Testing Gaia Reflection

Through the work in all of the examples provided we can see that Earths
systems are all interconnected. The Daisyworld Lab directly correlates with the
NASA video and reading. The Yucatan peninsula was inhabited by the native
Mayan people, as they began to expand their empire they dedicated more land to
farming and destroyed more forests to do so. As they deforested areas of the
Yucatan the loss of trees modified the surface reflectance of sunlight which led to
changes in temperature and rainfall. This change in albedo caused an increase of
droughts in the Yucatan and slowly led to the fall of the Mayan civilization. We can
confirm that deforestation caused drought because as the ancient people were
removed from the area and the forests grew back, information gathered through
stalagmites gives us insight into the change of precipitation between the time of
forests and farmland.
Another way we see that Earths systems are interconnected is through the
connection in plants we see in the videos of the plants communicating with each
other. Plants do not have eyes, noses, or hands or contain senses per say yet plants
still have many ways to communicate with each other many things and can actively
respond in many situations whether they be negative or positive. There are many
examples of plants sensing things. Plants can sense direction (up or down)
through a part in the plant that tells them to grow upwards, no matter how much
light provided or direction the plant is in, this characteristic is called
proprioception. Plants also have a way to grow towards light and this is called
phototropism. Plants can also synchronize ripening, give calls for help or send
distress signals to other animals or plants, and can send signals to pump out nectar
or chemicals to prevent or not prevent bugs and animals from eating them. These
signals can also be received by other plants to bolster their defenses.
Evidence from these claims are seen and observed by scientists, the videos
about communicating plants show the scientists giving models and many examples
about the plants communicating and give visual evidence and insight into the plant
world. The NASA Yucatan peninsula video shows how the deforestation of the
Yucatan led to a decrease in albedo and decreased rainfall, the evidence of these
happenings are shown through stalagmite formations in the Yucatan, accurately
depicting the amount of rainfall in certain areas. The evidence presented in both of
these examples clearly show and help prove the claims made.

The challenges we could potentially face by the changing climate is a

decrease in albedo, further leading to an increasing climate, causing plants to adapt
further or endangering them. This could also contribute to an increase in drought.