The extent of semi‐natural grassland has diminished considerably across lowland landscapes of England and Wales during the second half of the twentieth century. Locating, describing and evaluating the dwindling cover has been a major challenge for conservationists. A concentrated vegetation survey effort at grassland sites has been mounted within different parts of Britain since the late 1970s. Plant community recognition has benefited considerably from the development of the contemporary National Vegetation Classification, and its widespread adoption permits national inventory of comparable vegetation data.
Findings of a range of surveys (ninety‐eight in total), undertaken between 1978 and 1996 in England and Wales covering different forms of unimproved lowland grassland, are collated and reviewed. Vegetation data were abstracted from internally published survey reports. Calcicolous and neutral grasslands have been covered more thoroughly than acidic and wet or marshy grasslands. Cover data are summarized at community level. Overall estimates from survey results indicate that there are some 27 500–40 000 ha of calcicolous grassland, 7500–15 000 ha of unimproved neutral pasture and hay meadow, 8000–15 000 ha of acidic grassland and 9000–17 500 ha of wet grassland in lowland England and Wales; these represent only 1–2% of the cover of permanent lowland grassland. Some communities have additional representation in heathlands, mires and upland environments.
Although they require further refinement, the cover data for individual communities provide a context for assessing priorities in site‐based and agri‐environment conservation programmes. It is concluded that, as well as arresting further depletion, it will be necessary to restore and expand lowland grassland habitats to counteract the negative impacts of fragmentation and isolation of various community types, such as the Centaureo–Cynosuretum, which is widely but thinly distributed. Habitat rehabilitation schemes also need to assimilate local patterns of community diversity characteristic of both wet and dry grasslands. It is suggested that reversal of the recent successional trends that followed relaxation of grazing at certain sites might produce a more appropriate balance in the relative cover of coarse tall grasslands and fine short turf. Vegetation surveys provide a source of spatial data for identifying local aggregations of semi‐natural grassland remnants.
BackgroundPhysical inactivity has been deemed a significant, contributing factor to childhood overweight and obesity. In recent years, many school systems removed recess and/or physical education from their curriculum due to growing pressure to increase academic scores. With the vast majority of children’s time spent in school, alternative strategies to re-introduce physical activity back into schools are necessary. A creative yet underutilized solution to engage children in physical activity may be in before-school programs. The objective of the proposed study is to examine the effect of an unstructured, moderate to vigorous, before-school physical activity program on academic performance, classroom behavior, emotions, and other health related measures.Methods/DesignChildren in 3rd–5th grade will participate in a before-school (7:30–8:15 a.m.), physical activity program for 12 weeks, 3 days a week. Children will be able to choose their preferred activity and asked to sustain physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity with individual heart rate monitored during each session.DiscussionThe proposed study explores an innovative method of engaging and increasing physical activity in children. The results of this study will provide evidence to support the feasibility of an unstructured, moderate to vigorous, before-school physical activity program in children and provide insight regarding the ideal physical activity intensity and duration necessary to achieve a positive increase in academic performance.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01505244
in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) in the College of Engineering at UGA. Dr. Sochacka's research interests include systems thinking, diversity, STEAM (STEM + Art) education, and the role of empathy in engineering education and practice. Her work has been recognized through multiple best paper awards and keynote presentations at international and national conferences and workshops. Mr. Christian Michael Culloty, University of Georgia I am a 3rd Year Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate at the University of Georgia. I am with the Honors College, and I have worked under Dr. Nicola Sochacka as a Student Assistant as of Spring 2019.
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