Description:
The indigenous grass Lachnagrostis filiformis (Fairy grass) has colonised extensive areas of dry lakebeds in western Victoria, Australia during the current (1997-) drought. Large numbers of the plants' detached seed heads disperse in the wind and lodge against housing, fences, railway lines and other obstacles ... In this study, late season application of Glyphosate based herbicide, slashing, seed broadcasting of Atriplex australasica and Puccinellia perlaxa, grazing and burning were examined ... The results highlight how weed management aimed at achieving short-term goals, without controlling the ecological processes that promote weeds establishment and persistence, can be counter productive in the long-term.
Description:
The indigenous grass Lachnagrostis filiformis (Fairy grass) has colonised extensive areas of dry lakebeds in western Victoria, Australia during the current (1997-) drought. Large numbers of the plants' detached seed heads disperse in the wind and lodge against housing, fences, railway lines and other obstacles ... In this study, late season application of Glyphosate based herbicide, slashing, seed broadcasting of Atriplex australasica and Puccinellia perlaxa, grazing and burning were examined ... The results highlight how weed management aimed at achieving short-term goals, without controlling the ecological processes that promote weeds establishment and persistence, can be counter productive in the long-term.
Description:
Summary 1. The distributions of Collembola on the Warra-Mount Weld Altitudinal Transect were investigated based on samples taken from February–April 2001, November–December 2001 and January– February 2002. 2. The Collembola of the Warra-Mount Weld Altitudinal Transect was species rich with more than 40 species collected; the majority of species recorded have not been described. 3. Most of the species collected are considered endemic to Tasmania and some endemic genera were present. 4. The Malaise traps performed well indicating that a suite of species are arboreal and highly vagile. 5. No exotic (introduced, alien) species were detected in this study indicating that the area sampled has been little disturbed and is of high conservation value. 6. Altitudinal trends were evident with a small number of species only occurring at the high altitudes and others only at low altitudes. Only a few species appeared to occur at all altitudes sampled. 7. Ordination plots showed that Collembola assemblages at lower altitude sites on the Warra transect were more similar to each other than those at the higher altitude sites on Mount Weld which formed three clusters: 1100; 1200 and 1300 m; and 800, 900 and 1000 m. 8. Mount Weld sites 600 and 700 m faunas were most similar to Warra sites so forming a continuum in altitudinal zonation between Warra and Mount Weld. 9. PERMANOVA analysis of monthly pitfall catches in 2001 and 2002 showed differences between months and altitudes on both transects and that the differences between months were more distinct at the lower altitude Warra sites than on the higher altitude Mount Weld sites. This difference was particularly marked for the month of February, which was the only month surveyed in both years. 10.Much of the change in faunal assemblages along the Warra and Mount Weld altitudinal transect seemed to be the result of changes in vegetation cover. The most abrupt faunal transitions took place across the tree line between 1000 and 1100 m and a smaller change from lowland forest to subalpine woodland on the Mount Weld transect. 11.Much material in the pitfalls was in very poor condition because of the long trapping time with unsuitable preservative so could not be identified to species but rough estimates were made of numbers of individuals in each family or genus.
Description:
Summary 1. The distributions of Collembola on the Warra-Mount Weld Altitudinal Transect were investigated based on samples taken from February–April 2001, November–December 2001 and January– February 2002. 2. The Collembola of the Warra-Mount Weld Altitudinal Transect was species rich with more than 40 species collected; the majority of species recorded have not been described. 3. Most of the species collected are considered endemic to Tasmania and some endemic genera were present. 4. The Malaise traps performed well indicating that a suite of species are arboreal and highly vagile. 5. No exotic (introduced, alien) species were detected in this study indicating that the area sampled has been little disturbed and is of high conservation value. 6. Altitudinal trends were evident with a small number of species only occurring at the high altitudes and others only at low altitudes. Only a few species appeared to occur at all altitudes sampled. 7. Ordination plots showed that Collembola assemblages at lower altitude sites on the Warra transect were more similar to each other than those at the higher altitude sites on Mount Weld which formed three clusters: 1100; 1200 and 1300 m; and 800, 900 and 1000 m. 8. Mount Weld sites 600 and 700 m faunas were most similar to Warra sites so forming a continuum in altitudinal zonation between Warra and Mount Weld. 9. PERMANOVA analysis of monthly pitfall catches in 2001 and 2002 showed differences between months and altitudes on both transects and that the differences between months were more distinct at the lower altitude Warra sites than on the higher altitude Mount Weld sites. This difference was particularly marked for the month of February, which was the only month surveyed in both years. 10.Much of the change in faunal assemblages along the Warra and Mount Weld altitudinal transect seemed to be the result of changes in vegetation cover. The most abrupt faunal transitions took place across the tree line between 1000 and 1100 m and a smaller change from lowland forest to subalpine woodland on the Mount Weld transect. 11.Much material in the pitfalls was in very poor condition because of the long trapping time with unsuitable preservative so could not be identified to species but rough estimates were made of numbers of individuals in each family or genus.
Description:
During November 1997, an extreme rainfall event caused flooding in the Olary Creek and created a terminal lake within mallee vegetation on Nagaela Station, far western New South Wales. To assess the effect of this rare event on native flora, six 25×25 m2 grazing exclusion plots were established on flooded (4), and un-flooded control (2) areas. We investigated (i) the distribution of Nicotiana glauca in relation to the 1997 flooding event (ii) the variation in density of N. glauca soil-stored seed between soil in control and exclosure plots (iii) the allelopathic effects of N. glauca on germination of Lactuca sativa seeds. Analysis of N. glauca stem sections revealed a maximum of five growth rings, confirming an origin following the 1997 flood event. At a September 1998 assessment, no N. glauca were found across flooded and control plots. In October 2000 N. glauca occurred at densities of 24 and 12 N. glauca seedlings ha−1 in the flooded unfenced and fenced plots respectively. No N. glauca individuals were recorded either from control fenced or unfenced plots. The soil-stored seed study revealed that larger numbers of N. glauca seeds were recovered from the flooded open plot (1936±968) than in flooded fenced plots (856±428.12) but none was found in the control plots. Leachates obtained from dry leaves and twigs had a significantly greater negative impact (p>0.001) on germination of L. sativa seeds than leachates obtained from fresh leaves and bark. This study showed that the density of N. glauca is high in areas where grazing had eliminated competition from native shrubs and grasses. N. glauca is potentially a serious weed along the Olary Creek and ephemeral lake boundaries. Management strategies such as reducing grazing pressure from native and introduced animals and/or effective eradication programs should be adopted, to minimize further infestation.
Description:
During November 1997, an extreme rainfall event caused flooding in the Olary Creek and created a terminal lake within mallee vegetation on Nagaela Station, far western New South Wales. To assess the effect of this rare event on native flora, six 25×25 m2 grazing exclusion plots were established on flooded (4), and un-flooded control (2) areas. We investigated (i) the distribution of Nicotiana glauca in relation to the 1997 flooding event (ii) the variation in density of N. glauca soil-stored seed between soil in control and exclosure plots (iii) the allelopathic effects of N. glauca on germination of Lactuca sativa seeds. Analysis of N. glauca stem sections revealed a maximum of five growth rings, confirming an origin following the 1997 flood event. At a September 1998 assessment, no N. glauca were found across flooded and control plots. In October 2000 N. glauca occurred at densities of 24 and 12 N. glauca seedlings ha−1 in the flooded unfenced and fenced plots respectively. No N. glauca individuals were recorded either from control fenced or unfenced plots. The soil-stored seed study revealed that larger numbers of N. glauca seeds were recovered from the flooded open plot (1936±968) than in flooded fenced plots (856±428.12) but none was found in the control plots. Leachates obtained from dry leaves and twigs had a significantly greater negative impact (p>0.001) on germination of L. sativa seeds than leachates obtained from fresh leaves and bark. This study showed that the density of N. glauca is high in areas where grazing had eliminated competition from native shrubs and grasses. N. glauca is potentially a serious weed along the Olary Creek and ephemeral lake boundaries. Management strategies such as reducing grazing pressure from native and introduced animals and/or effective eradication programs should be adopted, to minimize further infestation.
Description:
Abstract: This paper examines the position and role of 'place' in primary school curriculum. Drawing on the research literature and preliminary data the paper analyses a re-imagined environmental education program at a primary school. Innovative and collaborative processes that depict children as integral designers of a new garden place are discussed. Focus is given to the school ground as an important site for teaching and learning. The role of an ecological centre designed to teach children about sustainable building principles is discussed. Attention is drawn to the importance of children as place makers via endeavours that encourage and support children's fascination and affinity with outdoor places in the school ground. Tending a food garden is proposed as a significant pedagogical pathway for nurturing children's sense of wonder and enabling familiarity and a love of the natural world. Keywords: place, place makers, children, school ground, natural world, gardening
Description:
Abstract: This paper examines the position and role of 'place' in primary school curriculum. Drawing on the research literature and preliminary data the paper analyses a re-imagined environmental education program at a primary school. Innovative and collaborative processes that depict children as integral designers of a new garden place are discussed. Focus is given to the school ground as an important site for teaching and learning. The role of an ecological centre designed to teach children about sustainable building principles is discussed. Attention is drawn to the importance of children as place makers via endeavours that encourage and support children's fascination and affinity with outdoor places in the school ground. Tending a food garden is proposed as a significant pedagogical pathway for nurturing children's sense of wonder and enabling familiarity and a love of the natural world. Keywords: place, place makers, children, school ground, natural world, gardening
Description:
Hairy fleabane [Conyza bonariensis(L.) Cronquist] is a problematic weed in Australian no-till cropping systems. Consequently, a study was conducted to examine the effect of temperature, light, salt stress, osmotic stress, burial depth, and sorghum crop residue on germination and emergence in two populations (C and W: collected from chick pea [Cicer arietinumL.] and wheat [Triticum aestivumL.] fields, respectively) ofC. bonariensis. Both populations were able to germinate over a wide range of alternating day/night temperatures (15/5 to 35/25 C); however, the C population had optimum (and similar) germination over the range of 20/10 and 30/20 C, while the W population showed maximum germination at 25/15 C. A negative relationship was observed between osmotic potential and germination, with 31% and 14% germination of the C and W populations at -0.6 MPa, respectively. These observations suggest that population C was more tolerant to higher osmotic potentials than population W. Seeds of both populations germinated when exposed to a wide range of sodium chloride levels (NaCl, 0 to 200 mM); however, beyond 200 mM NaCl, no germination was observed in either population. Maximum germination of the C (70%) and W (41%) populations was observed on the soil surface with no emergence from a burial depth of 1 cm. The application of sorghum residue at an amount of 6,000 kg ha(-1)reduced emergence of the C and W populations by 55% and 58%, respectively, compared with the no-residue treatment. Knowledge gained from this study suggests that the following strategies could be used for more efficacious management ofC. bonariensis: (1) a shallow-tillage operation to bury weed seeds in conventional tillage systems, and (2) retention of sorghum residue on the soil surface in no-till systems.
Description:
The emerging field of Performance and Ecology addresses approaches to performance and performance making in response to the profound challenges heralded by the age of the Anthropocene. Transdisciplinary artist-scholars within this paradigm bring into question spatiotemporal relationships between all things, through varying artistic and scholarly practices. This practice-led-research project seeks to create work at the open intersections of the human and more-than-human, audience and performer, practice and research. The aim of the project is to disturb these binaries, which contribute to hierarchies of destruction of all multispecies beings and habitats, including humans. Through performance, this work addresses and critiques distinctive ways of being in, listening to, and viewing our shared world. The accompanying exegesis highlights how performance can reveal what otherwise remains hidden in this entangled process. The exegesis documents the development of site-specific performance works over three active modes: Walking, Dancing and Writing. These experiments in performance include both solo works and participatory projects. All works traverse these modes and are influenced by current international and Australian performance practices in site-specific Walking, Dancing and/or Writing. Three main projects are discussed through text, photograph and video. These are Promenade Locale a participatory walking project that took place in Central Victoria, Ends of the Earth and Instability, dance solos performed in Melaka, Malaysia and the practice of Weather Writing, which takes places at my home, also in Central Victoria.
Description:
The emerging field of Performance and Ecology addresses approaches to performance and performance making in response to the profound challenges heralded by the age of the Anthropocene. Transdisciplinary artist-scholars within this paradigm bring into question spatiotemporal relationships between all things, through varying artistic and scholarly practices. This practice-led-research project seeks to create work at the open intersections of the human and more-than-human, audience and performer, practice and research. The aim of the project is to disturb these binaries, which contribute to hierarchies of destruction of all multispecies beings and habitats, including humans. Through performance, this work addresses and critiques distinctive ways of being in, listening to, and viewing our shared world. The accompanying exegesis highlights how performance can reveal what otherwise remains hidden in this entangled process. The exegesis documents the development of site-specific performance works over three active modes: Walking, Dancing and Writing. These experiments in performance include both solo works and participatory projects. All works traverse these modes and are influenced by current international and Australian performance practices in site-specific Walking, Dancing and/or Writing. Three main projects are discussed through text, photograph and video. These are Promenade Locale a participatory walking project that took place in Central Victoria, Ends of the Earth and Instability, dance solos performed in Melaka, Malaysia and the practice of Weather Writing, which takes places at my home, also in Central Victoria.
Description:
Biological invasions are one of the major threats to Antarctic native biodiversity and to ecosystems integrity. Regional environmental change and increasing human activity in Maritime Antarctica facilitates the introduction, establishment and colonisation of an increasing number of non-indigenous species. Systematic monitoring is an essential tool for the early detection of the arrival of non-indigenous arthropods. In this study, we compiled the results of a long-term monitoring effort from 2011 to 2017 to survey non-native collembolan species on Deception Island, a highly visited terrestrial site in South Shetland Islands (Maritime Antarctica). Results include the first record of Ceratophysella succinea (Gisin) (Hypogastruridae) in Antarctica. Moreover, the global dataset indicates that the total number and the list of cumulatively occurrence localities for non-native species observed on the island has increased over this monitoring period. This suggests that repeated monitoring is advisable to characterise the full extent of microarthropod introductions into a high biosecurity risk area and improve the effectiveness of surveillance efforts.
Description:
Greater understanding of the microbial activity role in metal mobilization processes in soil is of major importance. The objective was to study the effect of major Cd species in solution of a saline soil on dehydrogenase activity (DHA). Hypothesis is that (i) under increased soil salinity, more mobile Cd species with diverse effect on DHA may be generated (i.e., CdCl n 2-n ) and that (ii) DHA may correlate to organically complexed Cd species. In a greenhouse pot experiment, NaCl salinity (50 and 100 mM) was applied to control soil and soil spiked with Cd (5 and 10 mg kg -1 ). Soil total and available (CaCl 2 extractable) Cd concentrations were measured, and DHA determined using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) method. Speciation was calculated from results of soil solution ion analysis using geochemical equilibrium model Visual MINTEQ. DHA was reduced with increased soil salinity and Cd contamination, but only compared with control soil. Although weak, negative correlation between DHA and CdCl n 2-n complexes in soil solution suggested their higher inhibitory effect on DHA than other Cd species. Positive correlation between DHA and organically complexed Cd indicated that raised microbial activity may increase the proportion of organically complexed Cd in the soil solution. Cd toxicity to soil microorganisms can be accentuated in a saline environment, which may be an issue of great importance for agricultural production in coastal areas. Microbial activity may via releasing organic substances in soil solution significantly change cadmium complexation and mobility in soil, an aspect which has often been overlooked. Graphical Abstract
Hydro-climatic consequences on zooplankton diversity and abundance in perennial Vavuniya reservoir and seasonal Thandikulam reservoir in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Description:
Background Zooplankton exhibit strong responses for minute changes in their habitat. Therefore, this study intended to investigate the impacts of hydro-climatic factors and related water quality variables on zooplankton abundance and diversity in the perennial Vavuniya reservoir (VR) and seasonal Thandikulam reservoir (TR), Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Results Zooplankton diversity and abundance showed some peculiarities between seasonal and perennial reservoirs under varying hydro-climatic factors and water quality parameters during wet and dry seasons (July 2018–February 2019). There were 14 Rotifera, 4 Cladocera and 5 Copepod species in VR, and in TR, 12 Rotifera, 2 Cladocera and 5 Copepod species were identified. Although these reservoirs are located at proximity (2.48 km), the responses via zooplankton community structure toward environmental factors have been shown uniqueness to some extent. Significant negative correlation was observed for increasing NO 3 - ( p = 0.044) and PO 4 3 - ( p = 0.010) concentrations with zooplankton diversity in perennial VR however, only PO 4 3 - concentration showed a significantly ( p = 0.042) negative correlation in seasonal TR. Interestingly, total zooplankton abundance showed significant negative correlations with NO 3 - ( p = 0.013) and PO 4 3 - ( p = 0.038) in perennial VR however, insignificant negative correlation was observed in seasonal TR. Copepods make up the majority of total zooplankton abundance in both reservoirs and were significantly affected by increased atmospheric temperature. Cladocera abundance in VR was highly sensitive ( p = 0.032 r =
Description:
Background Zooplankton exhibit strong responses for minute changes in their habitat. Therefore, this study intended to investigate the impacts of hydro-climatic factors and related water quality variables on zooplankton abundance and diversity in the perennial Vavuniya reservoir (VR) and seasonal Thandikulam reservoir (TR), Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Results Zooplankton diversity and abundance showed some peculiarities between seasonal and perennial reservoirs under varying hydro-climatic factors and water quality parameters during wet and dry seasons (July 2018–February 2019). There were 14 Rotifera, 4 Cladocera and 5 Copepod species in VR, and in TR, 12 Rotifera, 2 Cladocera and 5 Copepod species were identified. Although these reservoirs are located at proximity (2.48 km), the responses via zooplankton community structure toward environmental factors have been shown uniqueness to some extent. Significant negative correlation was observed for increasing NO 3 - ( p = 0.044) and PO 4 3 - ( p = 0.010) concentrations with zooplankton diversity in perennial VR however, only PO 4 3 - concentration showed a significantly ( p = 0.042) negative correlation in seasonal TR. Interestingly, total zooplankton abundance showed significant negative correlations with NO 3 - ( p = 0.013) and PO 4 3 - ( p = 0.038) in perennial VR however, insignificant negative correlation was observed in seasonal TR. Copepods make up the majority of total zooplankton abundance in both reservoirs and were significantly affected by increased atmospheric temperature. Cladocera abundance in VR was highly sensitive ( p = 0.032 r =
Description:
This research examined the outcome of a translocation of 30 koalas moved from French Island to three sites on mainland Victoria (Creswick, Enfield and Lal Lal State Forests)
Description:
This research examined the outcome of a translocation of 30 koalas moved from French Island to three sites on mainland Victoria (Creswick, Enfield and Lal Lal State Forests)
Description:
The world’s wetlands of international importance are overseen by host nations under processes established through the intergovernmental Convention on Wetlands, commonly known as the Ramsar Convention. Signatory nations to the Convention are required to list at least one wetland as internationally important (known as Ramsar sites) and describe and maintain their ecological character (Gardner and Davidson 2011). Wetlands that satisfy one of a suite of ecological criteria, many of which relate to wetland biodiversity, may be listed as internationally important; the list of internationally important wetlands currently contains 2231 sites covering 214 936 005 ha (17 March 2016). The signatories are also required to report on any likely and actual variations in the ecological character of the wetland that may bring it to a state where it may be considered degraded (Finlayson 1996). They are then required to mitigate this degradation or follow prescriptions to delist and offset, with the former being potentially biophysically complex (Alexander et al. 2011) and the latter potentially bedevilled by complex processes (Pittock et al. 2010).
Description:
In the last three decades or so there has been a significant increase in fodder trading, both in terms of the quantity of fodder traded and in terms of its economic value to the industry. Often, this fodder type may be supplied free of charge to graziers in distress due to circumstances that follow natural disasters such as bushfires, drought, and flood. However, because of the obvious urgency arising from these situations, it is suspected that much relief fodder may unintentionally pose an elevated risk for dispersal of weeds since it may be supplied from pasture not normally used for trade in fodder, and therefore is of unknown quality. Previous destructive method to detect weed propagules in bales of fodder are cumbersome, time consuming and of limited ecological and statistical value. Therefore, objective of this paper was to development of a convenient method to assess round pasture hay bales for the presence of weed propagules, to prevent unintentional spread of noxious species in hay bales. To examine this objective known quantity of seeds were added in a series of distributions to bales of seed free pasture hay, and a positive correlation for the amount of seed added per bale with that recovered in core samples was observed. Whilst the number of seeds detected per bale varied according to the distribution of seeds within the bales and the number of cores analysed, the absolute detection of seeds suggests that this sampling method is worthy of further examination. In addition, a pragmatic estimation of bale remnants after stock feeding has been investigated to more closely estimate the potential size of the remaining seed bank. The authors propose that development of this approach is timely, in the light of future climatic uncertainty driving extreme weather events that increase the need for relief fodder, which can be a potential vector for the spread of noxious weed seeds.
Description:
In the last three decades or so there has been a significant increase in fodder trading, both in terms of the quantity of fodder traded and in terms of its economic value to the industry. Often, this fodder type may be supplied free of charge to graziers in distress due to circumstances that follow natural disasters such as bushfires, drought, and flood. However, because of the obvious urgency arising from these situations, it is suspected that much relief fodder may unintentionally pose an elevated risk for dispersal of weeds since it may be supplied from pasture not normally used for trade in fodder, and therefore is of unknown quality. Previous destructive method to detect weed propagules in bales of fodder are cumbersome, time consuming and of limited ecological and statistical value. Therefore, objective of this paper was to development of a convenient method to assess round pasture hay bales for the presence of weed propagules, to prevent unintentional spread of noxious species in hay bales. To examine this objective known quantity of seeds were added in a series of distributions to bales of seed free pasture hay, and a positive correlation for the amount of seed added per bale with that recovered in core samples was observed. Whilst the number of seeds detected per bale varied according to the distribution of seeds within the bales and the number of cores analysed, the absolute detection of seeds suggests that this sampling method is worthy of further examination. In addition, a pragmatic estimation of bale remnants after stock feeding has been investigated to more closely estimate the potential size of the remaining seed bank. The authors propose that development of this approach is timely, in the light of future climatic uncertainty driving extreme weather events that increase the need for relief fodder, which can be a potential vector for the spread of noxious weed seeds.
Description:
The concepts of ecosystem regime shifts, thresholds and alternative or multiple stable states are used extensively in the ecological and environmental management literature. When applied to aquatic ecosystems, these terms are used inconsistently reflecting differing levels of supporting evidence among ecosystem types. Although many aquatic ecosystems around the world have become degraded, the magnitude and causes of changes, relative to the range of historical variability, are poorly known. A working group supported by the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) reviewed 135 papers on freshwater ecosystems to assess the evidence for pressure-induced non-linear changes in freshwater ecosystems; these papers used terms indicating sudden and non-linear change in their titles and key words, and so was a positively biased sample. We scrutinized papers for study context and methods, ecosystem characteristics and focus, types of pressures and ecological responses considered, and the type of change reported (i.e., gradual, non-linear, hysteretic or irreversible change). There was little empirical evidence for regime shifts and changes between multiple or alternative stable states in these studies although some shifts between turbid phytoplankton-dominated states and clear-water, macrophyte-dominated states were reported in shallow lakes in temperate climates. We found limited understanding of the subtleties of the relevant theoretical concepts and encountered few mechanistic studies that investigated or identified cause-and-effect relationships between ecological responses and nominal pressures. Our results mirror those of reviews for estuarine, nearshore and marine aquatic ecosystems, demonstrating that although the concepts of regime shifts and alternative stable states have become prominent in the scientific and management literature, their empirical underpinning is weak outside of a specific environmental setting. The application of these concepts in future research and management applications should include evidence on the mechanistic links between pressures and consequent ecological change. Explicit consideration should also be given to whether observed temporal dynamics represent variation along a continuum rather than categorically different states.
Description:
Invertebrate scavengers of terrestrial and aquatic carrion include a broad and enormously diverse grouping of various arthropods, nematodes, and molluscs. By far the most functionally important in terrestrial ecosystems are insects, especially the flies, with crustaceans performing this role in marine ecosystems, although a multi-trophic foodweb of numerous invertebrate taxa can be found at most carcasses in most environments. The occurrence of different taxa, and the dynamics of their colonization and various competitive interactions varies across terrestrial and aquatic realms, and is greatly influenced by geographic region, climate, habitat, season, and other biotic factors. This sub-chapter focuses on the invertebrate use of carrion in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and highlights the role of different groups of invertebrates, and the biotic and abiotic factors that influence their occurrence and succession at decaying carcasses.
Description:
Place-based education attempts to position the individual in relationship with the human and non-human elements of the life-world, at a place that is welcoming of educational experience and a knowledge base from which to construct a more ecologically sustainable culture. Food gardens, along with ecological restoration projects within schools are experiencing a significant renaissance and are important sites for place-based education. Many of these places are located in and around the immediate environment of a school ground and become significant educational portals through which children explore their world. This paper reports on the literature reviewed for a study on how a pedagogy of place is cultivated within garden experiences. There is limited research about the use of school gardens as an educational tool and the specific pedagogies that support learning in this context. A number of themes emerge from various bodies of literature that provide a conceptual framework for the study of food garden pedagogies. These themes include placebased education, ecological literary, and nature as teacher. It is useful to think about primary school gardens in the light of this literature because it helps frame a research question for a study into how pedagogies of place can be cultivated within food gardens. [Author abstract, ed]
Description:
Place-based education attempts to position the individual in relationship with the human and non-human elements of the life-world, at a place that is welcoming of educational experience and a knowledge base from which to construct a more ecologically sustainable culture. Food gardens, along with ecological restoration projects within schools are experiencing a significant renaissance and are important sites for place-based education. Many of these places are located in and around the immediate environment of a school ground and become significant educational portals through which children explore their world. This paper reports on the literature reviewed for a study on how a pedagogy of place is cultivated within garden experiences. There is limited research about the use of school gardens as an educational tool and the specific pedagogies that support learning in this context. A number of themes emerge from various bodies of literature that provide a conceptual framework for the study of food garden pedagogies. These themes include placebased education, ecological literary, and nature as teacher. It is useful to think about primary school gardens in the light of this literature because it helps frame a research question for a study into how pedagogies of place can be cultivated within food gardens. [Author abstract, ed]
Biology, distribution and management of the globally invasive weed Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav (silverleaf nightshade): A global review of current and future management challenges