This article aims to characterise the research on science teachers’ professional development programs that support the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the main trends ...concerning the theoretical frameworks (theoretical foundation, literature review or background) that underpin these studies. Through a systematic review of the literature, 76 articles were found and divided into two axes on training science teachers and the use of digital technologies with their categories. The first axis (
characterisation of articles)
presents the category
key features
that characterise the articles selected (major subjects, training and actions for the professional development and major ICT tools and digital resources). The second axis (
trends of theoretical frameworks)
has three categories organised in theoretical frameworks that emphasise the following: (a) the digital technologies, (b) prospects of curricular renewal and (c) cognitive processes
.
It also characterised a group of articles with theoretical frameworks that contain multiple elements without deepening them or that even lack a theoretical framework that supports the studies. In this review, we found that many professional development programs for teachers still use inadequate strategies for bringing about change in teacher practices. New professional development proposals are emerging with the objective of minimising such difficulties and this analysis could be a helpful tool to restructure those proposals.
Old‐growth grasslands, including savannas and tropical grasslands, need centuries to assemble; they are therefore expected to have low resilience to anthropogenic activities that disturb the soil ...(e.g. cultivation, quarrying, mining, etc.). Understanding which parameters restrict the natural recovery of degraded ecosystems is a major prerequisite for planning an effective restoration program. This study was designed to evaluate the recovery of an old‐growth grassland, the campo rupestre, after a major disturbance: gravel extraction. In 2010 (i.e. 8 years after the degradation), we analyzed soil characteristics, seed bank, and vegetation composition in degraded sites consisting of sandy or gravel substrates, as well as in reference sites of sandy and gravel grasslands. At degraded sites, soils contained lower concentrations of the main nutrients, and seed banks consisted mainly of nontarget species. Seed banks of reference grasslands were poor in species and in seeds. Eight years after the degradation, plant communities at degraded sites were still very different from those at the reference sites, with ruderals and almost no target species. Altered soil conditions, low capacity of campo rupestre species to form seed banks, and the probable restriction of seed dispersal from the target species in nearby campo rupestre considerably limited the establishment of campo rupestre plant communities in degraded areas. Time is essential for old‐growth grassland assemblage and, even with the presence of a propagule source in the surroundings, the assembly of campo rupestre plant communities in degraded sites will take centuries. Therefore, human intervention is necessary to rapidly reestablish the main species.
AIM: The campos rupestres are species‐rich tropical mountain grasslands in southeast Brazil that are threatened by mining and quarrying. Eight years following a strong disturbance (i.e. quarrying for ...gravel exploitation during the asphalting of highway MG‐010), spontaneous succession did not occur on degraded areas. This study was therefore designed to test the restoration technique of hay transfer as a means of enhancing seed dispersal from the reference ecosystems to the degraded areas. LOCATION: Campo rupestre grasslands, Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: Nine degraded areas representing three kinds of substrate (latosol, sandy and stony) were selected. Hay transfer was carried out using hay collected in two kinds of grassland (i.e. campos arenosos and campos pedregosos) year‐round in 2010, in order to maximize the seed pool. The collected hay was distributed on 40 cm × 40 cm quadrats among the three types of substrate, with and without geotextile, according to the following protocol: hay from campo arenoso grasslands was spread on all types of substrate, while hay from campo pedregoso grasslands was used on stony substrate only. RESULTS: Few seedlings emerged within 14 mo of the treatment application, despite the large number of seeds contained in the hay, indicating that hay transfer may not be a useful method for restoring degraded areas of campos rupestres. The seedlings emerging on the degraded areas mainly belonged to ruderal species. Therefore, we suggest that, although poor soil conditions could limit seedling establishment, germination issues of the campo rupestre species are the first limitation for restoring degraded campos rupestres using hay transfer. CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the inherent difficulty in restoring degraded areas of campos rupestres; their protection must be made a high conservation priority.
Aim: Climate tends to explain phenological variations in tropical ecosystems. However, water availability and nutrient content in soil strongly affect plant communities, especially those on old, ...climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs), and may impact these ecosystems' plant reproductive phenology over time. Here, we compare the reproductive phenology of sandy and stony tropical grasslands, two co-occurring herbaceous communities of the campo rupestre OCBILs. We asked whether flowering, fruiting and dispersal are seasonal in both grasslands, and whether these phenophases differ due to variations in soil properties. We also asked whether the phenological strategies and the number of flowers and fruits differ between these two grasslands as soil conditions vary. Location: Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: The phenology of herbaceous species of sandy and stony grasslands was monitored monthly over two consecutive years. Results: Plants on sandy and stony grasslands flowered and fruited throughout the year. We did not find a distinct seasonal pattern at the community level of either studied grassland. However, flowering, fruiting and seed dissemination occurred in stony grasslands mainly during the rainy season, while sandy grassland species flowered in both seasons and fruited and disseminated seed mainly during the dry season, as observed in other savanna vegetation types in the Cerrado. Flower and fruit production was higher in sandy grasslands than in stony grasslands, which may be linked to higher water retention in sandy grassland soils. In both communities, species of Cyperaceae, Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae contributed most to overall production, whereas Poaceae and Velloziaceae, two important families in campo rupestre, barely participated in the reproductive phenology during our 2-yr survey. Conclusions: Despite a strong seasonal climate, there was no reproductive seasonal pattern at the community level in campo rupestre. This first investigation of Neotropical grassland phenology indicates that the differences in soil content may constrain the grassland reproductive phenology and restrict reproduction of stony grassland species to the most favourable season. Further studies of grassland phenology are necessary to disentangle the relative importance of soil, climate and other triggers, especially fire.
Including ecosystem functions into restoration ecology has been repeatedly suggested, yet there is limited evidence that this is taking place without bias to certain habitats, species, or functions. ...We reviewed the inclusion of ecosystem functions in restoration and potential relations to habitats and species by extracting 224 publications from the literature (2004–2013). Most studies investigated forests, fewer grasslands or freshwaters, and fewest wetlands or marine habitats. Of all studies, 14% analyzed only ecosystem functions, 44% considered both biotic composition and functions, 42% exclusively studied the biotic component, mostly vascular plants, more rarely invertebrates or vertebrates, and least often microbes. Most studies investigating ecosystem functions focused on nutrient cycling (26%), whereas productivity (18%), water relations (16%), and geomorphological processes (14%) were less covered; carbon sequestration (10%), decomposition (6%), and trophic interactions (6%) were rarely studied. Monitoring of ecosystem functions was common in forests and grasslands, but the functions considered depended on the study organisms. These associations indicate research opportunities for certain habitats, species, and functions. Overall, the call to include ecosystem functions in restoration has been heard; however, a lack of clarity about the ecosystem functions to be included and deficits of feasible field methods are major obstacles for a functional approach. Restoration ecology should learn from recent advances in rapid assessment of ecosystem functions, and by a closer integration with biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research. Not all functions need to be measured in all ecosystems, but more functions than the few commonly addressed would improve the understanding of restored ecosystems.
Aim for heterogeneous biodiversity restoration Toma, Tiago S P; Oliveira, Hernani F M; Overbeck, Gerhard E ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
01/2024, Letnik:
383, Številka:
6681
Journal Article
Population outbreaks, although rare, hold significant ecological implications, particularly in short-lived organisms. These outbreaks are often triggered by changes in population control factors such ...as food availability, absence or reduction of natural enemies, diseases, or favourable climatic conditions. This study documents an infestation event where the scarab beetle Macrodactylus pumilio Burm., 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) heavily infested a specimen of Cecropia pachystachya Trécul. in, Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The infestation took place at the onset of the rainy season, which corresponded with the annual emergence of the beetles from the soil. We searched another nine fruiting trees within 100 m radius, none of which were infested. The estimated abundance of M. pumilio beetles on the infested tree reached 45,825 insect individuals. The insect is a known agricultural pest, affecting citrus, passion fruit, coffee plantations, and ornamental flowers. C. pachystachya, a pioneer tree commonly found in secondary forests of Latin America, may represent a potential alternative host for the beetles in the face of increasing pesticide use. This event may have significant implications for the population dynamics of C. pachystachya and highlights the importance of understanding the life cycle and behaviour of species of the genus Macrodactylus Dejean, 1821. Similar outbreaks have been reported in agricultural systems, emphasizing the need for precise knowledge to plan effective management strategies in both natural and agricultural environments.
Mountains harbor rich biodiversity and high levels of endemism, particularly due to changes in environmental conditions over short spatial distances, which affects species distribution and ...composition. Studies on mountain ecosystems are increasingly needed, as mountains are highly threatened despite providing ecosystem services, such as water supply for half of the human population. We aimed to understand the patterns and drivers of alpha and beta diversities of aquatic invertebrates in headwater streams along an altitudinal gradient in the second largest South American mountain range, the Espinhaço mountains. Headwater streams were selected at each 100 m of elevation along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 800 to 1400 m asl, where three substrate types per stream were sampled: leaf litter, gravel, and cobbles. Environmental variables were sampled to represent local riparian canopy cover, instream physical habitat, water quality, climatic data, and land use. Generalized linear models and mixed models were used to test relationships between altitude and the richness and abundance of invertebrates and to assess the influence of environmental variables on the same metrics. Patterns of spatial variation in aquatic invertebrate assemblages along the altitudinal gradient were assessed using multiplicative beta diversity partitioning. The richness and abundance of aquatic invertebrates decreased with increasing altitude, whereas beta diversity increased with increasing altitude. Significant differences in assemblage composition and in relative abundance of invertebrates were observed for both substrates and altitude. We thus show that the high regional beta diversity in aquatic ecosystems in the studied site is due to the high turnover among areas.
in Portuguese is available with online material.
RESUMO
Montanhas abrigam rica biodiversidade e altos níveis de endemismo, particularmente devido a mudanças nas condições ambientais em curtas distâncias espaciais, o que afeta a distribuição e a composição das espécies. Estudos sobre ecossistemas de montanha são cada vez mais necessários, pois as montanhas são altamente ameaçadas, apesar de fornecer serviços ecossistêmicos, como o abastecimento de água para metade da população humana. Nosso objetivo foi entender os padrões e os direcionadores das diversidades alfa e beta de invertebrados aquáticos em riachos de cabeceira ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal na segunda maior cordilheira sul‐americana, a Serra do Espinhaço. Riachos de cabeceira foram selecionados a cada 100 m de altitude ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal variando de 800 a 1400 m acima do nível do mar, onde três tipos de substrato por riacho foram amostrados: bancos de folhas, cascalho e seixos. Variáveis ambientais foram amostradas para representar a cobertura local de vegetação ripária, habitats físicos, qualidade da água, dados climáticos e uso da terra. Modelos lineares generalizados e modelos mistos foram utilizados para testar as relações entre altitude e riqueza e abundância de invertebrados e para avaliar a influência de variáveis ambientais nas mesmas métricas. Padrões de variação espacial em assembleias de invertebrados aquáticos ao longo do gradiente altitudinal foram avaliados utilizando particionamento multiplicativo de diversidade beta. A riqueza e a abundância de invertebrados aquáticos diminuíram com o aumento da altitude, enquanto a diversidade beta aumentou com o aumento da altitude. Diferenças significativas na composição da assembleia e na abundância relativa de invertebrados foram observadas para substratos e altitude. Assim, mostramos que a alta diversidade beta nos ecossistemas aquáticos deve‐se à alta taxa de turnover.
Understanding tropical forest succession is critical for the development of tropical forest conservation strategies worldwide, given that tropical secondary forests can be considered the forests of ...the future. Tropical dry forests (TDF) are among the most threatened tropical ecosystems, there are more secondary forests and forest restoration efforts that require a better understanding of successional processes. The main goal of this synthesis for this special issue on the ecology and management of tropical dry forests in the Americas is to present a summarized review of the current knowledge of the ecology and management implications associated to TDF succession. We explore specific issues associated to tropical dry forest succession with emphasis on the use of chronosequences, plant diversity and composition, plant phenology and remote sensing, pollination, and animal–plant interactions; all under the integrating umbrella of ecosystem succession. We also emphasize the need to conduct socio-ecological research to understand changes in land-use history and its effects on succession and forest regeneration of TDF. We close this paper with some thoughts and ideas associated with the strong need for an integrating dimension not considered until today: the role of cyberinfrastructure and eco-informatics as a tool to support sound conservation, management and understanding of TDF in the Americas.
Hidden costs of Europe's deforestation policy Fernandes, Geraldo W; Oliveira, Hernani F M; Bergallo, Helena G ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
01/2023, Letnik:
379, Številka:
6630
Journal Article
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