An Ecological View of Noanet Woodlands

Today was a beautiful, but very hot, day in the Boston area. I drove down to Dedham to walk around the large reserve of Noanet Woodlands. There were lots of interesting things to see along this walk. I saw people walking their dogs, some birds, and a wide variety of plant species!
I also was able to think of things with perhaps an "ecological" perspective. I thought about how the food chain might be working in this forest, which plants or species would be considered primary producers, how these species interact with each other, and more. For instance, I was able to take a look at all the moss and small shrubs and conclude that these were probably the primary producers of this ecosystem, and were responsible for providing support to the rest of the life present here. I also saw evidence of herbivory, where animals must have been relying on these land plants as food. I also saw lots of instances where plants were growing either on each other (like plants on trees) or very close together, which are examples of the many relationships we learned about. I also, unfortunately, saw some evidence of pollution and perhaps even climate change. For instance, I saw a mask and a few other items as litter and couldn't help but imagine how this might influence the ecosystem long term. I also saw quite a few "rivers" that were very dried up and seemed to no longer be supporting much life. I can't help but think perhaps climate change has caused this, and maybe the Noanet Woodlands looked much different years and years ago.

Publicado el 29 de junio de 2022 por sophieux