Impacts of atrazine in aquatic ecosystems

A portion of all herbicides applied to forests, croplands, road sides, and gardens are inevitably lost to water bodies either directly through runoff or indirectly by leaching through groundwater into ephemeral streams and lakes. Once in the aquatic environment, herbicides may cause stress within aquatic communities and radically alter community structure. Atrazine is one of the most effective and inexpensive herbicides in the world and is consequently used more frequently than any other herbicide. Atrazine is frequently detected in aquatic waters, and has been known to affect reproduction of aquatic flora and fauna, which in turn impacts on the community structure as a whole. This paper presents a summary of the reported direct and indirect impacts of atrazine on aquatic organisms and community structure. The information can be used for developing improved management guidelines and legislation. It is concluded that a single universal maximum limit on the atrazine application in catchments, as suggested by many regulatory authorities, does not provide adequate protection of the aquatic environment. Rather, it is advocated that flexible limits on the application of atrazine be developed in line with the potential risk of contamination to surface and subsurface water and fragility of the aquatic environment.

Observations of the ecological impacts of Sambar Cervus unicolor in East Gippsland, Victoria, with reference to destruction of rainforest communities

Damage caused by Sambar, particularly browsing, antler rubbing and physical removal of particular plant species, is resulting in serious ecological consequences. Threatening processes instigated or maintained by Sambar include: loss of individual taxa, altered vegetation structure and massive
widespread removal and prevention of regeneration, which is now resulting in the loss of plant communities in some areas. These observations are particularly disturbing, as it is apparent that Sambar are yet to reach their full ecological and population potential in south-eastern Australia. The destruction documented ill this article is now so widespread and so severe that in places it represents an ecological disaster for specific plant and animal species, ecological vegetation classes and floristic communities. We strongly recommend that Sambar in particular, and feral deer in general. should no longer be protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 so that control methods can be devised and implemented. It now appears that such measures will he essential for the long-term survival of some fragile plant species and communities in Victoria. (Title: Victorian Naturalist 122(4) 2005, 189-200

Human Health Impacts of Contaminants Found in Local Drinking Water Supply

Many contaminants are currently unregulated by the government and do not have a set limit, known as the Maximum Contaminant Level, which is dictated by cost and the best available treatment technology. The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, on the other hand, is based solely upon health considerations and is non-enforceable. In addition to being naturally occurring, contaminants may enter drinking water supplies through industrial sources, agricultural practices, urban pollution, sprawl, and water treatment byproducts. Exposure to these contaminants is not limited to ingestion and can also occur through dermal absorption and inhalation in the shower. Health risks for the general public include skin damage, increased risk of cancer, circulatory problems, and multiple toxicities. At low levels, these contaminants generally are not harmful in our drinking water. However, children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to the health risks associated with these contaminants. Vulnerable peoples should take additional precautions with drinking water. This research project was conducted in order to learn more about our local drinking water and to characterize our exposure to contaminants. We hope to increase public awareness of water quality issues by educating the local residents about their drinking water in order to promote public health and minimize exposure to some of the contaminants contained within public water supplies.

Online interaction impacts on learning: teaching the teachers to teach online

This paper explores the importance of interaction in the online teaching environment and the important role of staff development in developing teacher presence online. Professionally developing staff to use information and communication technologies is viewed from the standpoint of diffusion of innovation, moving from early adopters to mainstream majority, and targeting staff development at this latter group. Approaches to staff development using information and communication technologies are described, and recommendations for staff development for online teaching are made.

Evidence of high-skilled VET practitioners and high-performing VET organisations : findings from an evaluation of the long-term impacts of Framing the Future projects conducted in 1999-2000

Framing the Future is a major staff development initiative of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), designed to support the implementation of the National Training Framework (NTF). Since 1997 over 20,000 vocational education and training (VET) practitioners have participated in the program. The program was renamed Reframing the Future in 2001.

This study reports on research conducted on the long-term impacts of projects funded by Framing the Future in 1999 and 2000. John Mitchell and Sarah Wood from John Mitchell & Associates conducted the research from May 2000–May 2001.

Using twenty four case studies and the results of interviews and an extensive survey, the report provides evidence of high-skilled VET practitioners and high-performing VET organisations who ensure that their involvement in Framing the Future projects leads to long-term gains, particularly in support of the implementation of the NTF.

Exploring the cultural and social impacts on the requirements engineering processes-highlighting some problems challenging virtual team relationships with clients

Abstract:

Requirements engineering is a crucial phase in software development. Software development in a virtual domain adds another dimension to the process of requirements engineering. There has been growing interest in virtual teams, and more specifically in virtual software development. While structured software development methods are the obvious first choice for project managers to ensure a virtual software development team remains on track, the social and cultural aspects of requirements engineering cannot be ignored. These social aspects are especially important across different cultures, and have been shown to affect the success of an information system. The discussion in this paper is centred around the requirements engineering processes of a virtual team in a Thai Software House. This paper explains the issues and challenges of requirements engineering in a virtual domain from a social and cultural perspective. Project managers need to encourage a balance between structured methods and social aspects in requirements engineering for virtual team members. Cultural and social aspects influence the relationship between the virtual team and the client.

Surviving suppression : no detectable impacts of Class A foam on soil invertebrates and some Australian native plants

Firefighting foams (Class A foams) are an effective and widespread firefighting tool which are frequently used in environmentally sensitive areas. Firefighting foams are known to be ecologically damaging in aquatic environments, however their impacts at the plant species or ecosystem level are relatively unknown. Reports of shoot damage to plants, suppressed flowering, and changes in plant community composition suggested that the ecological damage caused by their use may be unacceptable. However, applications of foam to seedlings of some Australian plant species from representative and widespread families, showed no detectable impacts on a range of vegetative growth characteristics. Application of 1.0% foam to heathland soils showed no detectable impacts on soil invertebrate Orders sampled over several months. The results are encouraging for the continued use of Class A foam as a fire suppression technique.