Adrift at Sea
Ripples and waves of sand capture the morning shadow of a small cluster of Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) shortly after sunrise, Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California.
Creosote Bush have what appear to be a supernatural ability to thrive in places where water is an afterthought and essential plant nutrients are minimal. These plants are incredibly drought tolerant, and have been known to live for at least 2 years with no water at all. However, when one considers the substantial investment they make in belowground root structures, the mystery is less mysterious. Shallow roots 3-4 m in length radiate outward to intercept any rain soon after it enters the surface soil, and in deeper sandy soils such as these with a water table underneath, substantial tap roots are also common. In addition, the Creosote Bush only photosynthesizes in the morning when humidity is high, and shuts down as the sun rises toward noon, the temperature climbs, and water vapor deficits become life threatening. It is for this reason that photosynthetically active leaf tissue commonly faces southeast as is evident here.
The conundrum of acquiring sufficient nutrients - e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus - is addressed via the relationships the plant sustains with algae, bacteria, and fungi. Data from the Jornada Long-Term Ecological Research site in New Mexico indicates that black areas on some branches are actually communities of microorganisms. When infrequent rain events do occur, the water that flows down the branches and over these organisms enters the soil containing 9 times the amount of phosphorus and 16 times the amount of nitrogen available in normal rain water.
The more I look, the more it appears that inter-dependence is a theme to which natural systems return over and over again. For people currently living in cities, it may be easy to forget this theme, or perhaps assume it applies to others elsewhere. Thinking about the relatively brief history of the United States being a country, I think it is safe to say that appreciation for inter-dependence has waned in the modern era. The Mormons surely understood it as they moved west into Utah. Today, how much do people think about the quality of the soil that ultimately sustains us? And the previously stable climate which made development of agriculture possible? While the Creosote Bush may survive more frequent droughts in the years to come, it seems the people of this world must recognize again that we need each other to survive. And in that 'other' there can be no room for partisan warfare, racism, misogyny, and antagonism to knowledge. We must re-develop a renewed appreciation for the inter-dependencies that make life itself possible.
Adrift at Sea
Ripples and waves of sand capture the morning shadow of a small cluster of Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) shortly after sunrise, Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California.
Creosote Bush have what appear to be a supernatural ability to thrive in places where water is an afterthought and essential plant nutrients are minimal. These plants are incredibly drought tolerant, and have been known to live for at least 2 years with no water at all. However, when one considers the substantial investment they make in belowground root structures, the mystery is less mysterious. Shallow roots 3-4 m in length radiate outward to intercept any rain soon after it enters the surface soil, and in deeper sandy soils such as these with a water table underneath, substantial tap roots are also common. In addition, the Creosote Bush only photosynthesizes in the morning when humidity is high, and shuts down as the sun rises toward noon, the temperature climbs, and water vapor deficits become life threatening. It is for this reason that photosynthetically active leaf tissue commonly faces southeast as is evident here.
The conundrum of acquiring sufficient nutrients - e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus - is addressed via the relationships the plant sustains with algae, bacteria, and fungi. Data from the Jornada Long-Term Ecological Research site in New Mexico indicates that black areas on some branches are actually communities of microorganisms. When infrequent rain events do occur, the water that flows down the branches and over these organisms enters the soil containing 9 times the amount of phosphorus and 16 times the amount of nitrogen available in normal rain water.
The more I look, the more it appears that inter-dependence is a theme to which natural systems return over and over again. For people currently living in cities, it may be easy to forget this theme, or perhaps assume it applies to others elsewhere. Thinking about the relatively brief history of the United States being a country, I think it is safe to say that appreciation for inter-dependence has waned in the modern era. The Mormons surely understood it as they moved west into Utah. Today, how much do people think about the quality of the soil that ultimately sustains us? And the previously stable climate which made development of agriculture possible? While the Creosote Bush may survive more frequent droughts in the years to come, it seems the people of this world must recognize again that we need each other to survive. And in that 'other' there can be no room for partisan warfare, racism, misogyny, and antagonism to knowledge. We must re-develop a renewed appreciation for the inter-dependencies that make life itself possible.