meyerNS201
connecting humanities with ecology
At the MFA, I chose to take a picture of the painting by Theodore Rousseau called “Pool in the Forest”. It was created through oil on canvas and depicts trees, fields, water, and in the background you can see cows.
1.What renewable natural resources are visible in this artwork? (see text p. 3)
The renewable natural resources are soil, light energy, wind, plants, trees, and cows
2.What intermediate-renewable resources are visible in the piece (see text p. 3).
There are no intermediate-renewable resources visible in this piece
3. In your opinion, which fields of study might be represented in the piece? (see text, p. 5).
In this piece, fields of study such as Ecology, Geology, Geography and Biology
4. Interpreting your piece, where on the continuum from ecocentric- to anthropocentric would you consider the artist’s viewpoint? (see text. p. 12).
The artist seems to truly appreciate nature for what it is since there are no human disruptions presented in the painting. I therefore believe that his viewpoint is ecocentric, meaning that he cares about the overall interactions in the environment, since species as well as their interaction with nature is depicted.
5. Interpreting the artwork in terms of the “Human Influence Index” (see text p. 17), approximately what is the level of human influence is depicted in your piece?
Looking at this painting only, the level of human influence seems low because nothing in this piece connects to humans. This is a natural place that has not, as it seems, been damaged or influenced by human interactions.
6. How would you interpret energy flow in the depiction shown in the artwork? (see text, p. 31 and Figure 4.7 p. 69).
Energy is depicted as light energy, which causes photosynthesis in producers such as grass, trees plants, which are visible in the painting. This turns into chemical energy and species feed off of the natural resources, the cows for example, until energy leaves the system though respiration in the form of heat.
7. Approximately which ecosystem/biome is depicted in the artwork you observe? (see text. Figure 2.15 and pp. 78-84).
This landscapes’ ecosystem could very likely be a deciduous forest because it includes all the trees, fields and water but it is not too wet like a rainforest or too dry like the Savanna. It seems to get a good amount of precipitation, which is a huge characteristic of this biome, as well as different temperatures throughout the seasons.
8. Describe one of the biogeochemical cycles summarized on pp. 36-41 for the landscape you observe.
The water cycle, also called the hydrologic cycle is depicted in this painting. The water in the pond evaporates from land and transpires from the plants, trees and fields shown in the painting. The water moves into the atmosphere as water vapor, where it condenses and later on comes back down again as precipitation.
10. Describe examples of succession (pp. 74-75) and/or human disturbance in the landscape.
There is no primary succession visible in this painting. However, there may have been, without us knowing, secondary succession such as fire or landslide that have had an effect on the environment depicted in the painting. Some vegetation may have been removed, especially from the cows eating the grass. Nevertheless the succession seems quite minimal.
connecting humanities with ecology
At the MFA, I chose to take a picture of the painting by Theodore Rousseau called “Pool in the Forest”. It was created through oil on canvas and depicts trees, fields, water, and in the background you can see cows.
1.What renewable natural resources are visible in this artwork? (see text p. 3)
The renewable natural resources are soil, light energy, wind, plants, trees, and cows
2.What intermediate-renewable resources are visible in the piece (see text p. 3).
There are no intermediate-renewable resources visible in this piece
3. In your opinion, which fields of study might be represented in the piece? (see text, p. 5).
In this piece, fields of study such as Ecology, Geology, Geography and Biology
4. Interpreting your piece, where on the continuum from ecocentric- to anthropocentric would you consider the artist’s viewpoint? (see text. p. 12).
The artist seems to truly appreciate nature for what it is since there are no human disruptions presented in the painting. I therefore believe that his viewpoint is ecocentric, meaning that he cares about the overall interactions in the environment, since species as well as their interaction with nature is depicted.
5. Interpreting the artwork in terms of the “Human Influence Index” (see text p. 17), approximately what is the level of human influence is depicted in your piece?
Looking at this painting only, the level of human influence seems low because nothing in this piece connects to humans. This is a natural place that has not, as it seems, been damaged or influenced by human interactions.
6. How would you interpret energy flow in the depiction shown in the artwork? (see text, p. 31 and Figure 4.7 p. 69).
Energy is depicted as light energy, which causes photosynthesis in producers such as grass, trees plants, which are visible in the painting. This turns into chemical energy and species feed off of the natural resources, the cows for example, until energy leaves the system though respiration in the form of heat.
7. Approximately which ecosystem/biome is depicted in the artwork you observe? (see text. Figure 2.15 and pp. 78-84).
This landscapes’ ecosystem could very likely be a deciduous forest because it includes all the trees, fields and water but it is not too wet like a rainforest or too dry like the Savanna. It seems to get a good amount of precipitation, which is a huge characteristic of this biome, as well as different temperatures throughout the seasons.
8. Describe one of the biogeochemical cycles summarized on pp. 36-41 for the landscape you observe.
The water cycle, also called the hydrologic cycle is depicted in this painting. The water in the pond evaporates from land and transpires from the plants, trees and fields shown in the painting. The water moves into the atmosphere as water vapor, where it condenses and later on comes back down again as precipitation.
10. Describe examples of succession (pp. 74-75) and/or human disturbance in the landscape.
There is no primary succession visible in this painting. However, there may have been, without us knowing, secondary succession such as fire or landslide that have had an effect on the environment depicted in the painting. Some vegetation may have been removed, especially from the cows eating the grass. Nevertheless the succession seems quite minimal.