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The use of molecular methods in plant systematics and taxonomy has increased during the last decades; however, the accessibility of curated genetic samples and their metadata is a bottleneck for DNA-based genetic studies in botany. Plant biodiversity DNA banks and DNA-friendly collections could be critical suppliers of curated genetic material for researchers in the current context of plant biodiversity loss. Here, we aimed to understand the potential of plant DNA banks and DNA-friendly collections to enhance the growth and openness of scientific knowledge. The preservation of genetic material should become part of a natural collection's process for the generation of extended specimens enabling the preservation of both the phenotype and genotype and contributing to the generation of data networks which cross-fertilize other fields. These curated collections are advantageous in endangered species research, detecting processes related to extinction, giving a genetic dimension to IUCN assessments or completing the Leipzig Catalogue of Vascular Plants. Therefore, DNA collections are fundamental in producing FAIR data, responsible research and innovation (RRI) and meeting the goals of international conservation programmes. The completion of natural collections is important for current research efforts and furthermore vital to support future research in an era of ongoing plant biodiversity loss., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Prof. Tchen-Ngo Liou is one of the founders of China's botany, geobotany, and forest ecology. Theory of dynamic geobotany, established by Prof. Liou, can track back from his doctoral work in Alps in France, and was developed based on his long-term field works in northeast, southeast, north, northeast parts of China, India, North Korea and other regions. In the short course on dynamics geobotany in 1962, he gave a series of lectures which formed a synthesized system. The key elements of this theory are the comprehensive review and critical thinking on climax theory of vegetation science and community succession. Prof. Liou has applied this theory into the establishment of artificial vegetation, the improvement of natural vegetation, forest harvesting and regeneration, and the prevent and control of desertification in China. Here, we gave a short summary about this theory, and discussed its potential influence on important topics in vegetation ecology and biodiversity science, including mountain biodiversity, natural forest conservation, forest management, global change, and vegetation classification.

The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the efficiency of Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for creating awareness of Undergraduate Students, 2) compare students' achievements before and after learning through the Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students, and 3) examine student satisfaction towards the Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students. The sample comprised 30 Secondary 4 second semester at Faculty of Technical Education, Rajamangala University Thayaburi Education Service Area Office Pathum Thani, derived through purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through an application called Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' to create awareness among undergraduate students. The research used a pretest, a post-test, and a student satisfaction form. The data was analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test for dependent samples. The findings showed that the Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' application was adequate, with an E1/E2 score of 81.58/80.03. The study also revealed that students achieved better results after using the application to learn about creating awareness among undergraduate students. The mean and standard deviation before learning were 8.27 and 2.22, while the mean and standard deviation after education were 4.66 and 0.61. The t-test score used before and after schooling was 31.16 at a statistically significant level of 0.05. Moreover, the student satisfaction towards the Application of Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students was high.

Although the empowerment of critical thinking (CT) has become an international concern that needs to be developed in the biology learning process for high school students, there still needs to be more relevant research literature. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of implementing reading, questioning, and answering strategies integrated with creative problem solving (RQA-CPS) with RQA, CPS, and discussion strategies. This method used the pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design for one semester using four classes. We designed that the experimental group was taught with RQA-CPS, the control-I group was taught with RQA, the control-II group was taught with CPS, and the control-III group was taught with DP. This research involved 129 high school students in four classes with the topics Plantae, Animalia, Ecology and Environmental Change. These four topics are classified as complex material that requires CT to be able to understand in depth. The results showed that high school students' CT increased in all four classes, but the RQA-CPS group experienced the most significant increase and was significantly different compared to the other three control groups. Thus, the RQA-CPS strategy should be used in learning to improve students' CT.

Environmental education (EE) is a concern in modern society. Plant blindness and nature-deficit disorder highlight how important nature contact and plant consciousness is for urban populations. Considering rapid urbanisation, these phenomena are of increasing concern in China. Integrating EE curricula in Chinese cities is necessary to help younger generations appreciate the environment and understand how to address environmental challenges. Based on our EE teaching experiences in Southwest China's largest urban conglomeration, Chengdu, we discuss anecdotes and propose strategies to improve Southwest China's EE, with guidance for future research. Although children are more drawn to animals, EE education should focus on ecosystem-wide approaches rather than entirely zoocentric or anthropocentric perspectives, since these could reinforce the problematic view that plants are merely 'backdrops'. Urban greenspaces should be utilised in active education schemes, with teachers trained via professional EE modules rooted in local environmental concerns and complementing national/regional priorities. EE programmes should actively engage parents, encouraging their interaction with schools during EE activity preparation and venue selection, as their participation can help overcome obsessive safety and liability concerns. Older generations should be encouraged to transmit their own environmental and ecological knowledge, with implications for both cultural resilience and biocultural diversity conservation efforts.

Collective cultural transformation is needed to save the Earth from the growing effects of the human-caused environmental problems. Music education, too, can take part in preparing future generations with the knowledge and skills needed to address the world's complex challenges and create a more sustainable future. Approaching music education from the perspective of ecosocial sustainability can foster students' sensitivity to diverse sonic environments and support the overall appreciation of multispecies communities and mutually beneficial ways of interaction in the more-than-human world. Based on the general theory of ecosocial art education, this article presents three practical approaches to music education, which can promote a sustainable life orientation: (1) "Attuning to sounds" helps cultivate one's connectedness to more-than-human others. (2) "Reconnecting with sound memories" helps recognise how sonic environments affect and indicate the lives of humans and other beings. (3) "Co-composing with the more-than-human world" helps to embrace the generative powers of creativity in experiencing interdependence with others.

Students in environmental sciences, ecology, or wildlife management are often reluctant to acquire training in basic laboratory techniques. To advocate the importance of this training, we reviewed literature in the fields of biological and environmental science for one frequently used technique--centrifugation--and evaluated whether centrifugation parameters are properly expressed. Centrifugation is used to extract and purify different types of biomolecules for further characterization or quantification. The repeatability of the procedure depends on the proper identification of parameters defining the gravitational force applied to a solution, for example the duration, distance from central axis, and angular velocity. Correctly expressing rotation velocity--the "speed"--is therefore crucial to ensuring repeatability and the possibility of using the same protocols in different laboratories. When scrutinizing the materials and methods sections of publications in ecology, zoology, botany, or general biology journals, we noticed that velocity is expressed in different ways and essential information is often missing. We sampled 2000 articles in different fields of biological sciences that recorded centrifugation as a technique in the materials and methods section. We found centrifugation velocity to be properly expressed in gravitational force "g" in only 47.8% of the papers. The score dropped to 40.4% in journals specialized in ecology. We use this analysis to advocate for a minimum of training in the techniques of biochemistry that are of common use in environmental sciences. Better training would allow higher reproducibility of results in scientific publications.

One of the most pressing global problems today is the prevention of environmental crises is achieved only through targeted actions of people. In this regard, the search for ways out of the environmental crisis is being carried out, which is reflected in the laws "On environmental protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan", "Emergencies of natural and technogenic character ", as well as in state documents dedicated to environmental issues. as the "National Action Plan for Environmental Protection for Sustainable Development" adopted in our country. An environmental crisis is not the result of some mistakes in the technical or social development of society, it is a manifestation of a cultural crisis, which includes the relationship of people with each other and the system of interaction between society and nature. To get out of it, people need to master new value-normalized relationships, expand their environmental outlook, change the motto "economic efficiency" of society as a whole to "environmental efficiency." We believe that it is necessary to develop a new system of continuous environmental education and training to support these new trends and changes in cognitive / by cognitive /, value and practical orientation of the content of education. From this point of view, we tried to study the bioecological characteristics of plants in the Aral region of the Kyzylorda region as a regional component of teaching biology and to include the results obtained in the educational process. Studying the biology and ecology of plants in the Aral region of the Kyzylorda region, students express their patriotic feelings before their homeland, responsibility and views on nature conservation.

This article presents Family Nature Tours as a participatory method for exploring children's human and more-than-human-nature interactions within the context of the family. Through equipping children with wearable cameras during family-led outdoor activities, this qualitative study provides insight on what non-rural Alaskan families consider "nature" experiences and the values of nature demonstrated by children within the context of the family. Findings revealed that children whose behaviors reflected a dominionistic value, aggressive tendencies towards other living beings, also demonstrated a negativistic value by engaging in activities that diverted their attention from the natural setting. All children, to various extents, expressed a naturalistic value through engaging in exploration, play, and imagination. Findings revealed that some families fostered a scientific value through learning about different plants and animals in the environment, while others modeled an apathetic response. Affordances in wild or groomed "natural" landscapes generated varied opportunities for children to develop their relations with other living beings. This article reveals variations in formative child-family-nature dynamics, offering insight on opportunities to link children's formative family nature experiences with environmental education.

This research is conducted to identify the scientific conceptual cognition of ecosystem and the corresponding alternative conceptions by lower-secondary school students in Taiwan. Concept mapping, interviewing, and two-tier diagnostic test cannot make explicit reasoning pathways that students may use. Therefore, its purpose is to develop, validate, and utilize a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument for the ecosystem concept (TDIEC). The instrument can assist teachers in analyzing their students' reasoning. This does not only distinguish alternative conceptions from lack of knowledge but also determines the percentages of false positives and false negatives. One hundred and six students were tested with this instrument in Taiwan. The data analysis reveals common alternative conceptions shared by students, indicating that 35.59% of the samples had inaccurate conceptualizations of ecosystems. Common alternative conceptions of ecosystems include the following: (1) Only biological components constitute an ecosystem; (2) The Venus flytrap and pitcher plants are preys; (3) Competition is synonymous to predation; (4) Ecological balance refers to the sustainable circulation of energy and matter in the environment; and (5) The simpler the species, the more stable the ecosystem. It concludes with the interpretation of the results, suggestions for the application of the TDIEC, and correct alternative conceptions in Ecology classes.

Plant ecology is increasingly turning to evolutionary questions, just as evolutionary biology pushes out of the strictures of the Modern Synthesis into what some regard as an "Extended Evolutionary Synthesis." As plant ecology becomes increasingly evolutionary, it is essential to ask how aspects of the Extended Synthesis might impinge on plant ecological theory and practice. I examine the contribution of plant evolutionary ecology to niche construction theory, as well as the potential for developmental systems theory and genes-as-followers adaptive evolution, all important post-Modern Synthesis themes, in providing novel perspectives for plant evolutionary ecology. I also examine ways that overcoming dichotomies such as "genetic vs. plastic" and "constraint vs. adaptation" provide fertile opportunities for plant evolutionary ecologists. Along the same lines, outgrowing vague concepts such as "stress" and replacing them with more precise terminology in all cases provides vastly increased causal clarity. As a result, the synthetic path that plant ecologists are blazing, becoming more evolutionary every year, bodes extremely well for the field, with vast potential for expansion into important scientific territory., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Undergraduate biology majors require biological literacy about the critical and dynamic relationships between plants and ecosystems and the effect human-made processes have on these systems. To support students in understanding systems relationships, we redesigned an undergraduate botany course using an ecological framework and embedded systems modelling to support students in understanding the criticality of plant processes to the global carbon cycle. The class meetings included lectures, opportunities to develop systems models identifying the relationships between plant processes and other systems, reflections on their systems understanding and open-floor discussions about assigned primary and secondary readings that explored the relationships between plant systems, abiotic and biotic processes and global carbon cycling in their systems models. We used the systems models students developed at the beginning and end of the course to examine how their systems understanding grew. Our results suggest that at the beginning of term, students' ideas about plants were egocentric identifying the purpose of plants was to support human life and they did not consider relationships between plants and global carbon systems. By the end of the term, their models and reflections identified elements of a systems perspective and the students considered human impact on this delicate balance.

Plant blindness, the inability of people to notice plants, is of current interest in the natural sciences community. It has been hypothesized that communities of varying cultures may have improved plant sight. Researchers used an online survey to assess citizens ability to identify plants. The survey also intended to address the concern of elders from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) who have seen reduced abundance of traditional plant species. The survey assessed knowledge of local wetland, grassland, and forest habitats; names of plants; and how citizens use plant features in identification. The survey gathered demographic data to determine trends across different demographic groups including age and ethnicity. A total of 216 participants took the survey, the majority classified themselves as female and Native American or Alaska Native. Our findings indicated that participants were able to identify forest and wetland plants the best, but struggled with grassland plants. Older individuals were more able to identify plants when compared to younger individuals. Ecologically, increasing plant knowledge is vital to rebuilding and maintaining the diversity of local habitats, but culturally the impacts are just as important. The practice of using traditional plants in medicine and ceremony is an integral part of the TMBCI culture. As both the knowledge and the plants disappear in younger generations, so does their unique cultural identity.

Diploknema butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam, butter tree, locally known as Chiuri, is a medium to large-sized deciduous tree widely distributed on the south-facing slopes in the sub-Himalayan region from 200 m to 1500 m. This is an economically valuable, nutritionally important, ecologically slow-growing, and culturally integrated multipurpose tree species. The tree is culturally connected with an ethnic minority group, Chepang, in central Nepal. We systematically reviewed over 102 primary research studies, review papers, and grey literature, along with nine field visits, three each in western, central, and eastern Nepal to collect the population and ethnobotanical data of Chiuri. Additionally, government forest officials, forest user groups, and local communities of 62 districts were consulted to collect and verify the information on distribution, use, and conservation. The interrelationship of ecology and ethnobotany of Chiuri was found to be positively associated. This tree was reported to be grown in 58 districts, abundant in central and western Siwalik and mid-hills. The ethnobotanical use reports of Chiuri used by 26 ethnic groups were recorded from 22 districts. Among the groups, Chepang has intensive use reports and conserved this multipurpose tree since time immemorial. Ethnotaxonomically, four types of Diploknema species were reported by Chepang communities, whereas the national botanical records and molecular analyses have yet to confirm the types. As the species complements the livelihood, traditions, history, socio-culture, folklore, and household economy of Chepang people, we supported the argument that the D. butyracea is a cultural keystone tree species (CKTS) in Nepal for Chepang people. Further research on socio-cultural, ethno-ecological, and morpho-molecular attributes is urged for cultural integrity, biodiversity, and bioprospecting.

The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding about undergraduate life science students' conceptions concerning the role of photosynthesizing plants in the ecosystem, utilizing a network analysis method. Science learning requires the integration and linking of abstract and often counterintuitive concepts successfully into multifaceted networks. The quality of these networks, together with their abilities to communicate via the language of science, influences students' success in academic, verbal problem-solving tasks. This study contributes to investigating students' understanding, utilizing a modern network analysis method in exploring first-year university life science students' written answers. In this study, a total of 150 first-year life science students answered two open-ended tasks related to the role of photosynthesizing plants in the ecosystem. A network analysis tool was used in exploring the occurrence of different-level science concepts and the interrelatedness between these concepts in students' verbal outputs. The results showed that the richness of concept networks and students' use of macro-concepts were remarkably varied between the tasks. Higher communicability measures were connected to the more abundant existence of macro-concepts in the task concerning the role of plants from the food-chain perspective. In the answers for the task concerning the role of plants regarding the atmosphere, the students operated mainly with single facts, and there were only minor interconnections made between the central concepts. On the basis of these results, the need for more all-encompassing biology teaching concerning complex environmental and socio-economic problems became evident. Thus, methodological and pedagogical contributions are discussed.

The understanding of analytical chemistry and its application in different areas of life science is something that should be encouraged for students studying chemistry, and also something that appeals to many students. Life science includes a vast variety of areas, out of which some are more easily approached in student projects. The chemical communication between organisms, such as plants, as described in chemical ecology is one example. It is therefore beneficial to offer students inquiry-based project work that allows them to explore, and gain a deeper understanding of, this discipline within the grand context that is chemistry. Hence, the present work describes the application of analytical chemistry using gas chromatography--mass spectrometry, including sample preparation for the study of chemical inhibitory (allelopathic) properties of compounds found in the plant "Aegopodium podagraria." The questions posed to the students performing this project work were "What compounds can be found in the extracts of the plant?", "Are the extracts allelopathic?", and "Can you determine which compounds contribute to the possible allelopathic properties?". The reported results indicate that the extracts might have allelopathic properties and showed that the extracts contained compounds such as a-pinene and ß-caryophyllene. The identified terpenes were shown to have minor allelopathic properties by themselves but displayed an impact on the germination of seeds and length of the sprouts when applied as a blend. This project, and its results, proposes a framework for investigation of other plants and can be adapted to suit students at different academic levels.

The worldwide scientific community has been promoting science communication from colleges and universities to schools, and different tools for communicating scientific discoveries have been created. Among this variety of tools, our choice fell on a storybook. The book, entitled "The Curious Case of Ants That Live in Galls," is directed at 8-to-12-year-old children, and its use is suggested for literature and science classes. We propose either reading the text with the students or individual reading, followed by a debate and retextualization exercise. Also, the teacher can use the story as a motivation to address the science content and to discuss the scientific method. We observed the emergence of new questions, teaching methodologies, and didactic resources capable of amplifying the scientific context and, consequently, the student's motivation.

Because the escalating loss of species is one of the most serious environmental crises we face, it is vital that students of biology comprehend and can communicate the roles that biodiversity plays in the functioning of ecosystems. Here, we report on a laboratory experiment that has been highly successful in our introductory biology courses at demonstrating the role of biodiversity in the productivity of ecosystems. Students created microcosms consisting of six species of phytoplankton grown separately (monocultures) and in mixtures (polycultures) in 50-mL beakers. On average, monocultures were less productive than three-species polycultures, which in turn were less productive than six-species polycultures. However, the productivity of the polycultures was generally no greater than the productivity of the most productive monocultures--a result that suggests a lack of positive ecological interactions (e.g., facilitation or niche complementarity). In contrast, there was some evidence of negative interactions among species (e.g., predation and allelopathy) that caused some polycultures to be less productive than monocultures of their constituent species. Performing this structured-inquiry experiment provided students with an opportunity to apply aspects of the scientific method in a non-trivial manner to address issues of relevance to both basic ecology principles and applied disciplines with economic significance. [For "Using Algal Microcosms in Introductory Biology Lab. I: The Influence of Nutrient Levels on the Biodiversity of an Ecological Community," see EJ1285501.]

The protection of earth's biodiversity requires a sophisticated understanding of how human activities can affect the relative abundances of species in natural ecological communities. Here, we report on an introductory biology laboratory activity in which students quantified biodiversity while investigating one of the most important controls on the biodiversity of an ecosystem: nutrient availability. Students established microcosms of six species of phytoplankton ("algae") in 50-mL beakers and exposed them to five different levels of inorganic nutrients. After two weeks, students used hemocytometers to count cells and compare the relative abundances of the algal species (i.e., their community composition) at different nutrient levels. The effect of nutrient level on biodiversity (measured by Simpson's reciprocal index) was significantly curvilinear, and best described as "U-shaped." Specifically, the algal community was most diverse at the lowest nutrient level, least diverse with a small amount of added nutrients, and intermediate in diversity at the highest nutrient levels. This convenient, quantitative investigation provided students an opportunity to consider how anthropogenic influxes of nutrients into ecosystems can lead to eutrophication, and how this phenomenon can have negative effects by decreasing the biodiversity of ecological communities. [For "Using Algal Microcosms in Introductory Biology Lab. II: The Influence of Biodiversity on Ecosystem Productivity," see EJ1285505.]

Civilization simply would not exist without plants, yet their importance is often overlooked. As the nation's ability to respond to the botanical challenges associated with food production, climate change, invasive species, and biodiversity loss continues to decrease (Kramer, Zorn- Arnold, and Havens 2010), educators must discourage this "plant blindness" (Wandersee and Schussler 1999) by including plant topics in the curriculum wherever possible. In this article, the authors present an inquiry lesson on the ecology of the eastern redbud ("Cercis canadensis"), a bruchid beetle seed predator ("Gibbobruchus mimus"), and several species of parasitoid chalcid wasps (superfamily: "Chalcidoidea"). This lesson addresses several concepts in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013), such as community structure, trophic interactions, cycles of matter and energy, and the carbon cycle, adding more than just a pinch of plant biology.

The theory of evolution can be a useful basis for developing students' understanding of ecology. Our study used concept maps to examine the development of sixth-grade students' understanding of the Antarctic ecosystem following several evolution 'Science Days' conducted at 'Nature Campus' -- an informal learning environment comprised of a natural history museum, zoological and botanical gardens. The programme included physical experiences, such as observations and measurements of fossils, skeletons and mounted specimens, and observations in the zoological and botanical gardens. After the first and fourth days, the students watched the film 'March of the Penguins,' and were asked to draw concept maps depicting the penguins' lives. These maps were then analysed to assess: (a) the changes in the students' depictions of the ecosystem's complexity, and (b) the manner and extent to which they used ideas and concepts in evolution to explain phenomena in the Antarctic ecosystem. We found that the students' concept maps increased in complexity, and their post-maps incorporated concepts in evolution from their experiences at Nature Campus. Our results therefore emphasise the benefits of fundamentally changing how biology education is divided and defined, and transitioning to a more holistic approach that acknowledges the interdisciplinary nature of biological phenomena.

Children's experiences with nature may develop ecological literacy and enhance their psychological well-being. However, a limited understanding of how the village landscape has functional impacts on the children's play behaviour and perceptual performances can influence ecological literacy. This study investigated children's preferences in the village landscape stimulated by their play behaviour and knowledge, which becomes a basis for ecological literacy. Seventy-one responses from middle-aged children were elicited using drawings and go-along methods. Data were analysed using NVivo 12 Plus for content analysis. The results revealed that children who preferred being outdoors were associated with play activities, which directly influenced ecological literacy. The findings showed that the children were related to the wilderness, interspecific relations with animals and plants, physical work, recreation and socialising, rurality and natural beauty. The children expressed a strong affiliation to their everyday environment in which the village landscape became a milieu for ecological literacy.

Trait-based ecology has become a popular phrase. But all species have traits, and their contributions to ecological processes are governed by those traits. So then, is not all ecology trait-based? Actually, there do exist areas of ecology that are consciously trait-free, such as neutral theory and species abundance distributions. But much of ecology could be considered actually or potentially trait-based. A spectrum is described, from trait-free through trait-implicit and trait-explicit to trait-centric. Trait-centric ecology includes positioning ecological strategies along trait dimensions, with a view to inferring commonalities and to generalizing from species studied in more detail. Trait-explicit includes physiological and functional ecology, and areas of community ecology and ecosystem function that invoke traits. Trait-implicit topics are those where it is important that species are different, but formulations did not initially characterize the differences via traits. Subsequently, strands within these trait-implicit topics have often moved towards making use of species traits, so the boundary with trait-explicit is permeable. Trait-based ecology is productive because of the dialogue between understanding processes in detail, via traits that relate most closely, and generalizing across many species, via traits that can be compared widely. An enduring key question for trait-based ecology is which traits for which processes., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Ecofeminist science pedagogy has received scant attention in the educational literature. This article presents an ecofeminism framework for the teaching of college-level botany courses. This didactic approach emphasizes women's experiences, appreciation for the accomplishments of women in science, connection to real world learning exercises, group activities, spiritual and religious connotations, and direct interaction with nature. In addition, instructional emphasis is on enhancing critical thinking skills and attitudes toward the scientific enterprise of students. Furthermore, botany appears to be the science best suitable to embrace an ecofeminist science perspective.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the nature education project on the attitudes and awareness levels of secondary school students towards the environment. The research is based on an experimental model which is a type quantitative research approaches and the population consisting of the students studying at a secondary school in Denizli. The sample of the study consists of 24 students participating in the project selected from Denizli. The first criterion for the selection of the students was determined as the participation of a 4006 science fair before, and other criteria were some variables such as academic achievement, gender, absence of health problems, and high communication skills. The data of the study collected with the journal form was used to gather the opinions and thoughts of the participants through an "Environmental Affect Scale" (EAS) consisting of 15 questions in type of five point likert scale along with another "Environmental Behavior Scale" (EBS) consists of 12 questions in type of seven point likert scale that were both developed by Sontay, Gökdere & Usta (2014). SPSS 22 program is used in the analysis of the data.When the results obtained are evaluated in general, it is evident that nature education program significantly contributes to both the environmental consciousness and environmental attitudes of the participants. In addition, in the evaluation made according to the sub-dimensions of the attitude scale, it is clearly seen that the program increases students' positive attitudes towards the environment as well as ensuring their permanence. However, no significant differences were found in the environmental perception scores of the students.

Awareness as a broad term is subject of many scientific disciplines such as psychology, education and biology etc. Thus the awareness study about our surrounding and environment can be called as a socio-scientific issues. The human species are often in interaction with almost all living and non-living things in the world. And we are not aware about these to some extent. The awareness changes according to the same variables such as mobility, color contrast and similarity to the human being. The living groups (plants and animals) come first rather than non-livings such as stones, water and air. It is the clear that people have higher awareness towards animals. Against plants and mushroom, the awareness is well below the desired level. In this study, it was tried to determine the changes in middle school students' awareness towards animals, plants and mushrooms through nature education. Nature education connects individual with nature. During the education, students recognize livings in the nature and try to understand the importance of nature for a sustainable future. Within the scope of the study, 47 secondary school students were given one week of natural education. Students' answers were analyzed statistically. The pictorial information scales applied before and after the education reveal a significant increase in plant awareness, especially in a world where plant blindness is high. [Note: The page range shown in the header on the PDF (122-136) is incorrect. The correct page range is 122-135.]

Argumentation is an important component of scientific education (Osborne, 2010). However, how students create and evaluate competing arguments in scientific investigations is a complex construct, which presents significant challenges for assessment. We engaged 349 middle and high school students in a virtual scientific investigation based on an authentic problem involving the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park. Students evaluated three possible causes for vegetation loss in Lamar Valley: tourism, global warming, and killing wolves. Students compared their responses to individual claims to formulate a final decision. The authors developed a coding system to assess student arguments and analysed how students changed their evaluations across the investigation. Four distinct levels of responses reveal the range of student decision making and patterns that have implications for instruction and assessment. Few student evaluations explained both merits and weaknesses of claims.

This article will discuss social, environmental, and ecological justice in education for sustainable development (ESD) and Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG). The concept of sustainable development and, by extension, the ESD, places heavy emphasis on the economic and social aspects of sustainability. However, the ESD falls short of recognizing ecological justice, or recognition that nonhumans also have a right to exist and flourish. An intervention in the form of an undergraduate course titled Politics, Business, and Environment (PBE) will be discussed. As part of this course, students were asked to reflect on the three pillars of sustainable development: society, economy, and environment, linking these to the fourth concept, ecological justice or biospheric egalitarianism. Biospheric egalitarianism is characterized by the recognition of intrinsic value in the environment and is defined as concern about justice for the environment. Some of the resulting exam answers are analyzed, demonstrating students' ability to recognize the moral and pragmatic limitations of the anthropocentric approach to justice. This analysis presents ways forward in thinking about the role of "ecological justice" as the ultimate bottom line upon which both society and economy are based.

The importance of biodiversity to the health of our planet is increasingly being discussed, not only by scientists, but by the public at large. Therefore, an understanding of how human activities are affecting biodiversity is vital for informed participation in society, and thus it is an important topic for liberal arts education. Here, I present the protocol and results for a field activity that I have used in a non-majors' biology course to investigate the influence of anthropogenic disturbances on plant communities. Students surveyed plant-species abundances in five sites that had experienced a range of disturbance regimes, including protected nature trails, mowed fields, and a ruderal (waste) site. Disturbances had a negative impact on measures of species richness, evenness, and diversity; moreover, disturbances made the plant communities much more susceptible to invasion by alien species. While the approach taken in this study worked very well in my non-majors' course, it could easily be adapted and refined for use in ecology, conservation, and botany courses for biology majors.

Ecocentric education programs should include a method for the in-depth understanding of multi-scale ecological time concepts. To accomplish this, the common restriction that ecocentric education should pertain only to realistic nature may have to be removed. The purpose of this research was to confirm the validity of a program featuring phenology observation, employing fixed-point time-lapse images as climate change learning, and to obtain suggestions on the influence of the program on the multi-timescale concepts of the learners. An observation sheet listing images of cherry flowering from 16 April to 15 March each year from 1996 to 2017 was created, and the 50-min educational program using the observation sheet was conducted with 189 third year junior high school students. The tendencies among students' answers to the two questions before and after the program suggest that the program contributed to the students acquiring the hundreds-year timescale concept based on the short-term timescale concept of dynamic nature. The contribution of this research is to visualize long-term and multi-scale ecological time concepts. By combining long-term time-lapse images with everyday nature experiences, the possibility of expanding such emotions as wonder and attachment to nature towards a long-term ecological timescale is achieved.

This paper draws on a research study that builds on a long and rich history of research in environmental education focusing on the value of learning through everyday experiences with the more than human. This study specially focused on very young children's experiences of ecologies and explored the unique opportunities sensorially rich bodily interactions with nonhuman entities provided. Drawing on postqualitative inquiry, using visual arts, narrative and walking methodologies, Karen and Sarah Jane are attentive in this work to the very subtle encounters and sensitivities of how child bodies move with and through places. By employing a number of nontraditional formats, the two researchers share sensorial ecological encounters as a form of child-worlding; bodies attune to the ongoing and the everyday presented as images, stories and prose. As an approach to diffractive analysis, they adopt a relational ontology as a means for thinking with the concepts of kin and stones. Sensing ecologically in this way becomes both a conceptual analytical tool and a pedagogical practice, allowing new imaginaries for children becoming and knowing the more-than-human-world prior to forming formal abstract 'language'. It seeks to disrupt the teaching and naming of objects as superior. They draw on the notion of ecomorphism to support a view of humans as interdependent with all ecological beings, objects and weathering of the earth. Ecomorphism also attributes qualities of a shared life through sensorial knowing with others and objects; whether they be human or nonhuman. Throughout the paper Karen and Sarah Jane have considered deeply how young children come to be with/encounter nonhuman animals, plants, weather, water and materials, and how do they respond and communicate with those entities through and with their animal bodies.