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Cameron
Level 3: 269 points
Alltime Score: 7410 points
Last Logged In: August 26th, 2019
BADGE: The Sweet Cheat Gone BADGE: Dispatch Challenge Winner TEAM: Society for the Superior Completion of Tasks TEAM: Group Creation Public Badge TEAM: Team Shplank TEAM: San Francisco Zero


retired

15 points

SF Evolutionary Study 1 by Cameron

May 30th, 2006 6:19 PM

INSTRUCTIONS: Document an instance in which an organism has evolved to the particular environment of San Francisco.

This task stymied me for a while... Being that San Francisco is a tiny piece of land, I find it slightly unlikely that an organism has adapted to the city itself. I suppose the habits of certain pidgeons and rats could prove me wrong, but these may just be altered behavior patterns. I do know, rather well, of an organism that has evolved to the very specific cliamte of the foggy California coast, of which San Francisco is the Urban Crown Jewel.

The Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) is the tallest tree in the world, and must to absorb 400 gallons of water a day, a need it cannot meet through rainfall alone. Instead, it captures fog condensation in it's needles, which drips down to the base of the tree, which allows it to live in a lower rainfall area. To collect as much water as possible, the roots extend a long distance, straight outward; the central root is never more than 10 feet deep, while the above ground portion can be upwards of 380 feet.

A single redwood cannot live on it's own for long, as it's roots cannot support it. Instead, they must exist in groves, so that the wide shallow roots can grow together in tangles. They can then depend on the combined strength of the group.

So in that way, the Redwood has evolved to those two ever present San Francisco conditions. Fog, and High Population Density.

- smaller

Redwoods in Golden Gate Park

Redwoods in Golden Gate Park

I substiuted this picture for my own, as my cameraphone is shite.



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posted by star5 on May 30th, 2006 8:35 PM

neat. i learned something new.