What is an allergic reaction?  And how might wood smoke cause it?(Hayley)

An allergic reaction according to the medical dictionary is ‘A local or generalized reaction of an organism to internal or external contact with a specific allergen to which the organism has been previously sensitized.’ Allergies can include such things as animal fur, dust, food types and penicillin to name a few.

An allergic reaction can occur when through exposure to antigens enter the body through the mouth, noes, eyes or even through the skin. The immune system mistakes the harmless allergens as threats and the process of phagocytosis begins. The T cells produce proteins (antibodies) specific to the allergens. Antibodies then attach to the other immune cells causing them to be more sensitive to this particular allergen. The immune cells attack and histamine is produced causing the physiological effects such as redness swelling, sores, itching and sneezing. The worst type of an allergic reaction is anaphylaxis. This is where the allergic reaction causes the tongue to swell and the wind pipe to constrict causing difficulty breathing this can be treated with an epi-pen containing adrenaline which can be a lifesaver.

Wood smoke is made up of carbon monoxide, benzene and sulphur dioxide to name but a few. This wood smoke effects up to 2% of the population causing them to have an allergic reaction. The allergic reaction Is actually caused by chemicals called quinones which are produced to protect the tree from fungi and predators. These quinones bind to skin proteins and because they are foreign to the body they are then attacked by the immune system causing the symptoms above.

Not the are you at risk of allergies from wood smoke but the tiny particulate matter 1/20^th the size of a raindrop is most harmful especially within young children and the elderly. Inhaling these particles into the lungs increases the likelihood of respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis reducing life expectancy.

Sources Used

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bOgdvV-_M

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Allergies/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

http://burningissues.org/pdfs/WoodSmBroharris.pdf

Is high biodiversity always the best thing?

“Biodiversity within particular populations and habitats may be very important for their continued success and survival in the face of both competition and disease.” (Thomas, P. and Packham, J. 2007)

High biodiversity is beneficial within habitats and also for humans. I will talk about a couple of examples.

In a habitat, high biodiversity can allow species to survive diseases, because if there is a lot of variation in the genetic make-up of a species in a habitat, and the area is affected by disease, the genetic diversity gives at least some of the specimens a chance to survive and reproduce. Therefore, the level of biodiversity in a habitat can depend on the history of the area.

Another advantage of a high level of biodiversity it that it is likely that all niches in the habitat will be filled, thus reducing the chance of an invasive alien species filling a niche and destabilising the environment through introducing new pests, and competing for food, space and sunlight. Sometimes, different species in a habitat can form symbiotic relationships, resulting in benefits for both species and consequently the habitat can be more stable.

High biodiversity is also an advantage for humans and society. Humans have an enormous variety of uses for plant and animal resources.

It is widely known that there are many species that are yet to be discovered, which may, for example, provide a breakthrough in treatment of an illness that as yet we have no cure for. If there was a reduction in biodiversity, the balance of environments may be disrupted, resulting in species changing, or dying out in a particular area.  A loss in high biodiversity would negatively impact society as it may result in the loss of resources, medicines, food and nutrition, whether directly or indirectly.

From this I have concluded that a high level of biodiversity is a good thing!

I found these resources useful when thinking about biodiversity:

http://www.who.int/globalchange/ecosystems/biodiversity/en/index.html

http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/veg_measure/Modules/Lessons/Module%207/7_2_Biodiversity.htm

Thomas, P. and Packham, J. (2007) Ecology of Woodlands and Forests. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

(Zoe)

A Day in the Woods with Year 2 Red Class (Hayley)

Before the day in the forest began I was a little bit nervous I was unsure of how being outside would change the way the children behaved as the setting was unusual to them. I was also unsure about what level I was going to be expected to try and teach the children at because I have never worked within a year two class. However, I was extremely excited about getting the chance to put all that we had learned with in the forest into practice and to ensure every child had a fantastic day.



The day started in the brilliant sunshine and with a magical entrance from the Reeve explaining the challenges the day would bring. My nerves were settled almost at once after meeting the class they were all fabulous. Immediately, I could see the excitement in the children’s eyes as they set off on the fairy trail which led them straight to the fire circle. Here I helped with the dying activity by supervising the group crushing berries. Next, they all had to write words to help them later with telling their own stories. During this activity I noticed a little boy was very withdrawn. After sitting down next to him I discovered he was not a confident writer, in order to stop him feeling left out I encouraged him to describe to me some words then asked if he would like to draw them instead.



Throughout the day I also helped out with some shelter building which the kids loved. It gave them the freedom to create their own little dens choosing their own materials so they could eat their lunches inside. It was great to see all of the parents getting involved in some cases I wasn’t sure who was having more fun them or the children. I also helped the children at the end of the day to create their own little fires this was important to ensure the children were all kept safe.



Jess and I chose to show the children how they could cook cakes in orange skins to lead them into talking about irreversible and reversible changes. This was completely different to our original plan which was to cook eggs within the oranges but one of our class mates told us how she had done it with cakes in brownies and we thought the children would enjoy this activity more any might actually taste them. To get the children talking about chemical changes we first asked the children what they thought was in the cake mixture. The next step was to ask them after we had heated the mixture on the fire. Most of the children were able to say that they wouldn’t be able to get the original materials back and some were able to tell me why we used certain ingredients such as self-raising flour to help the cake rise. I also tried to give them examples of things that were reversible such as water to ice but the seamed to find this harder to understand.



Our activity was extremely hands on we asked the children to scrape the insides of the oranges out. Whilst some children really enjoyed getting messy and pulling the insides out others did not. We took a mixed group of boys and girls, which worked really well as the boys helped out the girls with the messy bit that they didn’t want to do. They then mixed up the cake mix and poured it into the orange skins which were then placed on a baking tray onto the fire.



During our activity we did have a few problems some of which we were able to address along the way. The 1^st problem that we noticed was we were filling the orange skins too much so the cakes were rising and spilling out onto the tray. We also notices some of the cakes were still soggy after coming off the fire, this was addressed by ensuring the last group to scoop out their oranges took all of the insides out leaving no residue. Looking back on the activity we needed a practice run ourselves so we could have addressed these problems earlier. I also noticed some of the children found scooping out the oranges hard it may have been an idea to first cut round the orange skins to make it simpler for them. I would not have pre-scooped the oranges to as the children really enjoyed the chance to get messy. Overall, I feel our activity went well as all the children appeared to have fun and learn a little about the science behind the irreversible changes occurring in front of their eyes. I would definitely take classes out for a day of science in the woods again!

The Importance of Indicator Species

Indicator Species

The presence, absence or relative abundance of indicator species reflects environmental conditions; therefore they can be used as a management tool for early warning signs of disruptions to a habitat or ecosystem. Whilst mapping can give an indication of changes in a habitat or ecosystem, observing indicator species can show the impact of these changes over time.

Examples of Indicator Species

In certain wetlands, wood frogs depend on vernal pools, which are free of predators yet are becoming increasingly threatened by changes such as pollution, deforestation and even climate change. Studying these frogs allows scientist to know the health of the wetland ecosystems. If the frogs’ population dwindles, then it is a sign that the health of this wetland ecosystem is suffering, and the scientists can then study the pools further to prevent damage to it.

Other good indicator species include alpine flowers, which offer clues about changing conditions on high peaks; they are at great risk from climate change because they are rare flowers with restricted ranges of where they can grow. By observing when they flower and how long they flower for, scientist can use the species’ life cycles to see if they are beginning to ‘exhibit biological shifts’ (Wroth, 2011). If these shifts are occurring, this could mean that the environment on these high peaks is changing and this change is affecting its ecosystems.

Another example of an indicator species is lichens. Lichens grow in exposed places such as rocks or bark and are very sensitive to sulphur dioxide. They receive their nutrients from the rain water there by absorbing water; therefore air pollutants dissolved in rain water can be very damaging for lichens. If sulphur dioxide is in the air, then lichens could be less abundant or absent from areas where they are normally found. This can suggest to scientists that there is an air pollution problem in that area.

Air pollution is similar to water pollution; many aquatic invertebrate animals cannot survive in polluted waters, so their absence provides scientists with information on how polluted the water is.

Support

To support the study of indicator species, in 1997 Alfaro and Singh discovered that the abundance of invertebrates in a forest canopy is higher in forests which have not been damaged. Therefore, invertebrates are good indicators for showing the health of a forest.

Conclusion

In summary, indicator species is a species or group of species which suggest the health of a habitat or ecosystem; by observing this species, other species which share its ecosystem, those which are also affected by the same threats, or even the ecosystem itself, could be protected for the future.

Emma Barkley, 16^th April

All Accessed 16^th April:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/flagship-species.html

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Indicator_species

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2011/features/indicator-species-in-the-northeast.cfm

http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/indicator.html

http://paypalku.hubpages.com/hub/The-importance-of-role-of-insects-as-indicator-species

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRfdDE6scWA

The impacts of climate change on the South East of England

Climate change is a largely debated issue that is threatening to cause widespread problems across the world. In my earlier blog entry, I briefly mentioned how climate change could impact possible woodland management strategies. But I failed to note how climate change will actually affect the Southern areas of England and what this will mean for woodlands like Seeley Copse, the areas and people surrounding the woodlands.

The BBC state that in the South East of England, on average the temperature will rise 2C by the 2050’s. This will have risen a further 1C 30 years later. However it is not just the heat that will increase but also the rainfall and sea levels will rise, attributed to the melting ice caps. The Climate Research Unit estimate global sea levels will rise between 12cm and 67cm by 2050, possibly causing some areas of the South East to become submerged in water. This problem is further amplified by the fact that the South East of the country is sinking while the North West is rising due to isostatic readjust.

These changes will have many different consequences.

PLANTS and TREES

Overall fifteen per cent of the South East is wooded, this is England’s most wooded region. However with the imminent climate change it is possible this may not be the case in the future.

Scientist believe that the beech tree is likely to be one of the highest risks as the tree’s shallow roots grow on what is normally light, free-draining soil, thus making the tree particularly vulnerable to drought, gales and storms. As a result it is predicted that the beech tree line will recede North and West in line with the temperature changes.

Competition is also likely to occur between different species. This is shown with the oak and the ash when it comes to the first leafing. Oak comes into leaf around 4 days earlier than the ash per every 1C rise in temperature, therefore giving the oak an advantage. With possible future temperature changes it is had to predict the future composition of our woodland.

The change in temperatures will mean that many new plant species will now be able to grow in the South East of England. In gardens more exotic plants and trees may now be found. It is predicted by 2050 that many plants such as delphiniums and lupins could be replaced by pomegranates, citrus fruits and apricots.

Plants will also be affected by the changes in climate as early springs will cause trees and plants to come into life and flower earlier. This may leave less time for the plants to gather energy from the sun for photosynthesis if the trees provide shelter. There will also become an increase in competition for space and light, between traditional spring plants and those that are able to survive harsher conditions.

CROPS and FOOD

The changes in temperatures will alter the types of crops and farming that occurs in the South of England. Two thirds of land is farmed with traditional crops including potatoes, apples and strawberries. The temperature increases could result in the current crops moving northwards with more suited temperatures and the South East growing different crops such as figs, soya and even olives. The fruits found in the region would change with peaches and nectarines soon becoming the norm.

Fishermen will also be changing their catch, soon being able to catch more exotic fish such as mullet, anchovies and even sharks becoming more common in our waters. This will be due to the temperature increase in the seas surrounding the UK.

ANIMALS and INSECTS

The warmer temperatures would cause a wide variety of different insects and pests to thrive that currently cannot. An example worrying many farmers is the Colorado beetle which would cause widespread destruction. A long list of pests may become a problem including; cockroaches, fleas, mites, bloodsucking ticks, scorpions, poisonous spiders and even possibly malaria carrying mosquitoes.

The predicted climate change is putting biodiversity at risk. In the past ten years the number on the governments list of at risk species has doubled from 577 in 1997 to 1,149 in 2007.

On this list a fifth of the UK’s most familiar birds can be found. The future climate changes could put these birds at risk further due to the loss of their natural habitats, breeding habitats and food supply. This may lead to some bird species being lost from the South East and new birds may colonise from Europe.

Added to this list in 2007 was the hedgehog, grass snake and harvest mouse. It is predicted that with future changes the hedgehog may have become extinct by 2025. This will be due to hibernation patterns becoming disrupted and a slug, one of its main food supplies, shortage all caused by the hot dry summers.

Some species will have their life cycles disrupted due to the changes; this will be even more disastrous for species that tend to breed once a year. An example of this already happening is frogspawn. In South East England they are often found even before Christmas and January. This early spawning is caused by the mild weather found in current winters. However problems arise when normal temperatures appear and the water freezes, causing the frogs to have to wait another year in order to breed successfully.

WATER SUPPLIES

Flooding is a major threat posed by climate change this will affect many of the low lying areas of the South of England causing widespread problems for thousands of homes and businesses and industrial areas.

Despite the flooding water is likely to become scarce as the demand is expected to rise by eleven per cent in the next twenty years and as a result water will become expensive. This will cause hosepipe bans to be put into place permanently.

However not all the impacts may be negative. With the increase in temperatures  the Mediterranean is likely to decline as a holiday destination and the South East of England may now become a more suitable alternative with August temperatures predicted to be over 30C. This will bring in large amounts of money for the area if it becomes a tourist hotspot and will increase business. It is also likely to reduce carbon emissions with people moving across the UK rather than using air travel causing airport expansion.

Many of the impacts mentioned to appear to be negative ones, especially for our current wildlife and insect population. However these impacts are not definite outcomes, only predictions currently. Although their may be negative effects there may also be unforeseen benefits with the new climate, and new species may provide benefits that will outweigh the negatives. Until climate change actually occurs it is not possible to say for definite how things will be altered.

Lauren Harden

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1015796.stm

http://www.climatechangeandme.net/pages/south_east.html

http://www.climatechangeandme.net/data/files/tomorrows_england_south_east_full_report.pdf

Forest Schools with Year 2: My Day (Jess.S)

The day started bright and early; luckily the weather was in our favour as we loaded the minibus with all the equipment for the day.


Activities for the day started as son as we got there through unloading the minibus, getting our boxes and finding which fire our activities were based at. Myself and Beth were leading the activity on making charcoal - Beth was absent this day but I had help from some of the others who were free for that time slot.


Before activities started I headed over the to car-park with some of the others to meet the children as they departed their coach. The children were all given name stickers to help us when we were leading the activities, then sorted into their groups for the day. Myself and the rest of the 'greeting group' split up so there were a few of us with each group as we headed to the start of the trail where Lauren and Harriet started the days tasks with some decoding.


When the fire safety talk had been given by Duncan - including where to walk and how to kneel while next to the fire. It was time for myself and others to continue with the activities of the day. So we took two of the groups up to another fire circle so we could make some charcoal.


At the beginning of the activity, the children were really enthusiastic and excited about what they would be doing and about where they have seen charcoal be used before. All of the children enjoyed stripping the bark off their pieces of wood; getting ready to turn it into some charcoal they could take away with them.


Once all the stick had been put in the tin and onto the fire, the children had to write down words about the fire and their surroundings. A lot of the children drew pictures to help them with this activity. After a while they started to get bored, which wasn't good - when we planned the lesson we hoped that the charcoal would have been done and so there wouldn't have been time for them to get bored.


To improve this activity in the future I would plan a game or something for the children to play once they had finished with the words and pictures so that they wouldn't be as bored. Apart from that one point, I feel that the activity was successful and the children enjoyed stripping their sticks and drawing the pictures.


At lunchtime I also went with Lauren C to collect any children who wanted to make cakes with Jess or popcorn with Zoe.


I think the whole day was a great success and really showed me how much children can learn even outside of the classroom, and how much they like to  get stuck in with activities - especially if it includes getting their faces covered in charcoal and giving me a charcoal beard!

My day in the woods with the Year 2 Class

The day in the forest with the Year 2 class was such a great experience! It gave me opportunity to really look at the benefits of forest schooling and how different it is to your usual classroom.

The day gave me opportunity to show pupil’s how to make cupcakes in orange skins, and begin to talk about irreversible change. The original plan was to make eggs in the skin but then soon figured we needed something which would really interest the children! We were aiming to touch upon key ideas of irreversible change and how it works; we had to take into consideration the children’s age and therefore the pitching of the content of the teaching. The way we approached this was to ask children their thoughts on cooking, and compared how baking a cake means that you wouldn’t be able to get the mixture back. However melting ice is a reversible change and tried to take this approach to give them something to apply the ideas to. We asked the children to have a very hand on approach to the activity ensuring that they were always engaged. They scooped the insides out of the oranges and made the cake mixture, pouring it into the orange skins. Then Richard put the oranges onto the fire to bake, at the end of their day children were allowed to take one if they so wished.

On the other hand although the activity was successful it did have its faults, ideally we would have more time and space to conduct the activity in. We could have also perhaps pre scooped out the oranges as this was not key to the learning objective of the activity and was quite time consuming, messy and difficult for some of the pupils. Maybe a practise run ourselves may have told us this but time was not permitting, however I do feel the activity was overall a success as the pupils enjoyed themselves!

Jess Tracey.