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I chose this picture focusing on desertification. If we don't continue to improve and evolve our farming techniques, we'll end up with a land full of soil that is unusable. We'll put ourselves in a desperate situation and make all of those movies about us having to abandon Earth in search of a better existence elsewhere a reality!

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Unit 7- What I believe is the most influential chemical derived from a plant 

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Unit 7- What I believe is the most influential chemical derived from a plant 

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I am a big proponent of Cannabis as a whole. In particular CBD oil, as I have experienced first hand with close loved ones, the benefits of use. I have seen the positive impact it has on the brain, peoples eyes, and their hearts in a medical manner. CBD is still being explored today and I believe it will continue to add to its own value as our technology advances and allows us to explore even more possibi

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Unit 6- Inventions from the 3rd Agricultural Revolution

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Unit 6- Inventions from the 3rd Agricultural Revolution

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I felt like this was a pretty telling picture given the leaps and bounds that have occurred in the third... :D The steam-powered tractor was a huge breakthrough on the farm front. It allowed farmers to work faster and longer increasing their productivity and ultimately creating a quicker turnaround for their clients. While this is mainly a benefit in my opinion on the business side, it is still a huge breakthrough for what was and still is to this day, a major revenue generating industry.

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This era was full of change for man and the ecosystem we moved into. We started the conversion from a nomadic existence, to a settled one. Unfortunately, this led to a growth in deforestation which had a negative impact not only on our flora, but the pre-existing fauna.  This slide foc uses on the impact this had on women which I found very interesting. The fact that settling led to territorial wars and diminishing roles and status for women is still evident in society today. As a father of a daughter and a husband to a wife whose passionate about women's equality, this is glaring to me as a problem that has existed for way too long!

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I chose the rain forest due to the continued reports of deforestation in these areas. Logging is a huge threat and the most obvious. Along with that, people after oil and general mining are destroying the rain forest with no second thought. As a species, we continue to take down our natural resources versus using the excess we currently have. As a parent, this drives me insane given we are putting our own future generations in an awful position!

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I happen to really enjoy moss as a species, so this is a great website for that. It not only illustrates the variety of Georgian native moss, but also it's uses.

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Fall is winding down and winter is creeping closer by the day. The last few leaves dangle from deciduous trees' branches and a few perennials squeeze out one more bloom. When all is done, what color will there be to greet us during grey days? Green will be there - lush and vibrant green in the form of moss.

Moss is often unappreciated - especially by those trying to cultivate a lawn. I think moss should be appreciated as a beautiful, useful, and beneficial group of plants. Mosses are quite different from most of the plants that we are familiar with. Mosses are non-vascular plants; unlike vascular plants, they don't have tissues that transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Trees, shrubs, perennials, and even ferns are vascular plants. As a result of not having this "nutrient transportation" system, non-vascular plants don't get very big. Mosses are also different because they use spores to reproduce - they don't have flowers. In this way, they are like ferns.

As I thought about this topic, I looked around for examples of moss in my own yard and other places that I went. I was amazed at the many different ones that I found. At right is one that I find commonly growing in the cracks of asphalt on the shady side of the streets.

I took pictures of them and tried to identify them from the pictures; that was a tough job and I was not always successful just using pictures. One thing I learned is that they can look quite different if they are not "hydrated". They do hydrate very quickly, so just pour some water on them if you want them hydrated. Those two pictures were taken about 5 minutes apart.

Just as with any plant, there are a number of common names associated with moss and the names seem to pair up nicely with the appearance of the moss: Broom moss reflects it's windswept look, Fern moss looks like tiny ferns, British soldiers looks like red-capped fellows, Pin cushion looks, well, like a pin cushion! Here are some of the ones I found (and the names if I was able to identify them). Thanks to my friend Faye for helping me with some of the identifications.

When color and form is all you have to offer, combinations of different shades of green and textures becomes almost a work of art. I found that frequently a patch of moss can be a group of different ones:

One reason I like to have moss around is that it creates a superb environment for seeds to germinate. In some areas it can be an early colonizer, establishing a rich environment for a new group of plants to take hold.

The area in front of my house is a mini nursery for Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum) seedlings. I have about 5 new seedlings each year in the moss. I carefully dig them out when they are big enough and pot them up.

So I encourage you to appreciate moss for it's many qualities - color in winter, texture among other plants, and an ability to nourish seedlings. Think about encouraging any moss that you find growing in your garden and introducing moss if you don't have any already. Look for it in shady areas in your yard - even in the grass. When I find moss in my grass, I make plans to phase out the grass, not the moss!

For another post about the marvelous attributes of moss, including a great picture of a moss "lawn", click on over to The Grumpy Gardener.

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Fall is winding down and winter is creeping closer by the day. The last few leaves dangle from deciduous trees' branches and a few perennials squeeze out one more bloom. When all is done, what color will there be to greet us during grey days?

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This video goes well with the reading I have done on photosynthesis. It is a high level overview of the process and very basic which is on par with my understanding. It does a great job of explaining things from the point where the sun, carbon dioxide and water all get involved in the process, all the way through sending oxygen back into the atmosphere for the rest of the ecosystem to use.

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Plants in Society and the Environment