Anneli Adler

One of the methods for increasing the resilience of agroecosystems is to combine species with different growth forms on the same piece of land. This is known as intercropping and aims to increase ecosystem services provided by that area.

Agroforestry with fast-growing trees, as one way of intercropping, has been my main field of research during last years. Fast-growing deciduous trees also have a great potential as complementary raw material for the forest industry to produce textile fiber, bio-oil, packaging etc., and provide additional income for landowners.

Before my return to the university in 2019, I have built up a brand SnowTiger® and worked as manager of a business area in biotecnology company SweTree Technologies AB.

I am/have been teaching on the following courses:

• Lantbruksvetenskap för mark/växtagronomer (15 HP), course leader Dr. Ida Kollberg
• Agroforestry (15 HP), course leader Doc. Linda-Maria Dmitrova
• Production of non-food biomass 2022 (3 ECTS credits) – course leader Doc. Ioannis Dimitriou
• Experimental approaches in plant growth analysis and phenotyping (15 HP), 2022, course leader Prof. Martin Weih, SLU
• ELLS Summer School Bioeconomy (6 ECTS credits), July 31st – August 11th 2023 Uppsala; SLU, course leader Prof. Martin Weih, SLU

SHOWCASE

In cooperation with farmers around lake Mälaren our project group (Erik Öckinger as project leader, Andy Ruck, René van der Wal and John Löfkvist), evaluates the effect of mixed cropping on biodiversity at farmers own fields and surrounding landscapes. EU Horizon 2020-2024.

MixForChange

In this project I collaborate with prof. Martin Weih and PhD students Joel Jensen and Leticia Bulascoschi Cagnoni. My task is to interview forest owners and managers about their interest to establish and manage mixed species stands on forestland in Sweden.

NutriBiomass4LIFE

This project develops a concept for bioeconomy where nutrients in wastewater treatment sludge are recycled in poplar fields to promote the growth of woody raw material. In collaboration with Almir Karacic, Lorenzo Menichetti, Thomas Kätterer, Lina Zickiene and Mindaugas Silininkas we have measured also the accumulation of carbon in soil 30 years after establishment of short rotation forests with poplars, hybrid aspens and silver birch. EU and Swedish Energy Agency finance this project. 2018-2023.

Climate adapted poplars (CLAP)

In cooperation with my collegues Almir Karacic, Ann Christin Rönnberg Wästljung, Giulia Vico, Thomas Richards, Rami-Petteri Apuli, Magnus Herzberg from SweTree Technologies AB, Prof. Pär Ingvarsson and Prof. Martin Weih, climate adapted poplar clones for Baltic Sea Region have been evaluated and genetic background of spring leaf flush and autumn bud set have been identified. Business plan for marketing poplar clones bred at SLU for commercial use, #SnowTiger, has been developed. FORMAS 2016-2020.

Cotton substitute and biofuels from fast growing trees by catalytic fractionation

In collaboration with prof. Joseph Samec's research group, Almir Karacic, Gregg Beckham, Rebecca Hanes and their collegues the entire value chain including cultivation of poplar trees, wood processing to man-made cellulose fibers and bio-oil was evaluated in a life cycle perspective. Swedish Energy Agency 2018-2020.

Vegetation dynamics on wooded meadows 

In collaboration with Prof. Kalevi Kull and Dr Marek Sammul, I have been investigating the plant community dynamics of wooded meadows during the cessation of active management of these species rich ecosystems.

Organizer of conferences/workshops: 

Study visit and workshop in Mörrum: Climate and Societal Benefits with Fast-Growing Broadleaves, March 14th and 15th 2023 in Mörrum/Ronneby financed by the subject are short rotation forestry at my department, Partnerskap Alnarp and forest company Södra Skog and the industry Södra Cell. 

A reportage of this event is available at Skogsaktuellt and on the homepage of the competence centre TreesForMe. 

Millet Symposium, den 5 september 2023 i Alnarp in cooperation with SLU Global.

Klebl, F., Parisi, A., Häfner, K., Adler, A., Barreiro, S., Bodea, F.V., Brönnimann, V., de Vries, JPR., Dos Santos, A., Hood, ASC., Melts, I., Popa, R., Vajna, F., Velado-Alonso, E., Kernecker, ML. 2024. How values and perceptions shape farmers' biodiversity management: insights from ten European countries. Biological Conservation, in press.

Adler, A., Karacic, A., Apuli, R.-P., Rönnberg Wästljung, A.C., Hertzberg, M., T., Weih, M. and Ingvarsson, P.K. (2023). Molecular Selection Tools in Adaptive Phenology of Populus trichocarpa Breeds for the Nordic-Baltic Region. In: El-Esawi, M.A. (ed.): Updates in Plant Breeding. Publisher: IntechOpen, Rijeka, Croatia. Published online Oct 23^rd 2023.

Cagnoni L., Weidlich, E.W.A, Guillemot, J., Morselo, C., Weih, M., Adler, A. and Brancalion, P.H.S. 2023. Stakeholders’ perspectives of species diversity in tree plantations: A global review. Current Forestry Reports, Vol. 9 (4), 251-262.

Adler, A., Kumaniaev, I., Karacic, A., Baddigam, K.R., Hanes, R.J., Subbotina, E., Bartling, A.W., Huertas-Alonso, A.J., Moreno, A., Håkansson, H., Mathew, A.P., Beckham, G.T and Samec J.S.M. (2022). Lignin-first biorefining of Nordic poplar to produce cellulose fibers could displace cotton production on agricultural lands. Joule 6(8), 1845-1858. doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2022.06.021

Rönnberg-Wastljung, A.C., Adler, A., Karacic, A., Liepins, K., Richards, T.J., Ingvarsson, P.K. and Weih, M. (2022). Phenotypic plasticity in Populus trichocarpa clones across environments in the Nordic-Baltic region. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 37(1):1-5 DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2022.2039279

Adler, A., Karacic, A., Rönnberg-Wästljung, A., Johansson, U., Liepins, K., Gradeckas, A., and Christersson, L. (2021). Variation of growth and phenology traits in poplars planted in clonal trials in Northern Europe - implications for breeding. BioEnergy Research, 14(2):426-444. DOI: 10.1007/s12155-021-10262-8

Karacic, A., Adler, A., Weih, M., and Christersson, L. (2021). ana Analysis of Poplar Growth and Quality Traits to Facilitate Identification of Climate-Adapted Plant Material for Sweden. Bioenergy Research, 14(2):409-425. DOI: 10.1007/s12155-020-10210-y

Vico, G., Karacic, A., Adler, A., Richards, T., and Weih, M. (2021). Consistent Poplar Clone Ranking Based on Leaf Phenology and Temperature Along a Latitudinal and Climatic Gradient in Northern Europe. Bioenergy Research, 14(2):445-459. DOI: 10.1007/s12155-021-10249-5

Clifton-Brown, J., Harfouche, A., Casler, M., Jones, H.D., Macalpine, W., Murphy-Bokern, D., Smart, L., Adler, A., Ashman, Ch., Awty-Carroll, D., /…/, Lewandowski, I. (2018). Breeding progress and preparedness for mass-scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops swithgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar. GCB Bioenergy 11(1), 118-151. DOI: 10.111/gcbb.12566

Bergkvist, G., Adler, A., Hansson, M., and Weih, M. (2010). Red fescue undersown in winter wheat suppresses Elytrigia repens. Weed Research 50, 447-455. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2010.00789.x    

Adler, A., Dimitriou, I., Aronsson, P., Verwijst, T., and Weih, M. (2008). Wood fuel quality of two Salix viminalis stands fertilised with sludge, ash and sludge-ash mixtures. Biomass & Bioenergy 32, 914-925. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2008.01.013    

Adler, A., Karacic, A., and Weih, M. (2008). Biomass allocation and nutrient use in fast-growing woody and herbaceous perennials used for phytoremediation. Plant and Soil 305, 189-206. DOI: 10.1007/s11104-008-9551-2  

Adler, A., Verwijst, T., and Aronsson, P. (2005). Estimation and relevance of bark proportion in a willow stand. Biomass & Bioenergy 29, 102-113. DOI:10.1016/j.biombioe.2005.04.003       

Dimitriou, I., Eriksson, J., Adler, A., Aronsson, P., and Verwijst, I. (2006). Fate of heavy metals after application of sewage sludge and wood-ash mixtures to short-rotation willow coppice. Environmental Pollution 142, 160-169. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.09.001 

Tamm (Adler), A., Kull, K., and Sammul, M. (2001). Classifying clonal growth forms based on vegetative mobility and ramet longevity: a whole community analysis. Evolutionary Ecology 15, 383-401. DOI: 10.1023/a:1016093116926    

Sammul, M., Kull, K., and Tamm (Adler), A. (2003). Clonal growth in a species-rich grassland: Results of a 20-year fertilization experiment. Folia Geobotanica 38, 1-20. DOI: 10.1007/bf02803124    

Presentationer på konferenser:

Adler, A., Karacic, A, Christersson, L. and Šilininkas, M. 2014. High productive and climate adapted poplar clones for the energy and forestry sector in Baltic Sea Region. Abstract in the Proceedings of the 6th International Poplar Symposium (IPS VI). Domestication of Populus and Salix: How Far Have We Come, and How Far Do We Still Have To Go?” Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 20-23 July.

Adler, A. 2013. Poplar Projects at SweTree Technologies AB. Oral presentation at Poplar Workshop “Testing of European Poplar Clones for the Use in Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) Culture” October 28th-30th 2013, Teisendorf, Germany.

National Commission on Fast-Growing Broadleaves

SLU Breeding Network

International Commission on Poplars and Other Fast-Growing Trees Sustaining People and the Environment