Mimicking Nature Through Biodiversity, Jackson Walker

Jackson W

One of the problems with modern industrial farms is that their focus on monocropping coupled with their neglect for the soil microbiome and surrounding ecosystems make them extremely unsustainable in the long term. Natural ecosystems like forests persist through centuries because the incredible diversity of life they support makes them more adaptable to threats:  whenever something like a natural catastrophe or the introduction of an invasive species arises, having biodiversity increases the likelihood that whatever niches are left empty will be filled by a new species and the cycle of nutrients and energy through the food web will be able to continue. In order to make our farm more adaptable to problems like unexpected pest infestations or a die-off of important beneficials, it is crucial that we always look for new ways to increase biodiversity. One way to do that is by installing bat houses and owl houses around campus, so that these predators can eat pests like cucumber beetles and voles.