Environmental Threats and Geographical Education: Students’ Sustainability Awareness—Evaluation

Teaching geography creates an opportunity for the transfer of knowledge about environmental problems and ways of solving them. Teachers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Turkey, and the United Kingdom indicated strengths and weaknesses of physical geography as well as the selected geographical concepts of: Maps/Cartography, Astronomy/The Earth in the Universe, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Endogenic processes, Exogenic processes, and Soils and biosphere. There was a variety in how confident students were around these topic areas. The main types of difficulties identified by the study were: too little time for implementation, difficult terminology, and lack of tools for the proper transfer of knowledge. Moreover, the attractiveness of individual issues for students also varies. The research clearly shows that students lack an awareness of problems related to the environment. There are considerable differences between the level of students’ knowledge about climate change or air and water pollution (relatively high awareness of global warming) and issues related to soil and vegetation cover (low awareness of soil depletion, soil pollution, changing the boundaries of the occurrence of plant zones, etc.). To make people aware of the importance of environment, we should take care of education in relation to global challenge and sustainable development.

Genome Editing accelerated Re-Domestication” (GEaReD) – a new major direction in plant breeding

The effects of climate change, soil depletion, a growing world population putting pressure on food safety and security are major challenges for agriculture in the 21st century. The breeding success of the green revolution has decelerated and current programs can only offset the yield affecting factors. New approaches are urgently needed and we propose, “Genome Editing accelerated Re-Domestication” (GEaReD) as a major new direction in plant breeding. By combining the upcoming technologies for phenotyping, omics and artificial intelligence with the promising new CRISPR-toolkits, this approach is closer than ever. Wild relatives of current crops are often adapted to harsh environments and have a high genetic diversity. Re-domestication of wild barley or teosinte could generate new cultivars adapted to environmental changes. De novo domestication of perennial relatives like Hordeum bulbosum could counter with soil depletion and increase soil carbon. Recent research already proved the principle of re-domestication in tomato and rice and therefore laid the foundation for GEaReD.

How Mineral Fertilization and Soil–Climate Conditions Affect Spring Barley Grain Yield and Soil Chemical Properties

Barley is one of the most important cereals growing in the Czech Republic. In this paper, we have evaluated how different fertilizer treatments (Control, N1 – 30 kg ha−1 N, N2 – 60 kg ha−1 N, NPK1 – 30, 60, 80 kg ha−1, respectively, NPK2 – 60, 60, 80, and NPK3 – 90, 60, 80) affected spring barley grain yield under different soil–climate conditions (Caslav–degraded Chernozem, Ivanovice–Chernozem, Lukavec–Cambisol) between the years 2013 and 2016. The agronomic efficiency (AE) and the effect of the fertilizer treatments (Control, N2, NPK2) on soil properties (pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cox, Nt) were also evaluated. The spring barley grain yield was significantly affected by the fertilizer treatment and soil–climate conditions. Two different models (quadratic and linear-plateau) provided the maximum and reasonable doses of N, according to the soil–climate conditions. Application of mineral P and K slightly increased the AE. The regular application of mineral P and K fertilizers led to an increase in the P and K concentration in the soil, which maintains soil fertility and prevents soil depletion.

THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY IN BANGLADESH

Poverty is one of the problems in third-world countries like Bangladesh. There has been an ongoing battle against challenging living conditions-overcrowding, floods, deforestation, erosion, soil depletion, and natural calamities. Quite a lot of programs have been tried since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, and to tell the truth, most have failed. Each time an anti-poverty program fails, it gives more fuel to the richer class to argue that there's no point in trying to help the poor. However, this is an age of information technology. Almost all of the spheres of human life are contributed by Information technology. Information Technology can change the fate of the poor by helping them to be with the current time and happenings by ensuring their capabilities to access information. The Government of Bangladesh also realizes the importance of the issue, and recently they concentrated on transforming the government services to digitize. As one of the initiatives to empower the poor with information, GOB has launched Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) in all of the Union councils of the country. The private sector started digitization of operations earlier than the government. Now, as the government has also initiated the process, the journey will get a smooth and parallel speed to develop the socio-economic condition of the poor of the country. This paper attempts to explore the capabilities of ICT to reduce poverty in Bangladesh. The study will also try to suggest how ICT can be better used to eradicate poverty. ICT is a rapidly growing field in Bangladesh in recent times. The contribution of ICT in every sector of the country is trying to be addressed to improve the situation. This study is conducted by reviewing the studies in this line to suggest better policies to be formulated. The results show that ICT has excellent capabilities to alleviate poverty despite many challenges to be faced.

Phosphorus depletion controls Cu and Zn biogeochemistry in canola and corn rhizosphere on a calcareous soil

Phosphorus (P) deficiency may trigger rhizodeposition, including protons and organic compounds, with possible effects on metal solubility and speciation. To explore the relevance of this process, we investigated biogeochemical changes in the rhizosphere of P-deficient canola (Brassica napus L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars grown in a pot experiment on calcareous soil. Depletion of total soluble (0.005 mol/L Ca(NO3)2-extractable) P in the rhizosphere varied with crop species and cultivar but was generally strong and negatively correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in canola (R2 = 0.868) and corn (R2 = 0.844) rhizospheres, indicating rhizodeposition in response to limited P availability. DOC was correlated with dissolved Cu, explaining 86% of its variation in the rhizosphere and bulk soil solution of canola and corn cultivars, respectively, suggesting Cu mobilisation via the formation of Cu-organic complexes. In line with lower Zn-organic complex stabilities, the effect of rhizodeposition was less pronounced for Zn mobilisation. We show that the P nutritional status of plants and the related variation of rhizodeposition among crops and cultivars represents a major control of metal solubility in soil, with possible effects on micronutrient supply and toxicity. Hence, targeted P availability control should be considered in the management of polluted and micronutrient-deficient soils.

IMPROVED STOCK UNEARTHING METHOD (ISUM) ALLOW TO ASSESS SOIL EROSION PROCESSES IN GRAFTED PLANTS USING IN SITU TOPOGRAPHICAL MEASUREMENTS

Policymakers, stakeholders and rural inhabitants must be aware of the relevance of soil erosion as an irreversible landdegradation process. This is key to achieve the land degradation neutrality challenge and the sustainability of humankindand natural ecosystems. Agricultural areas are being affected by soil erosion threatening soil quality and, subsequently,food security. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new techniques and methods visually friendly and easy to be accessedto survey and assess the soil erosion concerns. ISUM (Improve Stock Unearthing Method) is a well-contrasted procedureto estimate and map soil mobilisation and erosion rates. To achieve this goal, using the plant graft union as a biomarkerconducting in situ topographical measurements along perpendicular transects allow us to i) explain key factors related tothe activation of soil erosion processes such as tillage, the age of plantation, parent material or hillslope positions; ii)complete other well-contrasted methods such as RUSLE (Revised Soil Loss Equation), IC (Index of connectivity) orStructure from Motion; and, iii) identify hotspot areas affected by soil depletion, accumulation or mobilisation. In thisconference, we will show how we developed a new improvement of this method in different crops (vineyards, citrus,persimmons or almonds), under different environmental conditions (parent material, vine ages, soil management, or slopeangle) with diverse geomatic procedures (interpolation methods and geostatistical analysis, topographical measurementsand models) using GIS techniques.

INFLUENCE OF REGIMES OF USE AND FERTILIZATION OF SPONTANEOUSLY RENEWABLE SWARD ON THE COURSE OF SOIL MICROBIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

Objective. To study the state of the soil microbiocenosis of spontaneously renewable phytocoenosis of the 21st year of self-growth after the application of mineral fertilizers at the dose of N90P40K70 and the two-mow regime. Methods. Experimental-field, laboratory-analytical, microbiological, statistical. Results. Optimization of mineral nutrition of renewable phytocoenosis contributes to an increase in the number of microorganisms: ammonifiers 2.24 times, mineral nitrogen immobilizers — 1.39, denitrifiers — 3.19, nitrifiers — 1.71, cellulose-destructive — 1.64, actinomycetes — 1.17, micromycetes — 1.20, organophosphate mobilizers — 1.33 times. As a result of twomow regime of the use grass cenoses, the number of microorganisms in most of the studied groups does not change, except for denitrifiers, cellulose-destroying bacteria, micromycetes and organophosphate mobilizers. The use of mineral fertilizers leads to a slowdown of mineralization processes in the soil: pedotrophicity index decreases by 2.28 times, the coefficient of mineralization of nitrogen compounds — by 1.60 time, oligotrophicity — by 2.25 times, the activity of humus mineralization — by 1.65 times. Alienation of plant biomass has a negligible effect on the course of microbiological processes in the soil: pedotrophicity index increases by 18.2 %, oligotrophicity coefficient — by 3.63 %, nitrogen mineralization coefficient decreases by 6.6 %, humus mineralization activity — by 6.2 %. Conclusion. Lack of mineral elements in the soil of the fallow provokes the intensification of mineralization processes, and the optimization of mineral nutrition of phytocoenosis plants contributes to their slowing down. The decrease in the total biological activity and the increase in the phytotoxicity of the soil with the two-mow use of sward indicate the beginning of the processes of soil depletion.

Implementation of the "environmental imperative" in the framework of educational work at the university

Стремительное разрушение экологии в XXI веке стало одной из наиболее опасных тенденций, обсуждаемых на уровне мирового сообщества. Изменение климата и вызванные этим фактором наводнения, засухи и иные природные катаклизмы, истощение почв, дефицит воды, угроза голода – всё это говорит о том, что естественная среда обитания человека стремительно разрушается. Неблагоприятные условия, связанные с деформацией естественной эко-системы, загрязнением природной среды и истощением ресурсов, становятся фактором выживания человека и осложняют условия его жизнедеятельности. Статья посвящена проблеме экологического воспитания студентов вуза как неотъемлемой составляющей их профессиональной подготовки. Представлены результаты шестилетней работы автора по экологическому воспитанию в рамках проекта «Зелёный университет», реализуемого в Московском гуманитарном университете. Показаны дидактические принципы этой работы - социальности, научности, субъектности, диалогичности, проблемности, единства существования, познания, действия, обязательности, комплексности, равнозначности, - отражаемые в соответствующем содержании и организационных формах; определены методологические основания данной работы, изложенные в педагогических концепциях, теориях и подходах; выделены и содержательно представлены ее уровни - организационный, образовательный, воспитательный, социальный, научный, просветительский; показано влияние на экологическое воспитание эколого-ориентированной образовательной среды вуза, выделены ее элементы: научно-педагогические традиции вуза, его профессорско-преподавательский состав, инфраструктура. The rapid destruction of the environment in the XXI century has become one of the most dangerous trends discussed at the level of the world community. Climate change and the floods, droughts and other natural disasters caused by this factor, soil depletion, water scarcity, and the threat of famine-all this suggests that the natural habitat of man is rapidly being destroyed. Unfavorable conditions associated with the deformation of the natural eco-system, pollution of the natural environment and depletion of resources become a factor of human survival and complicate the conditions of his life. The article is devoted to the problem of environmental education of university students as an integral part of their professional training. The results of the author's six-year work on environmental education in the framework of the project "Green University", implemented at the Moscow University for the Humanities, are presented. The didactic principles of this work - sociality, scientific character, subjectivity, dialogicality, problemativeness, unity of existence, cognition, action, obligation, complexity, equivalence-are shown, which are reflected in the corresponding content and organizational forms; the methodological foundations of this work, set out in pedagogical concepts, theories and approaches, are determined; its levels - organizational, educational, educational, social, scientific, educational-are highlighted and presented in a meaningful way; the influence of the eco-oriented educational environment of the university on environmental education is shown, its elements are highlighted: the scientific and pedagogical traditions of the university, its teaching staff, infrastructure.

Eucalypts for Tropical Rainforest (Af) climate

The equatorial region of the world includes areas of Tropical Rainforest (Af) and Tropical Monsoon (Am) climate zones, which are distinguished by high temperatures and high rainfall, but soils which are often deficient. Potential productivity of plantation forestry in this area is high, and so are the pest and disease dangers which threaten it. This paper describes the Eucalyptus and Corymbia species which are adapted to this situation and also resistant to the main diseases like leaf blights. Based on the highly adapted E. biterranea and E. deglupta and several more, hybridization combined with vegetative propagation is discussed as an excellent alternative to obtain quick gains in short rotations while maintaining wide genetic diversity in such plantations. Management remedies are given for the possible backlash of quick soil depletion.

Simultaneous thermal analysis of mineral fertilizers, purchased in Almaty

Increased demand for agricultural products leads to soil depletion and increased use of mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers. Mineral fertilizers used in agriculture may contain contaminators such as heavy metals or radionuclides that can migrate and accumulate in plants. Although migration and accumulation abilities directly depend on species in which they are presented. Determination of species of heavy metals and radionuclides can be done by sequential extraction technique, which takes long time and a lot of reactants. Preliminary evaluation can be done on the basis of data of simultaneous thermal analysis. In the present study the simultaneous thermal analysis was used for investigation of mineral fertilizers, purchased in Almaty. “Fasko” with ammonia nitrate and “Bujskie udobreniya” fertilizers contain water-soluble fractions and “Ljubo zeleno” and “Fertika” contain organic soluble fractions.