Chapter 4. Environment & You

Through the Looking Glass

Backstory: We all experience scale at different levels. When you were a child, the floor was your domain and you most likely knew of hiding spots that only you could fit into. As we grow older, and larger, our perspective changes as does the world we see around us. From an ecological approach, we can see that our understanding of an ecosystem and its needs is wholly dependent on scale. In fact, in many instances, ecosystems may include many subecosystems known as microenvironments. Each microenvironment is, in turn, driven by a microclimate. The climate in the area under a leaf may be dramatically different from that on a blade of grass under sunlight. It is important that we include all of these microworlds in our study of the environment around us.

Activity: Your task in this activity is to identify as many microenvironments as you can within a chosen area near your home, school or job. Working individually or as a class, choose the center of your exploration. Make sure there is an approximately 20-foot radius outward from the center in all directions. A small backyard or a park, or even a location on the campus of your school will suffice. Try to include as many locations as possible where you can clearly witness a difference in temperature, precipitation, moisture, sunlight, wind or even noise. Don’t forget hiding places such as down in the soil where worms or insects might thrive. The canopy and limbs of trees may provide unique areas specific to certain organisms. Identify the microenvironment, the microclimate, any organisms present, and the general size of the area. Fill in the table below and then answer the questions.

Question 4.1

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