Effects of Temperature–Climate Patterns on the Production of Some Competitive Species on Grounds of Modelling

Climate change has serious effects on the setting up and the operation of natural ecosystems. Small increase in temperature could cause rise in the amount of some species or potential disappearance of others. During our researches, the dispersion of the species and biomass production of a theoretical ecosystem were examined on the effect of the temperature–climate change. The answers of the ecosystems which are given to the climate change could be described by means of global climate modelling and dynamic vegetation models. The examination of the operation of the ecosystems is only possible in huge centres on supercomputers because of the number and the complexity of the calculation. The number of the calculation could be decreased to the level of a PC by considering the temperature and the reproduction during modelling a theoretical ecosystem, and several important theoretical questions could be answered

Pilot testing of a sampling methodology for assessing seed attachment propensity and transport rate in a soil matrix carried on boot soles and bike tires

Land managers of natural areas are under pressure to balance demands for increased recreation access with protection of the natural resource. Unintended dispersal of seeds by visitors to natural areas has high potential for weedy plant invasions, with initial seed attachment an important step in the dispersal process. Although walking and mountain biking are popular nature-based recreation activities there are few studies quantifying propensity for seed attachment and transport rate on boot soles and none for bike tires. Attachment and transport rate can potentially be affected by a wide range of factors for which field testing can be time-consuming and expensive. We pilot tested a sampling methodology for measuring seed attachment and transport rate in a soil matrix carried on boot soles and bike tires traversing a known quantity and density of a seed analog (beads) over different distances and soil conditions. We found % attachment rate on boot soles was much lower overall than previously reported but that boot soles had a higher propensity for seed attachment than bike tires in almost all conditions. We believe our methodology offers a cost-effective option for researchers seeking to manipulate and test effects of different influencing factors on these two dispersal vectors

Establishing a university curriculum of education for sustainability in the context(s) of life-long learning and interdisciplinarity

'Education for Sustainability' (EfS) has as wide a range of contested meanings as the word 'sustainability' itself but an urgent need for EfS is evidenced by a growing body of literature on the topic in the past decade. A principal challenge for proponents of EfS is the matter of where to begin. For example, if sustainability is described as comprising three or four key dimensions (environmental, social, economic and, increasingly, cultural) then this commonly provides the mandate for multidisciplinary university teaching programmes that begin with streams or cores around the environmental sciences, economics and other social sciences. This is usually based on the belief that as students progress, they will be able to integrate these different elements into a meaningful whole, or that one or two anchor courses will provide the missing links to understand sustainability in a holistic fashion. However, there has been considerable debate, particularly since the publication of the Brundtland Report in 1987, about the harm that is caused, however inadvertently, by maintaining dualisms or sub-classified distinctions between nature and society. This presents problems for the conventional learning models used by most universities where the compartmentalisation of knowledge, particularly at entry level, is a given. It also begs the question as to whether much can be done for the EfS agenda at a tertiary entry point when almost twenty years will already have passed in the learning trajectory of any given individual. In this paper, therefore, we acknowledge the larger problem of framing EfS in the context of the life path of individuals where prior contact with nature in experiential terms and familiarity with interdisciplinary thinking and practices will vary. We posit a framework for course content at the tertiary level within a post- secondary school pathway for EfS. The pathway has an interdisciplinary approach, enabling a broad introduction and an integrating conclusion at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, while providing for a more detailed exploration of aspects of sustainability within individual discipline areas. It also provides for the sequential translation of theory into practice throughout a lifetime of learning. As a key part of that translation, the significance of continuing professional development (CPD) within the professions is noted. We conclude with a research agenda for pre- and post-tertiary EfS