Analysis of avian disease transmission risk and prevention measures in China

Many zoonotic diseases are found in wild animals and present a serious risk to human health, in particularly the virus carried by birds flying freely around the world is hard to control. There are three main bird migration routes which cover the most areas of China. It is important to investigate and fully understand the types of avian transmitted diseases in key areas on the bird migration routines and its impacts on both birds and human health. However, no literature is available in how about the risk of virus carried by migrating birds, and how to predict and reduce this risk of virus spreading to human being so far. In this paper, we first reviewed the main pathogen types carried by birds, including coronaviruses, influenza viruses, parasites, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), etc., and then discussed the spread risk of avian viruses to human being and animals in key areas of biosafety prevention. We also analyzed and discussed the risk of cross-spread of diseases among different bird species in nature reserves located on bird migration routes which provide sufficient food sources for migratory birds and attract numerous birds. Diseases transmitted by wild birds pose a serious threat to poultry farms, where high density of poultry may become avian influenza virus (AIV) reservoirs, cause a risk of avian influenza outbreaks. Airports are mostly built in suburban areas or remote areas with good ecological environment. There are important transit places for bird migration and densely populated areas, which have serious risk of disease transmission. Finally, this paper puts forward the following prevention suggestions from three aspects. First, establish and improve the monitoring and prediction mechanism of migratory birds, and use laser technology to prevent contact between wild birds and poultry. Second, examine and identify virus types carried by birds in their habitats and carry out vaccination. Third, protect the ecological environment of bird habitat, and keep wild birds in their natural habitat, so as to reduce the contact between wild birds and human and poultry, and thus reduce the risk of virus transmission.

A long‐term shift in the summer distribution of Hector's dolphins is correlated with an increase in cruise ship tourism

Before the 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic, cruise ship tourism had been one of the fastest growing segments of global tourism, presenting a range of potential impacts. At Akaroa Harbour, Aotearoa New Zealand, the number of annual cruise ship visits more than quadrupled following earthquake damage to Ōtautahi Christchurch's Lyttelton Port in 2011. Akaroa Harbour is an area of core use for endangered and endemic Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Dolphins here are exposed to some of the highest levels of cetacean tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand. Relationships were examined between growth in cruise ship visits, as well as tours focused specifically on dolphins, and long‐term trends in summer distribution of Hector's dolphins at Akaroa Harbour, from 2000 to 2020. Core use areas for Hector's dolphins within the harbour were quantified via kernel density estimation using data from 2,335 sightings from over 8,000 km of standardized survey effort. Data were allocated into four periods based on varying levels of tourism. Dolphin habitat preference varied over time, with the greatest change occurring between 2005–2011 and 2012–2015. When comparing these periods, the spatial overlap of core habitat was less than 24%. Dolphin distribution shifted towards the outer harbour after 2011 and has remained relatively consistent since. The observed shift in distribution coincided with the more than fourfold increase in annual cruise ship visits to Akaroa Harbour. Several pressures related to cruise ship tourism are likely to have influenced habitat preferences of dolphins. Further investigation into causal factors of the observed shift is warranted. In the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the future of cruise ship and wildlife tourism is in flux. Our findings suggest that the future re‐development of this industry should follow a precautionary approach, with the onus on industry to provide evidence of sustainability before proceeding.

The house of man: Sheltering in the Anthropocene

When the pandemic struck, many countries went into lockdown mode;India did so for 21 days starting on March 24, 2020. In addition to the people who were already in quarantine, the experience during the lockdown has impacted our "normal" experience of home as people have been asked to stay at home. In the Anthropocene, the geological epoch where humans are acting as a planetary force, the questions of "home" and "ownership" have come under intense scrutiny because various species are losing their natural habitats and face extinction. This chapter proposes to investigate the elementality of home that marks the pandemic and the Anthropocene. To locate this threshold, we follow the conceptual motif of sanctuary and shelter to illuminate the structure of home during the pandemic. The chapter discusses the various inflections of home in the pandemic and its construction as a scientifically validated shelter from the virus. It focuses on the figure of the migrant and how the rootlessness of the migrant can be understood in the face of Gaia, our planet as a sanctuary in the Anthropocene. To discuss on futures that are lost, the chapter reflects on images of home-as-sanctuary relative to the pandemic and the Anthropocene. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Low‐Altitude UAV Imaging Accurately Quantifies Eelgrass Wasting Disease From Alaska to California

Declines in eelgrass, an important and widespread coastal habitat, are associated with wasting disease in recent outbreaks on the Pacific coast of North America. This study presents a novel method for mapping and predicting wasting disease using Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with low‐altitude autonomous imaging of visible bands. We conducted UAV mapping and sampling in intertidal eelgrass beds across multiple sites in Alaska, British Columbia, and California. We designed and implemented a UAV low‐altitude mapping protocol to detect disease prevalence and validated against in situ results. Our analysis revealed that green leaf area index derived from UAV imagery was a strong and significant (inverse) predictor of spatial distribution and severity of wasting disease measured on the ground, especially for regions with extensive disease infection. This study highlights a novel, efficient, and portable method to investigate seagrass disease at landscape scales across geographic regions and conditions.Alternate abstract:Plain Language SummaryDiseases of marine organisms are increasing in many regions worldwide, therefore, efficient time‐series monitoring is critical for understanding the dynamics of disease and examining its progression in time to implement management interventions. In the first study of its kind, we use high‐resolution Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery collected to detect disease at 12 sites across the North‐East Pacific coast of North America spanning 18 degrees of latitude. The low altitude UAV visible‐bands imagery achieved 1.5 cm spatial resolution, and analysis was performed at the seagrass leaf scale based on object‐oriented image analysis. Our findings suggest that drone mapping of coastal plants may substantially increase the scale of disease risk assessments in nearshore habitats and further our understanding of seagrass meadow spatial‐temporal dynamics. These can be scaled up by searching for environmental signals of the pathogen, for example, with surveillance of wastewater for signs of Covid in human populations. This application could easily apply to other areas to construct a high‐resolution monitoring network for seagrass conservation.

Koala conservation in South East Queensland: A grey literature review analysis

This grey literature review documents koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) conservation initiatives applied across 12 local government areas in South East Queensland, Australia. To overcome threats to koalas' survival, the grey literature indicates that local governments in this region focus on wildlife management solutions, wildlife signage, habitat restoration projects and koala awareness campaigns. Despite these measures, land clearing of koala habitat to cater for urban population growth combined with recent bushfires and floods have contributed to the decline of koalas in this region. Recommendations to enhance progress include greater usage of the grey literature in peer review work and further application of social marketing to encourage residents to uptake behaviors that can mitigate threats to koalas, including slowing down when driving in koala zones, participating in citizen science, and leashing dogs when walking in native bush areas. The need for collaborative efforts aimed at conserving the koala from potential extinction is indicated. This paper provides an approach that can be applied to track progress on coordinated efforts to conserve koalas.

Identifying spatial drivers of long-term population growth in three large gull species: the importance of mink farms and urban areas

Population growth generally shows extensive spatial variation within species, but the proximate and ultimate drivers of this variation are often poorly understood. For highly mobile colonial breeders, population growth is expected to be linked to resource availability within a considerable radius of the colony. We analyzed the relationship between population growth over the period 2000– 2020 and resource availability for three large gull species in several hundred colonies in Denmark. Colony growth rates showed strong spatial autocorrelation for Herring Gull Larus argentatus, whereas no such relationship was apparent for the other two species (Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus and Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus). Colony growth rates of Herring Gulls were correlated with relevant proxies of food availability within species-specific foraging ranges, including the extent of urban and subtidal foraging habitats, and the number of mink farms. No such correlations were found for the other two species. The positive relationships of Herring Gull colony growth with the number of mink farms and the extent of built-up area were particularly interesting, as they highlighted the strong dependency of this species on human-associated food sources. Furthermore, Denmark closed all mink farms in late 2020 because of concerns about the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus between farms and between minks and humans, culling approximately 17 million minks. This dramatic change in food availability is expected to have a negative impact on the Danish Herring Gull population, which in recent years has fared better than in the neighboring countries. © 2022 by the author(s).

Urban Cemeteries as Shared Habitats for People and Nature: Reasons for Visit, Comforting Experiences of Nature, and Preferences for Cultural and Natural Features

Cemeteries are globally culturally protected greenspaces in cities that meet different societal needs and often harbor high biodiversity. To harness the potential of cemeteries as urban green infrastructure, stakeholders need to understand why people visit cemeteries and their preferences. We conducted an online survey in Berlin, Germany (n = 627) to understand (i) the reasons for cemetery visits;(ii) preferences for cemetery features;(iii) the effect of a dead tree as a wilderness component on preferences for differently managed green areas (wild, meadows, lawns);(iv) preferences of nature elements as comforting experiences;and (v) how reasons for the visit and sociodemographic variables relate to respondents’ preferences. The major reasons to visit cemeteries were ‘enjoying nature’, ‘mourning’, and ‘historical interest’ and most preferred cemetery features were ‘wildlife‘, ‘solitude’, and ‘vegetation‘. Presenting a dead tree did not modulate preference ratings for green areas that were depicted on photographs. Comforting experiences with nature elements were high overall. The reasons to visit had besides socio-demographic variables predictive potential on pronounced preferences. The results underscore the importance of cemeteries as multidimensional places and indicate tolerance for the inclusion of dead trees as important wildlife habitat. Strategies to develop cemeteries as shared habitats for people and nature should also consider, besides socio-demographic background, the reasons for cemetery visits.

Seasonal space use and habitat selection in magpie geese: implications for reducing human‐wildlife conflicts

Negative interactions between waterbirds and people are increasing. Waterbirds feeding on agricultural crops cause significant losses to farmers worldwide, but so far most research to address these conflicts has been conducted on migratory species in the temperate northern hemisphere. We investigated the space use and habitat selection of the magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata), a taxonomically distinct waterbird endemic to Australia and southern Papua New Guinea. In tropical northern Australia, magpie geese are protected but are increasingly persecuted by farmers to protect crops during the late dry–early wet season (~Sep–Jan), a bottleneck of natural resources for waterbirds in the monsoonal tropics. Using satellite telemetry of 38 geese spread across 3 seasons (2016–2017, 2017–2018, 2018–2019), we evaluated daily and seasonal space use, individual site fidelity, and habitat selection to determine the extent of use of agricultural fields by geese, and the spatiotemporal scales at which management should be undertaken. Geese used relatively small daily areas (x̄ = 8.2 km2) consistently throughout the late dry–early wet season, and repeatedly used agricultural fields, forested bushlands, and local wetlands. Geese used comparatively large seasonal areas (x̄ = 219.5 km2) encompassing several agricultural areas, and had a low mean overlap between successive weekly core activity areas, indicating that site fidelity rapidly weakened over time. These results suggest that farm‐scale (<30 ha) management of geese is unlikely to be effective because hazed individuals are likely to be replaced soon afterwards. Instead, our findings suggest that goose management should be coordinated strategically at the local (~1,000 ha), or regional (~100,000 ha) scale. Farm‐level management would likely be more effective if implemented in conjunction with the creation of regional sanctuaries where geese could rest and potentially feed undisturbed away from farms. Our findings can be used by wildlife managers for optimizing the location of such sanctuaries and highlight the necessity for management to be adaptive given the opportunistic nature of the species. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Wildlife Management is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Mapping of benthic ecosystems: Key to improving the management and sustainability of anchoring practices for ocean-going vessels

A global fleet of more than 48,000 vessels conveys >80% of world trade by volume. Anchor damage to benthic habitats by these vessels, along with the burgeoning cruise ship industry, represents a key threat to benthic biodiversity and ecosystem function. Here, we use vessel positional information (Automated Identification System (AIS) data) to map anchoring activity. We then focus on the important role that high resolution habitat mapping will play in understanding the distribution of habitat types which may be impacted by anchoring activities. Many international ports have high-intensity anchor areas that remain unmapped and thus risks to benthic biodiversity are poorly understood and inadequately managed. We use case studies from an anchorage in south-eastern Australia, major trade routes in the Middle East and the anchoring of cruise vessels in the Caribbean to highlight the important role of habitat mapping in reducing anchoring impacts. We contend that mapping represents an important safeguard against anchoring impacts from unexpected events such as the COVID-related redirection of cruise vessels to anchorages and the blocking of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given grounding. With increasing maritime trade expected over coming decades there is a need to transition toward sustainable anchorage management practices and provide public confidence in stewardship of marine ecosystems by the maritime industry into the future.

We must better protect wildlife to prevent future pandemics

Speed read Wuhan investigation points to wildlife as likely source of COVID-19 Climate change and illegal trade are increasing risk of zoonotic disease transmission Wildlife protection, surveillance of zoonosis are key to early detection of ‘spillover events’ Understanding animal disease is essential if we want to prevent future pandemics, writes Keith Hamilton. [...]deforestation and climate change result in natural habitat loss and push animals, in their search for food or a new home, into human settlements. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the standard-setting organisation for animal health and welfare, champions this approach and is developing guidelines and standards for wildlife trade which support animal welfare and biodiversity conservation.

Q&A: Uganda’s first wildlife vet wants to change world

Speed read Named Champion of the Earth by UNEP Neighbour’s pet monkey sparked interest in primates Works to protect Uganda’s mountain gorillas In Uganda’s forest communities, tension and conflict with wildlife can be common. Hear more about Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka’s amazing adventures with gorillas in this episode of SciDev.Net podcast Africa Science Focus As a zoonotic disease expert, how have you been able to inculcate your research in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure that the animals are safe in their habitats? [...]I wanted to contribute to conservation beyond being a vet, by setting up an NGO [Conservation Through Public Health] that also supports the communities.

The dynamics of the first wave of COVID-19 on environment and wildlife– a boon or a bane?

Even though COVID-19 has drastically weighed upon the humankind, still there is a "silver lining" to see in this dark time. Amidst of this pandemic, most of the human activities were restricted to break the chain of infection which resulted the remarkable change in nature. It has been reported that due to halt in air travel, reduction in the use of fossil fuels, way less functioning of vehicles, shutdown of industries has complied the change in air pollution levels and also change in river water quality. Reports also showed the reduction in particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10), greenhouse gases emissions, massive improvement in the Air quality index (AQI), reduction in the NOX and SOX's levelhas clearly stipulated that nature has got it's time to "revive". Even the global carbon emission has reported to reduced reluctantly which is expected to be the biggest such drop since World War II. Despite conducting water-cleansing projects and spending a lot of money, the situation of the water bodies were far better now during first lockdown. Moreover, migration and breeding of the birds and animals have been reported to be restored to normal pattern due to depletion in man-animal conflict. Apart from the positive, negative impacts on the nature are also being experienced. Our review work is highlighting such impacts witnessed during the first wave of COVID-19, like, the significant improvement in air and water quality, reduction in environmental noise, therefore an in turn cleaner and quieter habitat for the wildlife to mate and also to quench their curiosities by their surprising excursions;but there are also some negative aspects as well, like reduction in recycling and the increase in waste, increased poaching and even lone shuttering of zoo animals.

Effect of agroforestry on community wellbeing in Kyannamukaaka Sub County, Masaka

Community wellbeing is dependent on agroforestry, which provides social, economic, health and ecological benefits for man, and has proved essential in the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper purposely examines the effect of agroforestry on community wellbeing with a focus on the benefits of tree-crop interactions on community's wellbeing, and limitations to adoption of tree-crop interactions in Kyanamukaaka Sub County. The paper employs a cross-sectional survey design using qualitative data collection approaches. The paper targets 35 farmers from which 32 practicing in tree-crop interactions were determined by Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table. Respondents were purposely selected and participated in the study. Data was collected through interview, observation and documentary review. Later, it was organized, transcribed and triangulated to develop themes for interpretation, analysis and discussion. Results indicate that tree-crop interactions offer socioeconomic [food (96.9%), local herbs (100%), fodder (52.6%), raw material (62.5%), firewood and income (90.6%), employment (37.5%) and ecological (conserves soil fertility and moisture conservation (50%)), controls soil erosion runoff (59.4%), protect soil health (28.1%) and act as habitats organisms (34.4%)] benefits. Furthermore, other themes included;climate change (84.4%), land size and ownership (90.6%), inadequate competences (50%) anthropocentrism (56.2%), poor quality and high costs of farm inputs (96.9%) and diseases (93.7%) as limitations to adoption of tree-crop interactions. The paper concludes that tree-crop interactions were of benefit to the community. However, observations show that some households had no trees while the others cut trees unsustainably on their farmlands. Therefore, to increase adoption of tree-crop interactions and diversity, Kyannamukaaka Sub County and Masaka District should create awareness and build farmers' capacity in climate change resilience, underground forestry management, tree growing and energy efficient technologies.

A global perspective on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on freshwater fish biodiversity. (Special Issue: Conservation and ecological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The COVID-19 global pandemic and resulting effects on the economy and society (e.g., sheltering-in-place, alterations in transportation, changes in consumer behaviour, loss of employment) have yielded some benefits and risks to biodiversity. Here, we considered the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced (or may influence) freshwater fish biodiversity (e.g., richness, abundance). In many cases, we could only consider potential impacts using documented examples (often from the media) of likely changes, because anecdotal observations are still emerging and data-driven studies are yet to be completed or even undertaken. We evaluated the potential for the pandemic to either mitigate or amplify widely acknowledged, pre-existing threats to freshwater fish biodiversity (i.e., invasive species, pollution, fragmentation, flow alteration, habitat loss and alteration, climate change, exploitation). Indeed, we identified examples spanning the extremes of positive and negative outcomes for almost all known threats. We also considered the pandemic's impact on freshwater fisheries demand, assessment, research, compliance monitoring, and management interventions (e.g., restoration), with disruptions being experienced in all domains. Importantly, we provide a forward-looking synthesis that considers the potential mechanisms and pathways by which the consequences of the pandemic may positively and negatively impact freshwater fishes over the longer term. We conclude with a candid assessment of the current management and policy responses and the extent to which they ensure freshwater fish populations and biodiversity are conserved for human and aquatic ecosystem benefits in perpetuity.

Assessing Spread and Impacts of Non-native Plants from Highway Corridors in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada

Species invasions are recognized as one of the leading threats to biodiversity globally and have been associated with declines in native species and changes in ecosystem function, disturbance regimes, species community composition and structure, and species interactions. Invasions are often strongly associated with human disturbances and increased propagule pressure. Thus, transportation corridors like roads, which experience ongoing disturbance as well as potentially large numbers of unintentional introductions of non-native plant propagules due to vehicular traffic, are often key pathways for the introduction and spread of non-native species into remote areas. Additionally, spread of non-native plants away from these anthropogenically-disturbed corridors into natural areas, including into natural disturbances in particular, is increasingly being documented. Here, Singer discusses the spread and impact of non-native plants and distinguishes between the different selection factors operating at each stage of the invasion process.

Trees to towers shift: Power lines emerging as a novel habitat for birds in Gujranwala, Pakistan

Power infrastructure (electricity towers, mobile phone towers, transmission lines and wires) is a unique anthropogenic structure in terms of material composition, design and continuity serving as artificial habitat to avian wildlife for roosting and nesting. This study aimed at finding out the diversity, abundance and behaviour of birds using the power structures as artificial habitat in the Gujranwala city area, Pakistan. Field data was collected in Feb-Mar 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns in the city by recording all birds species and nests on power lines along a circular path (~32 km) by dividing into sampling zones. A total of 24 bird species of 16 families were found to be using these structures as roosting and nesting sites. The occupation rate of mobile phone towers is found to be 61%, transmission lines 32%, and electricity towers 1.8%. House crow was the most common species (~20% population) followed by the Black kite (~ 18% population). The spatial distribution pattern of nests on power structures indicated higher concentration in the southwestern area contrary to the highest abundance and diversity in the northwestern area close the urban forest planation. Total 112 nests of 4 species (Black kite, House crow, Common myna and Eurasian collard dove) were present on power lines. Black kite is the most frequent nesting species (>80% of all nests), preferring high structures i.e. transmission lines (99% of all nests) and mobile phone towers (78% of all nests) for making nests. House crow and Common myna make nests on electricity towers at low height. It is found that the area where cutting of trees during the past time period occurred, birds have shifted their nesting habitat from trees to towers (i.e., power structures). Moreover, if habitat destruction continues these power lines will be the new nesting habitat of the birds in the urban area, hence, posing risks to both birds and utility structures. This study also highlighted the importance of strategic plantation in relation to spatial distribution and protection of urban birds.

Street Verge in Transition: A Study of Community Drivers and Local Policy Setting for Urban Greening in Perth, Western Australia

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are regarded as the key policy agenda for national, regional, and local government to combat climate change impacts and promote sustainable development. For example, in Perth and Peel metropolitan area, the capital city of Western Australia, there has been a shift of policy setting from that of a sprawling city to a denser city, while maintaining and promoting its ecosystem services and achieving sustainable city goals. Residential verge gardens have been widely adopted in recent years by communities and local governments in the Perth metropolitan area. This study reviews the motivations and drivers for the uptake of verge gardens in metropolitan suburbs and identifies potential policy responses. The City of Bayswater local government area was surveyed for this research. The study considers a mixed-methods approach, including site auditing and a questionnaire survey for local residents who have transformed their verges. A total of 534 verge gardens were audited on residential lots, and 166 valid questionnaire responses were received from residents. The site-audit of the verge gardens in Bayswater found that native vegetation is the dominant verge garden of choice, followed by the ornamental garden, with food production (plants/vegetables) seeming to be the least popular option. Regarding the motivations and drivers, the study has found that social (e.g., aesthetics, flowers, social interactions, and social mimicry), environmental (e.g., attracting wildlife and birds and environmental practice waterwise garden), and personal (easy maintenance) drivers are the primary motivators for residents to adopt verge gardens. Whilst the on-ground surveys were prior to COVID-19, the article includes how this topic could relate to pandemic-resilient urban spaces. As local governments look towards supporting the sustainable outcome goals, the observations of this study will be helpful for developing local government policy and community programs in the promotion and uptake of verge gardens in Australian cities.

Unmanned Approach for Real Time Monitoring of People Wearing Mask in Pandemic Scenario

The most intelligent species of world, human being, is feared and being affected by the rapid spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). In this time of world level danger, World Health Organization (WHO) came up with few guidelines for protection against the speedy dispersion of coronavirus in human habitat. According to WHO, the most important step to be taken by everyone against COVID-19 is to wear a mask in their routine, whether it would be their home or office. But it is very difficult task to keep an eye people manually. Keeping this in mind, in this paper the emerging technologies in market like deep learning, machine learning and python is used for helping in this stage of country and make a automatic face mask detection that can be used in various public places to avoid spread of the virus. Also this can be integrated with CCTV camera companies for getting report of audience. Our model can detect mask in images as well as in real time video stream. Along with this it is also able to detect multiple facial masks in a single frame. It has wide number of applications in real world, this model can be used in public transport systems, malls, markets and other public areas for detecting face masks and giving alert over a certain limit. Even after everything comes back to normal, society will still use the mask and it became a basic need for us even to fight pollution and other harmful airborne diseases. Therefore, using the technologies and science advancement would be the best for unmanned approach of human health preventions. © 2021 IEEE.

COVID-19: Territorialization, Agriculture and Food, 17 June 2020

The challenge for world agriculture is to continue to increase the production of agricultural commodities while reducing the negative impacts it causes on the environment and biodiversity. However, these impacts are not fundamentally due to excessive productivity of the production systems, but much more to the excessive standardization of the production systems, at all scales, the agricultural plot, the holding, the territories and the regions, which no longer allows: (i) to ensure the coupling of biogeochemical cycles (C, N, P, and water) in space and time between the different agricultural production entities;and (ii) to ensure the connectivity of food webs and habitats necessary for biodiversity. Thus, the spatial separation between plant production and animal production leads to biogeochemical dysfunctions whose global consequences become incompatible with the quality of the environment. Only a reasoned and controlled diversification of agricultural production at the territorial level would make it possible to maintain or even increase the level of agricultural productivity while improving the quality of the environment. This is not a return to the past by forcing each farm to systematically diversify its productions, but to see how to reconnect specialized productions with each other in a territorial framework in order to achieve more optimal management (i) the necessary coupling between the bio-geochemical cycles in order to avoid emissions that deteriorate the quality of the environment, and (ii) the dynamics of biodiversity.

Engineering Like a Bird

In our elementary science methods course, we have integrated hands-on learning experiences that cultivate excitement about teaching science and equip our preservice teachers (PSTs) with a range of activities and teaching strategies that they can readily utilize in their own instruction. In addition, we incorporate opportunities for our PSTs to practice the engineering design process. A Framework for K-12 Science Education calls for engineering design to be elevated to the same level as inquiry in science and recommends that engineering design be frequently incorporated throughout every grade level. This recommendation is reflected in one of the major shifts in the Next Generation Science Standards: incorporating engineering design in the performance expectations for grades K-12. The third-grade unit we introduced to our PSTs applies engineering design to nest building as they explore the intricacies of bird nest designs. The activities offer opportunities for place-based outdoor learning, which has been shown to have a variety of benefits for elementary students.