidity (MNB = 189%, RMSE = 1011%, APD = 214%, r = 0.55, p = .000097, N = 45) whereas the optical mooring showed good agreement with in situ measurements and less variability (MNB = 21%, RMSE = 26%, APD = 21%, r = 0.69, p = 0.0132, N = 17). Lastly, OLCI S3A was strongly correlated to in situ CDOM values (MNB = -5%, RMSE = 37%, APD = 51%, r = 0.82, p < 0.00001, N = 36).

Overall, OLCI shows improved retrieval of chl-a at values below 10 mgl^-1  as well as improved CDOM retrieval than MERIS (underestimation of about 40% vs. about 60-75%). Turbidity is highly overestimated, but can be corrected either using in situ data for calibration, or by applying the regional TSM-specific scatter before converting to turbidity. 

The Amazon has experienced rapid forest loss in the past decades due to the growing colonization, infrastructure development and commercial agriculture expansion. Understanding the underlying social, political and economic drivers of deforestation is key to curb deforestation of the Amazon basin. However, analysis of deforestation has primarily been conducted in Brazil and there is a need to study this phenomenon in other countries such as Colombia. This research intends to contribute to this growing body of knowledge to better understand drivers and processes of deforestation in the Northwestern Colombian Amazon by unpacking the causal mechanism underpinning deforestation. To achieve this, I a used Theory-building Process-tracing approach to conceptualize the underlying logics of deforestation in the region. Data collection included qualitative text analysis of policy documents, articles, reports, and grey literature, and virtual semi-structured interviews with key national, regional and local actors. Interviews’ format was adapted due to current travelling and social restrictions. Findings indicate that the power vacuum resulting from FARC guerrilla demobilization acted as a window of opportunity for peasants, squatters, narco-traffickers, cattle ranchers, landlords and other investors to access public lands and capitalize from converting forests to coca crops and pastures for cattle ranching. Capital accumulation has increased actors’ ability to reshape the landscape and societal organization by accumulating different forms and sources of power. Traditional elites, and old and emerging narco-bourgeoisie have capitalized on preexisting power asymmetries by disproportionally accumulating different social power seeking to consolidate territorial hegemony. Powerful actors exercise attained sources and forms of power to dispose historically marginalized groups – such as indigenous communities, peasants, and squatters – from their means of subsistence and production, resulting in the instauration of a capitalist economy based on land rent and drug trafficking. All this has deepened forest loss, inequalities and conflict over land access between actors.

The aim of this study was to find out if, how and in particular why companies are setting science-based goals and targets related to the Planetary boundaries framework (PBs), the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) and the Science-Based Targets Network (SBTN) guidelines, or science-based targets more broadly, for environmental impacts. A sub-question was what role culture, in particular values of people and companies, might play for that. A sample of eight sustainability frontrunner companies with awareness of the Planetary boundaries framework was investigated with a predominantly qualitative method.

The results showed that the companies have several motivations for setting science-based targets, mostly related to the fact that they are, want to be and want to be seen as leaders in tackling sustainability issues and that science-based targets can contribute to that. The most important motives were related to the company's identity, brand and core values, expectations from stakeholders, to be strategic and focus on what is important, to focus on actions and follow them up, trustworthiness/credibility and ethical considerations.

The connection to values was quite clear as suggested by the two most important motivations of 'identity, brand, and core values' and 'expectations from stakeholders'. The most important stakeholder group in this regard are employees, consumers, and owners, in that order. Expectations from stakeholders is connected to changing values in society. In a few cases, sustainability has been part of the companies' core values from the vary beginning, albeit not always labelled as such, or in most cases for a very long time and is considered as a 'part of the DNA'.

As human activity continues to cause significant global issues, such as the decline of biodiversity, there is an increasing demand to engage with desirable visions of the future. Sustainability research emphasizes the significance of participatory approaches prioritizing nature and incorporating diverse human-nature relationships to promote more inclusive and sustainable paths to a positive future. However, the involvement of youth in current future studies is limited. Urban national parks provide valuable opportunities to investigate people-nature relations and their future. This study conducted a participatory futures workshop that combined the Natures Futures Framework and the Three Horizons Framework with fifteen young individuals living in Stockholm to capture their diverse nature relationships and positive future visions of the Royal National City Park in Stockholm. The workshop identified several aspects of nature in the park appreciated by the group, such as biodiversity, calmness, and the opportunity for recreation and connection to nature. If those values are projected onto a desirable future, this group of youth envisions the park to include reduced pollution, increased biodiversity, stronger protection and regulation, and prioritization of nature, with societal involvement and better accessibility. To support value-inclusive decision-making for the sustainable future of the Royal National City Park, collected values and visions were shared with park stakeholders. By collecting diverse nature value perspectives on a local scale using the Nature Futures Framework, this work contributes to the generation of a global perspective of desirable nature futures. While the Natures Futures Framework proved effective in generating rich value perspectives, a reflection survey revealed that not all participants found the framework easy to understand, particularly the difference between the different value perspectives presented in the framework. In conclusion, this study provides insights into possible futures and inspires actions toward a sustainable future where humans and nature coexist in harmony.