PLANET

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BASIC INFO

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• Location: Earth; North America; USA; Massachusetts; Middlesex County; Cambridge

• Biome: Easter Deciduous Forest, Boston Basin Bioregion

• Watershed: Charles River and in NW Cambridge N of Huron Ave. Mystic River (Alewife River sub-watershed)

http://prezi.com/g2cesx5awfvc/planetline-map

/

(ANNOTATED MAP IS PRINTED OUT)

THE JO

URNEY

Shopping: a girl’s best friend. Every time I need to take a break from class or grab a snack, I just take a stroll to the Porter Shopping Center. Of course, I do not do this often, since it is not the most relaxing place in the area. Volunteers are at every corner asking for donations. Cars beep and come from all directions. Cross walk lights do not give any pedestrian a chance to walk from one side to another.

Still, it is a systems paradise. Systems can be seen everywhere, such as a restaurant serving a customer and making profit. Below is a simplified fragment of system. It shows what a volunteer worker may do if he/she successfully received money from an individual and how that would benefit his/her organization.

STOP 1-PORTER SHOPPING CENTER

Volunteer gets a person’s attention

Volunteer explains

fundraiser

Volunteer gets money from

person

Organization gets money

for necessities/ac

tivities

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Lilliopsida

Order: Liliales

Family: Liliaceae

Genus:Tulipa

Species: Darwin

Individual: The tulips were isolated from other flowers. They dominate the isolated area set aside for them. When a tulip opens, it shows an explosion pattern.

Population: Medium density, clustered together tightly.

Community: The tulips are exposed in the middle of a busy street. They are subjected to people stepping on them or cars hitting them. Humans and plants also connect through processes such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration, which provide each other with Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen for internal functions to occur.

Ecosystem: Tulips are primary producers, but in this environment, they are not likely to be subjected to many natural predators.

Landscape: The plants are on an isolated oval, cement island in the middle of a busy intersection.

DARWIN TULIP

Every day, I go home by taking the Commuter Rail at the Porter Square T Stop. Through all the seasons, I have observed how the plants change and develop, from the leaves falling off the trees to the tiny roots growing between the tracks. One of the most interesting things to observe are the birds jumping throughout the tracks. I always feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach when I see the red lights proclaim “STAND BACK BOSTON TRAIN” and the little birds still play and fight. When this happens, I think about how we humans have paved over their habitat in order to transport ourselves. It also amazed me how the birds come right up to the humans. It seemed as though they didn’t mind me taking their photos (they were very good models). It showed me how humans and birds have grown side by side and have become an every day part of each other’s lives.

STOP 2- PORTER STATION

ROCK PIGEONSKingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order:Columbiformes

Family:Columbidae

Genus: Columba

Species: Livia

Individual: Pigeons rely on humans for food and have adapted to the urban ecosystem

Population: The pigeons coo at each other to communicate.

Community: The pigeons appeared apathetic to the hectic environment around them. They did have a symbiotic elationship with humans, however. When a human dropped some food, the pigeons benefited.

Ecosystem: Usually, pigeons are secondary consumers.

Landscape: The entire area was paved with the exception of a patch of greenery on the other side of the track and a few plants squeezing through the planks.

Lesley has many different types of organisms right in their backyard. The parking lot of Lesley University is home to many native and invasive species. This area is a prime place for competition, as plants fight to obtain as many resources to survive as possible. The plant that has adapted better usually ends up winning this fight. It reminded me of the human population in many ways. Each human tries to obtain as many resources as possible to survive. The wealthy seem to end up with the most resources while the rest are left with little or nothing. How does this happen? We living in a system where , as Meadows says, “the rich get richer. “ Competition can have its system traps. If the other plants do not make adaptations to gain resources, it will never survive.

STOP 3-UNIVERSITY HALL PARKING LOT

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom:Tracheobionta

Superdivision: Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass :Hamamelididae

Order: Hamamelidales

Family :Platanaceae

Genus : Platanus L.

Species: Platanus occidentalis

SYCAMORE TREE

Individual: The tree is the only sycamore in the area because it is an invasive species.

Community: Since the tree has few competitors, it can use as many resources as it needs. As a result, it is larger than other trees because it has more room to expand. It provides shelter for birds. Lichens and moss also use the tree as their home.

Ecosystem: Primary Producer

Landscape: The tree is surrounded by a concrete sidewalk. There are only a few plant plots scattered around the area.

Going through Mass. Ave is nothing new to me. I usually just walk from Doble campus to Porter campus without much thought. When the flowers started blooming, however, I started taking more time to “stop and smell the roses.” I noticed all the different types of life emerging. I saw relationships between different species. Some of the relationships were beneficial to both parties (bees and flowers) while others were competitive (dandelions and tulips).

STOP 4-ROSELAND STREET

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Anthophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order:A sterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Taraxacum

Species: Officinale

COMMON DANDELIONIndividual: The weed is

surrounded by other types of flowers.

It has an explosion pattern.

Population: These flowers have random dispersion patterns. They are r strategists (the wind spreads their seeds).

Community: These weeds compete with other plants (such as these flowers) for nutrients.

Ecosystem: Primary Producers

Landscape: The neighborhood this flower was observed in is comprised of many streets (corridors). There was one grassy patch near to this dandelion, where other dandelions were growing.

STOP 5 AND 6-MELLEN AND WENDELL STREETIn the Spring, the flowers around the Lesley campuses blossom. It

surprised me that so many different types of flowers share small plots of land. It made me aware of how difficult it could be for a plant to obtain necessary resources. Just as the flower populations started growing, so did the bumblebee populations. It showed me how dependent species are on one another. Below is an example of how the flower and bee populations grow.

Tulip seeds are planted

The tulip population

Competitors

Kingdom :Animalia

Phylum :Uniramia

Class: Insecta/Hexapoda

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Genus: Bombus

Species:Terrestris

Individual: The bee was alone while pollinating

Population: Bees live in colonies. In each colony, only the queen bee is reproduces.

Community: Bees pollinating flowers is an example of mutualism.

Landscape: The street was a corridor with patches of plant life.

BUMBLEBEE (MELLEN)

BUMBLE BEE FOOD WEB-KEYSTONE SPECIES

DAFFODIL (WENDELL)

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Liliales

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Genus : Narcissus

Species: Pseudonarcissus

Individual: The flower grew by itself, not in a bunch.

Population: Like all flowers, daffodils are r strategists.

Community: The flower shared its space with other species of flowers, such as tulips.

Ecosystem: Primary producer

Landscape: Corridor with long strips of plant life along the sides.

After crossing Everett St., I was in “enemy territory.” Harvard students sneered at my neon green Lesley sweatshirt. It made me think about the boundary systems we establish. Why are we so possessive of what we have? Is it natural? Is there a way to conquer it? Should we embrace it or reject it? The robins did not seem to be affected by the human boundaries. They did not care if a worm was from Lesley or Harvard. Below is an example of how boundaries are formed.

STOP 7 AND 8- EVERETT AND OXFORD STREETS (HARVARD UNIVERSITY)

See what we “need”

Claim it as our own

Defend it

Others try to take it

Use it

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Clitellata

Subclass: Oligochaeta

Order: Haplotaxida

Family: Lumbricidae

Genus: Lumbricus

Species: Terrestris

Individual: Earthworms live underground

Population: Earthworms carry both sets of reproductive organs, but still need to mate in order to reproduce.

Community: The worm is the primary prey for many birds in the area (especially the robins).

Ecosystem: Decomposers

Landscape: Mostly grassy with a few small corridors.

EARTHWORM (EVERETT)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order : Passeriformes

Family : Turdidae

Genus: Turdus

Species: Migratorius

Individual: The robin used its beak to catch its food

Population: Robins are k strategists and care for their young

Community: Predator to the earthworm

Ecosystem: Secondary consumers

Landscape: Very grassy area with many paths criss-crossing through it

AMERICAN ROBIN (OXFORD)

STOP 9-ENTRANCE TO HARVARD YARD

When entering Harvard Yard I started to see more and more human domination over the landscape. The trees were all spaces almost evenly, the classrooms dominated, and students and tourists flooded the area. There were no weeds and new grass seed was placed onto the landscape. It once again reminded me of the “Rich get Richer” concept. Humans have built a system in which they dominate all types of ecosystems: forests, oceans, etc. As a result, other species are being pushed out. It made me wonder about our influence over the world. If by some chance every human wanted to return to a simpler way of life, would it be possible or have we done too much damage? Is there a way to fix all of this damage?

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Ploceidae

Genus: Passer

Species: Domesticus

Individual: Uses beak to feed young. Invasive species.

Population: Sparrows are usually seen together (medium density). K strategists.

Community: All the birds in the area compete for similar resources (such as worms and nesting locations). The sparrows are very aggressive.

Ecosystem: Secondary consumers.

Landscape: Mostly paved. The sparrows usually stay hidden in the branches of the small patch of shrubs near the entrance to Harvard Yard.

HOUSE SPARROWS

STOP 9-HARVARD YARD

Harvard is one of the most famous universities in the world. Although the university has been around for hundreds of years, it, too, has followed the trend of self-organized criticality. When Harvard was first founded, students did not use IPads or cell phones. Google was unheard of. “Tweeting” meant a bird sound, not a social network. As time went on, the way students learned became more complex. Walkmans gave way to tiny IPod shuffles. Big, bulky computers were condensed to flat-screen laptops and tablets. The world has become more fast paced, so the technology needs to develop in order efficiently to keep up.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Sciurus

Species: Carolinensis

Individual: Squirrels’ teeth allow them to crack open nuts.

Population: K strategists, polygamous

Community: Mutual relationship with trees. The tree provides the squirrel with food and shelter. The squirrel hides acorns (forgets where they are), causing more trees to grow.

Ecosystem: Primary consumers

Landscape: Very grassy with many criss-crossing pathways throughout.

EASTERN GREY SQUIRREL

STOP 10-HARVARD SQUARE

Harvard Square is one of the most popular human gathering spots in the Cambridge area. It is a hub for business, socializing, and connecting. Harvard Square is a great example of networking. Harvard students connect with tourists. Musicians connect with patrons enjoying their lunch. People even connect with others who are not in the Square (texting, social networking, etc.). In a way, Harvard Square is the real life version of the Oracle of Bacon website. You never know if your waitress served your former classmate or if the musician on the corner is best friends with your cousin. My friends Mickey and Elise have traveled through the Square with me on many occasions. Elise and Mickey have never met. The following slide is my attempt at an “Oracle of Bacon.” Through it, I am proving how Elise and Mickey are connected through their relationships with other people and Johnson and Wales University.

ORACLE OF JOHNSON AND WALES UNIVERSITY

Me

Mickey’s BF

Chris: Class of

2012

My friend Elise

Mickey’s high

school friend Mel

JOHNSON AND WALES UNIVERSITY

My friend Mickey Wants to be a Pastry Chef

Wants to go into Business

HUMANSIndividual: A human is a social creature that usually enjoys interacting with others and with the environmentPopulation: Humans share music, ideas, and goods with each other. All ages are seen together. They are k strategists (e.g. mothers with baby strollers). I was curious if humans are considered monogamous or polygamous creatures.Community: Humans tend to dominate the urban ecosystem; however, they do have mutual relationships with other species. They give food droppings to other animals (a symbiotic relationship) and they eat meat products in restaurants (predator vs. prey). Ecosystem: Humans are omnivorous. They can be primary, secondary, or tertiary consumers. Landscape: The Harvard Square landscape is mostly paved; however, there are a few patches of grass and trees (isolated or grouped) scattered throughout.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primata

Family: Hominidae

Genus: Homo

Species: Homo sapien

Not only did I observe natural patterns on my walk, but I also noticed the ways humans mimicked those patterns. For example, the flowers on this slide are examples of explosion patterns. Every pedal connects to the flower’s center. A human-made example would be the Bruins’ logo. Each spike connects to the central “B.” The following slide shows examples of branching patterns. Within the trunk of the tree, I observed tiny indents that resembled a branching pattern. That pattern is repeated throughout the whole tree. A human branching example would be the MBTA. All the tracks branch out to different areas in order to transport people across the state.

FRACTALS AND PATTERNS

OZYMANDIAS BY PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEYI met a traveller from an antique land

Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,

Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown

And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away".

Throughout my walk, I kept making the same observation. No matter how many streets we pave or how high the buildings tower, nature will always find a way to continue living. One could argue that the leverage point to the human development system is nature. There will always be that one dandelion that keeps growing back. There will always be a tiny twig growing between the planks of the rail road track. The statue of Ozymandias was created in order to immortalize the “King of Kings” forever. However, years after his reign ended, there is nothing but ruins. His statue has been conquered by nature. Everything human is temporary, but nature lives on.

CREATIVE PIECE

SOURCES

Meadows, Donella. (2008). Thinking in Systems: A Primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.

https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/taxonomy.html

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/pidgeons/

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PLOC

http://www.arkive.org/common-dandelion/taraxacum-officinale-agg/#text=Facts

http://www.arkive.org/narcissus/narcissus-longispathus/#text=Facts

http://www.arkive.org/house-sparrow/passer-domesticus/#text=Facts

http://www.wildbirds.com/IdentifyBirds/BirdTaxonomy/tabid/109/Default.aspx

http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/spring99projects/tulips.htm

http://www.alientravelguide.com/science/biology/life/animals/chordata/vertebra/aves/columbif/

http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Taraxacum-officinale.htm

http://www.bumblebee.org/invertebrates/Taxonomy.htm

SOURCES CNTD.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/earthworm-classification-taxonomy.html

http://www.backyardnature.net/namelatn.htm

http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Sciurus_carolinensis

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/rock_pigeon/lifehistory

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Rock_Pigeon

http://www.pestworldforkids.org/bees.html

http://qpanimals.pbworks.com/w/page/5925153/Bumble%20Bee

http://lhsfoss.org/fossweb/teachers/materials/plantanimal/earthworms.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sciurus_carolinensis.html

http://www.tulsaaudubon.org/housesparrow-starlinginfo.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149590/daffodil

http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/672/

IMAGE SOURCES

http://www.chicagobotanic.org/inbloom/highlight_archive/highlight_051011.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BumbleBee-OnPavement.jpg

http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-20934/Earthworm

http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-birds-of-ontario

http://www.birdsamore.com/byb/sparrow-house.htm