Often research done on seemingly niche environments can illuminate more common locations, too. Natural Inquirer has published several articles on research done in tropical locations. While that research is obviously relevant to people who live in the tropics, the research can also help those of us in more temperate locations understand our own environments better.
In this series of “From the Library” posts, I’ll be highlighting some of our publications, with ideas about how to use them in your educational plans. Today, I’ll be taking a deeper dive into the Tropical Forest edition of Natural Inquirer and the “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” monograph, written for middle school students.
Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the Tropical Forest edition of Natural Inquirer, with a little bonus dive into a related monograph, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” These publications bring the ecosystems of tropical forests into focus, but they also teach more universal lessons about ecosystems anywhere on the planet. Let’s take a look!
“Swimming Upstream Without a Ladder”
Balancing the needs of an ecosystem with the needs of nearby humans is a universal issue. People build dams in rivers and streams to provide communities with usable water, but those dams can negatively impact the animals and plants that depend on those streams. In this article, researchers wanted to find a way to protect an important shrimp species while also giving people the water they needed.
In all forest ecosystems, the trees and the soil are dependent on one another to thrive. The soil provides nutrients and water to the trees; the trees provide nutrients to the soil through a variety of means, one of which is by shedding the leaves that then decompose on the forest floor. Researchers wanted to find out what kinds of trees contributed the most nutrients to the soil to help inform forest managers’ planting decisions.
Studying a forest is no small feat, but forest inventories are necessary so people can understand how forests grow, what conditions affect their health, and how to best take care of them. This article details one such forest inventory, lifting the curtain on how a few people can assess all the trees in a large forest.
Land use changes over time. A forest may be harvested for timber. That cleared land may then be used as a pasture for cattle. The land may eventually become too compacted with too few plants for grazing and may return to forest again. Through all these uses, that land emits different levels of greenhouse gases. Scientists wanted to better understand the impacts of different land uses on the atmosphere to help inform future land use decisions.
Scientists in this article were interested in the birds that live in tropical forests. Many of these birds are the songbirds we see in our own backyards; they migrate to more tropical locations during part of the year. Because songbird populations are declining, scientists study all aspects of their habitats, including the locations where they migrate and hunt for food. In this study, they learned just how varied birds’ feeding behaviors can be.
“Some Things Will Always Change”
In this study, scientists found that protected forest land can be impacted by how the land outside its borders is used. As urban development creeps up to forest borders, nonnative and invasive species can begin to encroach on native forests. How people use land can change plant and animal life and alter ecosystems. How do we balance human needs with healthy ecosystems?
In a common theme for this edition, land use changes can have a ripple effect on local ecosystems. In this case, an abandoned mine needed the help of both people and another surprising ally – bats – to restore a healthy forest ecosystem.
“I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff and I’ll Blow Your Trees Down”
Researchers often study the impacts of natural disasters like wildfire, hurricanes, or floods to help people better prepare for future disasters. In this case, scientists studied the impact of hurricane winds on tree damage to understand which trees might be safest in which conditions.
Bonus: “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
In this monograph, learn about big-leaf mahogany, a tropical tree species prized for its lumber. Without careful management, this tree faces over-harvesting to the point of extinction. Scientists want to learn as much as they can about the conditions this tree needs to grow so people can help prevent its extinction with successful plantings.
How to Use These Publications
- Use these articles to explore topics like the carbon or nitrogen cycles; native, nonnative, and invasive species; and how land use impacts ecosystems.
- Help students understand the nuances of data collection on large-scale environments or populations. How do scientists use sampling to study large data sets?
- Have students connect research findings in a tropical forest with their own local ecosystems. How do they see these phenomena play out in their own communities? How do changes in these tropical ecosystems impact ecosystems in more temperate climates?
- Explore the interconnectedness of ecosystems by charting how soil, precipitation, nutrient cycling, plant and wildlife populations, and humans all impact one another.
- Use the middle and high school educator guide for even more ideas!
