Kindergarten Children’s Perception about the Ecological Roles of Living Organisms

Claudia Melis,Børge Moe,Kathrine Bjørgen,Anna Maria Billing,Per-Arvid Wold

doi:10.3390/su12229565

Abstract

Young children will inherit the biosphere; therefore, it is crucial that they recognize the importance of all living organisms based on their intrinsic value and ecosystem function, not only on their “cuteness”. However, children’s knowledge about the interdependence among organisms has been little investigated. We interviewed 56 kindergarten children (5–6 years old) in Norway. The aim of the study was to investigate their perception of the importance for nature of six organisms, representing different trophic levels of food webs (producers, consumers, decomposers) and providing different ecosystem services (production, decomposition, and pollination). There was no difference in ranking between sexes or between ordinary and farm-based kindergartens. Bumblebees and earthworms were perceived as the most important organisms, followed by squirrel, trees, and wolf. None of the children recognized the ecological role of mushrooms. Our results show that, although upon completing kindergarten many children had gained an early understanding of the role of different organisms in nature, they missed the importance of plants and fungi. Kindergarten children’s “fungi blindness” might reflect a neglect of the public for this extremely important, diverse, and dominating taxon. We should therefore put more emphasis in raising awareness about the interdependence among trophic levels in food webs.

Highlights

Biodiversity loss driven by human activities is unethical because it ignores the intrinsic value of species and ecosystems [6], but is affecting ecosystem services and, in turn, human well-being [5]
In the American study, the public was more positive towards taxa with aesthetic value or practical value, almost 70% of adults agreed with the statement “Insects visiting flowers are unnecessary in modern fruit farming” [65]
The kindergarten children interviewed in our study showed an early understanding of the role of different organisms in nature and were able of rather sophisticated thinking about ecosystem functioning

Summary

Introduction

According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), up to 1 million plant and animal species could face extinction, many in the time span of few decades, because of human activities, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss [2] These modifications in local and global biodiversity are a consequence of the current socioeconomic model based on growth and the global shift of traditional diets towards diets richer in refined sugars, refined fats, oils, and meats [3,4]. Biodiversity loss driven by human activities is unethical because it ignores the intrinsic value of species and ecosystems [6], but is affecting ecosystem services and, in turn, human well-being [5]

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Conclusion