Ecological Foundations

seeing (our) nature as a whole over time

To get to know (our) nature in the most meaningful way, it helps to notice and wonder from an ecological perspective. This means looking at individuals within the whole picture, and over time. Consider:

• What does each give their ecosystem?

• How is each supported by their ecosystem?

• What strategies does each use to survive their challenges?

• How does it grow and change in cycles and seasons?

With that in mind, it helps to think of an ecosystem as one big entity that’s made of different parts (as if it were one body with different organs and limbs). Just as all the parts of a body are independent yet work together as a whole, in every ecosystem different species work together to make sure that everyone gets their needs met in a way that’s balanced with all the other parts. Over long periods of time, different species develop different gifts and relationships to work together.

Some of the jobs that need to be filled in ecosystems are:

• Clean water (requiring movement, retention, purification)

• Healthy soil (requiring decomposition and stabilization)

• Pure air

• Food (which depends on the healthy soil, water and air)

• Shelter from changing weather

• Climate regulation

• and Disease regulation

To give you a better idea of how this works, here’s how plants and animals support the ecosystem, in general:

Gifts from Plants to the Ecosystem

This is what plants (in general) offer their ecosystem:

• Soil Support

  • Stabilization/erosion control

  • Protection and Moisture Retention (through mulch making)

  • Fertilization (though discarded and decomposed matter)

  • Some plants help to purify the soil with their roots

  • Some plants provide pest control (through the chemicals they carry)

  • Moss and ground covers (such as grass and sprawling plants) provide moisture retention (which is important for soil-making microbes)

  • Trees and shrubs provide shade for other plants (and animals)

• Air Support

  • Absorb carbon dioxide

  • Produce oxygen

• Animal Support

  • Food: Leaves, Seeds, Pollen, Roots, Tubers, Fruits

  • Habitat (places to hide, rest, and raise kiddos)

  • Vines create connections between plants for animals to travel in the forest canopy.

Gifts from Animals to the Ecosystem

This is what animals (in general) offer their ecosystem:

• Plant Support

  • Pollination (from birds, bugs, reptiles, and small mammals)

  • Seed dispersal (from birds, mammals and reptiles)

• Animal Support

  • Prey provide a food source to predators

  • Predators keep prey populations from getting too large

• Soil Support

  • Fertilization (with animal poop and dead bodies)

  • Decomposition (from insects and scavengers)

  • Soil Aeration (from animals who dig in the ground for their food or their homes).

Next Step: Read

→ Ecological Wonder: field questions for finding meaningful clues to deepen understanding

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