"Totally Uncool"

The article I read is called “Totally Uncool” and I found it on the Seven Days website. This article talks about the effects of climate change on Vermont. I almost chose another ecosystem to write about (because I’m sure many blogs will be about Vermont), but my interest is mainly Vermont since it is the only state I have a real connection with because I’m a born and raised Vermonter.

This article lists the same effects that we have all heard before: warmer overall temperatures, altered migratory patterns, earlier plant blooming, and invasion of invasive species. One effect of climate change that was mentioned in the article is that precipitation in Vermont has increased by as much as 20% since 1970. To me, 20% sounds like a really big number and it made me wonder about the effects that change in precipitation has on the ecosystem of Vermont. Like where is all that extra rainfall coming from? Does that mean more water is leaving Vermont through transpiration and evaporation? And if this is the case, is it good or bad for the Vermont environment? And if that’s not the case, where is all that extra rain water going to end up? If it all runs into the lake eventually, we might be in big trouble. It is clear that the change in weather is playing a drastic part in climate change. The warmer weather is hurting plants and animals that need the cold from the winters we used to have and it is allowing warmer adapted non-native flora and fauna to take over. Some people may not see this as being a big deal, but what about those trees coming in that are better suited to warm weather? They’ll take over niches that were once reserved for sugar maples and for our sugar maple industry to take that hit will be a big deal. What effects will all these new plant species bring with them? Vermont isn't going to be what it used to be…I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see Vermont without our 4 seasons!

Why Ecosystem Ecology?

My name is Stephanie and I am a senior with a wildlife biology major and a forestry minor. Ecosystem Ecology is interesting to me because it is the basis of everything that occurs on earth and I think everyone should know something about it. Knowing about the way in which organisms interact with the environment is essential if we ever want to begin to solve any of the environmental problems we have, which makes ecosystem ecology very important. I actually think that most of the problems we have are because we humans are often oblivious to the world around us and only think about what will benefit us. If everyone knew a little more about the way every organism is affected by the things we do, maybe we would think more about the consequences of the decisions we make.

Being a wildlife biology major, I have learned a lot about the way different animals interact with their environments and the effects that humans have on their survival and habitats. I am hoping this class will be an opportunity to learn how organisms other than animals interact with the environment. I think this class will help me broaden my perspective on the environment because I have only taken basic biology classes, so I don’t know much about the cycling of nutrients and carbon between plants, soil, water, and the atmosphere. It will be interesting to learn about the more minute interactions that we can’t really see and the way we influence them. If I didn't take this class, I wouldn't know anything about them.

My main educational goal is to learn about conservation in order to help preserve and protect endangered animal species around the world. In order to have successful conservation efforts, it is essential to have a functional ecosystem that can support biodiversity and allow the animals to survive. I am hoping to learn about all of the small, complex pieces that go into making an ecosystem functional; the pieces that often go unnoticed to people.