Greetings fellow Steemians!!
I had this idea from one of my recent post titled WE ARE ONE ( https://steemit.com/life/@apollomission/we-are-one-how-we-are-all-connected ).
Why not start a series about this inter connectivity, and have articles on different examples of these symbiotic relationships that we find in nature.
Each post will feature a interdependent relationship between two or more lifeforms. I will conclude each post with why it is relevant to us humans.
So without further delay…
I introduce to you the WE ARE ONE series!!!
Episode 2 :
In the first episode I explained the life cycles of the soil sciences.
Now I want to focus on a specific relationship found in the soil we walk on.
THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION TODAY IS - NITROGEN FIXING PLANTS!
In the mass expanses of the soil we see, a little bacteria called Rhizobium wiggling its way through life.
Our little buddy the Rhizobium stumbles upon a root of a bean plant.
Attracted to the sugar and starches excreting from the roots, it attaches itself to the plant. This specialized organism is able to take nitrogen from the air and break it up into accessible nutrients for plants in the legume family. Such as alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, carob, and mesquite. There are also a few exceptions outside of the legume family.
So why is nitrogen so important?
Nitrogen is an essential building block for all life forms. We need it to survive and produce amino acids that make up proteins, it is life’s blueprints for all cells.
THERE YOU HAVE IT!
A EPIC INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP FOUND IN NATURE!
Why should you give a damn you say?
Welp, unfortunately one of the most common deficiency in soils today is, nitrogen deficiency.
In order for soil to be healthy enough to support a more diverse array of species, it must contain the proper amounts of nitrogen.
With a PERMACULTURE mindset and approach, one can achieve mass restoration of scarred lands. Where there is malnourished soil, there can be integrated guilds containing nitrogen-fixing plants to rehabilitate the fertility of the soil.
Basicly, we can make plants that supply our needs, grow more efficiently for higher yields while simultaneously supporting the overall ecosystem.
IT'S A WIN WIN PEOPLE!
YET AGAIN, we have a interconnected relationship that we can plug into.
Again, I have to refer to the hit movie Avatar by James Cameron. This movie created a glorious visualization of the potential we have as a species. The Naʼvi were able to be completely immersed into their environment. They could plug into whatever they wanted, but while holding a great respect for their Motherland. The Na’vi supported the growth of all life.
When we are able to plug into these living systems, we can literally nourish not only ourselves, but all the life around us.
This is as real as it gets if our goal is to evolve.
I hope you all enjoy this video I made for this post.
My best wishes are with you all.
Forever dedicated to Gaia.
Apollo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/118090902@N04/12650965983
http://agverra.com/blog/soil-types/
https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/nitrogen-fixing-plants-microbes
https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Legume-Rhizobium
https://www.fertnz.co.nz/rhizobium/
http://sciencenotes.org/nitrogen-facts/
http://kentuckyagproduction.com/2016/02/11/something-to-consider-before-applying-uan/
http://tomatoheadquarters.com/tomatoes-farm/signs-and-solutions-of-nutritional-deficiencies-in-heirloom-tomato-seedlings/
http://www.earth-heal.com/news/news/89-permaculture/804-eden-restored.html
https://www.pandorapedia.com/navi/life_society/the_navi_queue.html
http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/11-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-your-brain-20151027/we-use-more-than-10-percent-of-our-brain