Virtual School of Biodiversity

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**Virtual School News ....

The VSB successfully completes Phase 1
The end of the first five years of the VSB project would seem be a good time to look back and reflect on this uniquely innovative attempt to apply new technologies to the challenge of biodiversity education at university level. Read the update by Dr Gray Williams of The University of Hong Kong.

VSB runs joint course for the second time

Following the highly successful in-depth evaluation of the learning experiences in both Nottingham and Hong Kong last session, the joint undergraduate course is now running for the second time. The course in both institutions has been modified in the light of the evaluations. April 2002

The VSB wins two awards

The University of Hong Kong has just announced that The Virtual School of Biodiversity has won a First Place Award in the University's IT in Education Awards Contest. The Certificate reads: "Best Web-based or IT-enhanced learning initiative". The VSB is also pleased to announce that its Director has been honoured by the award of a prestigious Lord Dearing Award for Teaching Excellence by The University of Nottingham. June 2001

The VSB's 'Learning Environment' initiative takes another step forward

Technical collaborators involved in the development of the VSB's 'next generation' virtual learning environment are converging on Hong Kong this month for an intensive period of co-operative design and development. This XML-based work was strongly represented recently at the annual World Wide Web Consortium Conference, held this year in Hong Kong. June 2001

Joint Biodiversity course ends with publication of group reports and encouraging evaluation results

The joint biodiversity course involving interaction and collaboration between Nottingham and Hong Students (see launch news below) has just been completed successfully. The Group Reports, compiled co-operatively by students in both institutions, are now accessible from the Learning Support Centre's 'Update' page. Although the 'in depth' evaluation conducted during the course is still being analysed, early indications are encouraging. The same is true of the examination results. June 2001

The Virtual School links up with IBOY 2001-2002

The Virtual School of Biodivrsity is now formally associated with the International Biodiversity Observation Year 2001-2002 (IBOY) programme as a 'satellite project'. The project was launched to "focus attention on biodiversity".

In the project's own words: "The Earth's biodiversity is a capital resource that provides vital ecosystem services, goods such as food, fuel, fiber and medicines, and the aesthetic, recreational and cultural riches associated with nature ... Alarmingly, this biological diversity is being lost across the planet ... Some experts predict that up to two-thirds of all plant and animal species may be lost by the end of this century.

"Biologists generally believe that these losses represent a threat to Earth system functioning and the well-being of human societies. A concerted effort is required to focus attention on biodiversity." Click the logo to visit IBOY's web site. February 2001

Joint Biodiversity course launched!

This week, the Virtual School of Biodiversity launched its first experiment in collaborative teaching, with the simultaneous launch in The University of Hong Kong and The University of Nottingham of a joint course on the subject of biodiversity. All the staff involved wish it well, and look forward to supporting many weeks of productive cross-institutional collaboration among our students. (February 1, 2001)

The Nottingham half of the class and their staff waving a greating to their counterparts in the University of Hong Kong (see below)!

The Hong Kong half of the class and their staff returning the greeting to their fellow students in The University of Nottingham (see above)!

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR MEMBERS!

In a month's time, our new joint course on Biodiversity will be launched. Good luck to all involved!

(January 3rd 2001)

Visit to Nottingham - Course Planning

Dr Gray Williams, VSB Project manager in Hong Kong, visited Nottingham this month to finalise plans for the joint course on Biodiversity. This course will be develivered simultaneously in both institutions in February 2001. Nottingham and Hong Kong staff also gave a joint 'warm-up' seminar to Nottingham students about the Biodiversity module and its various innovative features.

(November, 2000)

Visit to Hong Kong - Field Course

Dr Kevin Caley from the Nottingham VSB team visited Hong Kong this month to assist the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity with the delivery of their First Year Environmental Biology Field Course. During the visit Kevin also gave a talk to students about the jointly run technology-based Biodiversity course that will be available to students in both partner institutions during the Spring Semester.

(October, 2000)

Visit to Nottingham - Course Planning

Dr Gray Williams, Dr Benny Chan and Dennis Tong from the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity in Hong Kong visited Nottingham this month for preliminary planning discussions on the forthcoming joint course on Biodiversity to be delivered in the Spring Semester 2001.

(August, 2000)

International Lawyers Contribute to VSB

Experts on international environmental legislation from Nottingham's School of Law are producing a series of documents specifically for the VSB to help biology undergraduates studying biodiversity to become more deeply acquainted with the major international treaties governing environmental and wildlife protection. When complete, these documents will be made available on this web site.

(April 2000)

Learning Support Centres

Both institutional partners in the VSB project have implemented customised online Learning Support Centres on the Web in support of their teaching programmes, using the same project-designed interface and site structure. Virtual School members can access these support centres via the 'Local Centres' section of this site.

(March 2000)

Joint VSB Course to Start in February 2001

Collaborative teaching under the auspices of the VSB between the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity at The University of Hong Kong and the School of Life & Environmental Sciences at The University of Nottingham is scheduled to start in October 2000. The initial pilot programme will have two main components: (i) a common pool of optional dissertation titles, which will enable students in both institutions to study topics and disciplines hitherto unavailable locally; and (ii) a technology- mediated module on the subject of Biodiversity, which will run simultaneously in both universities and require in Nottingham and Hong Kong students to work together collaboratively in cross-institutional teams. Each team will produce a detailed report on a topic of global importance, and the reports will be published on the VSB web site.

(February 2000)

XML Virtual Learning Environment Update

The VSB has established a multi-disciplinary Special Interest Group to advise it on the development of a 'new generation' virtual learning environment for use on the World Wide Web to succeed the tried and tested Windows learning environment developed by IBiS nearly a decade ago, known as the 'Scholar's Desktop'. The new environment (called 'WHURLE') will be developed in XML, will build on the established strengths of the Scholar's Desktop, and will incorporate leading edge pedagogical features such as 'adaptation', the ability to adapt operationally to the needs of the learner by playing to his/her strengths and weaknesses.

(January 2000)

Courseware Development

Drs Gray Williams and Benny Chan from the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity at HKU visited Nottingham for a few weeks in November / December 1999 to work with IBiS staff in the School of Biological Sciences at Nottingham on product development and project management issues.

(January 2000)

Co-operative Teaching

Following the announcement by Hong Kong's University Grants Committee of an award to the Virtual School project (see below), a number of co-operative teaching developments have been initiated, starting with the participation of staff from The University of Nottingham in an MSc course and a First Year Biology Field Course at the University of Hong Kong. Web-based cross-institutional communication between courses running simultaneously in the two universities is via the Virtual School web site is expected to start informally in 2000 and formally in 2001.

(December 1999)

5th Hong Kong Web Symposium

The Director of the Virtual School of Biodiversity, Dr Peter Davies, has been invited to give a keynote address at the 5th Hong Kong Web Symposium in early October 1999. The theme of the symposium is 'e-Education: Challenges and Opportunities'. Dr Davies' paper is entitled: 'The Virtual School of Biodiversity: Towards a Model for Quality Assured Distributed Learning'.

(September, 1999)

VSB Project Wins Two Year Grant

After a successful year long pilot project, the Virtual School of Biodiversity has been awarded a two year development grant by Hong Kong's UGC, with additional support from The University of Hong Kong and The University of Nottingham

(August, 1999)

VSB Presence at Tertiary Education Expo

Postgraduate students from the department of Ecology and Biodiversity demonstrating material from the Virtual School of Biodiversity to school children and dignitaries at the Tertiary Education EXPO, March 9-14th. In this picture Yanna, Welcome Ho and Olive Lee (out of picture) demonstrate material from the new Fungi Unit.

Virtual School Formally Launched in HKU

The Virtual School of Biodiversity was formally launched at The University of Hong Kong on Monday 2nd of November by Professor Sir Colin Campbell (front, right), Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, and Professor YC Cheng (front left), Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong.

The launch was attended by three HKU PVCs, Professor John Hodgkiss (rear, left) and members of his staff from the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, Professor Craig Blurton from HKUs Center for the Advancement of University Teaching, several representatives of the Hong Kong Press Corps, and three members of the School of Biological Sciences at Nottingham - Dr Peter Davies (rear, right), Dr Will Trewhella and Dr Kevin J. Caley. The ceremony included an unveiling of the Virtual School's new Web site and a demonstration of some of the multimedia teaching and learning materials being developed jointly by Nottingham's IBiS learning Technology Group and Hong Kong's Department of Ecology and Biodiversity.

Virtual School Appointments Announced

Personnel from both universities have recently agreed to take on key responsibilities within the Virtual School: Dr Will Trewhella (Nottingham, Project Manager), Dr Kevin Caley (Media Co-ordinator), and Dr Gray Williams (Technical Director, Hong Kong). Professor John Hodgkiss has kindly agreed to chair the Management Group in Hong Kong, Professor Peter Ford the Management Group in Nottingham. Dr Peter Davies is Director of the Virtual School Project.

Visiting Fellowship in Nottingham for HKU's

Dr Williams

Dr Gray Williams from the Department of Ecology and Biodiversity in HKU spent two weeks in August 1998 as a Visiting Fellow in Nottingham Universitys School of Biological Sciences working with the IBiS Learning Technology Group on a new interactive courseware module on algae.

Biodiversity News ....

Illegal logging in Indonesia 'threatens bio-diverse forest'

"Environmental groups are warning that an Indonesian rainforest with a record number of plant species could be destroyed within four years, if bans on logging are not enforced. The groups say the Tesso Nilo tropical forest on the island of Sumatra is just one of a number of rainforests under threat of destruction from illegal logging." (BBC, 11.02.02)

UN moves to curb bio-piracy
"A United Nations conference has agreed new measures to prevent so-called bio-piracy, the use of wild plants by international companies to develop products such as medicines without rewarding the countries from which they are taken." (BBC, 17.04.02)

New Smithsonian Report

The Smithsonian Institution has recently released a new publication entitled Biodiversity: Connecting with the Tapestry of Life. The report is available online at the Smithsonian MAB site. June 2001

Strange fruit: GM trees raise new crop of concerns

"While the spread of genetically modified crops has raised concerns around the world, research into biotech trees has increased exponentially in the last few years, with little monitoring, according to separate reports by the World Wildlife Fund and the American Lands Alliance."

FULL STORY (ENN, 28.12.00)

State of the Planet (BBC)

In November 2000, the BBC broadcast its long awaited, three part TV series presented by Sir David Attenborough and concerned with analysing the current state of the world in environmental terms. The series is now over, but has its own web site, where the analysis and discussion continue. [State of the Planet web site]

Living Planet Report 2000 (WWF)

WWF has now published its third annual report on the state of the planet, introducing this year an assessment based in part on a new concept that has emerged recently from researchers at the University of British Columbia. This is the concept of 'ecological footprint', which attempts to quantify the demands individuals and populations make on the resources of the planet, from the perspective of both 'consumption' and 'waste disposal'. It makes sombre reading. The report can be downloaded from the WWF web site (http://panda.org/livingplanet/lpr00/) and a full rationale of its underlying concept can be found in Wackernage, M & Rees, W (1996) Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers.

(December, 2000)

Reith Lectures 2000 (BBC)

"In a change to tradition, the 2000 BBC Lectures will have one theme - Sustainable Development - but will be delivered by five different thinkers, each eminent in a different field. At the end of the run, the Prince of Wales will present his own views on the topic in a roundtable discussion with all five lecturers." (BBC) Among the speakers are Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, and Dr Tom Lovejoy, Chief Biodiversity Adviser to the World Bank. For more details, visit the BBC's Reith 2000 web site. The lectures will be recorded in March and April, and the first of them will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 20.00 on April 12, and on the BBC World Service at 08.05, 11.05, 17.05 and 19.05 GMT on April 16.

The return of the Siberian Mammoth

"An international team of scientists is trying to clone a mammoth from DNA taken from a frozen specimen. Whether or not the species is resurrected, important scientific progress has been made. Many scientists doubt, however, that DNA recovered from the mammoth will be complete enough to guarantee successful cloning." (Environmental News Network, 10.02.00)

Primates in Peril

"A century has passed since the last documented extinction of a primate, but at least 25 species of apes, monkeys, lemurs and other primates are at risk of extinction within the next two decades, according to a report issued January 10 by Conservation International and the World Conservation Union." (National Geographic News, 12.01.00)

Gene transfer in a lobster: the solution to pollution?

"Thomas Chen of the University of Connecticut has completed the first successful gene transfer in a crustacean. He says genetic engineering could someday breed lobsters better equipped to ward off pollution and disease. Critics of biotechnology call the crayfish experiment "evolutional roulette."" (ENN, 12.01.00)

Oldest vertebrate fossils found (in China)

The earliest known fish fossils, discovered in China this year, pushes the evolution of vertebrates back 50 million years, according to a November 4 article in Nature. (Nat Geog News, 08.11.99)

The loss of biodiversity

Three scientists from Stanford University, USA, have calculated that up to 1800 genetically distinct populations are lost every hour (16 million annually) in tropical forests alone! (Source: Science, 24 October 1997).

The importance of ecotones

New research suggests that conservation efforts should be directed towards ecotones - the areas along the fringes of rainforests where trees give way to savannahs - because the forces generating new species and increasing biodiversity may lie in those areas. (Source: International Zoo News, 1997, 44 (7), 425-426.

Birds are dinosaurs!

Fossils recently discovered in China are throwing new light on the origins of the birds. Two small therapsid dinosaur fossils have been recently described from the Lianoning province of China. These two fossils - Protoarchaeopteryx and Caudipteryx - clearly have feathers but just as clearly were not birds. Neither were they able to fly.

These new fossils reveal probable stages in the evolution of the birds from ground living bipedal dinosaurs. They are clearly more primitive than the first known bird, Archaeopteryx.

References:
Padian, K (1998) When is a bird not a bird? Nature, 393: 729-730.
Qiang, J, Currie, PJ, Novell, MA & Shu-An, J (1998) two feathered dinosaurs from northeastern China. Nature, 393: 753-761.

Regional News ....

Australia sets standards for sustainable land use

In 1989, two men went to Australia’s Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke and asked for several hundred million dollars over 10 years to address the chronic decline in Australia’s land and waterways. Hawke said yes on the spot. “Damn!” said one of the solicitors as they left the prime minister’s Office. “I knew we should have asked for a billion. The two men represented leading farm and environmental lobby groups.

FULL STORY (ENN, 29.12.00)

China sees population peak at 1.6 billion in 50 years

"China said on Tuesday it expects to cap its population at 1.6 billion people in 2050, and credited its one-child policy for dramatically improving the quality of life in the world's biggest nation. But a policy white paper on population and development said the economy still faced a daunting challenge coping with a net annual increase of 10 million people over the next decade."

FULL STORY (ENN, 19.12.00)

Ford gives environmental grants to six Chinese projects

"Six outstanding environmental protection projects in China received Conservation and Environmental Grants today from Ford Motor Company. The projects share a total prize worth one million yuan (US$120,000). Included in the awards list are an anti-poaching drive to protect Tibetan antelope in unmonitored areas of northwestern Qinghai Province and the Chinese children's Earth Village in Beijing. Tree-planter Li Rong, the Pony Pupil Reporting Group, a conservation program to protect a rare monkey and a wetlands project in Weining County of southwestern Guizhou Province also received awards."

FULL STORY (ENN, 14.12.00)

Climate Change Conference

The Climate Change conference that took place in the Hague, Holland, between the 13-24th November 2000 ended in chaos, without significant agreement on the major issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is bad news for anyone taking global warming seriously, but particularly bad news for those whose livelihoods and futures all over the world are threatened by climatic changes due to global warming. See the following informative news reports from the BBC: Living with Climate Change (10.11.00), Massive Pollution Cuts Needed (11.11.00), and Climate Talks End in Failure (BBC - In Depth).

BP under fire for Tibet pipeline scheme

"A broad coalition of environmental and human rights groups turned up the heat on British oil giant BP Amoco today over its investment in a Chinese oil firm building a pipeline on traditional Tibetan land. The coalition of 54 groups, including Friends of the Earth, the Sierra Club, movie star Richard Gere and Adam Yauch of the rock band Beastie Boys, urged BP Amoco to use its influence to halt construction of the pipe through Qinghai province."

FULL STORY (ENN, 08.12.00)

Orangutans Edging Closer to Brink of Extinction

"Willie Smits is a man on a mission. He has just completed a cross-country speaking tour in the United States, and he has one message: It’s now or never when it comes to orangutan conservation. A forestry scientist from the Netherlands, Smits emigrated to Indonesia 20 years ago to help the country grow trees. Today he runs the world’s largest orangutan rehabilitation center and is in the forefront of a campaign to save the species in the wild."

FULL STORY (Nat Geog, 24.10.00)

Hong Kong gasps for clean air (ENN, 15.05.00)

"Hong Kong's air quality, or lack of it, is forcing schools to keep children inside, long-term residents to leave and others to shun the city. 'A lot of my patients are very concerned about the well-being of their families,' said general practitioner Brian Walker, who recently surveyed his patients on the issue ...

FULL STORY (ENN, 15.05.00)

Coelacanths found in SE Asia!

***

A coelacanth from the Comoros Islands (P.F.Reason)

The coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) has been described as a ‘living fossil’. These fish, which are related to the early ancestors of the modern tetrapods, were only known from fossil records. Then, about 60 years ago, one was caught off South Africa. Subsequent searches for these fish established that they lived only in the waters around the Comoros Islands, in the Mozambique Cannel, near Madagascar.

In 1988 a coelacanth was caught in nets off Sulawesi, Indonesia and another specimen was seen in a fish market in the previous year. This provides strong evidence for an established Inonesian population of coelacanth 10,000 km away from the Comoros Islands. Initial examination suggest these fish are the same species.

References:
Forey, P (1998) A home from home for coleacanths. Nature, 395: 319-320.
Erdmann, MV, Caldwell, RL & Kasim Moosa, M (1998) Indonesian ‘king of the sea’ discovered. Nature, 395: 335.

Hong Kong wetland pollution

***

A large discharge of sewage into Inner Deep Bay in Hong Kong’s Mai Po wetlands in 1996 is thought to have caused widespread mortality of marine organisms. The pollution is still having an effect two years after the event.

Reference:
Brief notes section of Oryx, 32 (4): 256-257, citing Marine Pollution Bulletin 36 (5): 320.

Dam projects left high and dry

As a consequence of Malaysia's financial difficulties, several large dam projects have been postponed indefinitely by the Prime Minister. This prohibition includes the highly controversial Bakun Dam in Sarawak. (Source: World Watch, 1997, 10 (6), 9).

Indonesian fires threaten orang-utans

Smouldering forest fires in Indonesia are still seriously threatening the survival of many rare and protected animal species in East Kalimantan's Kutai National Park. Particular concern has been expressed about the fate of a local population of Orang utans. (Source: The Associated Press on Gorilla Line - gorilla@olympus.net).

Please send comments to:
peter.davies@nottingham.ac.uk

The News Media for Science

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BBC Science News

ABC Science News

CNN Interactive(Nat)

Environmental News Network (ENN)

National Geographic News

ABC News Archive (Biosciences)

News from around the world
***
Deliberate fires set Africa ablaze
An African wildlife expert says fires started deliberately in remote areas [are] ... putting severe strain on entire ecosystems.
(BBC, 10.05.02)

Greens slam biodiversity shambles
A programme aimed at protecting the future of the world's forests ... has been dismissed by environmental groups as little more than the setting up of yet another "talking shop".
(BBC, 19.04.02)

Madagascar biodiversity threatened
Southern Madagascar's spiny forest is like a fantasy land, the driest, wildest and most startling of the island's unique ecosystems.
(BBC, 16.01.02)

Right Whales Get Boost from U.S. Navy
(Nat Geog, 03.01.01)

Pollution threatens Hong Kong's rare pink dolphin
(ENN, 29.12.00)

Endangered turtles go high-tech in Hong Kong
(ENN, 23.12.00)

Whale meat of banned species sold in Japan
(ENN, 18.12.00)

Climate model shows dual cause
(BBC, 14.12.00)

Global warming trend stronger than had been thought
(UniSci, 14.12.00)

The first Global Climate Summit of the new millenium
(13-24 Nov 2000)

EU set to fail on cutting emissions
(WWF, 17.10.00)

Poaching for elephant tusks alarms Africa anew
(Chicago Tribune, 10.04.00)

Limited sea rises expected
(BBC, 11.02.00)

UNEP issues policy paper on forests
(ENN, 10.02.00)

Insect science faces a wobbly future
(ENN, 09.02.00)