Transcript PLanetLines - WordPress.com

BASIC INFO
MAP
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Location: Earth; North
America; USA;
Massachusetts; Middlesex
County; Cambridge
Biome: Easter Deciduous
Forest, Boston Basin
Bioregion
Watershed: Charles River
and in NW Cambridge N of
Huron Ave. Mystic River
(Alewife River sub-watershed)
http://prezi.com/g2ce
sx5awfvc/planetlinemap/
(ANNOTATED MAP IS
PRINTED OUT)
STOP 1-PORTER SHOPPING CENTER
Shopping: a girl’s best friend.
Every time I need to take a
break from class or grab a
snack, I just take a stroll to
the Porter Shopping Center.
Of course, I do not do this
often, since it is not the
most relaxing place in the
area. Volunteers are at
every corner asking for
donations. Cars beep and
come from all directions.
Cross walk lights do not
give any pedestrian a
chance to walk from one
side to another.
Volunteer gets a
person’s attention
Volunteer explains
fundraiser
Still, it is a systems paradise.
Systems can be seen
everywhere, such as a
restaurant serving a
customer and making
profit. Below is a simplified
fragment of system. It
shows what a volunteer
worker may do if he/she
successfully received
money from an individual
and how that would benefit
his/her organization.
Volunteer gets
money from
person
Organization gets
money for
necessities/activ
ities
DARWIN TULIP
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Tracheophyta
Class: Lilliopsida
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Genus:Tulipa
Species: Darwin
Individual: The tulips were isolated from
other flowers. They dominate the
isolated area set aside for them.
When a tulip opens, it shows an
explosion pattern.
Population: Medium density, clustered
together tightly.
Community: The tulips are exposed in the
middle of a busy street. They are
subjected to people stepping on them
or cars hitting them. Humans and
plants also connect through processes
such as photosynthesis and cellular
respiration, which provide each other
with Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen for
internal functions to occur.
Ecosystem: Tulips are primary producers,
but in this environment, they are not
likely to be subjected to many natural
predators.
Landscape: The plants are on an isolated
oval, cement island in the middle of a
busy intersection.
STOP 2- PORTER STATION
Every day, I go home by taking the Commuter
Rail at the Porter Square T Stop. Through
all the seasons, I have observed how the
plants change and develop, from the
leaves falling off the trees to the tiny roots
growing between the tracks. One of the
most interesting things to observe are the
birds jumping throughout the tracks. I
always feel the butterflies dancing in my
stomach when I see the red lights proclaim
“STAND BACK BOSTON TRAIN” and the
little birds still play and fight. When this
happens, I think about how we humans
have paved over their habitat in order to
transport ourselves. It also amazed me
how the birds come right up to the
humans. It seemed as though they didn’t
mind me taking their photos (they were
very good models). It showed me how
humans and birds have grown side by side
and have become an every day part of
each other’s lives.
ROCK PIGEONS
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order:Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae
Genus: Columba
Species: Livia
Individual: Pigeons rely on humans for food
and have adapted to the urban
ecosystem
Population: The pigeons coo at each other
to communicate.
Community: The pigeons appeared
apathetic to the hectic environment
around them. They did have a
symbiotic elationship with humans,
however. When a human dropped
some food, the pigeons benefited.
Ecosystem: Usually, pigeons are secondary
consumers.
Landscape: The entire area was paved with
the exception of a patch of greenery
on the other side of the track and a
few plants squeezing through the
planks.
STOP 3-UNIVERSITY HALL PARKING LOT
Lesley has many different types of
organisms right in their backyard. The
parking lot of Lesley University is
home to many native and invasive
species. This area is a prime place for
competition, as plants fight to obtain
as many resources to survive as
possible. The plant that has adapted
better usually ends up winning this
fight. It reminded me of the human
population in many ways. Each human
tries to obtain as many resources as
possible to survive. The wealthy seem
to end up with the most resources
while the rest are left with little or
nothing. How does this happen? We
living in a system where , as Meadows
says, “the rich get richer. “
Competition can have its system
traps. If the other plants do not make
adaptations to gain resources, it will
never survive.
SYCAMORE TREE
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom:Tracheobionta
Superdivision: Spermatophyta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass :Hamamelididae
Order: Hamamelidales
Family :Platanaceae
Genus : Platanus L.
Species: Platanus occidentalis
Individual: The tree is the only
sycamore in the area because it
is an invasive species.
Community: Since the tree has few
competitors, it can use as many
resources as it needs. As a
result, it is larger than other
trees because it has more room
to expand. It provides shelter for
birds. Lichens and moss also
use the tree as their home.
Ecosystem: Primary Producer
Landscape: The tree is surrounded
by a concrete sidewalk. There
are only a few plant plots
scattered around the area.
STOP 4-ROSELAND STREET
Going through Mass. Ave is nothing
new to me. I usually just walk
from Doble campus to Porter
campus without much thought.
When the flowers started
blooming, however, I started
taking more time to “stop and
smell the roses.” I noticed all the
different types of life emerging. I
saw relationships between
different species. Some of the
relationships were beneficial to
both parties (bees and flowers)
while others were competitive
(dandelions and tulips).
COMMON DANDELION
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Anthophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:A sterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Taraxacum
Species: Officinale
Individual: The weed is surrounded
by other types of flowers.
It has an explosion pattern.
Population: These flowers have
random dispersion patterns.
They are r strategists (the wind
spreads their seeds).
Community: These weeds compete
with other plants (such as these
flowers) for nutrients.
Ecosystem: Primary Producers
Landscape: The neighborhood this
flower was observed in is
comprised of many streets
(corridors). There was one grassy
patch near to this dandelion,
where other dandelions were
growing.
STOP 5 AND 6-MELLEN AND WENDELL STREET
In the Spring, the flowers around the Lesley campuses blossom. It surprised me that
so many different types of flowers share small plots of land. It made me aware of
how difficult it could be for a plant to obtain necessary resources. Just as the
flower populations started growing, so did the bumblebee populations. It showed
me how dependent species are on one another. Below is an example of how the
flower and bee populations grow.
Competitors
Tulip seeds
are planted
The tulip
population
BUMBLEBEE (MELLEN)
Kingdom :Animalia
Phylum :Uniramia
Class: Insecta/Hexapoda
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Bombus
Species:Terrestris
Individual: The bee was
alone while pollinating
Population: Bees live in
colonies. In each colony,
only the queen bee is
reproduces.
Community: Bees
pollinating flowers is an
example of mutualism.
Landscape: The street was
a corridor with patches
of plant life.
BUMBLE BEE FOOD WEB-KEYSTONE SPECIES
DAFFODIL (WENDELL)
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Liliales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Genus : Narcissus
Species:
Pseudonarcissus
Individual: The flower grew by
itself, not in a bunch.
Population: Like all flowers,
daffodils are r strategists.
Community: The flower shared
its space with other species
of flowers, such as tulips.
Ecosystem: Primary producer
Landscape: Corridor with long
strips of plant life along the
sides.
STOP 7 AND 8- EVERETT AND OXFORD STREETS
(HARVARD UNIVERSITY)
After crossing Everett St., I was in
“enemy territory.” Harvard
students sneered at my neon
green Lesley sweatshirt. It made
me think about the boundary
systems we establish. Why are
we so possessive of what we
have? Is it natural? Is there a
way to conquer it? Should we
embrace it or reject it? The
robins did not seem to be
affected by the human
boundaries. They did not care if
a worm was from Lesley or
Harvard. Below is an example of
how boundaries are formed.
Others
try to
take it
Defend it
See what we
“need”
Claim it as our
own
Use it
EARTHWORM (EVERETT)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Subclass: Oligochaeta
Order: Haplotaxida
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Lumbricus
Species: Terrestris
Individual: Earthworms live
underground
Population: Earthworms carry
both sets of reproductive
organs, but still need to
mate in order to reproduce.
Community: The worm is the
primary prey for many birds
in the area (especially the
robins).
Ecosystem: Decomposers
Landscape: Mostly grassy with
a few small corridors.
AMERICAN ROBIN (OXFORD)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species: Migratorius
Individual: The robin used
its beak to catch its food
Population: Robins are k
strategists and care for
their young
Community: Predator to the
earthworm
Ecosystem: Secondary
consumers
Landscape: Very grassy
area with many paths
criss-crossing through it
STOP 9-ENTRANCE TO HARVARD YARD
When entering Harvard Yard I started to see more and more human domination over
the landscape. The trees were all spaces almost evenly, the classrooms
dominated, and students and tourists flooded the area. There were no weeds and
new grass seed was placed onto the landscape. It once again reminded me of the
“Rich get Richer” concept. Humans have built a system in which they dominate all
types of ecosystems: forests, oceans, etc. As a result, other species are being
pushed out. It made me wonder about our influence over the world. If by some
chance every human wanted to return to a simpler way of life, would it be possible
or have we done too much damage? Is there a way to fix all of this damage?
HOUSE SPARROWS
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae
Genus: Passer
Species: Domesticus
Individual: Uses beak to feed young.
Invasive species.
Population: Sparrows are usually
seen together (medium density).
K strategists.
Community: All the birds in the area
compete for similar resources
(such as worms and nesting
locations). The sparrows are very
aggressive.
Ecosystem: Secondary consumers.
Landscape: Mostly paved. The
sparrows usually stay hidden in
the branches of the small patch
of shrubs near the entrance to
Harvard Yard.
STOP 9-HARVARD YARD
Harvard is one of the most famous universities in the world. Although the university
has been around for hundreds of years, it, too, has followed the trend of selforganized criticality. When Harvard was first founded, students did not use IPads
or cell phones. Google was unheard of. “Tweeting” meant a bird sound, not a
social network. As time went on, the way students learned became more complex.
Walkmans gave way to tiny IPod shuffles. Big, bulky computers were condensed
to flat-screen laptops and tablets. The world has become more fast paced, so the
technology needs to develop in order efficiently to keep up.
EASTERN GREY SQUIRREL
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Species: Carolinensis
Individual: Squirrels’ teeth allow them to
crack open nuts.
Population: K strategists, polygamous
Community: Mutual relationship with
trees. The tree provides the squirrel
with food and shelter. The squirrel
hides acorns (forgets where they are),
causing more trees to grow.
Ecosystem: Primary consumers
Landscape: Very grassy with many crisscrossing pathways throughout.
STOP 10-HARVARD SQUARE
Harvard Square is one of the most popular
human gathering spots in the Cambridge
area. It is a hub for business, socializing,
and connecting. Harvard Square is a great
example of networking. Harvard students
connect with tourists. Musicians connect
with patrons enjoying their lunch. People
even connect with others who are not in
the Square (texting, social networking, etc.).
In a way, Harvard Square is the real life
version of the Oracle of Bacon website. You
never know if your waitress served your
former classmate or if the musician on the
corner is best friends with your cousin. My
friends Mickey and Elise have traveled
through the Square with me on many
occasions. Elise and Mickey have never
met. The following slide is my attempt at an
“Oracle of Bacon.” Through it, I am proving
how Elise and Mickey are connected
through their relationships with other
people and Johnson and Wales University.
ORACLE OF JOHNSON AND WALES UNIVERSITY
Me
Mickey’s
BF Chris:
Class of
2012
Wants to go into
Business
My friend Mickey
My friend
Elise
Wants to be a Pastry Chef
Mickey’s
high
school
friend
Mel
JOHNSON AND WALES
UNIVERSITY
HUMANS
Individual: A human is a social creature that
usually enjoys interacting with others and
with the environment
Population: Humans share music, ideas,
and goods with each other. All ages are
seen together. They are k strategists (e.g.
mothers with baby strollers). I was curious if
humans are considered monogamous or
polygamous creatures.
Community: Humans tend to dominate the
urban ecosystem; however, they do have
mutual relationships with other species.
They give food droppings to other animals
(a symbiotic relationship) and they eat meat
products in restaurants (predator vs. prey).
Ecosystem: Humans are omnivorous. They
can be primary, secondary, or tertiary
consumers.
Landscape: The Harvard Square landscape
is mostly paved; however, there are a few
patches of grass and trees (isolated or
grouped) scattered throughout.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primata
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: Homo sapien
Not only did I observe natural patterns on my walk, but I
also noticed the ways humans mimicked those patterns.
For example, the flowers on this slide are examples of
explosion patterns. Every pedal connects to the flower’s
center. A human-made example would be the Bruins’ logo.
Each spike connects to the central “B.” The following slide
shows examples of branching patterns. Within the trunk of
the tree, I observed tiny indents that resembled a
branching pattern. That pattern is repeated throughout
the whole tree. A human branching example would be the
MBTA. All the tracks branch out to different areas in order
to transport people across the state.
FRACTALS AND PATTERNS
OZYMANDIAS BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".
Throughout my walk, I kept making
the same observation. No matter
how many streets we pave or how
high the buildings tower, nature will
always find a way to continue
living. One could argue that the
leverage point to the human
development system is nature.
There will always be that one
dandelion that keeps growing
back. There will always be a tiny
twig growing between the planks of
the rail road track. The statue of
Ozymandias was created in order
to immortalize the “King of Kings”
forever. However, years after his
reign ended, there is nothing but
ruins. His statue has been
conquered by nature. Everything
human is temporary, but nature
lives on.
CREATIVE PIECE
Meadows, Donella. (2008). Thinking in Systems: A Primer.
White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing
Company.
https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/taxonomy.html
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/pidgeons/
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PLOC
http://www.arkive.org/common-dandelion/taraxacumofficinale-agg/#text=Facts
http://www.arkive.org/narcissus/narcissuslongispathus/#text=Facts
http://www.arkive.org/house-sparrow/passerdomesticus/#text=Facts
http://www.wildbirds.com/IdentifyBirds/BirdTaxonomy/tabid/1
09/Default.aspx
http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/spring99projects/tulips
.htm
http://www.alientravelguide.com/science/biology/life/animals
/chordata/vertebra/aves/columbif/
http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Taraxacum-officinale.htm
http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/Taxonomy.htm
SOURCES
SOURCES CNTD.
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/earthworm-classification-taxonomy.html
http://www.backyardnature.net/namelatn.htm
http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Sciurus_carolinensis
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/rock_pigeon/lifehistory
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Rock_Pigeon
http://www.pestworldforkids.org/bees.html
http://qpanimals.pbworks.com/w/page/5925153/Bumble%20Bee
http://lhsfoss.org/fossweb/teachers/materials/plantanimal/earthworms.html
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sciurus_carolinensis.html
http://www.tulsaaudubon.org/housesparrow-starlinginfo.htm
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149590/daffodil
http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/
IMAGE SOURCES
http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom/highlight_archive/highlight_051011.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BumbleBee-OnPavement.jpg
http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-20934/Earthworm
http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-birds-of-ontario
http://www.birdsamore.com/byb/sparrow-house.htm