I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted anything. For this I apologize. No excuses given, just an apology. However, one thing that has been on my mind almost incessantly over the last couple of weeks is ecology. It's that branch of life and environmental sciences which looks at how biological life interacts with other members of the habitat. This can even include non-biological life such as soil, water, and climatic patterns.
Why has it been on my mind? In two words: it's fascinating! I have long been interested in these interactions and currently my work at Freshkills Park as well as my personal reading have reminded me that this is something I am deeply passionate about. The wonderful thing about ecology is that it exists in some form on every scale. Whether in an urban environment, the tropical forests, or coral reefs, ecology is present.
Some scientists focus on the whole ecosystem - interested in the big picture - while others are fascinated by narrower focal points, either between two species or a single group of organisms - such as plants - and how they interact with the rest of the system. My personal interest definitely focuses on plant ecology as I understand the singular importance that plants play in most ecosystems. You take out the plants endemic to a specific habitat and you have yourself a completely different ecosystem. Even switching which plant species is dominant within the ecosystem can alter the overall interactions inside the system.
Ecology is complex. Studying one system in one part of the globe does not mean you can make predictions about what will be going on in the same system located in a different region. Conditions are altered on a near continuous basis. What we know about an ecosystem now did not hold true for that system even 50 years ago. You add the fact that humans have had some sort of impact on every ecosystem and on most species and you are left with a royally complicated situation. But that is what is fascinating to me about it. Ecology is studying how biological life and its interactions with local physical and chemical elements are changing in real time.
You might say, "Look at what humans have done to the planet. It is ruined! Why would you want to actually know how bad the damage is?" You would be partially correct that humans have wreaked havoc with the ecosystems of this planet. Life has always dealt with havoc-induced changes though. Ecology can not only study ecosystems so we can be informed about how we must alter our activities, but ecology can also study how ecosystems are responding to our inputs. It's not always negative! Plus, we are learning from some of our mistakes and we have been giving back to nature. This dynamism is what makes life interesting.
There are no links on this post to back up my claims. This is just from my heart. You may not get it but so what? We all have our reasons why the environment means something to us. Ecology is my reason. What's your reason?
Why has it been on my mind? In two words: it's fascinating! I have long been interested in these interactions and currently my work at Freshkills Park as well as my personal reading have reminded me that this is something I am deeply passionate about. The wonderful thing about ecology is that it exists in some form on every scale. Whether in an urban environment, the tropical forests, or coral reefs, ecology is present.
Some scientists focus on the whole ecosystem - interested in the big picture - while others are fascinated by narrower focal points, either between two species or a single group of organisms - such as plants - and how they interact with the rest of the system. My personal interest definitely focuses on plant ecology as I understand the singular importance that plants play in most ecosystems. You take out the plants endemic to a specific habitat and you have yourself a completely different ecosystem. Even switching which plant species is dominant within the ecosystem can alter the overall interactions inside the system.
Ecology is complex. Studying one system in one part of the globe does not mean you can make predictions about what will be going on in the same system located in a different region. Conditions are altered on a near continuous basis. What we know about an ecosystem now did not hold true for that system even 50 years ago. You add the fact that humans have had some sort of impact on every ecosystem and on most species and you are left with a royally complicated situation. But that is what is fascinating to me about it. Ecology is studying how biological life and its interactions with local physical and chemical elements are changing in real time.
You might say, "Look at what humans have done to the planet. It is ruined! Why would you want to actually know how bad the damage is?" You would be partially correct that humans have wreaked havoc with the ecosystems of this planet. Life has always dealt with havoc-induced changes though. Ecology can not only study ecosystems so we can be informed about how we must alter our activities, but ecology can also study how ecosystems are responding to our inputs. It's not always negative! Plus, we are learning from some of our mistakes and we have been giving back to nature. This dynamism is what makes life interesting.
There are no links on this post to back up my claims. This is just from my heart. You may not get it but so what? We all have our reasons why the environment means something to us. Ecology is my reason. What's your reason?
