Belowground biodiversity Taxonomy Endemism (6.4 and 7.7%) proportion of globally described diversity. Endemism is high for most groups, ranging from 33-92%. However, major knowledge gaps exist for most soil biota groups. While sampling has been relatively comprehensive in some areas for a few groups (particularly those with direct socioeconomic impacts), the Nama-Karoo, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape are poorly sampled. Natural soils in biodiversity hotspots, such as the Fynbos Biome, are also understudied. We argue that a more integrative approach to acquiring foundational knowledge in soil biodiversity is needed if applied soil research is to be effective in ensuring sustainable soil health. Considerable investment will be required to bring our understanding of the soil biodiversity in this megadiverse region to a level where the Millennium Development Goals can be reached.

No abstract

A key graduate attribute for engineering students is the design and development of solutions for real-life problems. Enabling students to grasp engineering design principles often proves challenging, especially within the African context. The purpose of this paper is to highlight how the introduction of the Arduino microprocessor into a design-based module for undergraduate students has yielded outstanding results in this regard. Up until the end of 2014, students could choose their own microprocessor platform for designing electronic circuits required for specific applications. However, this led to several challenges, including the unavailability of components and the high costs of the microprocessors. Introducing the Arduino microprocessor as the preferred option in 2015 overcame many of these challenges, while at the same time leading to an improvement in the academic achievement of the registered students. A case study was used in this research along with descriptive statistics of the collected data. This data highlights that more than 90% of the students successfully completed this design-based module, while 70% felt that it really helped them to better understand the theoretical knowledge. This microprocessor has been recommended for future use in additional modules as it yielded positive results in 2015.

Growth in student numbers and heavy teaching workloads may negatively influence the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Various strategies have been introduced to try and address these concerns. One specific strategy involves the use of learning management systems to enhance the interaction between students and academics. The purpose of this article is to highlight student usage of a learning management system in electrical engineering at an open distance learning institute in South Africa, correlating it to the student's academic achievement. The lack of 100% student engagement suggests that not all students have access to the Internet. A relationship was established between the pass rates of the modules and the student usage of the learning management system and student support given via the learning management system. Final grade results suggest that students who fully engaged with the learning management system are more likely to succeed in an open distance learning environment.