Alas, this class is coming to an end (this is the third week in a row that I have said that, but really, I promise, there's no more after this). In reflecting on how my place is like a system, I was thinking that there really is no way my place
isn't a system. Throughout my time spent at my place, I discovered different animals, different plants, different processes, and even different ways of experiencing all these elements of the system. My place isn't
like a system, it
is the system — the Salmon Hole System. Let's take a look at the system from how Fritjof Capra would look at it (could a system analysis based on Fritz's theories be called a Capronic Systems Analysis? It sounds fancy; I think it will catch on):
Networks, Nested Systems, and Interdependence
I feel like this is the key to a successful system. How is everything connecting in this giant web we call the system? Last week when I went out, I was noticing how the heavy rainfall was leading to some serious soil erosion problems which would then lead to some felled trees and toppled boulders which would then lead to destroyed habitats which would then lead to a decrease in prey which would force some predators to hunt in a different location and so on and so forth. The giant networked system of Salmon Hole contains an infinite number of these smaller nested systems — all of them working together (interdependence) to create a functioning ecosystem.
Diversity
In one hour alone on a chilly February day, I was able to gather samples of and identify five different tree species. Throughout my time at Salmon Hole, I was able to identify probably close to a dozen different species of bird and mammal. With more birds coming up every week and insects beginning to come out, the number of macroscopic species located at Salmon Hole probably numbers close to 100 — and I've only seen and heard a dozen or two. If we take into account the microscopic species that are at Salmon Hole and the species I couldn't differentiate, this number probably jumps up close to 1,000. Compare this to a monoculture system where the amount of total species on a Monsanto Feed Corn Farm probably numbers close to 50 — the "sterilized" soil and plants don't allow any "pest" species to thrive, the animals that would normally eat any "pests" and even the crop itself are kept at bay, and even the microorganisms that are in the soil are probably killed off by fertilizers, pesticides, and poor nutrient retention by the soils. Now think about how long Salmon Hole has been around compared to most monoculture farms and you will see why it is important to have a functioning diverse system if you want it to live on.
Cycles, Flows, Development, and a Dynamic Balance
The nutrient cycles at my place are a bit interesting because Salmon Hole is made up mostly of solid bedrock, sand, and a few areas of soils that support a couple understory shrubs and a few medium-sized trees. Needless to say, most of the nutrients are therefore contained in the trees and other plants so foraging animals like birds and squirrels have a great time finding little fruits and nuts on the plants but the nitrogen cycle is nearly nonexistent in the system because the poor soils don't support many nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The flow of energy in the system is a decently strong flow. The trees are decently diverse (for angiosperms anyway; there are very few gymnosperms) and capture a large amount of solar radiation. This energy is then essentially turned into sugars and other nutrients for the plants own benefit which, when eaten, then benefits the foraging animals. I feel as though the fact that Salmon Hole is right next to a main road connecting Burlington and Winooski causes the ecosystem development to not be very healthy and the dynamic balance is probably a bit too dynamic. Contaminants flow down from the road during heavy rainfall, which worsen the already poor sandy soils in Salmon Hole, and as those contaminants and sand particles flow into the Winooski River, so go the few nutrients that the soil retained. The Winooski is being bombarded with leached nutrients that should be retained in the soils but aren't. This is especially problematic because this could promote Blue-Green Algae (BGA) growth in parts of the stream that don't move too quickly; this toxic BGA could then poison the salmon that are currently spawning there and reduce the overall salmon population. Meanwhile, besides the majority of the nutrients being leached out from Salmon Hole, I feel like most of the nutrients that are in things that foragers eat (ie. berries and nuts) are eaten and then the animals leave before defecating. It is as though Salmon Hole is completely an export economy and doesn't actually retain anything beneficial for itself — I fear for the future of my Place.
Finally, the big question of whether or not I feel as though I am a component of this place. Initially, I was thinking perhaps not because I would go there once per week to look around and enjoy it for what it is, but even superficially just thinking about the ecology of the place as i just did in my Capronic Systems Analysis, I already feel as though I am an important part of this system. I may not be directly and scientifically involved in nutrient cycling or whatnot, but I do feel as though the plants and animals got used to me being there and may even start to miss me as I visit the Place less frequently. I know that I will definitely miss them.
Once more, have a great summer, everyone.
:)
