by Susanne Wieland, Maike Gebker & Larissa Pschetz
rethinking design approaches in light of evolutionary ecology and methods
Credits: Background: Unsplash/James Coleman, Foreground: Unsplash/Joyful
Ecology
When scientists capture their research and monitoring, what they use for communication are numbers over numbers and graphs, which are not really tangible for people from other backgrounds. A lot of research has been done on interactions between two ecosystems actors, showing the connectedness of their life and their needs. This research is quite important but gives the appearance that only these two species depend on each other. So phenologists start to lay their focus on the interactions between many different actors, showing the net of species and how they collaborate in a constantly moving environment.
Phenology
The resulting data of this research tells us that climate change impacts the exodus of species – moving to the north. Changing conditions of temperature, rainfall and sunlight reaching the biosphere affect the perception of temporality within species. As us humans see the alternation in the sky between sun and moon as the framing of a day, a month and therefore our whole lifecycle, we also use increasing sunlight and rising temperature as a sign of spring. Other species use these indicators as well to start raising their sprouts out of the soil, and others start to search for food after their hibernation.
Once the seasons were mostly predictable and the conditions balanced to form steady (a)synchronies, the indicators affect different starting points for the interacting species as for instance temperature starts earlier to rise or less sunlight reaches the ground.
(A)Synchronies in Ecology
“Mismatches” seem to be unwanted in a functioning ecosystem. In fact mismatches are not a human-made phenomenon, but were always given. Different birds, searching for the same nesting conditions; Predators, being in breeding season while possible prey gained strength to survive – the ecosystem is full of constantly moving matches and mismatches which builds the foundation for evolution. Nevertheless there are new mismatches coming up due to human impact, which we need to ask ourselves, if we shall intervene as much in an ecosystem, which our own life depends on so drastically?
Credits: Unsplash/CHUTTERSNAP
The wind sweeps through the woods. In summer this wind feels warmer and carries the smell of thriving plants. The forest appears in various shades during the seasons. However, the seasons are certainly not the same as we remember them from our childhood. Changing climates have an impact on temperature and weather conditions, as there is a lot of research about that. But it also affects nature’s ecosystems and thereby our own ecosystem: the planet. All species, living on this planet, are intertwined in a complex system of balanced interactions. We as humans have an impact on our collaborators – the non-humans – which affects not just their, but mostly our ability to stay on this planet in the future.
Credits: Unsplash/Cam James
Phenology, as the science that studies the seasonal changes in species interactions, shows us the transforming patterns of natural processes. We as designers are part of an interdisciplinary project, collaborating with Environmental Humanities and Ecologists to communicate the impact of climate change on species interactions and therefore on the ecosystem we live in.
Since climate change hits the treescape intensively, we focus our research on the changing forest species interactions. So we work with Ecologists studying the interaction between caterpillars and trees for instance and collaborate with our partners the Woodland Trust and the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh.
Temporality in Ecology
Our role as designers in this project is to communicate the complex issue of diverse temporalities within nature – as interactions between species do not just rely on the bahavior of the actors but also on their perception of time. Temporality in Ecology is the foundation for any matches and mismatches of interacting species. Imagine how a bird comes back from the south to thrive in the UK summer times. After a long journey they need to refill their energy and are in search of food. If the caterpillars nevertheless come earlier that year, the birds will have a tough time searching for another suitable prey.