Entanglement of Perspective by Alexandra Permar SWES 474 October 6, 2005

Conservation “The protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and of natural resources such as forests, soil, and water.” “The maintenance of a physical quantity, such as energy or mass, during a physical or chemical change.”

Interplay of Variables… For quite some time, Homo sapiens have been held primarily responsible for the dissolution of ecosystems. However, it is apparent than an interplay of systems is constantly at work, with no single party contributing necessarily more deleterious effects than any other.

Marine Ecosystems “Changes in biodiversity (mostly synonymous with local species richness) are highly variable over space and time and frequently depend on specific biological traits or functional roles of individual species” (Covich et al 2004). “Changes in benthic species richness have highly variable effects on ecosystem functioning in terms of the magnitude and direction of responses” (Covich et al 2004).

Southwest Alaska Variations in multi-species abundance in this region “have been influenced by an ecological chain reaction that encompasses numerous species and large scales of space and time” (Estes et al 2004). Killer whales “responsible” for sea otter declines; their intake increased when pinniped populations declined, which was attributable to top-down processes including predation, incidental losses of fisheries, purposeful killing, toxins, and disease (Estes et al 2004).

Quantum Mechanics Entanglement – “the quantum states of two or more objects have to be described with reference to each other, even though the individual objects may be spatially separated” (Entanglement 2005). Frame of Reference – what is observable in one state may not be readily observable in another state, but lack of observation of the two states synchronously does not mean that only one exists at any given moment.

Schrödinger’s Cat A cat is placed in a sealed box. Attached to the box is an apparatus containing a radioactive nucleus and a canister of poison gas. The experiment is set up so that there is a 50% chance of the nucleus decaying in one hour. If the nucleus decays, it will emit a particle that triggers the apparatus, which opens the canister and kills the cat. Exhibits the limitations of quantum mechanics.

Transition of Perspective… Space-time continuum. Loss of species = transformation of energy. Speciation = transformation of energy. What is conservation? All organisms participate in micro- and macroscale systems of input and output. Concept of conservation is inherently dependent upon one’s frame(s) of reference.

Entropy & Expansion Entropy – tendency towards disorder. All processes occur spontaneously in the direction that increases the entropy of the universe. Origins of the Universe – theory suggests all that was required initially was the tiniest fragment of energy, which then expanded due to fluctuations between internal and external forces participating in a type of balancing act, constantly in disequilibrium with one another.

Whales Carcass falls to the bottom of the ocean and serves as a source of nutrition for innumerable amounts of other organisms (including plankton, fish, bacteria). One organism, such as a blue whale, contributes its variables to X numbers of other organisms. In doing so, these organisms tend to greater species diversity themselves. Intricate web of systems tending toward greater complexity.

Revision of Perspective… Expansion of perception necessary in order to truly understand the web of intricacies always at work. Conservation is part and parcel to “nonconservation” (i.e. existence “without” conservation). Speciation is equivalent to a perceived “loss” of species.