Several years ago, my great, great grandfather lived near a lake where he often fished and swam. He became interested in the life of the lake, and he began to study the lake and the nearby meadows and woods.
My great grandfather soon learned that different fishes swam in the lake, and that many kinds of plants, including water lilies grew in the water. He looked more carefully and found large numbers of living microorganisms through a microscope such as amoebas.
Birds, rats and other animals came to the lake to drink. These animals made their homes in the woods. So did other animals. One day he found blacksnake that eats field mice, pests that eat farmer’s grain. He also discovered many insects, including grasshopper and butterflies.
The longer he watched the lake, woods and meadow, the more he realized how all the living things that made their homes there depended each other; and made as their habitat. He also noted that they lived together in a community, just as the people of a town form a community. No living thing can exist alone. Every living thing is surrounded by air, water, or soil. And every living thing takes things from its surrounding called the environment.
My great, great grandfather may not have known it, but he was doing an ecological study. Ecology is the science that studies how all living things depend on each other, and on their environment. Many things help make up an environment; climate, atmosphere, soil, land shape, height above sea level, the kinds of plants that grow, the number of people around. Animals and plants survive in environments that are suited to them.
The lake, woods and forest and all the organisms in them make up an ecosystem – all the organisms of a community, plus all the surrounding things that are not living and never were alive. Ecosystems do not stay as they are forever. They change with time, going through a process of succession. The lake will not always stay as a lake. It is gradually drying up and in the future the whole area will be covered by small trees. Eventually there will be woodland or forest growing where the lake is now.
It would be nice living by the lakeside and go fishing. We need to protect the ecological balance of nature.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, indeed, all living things depend on each other, and on their environment. That is why humans should be careful with the planet earth, stop polluting and killing extinct species. We are all one and should take care of the surrounding world and its inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteArticle only talks about your great great grandfather's experience but no linking back to the title "How about ecology" and the topic of environmental pollution, it is not exactly complete. It would be nice if you can expand on the topic on ecology based on your g.g.grandfather's experience and link it to current pollution problem. I gather it would provide new insights to appreciations of struggling habitats.
ReplyDeleteCheers~
Pingerrain*Priscilla
http://www.pingerrain.com
Good post. I think we should all realise and understand how each and every living things connect and depend on each other. It's really sad to see and read news that some species are either endangered or has extinct.
ReplyDeleteYes, just like how we used to think about certain stuff when we are young, unknowingly they are terms that we learnt later on. This is, I guess, the natural curiosity and instinct of human beings, which made us so great, and scary at the same time!
ReplyDeleteEcology is only gaining more and more attention now, but unfortunately man is always interfering with it to damage it! Pollution is really a big human-caused factor that affects ecologies in all habitats.
ReplyDeleteNice to know that your grandfather went to such lengths to know about his surroundings..yes, ecosystems are always evolving and adapting..
ReplyDeleteThis is a very timely post and I like how a lot of individuals + groups are showing more interest in these things. What I'd like to see though is that people taking action despite changes, advancements, and whatever the situation is. As we always say, we only have 1 planet and we should all do our parts to take care of it.
ReplyDeleteA valuable reminder to us all. People have been destroying for too long and finally some are beginning to realize that we all live together.
ReplyDeleteThe circle of life, whether it is about humans or the other living things around us, is pretty amazing! Your grandfather would be famous for his study today!
ReplyDeleteI've never really thought of ecosystems in this way and it's refreshing to read about something that isn't so trivial and is so thought-provoking. I love how the succession of things through time can mean so many different things! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story about your great granddad. That is where you got your interest in science and ecology. We do need to protect our ecosystem, it has an impact on our livelihood too.
ReplyDeleteI really believe in the last paragraph that the ecosystem does not always stay the same forever. studied it in our ecology class and you explained it in the simplest manner.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the different ecosystems where we live. And also when we start to study them, we learn to apreciate them and take care of them.
ReplyDeletebrings me back to my first science lesson all those years ago - about the circle of life, where all living things depends on one another for survival... Your grandfather probably had no formal education on this, but somehow, it seems, our forebears were a lot better at co-existing with the everyone else in the world, than we are today.
ReplyDeleteEcosystem is very important not only to plants and animals but to us humans too. Balance ecosystem must be maintained in order to have a better living.
ReplyDeleteWe all live in a balanced ecosystem. We should all take part in preserving it. We are all connected!
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