Märgelgravar är småbiotoper i odlingslandskapet som ofta hyser höga naturvärden och är viktiga för bevarandet av den biologiska mångfalden i slättlandskapet. De utgör också synliga kulturlämningar från 1800 - talets jordbruk och den agrara utveckling som skedde då. Märgelgravarna är idag skyddade som generella biotopskyddsområden. Biotopskyddsområdena bidrar till att uppfylla de svenska miljökvalitetsmålen samt FN - konventionen om biologisk mångfald. Märglingen var som mest omfattande mellan cirka 1850 fram till 1890 i södra Sveriges slättbygd. Märgeln användes som jordförbättringsmedel och grävdes upp där det fanns kalkhaltig lera. Där den bröts bildades bestående gravar som ofta vattenfylldes. Syftet med studien är att kartlägga hur många märgelgravar som försvunnit i Åstorps kommun, var de ursprungligen placerades och vad som kännetecknar de som finns kvar idag. Undersökningen grundas på kartmateriel från ca. 1930, ca. 1970 och 2015 som bearbetats och analyserats i ett GIS - program. Resultaten visar att endast 23% av märgelgravarna finns kvar 2015 jämfört med 1930 och att de ursprungligen grävdes i lerjordar nära bebyggelse, men att de som finns kvar idag i högre utsträckning ligger längre ifrån bebyggelse och till större del i sluttningar. Borttagandet av märgelgravarna tros bero på de omfattande rationaliseringar som jordbruket genomgick speciellt efter andra världskriget, då de sågs som odlingshinder eller som lämpliga platser att dumpa sopor och rivningsmateriel i. 

“Genetic variation as cultural heritage of the agricultural landscape in southern Sweden” (GRAAL) is a project which has recently been initiated and is carried out in cooperation by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM) and Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). The project´s objective is to study the genetic diversity and propose conservation measures relating to the genetic heritage of trees and shrubs in the landscape. The project thus intends to identify and assess the genetic variety of coppiced threes in the Scanian cultural landscape. The project also intends, as part of this work, to develop an interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial approach where modern genetic analysis interact with new archaeological and historical methods and landscape analysis. This report presents a historical study of maps which aims to identify areas where the old coppiced trees with large sockets can be found.

Meadows and pastures – semi-natural grasslands – provide unique habitats and are extremely valuable for biological diversity. It is currently very challenging to maintain meadows and pastures of high quality in Sweden, mainly owing to the decreasing number of grazing animals and the decreasing demand of grasslands for animal feed production. This report summarises existing information on potential new management methods for Swedish meadow and pasture land and how harvested material can be used as a resource in society. The report is based on data obtained from scientific and popular literature, the authors’ experiences within the area and information originating from ongoing technological development work and practical applications. The challenges for conserving Swedish meadows and pastures consist mainly of identifying rational practices for managing grazing animals and for efficient collection and use of biomass. We identified the following management methods and areas of application as being particularly interesting for further analysis: 1. Flexible systems such as extensive grazing varied systems with different management methods in different years (rotation pattern), a combination of different methods such as machine cutting and burning, or mowing in combination with grazing. 2. Machine-friendly management of silvopasture and tree-meadow agroforestry systems – a combination of meadow vegetation and trees for biological diversity, carbon sequestration and production of biomass (both meadow and tree biomass). 3. Small-scale, case-specific technology – mowing and removal of biomass from small and irregular fields through a combination of motorised manual and rational solutions. This will require development of methods for cutting, collection and transport. 4. Coordination and development of systems for using meadow biomass for energy production. Use of meadow biomass as a biogas substrate provides particularly great environmental advantages and permits efficient use of resources by supplying energy and a nutrient-rich residue (biodigestate) while maintaining traditional meadows. A number of new studies show little or no differences when mowing is carried out with slicing or clipping implements (scythe and blade mowing machines) compared with rotating implements (rotary flail machines or strimmers). This finding opens up for mechanical management of meadows that would otherwise risk being abandoned.

Solastalgia is a relatively new concept for understanding the links between human and ecosystem health, specifically, the cumulative impacts of climatic and environmental change on mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Given the speed and scale of climate change alongside biodiversity loss, pollution, deforestation, unbridled resource extraction, and other environmental challenges, more and more people will experience solastalgia. This study reviewed 15 years of scholarly literature on solastalgia using a scoping review process. Our goal was to advance conceptual clarity, synthesize the literature, and identify priorities for future research. Four specific questions guided the review process: (1) How is solastalgia conceptualized and applied in the literature?; (2) How is solastalgia experienced and measured in the literature?; (3) How is 'place' understood in the solastalgia literature?; and (4) Does the current body of literature on solastalgia engage with Indigenous worldviews and experiences? Overall, we find there is a need for additional research employing diverse methodologies, across a greater diversity of people and places, and conducted in collaboration with affected populations and potential knowledge, alongside greater attention to the practical implications and applications of solastalgia research. We also call for continued efforts to advance conceptual clarity and theoretical foundations. Key outcomes of this study include our use of the landscape construct in relation to solastalgia and a call to better understand Indigenous peoples' lived experiences of landscape transformation and degradation in the context of historical traumas.

Det syfte vi har med den här studien är att undersöka hur det ligger till med förskollärares medvetenhet kring återvinning och hållbar utveckling. Varför arbetar förskollärare med återvinning och hållbar utveckling eller varför gör de inte det? Studien är en kvalitativ undersökning där vi intervjuat 14 förskollärare på två olika orter i samma kommun i södra Sverige. Vi har tolkat förskollärarnas svar om sin medvetenhet kring återvinning och hållbar utveckling. Resultatet visar att förskollärare vet vad återvinning är. Alla arbetar inte aktivt med återvinning utan det är något som bara finns och görs. Hållbar utveckling är däremot ett begrepp som inte alla förskollärare känner till. De som vet vad det är kopplar det till den ekologiska delen av hållbar utveckling och motiverar till exempel med att vi ska vara rädda om jordens resurser.

There is a strong connection between historical land use and biodiversity. Several grassland species are advantaged or relied to mowing and grazing. The purpose of this study is to investigate if changes in the historical land use have affected the biodiversity. By studying maps from different time periods, changes in the landscape can be interpreted. Archival studies can then fill in historical gaps that the maps doesn’t show. The field work consisted of three plant inventory occasions: may 23, june 23 and july 14 in 2013. Four major surfaces, of 100 m² each, were placed in the shore meadow of Tjörnedala. Analysis of maps shows that arable land expansion has taken meadow land space during the 20th century. The plant inventories along with archival studies shows that areas with the highest biodiversity are those that are used with traditional methods and with continuity of grazing. This study also shows that nitrogen favored species dominate in areas of former arable land. Both archival studies and plant inventories are needed to get a fair description of how an area has been used. The biodiversity is thus a legacy of the historical land use.

The Covid-19 virus was discovered in China in late 2019. The virus spread rapidly, and in March 2020, Covid-19 was classified as a pandemic. The media has since reported daily on the development of pandemic. One topic that also has been reported about is the increased interest in nature during the pandemic. Many nature areas have witnessed increased visitor numbers, littering, and wear on nature. Previous studies show that wear on nature is mainly due to a lack of knowledge about allemansrätten (the right of public access). The thesis aims to investigate whether there is a connection between the pandemic and the increased interest in nature.  A digital survey was distributed to adult residents in Kristianstad municipality to investigate this potential relationship. The survey included questions about the inhabitants' nature habits both before and during the pandemic. A statistical test of the result confirmed that adult residents of Kristianstad county are out in nature more often during the pandemic than before. Thirty percent of the participants answered that their nature habits have changed during the pandemic, and the majority believe that their changed nature habits have led to more time in nature. The most common activity is walking, and the most popular place to visit nature is its immediate local area. To avoid permanent damage to nature from the changed nature habits, increased knowledge of allemansrätten can be a part of the solution.