scholarly journals Using an Outdoor Activity on Local Plant Biodiversity to Teach Conservation Ecology and Promote Environmentally Responsible Behaviors

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
McKenzie L. Doup
Keyword(s):  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Simplified Approach ◽  
Connectedness To Nature ◽  
Nature Preserve ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Environmentally Responsible Behaviors ◽  
The Stability

Children today do not spend as much time outside as they did in previous generations; consequently, they are not building connectedness to nature and are less likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Environmental education is one way to ameliorate this problem. However, teachers are limited by their access to natural habitats, time, and field expertise. To address both of these issues, I present an inquiry-based activity for both Advanced Placement and general high school biology that requires students to spend time in nature, use authentic field methods for collecting data, and apply their findings to pertinent conservation issues. This four-day activity uses a simplified approach, called the meter stick random sampling method, to measure plant biodiversity of different local habitats. Time-efficient and not reliant on species identification, this method is designed so students can repeat this procedure in their backyards or at a local nature preserve. The data can be used to discuss how human disturbance of habitat affects biodiversity, the importance of biodiversity for the stability of ecosystems, and how to restore biodiversity locally.

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Sorption and Desorption Analysis of Nitrobenzene on Differently Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Implications on the Stability

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 1426
Author(s):  
Zhanhua Ji ◽  
Dengyu Li
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Multiwalled Carbon ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Initial Concentration ◽  
Sorption Hysteresis ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Adsorption Desorption

The stability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) suspension is a key factor in determining their transport, fate, and toxicity in an aquatic environment, which is significantly influenced by CNTs’ nature and water chemistry. Macromolecular dissolved organic matter (DOM) is reported to influence the stability of CNTs aggregation. However, little is known on small polar dissolved organic compound’s effects on CNTs aggregation. Nitrobenzene was selected to investigate its interaction with three different functionalized multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs). Both the stability of CNTs aggregation and sorption hysteresis were affected by the initial concentration of nitrobenzene and the surface functionalization coverage of MWCNTs. At the initial concentration below 580 mg/L, the thermodynamic index of irreversibility (TII) and turbidity of CNTs suspension had the same tendency, indicating that the underlying mechanism is closely related. A conceptual adsorption–desorption model was proposed to further explain the relationship between the sorption hysteresis and stability of MWCNTs suspension under different initial concentrations of nitrobenzene. This provided data support to further clarify the environmental behaviors and risks of CNTs.

PRODUCTION OF GRANULATED INSTANT KISSEL BASED ON WHEY AND VEGETABLE RAW MATERIALS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
А.Л. Майтаков ◽  
Л.Н. Берязева ◽  
Н.Т. Ветрова ◽  
К.Б. Плотников
Keyword(s):  
Storage Temperature ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Technical Documentation ◽  
Plant Raw Materials ◽  
Temperature Conditions ◽  
Aronia Melanocarpa ◽  
Organoleptic Characteristics ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
The Stability

Разработан новый быстрорастворимый продукт (кисель) с определенным фазовым составом и строением на основе молочной сыворотки и местного растительного сырья – черноплодной рябины (Aronia melanocarpa). Разработана модель технологии производства быстрорастворимого гранулированного продукта (кисель) на основе молочной сыворотки и черноплодной рябины. Исследована сохраняемость киселя в трех температурных режимах: 1-й (21 ± 1)°С; 2-й с низкой плюсовой температурой (5 ± 1)°С; 3-й с повышенной (39 ± 1)°С при влажности окружающей среды 80%. По окончании годичного исследования сохраняемости при температурных режимах (21 ± 1)°С и (5 ± 1)°С изменений в органолептических показателях продукта не наблюдали. Скорость растворения продукта при температурных условиях хранения (21 ± 1)°С и (5 ± 1)°С не изменялась на протяжении 9 мес. Установлено, что при хранении в условиях пониженных положительных температур 4–6°С и в режиме комнатной температуры (21 ± 1)°С исследуемый пищеконцентрат по окончании 6 мес. хранения не изменил свойств по показателям качества. Сроки испытания продукта превышали по длительности в 2 раза заданный срок хранения (коэффициент запаса). Результаты испытаний явились основанием для разработки технической документации на производство быстрорастворимых гранулированных плодово-ягодных киселей. A new fast – soluble product (kissel) with a certain phase composition and structure based on whey and local plant raw materials Aronia melanocarpa. A model of technology for the production of a rapidly soluble granular product (kissel) based on whey and Aronia melanocarpa has been developed. The stability of kissel in three temperature modes was studied: 1st (21 ± 1)°C; 2nd with a low plus temperature (5 ± 1)°C; the 3rd with the increased (39 ± 1)°C at 80% ambient humidity. At the end of a year-long study at temperature conditions (21 ± 1)°С and (5 ± 1)°С, no changes in the organoleptic characteristics of the product were observed. Dissolution rate of the product under storage temperature conditions (21 ± 1)°C and (5 ± 1)°C did not change for 9 months. It is established that when stored at low positive temperatures 4–6°C. With and at room temperature (21 ± 1)°C. At the end of 6 months of storage, the food concentrate under study did not change its properties in terms of quality. The product testing period was 2 times longer than the specified storage period. The test results were the basis for the development of technical documentation for the production of instant granulated fruit and berry kissel.

Sustainable use of wild plant species: A research bibliography

Social Change ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 204-221
Author(s):  
Ghazala Shahabuddin
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Field Methods

During the last few decades, there has been a growing realisation that biodiversity conservation cannot be successful without the active involvement of the people living close to and dependent on natural ecosystems for their survival and livelihoods. Consequently, there has been a gradual broadening of the global conservation agenda from strict nature protection to include the sustainable use of natural resources, which is now reflected in governmental policy the world over. However, as conservationists strive today towards the harmonisation of people's needs with biodiversity conservation, one of the most elusive, yet critical, goals for them has been the sustainable extraction of plant resources from the wild. Hundreds of plant species continue to be extracted from natural habitats for use as food, medicine, fuel and fodder in households and for commercial sale, both legally and illegally. As a consequence of unmonitored extraction and over-exploitation, many plant species populations are reported to be declining in the wild. In the face of increasing pressure on forest resources, it has become more important than ever before to devise quantitative management policies for sustainable plant use so that both forests and the livelihoods of millions of rural people who are dependent on them, can be sustained. One of the major stumbling blocks for conservationists in developing countries, who are attempting to design and implement sustainable forest management systems, is the lack of information on the state-of-the-art in this field, especially that relating to field methods, data analysis, data recording and monitoring systems. In order to fill this lacuna, a comprehensive bibliography of studies undertaken so far in the science of sustainable use from terrestrial ecosystems is presented here. The scope of this bibliography includes sustainable

scholarly journals Ectoparasites of the bats from karst caves of the nature reserve «Ichalkovsky Bor» (Nizhny Novgorod Region)

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 122-126
Author(s):  
Galina Anatolievna Fadeeva ◽  
Elena Evgenievna Boryakova
Keyword(s):  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Karst Caves ◽  
Central Russia ◽  
The Family ◽  
Volga Upland ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The One ◽  
Parasitic Mites ◽  
First Time

The fauna of parasitic mites of bats from the karst caves in the region of the Volga Upland was studied in 2004-2005. Six species of bats such as Daubentons water bat, Brandts bat, whiskered bat, pond bat, northern bat and long-eared bat were examined. 18 species of arthropods were detected, among them there are gamasid mites (10 species) and harvest mites (2 species). Leptotrombidium russicum (Oud., 1902) and Myotrombicula sp. were found for the first time in Central Russia. Spinturnix acuminatus (Koch, 1836), Steatonyssus spinosus (Willmann, 1936), Steatonyssus periblepharus (Kolenati, 1858), Macronyssus flavus (Kolenati, 1856) turned out to be the main group of parasites in this study. As for the insects flies of the family Nycteribiidae and fleas of the family Ischnopsyllidae were found. The cluster analysis of ectoparasite fauna has showed that they are more or less evenly distributed among all members of mixed colonies of bats, while there is no violation of specificity in the choice of hosts. Low values of the Berger-Parker index marked a lack of competition between species, which indicates the stability of parasitic communities formed on bats in mixed colonies and in natural habitats. This fact indicates a complex relationship between the parasites in the community on the one hand, and long-term existence of the community on the other hand. This, in its turn, shows that in long-evolving communities competitive relationships between parasites are obliterated, which gives them stability. Herewith the bat colony is used as an integral whole, although some parasitic species prefer certain types of hosts.

Grazing and plant biodiversity in upland acid grassland systems - why can we manipulate animal performance easily but not plant biodiversity?

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 62-62
Author(s):  
A. Waterhouse ◽  
J.P Holland ◽  
J.Milner
Keyword(s):  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Environmental Support ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Livestock Systems ◽  
Cross Compliance

Upland livestock systems dominate land use on upland semi-natural habitats of high conservation value. The future is unclear. CAP reform is likely to highlight the poor financial performance of hill livestock, cross compliance may be very light and agri-environmental support for positive management is likely to be limited. There is much debate about management for different objectives. Trends of abandonment of livestock grazing may continue. This paper highlights alternative outcomes of management of semi-natural grasslands and the linked impacts on livestock production.

scholarly journals Application of Remote Sensing to the Investigation of Rock Slopes: Experience Gained and Lessons Learned

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug Stead ◽  
Davide Donati ◽  
Andrea Wolter ◽  
Matthieu Sturzenegger
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Rock Slopes ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Difficult Terrain ◽  
Remote Sensing Methods

The stability and deformation behavior of high rock slopes depends on many factors, including geological structures, lithology, geomorphic processes, stress distribution, and groundwater regime. A comprehensive mapping program is, therefore, required to investigate and assess the stability of high rock slopes. However, slope steepness, rockfalls and ongoing instability, difficult terrain, and other safety concerns may prevent the collection of data by means of traditional field techniques. Therefore, remote sensing methods are often critical to perform an effective investigation. In this paper, we describe the application of field and remote sensing approaches for the characterization of rock slopes at various scale and distances. Based on over 15 years of the experience gained by the Engineering Geology and Resource Geotechnics Research Group at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada), we provide a summary of the potential applications, advantages, and limitations of varied remote sensing techniques for comprehensive characterization of rock slopes. We illustrate how remote sensing methods have been critical in performing rock slope investigations. However, we observe that traditional field methods still remain indispensable to collect important intact rock and discontinuity condition data.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Links between Environmentally Responsible Behaviors and Built and Natural Features of Landscape in Central New Jersey

Urban Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Clark ◽  
Rebecca Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Environmentally Responsible ◽  
Environmentally Responsible Behaviors ◽  
Effective Models

Responses from Central New Jersey residents (n = 290) to nine survey items about pro-environmental behaviors were analyzed for their connection to survey respondents’ local built and natural landscape characteristics. These nine survey items were of interest due to their clustering in three groups in earlier dimension reduction analysis. Nine logistic regression models (one for each of these items) were built using a suite of built and natural features of landscape at the municipal level—including land use, population density, and access to parks. The logistic regression models using the landscape variables failed to provide effective explanations of engagement in pro-environmental behavior. In total, only ten landscape feature variables—out of a possible thirty-eight -were used in any of the most effective models. The logistic regression model of proper appliance disposal performed best and could correctly classify responses of whether respondents had disposed of an appliance correctly 84% of the time. The rest of the models were of little use. This suggests that there may not be a connection between these built and natural landscape features and these behaviors, or that the study did not look at location at a level that was granular enough to detect any patterns.

scholarly journals Can an Immersion Exhibit Inspire Connection to Nature and Environmentally Responsible Behavior?

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Pennisi ◽  
N. Qwynne Lackey ◽  
Stephen M. Holland
Keyword(s):  
Visitor Experience ◽  
Connection To Nature ◽  
Environmentally Responsible Behavior ◽  
Connectedness To Nature ◽  
Responsible Behavior ◽  
Visitor Experiences ◽  
Environmentally Responsible ◽  
Visitor Research ◽  
Environmentally Responsible Behaviors ◽  
Psychological Dimensions

Nature centers, museums, zoos, and other exhibit-based institutions need to sustain or increase visitation for economic viability. To generate visitor interest, exhibits have become more interactive, with immersion exhibits becoming increasingly popular. Visitor research has traditionally focused on learning or social aspects of the visitor experience rather than psychological dimensions related to attitudes, values, and behaviors. Yet nature-focused institutions increasingly support broad-based issues, such as encouraging connection to nature and environmentally responsible behavior. This paper explores how an immersion exhibit without personal interpretation, impacts connectedness to nature, intentions for environmentally responsible behaviors, and other aspects of visitor experiences. Short visits to a free-flying butterfly exhibit were found to augment visitors’ connectedness to nature and environmentally responsible behavioral intentions. Visitors also described how they appreciated the intensely beautiful surroundings, were awe-struck, felt a great deal of peace and relaxation, and felt oneness with nature.

Geotechnical and groundwater geophysics

Geophysics ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 2621-2636 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Dobecki ◽  
P. R. Romig
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Petroleum Reservoir ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Proper Role ◽  
Healthy State ◽  
Reservoir Description ◽  
The Stability

Because of a change in emphasis from power plant siting to projects principally involving process and facility monitoring and certification of existing structures (dams, pipelines, etc.), geotechnical and groundwater geophysics is in quite a healthy state after some lean years following the demise of nuclear energy construction projects. The orders‐of‐magnitude jump in the computational capability of geophysicists working in these fields has overshadowed advances in instrumentation (e.g., digital enhancement seismographs), field methods (e.g., cross‐borehole EM), and interpretive procedures. The advent of powerful, affordable microcomputers has enabled expansion into applications demanding finer resolution and quicker turnaround of results. As a result, shallow seismic reflection, seismic and electromagnetic geotomography, and the complementary use of surface and borehole electrical resistivity and seismic data will soon be common if not dominant methods in geotechnical and groundwater investigations. Future trends point to increased emphasis on environmental and economic issues (e.g., toxic wastes or the stability of underground petroleum storage facilities), cross‐fertilization with petroleum reservoir engineering (process monitoring and detailed reservoir description), and greater involvement of computers in the planning, data acquisition, and interpretive phases of our projects. As computers take over more of the data collection‐processing‐interpretation sequence, one of the greatest challenges facing us will be to define the proper role of humans and to use the new technology wisely.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document