Abstract
In the oceanic parts of Norway many plantations of non-native trees have been raised. These plantations have several impacts on local biodiversity and landscape, especially if they begin dispersing from the originally planted areas. The project aims at increasing the knowledge of these tree species, and about their effects on local biodiversity. This will be done by undertaking a germination experiment in various vegetation types typical for the oceanic parts of Norway. Different degrees of disturbance will be included in the experiment. The project will also perform a landscape analysis for two different areas, for evaluating what vegetation types that have mainly been used for plantation. This will test a hypothesis that it is the most species-rich areas that have been used for plantation. Furthermore the project will do a genetic analysis of a large population that is known to originate from Switzerland, but was brought to Norway in 1800 from Scotland. This population is historically documented to have dispersed considerably, and may serve as a model for what genetic changes that follow an introduction of an alien species. The project is a collaboration between NINA and Skogforsk, which already are collaborating on other aspects of the impact from non-native trees.
Norway