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Although combined heat and power (CHP) production in Sweden is already largely decarbonised, this technology has further potential to alleviate pressing environmental concerns. Today, biobased CHP plants connected to district heating (DH) grids dominate the Swedish residential heating sector. The societal context in which CHP plants operate is, however, subject to continuous change. New aims and requirements concerning decarbonisation and resource efficiency are being discussed and implemented in the political arena to promote the shift towards a sustainable energy system. These include the cascading use of biomass, bioenergy carbon capture, support schemes for innovative investments, life-cycle-based climate performance regulations, and circularity demands. Such shifts affect the operation of CHP plants and can provide new opportunities and challenges that have not yet been investigated. Neither are the consequences fully understood in the scientific or political community. This thesis presents an investigation of the opportunities and challenges facing CHP plant operators within the context of a shift towards a sustainable energy system. Issues of environmental relevance were investigated through a case study of a Swedish wood-fuelled CHP plant. The recycling of wood ash to forest soils after logging residue outtake is recommended to close the loop for forest nutrients and ensure forest production. However, co-incineration of waste wood and forest fuels in the Swedish DH sector was found to inhibit wood ash recycling, due to pollutants in the ash from waste wood. It was also found to be an overlooked challenge in the transition to a circular bioeconomy, where waste wood is utilised to produce energy. Other important issues in a circular bioeconomy are the efficient use of biomass and the production of high-value biobased products. CHP plants are dependent on a stable heat demand to operate efficiently. The addition of a pyrolysis unit, a heat-demanding process, to produce liquid biofuels that could increase the uptime and open up an additional market for CHP plants as biorefineries was studied. Life-cycle analysis showed this to be technically feasible at the CHP plant studied, and to substantially improve the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits. Negative GHG emissions have been deemed by the IPCC to be an important complement in achieving net zero GHG emissions. Biobased CHP plants can contribute to negative emissions through the implementation of carbon capture. However, these technologies are energy-demanding, and thus reduce the energy efficiency of the plant. It was shown that the carbon mitigation potential of installing equipment for carbon capture or liquid biofuel production was highly dependent on which energy sources compen-sate for the changes in the value chains, which is in turn dependent on the decarbonisation of the surrounding energy system. An important outcome of the work presented in this thesis is the identification of existing and emerging opportunities and challenges related to sustainability in biobased CHP plants, which can contribute to, or hamper, the fulfilment of environmental goals. The studies on these opportunities and challenges can prove valuable knowledge for other countries and regions that are planning to develop biobased CHP plants with DH grids. Successful navigation of these opportunities and challenges by policy makers and CHP plant stakeholders will be instrumental in ensuring a decarbonised and resource-efficient energy system.

HORIZON 2020 was the European Commission’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation between 2014 and 2020. With a budget of nearly €80 billion, it was the largest financial instrument for research and innovation ever in the European Union. Its predecessor, the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), for the period 2007–2013, had a budget of just over €50 billion. Almost 35 500 projects received funding within Horizon 2020 (H2020). Of these, Swedish organisations participated in a little more than 10%. Linköping University (LiU) participated in 117 projects within H2020. Based on number of participations and funding received, Linköping University positioned itself as 9th in Sweden, re­ceiving just over €51 million in EU contribution. The purpose of this report is mainly to provide a general overview of the research projects funded by Horizon 2020 at Linköping University. The statistics have been collected from the European Commission’s reporting platform Horizon Dashboard, the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders Portal, and the LiU Grants Office Horizon 2020 database.

Koi herpesvirus disease (KHVD), caused by Cyprinid herpesvirus-3 (CyHV-3), is one of the most serious threats to carp farming. In the present study, we investigated the efficiency of a low-density (LD) SNP panel for estimating genetic parameters and breeding values to KHVD resistance in the Amur mirror carp (AMC). Two populations (Pop 1 and Pop 2) of AMC generated from unrelated parents were created using a partial factorial design. One-year old fish (Pop 1 = 1500 individuals.; Pop 2 = 1200 individuals) were challenged with CyHV-3 and phe-notyped to KHVD resistance. 218 SNPs originating from a medium genotyping platform previously applied to Pop 1 (15615 SNPs; denoted as MD panel) with the highest association to KHVD resistance were used as a LD panel to genotype individuals of Pop 2. Genetic parameters and estimated pedigree-based BLUP (EBV) and genomic-based GBLUP (GEBV_MD and GEBV_LD) breeding values were calculated and obtained for Pop 1 using either pedigree, MD or LD panel and for Pop 2 using either pedigree or the LD panel. The heritability estimates of KHVD resistance were very high for both populations ranging from 0.42 to 0.96. Selection for KHVD resistance in Pop 2 using the LD panel would have led to a relative increase of similar to 7% in prediction accuracy compared to the pedigree-based selection. Pearson correlation coefficients between pedigree-based and genomic-based estimated breeding values (EBV vs. GEBV_MD; EBV vs. GEBV_LD; GEBV_MD vs. GEBV_LD) showed a strong association for both populations (0.79 - 0.91). In addition, the concordance rate of individuals selected by pedigree-based (EBV) and genomic-based breeding values (GEBV_MD and GEBV_LD) within selection pressures of 5%, 10% and 20% were not statistically different in most cases. In conclusion, the low-density SNP panel could be useful for a selection program focused on the genetic improvement of KHVD resistance.

The last decade has seen the emergence of a new research theme - the study of the resources Nexus. The “Nexus” refers to considering the functioning of several systems simultaneously, as opposed to one, as the object of research. This perspective reasons that coherent decision-making needs to consider systems' interconnectedness. Typical system-of-systems (Nexus) studied relate to the security of services, such as the Water-Energy and Food Nexus, and resources, i.e. the Climate, Land, Energy and Water systems (CLEWs) Nexus. The process of examining cross-systems dynamics and interactions is known as the Nexus approach. Implementing it requires understanding multiple systems, disciplinary integration, and multi-stakeholder engagement at various decision levels. Adequate planning of an assessment process is needed to ensure the successful implementation of the approach and its long-lasting presence in decision-making processes. Therefore, reviewing the application of Nexus approaches can inform essential aspects that clarify and streamline the entire process. Current gaps in Nexus research include the lack of clarity in systems representation, the lack of flexible and accessible tools and methods for Nexus analyses, and the need for transparency in modelling approaches. All of these hinder the integration of the approach in research and the incorporation into decision-making processes. The thesis aims to advance the science of integrated resource assessments, particularly the Nexus approach, and support its dissemination and implementation within and beyond academia. Insights from applying two Nexus approaches (CLEWs and SIM4NEXUS) are distilled from the comparison of case studies. Overarching aspects examined include the expertise engaged in assessments, practitioners' roles and transdisciplinarity. Also analysed are selected components in the Nexus approach, such as identifying systems' interactions, analytical approaches, and stakeholder engagement and participation. The transversal feature of knowledge transfer between experts, practitioners, and stakeholders is examined to understand its importance in the assessment process. Examples of quantitative analyses illustrate the representation of different Nexus contexts and the elaboration of relevant insights. This thesis presents two such quantitative examples. One example is an entry-level CLEWs modelling exercise, whose development is described from conceptualisation, model development, and interpretation of results. The other example is a quantitative analysis of the transboundary Syr Darya river basin, which investigates the role of model structure in exploring Nexus questions. The thesis highlights a list of principles to support the Nexus approach's operationalisation deriving from practice and considering current research gaps. Det senaste decenniet har sett uppkomsten av ett nytt forskningstema - studiet av resurserna Nexus. "Nexus" hänvisar till att betrakta funktionen hos flera system samtidigt, i motsats till ett, som föremål för forskning. Detta perspektiv motiverar att ett sammanhängande beslutsfattande måste beakta systemens sammanlänkning. Typiska system-of-systems, Nexus, som studeras relaterar till säkerheten för tjänster, såsom vatten-energi- och livsmedelsnexus, och resurser, dvs. Processen att undersöka dynamik och interaktioner mellan olika system är känd som Nexus-metoden. Att implementera det kräver förståelse för flera system, disciplinär integration och engagemang från flera intressenter på olika beslutsnivåer. Adekvat planering av en bedömningsprocess krävs för att säkerställa ett framgångsrikt genomförande av tillvägagångssättet och dess långvariga närvaro i beslutsprocesser. Därför kan en granskning av tillämpningen av Nexus tillvägagångssätt informera viktiga aspekter som förtydligar och effektiviserar hela processen. Aktuella luckor i Nexus-forskningen inkluderar bristen på tydlighet i systemrepresentationen, avsaknaden av flexibla och tillgängliga verktyg och metoder för Nexus-analyser och behovet av transparens i modelleringsmetoder. Allt detta hindrar integreringen av tillvägagångssättet i forskningen och införlivandet i beslutsprocesser. Avhandlingen syftar till att främja vetenskapen om integrerade resursbedömningar, särskilt Nexus-metoden, och stödja dess spridning och implementering inom och utanför akademin. Insikter från två Nexus-metoder (CLEWs och SIM4NEXUS) kommer från jämförelsen av fallstudier. Övergripande aspekter som granskas inkluderar expertis som är engagerad i bedömningar, utövarnas roller och transdisciplinaritet. Dessutom analyseras utvalda komponenter i Nexus-metoden, som att identifiera systemens interaktioner, analytiska tillvägagångssätt och engagemang och deltagande av intressenter. Det tvärgående inslaget i kunskapsöverföring mellan experter, praktiker och intressenter undersöks för att förstå dess betydelse i bedömningsprocessen. Exempel på kvantitativa analyser illustrerar representationen av olika Nexus-kontexter och utarbetandet av relevanta insikter. Denna avhandling presenterar två sådana kvantitativa exempel. Ett exempel är en CLEWs modelleringsövning på ingångsnivå, vars utveckling beskrivs från konceptualisering, modellutveckling och tolkning av resultat. Det andra exemplet är en kvantitativ analys av det gränsöverskridande flodområdet Syr Darya, som undersöker modellens strukturs roll för att utforska Nexus-frågor. Avhandlingen belyser en lista med principer för att stödja Nexus-metodens operationalisering som härrör från praktiken och med tanke på aktuella forskningsluckor.

Shallow coastal soft bottoms are important carbon sinks. Submerged vegetation has been shown to sequester carbon, increase sedimentary organic carbon (Corg) and thus suppress greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The ongoing regression of seagrass cover in many areas of the world can therefore lead to accelerated emission of GHGs. In Nordic waters, seagrass meadows have a high capacity for carbon storage, with some areas being recognized as blue carbon hotspots. To what extent these carbon stocks lead to emission of methane (CH4) is not yet known. We investigated benthic CH4 emission (i.e., net release from the sediment) in relation to seagrass (i.e. Zostera marina) cover and sedimentary Corg content (%) during the warm summer period (when emissions are likely to be highest). Methane exchange was measured in situ with benthic chambers at nine sites distributed in three regions along a salinity gradient from ∼6 in the Baltic Sea (Finland) to ∼20 in Kattegat (Denmark) and ∼26 in Skagerrak (Sweden). The net release of CH4 from seagrass sediments and adjacent unvegetated areas was generally low compared to other coastal habitats in the region (such as mussel banks and wetlands) and to other seagrass areas worldwide. The lowest net release was found in Finland. We found a positive relationship between CH4 net release and sedimentary Corg content in both seagrass meadows and unvegetated areas, whereas no clear relationship between seagrass cover and CH4 net release was observed. Overall, the data suggest that Nordic Zostera marina meadows release average levels of CH4 ranging from 0.3 to 3.0 μg CH4 m–2 h–1, which is at least 12–78 times lower (CO2 equivalents) than their carbon accumulation rates previously estimated from seagrass meadows in the region, thereby not hampering their role as carbon sinks. Thus, the relatively weak CH4 emissions from Nordic Z. marina meadows will not outweigh their importance as carbon sinks under present environmental conditions.

Despite a large number of studies, out of all drivers of radiative forcing, the effect of aerosols has the largest uncertainty in global climate model radiative forcing estimates. There have been studies of aerosol optical properties in climate models, but the effects of particle number size distribution need a more thorough inspection. We investigated the trends and seasonality of particle number concentrations in nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation modes at 21 measurement sites in Europe and the Arctic. For 13 of those sites, with longer measurement time series, we compared the field observations with the results from five climate models, namely EC-Earth3, ECHAM-M7, ECHAM-SALSA, NorESM1.2, and UKESM1. This is the first extensive comparison of detailed aerosol size distribution trends between in situ observations from Europe and five earth system models (ESMs). We found that the trends of particle number concentrations were mostly consistent and decreasing in both measurements and models. However, for many sites, climate models showed weaker decreasing trends than the measurements. Seasonal variability in measured number concentrations, quantified by the ratio between maximum and minimum monthly number concentration, was typically stronger at northern measurement sites compared to other locations. Models had large differences in their seasonal representation, and they can be roughly divided into two categories: for EC-Earth and NorESM, the seasonal cycle was relatively similar for all sites, and for other models the pattern of seasonality varied between northern and southern sites. In addition, the variability in concentrations across sites varied between models, some having relatively similar concentrations for all sites, whereas others showed clear differences in concentrations between remote and urban sites. To conclude, although all of the model simulations had identical input data to describe anthropogenic mass emissions, trends in differently sized particles vary among the models due to assumptions in emission sizes and differences in how models treat size-dependent aerosol processes. The inter-model variability was largest in the accumulation mode, i.e. sizes which have implications for aerosol-cloud interactions. Our analysis also indicates that between models there is a large variation in efficiency of long-range transportation of aerosols to remote locations. The differences in model results are most likely due to the more complex effect of different processes instead of one specific feature (e.g. the representation of aerosol or emission size distributions). Hence, a more detailed characterization of microphysical processes and deposition processes affecting the long-range transport is needed to understand the model variability. Peer reviewed

Urban green spaces provide important contributions to enhance climate adaptation, and therefore research in this area has increased exponentially in the last decades. While several studies showed that the morphology and type of living and built elements of urban green spaces greatly affect their performance, a persistent gap between theory and practice continues to pervade the design of green spaces. This study conducts a semi-systematic review of research published in the last decade to investigate to what extent recent research has produced evidence-based outputs relevant to practitioners concerning the design of outdoor urban green spaces in the context of climate adaptation. An innovative design-oriented approach is subsequently applied to critically review evidence-based research outputs considering a comprehensive spectrum of climate impacts and adaptation measures. Our specific objectives are to: i) identify evidence-based research outputs of relevance to practitioners according to type of climatic impact; ii) assess the level of relevance and geographical transferability of such outputs to support the design of urban green spaces; and iii) identify key challenges that might hinder the implementation of evidence-based guidelines. Our results support a call to align research to confront the wicked gap between scientific research and implementation in design practice. Funding Agencies|FORMAS (Sweden)Swedish Research Council Formas [2017-01719]; FCT (Portugal)Portuguese Foundation for Science and TechnologyEuropean Commission [ERA4CS/0001/2016]; RCN (Norway); European UnionEuropean Commission [690462]; NWO (The Netherlands)Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)Netherlands Government; FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia I.P.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [ERA4CS/0001/2016]

Wood resources have been essential for human welfare throughout history. Also nowadays, the volume of growing stock (GS) is considered one of the most important forest attributes monitored by National Forest Inventories (NFIs) to inform policy decisions and forest management planning. The origins of forest inventories closely relate to times of early wood shortage in Europe causing the need to explore and plan the utilisation of GS in the catchment areas of mines, saltworks and settlements. Over time, forest surveys became more detailed and their scope turned to larger areas, although they were still conceived as stand-wise inventories. In the 1920s, the first sample-based NFIs were introduced in the northern European countries. Since the earliest beginnings, GS monitoring approaches have considerably evolved. Current NFI methods differ due to country-specific conditions, inventory traditions, and information needs. Consequently, GS estimates were lacking international comparability and were therefore subject to recent harmonisation efforts to meet the increasing demand for consistent forest resource information at European level. As primary large-area monitoring programmes in most European countries, NFIs assess a multitude of variables, describing various aspects of sustainable forest management, including for example wood supply, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Many of these contemporary subject matters involve considerations about GS and its changes, at different geographic levels and time frames from past to future developments according to scenario simulations. Due to its historical, continued and currently increasing importance, we provide an up-to-date review focussing on large-area GS monitoring where we i) describe the origins and historical development of European NFIs, ii) address the terminology and present GS definitions of NFIs, iii) summarise the current methods of 23 European NFIs including sampling methods, tree measurements, volume models, estimators, uncertainty components, and the use of air-and space-borne data sources, iv) present the recent progress in NFI harmonisation in Europe, and v) provide an outlook under changing climate and forest-based bioeconomy objectives.