Discrete time models, one linear and one non-linear, are investigated, both with a herbivore species that consumes a basal food source species. Results are presented for coexistence of the species and to illustrate chaotic behaviour as parameters are varied in the non-linear model. The results indicate the benefit of fertilization in terms of the…

Interactions between plants, soil, and herbivores can shape plant community dynamics and ecosystem processes. My research addresses gaps in understanding of plant-soil-herbivore interactions in urban woodlands and how to improve critical thinking and literacy about urban woodland ecology through community-engaged learning. I employed greenhouse…

Herbivores are important to ecosystems because they transfer energy stored in plant matter to other organisms. However, when herbivores occur in high abundances, they can become pests and harm the plants that form the basis of food webs. Mangroves are saltwater tolerant trees found along most tropical and subtropical shorelines. Because mangroves…

Plants encounter several different threats that affect their well-being during the spring. With chemistry, plants may defend themselves from, for example, excess UV-radiation and herbivores. The defense compounds between plant species vary, which makes it possible to utilize chemistry in identifying the plant species. In this laboratory…

From the beginning of the September 2020 school year, in an effort to engage children in school life again after a lengthy absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca Towner-Yates' school has adopted a 'quest' approach to learning. The concept has its roots firmly embedded in Dorothy Heathcote's 'Mantle of the Expert' (MoE) (Heathcote and…

Human negativity toward arthropods has been well documented but the factors that contribute to this negativity have been elusive. This study explored knowledge of arthropod carnivory and herbivory as possible casual factors that contribute to the negative tendencies preservice elementary teachers have toward most arthropods. Specifically, this…

Plants and insects share a long evolutionary history characterized by relationships that affect individual, population, and community dynamics. Plant-herbivore interactions are a prominent feature of this evolutionary history; it is by plant-herbivore interactions that energy is transferred from primary producers to the rest of the food web. Not…

Most students think animals are more interesting than plants as a study topic believing that plants are inferior to animals because they are passive and unable to respond to external challenges, particularly biological invaders such as microorganisms and insect herbivores. The purpose of this study was to develop an inquiry-based learning unit,…

Human physiology textbooks tend to limit their discussion of colonic functions to those of absorbing water and electrolytes and storing waste material. However, the colon is a highly active metabolic organ, containing an exceedingly complex society of microbes. By means of fermentation, gastrointestinal microbes break down nutrients that cannot be…

The case presented in this article is an exploration of the process of natural selection using white clover ("Trifolium repens") as an example. In general, two forms of white clover can be found around the world in various habitats. One type has plain green leaves and the other type produces cyanide as a defense against herbivores and…

The authors have developed a lesson to investigate basic principles of ecology, more specifically niche partitioning, while using a jigsaw activity that explores galling insects' interactions with goldenrods. Not only does this lesson capture secondary students' interest and keeps them engaged in hands-on activities, the content addresses two…

A technique to measure the potency of leaf compounds against herbivores with the use of a bioassay is described. Bioassays are useful in classes where students have career plans like medicine in which bioassays can be used as tools for screening plants for possible medicinal potency.

Described is a laboratory study designed to demonstrate loss of vegetation, alterations in the species composition of a community, and the impoverishment of a community with respect to desirable food plant species when herbivore feeding exceeds the rate of vegetation regrowth. The laboratory uses a classroom aquarium. (CW)

Discusses the current theories concerning the evolution of insect-plant relationships. Offers several experiments based on recent publications in this field, concerning relationships between herbivore number and plants' successional status, geographical range, geological history, and stage of growth, and also experiments on the chemical basis of…

Several hands-on whole science activities help elementary students learn about animals' diets and how they affect other animals. One activity involves identifying animals as carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Another has students construct food chains. Two across-the-curriculum ideas involve naming carnivores and preparing imaginary menus for…