How are we all interconnected?

How are we all interconnected?

We live in a world of systems, all interconnected and operating in unison, therefor it becomes important to understand where these systems connect. (Ragnarsdottir, K.V. 2022).

Earth's Systems

There are five main systems on Earth (National Geographic Society, 2022) the Geosphere,  Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and finally the Cryosphere. All life on Earth relies on the interactions between these systems. Within these systems exists what we know more commonly as rocks, air, water, the movement of energy and matter and all plants, animals, and bacteria. Together each part plays an important role, each a piece of the puzzle to a much greater whole- life on Earth.

Life on Earth

Life on earth is a continous pattern of interactions between living things and non-living elements within the different systems on earth, such as air, water, rocks and soil (Van Ham, C. 2018). Life on earth can be found at the darkest depths of the ocean, all the way to the Stratosphere, a level within our atmosphere. Within these different environments life continues to exist, enduring temperatures as hot as 113 degrees celcius and as low as -24 degrees celcius. (Sagan, C., Sagan, D., Margulis, L. 2023). Populations of different species exist in these environments and gather in communities, interacting and growing, creating thriving ecosystems, bussling with activity. Within these ecosystems there occurs movement of energy and matter, creating different structures of life, from plants, animals, and fungi all the way to bacteria at microscopic levels. Periodic distrubances which allow for change and regrowth to occur, allow for the continous flow of energy through the varying levels of the ecosystems, to create succession and repetition of the cycle. (Robertson, M. 2021). 

Food Chains and Food Webs

Within ecosystems, many different species exist. There are many levels in the ecosystem, through which energy moves. Producers are your energy suppliers which feed consumers such as herbivors, and predators such as carnivors and omnivors (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2016).

All living things need energy to survive. Understanding food chains and more explicitly, food webs, can help us understand how energy is exchanged between organisms and how life on earth is interconnected (HomeSchool Pop. 2020). The above video does a great job of breaking this down in a child friendly way.

The original source of energy comes from the Sun. All living things on Earth are connected through a food chain and obtain some of the Suns energy. Plants take up the sun's energy first. Plants then pass on about 10% of this energy to those living things that consume them. These intitial consumers are known as primary consumers, as they are the first consumers in the food chain. There are many different levels of consumers within food chains. At each level of consumption in the food chain, 10% of energy is past on from one living thing to the next. Consumers then die and are taken up by decomposers that breakdown the nutrients and return them to the soil, which helps the plants grow. This cycle is known as the cycle of life. Food webs are many food chains interconnected to one another (Homeschool Pop, 2020). Exploring the system of energy exchange within a food chain and food web can be a simple example of how life on earth is interconnected. 

Keystone Species

A key role in food webs is that of Keystone Species. Keystone species are crucial parts to ecosystems so much so, that if they were to be removed, entire ecosystems would look and act dramatically different, interrupting food webs completly and even wiping out complete ecosystems (National Geographic Education, 2023). Keystone species regulate the composition of entire communities and as Robert Paine discovered, their role within structures of ecosystems should not be taken lightly. As a top down approach Paine found that with the removal of a keystone species other consumers start to take over and have abilities to wipe out complete populations of plants within systems. Just like with the architecture of an arch, each side of the arch requires pressure to be put on itself and if that center of the arch is removed, that apex predator in an ecosystem if you will, the entire structure will collape (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2016).

Some examples of keystone species are sea otters, wolves, lions, beavers and sharks. Wolves in Yellowstone National Park are a keystone species and when they were reintroduced just recently, changes occured across all levels in the ecosystem of the park, including right down to how the rivers flowed (Washington, H. 2015). As top predators, that regulate herbivore and plant populations, research is ongoing to assess the long-term impacts that such a species can have on the many intricate interconnections that exist within the ecosystem allowing us to further understand how we are all interconnected (SciShow, 2017).

Students' Perpective

Understanding that each piece of an ecosystem plays a significant role on the ecosystem as a whole can be a daunting task. I mean, how often do you feel as though your actions don't matter? As small as they are, in a world as big as it is, it is sometimes hard to believe that continually recycling the pizza boxes is really going to make a difference. However, all our small actions can make a tremendous difference, the same way the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park had such subtle, yet intricetly connected interactions that changed the ecosystem right down to how the rivers flow! Outstandingly magical.

So, how do we engage students in all of this? How do we have them develop connections to the land at a level that intrinsicly creates passion and desire to protect the natural world, so as to not give up on those small, seemingly pointless actions?

Sit Spot

How about trying something called Sit Spot. A Sit Spot is time in nature where we take just a few minutes to stop and experience the natural world around us, with all our senses. It doesn't matter where this Sit Spot is, on a balcony, at a park, on a walk, in a forest. Just the act of sitting still, connecting and reflecting on and in nature, will develop a connection to nature so deep, that we will learn to love nature and want to protect it, and all its intricate systems and LIFE found within these systems!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YkMr_jjrHadxfFc-vMZQ33EZ5LmfUkPt/view?usp=sharing

Want to learn more?

Why not try a geonology tree with these free chart templates or try it digitally here.

The family tree of humanity, and for that matter all life on earth, is much more interconnected then we tend to think (Hershberger, S. 2020).

Annotated Bibliography

National Geographic Education. (Aug. 11, 2023). Role of Keystone Species in an     Ecosystem. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/role-keystone-species-ecosystem/

This website is a collection of resources for educators across the grades and into post secondary education as well as a news source, a place for professional learning and collection of timely and relevant explorer expeditions from across the globe. The authors of this article conclude that keystone species are crucial to the success of their environments but that other categories of organisms exist that are also crucial to the survival of ecosystems. This source is relevant to the research I conducted on how we are all interconnected because it highlights the importance of keystone species in ecosystems and the affects they would have on ecosystems if and when they would be removed. National Geographic Society (Education) was founded in 1888 to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. (National Geographic Society, 2023). What is especially appealing to me about this source is the ability I have, as an educator, to tailor the text level to my specific grade of choice, which allows the readings and articles to be attainable for all. It also includes fast facts at the end of most publications which are always interesting to students and helpful for teachers. 

SciShow. (2017, Jan 30). 3 Animals That Keep Their Whole Ecosystem Together. (video).         YouTube. https://youtu.be/JGcIp4YEKrc?si=qZNycUIUX5er5-PD

SciShow Kids is a youtube channel collection of videos, shorts and lives that aim to teach kids about science in the world around us and beyond. In this video SciShow kids digs into the idea of keystone species and how they keep their ecosystems running. The conclusions made by this video was that keystone species within an ecosystem directly and indirectly affects the ecosystems in which they live. The source is relevant because understanding the unique characteristics of keystone species and their affects on ecosystems helps us to understand, at a deeper level, how we are all interconnected. Olivia Gordon was the host for this specific video and comes from the Missoula Insectarium. I really enjoy SciSchow videos for kids. They do a great job at breaking down complex issues to child friendly language and developmentally apporiate ways of understanding. I also appreciate that they source their videos and use very well known and reputable sources.

Van Ham, C. (Jan 25, 2018). In the spirit of nature, everything is     connected. IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/news/europe/201801/spirit-nature-everything-connected

IUCN is a membership union of government and civil society organisations. That together work to advance sustainable development and create a just world that values and conserves nature (IUCN, About). They have over 1400 members, in over 160 countries and have been around for over 70 years. They are a group of government, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous people's organizations and others that work together to solve environmental problems with sustainable solutions (IUCN, About). This source did a great job of explaining how if we could listen and learn from nature's systems we could have a model that would be more sustainable for our planet. Overall, it urges for change towards systems that respect natural resource limits and the functions of ecosystems. Understanding that we are in a co-productive relationship with nature, and not a one-sided relationship where we just take, take and take. The source continues on, describing various global movements that are underway to help promote the understanding of nature and what the loss of biodiversity means to our planet, through means such as social media and education. This source is relevant as it focuses on the connections humans have to plants, animals and microbes. Helping us to understand how we are in actual fact reliant on the planet and all its ecosystems. The author, Chantal Van Ham is the EU Programme Manager Nature Based Solutions in the IUCN EU Representative office. She works with people from multiple backgrounds and industries to find starting points for sustainable change, through works with nature. She has a degree in international Business and MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation Policy. The source fit well with the topic I was researching and I value the works that are shared, as they are a collaboration of multiple levels of society, working together towards a common goal- sustainable nature.

Earth Overshoot Day, Ecological Footprint Network, https:www.overshootday.org/

This source is a hub for learning about the Earth's Overshoot Day, the day forecasted each year, when  humanities demands on ecological resources and services within a given year, exceeds that of which the Earth can regenerate. This year's Overshoot Day was August 2nd, about 60 days sooner than what was being realized back in 1990, only 33 years ago. On this site you will find data to show how this date is calculated and resources to support implementation of these lessons for teachers Gr6-12, tied to NGS Standards. There is even a fun contest where classrooms can guess the date for the upcoming Overshoot Day! Its conclusions are all data based and reflect actual ecological deficits and reserves that exist across the world in various different countries, which is all relevant to understanding our impact on the systems here on Earth. This work is a collaboration between the New Economics Foundation and the Global Footprint Network, who launched the first global Earth Overshoot Day campaign back in 2006. I think this database of information is important for educators to have to show real data to back up claims around climate change and the importance of brainstorming solutions to environmental problems, centered around sustainability. 

Popescu Slavikova, S. (2018, Jan 5). 12 Examples of Keystone Species in an     Ecosystem. Greentumble. https://greentumble.com/12-examples-of-keystone-species

Greentumble is a source that gives nature a voice! It is a team of environmentalists, scientists, journalist, engineers and others, that partners with Veterans Off-Grid, a nonprofit organization that builds sustainable housing for homeless veterans, to bring resources to teachers, students, bloggers and more, about environmental issues. This source explained Keystone Species and offered various different examples of Keystone Species and elaborated on the roles of the species within the various ecosystems. The source is relevant as it provides rich examples of Keystone Species and the impacts and importance of all the different examples. Greentumble is a blog founded by two environmentalists, Sara and Ovi, who travel around Europe after meeting at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. They wish to inspire people to change their attitudes and behaviours towards a more sustainable life. Creating and offering comprehensive information on current environmental problems, solutions and success stories. I think this source did a great job of summarizing the key points of what makes a species a Keystone and offered ample examples that can make this learning more concrete for students.

References

Hershberger, S. (Oct 5, 2020). Humans Are All More Closely Related Than We Commmonly Think. Scientific             American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-are-all-more-closely-related-than-we-commonly-think/

HomeSchool Pop. (2020, June 24). The Food Chain For Kids.(video). YouTube. https://youtu.be/nBrEcUovvOc?si=J5Vv-    8sQ1n8b1q_H

Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (May 3, 2016). Some Animals Are More Equal than Others: Keystone Species and Trophic     Cascades. (video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?  v=hRGg5it5FMI

National Geographic Education. (Aug. 11, 2023). Role of Keystone Species in an                                   Ecosystem. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/role-keystone-species-ecosystem/

National Geographic Society. (May 20, 2022). Earth's              Systems. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/earths-systems/

National Geographic Society. (2023, Oct 2). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geographic_Society#

Ragnarsdottir, K.V. (2022). Setting the Science: Viewing the World as Interconnected Systems. In:Kunkel, P., Ragnarsdottir,         K.V. (eds) Transformation Literacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93254-1_8

Robertson, M. (2021). The Biosphere Chapter 3. SUSTAINABILITY: Principles and Practices. 3rd edition.

Sagan, C., Sagan, D., Margulis, L. (Sept. 24, 2023). Life. Brittanica. https://www.britannica.com/science/life 

SciShow. (2017, Jan 30). 3 Animals That Keep Their Whole Ecosystem Together. (video).     YouTube. https://youtu.be/JGcIp4YEKrc?si=qZNycUIUX5er5-PD

Van Ham, C. (Jan 25, 2018). In the spirit of nature, everything is                      connected. IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/news/europe/201801/spirit-nature-everything-connected

Washington, H. (2015). Chapter 5: Ecological sustainability: essential but overlooked. Demystifying Sustainability: Towards     Real Solutions. Routledge.