Thursday, December 6, 2012

Outline of Essay: Being Unseen: the Gift of Oppiella nova


I
A strange gift from John Lussenhop – small colony of O nova
Commonest animal in terrestrial ecosystems
My first encounter with this animal 20 years earlier
Common but rarely analyzed.
Introducing main themes of essay: necessity, minute inspection of nature, amplified connection between humans and nature, commonplace rather than rarity.  Connection with Thoreau!

II
Classification of mites
Morphology
Predation on mites (ghoulish story of beetles feeding on mites)
Diversity of community
            Poor man’s tropical rainforest
            Illustration of temperate zone diversity
            Enigma/Enigma resolved
Ecological role of mites

III
Specifics on Oppiella
Diagnostic characteristics
List of exotic locations where it’s found
List of less exotic locations
What is known ecologically
Aggregation patterns
A lone O nova shows up at the mall!

IV
Association with people
No comprehensive studies of urban populations
Project with Amanda Henderson :Great Oppiella nova census 2013
22 billion O nova in Lincoln Park?
Hypothesis: diminished population because of leaf removal

V
Conclusions
Necessity: means essential but also intimately connected, rendering of serves
Broader concept of necessary

~3000 words

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