Month: February 2021

Calla Pederson

The cabin reaped the benefits of last fall’s harvest on the Furman Farm: from pesto, to salads, to tacos, to roasted veggie sides, the fresh, organic produce was a luxury.  Oftentimes, organic foods are seen as too pricey, unnecessary, or a marketing ploy. While words suggesting the food is “natural” are often used to enthrall the consumer, I can attest to the higher quality of organic produce, as can the surrounding environment.

Some background – I am a biology major currently taking my research/writing intensive class. For class, we have to pick a research topic, and mine currently has to do with how more sustainable agricultural practices contribute to biodiversity of the ecosystem of which the farm is a part. Loss of species is happening at an accelerated rate. Since all life on Earth is connected in some way or another, this affects everything in some way, including humans. For example, the increasing extinction rates in biologically diverse ecosystems, such as rainforests, lead to increasing costs to maintain agricultural production, clean air and water, and even human health (libretexts). Although modern society and technology have given the illusion that humans are removed from ecosystems and nature, we still rely on plants for everything – food, medicine, clothes, clean air, and clean water – just to name a few.

Organic farming supports biodiversity and environmental health literally from the ground up. The lack of pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide use all support the life of microorganisms and other important species, like insects, that call the soil home. These species contribute to the nutrient content of the soil, via waste. Microorganisms help decompose organic matter, releasing excess nutrients into the system for use by plants (“Soil Biological Fertility”). Many organic farms allow underlying vegetation to grow, which creates habitats for wildlife (Myers et al., 2019). This contributes to biodiversity on a larger scale. Organic practices also help keep water clean by eliminating use of toxic chemicals (“Environmental Benefits of Organic”). Organic farming even actively fights climate change by sequestering carbon (“Environmental  Benefits of Organic”)! As organic carbon matter decomposes, it gets converted to carbon dioxide through respiration, but practices commonly found on organic farms, like conservation tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation, increase the amount of carbon (organic matter) stored in the soil (**sourced from my mom who works for NRCS).

Composting, which is integral to organic farms’ practices like Furman’s, has a plethora of environmental benefits – biodiversity among them. Microorganisms love compost and quicken its decay (“The Top Benefits of Composting”). These microorganisms also assist in aerating the soil, which helps ensure that micronutrients are readily available in their most usable state (“The Top Benefits of Composting”). Composting benefits all aspects of farming, as composted soil is nutrient rich and aids in plant growth, and the soil attracts microorganisms and insects, which further enrich the soil and boost plant growth.

Research suggests that organic farming practices support biodiversity. Tuck et al. found that species richness on organic farms is, on average, 34% richer than on conventional farms. They also found that plants and microbes are among the taxonomic groups that benefit the most from organic farming practices, which makes sense, considering all we have learned about composting and other organic practices (Tuck et al., 2014). The findings from this study suggest that the benefits of organic farming are “robust across sampling sizes” (Tuck et al., 2014). Despite the fact that the Furman Farm is a small one, its positive environmental impacts are substantial. However, they also found that biodiversity increased as the percentage of the landscape consisting of arable land (farmland) increased, so larger organic farms have a greater impact on biodiversity (Tuck et al., 2014). Another study used acoustic indices to compare the abundance and diversity of birds on organic versus conventional farms. Bird-prevalence was used as a marker of biodiversity, and the study found that organic farms had much more diverse sounds and a greater abundance of sounds stemming from animals and other life, which are key to biodiversity (Myers et al., 2019).

One still heavily-contested drawback of organic farming is that it produces significantly smaller yields than conventional agriculture, which is key to feeding the world, especially one with such a rapidly growing population. However, one alternative suggested by Tuck et al. is to combine organic practices with conventional agriculture, or even just have a small portion of a conventional farm operated organically in order to support wildlife and biodiversity more in the area. This issue definitely isn’t going away any time soon, so it is increasingly important that humans develop new (or return to old!) agricultural practices as the population and climate develops and changes.

Work Cited:

“Environmental Benefits of Organic.” OTA, ota.com/organic-101/environmental-benefits-organic#:~:text=Instead%20of%20relying%20on%20synthetic,cover%20cropping%2C%20and%20crop%20rotation.

Libretexts. “21.1: Importance of Biodiversity.” Biology LibreTexts, Libretexts, 15 Aug. 2020, bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_Concepts_in_Biology_(OpenStax)/21%3A_Conservation_and_Biodiversity/21.1%3A_Importance_of_Biodiversity.

“Soil Biological Fertility.” Soil Biological Fertility | Fact Sheets, www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-biological-fertility#:~:text=Soil%20microorganisms%20(figure%201)%20are,be%20taken%20up%20by%20plants.

“The Top Benefits of Composting.” BioEnergy Consult, 12 Aug. 2020, www.bioenergyconsult.com/top-benefits-of-composting/.

Pollinator Bees Need to be Protected if We Want Our Planet to Survive

       Bees may seem small, but the impact they have on the ecosystem is enormous. Bees account for the survival of 80% of all plants on Earth. Their pollinating skills are what allow plants to repopulate in such efficient ways that cover vast swaths of land. Bees support the agricultural system greatly by pollinating crops such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables. The pollination process plays a significant role in the survival of 100 types of crops. The pollination process is demonstrated in the diagram below.

Without the help of the bee’s crops and livestock would suffer and die out slowly. This means that we humans would not have our main source of meat or vegetables. Bees are responsible for increasing the crop yield of around 90 crops by at least 30%. Without this abundance of food, the number of accessible crops would decrease causing the prices of the crops left to skyrocket.

     If bees became extinct, the human race would soon follow. Bees have been declared the most invaluable species by the annual Earthwatch debate in 2008. Without bees, the majority of human food sources would die out. Our access to many necessary medicines would also become limited as the plants that are used as ingredients start to become endangered. We also use cotton, one of the main crops that benefitted from bee pollination, in many aspects of our lives including bandages and clothing. The loss of bees would throw the whole ecosystem out of balance resulting in many species of plants and animals becoming extinct. Carnivores and Omnivores alike would starve resulting in a mass extinction event. While there are other pollinators, bees make up the majority of the work because there are over 20,000 species of bees working at pollinating the world. 

There are many threats to the survival of bees, but the most prevalent are pesticides, parasites,  habitat loss, and lack of genetic diversity. To begin, Bees are typically kept in captivity on farmland. This land is heavily coated in pesticides containing harsh chemicals that are harmful to the life of the bees. Bees are especially affected because they travel from plant to plant to pollinate which exposes them to pesticides. Secondly, bees are vulnerable to habitat loss due to climate change, deforestation, and farmers deciding to stop taking care of bees. Bees construct an elaborate hive that is designed to benefit a bee’s lifestyle. Losing these homes causes bees to become vulnerable to outside threats that they would typically be protected from inside a hive.

The next threat bees face is the lack of genetic diversity. Bees in the wild are able to intermingle and create subspecies, but bees in captivity are all very genetically similar. Due to the high levels of bee populations living in captivity, many hives have been interbreeding for years which results in a high genetic similarity amongst the bees. This is a threat to their survival because if a disease comes through, the genetically similar bees will all have the same level of vulnerability where the genetically diverse hives will have a higher chance of survival. Finally, bees are susceptible to parasites, especially one known as a Varroa Destructor. This parasite is depicted in the diagram below. The parasite attaches itself to the larvae of the bee before the larvae’s cove is sealed over with beeswax. The parasite lays eggs and feeds on the larvae until the larvae becomes a pupa and breaks through the seal. This pupa is now a bee that is infected with the Varroa Destructor and soon dies. The destructor continues this cycle until the whole hive is suffering and on the brink of death.

While bees face many threats, there are ways that we can combat their endangerment. One easy way to help out bees is by building a garden full of pollinator plants. This will provide a safe space for the bees to pollinate and live. These gardens will provide an abundance of nutritious food sources for the bees. If you want to be even more involved in providing a safe space for bees, you could add a little bee house to your garden. A few types of bee homes are pictured below.  The main qualification for a bee house is to have small tube-like structures for a bee to make their home in. These structures are typically made out of wood. A second way to help out the bees is by actively reducing chemical uses while landscaping and gardening. An uncontaminated ecosystem will thrive without the threat of dying from chemicals. The biodiversity will increase which will, in turn, allow more pollination to happen. Finally, you can create a bee bath for the bees to land in and drink after a hard day’s work of pollinating. To do so you can fill a birdbath or bowl with a shallow amount of water. You will need to place pebbles or rocks in the water for the bees to land on so they will not drown. If you want to spice it up a bit you could add some sugar to the water to energize the bees, but this may also attract unwanted visitors like ants or flies.

Bees are an essential cog in the ecosystem. They are often overlooked and forgotten, but we need to work toward helping them survive. The only way we are going to have a planet to live on is if we keep the bees alive. Practicing sustainable gardening will help to create a safe environment for bees to do their work in. These small chubby bugs may not look like much, but they are necessary to the survival of the majority of the Earth’s living creatures.

Sources Used:

10 Ways to Save the Bees. 2 Dec. 2020, thebeeconservancy.org/10-ways-to-save-the-bees/.

This semester I’m working as the Student Podcast Fellow for the Shi Institute’s Podcast: “Upstate Anecdotes”. I’ve never done anything with podcasting, so I’m super excited to learn the ins and outs of audio storytelling while delivering stories about lesser known sociological and ecological issues around Greenville.

The first project topic I will be researching is the development of Unity Park in Greenville. Unity Park is a 60 ace park being developed west of downtown Greenville, encompassing Mayberry Park and the former Meadowbrook Park. The park is part of the city’s strategic mission to balance Greenville’s downtown development with ample green space, which includes a comprehensive environmental management plan to ensure the park does not interfere with biodiversity and ecosystem processes of the area.

The major environmental initiatives contacts and other stakeholders are pursing involves river restoration and tree planting. Harper General Contractors, the major constructing firm involved in the park’s development, are removing invasive tree species from Reedy River Bank and replacing with native vegetation. Trees on the bank of the Reedy river currently are mostly non-native species- distributed by birds and other animals involved in distributing their seeds. These non-native tees are preventing natural tees, like oaks, magnolias, cede, and sycamore trees, from prospering and participating in regulating the natural riparian ecosystem.  The city has also made a commitment that for every tree removed, two or three will be planted. Having more trees along the bank will also prevent the possibility of bank failure, helping to maintain the aesthetic of the park while protecting species that live in the river.

Some environmental enhancements are also being built for practical purposes of storm protection. Designers are creating a drainage system to reduce floodwaters in the park and surrounding neighborhood of Southernside. The city is constructing landscaped depressions that will be filled with sandy soil and plants to filter runoff before it reaches the river in order to reduce the bank from eroding, improve water quality, and overall recharges the water table. Benches built around the riverbank will also create more surface area for water flow during flood events. The park is also developing the Swamp Rabbit Tail to extend its connectivity throughout the park to provide access from the park into downtown area and back.

The park is set to open in spring of 2022, and I know that I am excited for what the park will be. I love exploring the natural areas around Greenville, maybe this park will add to my inventory of favorite spots!

For more information, check out:

https://www.thestate.com/news/upstate/article247169171.html

https://gsabusiness.com/news/architecture/79758/

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2018/05/17/greenville-new-park-unity-park-tower-pedestrian-bridge-trail-river/615648002/

Background: The CDC states that COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets (e.g. cough, sneeze, talk). Masks provide a simple barrier to these droplets. Despite the initial aversions/debate to wearing a mask, many states have now implemented mask mandates that require a face covering when leaving one’s residence. Masks are most effective when everyone wears one.

From an article by Mayuri Wijayasundara, she states how face masks may consist of one or more layers, each with different functions:

• an outermost layer, designed to repel liquids such as water
• the innermost layer, which absorbs moisture and allows comfort and breathability
• a non-absorbent middle layer, to filter particles

Trends: Imagine one disposable mask a day per every person in your house. Now think of your place of work or school. Can you imagine the number of masks needed for your state? How about all the masks needed in the country? Finally, the world. That’s just one day of masks. But they all are thrown away and the cycle repeats. All of these masks are discarded from each person’s hands, but they still exist. Whether that be sitting in a landfill or swimming with the fishes or peeking out of the sand like a clue to a treasure.

Increased demand of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a driver of increases plastic pollution. “According to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology journal, an estimated 194 billion disposable masks and gloves are being used globally every month as a result of the coronavirus pandemic” (Disposable Face Masks are Damaging the Environment 2020).

Additionally, masks have become a fashion statement and diversified to become another necessary piece of apparel. Masks are a way for companies to market and promote their support for masks. The rising trend has also increased sales for homemade masks. I have seen masks that cost 3$ all the way to $50. While masks are becoming normalized, another sector shifting is individual consumption to more take-out and online ordering. “The global plastic packaging market size is projected to grow from USD 909.2 billion in 2019 to 1012.6 billion by 2021 due to pandemic response” (Adyel 2020). What does this projection mean for the environment?

Environmental Impact: Most of the masks in the U.S. are made out of polypropylene-based plastic-or related forms of plastic such as polystyrene, polycarbonate, or polyethylene. “These synthetic fibers are designed to resist liquids and do not biodegrade in the environment once discarded” (From the Editors of E). They instead break down into microplastics or extremely small pieces of plastic. This can also be applied to reusable masks. Despite the longer life span, most reusable masks are made from synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester which also do not biodegrade. “Disposable plastic masks that end up in the oceans could take up to 450 years to decompose (Written by Reuters Staff 2020).

Potential solutions: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) encourages people to “snip the straps” after use of a disposable mask to prevent animals getting tangled up in them (Parkinson 2020). It is important to note your purchase has an impact. It can be overwhelming the amount of choices when searching for a mask. It is understandable how buying a box of 50 disposable masks can be the simplest and least stressful.  There are biodegradable masks that are made from cotton, bamboo, or hemp that can work as alternatives to single-use plastic ones for those not in the healthcare industry. Images below taken from The Good Trade website  are three different companies that source responsibly. Some companies also donate masks with each purchase. If this latter option is viable, I urge the investment in a sustainably made mask. While they might be more costly, in the long term, they will do more help than harm.

Conclusion: This is an example of how one action can have a huge effect when you add everything up. COVID-19 has changed everyone’s life. As we adapt to this, it is essential we make choices for those who cannot. Nature and wildlife play a huge role in Earth’s services and on an individual level, what type of mask you get and how you dispose of your mask can make a positive (or negative) difference. This article is not saying risk your health and others. However, hopefully it has brought awareness to alternatives for those not in healthcare and able to afford a more sustainable option.

Works Cited

Adyel, Tanveer M. “Accumulation of Plastic Waste during COVID-19.” Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 11 Sept. 2020, science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6509/1314.

Covid-19: Considerations for Wearing Masks. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html.

Disposable Face Masks Are Damaging the Environment. It’s Time to Kiss Them Goodbye, Once and for All. 13 Nov. 2020, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/face-masks-coronavirus-environment-climate-change-b1721922.html.

From the Editors of E – The Environmental Magazine. “EarthTalk: What’s the Environmental Impact of Single-Use Masks, Gloves Now in Use Because of COVID-19?” Mail, 25 Oct. 2020, www.wvgazettemail.com/earthtalk-whats-the-environmental-impact-of-single-use-masks-gloves-now-in-use-because-of/article_2634bcfc-6567-5995-a65b-c73ee11eeffe.html.

“15 Sustainable Brands Making Face Masks For Social Distancing.” The Good Trade, The Good    Trade, 13 Jan. 2021, www.thegoodtrade.com/features/reusable-face-masks.

Parkinson, Justin. “Coronavirus: Disposable Masks ‘Causing Enormous Plastic Waste’.” BBC

News, BBC, 13 Sept. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54057799.

Wijayasundara, Mayuri. “Millions of Face Masks Are Being Thrown Away during COVID-19. Here’s How to Choose the Best One for the Planet.” The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2021, theconversation.com/millions-of-face-masks-are-being-thrown-away-during-covid-19-heres-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-the-planet-147787.

Written by Reuters Staff. “This French Firm Is Making Biodegradable Face Masks Using Hemp.” World Economic Forum, 18 Sep 2020. www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/hemp-france-face-masks-coronavirus-covid-pandemic/.