"Ecology calls for a revision of the very roots
of our common sense." - Alan Watts

Build a vocabulary for understanding ecological relationships.

Ecology

Ecology is the study of the structure and functions of nature. In 1869, German biologist Ernst Haeckel coined the term ecology from two Greek words: oikos, meaning "house" or "place to live" and logos, meaning "study of".

Biosphere

The biosphere is the zone of earth where life is found. It consists of parts of the atmosphere (the troposphere), hydrosphere (mostly surface water and groundwater) and lithosphere (mostly soil and surface rocks and sediments on the bottoms of oceans and other bodies of water) where life is found. The biosphere is a relatively thin, 20 kilometer (12 mile) zone of life extending from the deepest ocean floor to the tops of the highest mountain.

The biosphere contains a variety of life zones and ecosystems found on land and in the water. Each realm has characteristic communities of species that have adapted to certain environmental conditions.

The fundamental law of the biosphere is that everything must be recycled. The process by which plants make their own food (photosynthesis) is one of the dynamic examples of recycling. The four elements of Earth, Air, Fire (from the light and heat of the Sun) and Water are the essentials of life that flow through and interact with the three parts of the biosphere.

Climate

Climate is the primary factor determing the forms of life (especially plants), that are found in the planet's principal terrestrial and aquatic zones. It is the general pattern of weather conditions over a period of at least 30 years that determines climate. The two major variables of temperature and precipitation are effected by air circulation over the earth's surface, rotation of the earth's axis, ocean currents, topography, etc.

Biome

Eleven principle biomes or ecological regions with characteristic types of life, have been created due to differences in climates (amount of temperature and rainfall). Precipitation is generally the limiting factor, especially for plants, in determining whether an area is a desert, grassland, or forest. The Dragonfly Garden is in the Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome.

Bioregion

A bioregion is a unique "life-place" with its own natural characteristics of soil, landforms watershed, climate, native plants and animals. The Dragonfly Garden is in the Cascadia Bioregion, an area along the coastal Pacific Northwest region of North America, including the area surrounding the Cascade mountain range extending from northern California through southern British Columbia.

Habitat

A habitat is a place or type of place where an organism or a population of organisms lives. The Dragonfly Garden was created in a meadow habitat. After it was tilled, the meadow habitat was radically changed and felt almost like a desert in the beginning. A new garden habitat was created with the introduction of plants and soil micro organisms and has developed into a habit (or home) for a diverse and thriving community of organisims.

Ecosystem

Ecosystems are communities of different species interacting with one another and other aspects of their environment to form a stable system. It has been fascinating to observe the natural process at the Dragonfly Garden.

Watershed

Watersheds are land areas that deliver water, sediment, and dissolved substances via small streams to a major stream or river. It is vitally important to know the source of your water, and since water drains downward toward the sea, to find out how the land is being used "upstream" from where you live. Watershed awareness brings opportunities to know and work with your neighbors to create a healthy community.

Water Cycle

Water is converted from one physical state to another, by solar energy and gravity, as it moves among the ocean, air, land and living organisms. This water recycling collects, purifies, distributes the Earth's fixed supply of water, and moves nutrients into and out of ecosystems.

Rainshadow

The rainshadow effect occurs when less rainfall is observed on one side of hills or mountain ranges. Orcas Island sits in the middle of a rainshadow, which creates milder weather, with less rain than the surrounding areas. In the summer we can experience drought-like conditions and water conservation is important.

The prevailing westerly winds rise over the Olympic Mountains in north western Washington and the ridge of hills/mountains over Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The air cools and moisture condenses as the air rises (and cools) and drops its moisture in the form of rain. The air descends to the leeward (east) side of the hills/mountains and warms. The relative humidity of the air drops and the clouds tend to dissipate, thus less rain.

(Some definitions of terms taken from Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. Wadsworth Publishing Company)