# data[].attributes.headline
Mireille's peer assessment of Brian's padlet

# data[].attributes.subject
Mireille's peer assessment of Brian's padlet

# data[].attributes.body
Based on Brian's profile and his professional role in the Edimburgh BG, I am sure that his depth of understanding of the basic concepts (on flora) and issues is very high. I also feel that his has acquired the knowledge of all relevant contexts of the subjects we were asked to learn about.  I have gone through the entire materials he has published as deliverables and have liked the logical organization and linking of ideas which shows coherence in his work and research. Based on this knowledge, I would have probably enjoyed my reading more with a bit more insights on what he selected to share with us. In the Theme 3, for example, I found his input a bit "restricted" although this might be due to his focus on a restricted area such as the city of Edimburgh. I also noticed that he had eluded one the exercises we were assigned to (which I shared with him). In conclusion, my feeling is that his "Bioarea looks good " but I am convinced that a bit more work on various insights  wouldhave help me to better understand his bioarea so that I would feel also his passion and enthusiasm.

# data[].attributes.body
In response to the task to discuss "similarities with regards to biodiversity richness" here is my response.
From my review of the material presented so far it is clear that we need to efficiently e-enable diverse collaboration and idea-sharing synergistically while also implementing state of the art transformations in the bio-sphere.  It is also of interest to note how we might competently coordinate alternative scenarios monotonectally and envisioneer resource-leveling potentialities in biomes.  We cannot achieve this without conveniently evisculating diverse action items and authoritatively parallel task extensive knowledge supply globally.  At the same time we need to promote goal-oriented interventions and  appropriately empower impactful networks whilst enthusiastically evolving long-term high-impact solutions which will efficiently transform prospective strategic theme areas and strategize top-line information while continually incentivising agile alignments in policy developments and community/environmental engagement.
This is, of course, all incredibly complex and requires a whole (global) system perspective.

# data[].attributes.body
Inspired by this course, I did some research into how many endangered plants on the Red List were being grown in the four gardens which make up the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (that is Edinburgh, Logan, Benmore and Dawyck) and I was quite surprised by the results which were as follows:-

# data[].attributes.body
Invasive plant

# data[].attributes.body
Two examples of animals with a predator-prey relation

Given that my chosen BioArea is, essentially, an urban one, two examples of urban predator/prey relationships (which I have seen enacted in each case) are:

1. Urban Fox (Vulpes vulpes) (estimated population in 2001 – 430,082 Source: https://www2.gov.scot/Publications/2007/06/22104748/4) and the European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

2. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and the Feral Pidgeon (Columba livia domestica)

Two parasitic organisms

1. Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) which caused the death of a Flowering Cherry (Prunus incisa) in our Communal Garden.

2. Dog roundworm (Toxocara canis) which can be a problem in urban parks as it can infect humans when uncaring dog owners do not clear up their dogs’ faeces

The ecological niche of two characteristic animals

1. The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) a sometimes visitor to our Communal Garden which, as a bird of prey which predates small animals such as the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) in areas of woodland.

2. The Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) which in this Scottish urban area now occupies the niche which used to be occupied by the Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Two organisms that share the same food (niche partitioning) and the way that they manage it

The Water of Leith is a fast flowing freshwater stream which flows through my chosen BioArea.  Two birds, the White-Throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) Dipper and the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) both feed on fish and other organisms from the stream.  The Dipper does so by submerging its body into the stream, targeting small fish while the much larger Grey Heron fishes using its long beak, normally standing at the side of the stream.  Hence the same ecological niche produces a differentiated type of food and a differentiated way of consuming those foods.

Based on the simplified trophic pyramid found in slide 6 of the resource topic 2.1 'Relationship of organisms in ecosystems', make an analogous one with plants and animals from your own BioArea.
Using the organisms mentioned above to create a trophic pyramid would result in the following (from top to bottom of the pyramid):-

Tertiary Consumers: Fox, Kestrel, Owl
Secondary Consumers: Dipper, Heron
Primary Consumers: Rabbit, Squirrel, Pidgeon, Mouse
Primary Producers: Grass, vegetation, trees, water-plants
Decomposers: Honey fungus

# data[].attributes.body
Arthur's Seat looking across to Castle Rock (and Edinburgh Castle)

# data[].attributes.body
Adapted for pine cones

# data[].attributes.body
Endemic to the Scottish Central Belt

# data[].attributes.headline
Biotic and Abiotic Characteristics of my Bio Area

# data[].attributes.subject
Biotic and Abiotic Characteristics of my Bio Area

# data[].attributes.body
Search online for biotic and abiotic characteristics of your BioArea.

Does your BioArea belong to a biodiversity hotspot area?

No

Does it contain endemic species?

I can find no species which are endemic to Edinburgh City (my particular BioArea of interest).

As far as Scotland as a whole is concerned it appears that the Scottish crossbill - Loxia scotica - is the UK’s only endemic species of bird, and also the UK’s only unique vertebrate (https://www.britishbirdlovers.co.uk/bird-brain/does-britain-have-any-endemic-bird-species Accessed 13/01/19)

With regard to endemic flora, as mentioned in an earlier post, Edinburgh is situated in the Central Lowlands/Belt in which is found a rare endemic orchid known as Young's Helleborine (Epipactis youngiana) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_of_Scotland)

Can you find evidence of damaging human activities?

Yes, as a relatively dense urban area there is evidence of damage due to vandalism and air pollution is a particular problem in Edinburgh City.  Edinburgh City Council has declared six Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs), five for the pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and one for fine particulates (PM10).  An AQMA is required when a pollutant fails to meet air quality standards which are set by the Scottish Government. Road traffic is regarded as by far the greatest contributor to the high concentrations of NO2 in the city. (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/11600/air_quality_annual_progress_report_2018).

Are there areas currently under protection from human presence and/or activities?

Yes, Edinburgh City Council has a legal duty to protect trees in the City and does so by establishing Conservation Areas and issuing Tree Conservation Orders. (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20064/parks_and_greenspaces/256/trees_and_woodlands)

The Water of Leith runs through the City centre and is conserved and protected by the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, the first river charity to be based in Scotland, in 1988 (http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/ Accessed 13/01/19).

Does it contain volcanoes or mountains?

Although no longer active(!) three prominent features of the Edinburgh City landscape – Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill and the Castle Rock (which Edinburgh Castle sits upon) are the remnants of a Carboniferous volcano system (around 341 to 335 million years old). These areas are now protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Seat Accessed 13/01/19)

# data[].attributes.headline
A view of Edinburgh Castle from the Rockery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

# data[].attributes.subject
A view of Edinburgh Castle from the Rockery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

# data[].attributes.headline
Defining my BioArea  Firstly I will define the BioArea which I will be focussing on for this course.The suffix to my BioArea title shows “UK”, that is, to give it its full official title, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  The UK is comprised of four main geo-political areas: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland and England. (Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/d2/6a/67d26a2a99793803a8ac27e261b88c74.jpg Accessed 12/01/19)

# data[].attributes.subject
Defining my BioArea  Firstly I will define the BioArea which I will be focussing on for this course.The suffix to my BioArea title shows “UK”, that is, to give it its full official title, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  The UK is comprised of four main geo-political areas: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland and England. (Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/d2/6a/67d26a2a99793803a8ac27e261b88c74.jpg Accessed 12/01/19)

# data[].attributes.headline
I live in Scotland which, in turn, can divided into three distinct regions which are, from North to South of the country, the Highlands and Islands (to the North of the Highland Boundary Fault), the Central Lowlands (or Central Belt), which includes the main cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the Southern Uplands bordering England (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Scotland_%28Location%29_Named_%28HR%29.png Accessed 12/01/19).

# data[].attributes.subject
I live in Scotland which, in turn, can divided into three distinct regions which are, from North to South of the country, the Highlands and Islands (to the North of the Highland Boundary Fault), the Central Lowlands (or Central Belt), which includes the main cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the Southern Uplands bordering England (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Scotland_%28Location%29_Named_%28HR%29.png Accessed 12/01/19).

# data[].attributes.headline
The Central Belt is divided into a number of administrative areas and I live in the centre of Edinburgh, the “City of Edinburgh” as shown on the following map: Source: http://www.scottish-places.info/scotgaz/images/Censc.jpg (Accessed 12/01/19)

# data[].attributes.subject
The Central Belt is divided into a number of administrative areas and I live in the centre of Edinburgh, the “City of Edinburgh” as shown on the following map: Source: http://www.scottish-places.info/scotgaz/images/Censc.jpg (Accessed 12/01/19)

# data[].attributes.headline
Within the broad administrative area of the City of Edinburgh, I will focus on that area enclosed by the Edinburgh ring-road (shown in purple on the map below Source: https://store.mapsofindia.com/image/cache/data/digital-maps/edinburgh-city-map-750.jpg-900x700.jpg Accessed 12/01/19)Note, that as well as other significant green spaces, this area includes the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (just below Ferry Road towards the top of the map) where I am a Volunteer Research Associate working on various phenology projects, hence part of my interest in this particular geographic area and its associated ecology.  Note also that the area is bounded to the North and North East by the Firth of Forth which is likely to be an important characteristic of the loctic abiotic ecosystem in my BioArea of interest. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Within the broad administrative area of the City of Edinburgh, I will focus on that area enclosed by the Edinburgh ring-road (shown in purple on the map below Source: https://store.mapsofindia.com/image/cache/data/digital-maps/edinburgh-city-map-750.jpg-900x700.jpg Accessed 12/01/19)Note, that as well as other significant green spaces, this area includes the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (just below Ferry Road towards the top of the map) where I am a Volunteer Research Associate working on various phenology projects, hence part of my interest in this particular geographic area and its associated ecology.  Note also that the area is bounded to the North and North East by the Firth of Forth which is likely to be an important characteristic of the loctic abiotic ecosystem in my BioArea of interest. 

# data[].attributes.body
My response to the questions/issues raised in this exercise are as follows:

Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation in my BioArea.

As an urban area which has been established for about 150 years most of the habit loss, fragmentation and degradation occurred many years ago.  However there is still some habitat loss as new buildings are constructed on ‘greenfield sites’ such as in the grounds of redundant schools and hospitals.  These trends are mitigated, to an extent by the recognition of the need for more bio-diversity which can be assisted, for example, by following less stringent regimes of grass-cutting in public spaces such as parks, thereby allowing a wider diversity of plant growth and the encouragement of pollinators and other organisms.

Wildlife overexploitation in your BioArea for the food industry, pet market, traditional medicine or the fashion industry.

No evidence of this.

Species of your BioArea that appear on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

None, as far as I can discover.

Possible invasions of alien species in your BioArea during the last decade. Consult also the list of 100 World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species.

I am not sure whether this had occurred “during the last decade” however Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is appearing in gardens and causing concern.

Possible signs of climate change in your BioArea, such as weather extremes

There is a wealth of data indicating significant changes in the climate in Edinburgh, and Scotland as a whole.  See the data from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency at https://www.environment.gov.scot/data/data-analysis/climate-trends/ and ASC (2016) UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 Evidence Report – Summary for Scotland at https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/UK-CCRA-2017-Scotland-National-Summary.pdf

My own observations suggest that episodes of high winds, such that the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has to close because of risks to visitors and staff, are occurring more frequently and that winters are becoming, generally, milder while summers are wetter.

# data[].attributes.body
"The wolves were brought in because the increased elk population was overgrazing the deciduous, woody species such as aspen and cottonwood"