The Odyssey

The second essay written by Aldo Leopold that we read was called "The Odyssey". In it, Leopold writes about elements X and Y. Through X, we are shown the biogeochemical process. First, X is marked in stone (geo). X is then pulled up into the roots of a tree (bio), and in this tree X helps make a flower, which becomes an acorn. A deer eats the acorn, and then is eaten by an Indian. The acorn, deer, and Indian all had X within them, and transferred through them. X is transferred then through many other living things and soil. X, then finds itself within another Indian, who passes near a riverbank. The bank collapses, and X, is pulled out to sea. This shows one of the abiotic factors in the cycle. Leopold then talks about Y in terms of its trips through the watershed, and that goes into talking about another element of the abiotic factor of the cycle.

I believe that Leopold was talking about nitrogen and carbon when referencing X and Y. Nitrogen changes into usable forms and are absorbed by plants, which in turn get eaten by animals and the animals get eaten by humans. When the animals and humans die, the nitrogen gets passed back into the Earth. Carbon is similar, except its forms (like carbon dioxide) are used by trees after photosynthesis and respiration. The cycle continues when the trees make glucose out of the carbon and is transferred to animals and humans, and back to the earth. It's a really interesting concept, however it's a little disturbing that most of the foods I eat have parts of them that were from dead people. I'm going to try my hardest to suppress that particular piece information.