Four- to six-year-old children’s experiences of participating in different physical environments and activities in early childhood education and care institutions in Norway

Children’s well-being in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is associated with their participation in both planning and assessing ECEC activities. The aim of the study presented here was therefore to explore children’s experiences of participating in different physical environments and activities in ECEC institutions. Quantitative data were collected from structured conversations with 3693 4–6-year-old children using the Norwegian ECEC Well-Being Monitor from 2014 to 2019. Among the results, children’s experiences of participating in ECEC activities were diverse and depended upon the physical environment, although most children experienced higher degrees of participation when outdoors instead of indoors. Furthermore, going hiking and circle time are activities the majority of children have to attend, even if they do not want to. Increased awareness about how children experience opportunities for participating in ECEC activities is important for ECEC institutions and may influence pedagogical thinking and planning in different environments and activities.publishedVersio

Ansattes vurdering av barns trivsel i barnehagen

Rammeplan for barnehagen vektlegger at barnehagen skal bidra til barns trivsel, men det er uvisst hvordan ansatte i barnehagen vurderer ulike faktorers betydning for barns trivsel. Et spørreskjema ble sendt til 25 norske barnehager for å undersøke hvordan de ansatte vurderte faktorer som påvirker 3–6-åringers trivsel, og hvordan de tilrettelegger for barns trivsel. De 105 respondentene vurderte psykiske, fysiske og sosiale forhold som svært viktig for barns trivsel, samtidig som litt over halvparten vurderte kognitive forhold som viktig. Kognitive forhold med større krav til læring og skoleforberedende aktiviteter kan utfordre den tradisjonelle barnehagepedagogikken som er preget av lek, trygghet og sosiale forhold. Barnehagens utemiljø ble vurdert som bedre tilrettelagt for barns trivsel enn innemiljøet. Ansatte med lengre ansiennitet vurderte at de bedre ivaretar og fremmer barns trivsel sammenliknet med ansatte med kortere ansiennitet. Resultatene viser at ansatte vurderer trivsel ulikt, noe som utfordrer praksisfeltet og barns trivsel i barnehagen.publishedVersio

Female sociality and kin discrimination in brood parasitism: Unrelated females fight over egg laying

In conspecific brood parasitism, some females (“parasites”) lay eggs in nests of other females of the same species (“hosts”). This reproductive tactic is particularly common in waterfowl, in which studies suggest that parasites are often related to the host. Here, we test the hypothesis that hosts may discriminate and reject unrelated parasites. Based on observations and >4100 h of digital video film, we analyze behavioral interactions at 65 nests of High Arctic common eiders during the laying sequence. We also estimate parasitism and host–parasite relatedness by albumen fingerprinting of 975 eggs from 232 nests. Among the video-filmed nests in which interactions were recorded during the egg-laying period, 11 had eggs from 2 females. At 8 of these 11 nests, there was overt female aggression and significantly lower host–parasite relatedness (mean coefficient of relationship r = −0.40) than in the nests with tolerant or no interactions (r = 0.91). The results demonstrate active female kin discrimination in common eiders, used against nonrelatives that try to lay eggs in the nest. Other females trying to access the nest were often prevented from doing so: in 65% of 34 such attempts, the sitting female rejected the intruder. Brood “parasitism” in eiders and other waterfowl is complex, ranging from violent female conflict and parasitic exploitation of the host’s parental care to nest takeover and potential kin selection favoring acceptance of related parasites. These and other aspects of female sociality in eiders are discussed; in some respects, they may resemble certain long-lived matriarchal mammals. aggression, common eider, conflict, cooperation, inclusive fitness, kin recognition, matriarchal mammals, parental care, relatedness, reproductive strategy, social insects, waterfowl.publishedVersio

Children's knowledge about the origins of food in early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC) in Norway

The purpose of the present study was to examine Norwegian kindergarten children’s knowledge about the origins of commonly consumed food items. Data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews of 56 children (aged five to six years old) from nine different kindergartens based on open-ended questions and with the use of pictures showing eight different food items. Parents and kindergarten staff completed a questionnaire about how often they discuss the origins of food with the children. Most of the children could tell us exactly where milk, caviar, bread, meat, and wheat flour come from, but they were less aware of the origins of cheese, pasta, and sausages. The children’s level of knowledge was not associated with kindergarten profile or gender or with respect to how often parents and staff members reported discussing the origins of food with the children. This study highlights the importance of various educational activities in increasing children’s knowledge.publishedVersio

New insights from an eight-year study on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in an urban terrestrial ecosystem

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were analysed in a high number of terrestrial samples of soil, earthworm, bird eggs and liver from red fox and brown rat in an urban area in Norway from 2013 to 2020. PFOS and the long chain PFCAs were the most dominating compounds in all samples, proving their ubiquitous distribution. Other less studied compounds such as 6:2 FTS were first and foremost detected in earthworm. 8:2 FTS was found in many samples of fieldfare egg, sparrowhawk egg and earthworm, where the eggs had highest concentrations. Highest concentrations for both 6:2 FTS and 8:2 FTS were detected at present and former industry areas. FOSA was detected in many samples of the species with highest concentrations in red fox liver and brown rat liver of 3.3 and 5.5 ng/g ww. PFAS concentrations from the urban area were significantly higher than from background areas indicating that some of the species can be suitable as markers for PFAS emissions in an urban environment. Fieldfare eggs had surprisingly high concentrations of PFOS and PFCA concentrations from areas known to be or have been influenced by industry. Biota-soil-accumulation factor and magnification calculations indicate accumulation and magnification potential for several PFAS. Earthworm and fieldfare egg had average concentrations above the Canadian and European thresholds in diet for avian wildlife and predators. For earthworms, 18 % of the samples exceeded the European threshold (33 ng/g ww) of PFOS in prey for predators, and for fieldfare eggs, 35 % of the samples were above the same threshold. None of the soil samples exceeded a proposed PNEC of PFOS for soil living organisms of 373 ng/g dw

Kindergarten Children’s Perception about the Ecological Roles of Living Organisms

Young children will inherit the biosphere; therefore, it is crucial that they recognize the importance of all living organisms based on their intrinsic value and ecosystem function, not only on their “cuteness”. However, children’s knowledge about the interdependence among organisms has been little investigated. We interviewed 56 kindergarten children (5–6 years old) in Norway. The aim of the study was to investigate their perception of the importance for nature of six organisms, representing different trophic levels of food webs (producers, consumers, decomposers) and providing different ecosystem services (production, decomposition, and pollination). There was no difference in ranking between sexes or between ordinary and farm-based kindergartens. Bumblebees and earthworms were perceived as the most important organisms, followed by squirrel, trees, and wolf. None of the children recognized the ecological role of mushrooms. Our results show that, although upon completing kindergarten many children had gained an early understanding of the role of different organisms in nature, they missed the importance of plants and fungi. Kindergarten children’s “fungi blindness” might reflect a neglect of the public for this extremely important, diverse, and dominating taxon. We should therefore put more emphasis in raising awareness about the interdependence among trophic levels in food webs.publishedVersio

A natural antipredation experiment: predator control and reduced sea ice increases colony size in a long-lived duck

Anthropogenic impact on the environment and wildlife are multifaceted and far-reaching. On a smaller scale, controlling for predators has been increasing the yield from local natural prey resources. Globally, human-induced global warming is expected to impose severe negative effects on ecosystems, an effect that is expected to be even more pronounced in the scarcely populated northern latitudes. The clearest indication of a changing Arctic climate is an increase in both air and ocean temperatures leading to reduced sea ice distribution. Population viability is for long-lived species dependent on adult survival and recruitment. Predation is the main mortality cause in many bird populations, and egg predation is considered the main cause of reproductive failure in many birds. To assess the effect of predation and climate, we compared population time series from a natural experiment where a trapper/down collector has been licensed to actively protect breeding common eiders Somateria mollissima (a large seaduck) by shooting/chasing egg predators, with time series from another eider colony located within a nature reserve with no manipulation of egg predators. We found that actively limiting predator activity led to an increase in the population growth rate and carrying capacity with a factor of 3–4 compared to that found in the control population. We also found that population numbers were higher in years with reduced concentration of spring sea ice. We conclude that there was a large positive impact of human limitation of egg predators, and that this lead to higher population growth rate and a large increase in size of the breeding colony. We also report a positive effect of warming climate in the high arctic as reduced sea-ice concentrations was associated with higher numbers of breeding birds. Carrying capacity, climate change, high Arctic, population growth rate, predator effects, sea ice, Svalbard.A natural antipredation experiment: predator control and reduced sea ice increases colony size in a long-lived duckpublishedVersio

Accountability Requirements in the Cloud Provider Chain

In order to be responsible stewards of other people’s data, cloud providers must be accountable for their data handling practices. The potential long provider chains in cloud computing introduce additional accountability challenges, with many stakeholders involved. Symmetry is very important in any requirements’ elicitation activity, since input from diverse stakeholders needs to be balanced. This article ventures to answer the question “How can one create an accountable cloud service?” by examining requirements which must be fulfilled to achieve an accountability-based approach, based on interaction with over 300 stakeholders.publishedVersio

Differences in speciation progress in feather mites (Analgoidea) inhabiting the same host: the case of Zachvatkinia and Alloptes living on arctic and long-tailed skuas

Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed that some apparently oligoxenous feather mite species are in fact monoxenous cryptic species with little morphological differentiation. In this study we analyzed two species, Zachvatkinia isolata (Avenzoariidae) and Alloptes (Sternalloptes) stercorarii (Alloptidae) which prefer different parts of the plumage of two sister species of birds: arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) and long-tailed skua (S. longicaudus) breeding on tundra in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Given that there are no reports about hybridization events between the host species, we expected that both skuas would have a species-specific acarofauna. The genetic distances among DNA-barcode sequences (COI and 28S rDNA), phylogenetic tree topologies, and haplotype networks of the COI sequences of mites suggested extensive gene flow in Z. isolata between and within populations inhabiting both skua species, whereas the Alloptes populations were host specific and sufficiently genetically separated as to warrant species-level status. The discrepancy in the genetic structure of Alloptes and Zachvatkinia populations suggests frequent but transient contacts between the two skua species in which the probability of mite exchange is much higher for Zachvatkinia, which is present in high numbers and inhabits exposed parts of primary flight feathers, than for the less abundant Alloptes that lives primarily in more protected and inaccessible parts of the plumage. We discuss the possible nature of these contacts between host species and the area(s) where they might take place. The star-like structures in the haplotype network as well as high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity observed in Z. isolata are concordant with the known dispersal strategy of feather mites: vertical colonization of new host individuals followed by rapid growth of founder populations

Effects of capture, marking, and tracking on the welfare of wild birds

Ethical considerations with respect to the capture, handling, and marking of wild birds must balance the risk of potential harm to individual birds against the need to obtain the necessary data to address goals in basic science, as well as conservation targets for species and ecosystems. The Norwegian Environment Agency and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority requested an updated knowledge base on methods for capture, handling, and marking of wild birds for scientific and management purposes, and associated risk-reducing measures. Methods The assessment includes any bird species belonging to orders of birds that are represented on the Norwegian mainland, other land areas where Norwegian law applies, or in Norwegian territorial waters; and methods that require a permit from the National Animal Research Authority, a bird ringing license and/or a wildlife permit from the Norwegian Environment Agency. Assessments of potential impacts of physical sampling methods were also included. Regarding the 3Rs approach, this report does not address whether field studies of wild birds should be replaced with alternative approaches or if the number of marked birds should be reduced but instead focuses on the refinement of methods in cases where marking is regarded as the most appropriate and adequate method. Conclusions If conducted by trained personnel following best practices, all the methods for capture, handling, or sampling were assessed as low or moderate risk for short-term or long-lasting harm to animal welfare. Among the different methods for marking and tagging of wild birds, temporary feather dyes and PIT tags were assessed as low risk, while glue and tape methods, tail mounted tags, necklace collars, and surgical implants were assessed as low or moderate risk, and flipper tags on penguins as high risk. Metal and colour rings, leg flags, patagial wing and web tags, neck bands, nasal discs and saddles, sutures and subcutaneous anchors, leg mounted tags, leg-loop and backpack (thoracic) harness were assessed as low, moderate, or high risk, depending on group of birds. The substantial heterogeneity in the impacts on animal welfare among methods and different groups of birds means that thorough pre-investigation, planning, and preparations are required for safe capture, handling, sampling, and marking of wild birds. Risk-reducing measures In addition to measures provided for each specific field method assessed, we have identified five key measures that would reduce the probability of adverse impacts on animal welfare: (1) follow best practises; (2) conduct pilot and effect studies; (3) ensure training routines; (4) standardise assessments and encourage reporting of animal welfare effects; and (5) continuing efforts to address the 3Rs with refinement and reduction to improve animal welfare. The assessment spans subject areas for three of VKM's panels and is approved by a separate approval group.Effects of capture, marking, and tracking on the welfare of wild birdspublishedVersio