I Breathed The Air Of The Future or The Importance of Biodiversity

Tonight I went to a meeting of Master Naturalists. There weren't many people there and I think the stormy weather scared some people off or maybe they had storm damage to clean up. In any case, we changed our agenda and chose to tour the research at the Cedar Creek Center in East Bethel. The research here is done by the University of Minnesota. Each year they hire 50 interns to help study biodiversity. Anoka County was chosen as the site for this study because of all the counties in our state, we have the lowest hay yield per acre. Yeah! We're number 1! The Anoka County sand plain is the reason we have such poor soil. We have sand on top and sand below that and more sand even deeper. In this study, the top 6 inches of soil were removed years ago and over 300 small plots were marked off. Some plots have no plants. Some have one plant, some have 2 plants, some have 4 plants, etc. The most plants per plot is 32. Each plot is weeded to keep the required number of plants. Looking at the plots we noticed that the plots with one or two plants didn't look so good. There was more soil showing between the plants and the soil looked lighter in color. Plots with lots of biodiversity had no soil showing and darker soil with rotting plant material laying on top of the dirt. One of the plots was switch grass - a proposed biofuel. Switchgrass grown all by itself did not fare so well. Plots with more diversity thrive because the drought tolerant plants can cover the surface when the drought intolerant plants wither away leaving the soil more moist. Some plots had heaters over them that raised the soil temperature 1-2 degrees or 3-4 degrees. Someday our soil temperatures may increase that much. Those heated plots didn't do as well either. Some seeds died and some plants died. Prior to this study, people didn't think biodiversity in plants was an important concept in environmental studies. Now we know biodiversity is VERY important. In another section of Cedar Creek, they have the BIOCON project. This area was spooky looking reminding me of those tall metal fences on the TV show Lost. I didn't want to approach the area fearing I'd fall to the ground in agony. This circular areas represent the future. We know that the earth in changing in certain ways. We have more carbon dioxide, more nitrogen, and less biodiversity. When we plant acres and acres of corn, soybeans, Kentucky blue grass and wheat, we lessen the biodiversity. We do this to feed our burgeoning planet and to keep our yards as nice as our neighbors but we're changing the environment nonetheless. We know how many parts per million of carbon dioxide we have in the air now and can predict how many we'll have in the year 2050. These circular areas at Cedar Creek have carbon dioxide kept at the predicted 2050 levels. They also keep the nitrogen levels at the predicted 2050 levels. The nitrogen is easy - just spread fertilizer on the soil. Carbon dioxide is measured with sensors spread throughout the plot. A computer reads the carbon dioxide levels and sends extra carbon dioxide mixed with air to the area via these scary looking posts that blow air. There is a wind monitor in the plot so the computer reads the wind and sends the carbon dioxide mix only to the areas where the wind will spread it correctly. So when I forced myself to step inside that circle of pipes, I was breathing the same air that I will breathe when I'm 97, if I live that long. I was nervous inside that circle and a little light headed from anxiety. Since plants use carbon dioxide and nitrogen, one would expect plants will thrive in the 2050 year plots. Not necessarily true. All this was mind bending and fascinating information for me. What a great evening.