Hmmm, just exactly how fine is the margin of error between the survival and extinction of a species in our natural world?
The tipping point may well be so fine that we don’t even notice when it happens. Yes, I know that sounds like hyperbole. But hear me out.
The discernable difference between a Canada Darner dragonfly and a Lance-tipped Darner dragonfly comes down to two, hair-splitting judgment calls. 1. An ever so slim difference in the notch in one of two thorax stripes. 2. A slight difference in the shade of colour in that stripe which is mostly unreliable given that their colour changes with age.
There are, in fact, 14 different blue or “mosaic” dragonflies that inhabit the north woods. All of them require close, magnified observation to tell one from another.
That’s just one example of the infinitely meticulous diversity of nature. It’s not a far leap from that observation to the conclusion that throwing off the balance of nature by even a fraction of a fraction could mean that one species falls off the map.
The Mosaic Darner conundrum – a random act of metaphor for the fragility of nature and how easily we can tip the balance toward extinction.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.
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Tags: balance of nature · Canada Darner · dragonfly · extinction · Lance-tipped Darner · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetNo Comments