sna6284
terrarium
While the small terrarium is not enough to capture the full beauty of a terrestrial environment, one can still see the humidity from the condensation on the sides of the glass, the moss extending sporophytes towards the sun in hopes of reproduction, and the delicate string of turtles slowly wrapping around the perimeter of the capsules. The photo presents the multitude of processes that occur even within a few cubic inches of space in a terrestrial-environment mimic.
A main ecological concept shown in the photo is the hydrologic cycle where water evaporates during noon then condenses onto the glass in cooler phases of the day. Likewise in nature, the ceaseless evaporation, condensation and precipitation of water quite literally keeps the life, living. Certainly, the fickle relationship between water and enclosed spaces makes creating stable terrariums difficult.
In nature, the lower-lying plants often experience higher humidity microhabitats than the larger trees. Since mosses have no roots, they rely on water collecting from their filamentous gametophytes or those that pool near their base. Plants just a few millimeters above the mosses such as the string of turtles (Peperomia prostrata) have slightly less humid conditions.
The terrarium represents the delicate balance between humidity gradations and the subsequent diversity of plants.
In the perspective of the small terrarium, too much water can lead to root rot or mold, while too little can dry out the plants. In the perspective of terrestrial ecosystems, the quantity of water can vastly change the characteristics and subsequent biomes of an area from a desert to a temperate forest to a swamp.
The photo ties in with the 15th Sustainable Development Goal: Life on Land, which aims to “[p]rotect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss” (United Nations 2015). Specifically, this photo that I took at 13:20 on September 15, 2021 in my off-campus room is a constant reminder that the biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems is in decline due to human activities. If my smallest terrarium of 3 cubic inches of volume can hold 3 species and imitate the hydrologic cycle, how much more variety of organisms, functions, and processes can an entire forest hold? As the SDG relays, “forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land” and “contribute to the balance of . . . humidity in the air,” both of which I observed while building my terrariums (United Nations 2015). The terrariums are peeks into the fragile balance of nature that we as humans are upending every day.
Source: United Nations. 2015. Sustainable Development Goals: 15 LIFE ON LAND. United Nations. Retrieved September 15, 2021, from sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15.
terrarium
While the small terrarium is not enough to capture the full beauty of a terrestrial environment, one can still see the humidity from the condensation on the sides of the glass, the moss extending sporophytes towards the sun in hopes of reproduction, and the delicate string of turtles slowly wrapping around the perimeter of the capsules. The photo presents the multitude of processes that occur even within a few cubic inches of space in a terrestrial-environment mimic.
A main ecological concept shown in the photo is the hydrologic cycle where water evaporates during noon then condenses onto the glass in cooler phases of the day. Likewise in nature, the ceaseless evaporation, condensation and precipitation of water quite literally keeps the life, living. Certainly, the fickle relationship between water and enclosed spaces makes creating stable terrariums difficult.
In nature, the lower-lying plants often experience higher humidity microhabitats than the larger trees. Since mosses have no roots, they rely on water collecting from their filamentous gametophytes or those that pool near their base. Plants just a few millimeters above the mosses such as the string of turtles (Peperomia prostrata) have slightly less humid conditions.
The terrarium represents the delicate balance between humidity gradations and the subsequent diversity of plants.
In the perspective of the small terrarium, too much water can lead to root rot or mold, while too little can dry out the plants. In the perspective of terrestrial ecosystems, the quantity of water can vastly change the characteristics and subsequent biomes of an area from a desert to a temperate forest to a swamp.
The photo ties in with the 15th Sustainable Development Goal: Life on Land, which aims to “[p]rotect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss” (United Nations 2015). Specifically, this photo that I took at 13:20 on September 15, 2021 in my off-campus room is a constant reminder that the biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems is in decline due to human activities. If my smallest terrarium of 3 cubic inches of volume can hold 3 species and imitate the hydrologic cycle, how much more variety of organisms, functions, and processes can an entire forest hold? As the SDG relays, “forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land” and “contribute to the balance of . . . humidity in the air,” both of which I observed while building my terrariums (United Nations 2015). The terrariums are peeks into the fragile balance of nature that we as humans are upending every day.
Source: United Nations. 2015. Sustainable Development Goals: 15 LIFE ON LAND. United Nations. Retrieved September 15, 2021, from sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15.