The objective of the present paper is to use CLIMEX software to project how climate change might impact the future distribution of date palm ('Phoenix dactylifera' L.) in Iran. Although the outputs of this software are only based on the response of a species to climate, the CLIMEX results were refined in the present study using two non-climatic parameters: (a) the location of soils containing suitable physicochemical properties and (b) the spatial distribution of soil types having suitable soil taxonomy for dates, as unsuitable soil types impose problems in air permeability, hydraulic conductivity and root development. Here, two different Global climate models (GCMs), CSIRO-Mk3.0 (CS) and MIROC-H (MR), were employed with the A2 emission scenario to model the potential date palm distribution under current and future climates in Iran for the years 2030, 2050, 2070 and 2100. The results showed that only c. 0.30 of the area identified as suitable by CLIMEX will actually be suitable for date palm cultivation: the rest of the area comprises soil types that are not favourable for date palm cultivation. Moreover, the refined outputs indicate that the total area suitable for date palm cultivation will increase to 31.3 million ha by 2100, compared with 4.8 million ha for current date palm cultivation. The present results also indicate that only heat stress will have an impact on date palm distribution in Iran by 2100, with the areas currently impacted by cold stress diminishing by 2100.

'Lantana camara' L. (lantana) is a major problem globally and has been declared a weed of national significance (WoNS) in Australia due to its significant negative impacts on Australian biodiversity and agriculture. Development of remote sensing techniques and modelling approaches that can map lantana accurately and project its likely future distribution should be useful for formulation of more effective, long-term management plans. The research reported here comprises seven studies based on remote sensing and modelling techniques that should contribute to better mapping and projected modelling of lantana in an era of climate change. Four image fusion techniques, namely Brovey, Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV), Principal Components (PC) and Gram-Schmidt (GS) Spectral Sharpening, were investigated using Quickbird imagery to identify the most effective fusion algorithm for mapping lantana. The results identified GS and PC spectral sharpening techniques as the most effective for this purpose. Brovey transformation and HSV, on the other hand, performed poorly with much lower overall accuracies. Three commonly available satellite images of varying spectral, spatial and radiometric resolutions from Landsat TM, SPOT 5 and Quickbird were assessed for accuracy and cost effectiveness in lantana mapping. The most cost-effective option was provided by Landsat TM with no significant difference in overall accuracies between the three types of imagery.

The synergy created by linking science and literacy has led to a number of initiatives in different countries. In the USA, a curriculum for grades 2-5 (ages 7-11) entitled 'Seeds of Science'/'Roots of Reading' (scienceandliteracy.org), combining science and literacy, was not only an efficient use of time in the school day but also effective in improving pupil outcomes. In experimental studies comparing the performance of pupils following the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading curriculum with that of pupils being taught comparable content through the 'business as usual' curriculum, researchers found that those in Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading classrooms always had higher scores on measures of science conceptual knowledge and vocabulary than the control pupils. In addition, they always performed equivalently or higher than control pupils on measures of science reading comprehension and science writing (Rhodes and Feder, 2014). In Australia, the Federal Government and the Australian Academy of Science have developed a programme entitled 'Primary Connections' (primaryconnections.org.au), aimed at supporting the teaching of science in the primary sector. The programme makes strong and explicit links between science and literacy through the use of word walls, science journals, discussion groups and procedural texts, among a range of other techniques. There are many ways to link or integrate science and literacy and this article reports on an approach used with pre-service primary teachers at an Australian University, specifically the use of science-based texts to introduce science topics to primary pupils.

'Merremia peltata' is a species with uncertain status in the island nations of the Pacific region. It has been designated introduced and invasive in some countries whereas it is considered native in others. Recent increase in its abundance across some island landscapes have led to calls for its designation as an invasive species of environmental concern with biological control being suggested as a control strategy. Climate change will add to the complications of managing this species since changes in climate will influence its range limits. In this study, we develop a process-oriented niche model of 'M. peltata' using CLIMEX to investigate the impacts of climate change on its potential distribution. Information on the climatic requirements of 'M. peltata' and its current geographic distribution were used to calibrate the model. The results indicate that under current climate, 273,132 km2 of the land area in the region is climatically unsuitable or marginal for 'M. peltata' whereas 664,524 km2 is suitable to highly suitable. Under current climate, areas of climatic suitability for 'M. peltata' were identified on the archipelagos of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. By the end of the century, some archipelagos like Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia and Vanuatu will probably become more suitable while PNG and Solomon Islands become less suitable for 'M. peltata'. The results can be used to inform biosecurity planning, management and conservation strategies on islands.

This study set out to model potential date palm distribution under current and future climate scenarios using an emission scenario, in conjunction with two different global climate models (GCMs): CSIRO-Mk3.0 (CS), and MIROC-H (MR), and to refine results based on suitability under four nonclimatic parameters. Areas containing suitable physicochemical soil properties and suitable soil taxonomy, together with land slopes of less than 10° and suitable land uses for date palm ('Phoenix dactylifera') were selected as appropriate refining tools to ensure the CLIMEX results were accurate and robust. Results showed that large regions of Iran are projected as likely to become climatically suitable for date palm cultivation based on the projected scenarios for the years 2030, 2050, 2070, and 2100. The study also showed CLIMEX outputs merit refinement by nonclimatic parameters and that the incremental introduction of each additional parameter decreased the disagreement between GCMs. Furthermore, the study indicated that the least amount of disagreement in terms of areas conducive to date palm cultivation resulted from CS and MR GCMs when the locations of suitable physicochemical soil properties and soil taxonomy were used as refinement tools.

Nature play programs, mostly instigated by early childhood education services, are rapidly expanding across Australia drawing on various international approaches to create uniquely Australian programs. But, as yet Australian research to support this expansion is at best emergent (Christiansen et al. 2018). Through collaboration between a NSW Environmental Education Centre (EEC), nearby preschool/school communities and university researchers a new nature playspace was developed. The participating regional EEC mostly offered environmental education programs for primary school-aged groups and a nature playspace was proposed to align with learning approaches, particularly for younger groups of children aged 3–8 years. The playspace was created in open eucalypt woodland with a grass understorey and locally-sourced natural materials were added including rocks, logs, bones and soil to create play areas such as a dirt hill, balancing logs and a bone sandpit. Our research aim was to explore both children’s and teacher’s perceptions about the nature play affordances in the new playspace, however only children’s responses are reported here. The research was underpinned by Gibson’s theory of affordance (1986), the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF 1989) and a social constructionist epistemology (Guba and Lincoln 2005). Further, Mosaic methodology (Clark and Moss 2001) facilitated data collection both with and by children through walking interviews, focus groups and photography which prioritised their voices. Both preschool and early year’s school groups played on-site weekly over six-weeks and an on-site EEC teacher as Research Assistant (RA/EEC teacher) recorded in a research field journal throughout. This article outlines child-focused research insights that may shape the development of nature playspaces and programs.

Understanding the concept of density is crucial to enabling students to explain the phenomena of floating and sinking. However, density is not an easy concept for students to understand, not least because as Dawkins, Dickerson, McKinney and Butler (2008) state, the use of floating and sinking demonstrations in determining density pays little attention to the idea that many objects do not have uniform density. Obvious examples are air-filled, hollow objects. Dawkins et al. and Roach (2001) have reported on the problems pre-service teachers in the USA encounter with the concept of density, despite it being covered in high school chemistry and physics text books. This article describes a teaching sequence used with preservice primary teachers in Australia that helps them explain floating and sinking by applying the concept of density appropriately. Some of the teaching ideas may also be useful for teaching at the middle school level. The sequence is presented in narrative form rather than as a formal lesson plan.

Australian science curricula have promoted the use of investigations that allow secondary students to engage deeply with the methods of scientific inquiry, through student-directed, open-ended investigations over an extended duration. This study presents the analysis of data relating to the frequency of completion and attitudes towards long investigations from 54 lower secondary school students and 46 secondary school science teachers from five schools in New South Wales. It was concluded that there is limited use of longer investigations that would allow students to develop the integrated set of skills necessary to engage with the full scientific investigative process. While student attitudes towards investigations in general were very positive, the attitudes towards long investigations were markedly more negative, with a lack of enjoyment and interest reported. The necessity for, and scaffolding of, long investigations is discussed.

This research examines the impacts of climate change on the potential future distribution of 'Lantana camara' L., a highly invasive species, in Australia. A process-based niche model of lantana is developed, using CLIMEX software, to estimate its potential distribution. The likely impact of climate change is explored using climate data from two Global Climate Models (GCMs), Echam Mark 3 (ECHAM3) and Hadley Mark 2 (HadCM2). The models are run with high as well as low emission scenarios projected 20 years (2030s) and 50 years (2070s) into the future. Both GCMs show a southward shift in distribution based on the climate data. Suitable areas for 'L. camara' are identified well into the 2070s. Some of these areas coincide with bioregions containing endangered ecological communities which need to be prioritized for management actions. HadCM2 shows a more restricted lantana distribution with most of the continent becoming unsuitable by the 2070s except for some areas of suitability along the eastern coast. ECHAM3 identifies larger parts of the continent, particularly to south-west Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and large parts of the eastern coast as remaining suitable for lantana invasion into the 2070s.

BACKGROUND: The sunn pest, 'Eurygaster integriceps' (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), is an economically significant pest throughout Western Asia and Eastern Europe. This study was conducted to examine the possible risk posed by the influence of climate change on its spread. CLIMEX software was used to model its current global distribution. Future invasion potential was investigated using two global climate models (GCMs), CSIRO-Mk3.0 (CS) and MIROC-H (MR), under A1B and A2 emission scenarios for 2030, 2070 and 2100. RESULTS: Dry to temperate climatic areas favour sunn pests. The potential global range for 'E. integriceps' is expected to extend further polewards between latitudes 60° N and 70° N. Northern Europe and Canada will be at risk of sunn pest invasion as cold stress boundaries recede under the emission scenarios of these models. However, current highly suitable areas, such as South Africa and central Australia, will contract where precipitation is projected to decrease substantially with increased heat stress. CONCLUSION: Estimating the sunn pest's potential geographic distribution and detecting its climatic limits can provide useful information for management strategies and allow biosecurity authorities to plan ahead and reduce the expected harmful economic consequences by identifying the new areas for pest invasion.