Hi, I’m DyShauna, and I live in Northern Michigan.
Home to lots of snow, and lots of trees.
Despite the fact that I’m surrounded by nature, I never really took the time to truly understand the variety of life around me.
Until curiosity got the best of me.
After a quick Google search, I had my answer.
What is biodiversity, you ask?
Well here’s the definition: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
So now I have my definition, but why is it important?
There are about three trillion trees on planet earth, according to a former employee at Yale’s school of forestry and environmental studies
Three Trillion.
11.4 billion of those trees are found in Michigan.
Despite the various trunks, branches, and even leaves of these trees,
every single one grows the same way, using the same mechanisms to grow tall and strong
They begin their journey with a single seed, carried by:
wind, water, or animals
Once it finds a suitable environment, it will begin to germinate using the nutrients brought with it from its parent tree
Soil nutrients, water, and correct temperature are required for the growth of a seed
Tree growth does not occur at the base of a tree like many would think
rather it grows from the tips of the branches and through the root system.
It advances through the stages from seed, to seedling, to sapling, according to its height for the species
a tree is not classified as such until it reaches just under twelve inches in diameter
These trees are so different, yet they bring every form of life together.
They become a home for birds and small animals alike
They’re forested into lumber to provide building materials that create: benches, flooring, and even homes
dead trees are also put to good use by igniting campfires and warming homes.
Forests become a camouflage for animals hiding from prey, whether it be hunters or other predators.
Oxygen is directly dispersed from the trees, allowing life for every human and animal.
From the smallest of sprouts to the tallest of trees, we are united by them.
So, what does biodiversity mean to me?
It allows us to laugh together
to live together
to play together
and even to breathe together
So to me, biodiversity is unity.