Microclimate

Indirect Effecting

The concept of an organism relying on other organisms and those other organisms being affected by factors such as the temperature thus consequently affecting the first organisms is an interesting one. This arrangement can help us look at communities of people in society where the presence of some types of people depends on the presence of other types of people. We can affect the presence of the first type of people by changing factors that affect the second type of people and thus indirectly affecting the first type.

Environment May Reverse Competition

The outcome of competition between tow organisms can be in favor of one of them within specific conditions and in favor of the other within different conditions (such as different temperatures). Similarly, we can find that the competition between humans in society (businesses or individuals) can be in favor of one side rather than the other according to the conditions of the environment.

Ecology and Growing Plants

The science of ecology can help a lot in determining how communities of plants can live together and interact with each other and with the environment around them and its factors. It is interesting to know all about factors affecting plants such as humidity, temperature, pH value, salinity and the presence (or absence) of specific minerals.

Humidity Loving Insects

I was surprised to find the humidity loving insects in the soil with my balcony plants while not having watered the plants for quite a while. I later came to the conclusion that probably the shade created by the small growing tree and the mulch and good compost based soil have all collaborated to keep the soil under the mulch highly humid. It's the concept of microclimates again.

Microclimate

The idea of microclimates provides a lot of hope for city dwellers. Urban settings have long suffered from high rates of air pollution and increased temperatures due to the heat island effect. This has been 'remedied' using technology in the form of electric air conditioners which actually worsen the local environmental temperature by creating more heat, not to mention consuming a lot of energy. People thus go into a vicious circle.

Microclimates, however, provide us with hope. One can still create a microclimate around his own home or neighborhood by growing more trees and using a number of natural shading and cooling techniques.

Composting Worms

Ecology can help a lot in keeping composting worms and earth worms. The science of ecology can provide us with the knowledge to create successful worm farms.

Microclimates

Variation on Earth

The inclination of Earth on its axis while rotating around itself and the sun creates such variation in seasons. The spherical shape of the earth itself lends to interesting variation on earth. The presence of mountains and different altitudes also helps create even more variation on earth.

Variation can be with time or according to geographic location.

Microclimates

Isolation?

The concept of microclimate gives hope. It allows one to think that despite the destruction, pollution and deteriorating environment taking place globally, yet one can still live in a relative paradise and create his own microclimate and niche environment.

That does not mean that we should disconnect from what's going on around us and leave the earth to sink, as we are all connected and will get affected at the end no matter how 'isolated' we might be. It just means that in parallel with trying to "save the earth" we can still live in relative bliss by enjoying our own blessed microclimates in which we can thrive. Just planning some trees around your home can help you go that direction.

That's why an urban setting where trees are grown can be up to 10 degrees Celsius less in temperature than an adjacent one that has no trees.

Inspiration

The concept of microclimates also provides variation. It provides inspiration that in analogy to microclimates we can find people in urban communities who are living different states of life. The variation in such human communities can be great in a similar way that microclimates create variation. For instance, in a poor neighborhood there could exist some rich people. In an area where disease is rampant there could exist some health people. At a place where ethics have subsides there could exist ethical people. If such variation is lost, ecosystems become fragile and can fail, be destroyed and become replaced with other new ecosystems that allow for more variation and are more resilient.

This variation can perhaps explain the presence of fruits growing out of seasons for Mariam.

Permaculture

The concept of microclimates and variation in small areas can also be used in permaculture to provide for a variety of food in a small area of land.

So, we can find interesting variation, for instance, within Siwa itself at some scattered pieces of land that have springs.

Sea Moderates Temperature

Water from the sea absorbs a lot of heat in contrast to land which absorbs less heat. The land heats and cools very fast compared to the sea. Hence in Alexandria (Egypt) and other coastal cities weather is moderated by the waters in the sea. It can be warm at night and cool during the day.

Manmade Variation

Besides variation created by natural factors, human activity can also lead to a great deal of variation. For instance, during the Eid vacation where a large number of people who are working and living in Cairo (Egypt) go back to their governorates and industry ceases, a great positive variation in the local climates of Cairo shows up. Air pollution rates drop down sharply and the atmosphere becomes much more healthy. I have noticed during the last Eid vacation that birds increased and I believe I've even witnessed a species of bird that I had not been seeing around, it had a pleasant sound that I had not been familiar with earlier. As soon as the Eid vacation came to an end, such pleasant increased variation in species sadly subsided once again.

Islands and Speciation

Thoughts

1. The theory of evolution of species and what Islam and the Quran teach, how can they be reconciled?
2. In Upper Egypt, people are more isolated then those in the Nile Delta area. What effect, if any, does this have on them?
3. Taking plant species from such remote islands and reintroducing them elsewhere would be an interesting idea.
4. Breeding, of animals, taken from elsewhere can be interesting.
5. 'Specialization' of humans when isolated.
6. Specialization of coexisting humans.
7. How and why do populations diverge despite being in the same geographic location?

Digest

• Galápagos Islands are volcanic islands
• Location: Isolated in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 km west of Ecuador and 750 km from the island of Cocos, which is itself 500 km from Central America.
• Description: At more than 500 m above sea level the vegetation is open grassland. Below this is a humid zone of forest that grades into a coastal strip of desert vegetation with some endemic species of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia).
• Darwin's finches: Fourteen species of finch are found on the islands.
• Microsatellite: The evolutionary relationships amongst them have been traced by molecular techniques
• The 14 distinct species of finches differ in shape and feeding habits.
• Isolation of individual islands within the archipelago has led to the evolution of a series of species each matching its own environment.

Small ground finch (Geospiza fuliginosa)

Questions

1. How do populations specialize despite not being geographically separated?
2. What islands, other than land surrounded by water, exist? (Oases?)
3. Let's explore the interesting subject of rare and specialized species in isolated islands and the process by which they evolve!