man in field

Forget the stars — this May the Fourth tribute sees the future beneath our feet

Whether you call May 4 “Star Wars Day” or “May the Fourth be with You Day,” that unofficial holiday of geeky, pun-induced fun is near. But hold onto your lightsabers, kids. We’ve discovered a science lesson in the legendary galaxy far, far away. You know that creepy bog of Dagobah where Luke meets Yoda? Well, it has parallels to our real-world wetlands. Ecosystem ecologist and wetlands expert Jason Keller, Ph.D., associate professor, explains how.  

There it is, R2. Dagobah. … I’m not picking up any cities or technology. Massive life-form readings, though. There’s something alive down there.

Luke Skywalker

Luke’s experience on Dagobah – a swampy world imagined by George Lucas – offers insights into both the ecology of real wetlands and how society views these fascinating ecosystems.

At first glance, Dagobah is not a welcoming place. It is primitive and something of a “slimy mudhole,” certainly no place to land an X-Wing. Even the wildlife is strange, inhospitable and quick to swallow the unsuspecting R2-D2. This negative perception of wetlands has been common for much of the 20th century. Indeed, we see this in our everyday language – how many times have you been bogged down at work, mired in a problem or just plain swamped?

A Chapman University research team takes a break in Zim Bog in northern Minnesota during field research last year. Keller’s research is focused on understanding how ecosystems function and how these functions will respond to ongoing global change. Pictured from left are Jason Keller, Ph.D., associate professor; environmental science and policy alumna and SURF research student Jessica Mosolf ’13; and Cassandra Medvedeff, Ph.D., post-doctoral lab associate.
A Chapman University research team takes a break in Zim Bog in northern Minnesota during field research last year. Keller’s research is focused on understanding how ecosystems function and how these functions will respond to ongoing global change. Pictured from left are Jason Keller, Ph.D., associate professor; environmental science and policy alumna and SURF research student Jessica Mosolf ’13; and Cassandra Medvedeff, Ph.D., post-doctoral lab associate.

This view of wetlands reflects much of the history of the human-wetland interaction. We’ve effectively removed these ecosystems from our landscape. On a global scale, approximately 50 percent of wetlands have been lost to agriculture or other human developments. The average loss numbers are similar for the United States. In California, a mere 10 percent of the wetlands that were present prior to European settlement remain.

While Luke’s sensors didn’t detect technology, they did pick up a world teeming with life. Today, scientists know that wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet. Growth of plants in some wetlands rivals the growth seen in even the lushest tropical rainforests. This plant life supports a spectacular array of wildlife, including numerous rare and threatened species. In the United States, for example, 50 percent of the listed endangered species rely on wetlands at some point in their life cycle.

This amazing diversity also extends below the soil surface, where microorganisms are busily decomposing the remains of dead plants and animals. These wetland microbes are direct descendants of the most primitive forms of life on the planet, and can thrive in flooded wetland environments (without oxygen!) using the same metabolic machinery that has existed for over 2.5 billion years. Wetland microbes retain the archaic ability to “breathe” forms of sulfur, nitrogen and even rusty iron in place of oxygen in their swampy homes.

Think there's nothing special about swamps, bogs, marshes or any other wetlands? Next time you're in one, stop and look around. You just might have a Yoda moment.
Think there’s nothing special about swamps, bogs, marshes or any other wetlands? Next time you’re in one, stop and look around. A Yoda moment, you might have.

More than just a fascinating place for researchers to play and students to study, wetlands and their organisms provide a number of important ecosystem services to our society. The plants and soils found in these spongy lands are important physical barriers to flooding and coastal storm events; the microbes in those soils remove nitrogen and other pollutants from the landscape; and wetlands support 95 percent of the fish and shellfish commercially harvested in the United States.

Fortunately, a growing appreciation for the services provided by wetlands and their unique beauty has begun to change our view of these ecosystems. New policies and community-led initiatives are focused on restoring and conserving wetlands in our communities, leading to new opportunities for human interaction with these special places and perhaps changing our negative view of wetlands

That is good news, but there’s nothing wrong with also reflecting on Yoda’s mystical instruction, spoken to Luke Skywalker in that Dagobah swamp: “You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere …” Nowhere are the connections between us and our environment more apparent than in wetlands. The next time you visit one of these amazing wetlands – be it a coastal salt marsh or a vast northern bog – take some quiet time to pause, look around and recall those words. You, too, may be struck by the teeming life that is all around you, life that is important to our planet and to us all.

 

 

 

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