Field Notebook Research Articles

Synonymy and its Discontents: Alfred Russel Wallace's Nomenclatural Proposals from the ‘Species Notebook’ of 1855–1859

Abstract. Alfred Russel Wallace made fundamental contributions to biogeography and the establishment of evolutionary thinking. He was also a working collector who spent a total of twelve years traveling in Amazonia and southeast Asia, his immense collections yielding hundreds of new species. Wallace was, accordingly, intimately familiar with the diversity of species and varieties, and was attuned to fine shades of morphological difference in a geographical context. In identifying, preparing, labelling and cataloguing his myriad specimens Wallace often confronted nomenclatural issues, foremost among them keeping track of taxonomic synonyms. In the absence of internationally recognized codes of taxonomic nomenclature, synonyms proliferated in the 19th century. In Wallace's ‘Species Notebook,’ the most important of his field notebooks kept between 1855 and 1859 during his travels in southeast Asia, Wallace devoted several pages to addressing synonymy and related issues. I discuss Wallace's far-ranging propos...

Política de Saúde do Trabalhador: revisitando o caso do Centro de Referência em Saúde do Trabalhador de Campinas

INTRODUÇÃO: O Centro de Referência Regional em Saúde do Trabalhador (Cerest) de Campinas nasceu em 1986 como demanda sindical. OBJETIVO: Este artigo analisou a trajetória do Cerest-Campinas, cotejando desafios identificados em estudo de 2001 com a realidade de 2012. MÉTODOS: utilizou-se análise secundária, comparando-se os dados de 2001 com o momento atual. Em caderno de campo registraram-se reflexões e depoimentos de profissionais para análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: Embora a vigilância apresente limitações estruturais relacionadas à marginalização da política de Saúde do Trabalhador, houve avanços na assistência. No entanto, os óbices verificados em 2001 se agravaram atualmente. Dificuldades na gestão e no financiamento, aliadas a problemas e mudanças na administração municipal, geraram uma crise que, em 2011, ensejou o movimento "Em defesa do Cerest". Chamou a atenção, igualmente ao estudo anterior, o grau de envolvimento da equipe que, não obstante os impasses, segue enfrentando os problemas. CONCLUSÃO: O Cerest sobrevive no seio de contradições e grandes desafios permanecem. A ameaça de fechamento reacendeu o compromisso dos sujeitos historicamente envolvidos (profissionais e sindicatos), sugerindo possibilidades que, a depender do rearranjo de forças político-institucionais, podem colaborar na consolidação da política de Saúde do Trabalhador nos planos local e nacional.

BIRDS STOCK UP AS PRESSURE DROPS

If the weather forecast predicts that a snowstorm is heading your way you'd probably wisely decide to stay snuggled up inside. Wild birds, however, don't have this luxury, and getting caught out in bad weather can have serious consequences. Take for example white crowned sparrows, which return to the snowy mountains of the Sierra Nevada each spring to feast on the insects that have died on the snow. ‘If a storm comes in and snow falls, food availability goes to zero and then the majority of animals will abandon their territories’, says Creagh Breuner, from the University of Montana, USA. But do these storms really take the sparrows by surprise or can they predict them? After being asked this question several times at conferences, Breuner decided to investigate (p. 1982). Breuner explains that it is widely known that birds can sense barometric pressure changes and so she suspected that sparrows could use pressure drops associated with storms as a signal to increase levels of glucocorticoid hormones – stress hormones that divert energy towards maintenance-orientated and preparatory behaviours like feeding.To begin her investigation, Breuner, who has been working out in the Sierra mountains since 1997, looked back over her meticulously kept field notebooks: ‘I know when storms start, I'm out there and I write it down in my notebook – it just started snowing – so I took six snow events and looked to see what happened to barometric pressure before them.’ Sure enough, when she cross-referenced the storms with a dataset from a nearby study of barometric pressure she found that in the 12 h preceding the storm there had been a steady decline in pressure. Having taken between 70 and 100 blood samples each year to measure birds' corticosterone (a glucocorticoid hormone) levels, she was then able to identify samples that had been taken during those 12 h of dropping pressure. However, to her surprise there was no change in corticosterone levels.Although Breuner admits that it was disappointing to see that stress hormone levels did not increase as pressures dropped, she remained undeterred. With the help of two PhD students, Rachel Sprague and Stephen Patterson, Breuner continued her investigation. Back in the lab the team first faced the challenge of how to mimic environmental pressure drops without buying an expensive purpose-built chamber. Breuner turned to her husband and fellow scientist Art Woods for inspiration: ‘Art loves figuring out how to manipulate things that others can't do in the lab, he's just so good electronically and mechanistically with different things’. Woods designed a small Plexiglas chamber with a continuous flow of air through it. He realised that as long as the outflow of air remained constant, he could gradually lower the pressure simply by slowly closing a valve to limit air intake.Just as in the wild, the team found that corticosterone levels didn't increase with declining pressure, but they did find that the birds pecked at their food more. Eating and stocking up on reserves was a clear sign that the birds thought bad weather was on its way. Breuner points out: ‘They can burn through their fat reserves with 24 h of cold weather, so even small increases in fat mass before a storm comes would be an ecologically relevant difference.’ So, whilst the stress hormones don't seem to be the driving force behind their increased appetite and grazing, it is clear that the birds are able to using barometric pressure to predict the weather and as a sign to stock up and prepare for stormy weather ahead.

The mineral prospecting expeditions to the South Atlantic islands and Antarctic Peninsula region made by the Scottish geologist David Ferguson, 1912–1914

Synopsis David Ferguson’s mineral prospecting expeditions to South Georgia (1912), the Falkland Islands and the South Shetland Islands (1913–1914), on behalf of the Christian Salvesen whaling company of Leith and now largely forgotten, were early examples of commercially motivated terrestrial exploration in the South Atlantic region. Prior geological knowledge was very limited and Ferguson complemented his unsuccessful prospecting work with attempts to understand the regional geology of the areas that he visited. These interpretations were based on relatively cursory fieldwork undertaken in an arduous environment, and did not prove robust; but the well-documented specimen collections that Ferguson accumulated provided the basis for excellent and much-cited petrographical accounts by G. W. Tyrrell of Glasgow University. Ferguson had studied geology at the university and the influence of his mentor there, Professor J. W. Gregory, is apparent. In turn, Gregory utilized Ferguson’s observations in support of a subsided ‘South Atlantic continent’, opposing the ‘displacement hypothesis’ for that region formalized by Alfred Wegener from 1912 onwards. Ferguson’s field notebooks and most of his rock specimens are now held by Glasgow University (Archive Services and Hunterian Museum, respectively) but he distributed representative specimen collections widely, and these are extant in several other British museums. Specimens were also supplied to, and discussed with, William Speirs Bruce who, following the 1902–1904 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, took a keen interest in Ferguson’s discoveries.

Violencia en las aulas de Educación Física: Corporalidad, docencia y formación

Una de las cuestiones más importantes que desafía las prácticas pedagógicas en la escuela pública brasileña es la violencia, en sus distintas manifestaciones. Al ser un espacio en el que tradicionalmente la palabra tiene menos valor que el abordaje contingencial, en la Educación Física aparecen un conjunto de particularidades propias a esta disciplina curricular. Éstas sobrevienen, en gran medida, a causa de la mayor exposición del cuerpo en comparación a otras actividades pedagógicas, y también por el carácter competitivo de su práctica. En este artículo presentamos una investigación cuyo objetivo fue estudiar la dinámica de aula en Educación Física durante los años iniciales de la educación obligatoria en una escuela pública del extrarradio de Florianópolis, sur de Brasil. Esta investigación fue llevada a cabo por estudiantes universitarios durante sus prácticas tutoradas. A partir del análisis de fuentes, que incluyen relatos en cuadernos de campo e informes producidos por los propios internos, emergen resultados referentes a la aparición de la violencia durante las clases de Educación Física: Por un lado, el hábito de los alumnos a sustituir la retórica por el altercado corporal en la resolución de conflictos; y por el otro, el uso de la intimidación y de la pedagogíade la amenaza de la parte de los internos durante las tentativas enérgicas de mantener el control de las clases

ミャンマーの環境事情：環境化学者のフィールドノートより

ミャンマーの環境事情：環境化学者のフィールドノートより

Interação Social Criança-Criança de Deficientes Visuais

The article deals with a study on the interaction of children 1-3 years in a mining state school specializing in education of the visually impaired. We used a qualitative approach, opting for ethnographic inspiration and capturing the interactions through participant observation, video recordings, photographs and records in the field notebook. As Gobbi, we used the term for those little niggling variety children up to three years, considering how the sociology of childhood, the child as social actor and participant. According to Woods, it was considered as a social interaction process in which people define, assign meanings, align and realign their actions to satisfy their interests, comparing them, trimming and outlining strategies. At the end of the study, there was an oscillation between the presence or absence of interaction between children. It was concluded that, from an early age, very young visually impaired children are able to act and react toward each other, to put themselves available for interaction.

Tafocenoses da Formação Pimenteira, Devoniano da Bacia do Parnaíba, Piauí: Mapeamento, Inventário e Relevância Patrimonial

During fieldwork conducted in the last ten years along the eastern border of the Parnaiba Basin in the State of Piaui, the continuous destruction of fossiliferous outcrops of the Pimenteira Formation has been observed and is clearly a matter of concern. In the current resumption of studies on this formation, the compilation of extensive inventories, covering all fossil groups, as well as the geological context, is a necessary means of protecting the geological heritage. The purpose of the present study is to establish the composition and mode of occurrence of the taphocoenoses and to evaluate the relative importance of the formation's numerous fossiliferous sites, thus contributing to their conservation. The inventory incorporates unpublished data obtained since 2005, information available in the literature, unpublished dissertations and theses, field notebooks, photographs from different periods, and records of Pimenteira Formation samples deposited in the scientific collections of various museums and universities. Since the pioneering work of Caster (1948), the taphocoenoses of the Pimenteira Formation have been characterized as of erratic occurrence and hosted mainly by sandstones. These initial interpretations have undergone significant changes following the 2009 excursion, which revealed new fossiliferous horizons and sites with an array of differing lithologies (siltstones, sandstones, and conglomerates). Based on this inventory, we consider the following to be the most significant outcrops: Morro Branco de Kegel; Rio Sambito; Morro do Cemiterio; BR-316/km 318; Itainopolis; Riachao; Sao Joao Vermelho; and PI-466/km 12. These sites are the most frequently mentioned in the literature and some have particular historical value and also considerable diversity of taphocoenoses that provide data about the depositional environment, genesis, and age of the fossiliferous deposits. Furthermore, the fossils are better preserved and record more comprehensively the faunal and floral variations of the Devonian seas and adjacent fluvio-deltaic environments.

Basic geological mapping

Preface.Acknowledgments.1. Introduction.2. Field Equipment.3. Geological Maps and Base Maps.4. Methods of Geological Mapping.5. Field Measurements and Techniques.6. Rocks, Fossils and Ores.7. Field Maps and Field Notebooks.8. Fair Copy Maps and Other Illustrations.9. Cross-sections and Three-dimensional Illustrations.10. Geological Reports.Appendix I: Safety in the Field.Appendix II: Adjustment of a Closed Compass Traverse.Appendix III: Geological Planetabling.Appendix IV: Field Equipment Checklist.Appendix V: Useful Charts and Tables.References and Further Reading.Index.

From documents to datasets: A MediaWiki-based method of annotating and extracting species observations in century-old field notebooks

Part diary, part scientific record, biological field notebooks often contain details necessary to understanding the location and environmental conditions existent during collecting events. Despite their clear value for (and recent use in) global change studies, the text-mining outputs from field notebooks have been idiosyncratic to specific research projects, and impossible to discover or re-use. Best practices and workflows for digitization, transcription, extraction, and integration with other sources are nascent or non-existent. In this paper, we demonstrate a workflow to generate structured outputs while also maintaining links to the original texts. The first step in this workflow was to place already digitized and transcribed field notebooks from the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History founder, Junius Henderson, on Wikisource, an open text transcription platform. Next, we created Wikisource templates to document places, dates, and taxa to facilitate annotation and wiki-linking. We then requested help from the public, through social media tools, to take advantage of volunteer efforts and energy. After three notebooks were fully annotated, content was converted into XML and annotations were extracted and cross-walked into Darwin Core compliant record sets. Finally, these recordsets were vetted, to provide valid taxon names, via a process we call “taxonomic referencing.” The result is identification and mobilization of 1,068 observations from three of Henderson’s thirteen notebooks and a publishable Darwin Core record set for use in other analyses. Although challenges remain, this work demonstrates a feasible approach to unlock observations from field notebooks that enhances their discovery and interoperability without losing the narrative context from which those observations are drawn.“Compose your notes as if you were writing a letter to someone a century in the future.”Perrine and Patton (2011)

Bringing collections out of the dark.

Bringing collections out of the dark.

The Grammar Workshop: Systematic Language Study in Reading and Writing Contexts

Do you find traditional, out-of-context grammar instruction too limiting? Try Zuidema’s suggestions of field notebooks, mentor text analysis, and more.

The role of information professionals in geoscience data management : a western Australian perspective

AbstractThe research project investigated the role of information professionals in geoscience management. Data management professionals in organisations which generate geoscience across the government, academic and corporate sectors in Western Australia were surveyed. The results indicate that while information professionals were engaged in managing a range of geoscience and see opportunities to expand their role, the extent of their involvement and the type of they manage was impacted by their knowledge base, organisational structures, and stakeholder attitudes toward management.Keywords: Information professionals, management, geoscience, professional developmentIntroductionAccess to geoscience is essential for scientific investigation, managing geological hazards, land use evaluation and classification, civil engineering projects, formulating government resource policy and efficient exploitation of natural resources (Cutler & Maples, 2002; Kelly & Phillips, 1986). There is a vast range of geoscience which requires management, ranging from geological specimens, to non-digital such as hand drawn maps and field notebooks, through to 3D digital models. A large proportion of modern geoscience is generated digitally, yet physical is still produced and access to historical which predates the digital age remains important.There is little recent research into the role of information professionals in geoscience management, and literature relating to the engagement information professionals in the broader field of research management is focused on digital data, and mainly generated by universities and large scale eScience projects. This study aims to provide insight into the involvement of information professionals in the management of all forms of geoscience across academic, corporate and government sectors. Through investigating the roles of geoscience information professionals in Western Australia, the study seeks to identify factors which impact on their engagement in geoscience management, and provide the means to affirm, encourage and promote the work of these professionals for the benefit of all geoscience stakeholders.Background and ContextAustralia is one of the world's leading producers of minerals (Grant, Hawkins, & Shaw, 2005) and Western Australia is Australia's dominant resource state (Western Australia (WA) Department of Mines and Petroleum and Department of State Development, 2011, p. 2). In Australia geoscience is generated by universities and government agencies, whose is publicly available, and by corporate entities where access to is restricted. Statutory reporting requirements ensure that some corporate is eventually made public, and there is a complex web of interactions between sectors and agencies engaged in geoscience generation and management.Internationally, the creation of the Geoscience Information Society in the United States of America (US) in 1966 saw geoscience information establish a foothold as a separate discipline, gaining international recognition in 1978 with the 1st International Conference on Geological Information in London (Ward & Walker, 1986). The continuing growth of digital has spurred discussion about how the data deluge (Lyon, 2007, p. 5) should be managed, and there is a perception in some sectors that geoscience management is the responsibility of information technology (IT) professionals (Yacopetti & Mundell, 2010). The focus on digital has overwhelmed discussion of the management of non-digital geoscience data, and the inter-relationship between different formats within datasets has been overlooked (Browne & Love, 1997; Lowe, 1995). In the US-and potentially elsewhere-this has culminated in the loss of many valuable collections, with many more identified as in danger of being lost (National Research Council (NRC), 2002). …

Rehabilitation in substance dependency: an intervention-research in a military health organization

Problem: The abusive use of alcohol and other drugs constitute a serious Problem: The abusive use of alcohol and other drugs constitute a serious public health issue, a fact that is reflected in the rise of substance dependency among military personnel in the Brazilian Army. Objectives: We aim to investigate the implications of the use of drugs by these military personnel, as well as the difficulties in the process of rehabilitation. Method: It is a descriptive qualitative study, performed in a Recovery Center of the Brazilian Army. Data collection: The data was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews, direct observation and the use of the researcher’s field observations through the use of a field notebook. Results: The data analysis will involve the construction of categories which originate from the dat. We will also analyse the discourses from the interviewed subjects, their gestures, their practices and the exchange of impressions and experiences. The duration of this study will be two years.

English

  Gulf of Edremit is an important center of trade, coupled with its sandy beaches, shores and towns that are surrounded by green olive trees (Ayvalık, Edremit, Burhaniye and Havran). It is also one of the largest districts of Balıkesir Province. Macrofungi are ideal food for people because they have a fairly high content of protein which contains all of the essential amino acids. They are also a source of dietary fibre, and are virtually free of cholesterol. The edible native fungi are cultivated and exported to the markets by many countries. This study was done based on the edible macrofungi specimens collected from Edremit Gulf (Edremit, Havran, Burhaniye) between 2007 and 2009. The collected fungi samples were photographed and their morphological and ecological properties and information gathered from the rural people were noted in the field notebook. Fungi were investigated morphologically in the laboratory, and then samples were dried in the oven to preserve them as herbarium samples. 10 edible fungi species belonging to nine families were identified. Six of them are consumed by local people and sold in local markets.   Key words: Edible macrofungi, Edremit Bay, Balıkesir, Turkey.

Edible macrofungi of Edremit Gulf (Balikesir) in Turkey

Gulf of Edremit is an important center of trade, coupled with its sandy beaches, shores and towns that are surrounded by green olive trees (Ayvalik, Edremit, Burhaniye and Havran). It is also one of the largest districts of Balikesir Province. Macrofungi are ideal food for people because they have a fairly high content of protein which contains all of the essential amino acids. They are also a source of dietary fibre, and are virtually free of cholesterol. The edible native fungi are cultivated and exported to the markets by many countries. This study was done based on the edible macrofungi specimens collected from Edremit Gulf (Edremit, Havran, Burhaniye) between 2007 and 2009. The collected fungi samples were photographed and their morphological and ecological properties and information gathered from the rural people were noted in the field notebook. Fungi were investigated morphologically in the laboratory, and then samples were dried in the oven to preserve them as herbarium samples. 10 edible fungi species belonging to nine families were identified. Six of them are consumed by local people and sold in local markets. Key words : Edible macrofungi, Edremit Bay, Balikesir, Turkey

Perceived Impact of an Outdoor Orientation Program for First-Year University Students

Colleges and universities across the United States are struggling with student retention and attrition (Derby & Smith, 2004; Jacobs & Archie, 2008; Tinto, 1993). As a result, theoretically supported interventions designed to encourage retention and persistence are needed. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to intentionally create an outdoor orientation program based on supported retention factors and (b) to explore participant perceptions of the designed program. Data were collected via participant observation, participant field notebooks, and follow-up meetings. Findings suggested that at the completion of the program, participants perceived higher commitment to the university (I Love My University!); an enhanced transition to university life (Consequences Rather Than Lectures); emotional, social, and personal growth (Becoming Real); and positive relationships with sophomores, juniors, and seniors (My New Family and Friends). Connections to the literature, limitations, and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Geological Field Techniques

Angela L. Coe, Editor, Tom W. Argles, David A. Rothery, and Robert A. Spicer. 2010. Wiley-Blackwell and The Open University. 336 Pp. ISBN 978-1-4443-3062-5, Paperback, $59.95. ISBN 978-1-4443-3061-8, Hardcover, $150. Geological Field Techniques is a concise textbook, aimed primarily at undergraduates studying geology and earth sciences, that assumes a basic understanding of the main concepts and theory in geology. The authors are professors at the Open University, and they provide examples of work by themselves and their students. The geologic approach is broad, with a British emphasis. The writing and organization are excellent, and the format is that of a modern textbook with a single, wide column of text with an adjacent smaller column with photos, notes, and explanations. The book is profusely illustrated with photos of rock exposures, diagrams, worked examples, and examples of field notes and geologic maps both constructed in the field and redrafted. The illustrations are generally clear, but the field notebook examples are reproductions of actual professor and student notes that range from neatly organized and executed to somewhat cryptic, incomplete, and somewhat illegible; the reader can compare some of these low-contrast copies of pencil-written notes with the beautifully executed engineering-style lettering of Compton’s (1985) text. Nonetheless, one of the main strengths of this textbook is to …

An Alternative Approach to Assessing Laboratory and Field Notebooks: The Data Retrieval Test

Marking field and laboratory notebooks can be a time consuming and tedious task. This article describes a system whereby the contents of student’s notebooks are assessed by testing the students on what they have included and their understanding of what has been done. It also tests the quality of the student’s notes — detailed, organised notes result in higher marks than sketchy disorganised ones.The ‘Data Retrieval Test’ is an open book test in which the notebook is taken into the exam room and questions are asked on its contents. The questions are based on what the tutor knows should have been included. A survey of third year degree students showed that this type of test is seen as a fair method of assessment. It is also popular with staff as it can reduce the marking time by up to 80%. The marks obtained by this test are in line with those obtained by more traditional methods of assessment. It can be adapted to assess students at different stages of their academic career.

The efieldbook program: A teaching resource for geology

The eFieldBook program is a geology teaching tool with high didactic potential that guides a student’s work in the field using multimedia and other resources. This program allows the collection of geo-referenced geological information as well as its storage and transmission, if necessary, as soon as it is collected. The data can be collected as in traditional field notebooks or on maps and photographs. The information can be used as soon as it is collected and can be exported to other programs such as Word, Excel, Georient or statistical packages. eFieldBook safely stores and backs up user information by sending any data collected to a selected Internet target at regular time intervals.