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Engagement with Trees as “Long-Life Learning” for Sustainability

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Life on Land

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Definitions

A tree is a “woody perennial with a single main stem, or in the case of coppice with several stems, having a more or less definite crown” (FAO 2004, p. 32). According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) trees can include bamboos, palms, and other woody plants meeting their criteria. Some definitions exclude these; see Gschwantner et al. (2009) for a major review of definitions of trees and their structure. “Trees” are a strategy, rather than a specific taxonomic group; a large number of plant groups have evolved tree form (arborescence), for example, members of the daisy family (Asteraceae) in south and central America (see, for example, Ricker et al. 2013, for survey of trees of the Asteraceae, Leguminosae, and Rubiaceae in Mexico).

Long-life learning involves pedagogic engagement with trees as long-lived organisms, with their adaptations to environmental change, and their cultural significance (Vujakovic 2013). This approach tends to focus on “veteran,” “ancient...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Human and Life Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK

    Peter Vujakovic

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  1. Peter Vujakovic
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Correspondence to Peter Vujakovic .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Passo Fundo University, Passo Fundo, Brazil

    Luciana Brandli

  4. HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Amanda Lange Salvia

  5. University of Chester, Chester, UK

    Tony Wall

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    Adriana Consorte McCrea

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Vujakovic, P. (2021). Engagement with Trees as “Long-Life Learning” for Sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Life on Land. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95981-8_101

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