Fostering thinking skills by implementing Marzano s high yield strategy in the english classroom

This research aimed at exploring the role critical thinking skills in the English class has when being fostered through a high yield strategy and conscious awareness in a group of forty students of eighth grade at a public school in Bogotá. These students were exposed to several activities where specific analysis skills were worked. In this sense the teacher-researcher implemented 6 lesson plans where she could explore the target students? performance and perspectives to continuously adapt the intervention features. For this matter, the researcher previously considered different literature, where Marzano?s New taxonomy of Educational Objectives, his nine-high-yield strategy and the five dimensions of learning described by him are high-lighted

Impact of Commercial Floodplain Aquaculture on Common-pool Resource Dependent Community

Aquaculture in pond and floodplain was accelerated in Bangladesh in the 1990s as a means of better production and income which was backed by the donor agencies, NGOs, and the government. Currently, the commercial actors are involved in the aquaculture systems due to the availability of production technologies and inputs. This paper aims to explore how the commercialization and privatization of floodplain aquaculture become the cause of the sufferings of the natural resource-dependent people and biodiversity loss in the floodplains. Now, Influential people hold control of the common pool floodplains and restricted the access of the Small-Scale Fishers (SSF) to manage the aquaculture. Our findings suggest that the SSF, for whom the seasonal floodplains were an important source of livelihood, their livelihood has been destroyed and overall wellbeing have been negatively affected. Besides that, lending enough evidence to the increased inequality, a new group of poor has emerged. Because instead of ensuring the welfare of SSF, Bangladesh government has leased the floodplain lands to the powerful rich people. In addition to growing inequalities, natural resource degradation has welcomed social vulnerabilities. However, no development initiative will ever be sustainable and effective if the existing socio-ecological setting is not considered. Bangladesh government should take robust attempts to revisit fisheries policies to ensure livelihood resilience of fisheries resource-dependent community by managing the access rights of the common pool resources

Allelopathic interference of Populus deltoides with some winter season crops

The performance of some winter season crops, namely Triticum aestivum, Lens culinaris, Phaseolus mungo, Avena sativa, Trifolium alexandrinum, Brassica juncea and Helianthus annuus was studied in association with Populus deltoides under alley cropping practice in two sets of fields in Punjab, North India. In one, the parent soil was retained (Sp), while in the other, the parent soil was replaced with soil collected from an area devoid of P. deltoides trees (Sr). Germination, plant height and biomass of the crops at 30 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) were reduced by 10 to 30% in both the P. deltoides fields compared to the ones without trees (Sc). The observed reduction was more pronounced in Sp fields than in Sr fields. Maximum reduction was observed in the case of B. juncea and least in T. alexandrinum. Germination and seedling growth of all the test crops except A. sativa and T. aestivum was found to be significantly reduced in response to the aqueous leachates of P. deltoides leaves. Likewise, the seedling length and dry weight of L. culinaris and T. aestivum were significantly reduced in litter amended soil. Litter and soil from P. deltoides fields were found to be rich in phytotoxic phenolics, the amount of which was more in Sp fields compared to Sr and control fields (Sc). Based on the study, the observed reductions could be attributed to the allelopathic interference of the tree with the crops through the release of phytotoxic phenolics from leaves and litter, which are continuously added to the soil

An inventory of multipurpose Avenue trees of Urban Chandigarh, India

Trees in urban ecosystems play a very significant role in environmental protection by checking air and noise pollntants, abating wind, and handling many other functions, in India, Chandigarh is the mosl modern and em,iromnentally safe city and qualifies to be called a GREEN CITY because of its rich tree component. This is so in spite of its high population density, currently over 9,443 people per square kin, perhaps the highest in the country. It has nearly 42,000 trees growing along the roads in a systematic manner. The drives are identified with the type of multipurpose tree species. Nearly 66 tree species (over half indigenous) are seen along the roadsides; these trees provide shade, timber, fuel, fodder, fruit, medicine, and other benefits. In addition, the city is decorated with 11 gardens harboring over 200 types of trees

Biological indicators of soil health in organic viticultures: A case study in the Verdicchio terroir of Matelica (Italy)

Soil health represents the foundation for the production of healthy food. Soil conditions influence the soil capacity for agricultural production and the provision of key ecosystem services. Healthy soils are key contributors to biodiversity and are a prerequisite for sustainable development. According to van Bruggen & Semenov [1] a healthy soil can be defined as “a stable soil, with resilience to stress, high biological diversity, and high levels of internal cycling of nutrients”. Soil biodiversity constitutes one of the main components of agroecosystems, being involved in the delivery of several essential ecosystem services such as, among others, nutrient cycling, soil formation, pest and pollution control. Thus, soil biodiversity indicators can be used by governments and farmers to monitor soil health and ecosystem functioning under various land uses and management practices. At present, organic wine represents an emerging market that is showing a high potential for growth. There is, in fact, a growing worldwide interest and attention for environmental friendly products and sustainable agricultural practices which may ensures both the increase of profitability and the improvement of life and food safety. In this scenario, the aim of our study was to assess the long-term effects of organically managed vineyards on soil health by means of two bioindicators: ciliated protozoa and microarthropods. Ciliated protozoa are eukaryotic microorganisms which constitutes an essential component of the soil microbial loop. By feeding on bacterial biomass ciliates play an essential role in the liberation of nutrients in the plant rhizosphere [2]. Soil microarthropods play crucial roles in regulating ecosystem processes and functions by influencing organic matter decomposition (pre-decomposers) and facilitating the microbial activity, soil porosity and water infiltration [3]. Both ciliates and microarthropods are very sensitive to changes in their habitat and fluctuations in their communities can affect the food web and the energy transfer within the soil ecosystem. Thus, the monitoring of the structure of microarthropod and ciliate communities represents a valuable tool to assess soil health and functioning. The study was realized in the terroir of Verdicchio di Matelica (Marche, Italy), on 3 vineyard plots belonging to the commercial wine farm Collestefano, that were organically managed since 1992 (V92, 19 years), 1998 (V98, 13 years) and 2009 (V09, 2 years) respectively. In each vineyard, soil samples (0-10 cm depth) were taken every month from March to October 2011. For microarthropods, the measured biological parameters were: the Soil Biological Quality (QBS-ar) index [4], abundances of biological and euedaphic forms (BF & EF) and diversity indices. Soil samples were collected in both disturbed (tillage) and not-disturbed (no-tillage) inter-rows. In this regards, the wine farm adopted an alternate management of the tractor-rows on either side of the vine row with tillage and non-tillage annual cover crop species (clover, common vetch and oats). For ciliates: abundances and diversity indices were measured and soil samples were randomly collected in the whole sampling area for a total of 3 sampling (May, June and July 2011). For ciliates, the results of the multivariate analysis (Cluster Analysis and Non-metric Multidimensional scaling) seem to indicate that the most stable habitat for ciliates is represented by the older V92 followed by the V98 and the V09 vineyards. For microarthropods, the comparison between tilled and no-tilled inter-rows in the vineyards V92, V98 & V09 by mean of QBS-ar values and abundances of FB and EF, shows that exsclusively in the oldest V92 vineyard no significant differences were detected between the tilled and no-tilled inter-rows with respect to QBS, EF and BF values by the non parametric Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test. On the contrary, significant differences between the two differently managed inter-rows were detected for the V98 & V09 vineyards. Thus, and in agreement with ciliate indications, in the V92 the microartrhopod communities remain more stable than in the other vineyards irrespective of the type of disturbance applied (tillage). Overall, our analysis shows that the biological communities experience less fluctuations (>stable) in the “older” vineyards compared with the “younger” V09 vineyard (V92>V98>V09). As reported also by other authors [4-5], this effect may be due to the greater resilience of the soils of the vineyards V92 and V98 possible achieved during the long term organic management. In final, this study helps in evaluating the long term effects of common organic vineyard floor management practices as well as, in the definition of possible biotic baseline values to evaluate soil health in vineyards. Furthermore, and in agreement with the guidelines of the European Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, our study contribute to raising awareness among stakeholders and policy makers on the importance of soil biodiversity in preserving soil health (and food safety) and in assisting them to select, promote and stimulate adequate sustainable farming practices by which to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and move the world toward a more sustainable food future. References [1] A.H.C. van Bruggen, A.M. Semenov. In search of biological indicators for soil health and disease suppression. App. Soil Ecol. 2000, 15, 13-24 [2] W. Foissner, W. Soil protozoa as bioindicators in agroecosystems, with enphasis on farming practices, biocides and biodiversity. Agric, Ecos. and Env. 1997, 62:,93-103. [3] C. Menta. Soil Fauna Diversity, Function, Soil Degradation, Biological Indices, Soil Restoration in "Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in a Diverse World" edited by Gbolagade Akeem Lameed, InTech Publishing, 2012, 59-94 [4] V. Parisi, C. Menta. C. Gardi, C. Jacomini, E. Mozzanica.. Microarthropod Communities as a Tool to Assess Soil Quality and Biodiversity: a new Approach in Italy. Agric. Ecos and Env. 2005, 105, 323-333. [4] L.F. Elliot, JM Lynch. Biodiversity and soil resilience in “Soil Resilience and Sustainable Land Use”. D.J. Greenland and I. Szabolcs Eds CAB International, Wallingford UK, 1994, 353-364 [5] F. Stagnari, G. Perpetuini, R. Tofalo, G. Campanelli, F. Leteo, U.D. Vella, M.Schirone, G. Suzzi, M. Pisante. Long-term impact of farm management and crops on soil microorganisms assessed by combined DGGE and PLFA analyses. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2014, 1-1