Comments on 'The Dyslexia Ecosystem':A reply to Nicolson

The central issue facing the dyslexia community, and the underlying theme of Nicolson's 'The Dyslexia Ecosystem' (Nicolson, 2002, Dyslexia, 8, 55-66), is how we can best translate what we know about this particular developmental disorder into practice to give each child the greatest opportunity of acquiring the enabling skill of literacy. To achieve this, and notwithstanding Nicolson's caveat on this point, we have to consider how we can best move from our sphere of expertise to a greater sphere of influence, both as individuals and as a community of research practitioners. In our response, we first consider aspects of Nicolson's general analysis of 'The Dyslexia Ecosystem' and then examine some of the specific objectives that have been proposed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Creative thinking experimentations for entrepreneurship with a disruptive, personalised and mobile game-based learning ecosystem

Based on an unprecedented need of stimulating creative capacities towards entrepreneurship to university students and young researchers, this paper introduces and analyses a smart learning ecosystem for encouraging teaching and learning on creative thinking as a distinct feature to be taught and learnt in universities. The paper introduces a mashed-up authoring architecture for designing lesson-plans and games with visual learning mechanics for creativity learning. The design process is facilitated by creativity pathways discerned across components. Participatory learning, networking and capacity building is a key aspect of the architecture, extending the learning experience and context from the classroom to outdoor (co-authoring of creative pathways by students, teachers and real-world entrepreneurs) and personal spaces. We anticipate that the smart learning ecosystem will be empirically evaluated and validated in future iterations for exploring the benefits of using games for enhancing creative mindsets, unlocking the imagination that lies within, practiced and transferred to multiple academic tribes and territories.

Borrowing services from nature. Methodologies to evaluate ecosystem services focusing on Hungarian case studies.

In modern societies, humans are largely managing the world's natu­ral resources as if they were limitless. ln fact, even the so-called renewable resources require time tor renewal once they have been used. This kind of human attitude puts pressure on Earth's ecosystems at an unprecedented scale. In order to reverse the recent trend, policies shall tackle the roots of the problems and the drivers behind them must be addressed in order to reduce the pressure on ecosystems, including the overuse of natural resources and ecological space. This publication aims to show good examples tor evaluating natural values and tor showing possible environmental and social impacts of various policies. Considering carefully the examples presented in this publication could play fundamental role in proper decision making that considers environmental and overall sustainability aspects.

Simulations of Theoretical Ecosystem Growth Model (TEGM) during various climate conditions

Climate change has a great impact on the build and the work of natural ecosystems. Disappearance of some population or growth of the number in some species can be already caused by little change in temperature. A Theoretical Ecosystem Growth Model was investigated in order to examine the effects of various climate patterns on the ecological equilibrium. The answers of the ecosystems which are given to the climate change could be described by means of global climate modelling and dynamic vegetation models. The examination of the operation of the ecosystems is only possible in huge centres on supercomputers because of the number and the complexity of the calculation. The number of the calculation could be decreased to the level of a PC by considering the temperature and the reproduction during the modelling of a theoretical ecosystem and several important theoretical questions could be answered.

The effect of the reproductivity's velocity on the biodiversity of a theoretical ecosystem

Climate change has a great impact on the build and the work of natural ecosystems. Disappearance of some population or growth of the number in some species can be already caused by little change in temperature. A Theoretical Ecosystem Growth Model was investigated in order to examine the effects of various climate patterns on the ecological equilibrium. This paper examines the diversity of a theoretical ecosystem on the grounds of changing in temperature-climate patterns. Simulations were made from the simplest case to the more complex exercise to explain harder questions. Daily temperature values were calculated according to various functions. The effect of existing climate patterns (historical or future daily temperatures) was analysed where temperature values were from various climatic zones. In this paper it is examined what kind of environmental conditions result larger diversity related to the velocity of reproduction.

Short-term changes in phosphorus storage in an oligotrophic Everglades wetland ecosystem receiving experimental nutrient enrichment

Natural, unenriched Everglades wetlands are known to be limited by phosphorus (P) and responsive to P enrichment. However, whole-ecosystem evaluations of experimental P additions are rare in Everglades or other wetlands. We tested the response of the Everglades wetland ecosystem to continuous, low-level additions of P (0, 5, 15, and 30 μg L−1 above ambient) in replicate, 100 m flow-through flumes located in unenriched Everglades National Park. After the first six months of dosing, the concentration and standing stock of phosphorus increased in the surface water, periphyton, and flocculent detrital layer, but not in the soil or macrophytes. Of the ecosystem components measured, total P concentration increased the most in the floating periphyton mat (30 μg L−1: mean = 1916 μg P g−1, control: mean = 149 μg P g−1), while the flocculent detrital layer stored most of the accumulated P (30 μg L−1: mean = 1.732 g P m−2, control: mean = 0.769 g P m−2). Significant short-term responses of P concentration and standing stock were observed primarily in the high dose (30 μg L−1 above ambient) treatment. In addition, the biomass and estimated P standing stock of aquatic consumers increased in the 30 and 5 μg L−1 treatments. Alterations in P concentration and standing stock occurred only at the upstream ends of the flumes nearest to the point source of added nutrient. The total amount of P stored by the ecosystem within the flume increased with P dosing, although the ecosystem in the flumes retained only a small proportion of the P added over the first six months. These results indicate that oligotrophic Everglades wetlands respond rapidly to short-term, low-level P enrichment, and the initial response is most noticeable in the periphyton and flocculent detrital layer.

Towards the formation of a sustainable South Florida: An analysis of conflict resolution and consensus building in the South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Initiative

This dissertation examines the sociological process of conflict resolution and consensus building in South Florida Everglades Ecosystem Restoration through what I define as a Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG). The process of conflict resolution can be summarized as the participation of interested and affected parties (stakeholders) in a forum of negotiation. I study the case of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF) that was established to reduce social conflict. Such conflict originated from environmental disputes about the Everglades and was manifested in the form of gridlock among regulatory (government) agencies, Indian tribes, as well as agricultural, environmental conservationist and urban development interests. The purpose of the participatory forum is to reduce conflicts of interest and to achieve consensus, with the ultimate goal of restoration of the original Everglades ecosystem, while cultivating the economic and cultural bases of the communities in the area. Further, the forum aim to formulate consensus through envisioning a common sustainable community by providing means to achieve a balance between human and natural systems. ^ Data were gathered using participant observation and document analysis techniques to conduct a theoretically based analysis of the role of the Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG). I use conflict resolution theory, environmental conflict theory, stakeholder analysis, systems theory, differentiation and social change theory, and strategic management and planning theory. ^ The purpose of this study is to substantiate the role of the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF) as a consortium of organizations in an effort to resolve conflict rather than an ethnographic study of this organization. Environmental restoration of the Everglades is a vehicle for recognizing the significance of a Network Management Coordinative Interstitial Group (NetMIG), namely the Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida (GCSSF), as a structural mechanism for stakeholder participation in the process of social conflict resolution through the creation of new cultural paradigms for a sustainable community. ^

Phosphorus enrichment effects on interactions among the ecosystem components in a long-hydroperiod oligotrophic marsh in Everglades National Park

Hydrology and a history of oligotrophy unite the massive landscape comprising freshwater marsh in Everglades National Park. With restoration of water flow to the Everglades, phosphorus (P) enrichment, both from agricultural and domestic sources, may increase nutrient load to the marsh ecosystem. Previous research of P enrichment of Everglades soil, periphyton, and macrophytes revealed each of these ecosystem components responds to increased P loads with increased production and nutrient content. Interactions among these ecosystem components and how P affects the magnitude and direction of interaction are poorly understood and are the focus of my research. Here I present results of a two-year, two-factor experiment of P enrichment and manipulation in Everglades National Park. I quantified biomass, nutrient content, and production for periphyton and macrophyes and found macrophyte removal drives change in nutrient content, biomass, and production of periphyton. Periphyton removal did not appear to control macrophyte dynamics. Soil chemical and physical characteristics were explained primarily by site differences but there was an enrichment effect of soil porewater nitrite + nitrate, nitrite, and soluble reactive phosphorus. Flocculent materials production and depth were significantly affected by macrophyte removal where depth and production were significantly greater with the no macrophyte treatment. The dominant macrophyte of the marsh, Eleocharis cellulosa, increased more in the unenriched marsh than in the enriched marsh. The combination of these findings suggests that dynamics in floc and periphyton are controlled primarily by the presence of periphyton and that this relationship is significantly affected by low-level P enrichment. These results may be valuable in their application to both managers and policy makers who are involved in the Everglades restoration process. ^

Ecosystem responses to hydrologic change and mechanisms of nitrogen sequestration in seasonally flooded tree islands of the southern Everglades

In the Florida Everglades, tree islands are conspicuous heterogeneous elements in a complex wetland landscape. I investigated the effects of increased freshwater flow in southern Everglades seasonally flooded tree islands, and characterized biogeochemical interactions among tree islands and the marsh landscape matrix, specifically examining hydrologic flows of nitrogen (N), and landscape N sequestration capacity. I utilized ecological trajectories of key ecosystem variables to differentiate effects of increased sheetflow and hydroperiod. I utilized stable isotope analyses and nutrient content of tree island ecosystem components to test the hypothesis that key processes in tree island nitrogen cycling would favor ecosystem N sequestration. I combined estimates of tree island ecosystem N standing stocks and fluxes, soil and litter N transformation rates, and hydrologic inputs of N to quantify the net sequestration of N by a seasonally flooded tree island. ^ Results show that increased freshwater flow to seasonally flooded tree islands promoted ecosystem oligotrophy, whereas reduced flows allowed some plant species to cycle P less efficiently. As oligotrophy is a defining parameter of Everglades wetlands, and likely promotes belowground production and peat development, reintroducing freshwater flow from an upstream canal had a favorable effect on ecosystem dynamics of tree islands in the study area. Important factors influencing the stable isotopic composition of nitrogen and carbon were: (1) a contribution to soil N by soil invertebrates, animal excrement, and microbes, (2) a possible NO3 source from an upstream canal and an "open" ecosystem N cycle, and (3) greater availability of phosphorus in tree islands relative to the marsh landscape, suggesting that tree island N cycling favors N sequestration. Hydrologic sources of N were dominated by surface water loads of NO3- and NH 4+, and an important soil N transformation promoting the net loss of surface water DIN was nitrate immobilization associated with soils and surficial leaf litter. The net inorganic N sequestration capacity of a seasonally flooded tree island was 50 g yr-1 m -2. Thus, tree islands likely have an important function in landscape sequestration of inorganic N, and may reduce significant anthropogenic N loads to downstream coastal systems. ^

Assessing the sources, quantities, and trends on human waste contamination along protected south Florida ecosystem: A chemical tracer based study

The common occurrence of human derived contaminants like pharmaceuticals, steroids and hormones in surface waters has raised the awareness of the role played by the release of treated or untreated sewage in the water quality along sensitive coastal ecosystems. South Florida is home to many important protected environments ranging from wetlands to coral reefs which are in close proximity to large metropolitan cities. Since large portions of South Florida and most of the Florida Keys population are not served by modern sewage treatment plants and rely heavily on the use of inefficient septic systems; a comprehensive survey of selected human waste contamination markers is needed in these areas to assess water quality with respect to non-traditional micro-constituents. ^ This study reports the development and application of new sensitive and selective analytical methods for the fast screening of multiple wastewater tracers, classified as Emergent Pollutants of Concern (EPOC). Novel methods for the trace analysis of non-traditional markers of human-specific contamination such as aminopropanone were developed and used to assess the potential of non-traditional markers as wastewater tracers. ^ During our investigation, surface water samples collected from near shore environments along the South Florida were analyzed for fifteen hormones and steroids, and five commonly detected pharmaceuticals. The compounds most frequently detected were: coprostanol, cholesterol, estrone, β-estradiol, caffeine, triclosan and DEET. Concentrations of caffeine, bisphenol A and DEET were usually higher and more prevalent than the hormonal steroids. In general, it was found that common pharmaceuticals and steroids are widely present in major coastal environments in South Florida. It is also evident that aquatic bodies in heavily urbanized sectors such as the Miami River and Key Largo Harbor contain higher concentrations of several compounds while relatively open bay waters and agricultural areas show reduced chemical signatures. Concentrations of hormones in the Little Venice area of Marathon Key were above the Lowest Observable Effect Levels (LOELs) for several species, indicating that biological resources in this area are at risk. Water quality issues in some of these coastal water environments go beyond eutrophication, thus EPOC should be the target goal for future mitigation projects. ^

Arctic ecosystem responses to changes in water availability and warming: Short and long-term responses

Arctic soils store close to 14% of the global soil carbon. Most of arctic carbon is stored below ground in the permafrost. With climate warming the decomposition of the soil carbon could represent a significant positive feedback to global greenhouse warming. Recent evidence has shown that the temperature of the Arctic is already increasing, and this change is associated mostly with anthropogenic activities. Warmer soils will contribute to permafrost degradation and accelerate organic matter decay and thus increase the flux of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Temperature and water availability are also important drivers of ecosystem performance, but effects can be complex and in opposition. Temperature and moisture changes can affect ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross primary productivity (GPP) independently; an increase in the net ecosystem exchange can be a result of either a decrease in ER or an increase in GPP. Therefore, understanding the effects of changes in ecosystem water and temperature on the carbon flux components becomes key to predicting the responses of the Arctic to climate change. The overall goal of this work was to determine the response of arctic systems to simulated climate change scenarios with simultaneous changes in temperature and moisture. A temperature and hydrological manipulation in a naturally-drained lakebed was used to assess the short-term effect of changes in water and temperature on the carbon cycle. Also, as part of International Tundra Experiment Network (ITEX), I determined the long-term effect of warming on the carbon cycle in a natural hydrological gradient established in the mid 90's. I found that the carbon balance is highly sensitive to short-term changes in water table and warming. However, over longer time periods, hydrological and temperature changed soil biophysical properties, nutrient cycles, and other ecosystem structural and functional components that down regulated GPP and ER, especially in wet areas.