At the start of my walk through the Traboulay Poco Trail I was transported from the vibrant school, large buildings, and busy streets into a serene forest. The environment prospered with tall trees that lined the route, green ferns, lush bushes, colourful fallen leaves, and logs splayed across the forest floor alive with fungi growing from the bark. I escaped from the lively city and was surrounded by the beauty of nature. I noticed that nature is constantly moving, changing, growing. Its alive and thats what makes it beautiful. I couldn’t hear the loud noises of honking cars, and chatter, but instead the serene sound of wildlife going about their day, growing and developing. I heard the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects.
Soon we reached the Coquitlam River. I could hear the burble of the river flowing down the bend. We also talked about how the channel of the river changed as it expanded and then narrowed out to become smaller and shallow in some parts and then deep and wide in others. Next we learned about how in a few months the water levels would rise and reach to where we were standing.
After we walked back to the school, away from the natural environment back into our busy lives. I learned a lot throughout the walk about how the Geosphere, Biosphere, and Hydrosphere all affect and rely on each other. For example, the salmon depend on the river so they can spawn. The terrain of the land, and how it changes overtime affects the form of the river. And lastly the land relies on water so it can grow and flourish. If something happens to one sphere it most often affects them all, since spheres are so closely connected. For example as the water in the river rises during the fall season, the terrain near the river begins to shift and change shape. This happens because the material (soil, tiny rocks, plants), keeping the structure of the ground begins to slip and lose its sustainability. Therefore the terrain slowly slips and moves. Another example is if there was a flood. The force of the water would cause the terrain to break apart and slip. Knocking down trees and plants in its path. This would therefore, probably change the shape of the land. I had a great time on the nature walk! Here are some photos me and my partner took during the walk:
Here is a photo of when we first began the trail. Showing the pathway with trees lined on the sides and bushes and ferns sprouting out. The biotic components in this photo are the plants and trees on the side of the trail. While the abiotic components could be the rain as it was sprinkling that day. The fallen dead leaves could also be considered abiotic components. Mostly the scene shows how alive and vibrant nature is.
Here is a photo of a crow perching on a branch. If you look closely you can see it has a small object in its beak. This could possibly be a food source, or a twig. This shows how the crow looks out for its survival. Hunting for food, or creating a possible shelter. In this photo you can see how the Geosphere and Biosphere interact. The crow relies on the land to survive. He hunts on the land, eating the living organisms inhabited there.
Here is a photo of fungi growing off of the bark of a fallen tree. This is another representation of how the Geosphere and Biosphere depend on each other. Fungi and Trees are both considered to be alive. They both are biotic components. Trees need soil (abiotic component) to grow, and trees affect the shape and development of the land. The fungi then relies on the tree to survive and flourish. This photo show how all this elements affect each other.
Here is a photo of the Coquitlam River flowing peacefully downstream. In this photo you can see how the Hydrosphere and Geosphere interact with each other. The terrain of the land (soil and rocks) affects the shape and size of the river. The places with larger rocks tend to be more narrow and shallow, while the areas with smaller rocks are often wide and deeper. Water is fundamental for the land. Water is one of the main reasons why the land flourishes and grows.
Here is a photo of a woodlouse crawling along the trunk of a tree. In this photo you can see two aspects of both Flora (plant life in the region) and Fauna (animal life in the region). The woodlouse would be considered the Fauna component as being an insect it is known as the animal life in the region and the tree would be considered the Flora component as trees are known as plants. The tree would be a big part of the plant life in the region.
In this photo you can see a vibrant green fern growing along the side of the trail. The fern is growing along the side of a tree. in this picture you can spot abiotic and biotic components. The biotic component in this photo is the fern, as it is known as a plant, and plants are considered living organisms. While the soil is mostly considered an abiotic component as it is made up of dead organisms, tiny twigs, and mixed with rock particles.
In this photo you can see a close up shot of a fallen leaf. Since the leaf has fallen off the tree its considered dead. So that means its an abiotic component (its not alive). The leaf is considered fauna as its a plant. The leaf will change colour as the chlorophyll, makes the leaf green, goes away and other pigments (colouring matter) begins to show through. Fallen leaves can actually also be home to various tiny animals and plants.