anushka139
ecophoto#3-Tandon
SDG #15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Photo taken: Chapel Hill, NC- 11.25.23
#UMD #ecology #enst360 #SDG15 #Fa2023 #image3
This is an image of a red bellied woodpecker eating suet from a bird feeder in a wooded back yard in North Carolina. This woodpecker, along with many other avian species (and squirrels) watched and came closer as I filled the bird feeders in the morning (6 total across the property). As soon as I was about 4’ away from the feeders, they were attacked by the animals getting their morning breakfast. This was interesting to me- these populations near this house had learned the habits of the humans and the pattern of when the food was brought out and got ready to feed. By supporting local wildlife communities during the winter time when food can be sparse for birds, we are actively working to support SDG#15 in terms of “halt[ing] biodiversity loss”. The couple that owns this property owns a large plot of forested land and decided to sustainably develop a garden in the area close to the house, but maintain a tall deer fence and leave the rest of the forest untouched. In doing so, they are engaging in “sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” and are “sustainably manag[ing] forests”. This relates to the ecological concept of how wildlife in areas with human inhabitants engage with the humans in a distinct predator/prey relationship. While us humans are predators, we are providing food (bird food) for the prey (the birds). This could be considered a mutualistic relationship. “Human-wildlife cooperation is a type of mutualism in which a human and a wild, free-living animal actively coordinate their behaviour to achieve a common beneficial outcome.”(Cram et al., 2022) The bird gets food in a time of food scarcity and the human gains the happiness of easier bird watching and satisfaction of supporting local wildlife in a safe and respectful manner- it is a mutualistic relationship. This photo-a red bellied woodpecker eating from a bird feeder in the back of a residential property in the woods- encapsulates the ecological concept of mutualism between humans and the birds while also maintaining the core concepts of SDG “#15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”.
Cram, Dominic L., et al. “The ecology and evolution of human-wildlife cooperation.” People and Nature, vol. 4, no. 4, 2022, pp. 841-855. British Ecological Society, doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10369.
ecophoto#3-Tandon
SDG #15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Photo taken: Chapel Hill, NC- 11.25.23
#UMD #ecology #enst360 #SDG15 #Fa2023 #image3
This is an image of a red bellied woodpecker eating suet from a bird feeder in a wooded back yard in North Carolina. This woodpecker, along with many other avian species (and squirrels) watched and came closer as I filled the bird feeders in the morning (6 total across the property). As soon as I was about 4’ away from the feeders, they were attacked by the animals getting their morning breakfast. This was interesting to me- these populations near this house had learned the habits of the humans and the pattern of when the food was brought out and got ready to feed. By supporting local wildlife communities during the winter time when food can be sparse for birds, we are actively working to support SDG#15 in terms of “halt[ing] biodiversity loss”. The couple that owns this property owns a large plot of forested land and decided to sustainably develop a garden in the area close to the house, but maintain a tall deer fence and leave the rest of the forest untouched. In doing so, they are engaging in “sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems” and are “sustainably manag[ing] forests”. This relates to the ecological concept of how wildlife in areas with human inhabitants engage with the humans in a distinct predator/prey relationship. While us humans are predators, we are providing food (bird food) for the prey (the birds). This could be considered a mutualistic relationship. “Human-wildlife cooperation is a type of mutualism in which a human and a wild, free-living animal actively coordinate their behaviour to achieve a common beneficial outcome.”(Cram et al., 2022) The bird gets food in a time of food scarcity and the human gains the happiness of easier bird watching and satisfaction of supporting local wildlife in a safe and respectful manner- it is a mutualistic relationship. This photo-a red bellied woodpecker eating from a bird feeder in the back of a residential property in the woods- encapsulates the ecological concept of mutualism between humans and the birds while also maintaining the core concepts of SDG “#15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”.
Cram, Dominic L., et al. “The ecology and evolution of human-wildlife cooperation.” People and Nature, vol. 4, no. 4, 2022, pp. 841-855. British Ecological Society, doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10369.