I have long been a huge fan of forest ecosystems in that they provide direct and deep understanding of how things work together, here on planet earth. Perhaps we might learn from the forests of the world.
One forest ecosystem that for me stands out is the kelp forest. It is found throughout the earth in the clear cool shallows of temperate ocean waters. Kelp is not really a tree at all, but a form of marine brown algae.
Kelp is a marvel of adaptation. The long stems are flexible yet strong enough to withstand tidal surges and wind-driven waves. Lacking roots, the kelp anchors itself to hard surfaces on the ocean floor using an elaborate system of tendrils. It is found more frequently in clearer water because it uses photosynthesis for energy and growth. Kelp achieves buoyancy by means of tiny nitrogen-filled sacks arrayed along the underside of each frond. In ideal conditions kelp can grow three feet in a single day and have reached lengths of 175 feet.
Kelp is amazing all by itself, but equally incredible is the biodiversity supported within the kelp forest. Consider the lowly sea urchin, previously mentioned in these pages as a culinary delicacy for some human beings, although not for this particular human being. Well, it turns out the urchins eat kelp, and at normal population levels they do just fine eating the old dead kelp fronds that float to the ocean bottom. If the urchin population grows too fast however they can completely overwhelm and consume a kelp forest. Enter the sea otter. Even more than some strange humans, otters love urchins and love them to the point of restoring balance and equilibrium.
In the Norse legend of the Yggdrasil a great tree exists to connect the nine worlds. In the lore this world tree also harbors dragons and other legendary creatures within its branches. The beauty of the kelp forest is that no such legend is required. Kelp is the perfectly adapted connective tissue of our world’s living marine systems. No dragons here, but we do have urchins and otters and they will have to do.
whoisfenton 